As the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the oppressive silence was abruptly shattered by a resounding bugle call. The Rong Kingdom's camp instantly transformed into a war machine, soldiers rapidly assembling, their ranks perfectly aligned, ready for battle. General Li, leading the charge, stood imposingly at the front of the lines on his tall horse, long sword raised high, then swung it forward with a mighty roar: "Attack!"
In an instant, the main force of Rong Kingdom surged towards the defenses of Mu Kingdom like a surging tide. The soldiers marched in neat and powerful steps, shouting earth-shattering slogans, their momentum overwhelming. Their armor gleamed brilliantly in the morning light, like a golden ocean surging.
The soldiers of the Mu Kingdom were already on the front lines, ready for battle. Although their faces were haggard and their bodies exhausted, their eyes shone with determination. Veteran General Su Ran stood in the center of the defensive line, commanding with unwavering resolve. He shouted encouragement to his soldiers: "Brothers, hold the line! This is our home, and our families are behind us!"
Rong's main force gradually approached Mu's defense line, and the distance between the two sides grew ever closer. Once within firing range, Mu's archers launched the first attack, volleys of arrows raining down on the Rong army like locusts. Rong soldiers swiftly raised their shields, forming a sturdy shield wall. The arrows struck the shields, clanging and clattering like a dense rain of metal.
Seeing this, General Li calmly commanded, "Archers, return fire!" The Rong archers swiftly advanced, drawing their bows and unleashing a hail of arrows that whistled towards the Mu army's position. The arrows rained down on both sides, and soldiers fell one after another, instantly filling the battlefield with a stench of blood.
Under the cover of a hail of arrows, the Rong infantry continued their steady advance. As they approached the Mu defense line, fierce close-quarters combat ensued. The flashing of swords and the deafening shouts of battle filled the air. The Rong soldiers, with their superior equipment and well-trained combat skills, gradually gained the upper hand. Their longswords, like dragons emerging from the sea, swung wildly among the Mu soldiers, each swing raising a cloud of blood.
Although the Mu soldiers fought valiantly, their exhaustion and inferior equipment gradually made it difficult to withstand the Rong soldiers' offensive. The defensive line began to falter, and the Rong soldiers breached it in several places.
Just then, Lin Yu, a young general from the Mu Kingdom, led an elite force out from the flank, attempting to break through the Rong Kingdom's offensive formation and relieve pressure on the front line. Lin Yu took the lead, his sword flashing with impenetrable speed, and wherever he went, Rong Kingdom soldiers fell one after another.
General Zhao Hu of Rong had anticipated Mu's possible move and immediately led his light cavalry to meet them. The two cavalry units engaged in a thrilling charge on the battlefield. The thunderous sound of hooves raised a cloud of dust. General Zhao Hu's horsemanship was superb; he skillfully wielded his spear on horseback, engaging Lin Yu in a fierce one-on-one duel.
The two fought back and forth for dozens of rounds, neither gaining the upper hand. However, their battle attracted the attention of a large number of soldiers from both sides, making the battlefield situation more complex and chaotic.
On the main battlefield, General Li of Rong State, taking advantage of the flank of Mu State being tied down, intensified his offensive. He personally led a detachment of elite infantry, piercing through the gap in Mu State's defenses like a sharp blade, completely tearing apart their lines. The Mu State soldiers were immediately thrown into chaos and began to flee in all directions.
However, the veteran general Su Ran did not give up. He quickly reorganized the remaining troops and rebuilt a defensive line in the rear, attempting to stop Rong Guo's further advance. He knew that once Rong Guo broke through this defensive line, Mu Guo would face annihilation.
Xiao Yichen closely observed the development of the battlefield from the rear. Seeing the Mu Kingdom reorganize its defenses, he secretly admired Su Ran's military talent. He realized that this battle would not end easily, and a new strategy was needed to completely defeat the Mu Kingdom.
Therefore, Xiao Yichen decided to deploy the reserves. He ordered General Qian Feng to lead infantry in a surprise attack on the weakest point of the Mu defense line. Upon receiving the order, General Qian Feng swiftly led his troops. They bypassed the intense fighting on the main battlefield and quietly approached the flank of the Mu defense line.
As they approached the Mu Kingdom's flank defenses, General Qian Feng gave the order, and the infantry charged towards the Mu Kingdom's positions like tigers descending a mountain. The Mu Kingdom soldiers were caught off guard by this sudden attack, and their flank defenses collapsed instantly.
At this moment, the Rong army had formed a three-sided encirclement of the Mu army. The Mu army was in dire straits, and the morale of the soldiers began to plummet. However, some Mu soldiers, led by their generals, still put up a tenacious resistance, fighting to the very last moment rather than surrender.
In this fierce battle, both sides paid a heavy price. The battlefield was littered with corpses, and blood stained the earth red. Wounded soldiers groaned in pain in pools of blood, calling out the names of their comrades.
As time went on, Rong's advantage became increasingly apparent. They continuously compressed Mu's defensive space, and Mu's army's resistance grew weaker and weaker.
Finally, under the fierce attack of the Rong army, the last line of defense of the Mu Kingdom was breached. The Mu soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered. The veteran general Su Ran, witnessing this, was filled with helplessness and sorrow. He knew that the Mu Kingdom had been defeated; this was an unchangeable fact.
The decisive battle ended in victory for the Rong Kingdom. The Rong soldiers cheered and rejoiced, celebrating their hard-won victory. Their cheers echoed across the battlefield, as if proclaiming the rise of the Rong Kingdom to the entire world.
Xiao Yichen gazed at the cheering soldiers, but felt little joy. He knew all too well that war brought only destruction and suffering, and both Rong and Mu had paid a heavy price. He silently prayed for lasting peace and for war to never happen again.
Back in the Kingdom of Mu, when news of the defeat arrived, the entire nation was plunged into grief and despair. The Emperor of Mu slumped on his dragon throne, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had vanished. He knew that Mu's glory was over, and from then on, it would be reduced to a weak nation, subject to the bullying of others.
This war completely changed the fate of the Rong and Mu kingdoms. Rong, through its victory, greatly enhanced its standing on the continent, becoming a powerful nation. Mu, on the other hand, had to rise from the ruins and find its own way to survive.
The Rong army had already secured victory in this decisive battle. The Mu army's defenses crumbled under the Rong's fierce attack, and soldiers surrendered one after another. The dawn of victory was already shining on the Rong banners. Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er knew that burning down the Mu army's granaries was the key to completely destroying the Mu army's war potential.
Therefore, Xiao Yichen selected an elite squad and, together with Lin Wan'er, led them at breakneck speed towards the location of the Mu Kingdom's granary. The granary was located in a valley on the outskirts of the Mu Kingdom's capital, surrounded by treacherous terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and heavily guarded. However, the main force of the Mu Kingdom's army had already been defeated in the decisive battle, and the remaining defensive forces were relatively weak.
Under the cover of night, Xiao Yichen and his men stealthily approached the granary. Using the terrain of the valley as cover, they skillfully evaded the Mu Kingdom's patrols. As they neared the granary, Xiao Yichen whispered the order: "Prepare for battle!"
The team members gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes revealing unwavering determination. Xiao Yichen was the first to charge towards the guards of the granary; his figure was like lightning, instantly plunging into the enemy ranks. His longsword flashed like the wind, each strike precisely aimed at the enemy's vitals. The Mu Kingdom's guards were horrified to discover that their enemy was exceptionally skilled, and they were utterly unable to withstand him.
Lin Wan'er was not to be outdone; she led a group of her team in a flanking attack. Her movements were lithe and agile, the dagger in her hand gleaming coldly as she moved freely through the enemy ranks. She leaped and rolled, each strike claiming the life of an enemy.
Led by Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er, Rong Kingdom's elite squad surged forward like a raging torrent, swiftly breaching the defenses of Mu Kingdom's granary. They stormed inside, dumping barrels of fuel onto the grain piles and then setting torches ablaze.
"Burn! Let the Mu Kingdom's war ambitions turn to ashes in this raging fire!" Xiao Yichen shouted.
The flames spread rapidly, instantly engulfing the entire granary. The crimson light illuminated the night sky as if it were daytime, and thick smoke billowed into the valley. The Rong soldiers, gazing at the burning granary, were filled with the joy of victory.
However, just as they were preparing to evacuate, an unexpected event occurred. The once clear night sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds, and a fierce wind arose. A strong gust of wind howled past, blowing the burning flames deep into the valley. And deep in the valley was precisely the only route the Rong Kingdom's army could take during their retreat.
"Oh no, this wind came too suddenly!" Xiao Yichen's expression changed, realizing that the situation was not good.
Fueled by the fierce wind, the flames rapidly spread towards the Rong Kingdom's army. The soldiers watched in terror as the flames approached, completely bewildered. Xiao Yichen acted decisively, shouting, "Don't panic! Retreat to the hillside!"
The soldiers rushed up the hillside, but the flames were incredibly fast and quickly caught up with some of the slower ones. They were engulfed in flames, screaming in agony. Xiao Yichen watched helplessly as the soldiers struggled in the inferno, his heart filled with guilt and self-reproach.
"Yichen, what do we do now?" Lin Wan'er asked anxiously.
Xiao Yichen frowned as he gazed at the raging flames, pondering a solution. Just then, he noticed a narrow path on one side of the valley that seemed to bypass the flames and lead out of the valley.
"Go that way!" Xiao Yichen shouted, pointing to the path.
But just as they were preparing to move onto the path, a mysterious army suddenly appeared at the end of it. This army was dressed in black armor, with cold and stern faces, and their origins were unclear.
"Who are you people?" Xiao Yichen asked warily.
The mysterious army did not answer his question, but charged directly at the Rong Kingdom's army. Their fighting style was extremely fierce, and their weapons were wielded with tremendous force. The Rong Kingdom's army had just experienced a battle with the Mu Kingdom and then suffered this attack from the fire. They were already exhausted and were caught off guard by the sudden attack of this mysterious army.
Xiao Yichen knew that if they couldn't defeat this mysterious army quickly, the Rong Kingdom's army would be completely annihilated. He rallied his spirits and led his soldiers in a fierce resistance. He engaged in a fierce one-on-one duel with the leader of the mysterious army. Both were highly skilled in martial arts, and the battle was evenly matched.
Lin Wan'er directed the soldiers from the side, organizing them into a defensive formation to minimize casualties. However, the mysterious army's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the Rong Kingdom's defenses gradually began to falter.
In this critical moment, Xiao Yichen suddenly discovered an opening in the mysterious army leader's defenses. Seizing the opportunity, he thrust his sword fiercely towards the leader's vital point. The mysterious army leader was unable to dodge in time, was pierced by Xiao Yichen's sword, screamed in pain, and fell to the ground.
With their leader dead, the mysterious army's attack immediately became chaotic. The Rong Kingdom's army seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, and after a fierce battle, finally repelled the mysterious army.
But by this time, the flames had spread throughout the entire valley, and the Rong Kingdom's army remained trapped in the inferno. Xiao Yichen gazed at the surrounding flames, his heart filled with despair. Were they destined to perish here?
Just then, a torrential downpour began. The rain poured down, quickly extinguishing the burning flames. The soldiers of the Rong Kingdom army, gazing at the heavy rain, were filled with the joy of surviving a calamity.
"This rain came just in time!" Lin Wan'er said excitedly.
Xiao Yichen breathed a sigh of relief; he knew that the sudden downpour had saved them. But he was also filled with questions: What was the origin of this mysterious army? Why had they suddenly appeared at this time? Was there a larger conspiracy hidden behind all of this?
Despite successfully burning down Mu's granaries following this unexpected turn of events, Rong Kingdom paid a heavy price. Xiao Yichen knew that the war was far from over; they needed to quickly ascertain the identity of the mysterious army and also prepare for potential retaliation from Mu Kingdom. The situation between Rong and Mu Kingdoms also became more complex and unpredictable due to this unexpected turn of events.
This sudden and unexpected turn of events plunged both Rong and Mu into an unprecedentedly complex situation, fraught with danger yet also concealing hidden opportunities. After a brief period of shock and confusion, the commanders of both countries quickly regained their composure and began to reassess the battle situation, striving to seize the initiative and gain control in this chaotic state.
Inside the Rong Kingdom camp, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to drip water. Xiao Yichen, though exhausted, had a resolute gaze. He knew that although his side had successfully burned down the Mu Kingdom's granary, dealing them a heavy blow, the sudden appearance of the mysterious army and the interference of the severe weather had also severely damaged the Rong Kingdom's army, lowering morale and causing widespread panic. Lin Wan'er assisted him, comforting the wounded soldiers while organizing logistics personnel to treat the injured and ensure the army's basic combat effectiveness.
Xiao Yichen urgently summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures. Standing in the center of the tent, he slowly swept his gaze over everyone and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, this unexpected event has put our army in a difficult situation. The identity of that mysterious army is unknown, but its strength should not be underestimated. Its appearance is by no means accidental. However, we cannot let this cause us to lose our composure. We must first stabilize morale, treat the wounded, and strengthen the camp's defenses to prevent the enemy from attacking again."
The generals nodded in agreement, and General Zhao Hu spoke first: "Young master, in my humble opinion, the most urgent task is to find out the origin of that mysterious army. I am willing to lead a small team to investigate and get to the bottom of this."
Xiao Yichen nodded slightly: "General Zhao's courage is commendable, but you must not act rashly. That army is exceptionally strong, so you must be careful on your journey. If you encounter danger, do not linger in battle, and return to camp immediately to report the news."
"Understood, Your subordinate!" Zhao Hu clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, turned and left, quickly selecting a team of elite soldiers who quietly left the camp under the cover of night and disappeared into the vast darkness.
At the same time, General Qian Feng said, "Young Master, although the Mu Kingdom's granary has been burned down, its remaining forces will likely fight back desperately. Our army has suffered losses in combat power after this ordeal, and we need to readjust our defensive and offensive deployments."
Xiao Yichen pondered for a moment and said, "General Qian is absolutely right. Our army should consolidate its defensive line, rely on favorable terrain, and build strong fortifications. While defending, we should send out small groups of troops to harass the remnants of the Mu Kingdom's army, keeping them busy and unable to organize a large-scale counterattack. Once our army has recovered its strength, we can then make our move."
The generals responded in unison and then dispersed to carry out their orders. The entire Rong Kingdom camp sprang into action. Although the soldiers were exhausted, they carried out their tasks methodically under the command of their generals. Trenches were dug, fortifications were built, and chevaux-de-frise were installed; defensive fortifications gradually took shape around the camp.
Meanwhile, the Mu Kingdom also faced a life-or-death decision. Inside the Mu Kingdom's palace, the emperor was pale, his eyes filled with despair and rage. Although the veteran general Su Ran had been defeated in the final battle, he was still urgently summoned back by the emperor to discuss countermeasures.
"General Su, now that the granaries have been burned, the army has been routed, and that mysterious army has suddenly appeared, is my Mu Kingdom really doomed?" the Emperor of Mu Kingdom lamented.
Su Ran clasped his hands and knelt down, saying in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, although we are in great danger, we are not in a hopeless situation. Rong Kingdom has also suffered losses due to unforeseen circumstances, and its morale is not stable, so its defenses must have weaknesses. I am willing to lead the remaining soldiers to fight to the death, and perhaps there will be a chance to turn the tide."
A glimmer of hope flashed in the eyes of the Emperor of Mu: "General Su, what good plan do you have?"
Su Ran slowly said, “Your Majesty, we can first gather all available troops in the country, including local garrisons and reserves, and launch a surprise attack on Rong Kingdom’s camp to catch them off guard. At the same time, we should send people to secretly contact the surrounding small countries, offering them great benefits to win their support or neutrality, so as to prevent Mu Kingdom from being isolated and helpless. Furthermore, the appearance of that mysterious army may be an opportunity for Mu Kingdom. If we can find out their identity and cooperate with them to fight against Rong Kingdom, Mu Kingdom will still have a glimmer of hope.”
After listening, the Emperor of Mu pondered for a long time before slowly nodding: "That's the only way. General Su, I place my last hope in you, hoping you can turn the tide and save Mu."
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations!" Su Ran accepted the order, rose, turned and left to prepare for various matters.
He swiftly issued orders to all regions, summoning troops. Upon hearing that their nation still possessed the strength to fight, the soldiers of Mu responded to the call and converged from all directions. Although their faces were haggard and their equipment incomplete, their eyes shone with renewed fighting spirit.
Su Ran personally trained these soldiers, teaching them combat skills and tactical strategies. He knew that this attack on the Rong Kingdom's camp had to be swift and decisive, achieving the greatest victory with the least cost.
In terms of reconnaissance, Su Ran dispatched multiple teams to investigate the Rong Kingdom's defensive deployment, the whereabouts of the mysterious army, and the attitudes of the surrounding small countries. These teams moved like ghosts through the mountains and rivers, carefully gathering various intelligence.
As time went on, both sides were nervously preparing for their next move. After overcoming numerous difficulties, General Zhao Hu's reconnaissance team finally brought back some information about the mysterious army.
Xiao Yichen waited anxiously in the tent. When he saw Zhao Hu return, he hurriedly asked, "General Zhao, did you have any success?"
Zhao Hu, his face covered in dust and his breathing slightly rapid, said, "Young Master, I have learned that the mysterious army seems to come from the distant Western Regions. They are not a regular army of any country, but a mercenary group composed of mercenaries from various countries. I heard that they have been hired for a large sum of money to interfere in the war between our two countries."
Xiao Yichen frowned deeply: "Western Region mercenary group? Who on earth has the financial resources to hire them? There must be a mastermind behind this."
Lin Wan'er pondered, "Yi Chen, could it be another country or force with interests entangled with Rong or Mu? They want to use the mercenary group to reap the benefits."
Xiao Yichen nodded and said, "Wan'er's analysis is reasonable. It seems that we not only have to deal with the Mu Kingdom's counterattack, but also be careful of the conspiracy behind it. Pass down the order to strengthen patrols and reconnaissance around the camp and closely monitor the movements of all parties."
"Yes, young master!"
Meanwhile, in the Mu Kingdom, Su Ran also received intelligence from the reconnaissance team. Upon learning that the mysterious army was a mercenary group from the Western Regions, he had an idea and immediately sent people to the Western Regions to try to make contact with the mercenary group and explore the possibility of cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Mu Kingdom's assembled army, led by Su Ran, stealthily approached the Rong Kingdom's camp under the cover of night. Like cheetahs lurking in the darkness, they awaited the perfect opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Rong Kingdom.
This new contest, triggered by an unexpected turn of events, is about to unfold in the darkness before dawn. Both Rong and Mu see opportunity in the crisis, and with their own hopes and determination, they engage in a thrilling life-or-death struggle on this ever-changing battlefield. The final outcome remains to be seen, hanging in the balance of an unknown fate.
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