Free Web NovelChapter 76: Arrogant Zhao Ritian
After checking the equipment auction, Long Chen finally opened the Yangzhou chat room.
"Hahaha, I am Zhao Ritian, the fierce general under Yan Baihu! These officials and soldiers from Wu County are simply too weak! I believe soon, the banners of General Yan will fly atop the walls of Wu County!"
"The one upstairs calling himself Zhao Ritian! You wait for me! I’ve heard that the Prefect of Jiujian County, ’Sword Wind,’ is preparing to send troops to rescue Wu County! You all are just waiting to die!"
"’Sword Wind’? That old man from Yangzhou? Wow, even if he’s impressive, can he really be more impressive than the mighty bandit Yan Baihu from Jiangdong!?"
"Exactly! I feel like Sword Wind is going to offer his head this time. Yan Baihu is a powerful figure in Wu County, his influence surpasses Sword Wind who just arrived not long ago!"
"Indeed, Yan Baihu already has 50,000 troops and with abundant resources, his army is rapidly expanding, just like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls!"
"But Sword Wind’s army is only a bit over 10,000, how can he be Yan Baihu’s opponent!"
"That’s right, Sword Wind is bound to lose!"
Long Chen massaged his temples; he was too tired to argue.
How could his name come up in all this? He just wanted to see the current situation in Wu County.
Since there wasn’t any useful information, Long Chen decided to hurry on his way!
Just as he was about to close the chat room, a green message popped up.
Zhao Ritian: "Brothers, rest assured, if Sword Wind comes, I, Zhao Ritian, guarantee to crush him completely!"
...
This kid, called Zhao Ritian... Alright, I’ll remember you...
Long Chen quickened his marching speed!
Five thousand elite soldiers roared through the mountains and wilderness like a fierce wind.
...
Yan Baihu’s main camp.
Zhao Ritian, clad in red armor, stood to the right of Yan Baihu’s tent.
With clasped fists, he said, "General! I’ve recently heard a piece of news that concerns our army’s safety!?"
Yan Baihu, clad in white armor, frowned upon hearing this!
He inquired, "Ritian, speak in detail, what exactly happened?"
This Zhao Ritian was an extraordinary person he recruited after raising troops! In just a few months, Zhao Ritian had become one of his prominent generals, and he trusted him immensely. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"General, Long Chen, the Prefect of Jiujian County, intends to lead troops to support Wu County and attack our forces!"
"What!?"
Yan Baihu slammed the table fiercely, stood up with anger, and roared, "I’ve always kept my distance from that Long Chen, never expected him to meddle in our affairs!!!"
"Hmph! That’s infuriating!"
Zhao Ritian once again clasped his fists and smirked, "General, rest assured, I have a plan that will make them come but never leave!"
"Oh! Ritian, tell me quickly!" A glint of ferocity flashed in Yan Baihu’s sinister triangular eyes.
"General, when Long Chen leads the army here after a long journey, they’ll definitely be exhausted. At that time, our army will set up an ambush in a strategic location, lie in wait, and certainly achieve success!"
Yan Baihu paced back and forth, pondering the feasibility of the plan. Finally, he nodded in agreement:
"Good! Ritian, I’ll give you 7,000 soldiers to command! Make sure to show them who’s in charge!"
Zhao Ritian was immediately delighted and quickly clasped his fists to receive the orders.
A day later.
Long Chen, leading five thousand elite soldiers, finally approached the county city of Wu County.
Long Chen held the reins, raised his right hand, and the entire army immediately slowed down, quickly coming to a halt.
"My Lord, what’s wrong? Why aren’t we moving forward!?"
Xu Chu walked up and asked.
Long Chen looked ahead with solemnity, saying softly, "Wait, let me assess the situation first!"
He then jumped off the jade lion and lay on the ground, mobilizing the purest essence in his body to sense life signs in the distance.
The reason Long Chen stopped was due to a sudden sense of unease he felt earlier. Coupled with his long-term practice of the "The Book of Mystical Escapes," he was highly sensitive to the external environment, hence detecting the anomaly.
Hence, he decided to proceed cautiously. After all, he only brought five thousand troops, and if they encountered danger, they might easily fall into a deadly situation!
Looking around, the terrain ahead was rugged, the vegetation dense. Without careful observation, one wouldn’t detect what lay within.
Moreover, the slope was very steep; if an ambush were set here, the consequences would be dire!
Seeing Long Chen furrowing his brows, Xu Chu stepped forward and asked, "My Lord, have you figured out anything?"
Long Chen stood up, brushed off the dust from his hands, and said loudly, "Nothing to worry about, Zhongkang! Let’s continue!"
With that said, he mounted the jade lion again and quietly instructed Xu Chu beside him, "Zhongkang, spread the word: when we enter the mountainous area ahead, the entire army should be extremely vigilant!"
"Another thing, have the five hundred crossbowmen coat their arrows with oil. When we are a hundred steps away from the dense forest ahead, let them shoot!"
Xu Chu stared wide-eyed, scratching his head vigorously, unsure of what remedy his Lord was selling.
He just said there was nothing to worry about, why talk about heightened vigilance for the whole army now?
Well, since he couldn’t understand, he decided not to dwell on it. After all, the Lord must have his reasons.
Although Xu Chu wasn’t highly intelligent, he was an extremely loyal executor who methodically carried out Long Chen’s orders.
Meanwhile, hidden in the dense forest, Zhao Ritian and his ambushers were initially on edge when they saw Long Chen dismounting to survey the terrain.
But when they heard Long Chen loudly proclaiming there was no problem, they dispelled their concerns. freewёbnoνel.com
Zhao Ritian sneered inwardly, "Humph! They say you, Long Jue, are extraordinary and remarkable, but in my eyes, you’re just an overhyped person!"
"Unfortunately for you, you’ve encountered me. I will shatter your unbeatable myth, and I, Zhao Ritian, will take your place as the number one in the land!"
"As for that simpleton Yan Baihu, he’s just a pawn I want to use to rise to power!"
"Hahaha, the city of Yangzhou will bow at my feet!"
Due to the exhilaration in his mind, Zhao Ritian’s face flushed red, and his eyes narrowed into slits!
Seeing Zhao Ritian’s expression, the deputy beside him couldn’t help but feel amazed. No wonder General Zhao had become such a prominent figure under the Lord; there were reasons for it.
Look at how the General is sweating just because of the ambush plan...
Long Chen’s army was now within a hundred paces of the dense forest!
Both sides, in light and in shadow, were filled with fear and trepidation.
"Fire!"
Suddenly, Long Chen shouted loudly.
Five hundred beautiful arcs of fiery red shot into the dense forest.
It was late autumn; the dense forest was covered in countless yellow fallen leaves, perfect kindling for starting a fire.
With the addition of the oil-coated arrows, they became dangerous time bombs.
With just a spark, a small flame could set off a massive wildfire.
Many of the ambushing soldiers near the front line suffered unwarranted disasters; the sharp arrowheads pierced their armor and lodged into their bodies.
