Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After the camp was set up, Liu Guanfeng called Copper Bull over: "Copper Bull, take your men and transport the bodies of Na Kuang and Zhong Yi to Shining Star City. Just say that I am returning them. Inform them that we will not be sending troops for five days, so they can properly handle the funeral."
Copper Bull accepted the order and led his fifty soldiers from the Hammer Squad, driving two horse-drawn carts carrying the bodies of Na Kuang and Zhong Yi to the front of Shining Star City. Upon seeing the situation, a guard on the city wall immediately shouted a warning: "Stop right there! If you come any closer, we will shoot arrows."
"Do not shoot!" Copper Bull shouted loudly from a distance.
"Soldiers above, listen! I am Liu Guanfeng's personal guard from Starfall Kingdom. Today, under my master's orders, I have brought something for Commander Wu Ta. The carts behind me carry the bodies of Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi. Please send someone out to escort the carts inside so that they can be properly buried."
After speaking, Copper Bull stepped back over thirty meters with his men to maintain a safe distance from the carts to avoid raising suspicion.
A Squad Leader on the city wall felt conflicted upon hearing Copper Bull's words: The city gate definitely could not be opened under current circumstances, but if they were not lying, then the two carts contained the bodies of Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi. Ever since Wu Ta returned, he had been mentioning their names repeatedly.
Unable to make a decision himself, he decided to let the Grand Marshal decide. Thus, this Squad Leader instructed his subordinate: "Go report this matter to Commander Wu Ta and let him make a decision. I will keep watch here. Hurry."
The soldier received the order and immediately ran to report to Wu Ta, who was currently discussing matters with his generals: "We just received word from scouts that Starfall Kingdom's forces are now three miles away. They have set up camp there, indicating they intend to attack us. Does anyone have any strategies for repelling them?"
"Commander, based on our current situation, we only have about one hundred thousand soldiers in our city, while they have two hundred thousand. It won't be easy for them to attack the city, but it will also be very difficult for us to drive them back. I suggest we expedite reinforcements from other cities and send some here to Shining Star City," one general suggested.
"Grand Marshal, Starfall Kingdom's archers are different from ours; they seem capable of rapid fire. I've also seen vehicles that can launch large arrows for the first time. If we don't understand these things clearly, it will be hard for us to respond," another general added.
"Commander, soldiers reported that during their attack on Starlight Village, ordinary soldiers could shoot arrows from their sleeves. This was one of the main reasons our attack was ineffective this time."
"Commander..."
"Report! Commander, the gate guards have something to report."
"Let him in." A soldier entered the tent and knelt down on both knees. "I greet you, Commander."
"What happened at the city gate? Are the people from Starfall Kingdom planning to attack us overnight?"
"No, Commander. Just now, a group of people and two carriages arrived outside. They claimed to be the retainers of Liu Guanfeng from Starfall Kingdom, sent to return the bodies of Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi. Our captain did not dare to make a decision on his own, so he came to ask for your orders."
"What did you say? Whose bodies are being returned?"
"Commander, it is the bodies of Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi."
"Ah!" Wu Ta exclaimed, covering his heart with both hands. It took him a moment to recover. "Oh no! That hurts. Where are the bodies of Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi now?"
"Commander, they are just outside the city."
"Take me there immediately." With that, Wu Ta swiftly left the command table, grabbing the soldier who delivered the message and exiting the tent. The other military officers followed closely behind. They all held gratitude for Na Kuang and Zhong Yi; without them, these individuals might have met the same fate.
Soon, the soldier led Wu Ta to the city gate. After climbing up onto the city wall, the Squad Leader approached Wu Ta, saluting him and pointing to the two carriages outside. "Commander, the carriages are right there; they say they contain the bodies of the two generals."
"Have you sent someone down to check?"
"Grand Marshal, not yet. I fear it may be a trap."
Wu Ta nodded. "Open the city gate; I will personally welcome the bodies of the two generals home."
A general nearby grabbed Wu Ta's arm. "Grand Marshal, you mustn't! What if this is a trap? We cannot take that risk."
Wu Ta glared at the general, "Generals Na Kuang and Zhong Yi sacrificed themselves to cover our retreat. I must bring their bodies back, and the other side has already stated it is Liu Guanfeng's intention. Do you think a Divine-Level Expert would exploit the bodies of such loyal individuals? That said, even if it is a strategy, I must retrieve the bodies of the two generals; otherwise, how can I face those warriors? Open the gates to welcome the two generals home."
The Squad Leader shouted down below, "Open the city gates to welcome the two generals home."
Wu Ta led the commanders out of the city gate on foot, with soldiers forming two lines at the gate, extending all the way to the front of two horse-drawn carriages. Wu Ta approached the carriage and opened the coffin lid, revealing Na Kuang and Zhong Yi inside. Wu Ta closed the coffin lid again.
At that moment, Copper Bull stepped forward, "Wu Grand Marshal, you have personally come out to clarify that my master did not misjudge you. My master has more words for me to convey to Commander."
"Just say what you need to say."
"Commander, our master said that the Starfall Kingdom will not take any military action against your Huaxin Kingdom within five days; you just need to properly bury the two generals."
Wu Ta clasped his hands in salute to Copper Bull and bowed deeply, "General Liu, please return and tell Liu Jianyan that I, Wu Ta, thank him."
"I will convey that. Wu Marshal, we shall meet again on the battlefield in five days."
"No need to see me off."
Copper Bull turned around and waved his hand, "Brothers, we are leaving." In an instant, fifty soldiers from the Giant Hammer Squad vanished into the night.
Wu Ta then moved between the two carriages, taking hold of a horse's reins himself as he pulled both carriages into Shining Star City.
Upon returning to the military camp, Wu Ta immediately arranged for people to build a Spirit Pavilion for the two generals. He placed both coffins in the center of the spirit hall.
"Master, do you think Starfall City will take this opportunity to attack us?" asked Wu Ta's disciple.
"Since Liu Guanfeng said he wouldn't take action within five days, he won't. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to tell me. A Divine-Level Expert's words are not to be taken lightly."
Meanwhile, Copper Bull returned to report the situation to Liu Guanfeng. After listening, Liu Guanfeng nodded and walked over to the Tent, where Liu Guanlei was discussing the plan to attack Shining Star City with the Generals.
When Liu Guanfeng entered, Liu Guanlei glanced at him and said, "Xiaofeng, you're here. Is there something you need?"
"Commander, I would like to request something from you."
Seeing Liu Guanfeng's serious expression and the formal address, Liu Guanlei was taken aback. "What is it, Third Brother?"
"I am certain that Commander will attack Shining Star City in five days."
"Why is that?" Liu Guanlei asked, puzzled.
Liu Guanfeng then explained the process of sending Copper Bull to return the body and mentioned his promise not to attack Shining Star City within five days.
At this moment, several young Generals voiced their objections. "Commander, what Liu Jianyan said cannot be ignored. The number of soldiers in Shining Star City is low, and many are exhausted. If we attack tomorrow, we could capture Shining Star City in just a few days. However, if we give them five days to recover, it will be much harder for us to win easily."
"Yes, Commander, you must consider the bigger picture."
These young Generals were newly promoted and were well aware of the capabilities of Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu as Grand Marshals. They knew both were highly skilled in martial arts and strategy. However, they knew little about Liu Guanfeng and believed he only held his position due to his two brothers.
They had never witnessed Liu Guanfeng's martial skills or intelligence because all his ideas were shared during private conversations with his brothers. The battle between Liu Guanfeng and Jiang Xingshi was brief and took place far away in Huaxing Kingdom; very few soldiers from Starfall Kingdom had seen it. These young Generals were stationed at the city gates, blocking soldiers from Huaxing Kingdom, so they had not witnessed the encounter.
Additionally, they observed that Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu treated their brother with great courtesy while Copper Bull and others referred to Liu Guanfeng as their master. This lack of respect from the young Generals towards Liu Guanfeng fueled their dissatisfaction. They felt that having a brother like him was embarrassing for Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu. Thus, they spoke out against Liu Guanlei's orders because they knew that both Grand Marshals listened attentively to their younger brother.
Due to the reasonable points made by the generals, Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu were momentarily undecided.
Although they were uncertain, both Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu were still very supportive of their younger brother. They knew that their brother was a man of his word.
Seeing his brothers in a difficult position, Liu Guanfeng decided not to continue the debate: "Commanders, I am merely offering a suggestion and hope you can consider it seriously." After saying this, Liu Guanfeng turned and left the tent.
Deep down, both Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu were eager to attack Shining Star City, as this would be a significant victory for the Starfall Kingdom, one that had never been achieved since its founding—capturing a city from Hua Xing.
Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu exchanged glances, and after being inspired by the younger, more radical generals, they ultimately decided to go against their brother's wishes this time. They understood that offending their brother was not a matter of principle; as long as they communicated well with him afterward, he would likely understand. Moreover, Liu Guanfeng was not unreasonable. Thus, they resolved to attack Shining Star City the next day.
The meeting lasted late into the night, with each general growing more excited and passionate as discussions continued. After the meeting concluded, everyone happily returned to their rooms to sleep.
The next morning at breakfast, Liu Guanlei and Liu Guanyu noticed that Liu Guanfeng was absent. They assumed he might be upset about yesterday's events; since they had already offended him, they would wait until later to apologize together.
However, after breakfast, when it was time to assemble the troops, a problem arose: all the squad leaders and lower-ranking officers had disappeared from the ranks, leaving the soldiers disorganized.
Liu Guanlei stood on the command platform with a dark expression as he looked at the generals and their soldiers below: "Can anyone tell me what exactly happened?"
The general who had initially voiced opposition stepped forward. His name was Shi Yong, around twenty years old, wielding a Wolf Tooth Club crafted in imitation of Liu Guanlei's weapon. He had learned many techniques for using the Wolf Tooth Club from Liu Guanlei. In Shi Yong's eyes, Liu Guanlei was like a god; he was his most devoted admirer and also one of Liu Guanlei's most trusted generals.
Liu Guanlei looked at Shi Yong: "General Shi Yong, can you explain what happened?"
Comment 0 Comment Count