The specific situation of the Tuer'aosi Empire's army was entirely unexpected by their Great Emperor.
Their Great Emperor had believed they still had three hundred thousand troops, and with the nearly one hundred thousand they brought, they would have a force of four hundred thousand.
Four hundred thousand troops, he thought, should be sufficient to resist the Qin army.
But who would have imagined that upon their actual reunion, their army numbered less than three hundred thousand.
The discrepancy in numbers was truly immense.
So immense that their Great Emperor's face turned extremely grim.
At this moment, their Great Emperor desperately wanted to fly into a rage and execute a few generals.
But seeing the remaining three hundred thousand troops at his side, he suppressed his volatile temper.
He knew that now was not the time for rashness; one wrong move could cause their army to disintegrate.
What they needed more urgently now was to figure out how to deal with the Qin army.
And the soldiers, unaware, had just narrowly escaped death.
At this very moment, they were still contemplating the future of their Tuer'aosi Empire.
"Your Majesty, with our current strength, it will be difficult to contend with the Qin army!"
"Moreover, the Qin army possesses those strange bottles; our soldiers cannot withstand such widespread flames!"
"Therefore, this humble general advises Your Majesty to retreat to the city!"
After the devastation wrought by the firebombs, their army had lost the courage to face the Qin army head-on.
Under such circumstances, defending the city was clearly a more suitable option for them.
However, once they committed to defending the city, numerous complications would arise.
Once they decided to defend the city, they might find it impossible to reclaim the cities of their Tuer'aosi Empire.
In fact, even within the Macedonian Empire, they could only hold one city; they would not be able to manage others.
After consolidating their defense in one city, their task would be to wait for an opportunity.
Only after the Qin army was defeated would they have a chance to reclaim everything they desired.
Upon thinking this, many of them felt despair.
They understood that in such a desperate situation, reclaiming what was theirs would not be easy.
Yet, even so, they could not outwardly express their feelings.
For them now, the most important thing was to remain calm.
After all, they had not lost everything; they still had three hundred thousand troops.
And when the Great Emperor of the Tuer'aosi Empire heard their words, he hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing to this decision.
"Then we shall hold the capital of the Macedonian Empire!"
From their own capital to another capital was a surreal journey for many of them.
Even their Great Emperor was in a state of bewildered distraction.
If they had a choice, they would never have made this decision.
But they had no choice.
Because of this, the Tuer'aosi Empire's army could only fortify themselves in the capital of the Macedonian Empire.
Moreover, their three hundred thousand troops were holed up within the city walls, not daring to venture out.
On the other side, Lin Tian also learned of the Tuer'aosi Empire's actions.
He said nothing much about it, merely offering a slight smile.
He then said to Wang Wu and the others:
"Let's go and surround the Tuer'aosi Empire's forces!"
"Surround them? Don't we need to wait for our main army to arrive?"
"No, our main army will not be coming for now, and they are already like startled wild horses, unlikely to leave the city soon!"
Hearing Lin Tian's words, Wang Wu and the others ceased their doubts, mobilized their troops, and, together with Lin Tian, headed towards the capital of the Macedonian Empire to surround the Tuer'aosi Empire's army.
Fifteen thousand troops surrounding three hundred thousand troops was an extremely rare occurrence.
It could even be said to be unprecedented.
Yet, it was happening before everyone's eyes at this very moment, and the Tuer'aosi Empire's forces dared not emerge.
Watching Lin Tian's army from within the city, they gritted their teeth in hatred.
But they simply dared not make any rash moves.
"This is too humiliating, they are too humiliating, to surround us with only fifteen thousand troops!"
"Indeed, this is blatant humiliation. They are certain we won't leave the city, which is why they are doing this!"
"Damn it, when has our army ever suffered such disgrace? I really want to lead our troops to charge out and kill their ten thousand men!"
If they could, they would wish to kill Lin Tian's fifteen thousand troops right now.
But they also knew that although Lin Tian's army appeared much smaller, behind them was still the main Qin army of three hundred thousand.
Those three hundred thousand troops were still hidden somewhere, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
More importantly, Lin Tian's army possessed the firebombs.
Those incredibly powerful firebombs had left a deep impression on the Tuer'aosi Empire's army.
It could even be said to be a nightmare they could never shake off.
Many of them, upon merely recalling it, could not help but tremble all over.
It was that battle that caused their army heavy losses, while the Qin army suffered no casualties.
Therefore, they were filled with awe and respect for the Qin army.
Without absolute certainty, they would not easily attack the Qin army.
This understanding was not only held by the soldiers on the ground but also by the generals.
Except for those who had not experienced the terror of the firebombs, most people feared their existence.
Thus, within the Tuer'aosi Empire's army, two different voices emerged.
"According to the information we've received, the Qin's three hundred thousand troops are still within our Tuer'aosi Empire, rapidly collecting our wealth. This presents an opportunity for us!"
"I also believe it's an opportunity. We have three hundred thousand troops here now, while the Qin army has only fifteen thousand. If we seize this chance, it's not impossible for us to turn the tide!"
"I agree. Once we eliminate these fifteen thousand Qin troops, we will only be facing three hundred thousand Qin soldiers. Thirty thousand against thirty thousand, we are not necessarily doomed!"
Those who spoke these words were the ones who had accompanied the Great Emperor of the Tuer'aosi Empire from their capital.
They had not witnessed the combat power of Lin Tian's army on the battlefield, nor had they seen the terrifying might of the firebombs.
Therefore, in their hearts, they still believed their army could defeat Lin Tian's forces.
However, such words, falling on the ears of generals who had experienced the terror of the firebombs, sounded more like a death knell.
...