Chapter 1 The Long Night of War

Nights of war are destined to be long.

On normal days, when you're tired, you go to bed, and if you sleep well, you close your eyes and open them again, and the night is over, and it's dawn. Time passes without you even noticing.

But on the battlefield, very few people are truly carefree enough to sleep soundly. Even seasoned veterans, no matter how peacefully they seem to be sleeping and snoring, actually have one eye half-open!

Ran Min couldn't sleep either. Not because he was nervous or afraid, but because he was excited.

He suddenly felt that his previous life had been too insignificant, and it seemed that only here could he find the truly grand and magnificent life that belonged to him.

The squad leader couldn't sleep either. His breathing was a bit heavy; he was probably crying.

In the dark tent, it was a good cover.

The two who died had been under the squad leader longer than him, and were from the Imperial Guards who had come out of Yanjing together.

Ran Min didn't try to comfort him.

At this time,

everyone needs their own peace and needs to digest things in their own way.

Ran Min had seen craftsmen forging iron before. He felt that the battlefield was like a huge furnace, capable of melting away everything, leaving only the purest essence.

Whether it was fine iron or dross,

it was of course fine iron,

because dross was simply thrown on the ground, and no one cared about it.

Ran Min wasn't sure if the siege would continue tomorrow. Jade Plate City was like a natural barrier, standing there.

Forcing an attack would be very, very difficult. Heaven knows how many lives would have to be sacrificed.

Ran Min didn't feel wronged or panicked.

He didn't think his life was worth much.

Ever since he killed Monkey Three in the yamen hall,

every day he had lived since then was a bonus.

Moreover,

Ran Min turned his head and looked at the squad leader lying next to him.

It wasn't just his own life that wasn't worth much,

the squad leader's life wasn't worth much either.

Outside, so many brothers lying in these tents,

everyone's life,

wasn't worth much.

Unable to sleep,

Ran Min sat up,

took his armor,

and continued to wipe it with a cloth strip.

He had already wiped it after returning from the battlefield, but now, he wanted to wipe it again.

The squad leader yawned, stretched, and pretended to be awakened by him, saying:

"What are you doing? Still not asleep."

"Just wiping it again."

Ran Min stroked a dent in the chest area of the armor. This armor was indeed good armor; otherwise, the arrow shot by the Chu people from the city wall during the day would have been enough to take his life.

"Look at you, haha."

"I can't bear to part with it, so I have to touch it more." Ran Min said.

The squad leader sighed,

and said:

"Then touch it more."

Suddenly,

a rumble came from afar.

The squad leader was startled and sat up. Because he had been sleeping in his armor, he picked up his knife as soon as he opened the blanket.

Outside the tent, there were also bursts of shouts, obviously, the movement in the distance had alarmed the entire camp.

"Hoo…"

Ran Min breathed on the armor and continued to wipe it.

The squad leader looked at him in surprise and cursed:

"What time is it? Put on your armor and wait for the colonel to summon us!"

Ran Min shook his head,

and said calmly:

"It has nothing to do with us."

"You… …"

Ran Min continued to wipe his armor,

suddenly smiled,

and said:

"Do you think that by wearing this armor, I'm from the Zhenbei Army or the Jingnan Army?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know."

Ran Min paused,

and then said:

"But soon, we'll know."

… …

At dawn, the Barbarian army divided into three routes and began to cross the Wangjiang River from the upper reaches!

The rolling hooves were like thunder, shattering the last bit of tranquility left by the night, like a ferocious beast that had been dormant for a long time, revealing its fangs and choosing people to devour!

Qu Tiannan, who had been standing on the city wall all night waiting, saw this movement and did not hesitate to say to the messenger beside him:

"Open the north, south, and west city gates and form a battle formation outside the city!"

The swordsmith, who had been standing here with Qu Tiannan all night, remained silent at first, but after the messenger left, he opened his mouth and said:

"The barbarians are crossing the river, right?"

Qu Tiannan nodded, sighed, and said:

"After returning to the country, I must meet with the Fourth Prince and inform him that the barbarians must not be allowed to continue to develop. That barbarian king is not simple. If he really reaches his full potential, he will definitely be a disaster for our Great Chu in the future."

"Then now?"

"The future is the future, and the present is the present. If their barbarian king dares to directly cross the river and attack the Yan army's large camp and Yingdu in the west, then I have to give up some of my old capital and drag the Yan people's most elite Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army here!

In this battle,

as long as we succeed, the Yan people will have to suffer another defeat at Wangjiang. The Three Jins region, which has been swallowed by the Yan people for the most part, is likely to change hands directly. If the Fourth Prince integrates the country as soon as possible and transfers a large army over, our Great Chu will have a chance to take half of the Three Jins region!"

"Oh."

The swordsmith, who only knew how to make swords, nodded thoughtfully after hearing Qu Tiannan's words.

He was a professional in sword making, so he was very annoyed when someone commented on the swords he made in front of him.

Similarly, he knew that he couldn't fight, so he would only ask and listen to the words of Qu Tiannan, the Pillar of the State, and would not refute them.

Qu Tiannan reached out and stroked the battlements, listening to the friction of the city gate opening below him,

and said slowly:

"That barbarian king has several times more courage than I imagined. At this moment, I really want to see what kind of expression is on the face of that Yan man's Southern Marquis.

Hahaha,

didn't you want to force the barbarians to fight a decisive battle with you in the wilderness?

Then in this game,

how are you going to break it!"

Saying that,

Qu Tiannan clenched his fist and waved it,

"The destiny of this Yan Kingdom should come to an end!"

… …

Outside Jade Plate City, the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army began to leave the camp and form a battle formation, sending out three troops respectively, corresponding to the three city gates opened by Jade Plate City.

Each of the three Chu armies had nearly ten thousand people, forming square formations with swordsmen, spearmen, crossbowmen, shield bearers, etc., relying on the city wall to form a battle formation.

The heavy infantry of Great Chu were good at forming formations. Even if cavalry charged at this kind of military formation, it would be difficult to break through easily. At the same time, they also had cover from the city wall.

The three city gates were wide open, and the three Chu armies left the city. This was an act of provocation, and at the same time, it was a gesture that he could actively attack your camp at any time.

However,

the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army each divided their troops and responded calmly to the outer periphery of the three city walls.

The Chu army did not actively attack outwards,

and the Yan people were not tempted by the open city gate to try to attack the city.

The armies of both sides under the three city walls had fallen into an extremely strange silence at this time.

Ran Min carried the flag, and the squad leader was by his side.

The stalemate between the two sides had lasted for a long time.

The squad leader subconsciously muttered in a low voice:

"Why aren't they fighting yet?"

Wasn't the siege yesterday very lively? Why aren't they fighting today even though the other side has taken the initiative to open the gates, leave the city, and form a battle formation?

Ran Min looked at the squad leader,

raised the Black Dragon Flag in his hand a little higher,

and said:

"What's the rush?"

"How can I not be in a hurry? The barbarians are already crossing the river over there."

"So what?" Ran Min asked.

"So what what?"

The squad leader was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something and actually smiled.

"That's right, no rush."

… …

The Barbarian army crossed the river in three routes. Their speed of crossing the river was very fast because they directly ignored the threat of ice cracking. If there were unlucky ones, then the stars must miss him and summoned him to the embrace of the stars in advance.

This situation resulted in extremely fast river-crossing efficiency.

In the morning,

more than 80,000 Barbarian knights had already crossed the Wangjiang River, and behind them, more Barbarian knights were continuing to come.

The Barbarian King was also gambling everything.

In this battle,

as long as they could win,

the situation would be completely reversed,

and the Yan army guarding Xuehai Pass would be insignificant.

The situation in the Three Jins region,

and even the entire eastern pattern,

would change under his feet.

Originally,

the Barbarian King planned to return to the snowy plains first, integrate all the tribal forces in the snowy plains, and then seek new opportunities, but now, he could only launch it in advance.

Stars,

I don't know if you really exist,

but please, in the name of so many Holy Race people who believe in and worship you,

please bless me!

Several Barbarian scouts successively transmitted the latest military intelligence from the front.

"King, a Cheng Kingdom army has come out of Yingdu City, with a scale of 20,000!"

"King, the right wing army of the Yan army's central army camp is leaving the camp!"

"King, the troops of the Yan army's left wing camp are leaving the camp!"

"King, the Zhenbei Army and Jingnan Army under Jade Plate City have been restrained by the Chu army!"

One piece of news after another came,

making the Barbarian King's eyes brighter and brighter.

The elite Yan army was all under the Jade Plate City on the other side of the river. Even if they ignored the Chu army's attack in the Jade Plate City and returned to aid, it would be too late. He had already sent a separate ten thousand households to the other side of the river to block and slow them down.

Next,

he only needed to concentrate his main force

and defeat the Yan people's local army, the Imperial Guard, and the Cheng Kingdom army,

then,

the general trend

would be set!

The Barbarian King raised the long knife in his hand,

roared:

"Forward, warriors of the Holy Race protected by the stars, for our future, for our homeland, kill!"

… …

The Cheng Kingdom army in Yingdu City began to rapidly move out,

and the troops in the central army camp and other wing military camps were also rapidly leaving the camp.

They quickly gathered on the open plain in front of the central army camp, and less than twenty miles in front of them was the main force of the Barbarian army that had crossed the river.

And they

were a hodgepodge composed of the Cheng Kingdom army, the Yan Kingdom's local army, and the Imperial Guards of Yanjing, with different armors and different flags.

It seemed that

the tragic defeat of the last Wangjiang battle was about to be staged again.

At this moment,

a roar from a Pixiu came,

followed by

a figure in golden armor appeared in the front row of the army.

All the knights held their breath and straightened their chests at this moment!

Tian Wujing rode the Pixiu and walked past the front row of the army, his eyes sweeping across the faces of these knights.

Finally,

Tian Wujing roared with the blessing of a martial artist's qi and blood:

"Let this Marquis see if you, who have changed your original armor, are still yourselves!!!"

After saying that,

Tian Wujing raised the Kunwu saber,

and roared:

"Where is the Jingnan Army!"

"Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!"

The 40,000 troops on the left raised the sabers in their hands in unison.

Tian Wujing turned the Pixiu's direction and looked at the right,

and roared:

"Where is the Zhenbei Army!"

"Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua! Shua!"

Under the leadership of Li Fusheng,

more than 40,000 knights on the right also raised the sabers in their hands high!

Tian Wujing spurred the Pixiu to turn around,

faced the east,

faced the direction of the dust rolling in from the Barbarian iron cavalry,

and roared:

"Where is the Great Yan Iron Cavalry!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

The momentum shook the sky,

and the baleful aura soared into the sky!

The Marquis of Jingnan pointed the blade towards the east,

and ordered:

"Crush them."