Chapter 145: The Moon Hidden by Clouds (1)
Surrounded by rivers on three sides, Xiangyang Fortress can only be attacked from the west. Since the west gate is also adjacent to the mountains, what fortress could be more suited for defense?
Furthermore, the natural moat connected to the Han River is so wide that it is impossible to cross without a boat.
The greatest natural fortress in the Central Plains. This Xiangyang Fortress, rumored to be impregnable, was now trembling.
The Hui Dynasty had lined up hundreds of warships across the moat to create a bridge.
The soldiers advancing across this moat numbered close to a hundred thousand out of their total force of two hundred and fifty thousand.
The reason they were launching such an unreasonable assault was that the Song reinforcements, coming to rescue Xiangyang Fortress, had arrived at the rear of their main camp.
The reinforcements were currently lying in ambush in the mountains, prepared to attack.
Several commanders had gathered, observing the state of the battle with grave expressions.
“The fortress is about to fall. We must deploy immediately to help them.”
It was General Huang Yu, who had assassinated the Emperor and joined Yue Fei. Having a hot-tempered personality, he was fidgeting as he gripped his crescent glaive.
Yue Fei slowly shook his head.
“It is a trap to lure us out. Look closely at the enemy’s deployment.”
The commanders examined the enemy’s formation.
The hundred and fifty thousand soldiers remaining in the main camp were deployed facing their direction. Their arrangement was somewhat unusual.
Among the commanders, So-mu was the first to react.
“Their cavalry is deployed on the flanks, advancing toward us. Furthermore, their center infantry is forming a basket-like shape, opening up like the jaws of a tiger.”
Yue Fei nodded with a dark expression.
“You saw it correctly. I never expected to see the Tiger Fang Annihilation Formation here. If we attack first, we will be surrounded before the battle even truly begins. Grand General Wanyan Hui of the Hui Dynasty… as rumored, he is not a man to be underestimated.”
The enemy was dividing their forces, holding off the reinforcements while simultaneously carrying out the siege.
Unless one was a brilliant strategist, such an attempt was unthinkable.
So-mu’s thoughts were no different from Yue Fei’s.
“Not only is there a difference in numbers, but the quality of their soldiers also surpasses ours. Moreover, since they have deployed such a formation, a reckless attack will lead to our annihilation.”
“It would be better if they attacked us first. We could defeat them individually in the mountains. But Wanyan Hui seems to have no intention of doing so.”
“They will surely hold their positions like that until the fortress falls.”
No matter how they looked at it, the formation had no openings.
Everyone fell silent, lost in thought.
After a moment…
Il-gwang, who had been quiet, pointed somewhere and asked, “By the way, what is that beast?”
Everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.
At the very rear of the enemy camp, near a command tent, a massive tiger was crouching.
It looked at least twice as large as a normal tiger. Furthermore, its bulging muscles looked intimidating enough to shatter boulders with a single blow.
The commanders who had been under the General-in-Chief seemed to know something. One of them said in a dark voice, “It is a monstrous spirit beast. In the Battle of Huainan, over a hundred of our soldiers fell to that beast. We interrogated the prisoners at the time, and they said it was the Mountain Lord who once ruled Mount Tai.”
An interested expression appeared on So-mu’s face. He recalled Yu Gwang-se mentioning Wanyan Hui’s pet.
“If it is a spirit beast of that level, its intelligence must be quite high. Why did it leave nature to fight on the side of the Hui Dynasty?”
“They say the Hui Dynasty is holding its cub hostage.”
Hearing the story, a sigh escaped their lips.
A faint trace of killing intent leaked from So-mu’s voice.
“Their evil deeds have crossed the line. They are violating the natural order beyond human affairs, and they will surely pay the price.”
Yue Fei nodded and pointed in a certain direction.
“Indeed they will. But for now, we have our own problems to worry about.”
Several generals followed Yue Fei’s finger to observe the fortress walls in the distance. However, only those who had transcended the Flower Realm could see the details.
The soldiers on the walls were defending desperately. They seemed to be holding out well, but the reality was completely different.
The archers were hesitating to attack as their arrows were almost depleted, and most of the defensive siege weapons had been destroyed.
Since the enemy had been launching daily attacks, it was only natural.
And in the midst of that chaotic battle, one general stood out the most.
A man who was single-handedly performing miracles at the center of the wall. Wherever he passed, enemy soldiers tumbled down like falling leaves.
With a single strike, he destroyed siege weapons. Whenever he spotted an enemy officer, he would hunt him down and decapitate him with a single blow.
Watching this, Yue Fei’s adjutant, Zhang Xian, muttered in admiration, “That is General Han Shizhong. So that is the martial power of the Profound Realm…”
Meanwhile, Yue Fei’s gaze as he watched Han Shizhong was filled with sorrow. Han Shizhong was a close friend who had defended him to the end when Qin Hui slandered him.
It was painful to watch him fight such a grueling battle.
“Without him, how could Xiangyang have held out until now? But one cannot win a war with individual strength alone. He might hold out today, but he is like a candle in the wind.”
Just then, So-mu said with a serious expression, “I will take the Wolf Fang Squad and support the defense.”
Contrary to expectations, Yue Fei immediately rejected the proposal.
“I cannot permit it. No matter how elite your squad is, breaking through hundreds of thousands of troops to enter the fortress is too reckless.”
Yue Fei’s words were no exaggeration.
Wanyan Hui, the Grand General of the Hui Dynasty, was a master of the Profound Realm. If he were to step forward personally, the entire Wolf Fang Squad could be wiped out.
However, they had to find a way.
“If the cavalry can draw the enemy’s attention with a distraction, it is worth a try.”
Yue Fei remained silent for a moment.
After some thought, he secretly sent a sound transmission to So-mu.
— Wanyan Hui is a man of great intellect as well as martial power. He leaves no openings. However, there is one thing currently not in his calculations. That is your existence.
So-mu looked at Yue Fei, puzzled.
As he remained silent, the transmission came again.
— Please do not reveal your true martial power until an opportunity arises. There is no need to expose our trump card now, is there?
As suspected, Yue Fei had discerned his martial power.
It was likely because of the time they first met with Jang-yang, when Yue Fei had injected qi into his body.
So-mu nodded silently. At this, Yue Fei spoke aloud so everyone could hear.
“If the supply operation succeeds, the situation will change. It won’t be easy, but if things go well, an opportunity will arise. So let us wait a bit longer.”
***
Since visibility is low at night, crossing the moat is difficult. As darkness fell, the attacking enemy began to withdraw.
This was a daily occurrence.
The exhausted soldiers defending the walls collapsed to the ground.
Though they should have cheered, their expressions were dark. They knew the attack would resume as soon as the sun rose.
In the watchtower rising high at the center of the wall…
A general was observing the area outside the fortress with beast-like eyes.
He stared at the piles of corpses, both friend and foe, and the retreating figures of the enemy.
“General, I brought some food.”
Han Shizhong turned his head slightly to the right.
His adjutant, Yeom Chung, covered in blood and dirt, was holding a single rice ball.
“I am fine. Distribute it to the soldiers.”
“…Everyone has already eaten. This is yours, General.”
Han Shizhong looked back out into the distance, his hands behind his back.
“How long has it been since we started working together…?”
“It has been twenty-one years.”
“Even as time passes, some things never change.”
“What… do you mean?”
“Your inability to lie. I already know the military rations are completely depleted. That rice ball is the last food in our army, isn’t it?”
“…”
Yeom Chung hung his head, clutching the rice ball. Tears welled in his eyes from a sudden surge of sorrow. He did not want to show his weakness to the General.
But Han Shizhong noticed anyway.
“Still, we have held out well. We did what we could, so do not be sad.”
“We have run out of arrows. We won’t be able to defend tomorrow. For the sake of the future, escape alone, General. With your martial power…”
Han Shizhong let out a quiet laugh.
“Abandon my men and escape alone? Even if I did, where would I go? If the Xiangyang defense line is breached, the entire nation will fall.”
“…Are the reinforcements really not coming?”
“They have already arrived. They just cannot move because Wanyan Hui is holding them back. It seems tomorrow’s battle will be our last.”
“It is an honor to stand with you.”
Han Shizhong patted Yeom Chung’s shoulder.
“How many of our men survived today?”
“About fifteen thousand.”
Their army had originally numbered forty thousand.
Despite fighting from a favorable position, less than half remained. Even the Heavenly Martial Army, Han Shizhong’s personal elite force, had suffered heavy losses.
It was due to the difference in the number of commanders and the quality of the soldiers.
To have held out for nearly a year was a miracle in itself.
“If I have one regret in my life… it is that I cannot feed my soldiers a hearty meal before their final journey.”
“Everyone… will understand.”
Yeom Chung bowed with a forced smile. He then disappeared somewhere.
Left alone once more, Han Shizhong stared at the moonlight, steeling himself for the final battle.
After a short while…
Yeom Chung, who had disappeared, came running back, panting and covered in tears.
“G-General!”
“It seems it is truly my time to die,” Han Shizhong muttered, puzzled. In twenty-one years, he had never seen his adjutant make such a face.
“They have arrived! They have finally arrived!”
“Who has arrived?”
Yeom Chung, who had run back using light footwork, cried out, “The supply ships have arrived!”
“Supply ships?”
Han Shizhong was bewildered. The Hui fleet of over three hundred ships was currently blockading the Han River.
He knew better than anyone that none of the government’s armies possessed a navy capable of defeating them.
Yet Yeom Chung’s expression was dead serious.
“They are reinforcements from Hanzhong! They say they annihilated the enemy fleet and have just arrived!”
“Hanzhong…? General Jang-yang’s army?”
Seeing is believing. Han Shizhong kicked off the ground.
Flying like lightning, he ran along the walls toward the north gate.
The sleeping soldiers on the walls woke up in surprise at the sudden gust of wind.
Arriving at the wall near the north gate in an instant, Han Shizhong was overcome with emotion. It felt like finding a light in the absolute darkness of despair.
Supplies like food and arrows were being carried into the fortress. Among them, he could see about fifty Whirlwind Catapults.
Just then, Han Shizhong spotted a commander running frantically along the wall.
The person shouting was his adjutant, Yeom Chung.
“Get up, you rascals! It’s time to eat!”
The exhausted, dozing soldiers blinked in confusion. Soon, they realized the supply unit had arrived.
These were the same soldiers who had remained silent even when the enemy withdrew. Now, they erupted with a roar of intense passion.
“Waaaaah!!!”
“Hurrah!!!”
The thunderous cheers shook Xiangyang Fortress. The sound was loud enough to be heard in the Hui main camp.
And the reinforcements stationed in the mountains could also hear the cheers clearly.