On the battlefield, orders were issued using flags and drums.
Every squad had someone who could decipher the flag signals.
In ancient times, there was talk of capturing flags, slaying generals, and being the first to ascend, all considered the greatest merits.
A duel between generals on the front lines would greatly boost the morale of the victorious side, making their spirits soar.
The defeated side's morale would plummet.
With one side gaining and the other losing, the scales of victory would tip.
And "first to ascend" was a term for extremely bloody siege warfare.
To make soldiers fight with utter disregard for their lives, the first person to scale the city walls would receive a large monetary reward.
They were called "first ascent warriors."
The last was capturing the flag. The commander's flag was located in the center of the army, the brain of the unit.
Once the commander's flag fell, it meant the center army was broken, the command center was annihilated, and there was no hope of victory in this battle.
It was normal for some soldiers with wavering willpower to surrender on the spot.
...
The allied forces' battle line contracted. Areas where the foundation had been broken and large pits had appeared were directly abandoned.
Fighting and retreating, the remaining allied soldiers displayed high military discipline, giving the enemy no opportunity.
"Look at the sky."
"White flying horses!"
"It's the vanguard of the Wolf Valley Volunteer Army!"
"They're too fast, how long has it been?"
In the sky, the group of white flying horses, fully clad in blood-stained armor, numbered around two hundred.
Yet, with this mere two hundred, they dared to launch a charge into the enemy's rear!
Mo Du immediately ordered, "Quick, beat the charge drum! Flag signals for free assault!"
The Yun Kingdom's troops had not expected that the Northern Alliance, which had been passively defending, would dare to launch an offensive!
They were caught off guard!
The most robust flying horse landed before Mo Du.
"Are you the Speaker of the North?"
"I am Mo Du. I am extremely grateful for your reinforcements, which have saved the lives of over ten thousand allied soldiers."
A burly man with a full beard jumped down and said with a hearty laugh, "The first Speaker of the North is actually such a young girl, it's truly unbelievable."
"Just luck..."
"To lead tens of thousands of troops into a dead end is not just good luck; it's inseparable from one's own foolishness. War, you see, is not something for girls to be involved in."
Mo Du frowned, but since the other party had come to reinforce them, she couldn't say much.
This burly man with a beard was the contemporary leader of Wolf Valley, also known as the Wolf Butcher.
Wolf Butcher continued, "Little girl, if you want to live well, do as I say."
"Begin immediately, break camp and retreat to Two Realms Spring for rest! I've cleared the road for you, but you only have 12 hours!"
Mo Du calculated and shook her head, "If the troops were in good condition and lightly equipped, twelve hours would barely be enough. But my camp has over eight thousand wounded, some in a coma, some unable to move..."
"Foolish!"
Wolf Butcher cursed, "This is your womanly compassion!"
"If you retreat now, you can save most of the lives. If you delay further and miss this opportunity, all the troops will perish with you!"
It seemed... to make sense!
But the situation here had been described to Zhang Wei, and Zhang Wei's opinion was to hold their ground and await his reinforcements.
And now, an opportunity to withdraw safely was presented to her!
As long as she abandoned most of the supplies and the wounded who were unable to move...
After a long period of contemplation, Mo Du said firmly, "I will not retreat!"
Wolf Butcher laughed angrily, "Good advice cannot persuade a stubborn ghost. You can just stay here then."
Saying so, Wolf Butcher leaped onto his flying horse.
Mo Du said, "I will not abandon those wounded soldiers. I promised to bring them home! Moreover, the King of Northern Chefs is about to arrive, we will not leave, and we will not die!"
"Relying on a chef to turn the tide, I've never seen a more foolish idea!"
With that, Wolf Butcher flew towards the distant battlefield.
He gradually disappeared from sight.
"Speaker, the enemy has been routed. What do we do now?"
"Treat the wounded, and return to camp!"
...
Inside the large tent, over a dozen Northern elders were furious, shouting at Mo Du regardless of her status!
Chu Xiang stood by silently, lost in thought.
"The enemy is routed, and you ordered a return to camp?"
"Just like that, you came back?"
"Do you know that you wasted a tremendous opportunity?"
"If you retreat at this time, you could even reach Two Realms Spring, or go to the territory of other friendly forces, which would be better than being trapped here!"
Mo Du sneered, "Go to friendly forces? Why? Do we have field combat capabilities now? If we are ambushed in the wild, will our allies come out of the city to save us? Even if we successfully link up, will they be able to sustain us with eight thousand wounded soldiers?"
"This..."
An elder pleaded, "Speaker, let's go! I beg you! There are still ten hours left, and there is hope of returning to Two Realms Spring."
"Forget it, I will not abandon those wounded soldiers."
The same elder, squinting his eyes, shamelessly said, "Let's save who we can. The few of us only need a hundred guards to depart first and scout the path for the main force!"
"A hundred guards? How many are capable of fighting right now?"
Mo Du said grimly, "Your only value now is to stay in the wounded camp, use your lives to stabilize the morale of the wounded, and the entire army!"
"Don't force me, I'll kill you all as a sacrifice!"
Several Northern elders showed sinister expressions.
This Mo Du was like a stone in a latrine, stinking and hard!
It didn't matter if she wanted to die, she wanted to take everyone with her!
As expected...
Killing intent, superficial...
Having originated from the Black List, she was very sensitive to killing intent!
Seeing the Northern elders closing in, Mo Du narrowed her eyes, "What, do you want to make a move?"
After two upgrades from Zhang Wei, Mo Du's strength had reached level thirty, how could these two old geezers figure her out?
Mo Du stood up, and suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.
All her strength felt as if it had been drained away!
"This tea!"
"There's something wrong!"
"You actually dared to poison me!"
Mo Du cursed inwardly, she had been too comfortable for too long and hadn't guarded against such a crude trick!
She should have been vigilant long ago!
An elder smiled, "This tea was specially prepared for you. Jasmine and honey are indeed your favorite flavors!"
"Don't worry, this poison isn't very harmful, at most it will make you lose your mind."
"After all, I still need to use your Speaker's identity to issue commands!"
"However, after returning to Two Realms Spring, you will be dismissed from your position as Speaker on various charges such as improper command and abandoning the wounded!"
Saying so.
They looked towards Chu Xiang, who was calmly observing from the side.
"Mr. Chu Xiang, what are your thoughts?"
"This is an internal affair of your Northern territory. I have no right to interfere, nor do I wish to interfere!"
Chu Xiang said coldly, "I won't speak of today's events, but don't set your sights on me either!"
"Heh heh, how could that be, Mr. Chu Xiang, you take it too seriously."
Meanwhile, Mo Du was on the verge of losing consciousness.
She could only use her last bit of strength to reach into her怀中 and painstakingly write blindly on the Tongxin Grass.
Alas, her fingers were already unresponsive...
"Damn it..."