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墨書 Inktalez
The mist, a thick white fog that stretched endlessly. Within it, one could no longer distinguish north from south or east from west. "General Meng! General Lu! Thirteen! Hey! Are you all there? Is anyone nearby?"
As clear splashes of water echoed beneath, the ground remained obscured by the fog. Just as the worry of encountering a swamp ahead arose, I suddenly slipped and fell. With water splattering and covering me in oil, a strong smell of oil rushed toward me. What a familiar scent; what was it?
Kerosene! The ground was covered in kerosene!
Before my eyes was a vast expanse of white, suddenly dispersed by the oil fumes. The hazy feeling vanished, as if I had entered another world. Not far away, a group of people were fighting; their attire indicated they were from the Zhao Army and Qin Soldiers.
The piercing sound of arrows whistled past me, and I immediately realized this was a battlefield. What was the mission? Right! Set fire! Just as I drew my bow and prepared to shoot, the bow in my hand suddenly released blue flames...
The black-red ground occasionally flared up with fire, and the distant mountains began to burn as well. Everything around turned red, and the people within transformed into countless twisted flames. The sizzling sound of burning skin filled my ears...
Suddenly, a group of Zhao Army soldiers, burned into skeletons and emitting smoke, charged toward me. Their eye sockets and nostrils spewed yellow flames like messengers from hell. Grinning wickedly, one thrust a burning short spear at me, igniting the kerosene covering him in an instant...
Li Xin jolted awake, sitting up in bed as the intense heat dissipated into coolness. Covered in sweat, he saw a familiar figure sitting by his bed and struggled to rise to pay his respects.
Luzi pressed down on his shoulder and softly said, "It's okay now; it's all over!"
Hearing that comforting voice made Li Xin's tears flow uncontrollably. None of the eight soldiers who followed him had returned; despite being the one to ignite the fire, he had been surrounded by Zhao Army soldiers without any chance to escape.
As both sides fought fiercely over igniting and extinguishing fires with bloodshot eyes, a Qin soldier finally broke through the encirclement while holding two bamboo tubes filled with kerosene. Dodging left and right over a distance of more than twenty meters, he leaped into the Zhao Army's fortifications. In that moment when time seemed to freeze, a burst of fire erupted from within the Zhao Army camp, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
People often say that victory always belongs to those who fear not death. However, when both sides no longer fear death, the ultimate victor depends solely on the courage and determination of the soldiers.
That's all there is to it.
Luzi had been staying well at the Mountain God Shrine, so how did he end up at the front lines? The key was that he had already assigned the current tasks that needed to be done, and he was indeed concerned about the brothers in the frontline combat units. Seeing the sky clear and the fog dissipate, he decided to ride up the mountain to deliver news.
As soon as he arrived at the barracks in the morning, he heard that Li Xin, who had made significant contributions, was unconscious. He hurriedly sought out the Surgeon to inquire, only to learn that it was due to exhaustion. Although covered in blood, it was unclear whose it was. Seeing that this person was still lying there sound asleep, he gestured not to wake him and climbed higher with Meng Wu to survey the area.
The Zhao Army's Defensive Formation had long since collapsed due to last night's fire, leaving only some charred mounds on the snowy ground as evidence that a wall once stood there. Melted water flowed down the slope and then froze, creating a smooth ice surface that would greatly affect the Zhao Army's plans to ascend again.
In fact, early in the morning, the Zhao Army had attempted an attack. They shouted loudly but hadn't even entered the Qin Army's range before they were thrown back in disarray. Now, let alone attacking, just climbing up would be an achievement.
Even so, temporary safety did not guarantee ongoing security. The two people standing on the wooden fence held little hope for this and instead examined the surrounding terrain.
Given its strategic importance, building a fortress here could be considered in the future.
Meng Wu heard General Lu's instructions and quickly ordered the Soldiers to record this statement. Whether it was said casually or taken seriously by listeners, a few years later, the Qin State indeed allocated funds specifically for constructing fortifications and stationing troops here.
Returning to the Main Tent, Luzi did not intend to bring good news this time; after all, there wouldn't be any good news now. As temperatures warmed up, the snow in Shanxia began to melt on a large scale. As long as another cold wave did not arrive, the Zhao Army stationed north of Changping would reach Old Horse Ridge within three days at most.
Of course, this was merely an observation of Zhao's troop movements. Meanwhile, the main force of the Qin Army stationed south of Gao Ping optimistically estimated that it would be lucky if they could enter the mountains within a week due to heavy snowfall.
With favorable terrain, as long as they made good use of it, they could hold out for several days. A few hundred men against a few thousand was still manageable. However, if the main force of Zhao Army arrived with heavy siege equipment, these fortifications would be as fragile as an eggshell.
To hold firm or abandon, to continue fighting or surrender on the spot—what direction to take depended entirely on the decisions of Generals Meng and Li, who held the highest ranks among the defenders on the mountain! After Luzi finished speaking, he left the professional matters to these two experts.
Retreat was definitely not an option; escaping like this would only lead to punishment under Military Law. Meng Wu and Li Xin exchanged glances; if they could have surrendered, they would have done so already! Yesterday alone, they had killed hundreds of Zhao Army soldiers, and even if they surrendered now, they would still lose their heads!
Meng Wu stepped forward and said, "General Lu! I killed so many people with General Li yesterday, so surrendering is clearly impossible at this point. The only option left is to fight to the death! You have no blood debts; if it’s not feasible, you should retreat first. If there’s a chance in the future when you pass by this place, if you could remember to burn some paper money for the brothers, that would be enough for me."
Li Xin immediately supported this statement, firmly declaring that he and General Meng Wu would fight until the last man. This was to give General Lu the best chance to escape and return to Gao Ping to meet with Wang He and the Old General.
Upon hearing this, Luzi was deeply moved. He quickly packed his belongings and asked the two generals if they had any letters or valuables to send home; if so, he could help deliver them.
If Luzi stayed in the camp, the soldiers would be too worried about his safety to fight effectively. This was not good for the already outnumbered Qin Army. The Zhao Army's obstruction was only temporary; the final battle would reveal the truth in a few days. When that time came, amidst the chaos of swords and blades, it would be impossible to escape.
As for valuables, there were none. Besides, who had such trifles when going off to war? Both men expressed that they had nothing of value and only hoped that General Lu would leave this place quickly. When the time came, they would unite and bring an army to avenge their brothers.
Alas! It seemed there was no other way!
Luzi wanted to stay and share in the national crisis with his brothers. However, he had more important matters to attend to; he could not let the main line be severed. He knew it was not wise to linger here. After advising the two generals to stay safe, he hurriedly mounted his horse and left the Qin Army Camp.
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