Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 73: Ambush
The commander of Cai Kingdom’s forty-thousand-strong army, Yan Zhengqing, frowned as he looked at the squad leader, now out of immediate danger.
Beside him, the military advisor Xiang Bowen held a small wooden tray with a twisted, deformed bullet on it. The tiny bullet was still stained with blood but continued to glimmer with a golden hue.
Yan Zhengqing studied it closely for a long time and said, “It’s not gold; it’s darker than gold.”
Xiang Bowen explained, “It’s brass. People often use brass to deceive the uneducated masses. But I don’t understand how such a small brass bullet could injure a squad leader at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. It has no spiritual essence, and there are no formation markings on it.
“A bullet this small couldn’t have been fired from a crossbow either.”
At that moment, several more wounded but still alive “warriors” were brought in. Nearby healers rushed to save them. With the help of cultivation techniques and the inherent strength of the cultivators, the bullets were quickly removed, and after a round of circulating true energy, the injured were mostly out of danger.
As more brass bullets were extracted, Xiang Bowen sighed, “It seems the enemy has mastered some new weapon we are unaware of. Fortunately, for now, it appears there aren’t many of these weapons.
“However, these mysterious deaths are significantly impacting the morale of the soldiers on the front line. In addition, 22 war artifacts have already been destroyed. General, we should temporarily retreat and launch another attack at midnight.”
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“Very well. Give the order to retreat for now. Also, make sure to collect all the bodies of those who died under strange circumstances.”
The battle came to a temporary halt, and both sides sent soldiers to retrieve the corpses. On the Great Xia side, ropes were lowered from the city walls. When soldiers from both armies met, they didn’t exchange words but silently gathered the bodies. It was one of the rare moments of peace on the battlefield.
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Dozens of miles away, Li Xian also received a letter from his older brother, Li Liang. Upon hearing about the miraculous “war artifacts,” Li Xian had an idea—he wanted to get one for research. Naturally, Li Xian also intended to send a few of his top snipers to help. If the border was breached, all would be lost.
Xu Ren remained calm, saying, “No need to worry! Your older brother is no fool. Even in the most critical situation, he can hold out until tomorrow. It’s estimated that Cai Kingdom’s elite troops will arrive around dawn. The best strategy is to secure victory here and then fully support the border.”
“Young master, I agree with this approach! Splitting forces at a crucial time is a major military taboo!” Bei Chen Yuqing concurred with Xu Ren’s view.
Li Xian accepted their advice, “Alright, quick victory it is! But send someone to Qingyun Valley and notify all factories producing machines, guns, and bullets to work overtime!”
With the strategy decided, the troops continued their ambush, waiting quietly for the arrival of Cai Kingdom’s raiding party. However, Li Xian still had many doubts in his heart—would Cai Kingdom’s forces really pass through here? What if they missed them? What if the enemy split their forces?
While Li Xian was pondering these concerns, in the early hours of the morning, the city of Wuyang, a thousand miles away, was already in chaos. The first wave of emergency messages from Anyang had arrived (the second wave of urgent intelligence was still en route and hadn’t yet arrived).
Civil and military officials were dragged out in the middle of the night to discuss the national crisis—Cai Kingdom had invaded the border!
“At least forty thousand elite troops have crossed the border,” the Emperor’s face darkened. “Fu Minghui, you will lead thirty thousand Imperial Guards to support!”
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Chancellor Ouyang Wubing, Li Yulong, and the Wang family, among other officials, all agreed.
But Grand Preceptor Kong Xiang stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I believe it would be reckless to act hastily. If this is a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain, it could be dangerous.”
The Emperor, having already lost his composure, asked, “What does the Grand Preceptor suggest we do?”
“The Imperial Guards cannot be moved. They must protect the palace and be ready to support wherever needed. Also, send orders to strengthen defenses at all border posts to prevent other nations from taking advantage of the situation or Cai Kingdom using a feint to disguise a real attack elsewhere.
“Send a command to Yao Jianye, the Prefect of Kaiping County, instructing him to assist with the defense of An Yang.
“Moreover, An Yang has thirty thousand elite soldiers. If they simply hold their ground, they can withstand an army of one hundred thousand. Your Majesty need not worry.
“With Li Liang and Li Xian, both capable talents, guarding An Yang, the city will be as solid as a mountain!”
“The Grand Preceptor speaks wisely!” A chorus of flattery followed Kong Xiang’s words.
Li Yulong’s eyes flashed with a hint of anger, but in the end, he remained silent.
In Wang Chuan’s eyes, a glimmer of delight flickered—this old man had finally shown his hand! Just wait, once An Yang faces turmoil, I will ensure you have a spacious and bright prison cell. And you, Li Xian, your time has come; daring to marry Xia Qingqing, heh, I’ll make sure you meet your end!
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Ultimately, under the persuasion of Grand Preceptor Kong Xiang, the Emperor adopted a “response to changes with consistency” strategy, a kind of catch-all approach. Fu Minghui was dispatched to mobilize the troops, preparing them for immediate combat. Meanwhile, imperial envoys were sent out to ensure local defenses were ready.
As the brief court session concluded, Wang Chuan suddenly approached Li Yulong, “Minister Li, do you have time for a chat?”
Li Yulong hesitated for a moment but then nodded with certainty.
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At the same hour, General Wang Qisheng of the Cai Kingdom led four thousand elite troops, effortlessly “breaking through” the defenses of Kaiping County and marching boldly into the territory of the Great Xia Kingdom.
Once all the soldiers had safely crossed the border, Wang Qisheng turned to his strategist, Lu Yan, with a smile. “As long as we grasp this opportunity, Kaiping County will belong to the Cai Kingdom ahead of schedule.”
Lu Yan smiled confidently. “I imagine Li Xian and Li Liang have been drawn away by the border conflict. Hmph, the Kong family thinks they’ve calculated everything well, but they don’t realize that all of this has already fallen into the Prime Minister’s scheme. We aim not only to plunder the Qingyun Valley but also to test the combat capability of the Great Xia Kingdom while we’re at it.
Once we succeed, if we declare that this incident was facilitated by the Kong family, it will inevitably spark internal chaos in the Great Xia. When the time comes, with a million troops, we can march in and crush the Great Xia Kingdom in one fell swoop!”
“Exactly. Let’s hurry and reach Qingyun Valley before dawn.” General Wang Qisheng commanded those around him, “Be cautious; we need to capture those key talents, especially those from the research departments, alive. If possible, take Li Xian as well. The rest, destroy them all!”
The large troop advanced, moving almost silently, seemingly blending into the night. After crossing a gentle slope, they indeed followed the path anticipated by Xu Ren and entered Huangshi Valley.
Huangshi Valley was strewn with jagged rocks and lacked established paths; it was relatively open, suitable for a military ambush.
Overconfident, the troops of Cai Kingdom rushed forward without any reconnaissance—there was simply no time for that. However, they made some cursory checks of the narrow terrain while mostly overlooking the wide areas.
After marching for several miles, just as they were about to exit Huangshi Valley, General Wang Qisheng suddenly felt a tremor of unease!
As a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, he trusted this inexplicable intuition.
“Be careful!” Wang Qisheng halted.
Just then, a muffled sound pierced the air, and he watched in horror as the once lively strategist was hit—his head exploded!
Boom! A moment later, another dull thud echoed.
“An ambush!” Wang Qisheng’s expression darkened. How could there be an ambush here?!