Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1562: Chapter 1505: The Dilemma

With the addition of Guo Huai, Zang Ba’s forces finally exceeded ten thousand, but this also made it more difficult to conceal their marching speed and direction. Ultimately, three days later, Zang Ba once again encountered a sizable group of Hu people on the plains.

Unlike previous Hu people, this time they retreated immediately after encountering Zang Ba, giving him no opportunity to inflict significant damage.

”It seems we’ve reached our limit,” Zang Ba said, seated in the main position, looking at the officers under his command. Although he had known early on that this battle would not be easy, he hadn’t expected it to become challenging so quickly.

Guo Huai, Wang Chen, and others looked at Zang Ba with confusion, completely unsure of what he meant.

”We are the bait.” Zang Ba’s dark eyes looked at Guo Huai, Wang Chen, and Wenn Hong as he spoke, instantly sending a shiver down their spines, looking at him with disbelief.

”Six thousand elite troops of the Han Army as bait; you must understand what we aim to fish for, so if you have any other thoughts, act on them early,” Zang Ba said, a mocking smile on his face. He had already seen the fear in their faces.

”Is our target the main force of the Northern Huns?” Wenn Hong, who had always seemed timid, barely spoke, and was somewhat unsociable, suddenly forced a smile and asked.

”We will be facing around one hundred and fifty thousand Hu people!” Zang Ba’s dark eyes scanned the three, the overwhelming pressure compelling them to confront their own hearts.

”Gulp.” Wang Chen swallowed with difficulty, ”Aren’t you afraid, General?” The mere fact that he asked this betrayed his unspoken inner thoughts.

”My choice, my destiny. If I’m afraid to die, no one can command me to do this,” Zang Ba said with a faint smile.

Guo Huai trembled slightly. To be honest, in the last battle of one against five, he had already felt the closeness of death. And this time, facing one against fifteen, he could scarcely remain standing after the battlefield.

”I choose to fight!” Wenn Hong’s voice was slightly trembling, but after speaking, he gradually calmed down, ”I am neither the legitimate son of the Wenn Family nor its most outstanding concubine’s child. I chose this path, so if I dare not advance in battle, why go north? At home, I could be a squanderer. Having chosen, then face it!”

”Please let the General use me as a commander. If I die in the North, please inform my elder brother and tell him that in my next life, I will surpass him!” Wenn Hong stepped forward and knelt in front of Zang Ba.

Zang Ba nodded, not expecting that the seemingly most timid Wenn Hong would have the courage to face death at such a moment.

Watching this scene, Guo Huai felt as if a huge stone had dropped in his heart. He stepped forward slowly and said, ”Huai requests to fight!” His words were firm, with no superfluous talk.

Wang Chen watched Guo Huai and Wenn Hong, his legs unbearably heavy. He wanted to stand up and join them but found himself unable to lift his legs. He could only bow his head silently, the meaning clear, though no one scolded him.

”Zheyun, take the Wang Family’s private soldiers and head west.” Zang Ba gestured dismissively. Originally hopeful for Wang Chen, but he wasn’t on the same path. The one he least expected, Wenn Hong, surprisingly fit best.

Wang Chen bowed to Zang Ba and then left slowly, though his steps were extremely heavy. Upon reaching the entrance of the tent, he paused significantly when reaching for the tent flap, wanting desperately to turn back but ultimately stepping through.

Only two men remained from the great Wang Family of Taiyuan. He was the elder brother and couldn’t die here. The northward journey was for the family’s reputation, and the Wang Family couldn’t afford any loss of its direct lineage. Why, then, upon taking the first step out, did he yearn so strongly to return?

Wang Chen led a little over a thousand troops and hence parted ways with Zang Ba. After parting ways, Zang Ba held a swearing-in ceremony, fearlessly arraying his formation and advancing eastward.

”Chanyu, the Miscellaneous Hun have already defeated more than a dozen Han miscellaneous troops. However, except for the last two units, which were annihilated, the others were merely routed. The Han Court’s miscellaneous troops are becoming increasingly large, should we not intervene?” Qiu Linbei spoke up.

”No,” Huyan Chu replied with a cold laugh. As unit after unit of miscellaneous troops fell to the Miscellaneous Hun, their morale and strength grew. Even the last two units were fully destroyed, as he had nearly predicted.

”The upcoming battles will be entrusted to them. Inform the few warriors among the Miscellaneous Hun to take full command,” Huyan Chu ordered Chouhun. The Xianbei and Wuhuan also had some Inner Qi Separation abilities, but they lacked the proud Legion Talent.

To a Commander-in-chief, the absolute strength of a general was not as important as the Legion Talent he corresponded to. It could be said that calling Legion Talent the empire’s glory was not a mistake; it truly was the glory of an empire.

Chouhun couldn’t understand but still executed Huyan Chu’s order, personally notifying those warriors among the Miscellaneous Hun, although he always thought the Hu people’s combat prowess was weak.

”Have they appeared?” With the return of the scout cavalry, Zang Ba’s expression grew several degrees more solemn. Jia Xu indeed wasn’t joking; a rough estimate put them at about one hundred and thirty thousand Miscellaneous Huns, consisting of both infantry and cavalry.

”Aren’t we looking for advantageous terrain?” Xu Shu questioned, frowning.

”No time, no map, and we can’t be sure when we’ll encounter the Northern Huns. As long as we’re vaguely prepared, that’s enough. Facing the enemy in a perfect state is really just wishful thinking,” Zang Ba said calmly, ”Yuanzhi, everything will depend on you next!”

”I will absolutely not lose focus,” Xu Shu said solemnly, ”Even if the Hu people don’t mind formations, I can still find the weakest point to break through!”

”I believe you!” Zang Ba said with a hearty laugh, ”Yuanzhi, haven’t you always been curious about my Legion Talent? This time you will see it.”

”Wei Yan, the left-wing cavalry is yours,” Zang Ba instructed Wei Yan, ”You are the sharpest arrowhead in my hand. I should place you in the Central Army, but this time our army is the bait. If you’re in the Central Army, there’s no way you can break out.”

Wei Yan remained silent, ”I will carve a path for the General.”

”Guan Ping, the right-wing cavalry is yours. There will be many enemies before you; carve a path. Do not disappoint your father’s expectations,” Zang Ba told Guan Ping.

Speaking of which, Liu Bei’s current second generation’s most regrettable figure was Guan Ping. When he first arrived, he was not yet sixteen but had already reached Qi Refining to Gang peak, and everyone thought he would become the second Guan Yu. Yet now, approaching the age of twenty, he remained stuck at this level.

Although it wasn’t worse to break through to Inner Qi Manifestation after twenty, it still seemed Guan Ping had let everyone’s hopes down.