How can this be? How is this possible?!
Sauron’s fifteen thousand strong army was all below the Heavenly Wolf Pass. How many men could he have for a seaborne raid on Tianshui City’s territory? At most a thousand, a thousand at the very most. The combined garrison forces on the Rubble Islands did not even number three thousand.
Even if he had spent a fortune in gold coins to hire over ten thousand riffraff and ruffians, they were still completely a motley mob.
Moreover, the previous flying courier message had stated it clearly. Sohan Yi had merely let out a single great shout and terrified this motley mob of over ten thousand until they pissed themselves in fear. Then he had led two thousand cavalry to slaughter them until corpses littered the fields.
Afterwards, Sohan Yi had led two thousand cavalry in pursuit of Sauron. And the fleeing Sauron had merely a hundred or so warriors by his side.
Think about it with eyes closed, think about it even with your toes, and Sohan Yi was certain to win. Sauron would either certainly die, or be reduced to a prisoner. There was no second outcome.
Indeed, the next day’s flying courier message arrived, stating it clearly. Sohan Yi had returned in great victory. Sauron had already been captured alive and would soon be brought to the Heavenly Wolf Pass. (This flying courier message was sent under duress, because Ning Zhi’s entire secret stronghold had been wiped out.)
Thus, no one paid any more attention to Tianshui City and Sauron. All their energy was focused on the Yan Yan army below the Heavenly Wolf Pass.
How had the situation suddenly changed so dramatically, turning into Sohan Yi dying in battle and Sauron seizing Tianshui Main City?
And Sauron was now leading several thousand troops southward, preparing to attack the Heavenly Wolf Pass from behind.
How could this be?
Sauron only had a hundred men by his side. How could he possibly defeat Sohan Yi?
Was he a god?
It was not only Ning Zhi. Everyone within the entire Heavenly Wolf Pass seemed to have been completely stunned, utterly unable to believe this result.
Thus, they immediately dispatched secret agents to verify the truth of this news.
They did not even need to wait for these secret agents’ reports. Surviving spies from Tianshui City also fled one after another to the Heavenly Wolf Pass, confirming the authenticity of this news.
Sauron had already completely taken control of Tianshui Main City. All six thousand city guard troops had pledged allegiance. The four thousand troops of the rebel lords left in Tianshui City had also been captured. All officers above the rank of centurion had been killed, including Nu Dan’s son Nu Dahai.
Upon hearing this news, Nu Dan’s vision went dark. He spat out a mouthful of blood and roared hoarsely, “Sauron, I am irreconcilable with you. I will definitely cut you into ten thousand pieces.”
In a short time, the entire Heavenly Wolf Pass was already in a state of extreme panic and low morale.
Because when that messenger had charged into the Heavenly Wolf Pass, he had only his last breath remaining. He had no time to report before Ning Zhi and had directly shouted it out. Thus, many people had heard the news of Tianshui City’s fall and Sohan Yi’s death in battle.
One told ten, ten told a hundred, a hundred told ten thousand.
In the end, all the soldiers within the Heavenly Wolf Pass knew of this news, and it had already been exaggerated beyond measure.
They said Sauron’s martial arts had reached the utmost pinnacle. He alone had defeated two thousand cavalry and killed Sohan Yi.
In short, they described Sauron as if a celestial deity had descended to earth. For a time, hearts were filled with panic, and the entire situation had fallen into extreme disarray.
…
The first thing Princess Ning Zhi did after waking was to convene a four-person meeting.
Nu Dan, Gui Qinqu, Tu Lingduo, Ning Zhi.
“No matter how shocking or world-shaking, this matter has already happened.” Ning Zhi said, “What should be done next?”
The other three fell into silence.
“Sauron is less than two hundred li from us.” Ning Zhi said, “In at most a little over a day, he will appear behind us. We need to decide where we go from here.”
Still, no one spoke.
Ning Zhi called out by name, “Nu Dan, you are the only one here from Tianshui City. You speak.”
Nu Dan took a deep breath and said respectfully, “We should do nothing. Continue to hold the strong city and wait for Sauron and the Yan Yan army to attack.”
Ning Zhi said, “But that would mean being attacked from front and back.”
Nu Dan said, “Correct, it would mean being attacked from front and back. But we still have nineteen thousand men in our hands. Sauron and Yan Yan combined only amount to nineteen thousand as well.”
Ning Zhi said, “Then do not forget how weak the Heavenly Wolf Pass’s rear defences are. By the time we are truly attacked from front and back, it will be too late!”
Nu Dan opened his mouth, wanting to continue saying something, but ultimately nodded respectfully and said, “Your servant is foolish.”
“Tu Lingduo, what does the officer corps you brought say?” Ning Zhi asked.
Tu Lingduo said, “We believe we should dispatch elite troops to take the initiative and attack Sauron.”
Ning Zhi said, “Who do we send to fight Sauron?”
Tu Lingduo said, “Four thousand Black-Clad troops, plus five thousand Coastal troops. These nine thousand troops head north to attack Sauron. Nu Dan and the other lords’ ten thousand troops remain to guard the Heavenly Wolf Pass.”
Ning Zhi said, “Nine thousand against Sauron’s five or six thousand. Can we win?”
Tu Lingduo thought for a while, then nodded, “We might win.”
Ning Zhi asked, “Then can we kill Sauron?”
Tu Lingduo shook her head and said, “Very difficult. We can only resolve the temporary crisis and prolong the war.”
Ning Zhi nodded. Then she turned towards Gui Qinqu and said, “What do you think?”
Gui Qinqu thought for a while, then said, “At this time, Tianshui Main City is empty. We should dispatch the main force to withdraw from the Heavenly Wolf Pass, avoid Sauron’s army, and take a detour to attack Tianshui Main City.”
“Take a detour? Is there a road?” Ning Zhi asked.
Nu Dan said, “There is a road, but it is a mountain road, very difficult to traverse. War horses simply cannot pass.”
Ning Zhi closed her eyes. All three plans were extremely, extremely poor. Each plan carried the danger of total annihilation.
“Nu Dan, you believe we should hold firm at the Heavenly Wolf Pass and sit waiting for the pincer attack from Sauron and Yan Yan.” Ning Zhi said, “If we do this, what do you think our chances of victory will be?”
Nu Dan closed his eyes and thought for a long while, then said, “Thirty percent chance of victory. After all, we are three armies. It will be difficult to unite as one. Moreover, my ten thousand troops are not strong enough.”
Ning Zhi said, “Tu Lingduo, you believe we should send nine thousand elite troops to attack Sauron, while Nu Dan’s ten thousand weak troops guard the Heavenly Wolf Pass. With your plan, what are the chances of victory?”
Tu Lingduo closed her eyes and thought for a while, then said, “Less than thirty percent. It is filled with uncertainty. No matter which link goes wrong, we will be completely annihilated. If Sauron’s several thousand city guard troops hold out a bit longer, or if Nu Dan and the others’ ten thousand remaining troops hold out a bit shorter, we are all certain to die.”
Ning Zhi asked again, “Gui Qinqu, your opinion is to take the mountain road to attack Tianshui Main City. What are your chances of victory?”
Gui Qinqu said, “Also less than thirty percent, perhaps even lower.”
Ning Zhi closed her eyes in anguish. All three plans had less than a thirty percent chance of victory. Did they truly have to be annihilated, truly have to suffer a crushing defeat?
As the supreme commander of this Tianshui City great battle, what exactly had she done wrong?
In terms of military strategy, she had done nothing wrong. She had chosen the most stable plan with the lowest losses. Hold the strong city and exhaust the Yan Yan army to death.
But who could have thought that Sauron would be so endlessly resourceful, daring to enter the heartland of Tianshui City with merely a thousand or so men?
At the start of the great battle, there had been three plans.
The first plan of Nu Dan and the others was to take the initiative and attack while the Yan Yan army was exhausted from a long march, fatigued, and had not yet built any defensive fortifications.
This plan had been vetoed by Ning Zhi. She felt the cost was too great. The Yan Yan army excelled at field battles. This plan was completely using one’s weakness to attack the enemy’s strength.
The third plan was Sohan Yi’s, to have the Tianshui City guard troops take a detour through Baiyun County to get behind the Yan Yan army, and then attack from front and back together with the Heavenly Wolf Pass army.
This plan had also been vetoed by Ning Zhi. She worried that the Tianshui City guard troops would be swayed by Sauron.
She had chosen what appeared to be the most stable, the most perfectly flawless second plan. Hold the strong city and exhaust the Yan Yan army to death.
Looking at it now, this conservative mindset was precisely the root cause of today’s perilous situation.
If they had followed the first plan of Nu Dan and the others, although it would have been using weakness to attack strength, it might have been a pyrrhic victory with eight hundred self-inflicted losses for every thousand enemies killed. But in the end, they would have won.
If they had followed Sohan Yi’s tactics, by now the Yan Yan army would have been completely annihilated, and the allied forces’ casualties would have been minimal.
Now, because of her excessive caution, she had actually placed the allied forces in a terrifying situation.
Sometimes, holding a good hand can also kill you. You are reluctant to play your four of a kind, reluctant to play your bomb. In the end, the other person finishes playing, and your entire good hand is suffocated in your grip.
Ning Zhi gritted her teeth and said, “The reason we have fallen into today’s situation is entirely my fault. I made the mistake of being overly cautious, the mistake of trying to be perfect in every way.”
“I dare not.” Nu Dan hurriedly said, “It is all because your servant failed in his duties, which made the situation so unbearable.”
Ning Zhi said, “Now, it is time to burn our boats. We have just discussed it. Whether we sit and hold our ground, or actively attack Sauron, or take a detour to attack Tianshui Main City, we all have less than a thirty percent chance of victory.”
Seeing the frenzied expression and resolute gaze on Ning Zhi’s face, Tu Lingduo’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Ning Zhi said, “That day, I was overly cautious, which is why we have today’s situation. Then today, we need to burn our boats and launch a night raid on Yan Yan’s camp! Once we win, not only will we salvage the crisis, but we can achieve a decisive victory.”
As these words came out, the three people present were greatly startled.
Tu Lingduo said, “But, Yan Yan’s army is most skilled at field battles. Moreover, they have rested and recuperated for many days. Taking the initiative to attack now will be extremely difficult.”
Ning Zhi said, “I see those defensive fortifications are merely wooden fences and some horse repellers.”
For a moment, the people present did not quite know how to respond. These simple wooden defences, although they looked like nothing, were still very useful even if they merely slowed the offensive.
Ning Zhi continued, “Moreover, if we want to avoid being attacked from front and back, this is the only way, is it not?”
This was indeed true. Whether they continued to hold the Heavenly Wolf Pass or took the initiative to attack Sauron, they might both be attacked from front and back.
Because the Yan Yan army was simply too close. The moment Ning Zhi’s allied forces moved, it would immediately move as well.
Take the second plan for example. The nine thousand Black-Clad and Coastal troops go to attack Sauron, while Nu Dan and the others’ ten thousand weak troops guard the Heavenly Wolf Pass.
In this way, the most likely result would be, shortly after the nine thousand elite troops left, Yan Yan’s fifteen thousand strong army would attack the Heavenly Wolf Pass.
By the time the nine thousand elite troops and Sauron’s several thousand city guard troops collided head-on and started fighting fiercely, the Heavenly Wolf Pass in their rear would have already fallen. The Yan Yan army would directly attack from behind.
But if they took the initiative to attack the Yan Yan army, Sauron’s troops were still two hundred li away. They would need at least a day and a night to arrive. With a day and a night’s time, the great battle with Yan Yan would have long since ended.
Tu Lingduo said, “If it is like this, then it is completely a head-on clash.”
Ning Zhi said, “We have nineteen thousand men. Yan Yan only has fifteen thousand. We are three armies. The Yan Yan army is formed from the merger of many mercenary troops. I believe our chances of victory are at least forty percent.”
Nu Dan, Tu Lingduo, Gui Qinqu and the others looked at each other, about to advise further.
“Do not advise further. My mind is made up!” Ning Zhi said decisively, “There is no retreat now. Only by burning our boats can we survive by placing ourselves in a position of certain death. Sauron dared to raid Tianshui City with a thousand men. We have nineteen thousand men. Do we still dare not attack Yan Yan’s fifteen thousand?”
Then, Ning Zhi abruptly stood up and said, “I order all troops within the Heavenly Wolf Pass to be fully deployed. Exit the pass and attack the Yan Yan army.”
“Understood!” Nu Dan, Gui Qinqu, and Tu Lingduo shouted in unison.
The entire war situation had gone in a great circle and returned to its starting point.
Very quickly, Nu Dan and the others thought of another possibility. Taking the initiative to attack Yan Yan’s army, if they could win, that would naturally be good. Even if they could not win, they could still escape with most of their troops. After all, it was a field battle, and a night battle at that.
But holding the Heavenly Wolf Pass, once they lost, it would be total annihilation. There would be nowhere to escape.
However, this reason could be done but not spoken.
Yet just at this moment, a tremendous silver wolf horn call came from outside. Then, earth-shaking war drums rang out.
A moment later, the entire ground seemed to begin trembling. Dense, thunderous footsteps of a march could be heard.
Then, a personal guard rushed in from outside and shouted hoarsely, “Princess, my lords, the Yan Yan army is attacking the Heavenly Wolf Pass!”
As these words came out, the expressions of the four people present changed drastically.
What a Yan Yan. Just as the four of them had decided to take the initiative to attack, Yan Yan had instead come to attack the Heavenly Wolf Pass of his own accord.
Tu Lingduo said coldly, “Yan Yan wants us completely annihilated.”
Ning Zhi breathed heavily. She walked out to the castle balcony and looked out.
Yan Yan’s fifteen thousand strong army had lit countless torches, like stars filling the sky. At this moment, they were surging forward like a tidal wave.
These ten days had been enough for Yan Yan to manufacture a large number of siege devices, such as enormous battering rams and countless scaling ladders.
“Thud, thud, thud, thud…” The fifteen thousand strong army, fully armed, bodies covered in armour, marched in neat steps. The sound of metal striking the earth made every person tremble with fear.
The equipment of this army had cost over a hundred thousand gold coins. So much money would have been enough to arm seventy to eighty thousand troops. Yet now it was only used on fifteen thousand men. Whether weapons or armour, they were all the best.
…
Yan Yan rode another lion-tiger beast, walking at the very front of the army. He narrowed his eyes and looked down upon the high walls of the Heavenly Wolf Pass.
Several hours ago, he too had received Sauron’s message. Tianshui Main City had already been taken. Sauron was leading five thousand troops southward, attacking the Heavenly Wolf Pass from behind. (Four thousand city guard troops, plus one thousand elite from the Rubble Islands. Originally, this army had been responsible on the road for intercepting messengers from the Heavenly Wolf Pass. When Sauron headed south to the Heavenly Wolf Pass, they joined up with him on the road.)
At that time, Yan Yan’s heart had indeed received a tremendous shock.
Sauron had really done it. He had truly taken Tianshui Main City with a thousand men and killed Sohan Yi.
This person was truly like a demon.
Originally, Yan Yan’s most stable approach would have been to hold the main camp and wait for Ning Zhi’s allied forces to lose patience and take the initiative to attack. This way, losses would be minimal and victory was ninety percent certain. The only drawback would be the inability to annihilate the enemy. Most of them would escape.
And these escaping enemies would become the so-called Tianshui Opposition Army or similar. Supported and armed by people with ulterior motives, they would become a long-term problem for Tianshui City.
Thus, Yan Yan acted decisively and attacked the Heavenly Wolf Pass. This way, he could seal the enemy forces within the Heavenly Wolf Pass. Then he would wait for Sauron’s army to attack from behind, completely annihilating the enemy.
In this way, the Yan Yan army’s casualties would be great.
But he did not care. He wanted to tell Sauron, you are strong, but I am no pushover either. My Silver Wolf Legion has never feared death.
The risk was great, but the reward was greater.
In a short two quarters of an hour, the Yan Yan army had already gathered less than a thousand metres before the Heavenly Wolf Pass.
“Everyone says my Silver Wolf Legion excels at field battles, not siege warfare.” Yan Yan said in a clear voice. “Let the sound spread to every corner. Then today, let us tell the world that my Silver Wolf Legion can not only fight field battles, but also siege warfare. Even if we must use blood, use corpses to pile our way up.”
“Clang…” Yan Yan abruptly drew his treasured sword and roared hoarsely, “Attack the city.”
Immediately, several thousand strong men, carrying enormous siege ladders, surged forward like a tidal wave.