Chapter 219: First, never act on impulse; second...

Amid the smoke and dust of the Chu army's hasty retreat, on the city wall, several sharp eyes were fixed on the behemoth on the battlefield - the Demon God of War.

The Demon God of War now transformed into a killing machine on the battlefield. Every step he took and every swing of his arms was accompanied by the screams of the Chu soldiers and the loss of life.

"Is this the power of the Soldier Demon God?"

Wei Zhuang stood on the top of the city wall and looked at the invincible power of the God of War, feeling inexplicable emotions in his heart.

In Xianyang, he had seen the Demon God of War with his own eyes, but he had never felt his power so intuitively.

Wei Zhuang found it hard to imagine what power in the world could stop the ravages of the War Demon God.

Wei Zhuang's heart was strong enough, but at this moment he had to admit that he was hit hard.

"Is this... is this the power of the Demon God of War?"

There was a slight tremor in Meng Tian's voice, an emotion he had never experienced before.

He boasted that his mighty army was enough to crush everything, but at this moment, he felt that his troops were so insignificant in front of this huge bronze figure.

Gai Nie, who was standing next to him, was also shocked by this amazing power.

There was a gleam of surprise in his eyes, but his heart was unusually calm.

He knew very well that although the power of this military demon god was great, he was not invincible.

He believed that as long as he found the right method, he would be able to overcome it.

"The power of this soldier demon is indeed amazing, but it is not invincible."

Gai Nie's voice was steady and powerful. His words were like a clear spring, flowing into Meng Tian's heart and calming him down.

"Oh? What do you think, Senior Brother?"

Wei Zhuang turned to look at Gai Nie, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Gai Nie smiled slightly and said, "Although this weapon demon is powerful, it is a weapon after all and has no will of its own.

As long as we can find its weakness, we will be able to defeat it."

"Brother, your opinion is indeed profound." Wei Zhuang nodded, "As far as I know, the control room of this soldier demon is actually in the head."

"In other words, as long as they can enter the cockpit and defeat the driver, they can not only put an end to the rampage of the Soldier Demon God, but can even use him in reverse?"

Meng Tian took over the conversation and had a lot of thoughts about this obvious weakness.

However, at this moment he suddenly remembered that the driver was Gongsun Ce. In Meng Tian's mind, no one could enter the cab and defeat Gongsun Ce.

At this time, Gongsun Ce left the cockpit, flew towards the top of the city, and began to arrange a plan to escape Xiang Yan.

"Three of you, prepare to attack!"

Gai Nie, Wei Zhuang and Meng Tian led their subordinates to pursue Xiang Yan in batches.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the remnants of the Chu army retreated like a tide, their steps heavy and their morale low.

Xiang Yan, the great general of the Chu State, was wearing armor and holding a spear. His eyes, which used to be full of vigor and vitality, now revealed deep worry.

He knew that the defeat was irreversible, and the only way to preserve a glimmer of hope was to evacuate as quickly as possible with the remaining troops.

Just as Xiang Yan was leading the remnants of his defeated troops to evacuate, suddenly, dust flew up in the distance, the sound of horse hooves thundered, and a group of cavalry approached rapidly.

Xiang Yan looked up and saw the Qin army led by Wei Zhuang chasing after them like wolves and tigers.

Xiang Yan's heart tightened, he knew that there must be something fishy about the Qin army's pursuit at this time.

He suspected that Wei Zhuang's pursuit was just a bait, and there might be a bigger ambush waiting for him ahead.

Xiang Yan took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He quickly ordered the entire army to continue evacuating without any pause.

At the same time, he sent out scouts to explore the situation ahead and find a suitable terrain to form a battle array to meet the enemy.

He knew that only by finding favorable terrain could the Chu army's combat effectiveness be maximized and it would be possible to resist the pursuit of the Qin army.

When Wei Zhuang saw Xiang Yan continuing to escape, he couldn't help but admire Gongsun Ce's wisdom.

Gongsun Ce had long anticipated that Xiang Yan would suspect his pursuit was a fraud, so he deliberately arranged this pursuit.

He knew that Xiang Yan would definitely choose a favorable terrain to line up to meet the enemy in order to prevent an ambush ahead, and this was exactly what Gongsun Ce expected.

Wei Zhuang continued to lead the Qin army in pursuit according to Gongsun Ce's instructions.

They were like a sharp sword, biting the Chu army's tail tightly and not giving them any chance to breathe.

However, when Wei Zhuang discovered that Xiang Yan was preparing to head for the nearest city, he immediately stopped chasing him.

At this time, another troop of soldiers suddenly appeared on one side of the Chu army.

This army was led by Gai Nie. They were like divine soldiers descending from the sky, blocking Xiang Yan's way to the nearest city.

Seeing this, Xiang Yan was surprised, but he remained calm.

He knew that the most important thing now was to preserve strength and not to engage in battle with the enemy easily.

Therefore, Xiang Yan decisively ordered the entire army to continue to evacuate and not to conflict with Gai Nie's troops.

Gai Nie also stopped when he saw Xiang Yan leaving. He knew that his mission was completed and it was Meng Tian's turn to take the stage.

Meng Tian replaced Gai Nie and continued to lead the Qin army to pursue Xiang Yan.

He was like a cheetah, staring at Xiang Yan closely.

Xiang Yan had already discovered the problem at this time. He felt that the pursuit by Wei Zhuang, Gai Nie and Meng Tian was not their real intention, but was constantly consuming his troops and weakening the morale of his soldiers.

Xiang Yan knew in his heart that he could not continue to be so passive.

He must take the initiative to break the Qin army's encirclement.

So he immediately ordered the entire army to turn around and attack Meng Tian's Qin army.

However, when the Chu army and the Qin army clashed, Meng Tian had no intention of fighting Xiang Yan.

He merely led the Qin army to deal with the Chu army and did not actually launch an attack.

Xiang Yan couldn't help but sneer when he saw this. He understood that Meng Tian's intention was also to consume his troops.

So he decisively ordered the entire army not to engage in a fight with Meng Tian, ​​but to return to the nearest city for rest and recuperation.

He knew that only by returning to the city could he be truly safe.

However, as soon as Xiang Yan wanted to approach the city, Wei Zhuang, Gai Nie and Meng Tian surrounded him again like three hungry wolves.

They constantly interfered with the Chu army and prevented them from approaching the city.

Xiang Yan was extremely anxious, but he remained calm.

He knew that the most important thing now was to keep morale stable and not let the soldiers lose confidence.

So Xiang Yan personally led an elite force to break out and rush towards the city.

Under his leadership, the morale of the Chu army was greatly boosted. They fought bravely and marched forward.

However, just as Xiang Yan was about to approach the city, a flash of golden lightning streaked across the sky.

The golden fire cavalry led by Meng Tian suddenly appeared in front like heavenly soldiers.

They are wearing golden armor, holding spears, riding on blazing horses, and their momentum is like a rainbow. Cavalry against cavalry, a life-and-death contest is about to take place.

The charge of the Golden Fire Cavalry was unstoppable and came like a tide.

Their horses' hooves thundered, their spears looked like a forest, and they charged with destructive force.

However, although the cavalry under Xiang Yan were brave, they were inferior in equipment and training.

Faced with the fierce attack of the Golden Fire Cavalry, their formation began to become unstable, as if it might collapse at any time.

However, Xiang Yan was no ordinary man. Born into a family of generals, he had followed his father into battle since he was young and had extensive experience in leading troops in combat.

He knew very well that the key to cavalry warfare lay in speed and formation, so when he gave an order, the elite cavalry under his command immediately adjusted their breathing and stabilized their formation.

They were like a group of nimble leopards, quickly finding a balance point in the chaos and preparing to fight a desperate battle with the Golden Fire Cavalry.

The two armies met, war drums beat, and shouts of killing shook the sky.

Spears and halberds intertwined in the air to form a web of death, and every collision was accompanied by the disappearance of life.

The bravery of the Golden Fire Cavalry and the tenacity of the Xiang Yan Cavalry intertwined into a tragic picture on the battlefield.

However, war is cruel.

Although Xiang Yan's ability to lead troops was better than Meng Tian's, the quality of his cavalry was inferior to that of the other.

Under the continuous attacks of the Golden Fire Cavalry, Xiang Yan's cavalry team began to gradually fall into a tough battle.

Although their formation was stable, the casualties among their soldiers were increasing.

Every charge was accompanied by the fall of comrades, and every shout revealed tragedy and determination.

At this moment, Xiang Yan made a difficult decision.

He knew very well that if he continued to fight with the Golden Fire Cavalry, his team would not be able to hold out for long.

Moreover, once they miss the opportunity to enter the city for repairs, they will face even greater difficulties.

So he ordered the entire army to stop charging, quickly adjust the formation, and prepare for the next round of counterattack.

However, this pause became Xiang Yan's fatal injury.

The defender in the city not far away had already discovered the fierce battle between Xiang Yan and Meng Tian.

Xiang Yan’s flag with the word “Xiang” on it is particularly eye-catching, and the defending general is also considered to be Xiang Yan’s little fanboy.

Seeing that Xiang Yan's cavalry was in a tough fight, he immediately ordered the city gates to be opened and sent the garrison to come to the rescue, regardless of the order of King Fu Chu of Chu to hold the city to the death.

The city gate slowly opened and the defenders poured out like a tide.

They rushed towards the battlefield with bows and spears.

Their joining undoubtedly brought hope to Xiang Yan's cavalry team.

However, Gai Nie was keenly aware of this change.

He gave up the opportunity to attack Xiang Yan's cavalry and instead led his men to intercept the city defenders.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell into chaos and stalemate.

Xiang Yan's cavalry was struggling to hold on under the attack of the Golden Fire Cavalry and Wei Zhuang's men.

Although Meng Tian's Golden Fire Cavalry was extremely brave, they were unable to defeat Xiang Yan's army in a short period of time.

Gai Nie led his men to shuttle across the battlefield, intercepting the city defenders. The shouts of killing on the battlefield shook the earth and the flames shot up into the sky. The horses' hooves crushed the earth and the blood dyed the yellow sand red.

The soldiers brandished their weapons and fought a desperate battle with the enemy.

There is only victory and glory in their eyes, no retreat or fear.

However, the cruelty of the war could not be ignored. As time went on, the casualties of both armies continued to increase.

Although the Golden Fire Cavalry are brave, their numbers are limited.

Although Xiang Yan's cavalry was tenacious, their quality was inferior to that of the enemy.

Although the defenders were numerous, their combat effectiveness was uneven.

Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang's subordinates had no advantage at all and could only be used for interception and harassment.

The four forces formed a delicate balance on the battlefield and no one could achieve a decisive victory.

As night fell, the flames from the battlefield lit up the sky red.

Both armies were exhausted and desperate. However, they did not give up and continued to fight until the last moment.

The battle lasted all night and ended in a draw.

Although Xiang Yan failed to successfully enter the city to repair, he was not defeated by Meng Tian and Gai Nie.

Although Meng Tian, ​​Wei Zhuang and Gai Nie stopped Xiang Yan's attack, they were unable to completely destroy his army.

The three forces all paid a huge price on the battlefield but they all retained a certain level of strength.

After the war, both armies rested and replenished their supplies in preparation for the next, more intense battle.

Xiang Yan could only continue to fight with Wei Zhuang, Gai Nie and Meng Tian on the land of Chu State.

Xiang Yan felt extremely humiliated at this moment. The failure of the attack was secondary. The more important thing was that he was being led by the nose like a dog.

Xiang Yan has now realized Gongsun Ce's sinister intentions, but he is unable to break the impasse.

Xiang Yan knew clearly that Luowang had intercepted his communications at this time, otherwise he would not have sent out his letter for help without receiving a reply from Yingdu.

In other words, this was a game prepared for him by Gongsun Ce. He could only choose to face the enemy head-on or run away. He could not enter the city to repair, nor could he go to the State of Wei to beg for money.

After all, the Demon God of War is still on the border between Qin and Chu. He is the real referee of this game. Once Xiang Yan doesn't want to play anymore, the referee won't mind giving him a red card and sending him off the field.

Just as Xiang Yan was being led astray, a murderous atmosphere enveloped the Qin-Wei border.

In the distance, dust was flying and horses' hooves were thundering. A group of armored cavalry swept in like a black torrent, led by Wang Ben.

Upon seeing this, the border defenders of Wei State were on high alert, but their eyes revealed a hint of panic that was hard to conceal.

The armored cavalry led by Wang Ben were the elite cavalry of the Qin State. With their thunderous force, they had long been famous on the battlefield.

This time, Wang Ben brought two mechanical beasts - Po Tu San Lang and Po Tu Qillang, which will play a vital role in this battle.

Po Tu Saburo looks like a giant pangolin, covered in heavy armor and with extremely sharp claws.

Under Wang Ben's command, Po Tu San Lang slowly approached the city wall. His hands dug the ground at a high speed, making a harsh roar.

With a loud earth-shaking noise, a small secret passage leading into the city appeared on the ground in front of the city wall due to the digging of Po Tu Saburo.

This secret passage is impassable to humans, but Po Tu Qillang can pass through it easily.

Just as the defenders were concentrating on dealing with the impending attack of the armored cavalry, Po Tu Shichiro also played his role.

This gecko-like mechanical beast has flexible limbs and can climb on the city walls.

The moment the secret passage appeared, Po Tu Qilang quickly climbed up the city wall through the secret passage and opened the city gate with its sharp claws.

As soon as the city gate was opened, the defenders fell into complete panic. Even if the defenders organized resistance in time, they could not stop the cavalry's charge.

Wang Ben's armored cavalry poured into the city like a tide and engaged in a fierce battle with the Wei defenders.

Although the Wei defenders were brave, they were soon caught in a tough battle under the charge of the armored cavalry.

General Wang Ben led the troops, holding a spear, and was invincible on the battlefield.

Every time he charged, he was accompanied by shouts and cheers from countless soldiers.

The armored cavalry were also extremely brave. Holding sharp blades, they fought a desperate battle with the enemy.

Under their attack, the Wei defenders were defeated step by step and soon collapsed.

The battle lasted for a whole day and night, and finally came to an end when the first city was completely captured.

General Wang Ben stood on the top of the city wall, overlooking the land that once belonged to the State of Wei.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face, because he knew that the victory of this battle was not only a heavy blow to the State of Wei, but also a great encouragement to himself and his soldiers.

Just when Wang Ben captured the first city of Wei State as a bridgehead, his father Wang Jian had already sent troops to Yan State.

The State of Yan was considered a soft persimmon among the seven states, because its military strength at that time was indeed at the bottom.

However, the abundant martial virtues that Yan State cultivated during its long resistance against the Huns still remain.

Therefore, although the State of Yan was weak, it was not easy to destroy.

Moreover, Yan State had been fighting a fierce battle with Zhao State before.

Therefore, Wang Jian was unsure of the specific strength of Yan State for a while.

Therefore, according to the original plan, Wang Jian was going to capture as many cities as he could.

However, Wang Jian could not destroy Yan State in one go, because Yan State also had to withstand the pressure from Shanrong, a branch of the Xiongnu.

The Qin State is actually under quite a lot of pressure now. Fighting on three fronts consumes a lot of food and fodder. If Li Mu had not captured a lot of Huns at Yanmen Pass and used them as porters to transport food and fodder, establishing supply lines would have been a problem.

Nearly 60,000 Huns may seem a lot, but they were needed both as porters to establish supply lines and to build the Tongming Academy.

In the future, they may be asked to participate in the construction of Gongsun Ce’s own palace and Ying Zheng’s mausoleum.

Ying Zheng himself did not want to build a mausoleum, but it was a custom among kings.

After the princes inherited the title, they would build mausoleums as long as they had the funds. Moreover, there were only five countries in the Central Plains now, and the king's status had increased, so the necessity of building mausoleums had also been raised.

Gongsun Ce felt that the number of people captured by the Huns was too small, but it would take a long time for the Huns to grow.

Moreover, Li Mu plundered a lot of cattle, sheep and horses and brought them back to the Central Plains. I'm afraid many Huns starved to death on the grassland last winter.

Last year we could catch 60,000, but this year we may not even catch 10,000 or 20,000.

Therefore, the merchant caravans in the west might need to capture some Hu people to make up the numbers.

After conquering the State of Chu, perhaps the south would also need to capture some people to help.

At this time, after Wang Jian easily captured a city, he was a little confused: Is this what Li Mu was fighting for?

Back to the time before Wang Jian attacked the city, Jueying came to the city with a forged order from Yan Chunjun. The defending general thought that Yan Chunjun was just sending his subordinates to search for beauties and rare treasures, so he naturally let Jueying enter the city.

Inside the city, the garrison commander was busy handling military affairs. There was a hint of fatigue on his face, but there was a vigilant gleam in his eyes.

In recent days, he heard that the famous Qin general Wang Jian was leading a large army towards the border of Yan State, and he couldn't help but feel nervous.

He knew that once Wang Jian arrived, if he insisted on keeping the city and the people alive, he would almost certainly be dead.

But if he evacuated, how could he evacuate since all the soldiers and civilians in this city were his fellow townsmen? He was caught in a dilemma for a moment.

Just as the guard was busy, a man in a black cloak quietly appeared at the city gate.

He was tall with a stern face, and had a long sword hanging on his waist. One could tell from the scabbard that the sword was of good quality.

The soldiers at the gate came forward to question him. However, the man took out a token from his pocket, on which were three large characters "Yan Chunjun" were clearly engraved.

Seeing this, the soldiers immediately let him go and respectfully took him to the garrison commander's residence.

When the guard saw the token, he was shocked.

He knew that Yan Chunjun was the younger brother of King Xi of Yan and was deeply favored by King Xi of Yan.

However, he did not know why Yan Chunjun sent people to this border city.

He could only guess that the other party came for Yan Chunjun to collect beauties and rare treasures.

He had heard that Yan Chunjun had a swordsman named Jueying under his command. Jueying usually acted as Yan Chunjun's bodyguard, but the rest of the time, Jueying would run all over Yan State for Yan Chunjun, just to find the beauties and rare treasures that Yan Chunjun liked.

Although the defending general still had doubts in his heart, he had no choice but to meet Yan Chunjun because of his power.

When the guard saw Jueying, he was sure that the other party was Jueying under Yan Chunjun's command. After all, the other party had Yan Chunjun's order, and his appearance was consistent with the legend.

Jueying said straight to the point: "General, I am Jueying under the command of the Lord. I am here to convey an important mission under the Lord's order."

He pretended to be calm and asked, "Excuse me, Lord Jueying, what instructions does Lord Yanchun have?"

Jueying did not answer the guard's question, but suddenly drew out his sword and stabbed the guard in the chest.

The defending general had no time to react before Jueying's sword pierced his heart.

He widened his eyes, looked at Jueying in disbelief, and then slowly fell to the ground.

Jueying looked at the body of the guard with indifference, then waved his hand to signal the Luowang killers behind him to take action.

These killers had already set up a tight net in the city. They acted quickly and subdued the defending generals in the city one by one.

Before long, the entire city was completely controlled by the Luowang killers.

At this time, Wang Jian's army had already arrived at the city. They were surprised to see the city gates wide open and the defenders showing no intention of resistance.

At this time, Jueying shouted from the top of the city wall: "I am Luowang Jueying, and I am here on the orders of General Gongsun to assist you in breaking the city. Please come in, General."

Wang Jian did not enter at this time. Having led troops for many years, he doubted Jueying's statement.

Although he knew that Luowang was everywhere, he didn't know that Luowang's assassins had infiltrated Yan State to a very serious extent.

Seeing Wang Jian hesitated, Jueying threw out Gongsun Ce's order, which fell from the top of the city wall and then embedded in the ground.

At Wang Jian's signal, a scout stepped forward, picked up the token, and then handed it to Wang Jian.

Wang Jian stroked the token and confirmed that it was indeed Gongsun Ce's order. Other things could be forged, but the metal used to make the order was very special and it was impossible for others to imitate it.

Moreover, Gongsun Ce's voice suddenly came out from the hand order at this time: "General Wang Jian, do not hesitate, this man is under Luo Wang's command. In addition, Yan Dan can already be used.

A general is not subject to orders from his sovereign when he is away from home. I will not say more about how to use Yan Dan. You can think about it yourself."

Wang Jian felt reassured at this moment and ordered his troops to enter the city.

"Enter the city!"

The army entered the city, quickly replaced the original defenders, took over the garrison, and brought the city under the control of the Qin State.

(End of this chapter)