Free Web NovelChapter 23: What a Talent
"Moreover, the military force should not exceed three thousand, exceeding that number may raise the bandits’ suspicions. If they remain in hiding, the plan will be fruitless..." ƒreewebɳovel.com
Long Chen talked confidently, citing examples and historical references. The civilian and military officials all nodded in agreement, and Wang Yun, who sat at the head, continuously stroked his beard, his eyes shining even brighter.
When Long Chen presented all the strategies he had in mind,
Clap, clap, clap—
Applause erupted instantly, and the people’s faces were filled with excitement.
"This man is truly a talent for Wang Yun!"
"He has numerous strategies in his mind!"
"Admire! Admire!"
.....
In the dense woods among the mountains,
The terrain here was high with dense forests, dense vegetation, and difficult paths. However, this was the only suitable road for grain transport carriages to pass.
A team of several thousand soldiers was transporting grain carts along this road, and there were several horse-drawn carriages in the group, likely carrying noble figures inside.
There were at least twenty or thirty grain carts, fully loaded. It was estimated that there were several tens of thousands of bags of grain and forage.
However, the soldiers, wearing ordinary leather armor, had no idea that a group of Yellow Turbans was currently staring at them with eager eyes.
"Boss, look at this! How much grain do you think is here?"
"Should we tell General Wu Qu to plunder this grain?"
"We’ve been stuck in the mountains by the forces from Yuzhou for a while now, and we haven’t looted any wealthy households since. Our mountain stronghold’s grain will only last for another fifteen days. Now is a golden opportunity! After all the effort, we finally found such a big fish. If we can seize all this food, we can hold out for several more months!"
A lean man suggested to the leader beside him.
They were subordinates of General Wu Ba, who had been trapped in the mountains by the Yuzhou army for several tens of days. There was no way for them to descend the mountain to buy or plunder food. The food on the mountain was barely enough and was already on the verge of depletion.
After considering for a while, the leader’s eyes gleamed. He carefully observed his surroundings, saw that there was no unusual movement, and then instructed his Yellow Turban troops behind him.
"Inform our General Wu Qu, let him make the final decision on this matter!"
"Yes!"
The Yellow Turban soldier rushed away and quickly disappeared from sight.
.....
On the mountain below,
Tens of thousands of Yuzhou soldiers had set up camps and fortifications.
Inside the main military tent,
Wang Yun was conversing and laughing with Long Chen.
"Jue Ming, I thought you were a powerful military commander, but I never expected you to be so brilliant! Your tactical insight is truly admirable! Your strategic withdrawal has left Wu Ba on the mountain in a dire situation!"
"The combination of military and wisdom is impressive! You’ve played your cards well to deceive Wu Ba. He is probably panicking now due to the shortage of provisions under the Yuzhou army’s blockade."
In response to Wang Yun’s praise, Long Chen modestly smiled.
Just then, a shout came from outside the tent.
"Report—"
An urgent scout rushed into the tent and knelt down.
"Speak, what’s the matter?"
"Reporting to the Governor, the bandits have fallen for the trap. Tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans are now in chaos, scrambling for the grain. Many of them have even laid down their weapons and are grabbing the food!"
"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Wang Yun exclaimed three times.
He then turned to Long Chen and said, "Jue Ming, the heavens are on our side!"
Long Chen respectfully replied, "I request you to issue immediate orders, my Lord. I am willing to take down Wu Ba and bring his head as proof of our victory."
"Good! Jue Ming, you have my orders. Lead your five thousand troops to immediately join forces with Zhao Jian’s eight thousand troops. Together, you shall exterminate the bandits!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Long Chen saluted, then opened the military tent and mounted the high-quality warhorse gifted by Wang Yun.
At this moment, Long Chen’s five thousand troops were already assembled in the military camp, and Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were standing on the platform to oversee the troops.
Long Chen gave the order, "Follow me to face the enemy!"
The five thousand troops rallied with a fierce battle cry, brandishing their weapons, clad in red armor, exuding a powerful aura.
Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were filled with excitement.
Entering battle, defeating the enemy, and achieving greatness was their lifelong aspiration!
In the mountain forest, tens of thousands of Yellow Turban bandits had gone mad under the tantalizing sight of abundant provisions.
They had abandoned their weapons and were now scrambling to seize the valuable rice and grain. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"It’s mine, mine!"
"Don’t anyone dare to compete with me! I’ve been eating watery gruel for three days! My stomach has been rumbling!"
.....
"Calm down, everyone! Calm down!"
Several vice-generals shouted loudly to maintain order, but the untrained Yellow Turban soldiers, fueled by the sight of provisions, couldn’t calm down that quickly. The scene remained chaotic, like a marketplace.
Wu Ba, protected by his generals, calmly observed the situation. On one hand, he was glad they had managed to seize the provisions, which would allow them to hold out for several more months. By then, the Yuzhou forces might retreat, as this was a war of attrition. With so many Yuzhou soldiers stationed at the foot of the mountain, they also needed a large supply of provisions and couldn’t sustain a long siege.
But on the other hand, he felt a growing sense of unease, sensing that something was amiss.
"Give the order: Anyone who disrupts or steals these provisions again, kill them all!"
A hint of bloodlust flashed in Wu Ba’s eyes.
"Yes..."
One of his guards nodded.
However, just after issuing this order,
A barrage of arrows rained down upon them!
Hundreds of Yellow Turban soldiers were instantly killed by this arrow storm, and their screams reverberated through the forest, shaking the surroundings.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The Yellow Turban soldiers cried out in panic.
Long Chen tightly gripped the Blood-Drinking Blade, its blade pointing to the sky.
"All of you, follow me and charge into the fray!"
"We pledge to follow you, my Lord!"
With Long Chen leading the charge, the morale of his troops skyrocketed, unleashing terrifying combat strength.
Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin closely followed Long Chen, helping him overcome all obstacles.
Not long after Long Chen launched his charge, Zhao Jian led a significant force and also initiated an attack.
However, since Zhao Jian was a strategist and didn’t charge at the front, the morale of his troops remained subdued.
Nevertheless, when facing the Yellow Turbans who had laid down their weapons, they easily mowed them down in a one-sided massacre.
Zhao Jian unleashed area-of-effect spells, sending the Yellow Turban soldiers flying with fireballs descending from the sky.
At the same time, he employed group-enhancement spells to boost his allies’ attack and defense.
Tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans were killed, and they scattered in every direction.
"No retreating! No retreating! Those who violate orders shall be beheaded!"
Several Yellow Turban vice-generals cruelly executed fleeing soldiers and urged the others to charge forward.
This brutal act forced the Yellow Turban soldiers to move forward recklessly, as they had no choice but to fight to the death. Retreating meant death, and advancing was equally deadly.
They might as well fight for their lives.
"Crescent Slash!"
Long Chen shouted at the top of his lungs.
The dark red and otherworldly Blood-Drinking Blade in Dragon Chen’s hand emitted a dazzling blood-red light from its blade.
Humming loudly,
Boom!
A blood-red crescent-shaped blade beam, like a scythe cutting through wheat, cleaved hundreds of Yellow Turban soldiers in half.
"Ding! Killed ordinary Yellow Turban soldiers! Experience +25."
"Ding! Killed elite Yellow Turban soldiers! Experience +100."
"Ding! Killed..."
Using a C-rank skill, Dragon Chen instantly gained thousands of experience points, raising his level from 22 to 25.
"Ding! Gain 5 attribute points, which can be freely allocated to attributes."
"Add them all to Strength!"
"Ding! Your current Strength: 40 (Maximum 80)."
The terrifying visual impact significantly reduced the morale of the Yellow Turban soldiers behind.
"Dragon Slaying Strike!"
