At Hulao Pass near Luoyang.
By the time Shen Luoyan and the Twin Dragons arrived, Yang Gongqing and his men had already been waiting for some time. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they immediately entered a room in the general's residence at Hulao Pass, where a sand table depicting the surrounding terrain was set up. They began discussing their strategy against Li Mi.
"Li Mi's army is currently stationed here, with approximately 60,000 troops. However, we have not located the remaining 40,000," Yang Gongqing reported, sharing the intelligence he had gathered. Li Mi's forces, totaling over 100,000, had been engaged in intense skirmishes with their scouts. Yang Gongqing's scouts had paid a heavy price to gather this information.
Unfortunately, this was only the visible force. Li Mi still had 40,000 troops unaccounted for, and it was believed that these were his elite forces. Without knowing their location, Yang Gongqing had refrained from launching a surprise attack while Li Mi's army was still setting up camp.
Hulao Pass had only 10,000 troops initially, and Daniel Davis had sent an additional 10,000 after Li Mi's forces arrived. Even so, their numbers were far inferior to Li Mi's.
Although Li Mi was known for his paranoia and tendency to take shortcuts, this did not mean he lacked military talent. In fact, while he was not as skilled as Li Jing or Li Shiji, he was far superior to Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande. His plan to attack Luoyang was well thought out.
By dividing his forces into a visible and a hidden group, Li Mi had bought himself time to establish his camp. In siege warfare, unless there was a significant disparity in strength, it was difficult to achieve a quick victory. The most reliable method was a prolonged siege, a tactic Li Shimin was particularly adept at. Many cities, including Wang Shichong's Luoyang, had fallen to this strategy.
"Brother Daniel's assessment of Li Mi is that he is a competent strategist and advisor, but not a qualified leader. He prefers shortcuts, and such a person would never attack Hulao Pass in a conventional manner. His plan is likely to lure us out of the city. To achieve this, he would need a precondition. Military Advisor Shen, what do you think that precondition is?"
Kou Zhong, standing confidently before the sand table, spoke eloquently. However, halfway through his explanation, he stopped and turned the question over to Shen Luoyan.
"To destroy our food supplies. With insufficient provisions, our only option for victory would be a swift battle."
Warfare relied heavily on logistics. When Shen Luoyan had served under Li Mi, the Wagang Army had often used such tactics against the Sui forces. Li Mi would send experts or bribe insiders to carry out his plans, many of which Shen Luoyan had executed herself. She was all too familiar with these methods.
"However, that was before. Now, even if the Wagang Army could pull it off, it wouldn't significantly impact the overall situation."
Thanks to the resources seized from the Pure Thought Zen Sect and other temples, Daniel Davis's forces were now well-supplied. Additionally, the introduction of mechanical beasts and hot air balloons had greatly reduced the manpower and time required for transporting supplies. This was without even considering the use of spatial abilities like the Space Ring or the Incredible Wrapping Cloth. If those were employed, logistics would become even simpler.
"Indeed. But to minimize losses and achieve a swift victory, we first need to locate those 40,000 troops."
This time, it was Ma Chang, Yang Gongqing's trusted aide and successor, who spoke. Yang Gongqing had sent Ma Chang to build relationships with the younger generation of the Tang forces, such as Shen Luoyan.
Yang Gongqing was old, and titles and ranks no longer mattered much to him. He cared only about two things: avenging his deceased family and ensuring the loyalty of the several thousand soldiers who had followed him faithfully. In the original story, Yang Gongqing had led these troops to join Kou Zhong.
Although Ma Chang was not yet well-known, he was a talented military strategist, even surpassing Xuan Yong in skill.
With Hulao Pass's current military strength, even a direct assault on Li Mi's forces, supported by mechanical beasts, would result in victory. However, the losses would be significant, which was not the mark of a competent general.
A good general, even when holding an absolute advantage, must always consider the possibility of unfavorable developments. Even with overwhelming strength, defeat was still possible.
"Correct." Kou Zhong nodded in agreement with Ma Chang's assessment. He then pointed to a peak northeast of Hulao Pass on the sand table and asked, "This is Cuiyun Peak, with Cuiyun Valley at its base. There are several temples there. Are you suggesting the Wagang Army is hiding there? It's certainly possible."
Ma Chang briefly explained the situation in Cuiyun Valley to the group but then seemed to recall something and looked at Kou Zhong in surprise.
"Buddhism? While it's possible, I suspect it's a trap. Li Mi would surely anticipate us investigating that area."
Given the current strained relations between Buddhism and the Tang forces, it was only natural to investigate a valley filled with temples near Hulao Pass.
No competent general would base a battle plan on a mere guess, even if the probability was 99%.
"I'll go."
Before Kou Zhong could decide who to send to investigate Cuiyun Valley, Xu Ziling volunteered.
"Then we'll trouble you, Brother Ziling."
Kou Zhong had complete confidence in Xu Ziling's abilities, especially his mastery of the Wind God's Leg technique. Even if Xu Ziling encountered Ning Daoqi, he could escape if he chose to.
Although Kou Zhong also practiced the Wind God's Leg technique, he was not as proficient as Xu Ziling. In some ways, Xu Ziling resembled Nie Feng, and given time, he might even achieve Nie Feng's ability to ride the wind.
Xu Ziling soon returned from Cuiyun Valley. A few kilometers was nothing for someone using the Wind God's Leg technique.
"It's a trap. There are only about 2,000 troops there."
Xu Ziling reported his findings. While the tents in Cuiyun Valley suggested a force of 30,000 to 40,000, this was merely a facade. If they had mistaken this for Li Mi's main force and mobilized Hulao Pass's army, they would have fallen right into the trap.
"This complicates things. I wonder if Miss Zhai has any news."
Forty thousand troops might sound like a lot, but if they were scattered across the Mang Mountains, they would be difficult to locate.
"Deploy the Mechanical Vermilion Birds to survey the Mang Mountains from the air. Also, investigate the surrounding villages to see if anyone has gone missing or failed to return."
While Kou Zhong was considering how to contact Zhai Jiao and the others, Shen Luoyan suddenly spoke up with her plan.
"That's it. I understand."
As soon as Shen Luoyan spoke, everyone present grasped her meaning. Even if Li Mi's 40,000 troops moved cautiously through the Mang Mountains, they would inevitably encounter villagers gathering firewood or hunting. Given Li Mi's emphasis on secrecy, the only outcome for these villagers would be death.
By identifying villages where people had not returned, they could pinpoint areas where the Wagang Army might have passed.
"We've found them."
Using both methods—tracking missing villagers and aerial reconnaissance with the Mechanical Vermilion Birds—they finally located Li Mi's main force within a day.
"So they planned to bypass us." By analyzing Li Mi's troop movements, Kou Zhong and the others deduced his strategy. Shen Luoyan, observing the Wagang Army's camp, shook her head in disbelief.
Perhaps overconfident that they would not be discovered, the Wagang Army had set up their camp haphazardly. While the terrain was advantageous, being on a slope that was easy to defend, the camp lacked proper defensive structures.
Setting up a camp during a march was a crucial task. Not only did the terrain need to be favorable, but defensive measures also had to be in place. One could not cut corners simply because an enemy attack seemed unlikely.
Given Li Mi's experience, it was surprising that he had made such a basic mistake.
"This is indeed the Wagang Army's main force. We can prepare to attack."
After confirming the location of the 40,000 troops, Kou Zhong and the others carefully observed the situation to ensure they were not being deceived. For example, they considered the possibility that these 40,000 were merely ordinary troops, with the elite forces hidden among the 60,000.
Once they were certain, Kou Zhong and the others returned to Hulao Pass via the Mechanical Vermilion Birds and began mobilizing their forces. They dispatched 10,000 troops, supported by eight Mechanical White Tigers, four Earth Breakers, eight Mechanical Vermilion Birds, and twenty Mechanical Bats.
The Tang forces, emerging from Hulao Pass, set up camp about three kilometers from Li Mi's camp, preparing to launch their attack at dawn.
The mobilization of 10,000 troops naturally took time. While they were preparing, Kou Zhong also relayed the relevant intelligence to Zhai Jiao.
"Attack."
With the order given, the Mechanical Vermilion Birds took to the skies, dropping black oil from four directions onto the Wagang Army's camp. Simultaneously, the Sand Family's Thunder Smoke Balls and Divine Fire Crows were launched.
While the current firepower was relatively weak, it was highly effective at causing chaos. The poison gas bombs, made from a mixture of arsenic and saltpeter, were not lethal but could significantly weaken the enemy's combat effectiveness.
"The nature of warfare is changing."
Kou Zhong, Shen Luoyan, Ma Chang, and Yang Gongqing watched the effects of the Mechanical Vermilion Birds from the rear and sighed in unison. With the advent of the Mechanical Vermilion Birds, warfare had undergone a dramatic transformation. It was no longer about direct confrontation but about controlling the skies.
With enough Mechanical Vermilion Birds and ample black oil, this era would witness the dawn of aerial warfare.
"What is that?"
The sudden chaos sent Li Mi into a rage as he tried to reorganize his troops. Unfortunately, the Wagang Army, facing an attack from above, had lost much of its fighting spirit.
Fortunately, Li Mi's personal guards reacted quickly, executing a few deserters and restoring some morale.
"Kill! Ten thousand taels of gold and a promotion of three ranks for anyone who kills Li Mi!"
The poison smoke soon dissipated, especially in the forested area. While the casualties from the smoke were minimal, the impact on morale was significant.
"Monsters!"
The sight of the Mechanical White Tigers and Earth Breakers shattered what little morale the Wagang Army had left.
"Shen Luoyan, I know you're here. Show yourself!"
Seeing the imposing Mechanical White Tigers and Earth Breakers, Li Mi realized that the day was lost. These mechanical beasts were not mere decorations. Even if his army were intact, they would stand no chance against them.
He had just witnessed a skilled martial artist from the South Sea Sect attempt to ambush a Mechanical White Tiger, only to be crushed and left bleeding profusely.
"Li Mi, today you will pay the price." Shen Luoyan did not step forward. Instead, it was the Twin Dragons who appeared. Kou Zhong wielded his Moon in the Well blade, while Xu Ziling gripped a long spear. On the battlefield, longer weapons had the advantage.
"Kill!"
With that, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling charged toward Li Mi, accompanied by two Mechanical White Tigers.
Clang!
As Xu Ziling's spear clashed with Li Mi's lance, Li Mi's body trembled, forcing him to retreat several steps. In contrast, Xu Ziling only took a single step back.
"Li Mi, today you die."
Li Mi, still recovering, was immediately confronted by Kou Zhong's Moon in the Well. The Twin Dragons harbored deep hatred for Li Mi. If not for him, Susu would not have suffered so much. With Wang Bodang already killed by Shen Luoyan, Li Mi was the only one left to avenge Susu.
Bang!
As Kou Zhong's blade descended, Li Mi's lance met it head-on. However, the moment their weapons clashed, Li Mi felt a surge of icy energy coursing through his meridians, forcing him to retreat several more steps. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
Expecting Kou Zhong's attack to be similar to Xu Ziling's fiery energy, Li Mi had prepared accordingly. He was caught off guard by the icy coldness of Kou Zhong's energy. The combination of fire and ice left Li Mi in a dire state, both physically and mentally.
Onc
(End of Chapter)
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e, he had looked down on the Twin Dragons. Now, even in a one-on-one fight, he was not confident of victory.
"Li Mi, prepare to die!"
As Li Mi struggled to neutralize the conflicting energies within him, Zhai Jiao, accompanied by Xuan Yong and others, charged toward him.
Zhai Jiao, wielding a large guandao, cut a fearsome figure. Her blade gleamed coldly, and for a moment, no one could withstand her onslaught.
After her father Zhai Rang's death, Zhai Jiao had trained relentlessly for this moment—to personally kill Li Mi.