The Demon Lords-Chapter 728 - 154 Lonely Smoke Direct_3

This was the legacy of an army, its profound essence. Moreover, it was the glory the Shengle Army, distinguished by its outstanding merit, had reaped above all others after this great battle.

In military circles, such things were given great weight. It might have seemed unfathomable to outsiders, but these were the cornerstones upon which the confidence of a truly strong army was built.

The North Guard Army and Lord Jingnan's Army had fought consecutive major battles in recent years. Many veteran soldiers had died, and fresh recruits had been added. So why did their combat prowess remain so strong?

This was precisely why. The moment a new recruit entered their ranks, they were immediately infused with the army's distinctive atmosphere and glory. When soldiers became fearless in the face of death, even if they weren't initially elites, the gap between them and an elite force was not significant, especially with seasoned veterans leading them.

Zheng Fan naturally endorsed Liang Cheng's army-building plan without reservation. It was as the saying went: let specialists handle specialized matters.

Zheng Fan was willing to be Liu Bang and let Liang Cheng be Han Xin. Most importantly, their special relationship would prevent the kind of future falling-out and betrayal that occurred between Liu Bang and Han Xin.

Historically, it wasn't difficult for a leader to have competent subordinates. The challenge lay in preventing these capable subordinates from rebelling and usurping power—the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period served as a prime example.

Only the exceptional bond between My lord and the Seven Devil Kings could fundamentally resolve this predicament.

Hadn't one seen how even Mo Wan had to reluctantly protect this old father of his?

On the city wall, everyone's spirits were high. The food rations for the evening had been doubled, and there was even a little alcohol distributed—just enough to wet their throats and ward off the chill. But people always had a knack for finding happiness in comparisons.

Outside the city, the wild people's encampment was still quiet. No one knew what was happening inside. Zheng Fan was also curious: was the King of the Wild People among the fleeing soldiers, or had he been killed directly during the rout at the Wang River frontline?

He was a formidable figure, yet he had the misfortune of encountering Lord Jingnan.

Alas…

Zheng Fan took out a cigarette and lit it. He felt that the current atmosphere and the distant scene perfectly called for a cigarette.

To be honest, Zheng Fan rather admired that King of the Wild People. He had come so close to success, but fate was just that capricious.

The Jade Order had once prophesied that the Holy Tribe would greatly prosper.

But these wild people, on the verge of prosperity, had run into the Great Yan, a state whose fortunes were on the rise.

This sense of powerlessness was much like that experienced by that once-dominant power in Southeast Asia.

Below the inner city wall, Xue Three was directing soldiers to recalibrate and inspect the trebuchets.

Fanli, along with his men, began hauling bundles of arrows and other defensive supplies up to the city wall.

Liang Cheng was reorganizing the deployment and equipment of the soldiers on the city wall.

A Ming, meanwhile, filched a cigarette from Zheng Fan and stuck it between his lips.

"I don't have many left," General Zheng said, somewhat disgruntled.

"Apologies, My lord. I've had too much wild people's blood lately. It's making me feel a bit sick."

With that, A Ming also lit a cigarette and handed back the small iron cigarette case that Xue Three had custom-made for Zheng Fan. Engraved on its front were two large characters: China. On the back were six characters: Smoking is harmful to your health. One could say it was crafted with considerable attention to detail and a sense of ceremony.

"Missing the wine cellar at home?" Zheng Fan asked.

A Ming nodded.

"This war... is almost over," Zheng Fan said.

A Ming nodded again.

"Once the war is over…"

"My lord, don't jinx it."

"Right. My mistake."

Zheng Fan finished his cigarette. A Ming took the butt, reached out, and flicked it over the parapet. When he drew his hand back, he found an arrow embedded in his palm.

A Ming sighed.

"HEH HEH." Zheng Fan couldn't help but chuckle.

Outside the city, volleys of arrows began to rain down, accompanied by the battle cries of the wild people. For the first time, the wild people had launched a night assault on the city.

「…」

A'lai, clad in white wolf skin, had once again managed to escape.

His escape skills were indeed exceptional. The last time, in the snowfield, facing the onslaught of Lord Jingnan's Army, he had also managed to flee. Although he had been nearly caught by that short Yan commander, he had ultimately escaped, hadn't he?

This time, the situation was even more perilous, but without that short fellow present, A'lai had still managed to break free.

He had no idea how many Yan people's attention he had drawn, nor did he have the time to dwell on it. He understood that from the moment he had donned the King's attire, the longer he evaded capture, the less pressure there would be on the real King.

The defeated remnants of the wild people's army were scattered everywhere. After all, even for the Yan people, slaughtering over a hundred thousand "hogs" in one go was no easy task.

But the morale and spirit of the wild people's main army had been utterly crushed by the Yan people. Unless they could return to the snowfield to regroup and recover, it would be difficult to even rally these scattered troops, let alone wage war against the wolf-like, tiger-fierce Yan people again.

The irony was, A'lai knew, that Snow Sea Pass was still firmly in the hands of the Yan people.

A'lai wasn't particularly surprised by the sudden resurgence of the Yan Army; he had personally witnessed the might of Yan's Lord Jingnan's Army. It was just that, deep down, he had been clinging to a sliver of wishful thinking. He had hoped that the damned star, considering how faithfully the Holy Tribe had worshipped it for so many years, might actually lend them a hand.

But evidently, the star remained as lofty and indifferent as ever, untouched by worldly affairs.

A'lai was growing tired. He had just killed a Yan cavalryman who had been relentlessly pursuing him. The man had been a tenacious opponent, sticking to him like glue despite numerous attempts to shake him off.