Chapter 64: Each Faction’s Elites
A defiant smile appeared on Zhang Zhe’s pale face, but Lu Yuan simply turned away, choosing to ignore him.
The sight infuriated Zhang Zhe, but he didn’t dare cause trouble right now.
The Lu Yuan of today was not the Lu Yuan of the past. He had military achievements and the backing of the Zhou Family. ’My own position with that fatty isn’t even secure,’ Zhang Zhe thought. ’There will be plenty of time to deal with him later.’
Inside the command tent, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense. The Marquis of Jiuse sat at the head, with twenty to thirty Captains and more than a dozen Garrison Generals assembled below him.
A map of the Wasteland hung at the very front.
It marked the approximate movements of their own side and the Northern Barbarians.
The Marquis of Jiuse pointed to the map. "We are the right wing of the main army. According to current reports, the left wing, the Central Army, and the vanguard have not spotted any Northern Barbarians."
"Yet, in the last few days, we’ve detected the presence of the Northern Barbarian Iron Kites on our flank."
"This indicates that the main Northern Barbarian army will likely launch their attack from our right wing."
He then took a sip of tea, paused for a moment, and continued, "Their plan is likely to punch through the right wing and strike directly at the Central Army. I’m afraid we have a fierce battle ahead of us."
In the Wasteland, there is nowhere to hide and no chance for an ambush. If a battle breaks out, it will be a head-on clash.
Whoever can hold out until the end will be the victor.
Hearing this news, everyone’s expression turned grim.
Zhou Hongling spoke up, "Our right wing only has a little over fifty thousand men. The Northern Barbarian cavalry will most likely number no less than one hundred thousand. If a battle begins, will the Central Army provide support?"
"No. They will advance according to the plan. Their target is the Northern Barbarians’ Mantuo Tribe, their largest tribe aside from the one in the Royal City. The mission of the right and left wings is to fend off any Northern Barbarian raids and ensure the Central Army reaches its destination as planned."
"Therefore, there will be no reinforcements." The Marquis of Jiuse’s expression was grave.
The faces of the others turned sour. Some of the Captains here were from the Imperial City, and they had come to reap military merit. They never expected the Northern Barbarians to choose the right wing as their breakthrough point. ’Just great.’
Faced with the prospect of a brutal fight, no one was in a good mood.
"Has the specific number of Northern Barbarian troops been confirmed?" Zhou Hongling asked again.
One hundred thousand was just a rough estimate. If a major battle truly erupted, the number would only be higher, not lower. It was crucial to know both the enemy and oneself.
This was also a question of great concern to the others.
The other Captains and Garrison Generals all looked over.
"We don’t know. The Guardian Army has already sent out three waves of scouts, but we’ve lost contact with all of them. This time, the Northern Barbarians have dispatched their Golden-armed Iron Kites to patrol the perimeter of their army and intercept our Scouts."
"Any Scout that gets close to them is killed."
The Marquis of Jiuse was also getting a headache over this. His Guardian Army wasn’t large to begin with, and he had already suffered considerable losses.
Most importantly, without intelligence on the Northern Barbarians, they would be fighting blind if a battle broke out.
If he couldn’t hold back the Northern Barbarians and disrupted the main army’s plan, he would inevitably be punished.
So, he cleared his throat and said, "This is one of the reasons I’ve summoned you all. Let’s not beat around the bush. Each of your families has battle-hardened elites. It is time to put them to use."
"Whoever can determine the numbers and movements of the Northern Barbarian army will be the heroes of this battle."
"The commanding general will be awarded three thousand Merit Points. The leader of the scouting mission will be awarded one thousand Merit Points. Each accompanying Warrior will receive one hundred points. Kills will be recorded at triple the usual Merit Points."
This time, the Marquis of Jiuse was showing absolute sincerity.
Three thousand Merit Points was no small amount, even for a Garrison General.
At their rank, military merit was no longer calculated by how many men they killed personally, but by the achievements and contributions of the soldiers under their command.
For a Garrison General to be promoted, they needed to lead their troops in killing over thirty thousand enemy soldiers, which equated to thirty thousand Merit Points.
Yet, the armies they commanded often consisted of only about ten thousand men.
This meant they had to defeat an enemy force more than three times their own size in a direct confrontation—something no ordinary person could achieve.
Therefore, three thousand was by no means a small number.
After the crowd exchanged glances, Helian Shang stepped forward. "Marquis, my Silent Riders are willing to give it a try."
Faced with such a reward, many were determined to win it.
A Garrison General from the Imperial City also stepped out. "This humble subordinate’s Red Armor Cavalry is willing to try."
The Red Armor Cavalry were the elites of the Imperial City’s Zhao Family.
It was said they were as aggressive as fire and invincible in battle. Their equipment was also far superior to that of the Border Army.
After he finished speaking, other Garrison Generals also stepped forward one after another.
All of them were elites cultivated by their respective families.
Moreover, these Garrison Generals from the Imperial City clearly looked down on the Border Army. As they spoke, their gazes occasionally swept over Helian Shang, who had just spoken, carrying a hint of subtle provocation.
This infuriated him, but everyone present was of a similar rank.
He wouldn’t gain any advantage by starting a real fight, especially with the Marquis of Jiuse present. Thus, his face just flushed red with anger.
But there was nothing he could do.
Just as the others finished speaking, Zhou Hongling also stepped forward. "I have a unit of Personal Guards who are willing to give it a try."
The Marquis of Jiuse glanced at her, knowing exactly who she was talking about.
The Marquis also had a rather good impression of Lu Yuan.
This time, he was indeed curious to see how the young man would perform.
Meanwhile, the few Garrison Generals from the Imperial City looked at Zhou Hongling with peculiar expressions.
Everyone knew that the Zhou Family’s elite scouts were the Night Patrol.
For her to send a unit of Personal Guards... it wasn’t that the guards were incompetent. On the contrary, such a unit could also be considered elite.
But after all, the Night Patrol’s reputation preceded them, and most people had more faith in that famous Border Army scout unit.
Therefore, many believed that Zhou Hongling was giving up on competing for this merit.
At this, the Marquis of Jiuse swept his gaze over the generals below. "Good. In that case, all of you go and order your men to prepare. They will depart today. And don’t return to your own camps for the next two days; wait here together for news."
"Have your armies assemble at my camp."
"The Northern Barbarians could attack at any moment. Don’t give them a chance to defeat us one by one."
"As you command!"
the assembled generals replied at once, then headed outside.
Just outside the tent, Zhao Yu, the third son of the Zhao Family and the Garrison General from the Imperial City, said to the other generals who had come with him to the Northern Border, "I’ve heard that the general’s families of the Border Army have been getting worse and worse over the years."
"When it comes to a real war like this, they still have to rely on us."
In the Dayong Empire, the closer an official’s family was to the Imperial City, the more superior they acted.
And the deeper their foundations were.
As the army had marched these past few days, Zhou Hongling and the others had been subjected to quite a bit of ostracism.
Helian Shang, who was already furious inside the tent, stiffened his neck and shot back, "Shut your mouth! If it weren’t for us general’s families of the Border Army, would you be able to live comfortably in the Imperial City?"
"Who are you calling comfortable? We earned our merit through bloodshed too! The Northern Border isn’t the only frontier in Dayong. Who among us hasn’t been tempered on the battlefield to get to this point?" Zhao Yu retorted first.
Next to him, Zheng Tong, a Disciple of the General’s Family from the Zheng Family, scowled. "Helian Shang, if you’re incompetent, don’t be afraid of others saying it. You people from the Northern Border’s Sai City can’t even guard your own gates! How many times have the Iron Kites broken through?"
"The news has even reached the Imperial City, yet you’re still here acting indignant. Believe it or not, I’ll beat the shit out of you."
They were all Disciples of the General’s Families, and none were afraid of the other. In an instant, they were arguing heatedly.
Zhou Hongling glanced at the Imperial City’s Disciples of the General’s Families, who were gathered in small groups. Frowning, she said, "Gentlemen, ability is proven on the battlefield. Why argue about it here?"
"Heh, you’re actually right about that. We should indeed compete on the battlefield. Let’s see whose elites can complete this mission,"
Zhao Yu said coldly, his tanned face flushing a shade of red.
Zhou Hongling was now quite angry as well. These general’s families from the Imperial City usually looked down on the Border Army, acting superior, which was one thing. But for them to continue this behavior now on the battlefield—how could she not be furious?
After all, she was young and born into the military; few in her position had a mild temper. She stared at the group opposite her and declared, "I’ll stake one Wood Flower Fruit."
This was a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure used for Refining the Liver. It was not a cheap wager.
Even for those born into prominent families, it was an extravagant bet for people their age.
Zhao Yu said calmly, "I’ll stake a drop of Profound Spirit Liquid."
Another Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, this one for Kidney Refining.
"I’ll put up a stalk of Profound Gold Grass."
...
In an instant, the various Disciples of the General’s Families all called out their wagers, none willing to show weakness.
Zhou Hongling glanced at them. "Good. Then let’s have our competition and see who really wins."
After speaking, she walked over to Lu Yuan and the others.
Helian Shang followed closely behind her.