Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1022: Chapter 366: Reinforcements Gather, Rabble, Unexpected Delight, the Battle Begins (Part 6)

Lu Yang was sure that at this moment, spies from both sides wouldn’t dare relax even a bit, and they must have been keeping a close watch on each other day and night. As long as there was any movement from Dajue Temple, there would certainly be a response from Hongguan’s side.

The two sides seemed to be caught in a strange calm.

November 15, at East Ridge Camp.

Zhu Shun looked out the window at the calm camp, his face full of confusion.

”If we drag it on like this, each passing day gives Dajue Temple a bit more of an advantage. Jiang Yuanlong couldn’t be unaware of this. Since the Seven Towns aren’t cooperating, hasn’t he reported this to the Town Chief, pressuring the other Seven Towns?”

”How do you know he hasn’t reported it? Maybe the Town Chief has already exerted pressure, but the Seven Towns simply aren’t listening.”

”It’s understandable. The Seven Towns sent reinforcements to help Jiangxia resist Dajue Temple, not to help Jiangxia reclaim lost territory, so there’s absolutely no reason for them to follow Jiang Yuanlong into the north bank of the Heng River voluntarily.”

”There’s some truth to that. If Dajue Temple remains inactive, the Seven Towns would probably be glad. After all, it’s Jiangxia that lost some territory and a few people, while the Seven Towns haven’t suffered any losses. What do they have to fear?”

”In other words, Jiangxia is the only one in a rush now?”

”Of course. With 180,000 people, just the food and drink is a huge issue. Not to mention half of them are equipped with Hundred-forged Iron Armor, and healing pills can’t be skimped on either. If this drags on, Jiangxia will bleed a lot before the battle even starts.”

”It’s okay. At a town-level camp, these resources aren’t a problem. It’s mainly that they’re being used by others, so it just stings a little.”

......

Listening to the discussions around him, Lu Yang in the front row remained silent, but his furrowed brows showed that he was also filled with confusion.

The delay indeed felt too long.

They’ve been delaying from the 20th of last month until now, a full 25 days.

With 180,000 people, what do they have to fear?

If Dajue Temple attacks in broad daylight, that would be troublesome.

This made him suspect that the Nine Towns might be planning something else.

But at the moment, he is just a regular Cold Resistance level in the allied forces, at most slightly more skilled, with extremely limited information. He didn’t even know what Jiang Yuanlong and the others discussed in their meetings every day, so how could he deduce the reason the war had evolved to this state?

”If you can endure it, can Dajue Temple endure it too?”

Lu Yang slowly relaxed his furrowed brow and continued to wait quietly with the others.

Another five days passed, November 20, and still nothing happened.

Time just flowed by day by day.

”Everyone, gather at the town level, quickly, quickly!”

Finally, the night of November 28.

About three hours before dawn, the silence of the Hongguan Camp, which lasted for a full forty days, was finally broken by the hoarse voice of the signal soldiers.

”Everyone, gather at the town level, quickly, quickly!”

”Everyone, gather at the town level, quickly, quickly!”

At East Ridge Camp, Lu Yang was the first to put on his war armor. After everyone else had donned their armor, he led the group out of the camp.

The entire Hongguan Camp was already in turmoil; people were streaming out of every camp. The Earth-Digging Realm camp was a bit chaotic, but since their camp was all Cold Resistance level, it wasn’t too chaotic. Lu Yang quickly found the Beishuo unit and led everyone into it.

”Dean Gu, what’s happening?”

”It’s been nearly forty days, so why the sudden gathering?”

”Could it be that we’re setting off now?”

......

In the Beishuo unit, like Lu Yang, everyone was full of confusion. Several people even directly asked Dean Gu Tianxiong at the front.

Gu Tianxiong was the Deputy Commander of the Beishuo unit and had the privilege to enter the main tent with Huang Tianxing, so he should be aware of some insider information.

Gu Tianxiong had a rather aloof personality and clearly didn’t want to speak, but seeing so many people opening their mouths, he thought for a moment and finally answered, ”The scout from Dragon River Village just reported that the main forces of Dajue Temple have set out and are marching toward Hongguan, expected to arrive in less than three hours.”

Dajue Temple made its move!

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang’s brow furrowed sharply. He looked up at the sky and saw the moon’s position, his expression turning somber.

Dragon River Village is about twenty kilometers away from Hongguan; moving tens of thousands of troops indeed takes about three hours. The problem is, it’s now exactly three hours before dawn.

”Is Jiang Yuanlong gathering the army to advance to Hongguan and engage Dajue Temple ahead of time, or...?”

Marching straight west from Hongguan now to engage Dajue Temple before dawn could potentially give them an additional hour.

An hour would absolutely be enough!

Even if Dajue Temple’s Earth-Digging Realm forces number no more than 40,000, even if they turn the entire Jinbi Dragon River’s Earth-Digging Realm forces against them, it’s no more than 70,000, adding in over 5,000 Zen Temple Bhikkhus, they still couldn’t compare to Jiangxia.

At present, Jiangxia has a total of nearly 180,000 Earth-Digging Realm soldiers. Adding in two thousand-man Defensive Army units and three thousand Cold Resistance levels, this force alone is enough to crush Dajue Temple.

Of course, that’s if Dajue Temple doesn’t produce some more enigmatic strategy, and they don’t even use their 800 official bhikkhus.

Lu Yang’s brow slightly shifted, continuing to speculate on Jiang Yuanlong’s possible actions.

However, he quickly had the answer in his heart.

The 180,000 men in Hongguan Camp took nearly half an hour to frantically gather, yet they still hadn’t figured out what was going on. Some areas even erupted in quarrels, clearly disputes arising from collisions during assembly.

The phrase ”a rabble of debauchees” became tangible in Lu Yang’s heart at that moment.

”It can’t be fought at all; Jiang Yuanlong should be calling everyone to retreat!”

With this 180,000-strong force, if they wait until dawn and encounter people from Dajue Temple, it would undoubtedly lead to a one-sided massacre.

If they don’t retreat now, it’s certain death.

It took the entire force nearly an hour to finally figure it out, the result of doing nothing for over forty days and never doing any drills.

”Beishuo, Wuchuan, Jin Mountain’s Earth-Digging Realm lead, with Yangqu, Chui Mountain, Dragon Valley, and Bashang’s Earth-Digging Realm following behind, retreat to the east side of Hongguan Village, specific destination will be guided, move out now!”

Once the army had gathered, Jiang Yuanlong’s military orders echoed within the main tent of the camp, relayed by the signal soldiers throughout, reaching every unit in the Seven Towns.

”All Cold Resistance levels gather around the main tent!”

With the new order issued, the Cold Resistance levels of the Seven Towns moved towards the main tent, Lu Yang and the others naturally among them.