The World Online Chapter 273-274

Chapter 273- Surrounding a Point and Destroying the Reinforcements

Translator: TeamTWO
Editor: Jun

The generals all exclaimed, respect and awe in their eyes. However, Baiqi was a very serious guy and rarely laughed, so the generals didn't dare to sing his praises in the tent. They all looked at him, their war G.o.d, with eagerness at how he was going to arrange the troops.

Ouyang Shuo sat in a corner, emotions filling him. Only such a person like Baiqi could become a commander-in-chief. Generals like s.h.i.+ Wanshui and E'Lai could never be, the difference between them were very obvious.

Unfortunately, to try to to convince Baiqi, it was as difficult as scaling the heavens. Although the player force had made a commendable performance, it wasn't enough to earn Baiqi's respect.

"Generals, receive my orders!" Baiqi's words broke Ouyang Shuo's thoughts, making him focus once again.

"Yes general!" Huan He and Ying Bao replied.

Huan He being too late to a.s.sist resulted in w.a.n.g Ling's death. As such he felt a pent up anger. If the Wei wanted to disturb them, naturally, he was furious and wanted to teach them a lesson.

Ying Bao and the other generals didn't look up to anyone in the military, only respecting Baiqi.

"Tomorrow morning, Meng Ao will go close to the southern side of Gu Pa.s.s and make an aggressive stance to bait them. w.a.n.g He will react from the side and at the same time ensure the safety of the grain route."

w.a.n.g He and Meng Ao, one was courageous and fierce, while the other was stable. It was nice that they were polar opposites. As it was a fake attack, Baiqi purposely sent Meng Ao to attack. He was worried that w.a.n.g He would be rash and really attack, affecting the whole plan.

"Yes!"

After all the generals left, Baiqi looked for w.a.n.g He and secretly told him some words before letting him leave.

The next day, Meng Ao and his troops left and waltzed toward w.a.n.g Ling Camp, acting as if they were going to go all out.

w.a.n.g He's forces on the west also moved out, dust and dirt rising from their movements.

Atop of the Gu Pa.s.s, Zhao Kuo and Zhao Sheng stood together.

To the decree from the Pingyuan Lord, Zhao Kuo, although he didn't agree with it, he had no choice to accept it. Following the king's orders to build a defensive line, and not go out and fight.

Seeing Meng Ao's forces charging forward, Zhao Kuo didn't think much. He had sent 50 thousand men there and within a day, they had fixed the camp, and it was usable again.

Adding up Zhao Zhuang's 100 thousand forces which were at the foot of Gu Pa.s.s, he didn't think the Meng Ao's forces could succeed. Thinking back, even the 150 thousand forces he had couldn't take down w.a.n.g Ling's camp in such a short time.

"What is the Qin army rus.h.i.+ng for?" The Pingyuan lord asked.

Zhao Kuo laughed. "Their grain supplies were cut off, so I think they want to go all out before our reinforcements arrive."

"Baiqi is a G.o.d when using troops, so why would he be so rash? Is there a scheme in all of this?" The Pingyuan lord couldn't understand and said uneasily.

"What a joke! Although Baiqi is smart, even the heavens favor us, what can he do?" Although Zhao Kuo had lost to Baiqi, he didn't believe that he was lousier than him and wanted to prove himself.

Seeing the arrogant and overconfident Zhao Kuo, the Pingyuan Lord kept quiet. He didn't have any proof and anything would just be a conjecture, so he could only believe in what Zhao Kuo said.

Using the cover of Meng Ao's forces and also the dust made by w.a.n.g He's troops, Huan He and Ying Bao led 100 thousand cavalry and sneakily left the camp, going toward Baijing to the east.

The iron cavalry of the Qin army weren't like the light armored cavalry of the Zhao army, and could bring milk and dried meat. What these soldiers brought were meat which needed a fire to cook. Compared to the Zhao army, it was much more troublesome.

Luckily, Ouyang Shuo and the lords of the Shanhai Alliance took out their military grain pills and lessened their logistical stress. If not, without such help, these troops would not make it so far.

In a short time, the troops managed to enter the Henei prefecture.

Henei prefecture, although it was a new prefecture that the Qin had taken over for a short while, as the Qin king commanded his men from there and provided rewards to the people. They were very happy and supportive.

Hence, these 100 thousand cavalrymen were like fish in water in the Henei prefecture.

The Wei country's Xinling lord had led the 150 thousand troops, and entered Henei prefecture. However they were like sparks in a dark night. In Huan He's eyes, there was nothing mysterious or secretive about their movements.

Huan He was very clear that this operation; it had to be fast and swift. Firstly, they had little resources left and couldn't last for long. Secondly, if they come out for too long, they would raise the doubts of the Zhao army.

After Huan He and Ying Bao finished their discussion, they chose a route that the Wei army had to pa.s.s by and prepared an ambush. They wanted to attack them before they could react and destroy them in one fell swoop.

The ambush point they chose wasn't a canyon or a special ground but a very normal plain. It was hundreds of miles around and apart from a official road, it was just a few scattered villages.

A hundred thousand cavalrymen hid in the villages. Not far from the village was a dense forest; the dense vegetation was also a good cover for the troops.

Seeing such a huge army, the villagers were freaked out.

Apart from acquiring some grain from the villages, the soldiers didn't do anything too out of hand. Baiqi was very strict and didn't allow his troops to rob civilians. Even a general like Ying Bao, who wasn't afraid of anything, definitely wouldn't go against Baiqi's orders.

After the troops settled down, Huan He sent scouts to investigate and monitor the movements of the Wei army.

Two days later, the Wei army appeared as expected.

Looking from afar, the 150 thousand men army stretched out over 5 kilometers. Their army, which was once the best, had deteriorated and wasn't as good as they once were.

An army that was moving wasn't suitable for sneak-attacks as they stretched too long. Even if they killed the front enemies, the ones at the back could form up and they definitely wouldn't be able to effectively kill them.

Hence, the place that Huan He chose was where the Wei army set up camp. As they traveled for a long time, and adding with the fact that there were few Qin troops in Henei prefecture, they naturally didn't pay much attention when they set up camp.

What they didn't know was that not far away, a pack of hungry wolves were staring at them.

As the Wei army set up camp, a hundred thousand iron cavalry was like a black flood and rushed out of the forest straight toward them.

The thunderous galloping made the whole ground shake; it was like a tsunami. The black wave swallowed up the land; the green plains was now covered in black.

"Oh no, it's the Qin army!" the Wei army panicked. The soldiers in the Wei army had suffered a lot at the hands of the Qin army, and fear had built up in their hearts.

At that point, the Wei army had started to gather in the camp. Travelling non stop for a day was really tiring. They put down the heavy grain that they carried and were prepared to settle down. They didn't expect that enemy forces would attack, causing panic in the camp.

Screams, shouts, horse galloping, bowls and pots cras.h.i.+ng, scolds and various noises resounded; it was like they were in a huge market.

Luckily, the Xinling lord was a capable man, and he calmed the troops while reorganizing them at the same time. He ordered the cavalry to gather and intercept the Qin army while the infantry formed up behind them.

A 150 thousand man army naturally wouldn't set up camp at one spot. They were split into three groups. When the front group set up camp, the central group would rush there while the back group would still be moving.

Huan He led 50 thousand men to attack the front group. Ying Bao led the player force to destroy the center group. Xinling lord Wei Wujin personally led the center group.

In the current day and age, the only ones who could match the Qin army was the Zhao army. The Wei army in front of them were far from their past glory and were easy pickings.

The front camp, after a charge by Huan He's forces, couldn't form up. Huan He led his men and led a slaughter in the camp.

History would remember this once nameless plains because of this battle.

The center group's camp was where the commander Wei Wujin was located. s.h.i.+ Wanshui requested to lead the player force to attack them. This was the only remaining group of the Wei's elite soldiers.

Shanhai City's cavalry was a level higher than that of Qin army's. The Wei elite soldiers naturally couldn't withstand it, and facing the metal flood led by the 2nd regiment, they had no choice but to engage.

It was a battle of the spear and the s.h.i.+eld, and it ended in a complete victory of the Shanhai City cavalry.

The Xinling lord, who was highly confident, could only lead his guards and escape.

Even for the prideful Ying Bao, upon seeing the strength of the player force, his eyes froze. Before this trip, he was unhappy that Huan He had treated the player force too well, but now he understood why.

Although the Wei elite soldiers weren't as strong as before, they were still an elite unit. In front of the player force cavalry, however, they couldn't even withstand a hit, stunning Ying Bao.

In the huge plains, the Wei troops who stretched for miles were destroyed by the Qin army. Not only could they not connect up with the rear group, but they were broken up into many parts.

The Wei army was mainly made up of infantry. The small number of infantry wasn't enough to stop the Qin army cavalry. Instead they were pincered by Huan He and Ying Bao, and directly destroyed.

As the army lost its cavalry, the remaining infantrymen were unable to resolutely defend; they were like a bunch of sheep under the chase of the Qin army wolves, running for their lives.

Chapter 274- Chariot Circle Formation

Translator: TeamTWO
Editor: Jun

The vast plains were filled with escaping Wei army soldiers. They threw down their gear and weapons. Some even took off their armor, so as to run faster than their comrades.

Ying Bao was a bloodthirsty person, so how could he miss such a good chance? He ordered the troops to be ruthless and not accept any surrender. Wherever the iron cavalry pa.s.sed, they only left behind lifeless bodies.

Huan He also wasn't any saint, and was also simmering with some anger, so he was just as ruthless.

Such a good chance was also what Ouyang Shuo wouldn't miss. The player force was claiming their enemy's lives, making Ouyang Shuo feel like his battle contribution points were rising quickly.

A 100 thousand cavalrymen were like precise war harvesting machines, efficiently killing the front and central groups of the Wei army. As they pa.s.sed by them on their horses, their knives shone and heads fell to the ground.

Compared to Huan He and Ying Bao's forces, the 20 thousand player force under s.h.i.+ Wanshui, Er'Lai and Zhang Liao's lead were more efficient and had higher killing power.

Especially the Shanhai City cavalry, with their gear and great horses, they causally charged into the enemy, leaving a b.l.o.o.d.y trail in their wake.

After destroying the front and central groups, Huan He left 20 thousand troops to chase down the deserters. Then, he met up with Ying Bao and rushed toward the rear group of the Wei army.

When the Xinling lord returned to the back group, he noticed that things were bad. He ordered the troops to leave their heavy loads and rush for their lives back to their country.

Just as the Qin army was chasing the Wei army, the Xinling lord had already escaped. Unfortunately, as long as the Wei Army was within the Henei prefecture, they wouldn't be able to escape from the Qin army.

The Qin army cavalry followed their path and were like experienced hunters, killing them one by one. The infantry heavy Wei army definitely couldn't shake off the cavalry.

The chase lasted for a total of 3 days and 2 nights. The Qin army was like a pack of hungry wolves, and they bit down on the Wei army, refusing to let go. When the sky turned bright, the Wei army who spent the night in fear could see their demons who were charging toward them.

The grain that the Wei army threw down instead became a huge help for the Qin army. It totally solved the problem of resources. One had to say it was pretty ironic.

The Qin army chased them to the border of the Henei prefecture, and the 150 thousand Wei army was now in tatters. The Wei that was already having problems would probably not be able to stand up after that battle, and their destruction was just a matter of time.

Wei Wujin, under the protection of his guards, brought his remaining troops back into their country. He was immediately removed from his position and locked up. Whatever happened next, let's not talk about it now.

After completely destroying the Wei army, Huan He didn't dare to act slow and gathered the troops, rus.h.i.+ng back toward Changping. Destroying the Wei army was only an appetizer, and the real battle would take place in Changping.

On the way back, Ouyang Shuo took a look at his battle contribution points and found that they had reached a terrifying 250 thousand. On average, in the two battles, the Shanhai City cavalry had killed each killed two and a half men.

Bai Hua and Feng Qiuhuang had both fought up to and overtaken Zhan Lang, taking the 2nd and 3rd spots on the rankings.

Of course, the battle contribution points leaderboard didn't factor in the final bonus points, so with Di Chen and Zhan Lang's performance, their bonus wouldn't be small too.

Hence, the fight for the top of the leaderboard wasn't set in stone.

The news of the Wei's 150 thousand troops being destroyed was like a blizzard as it swept across all the countries, calming down their impulsive and rash hearts.

The Zhao were rejected out of many of the other countries, and the Han once again removed Feng Ting from his duties. The 5 countries of Shandong immediately brought gifts and sent their amba.s.sadors to Xianyang to try and repair the relations.h.i.+p.

Just as Baiqi had said, the destruction of the Wei army would break up the alliance that was forming.

At this point, the army that the Qin king had gathered in Henei slowly left Taihang Mountain.

With the arrival of rain, the Changping battlefield once again became cloudy and mysterious.

Gu Pa.s.s, Di Chen tent.

When Ouyang Shuo and the others' battle contribution points started climbing, Di Chen had already felt that something was up. After a few days of observation, he didn't see any signs of Shanhai City's cavalry amongst the Meng Ao forces.

Since they didn't join the battle, how would their battle contribution points still increase, unless there was a war somewhere else? Di Chen told his conjecture to Zhao Kuo, but he didn't place much attention or care to it.

As expected, in the beginning, even Baiqi didn't care when Ouyang Shuo told him military intelligence. Furthermore, Di Chen's conjecture was so preposterous that the young Zhao Kuo definitely wouldn't bother about it.

When the news of the Wei army losing spread, Zhao Kuo was naturally shocked while Di Chen and the others were bitter.

"Are we really going going to lose to Shanhai Alliance again?" Sha Pojun was really salty, seeing the good situation slowly overturned, how could he be happy, even more so when the enemy was Ouyang Shuo whom he hated to the bone.

Zhan Lang shook his head. "This time, we didn't lose to Qiyue Wuyi, but Baiqi."

"That's right! No matter what we predicted, we wouldn't foresee such an old move coming. Even in such a disadvantage, he dared to move his troops to kill the Wei army."

"Thinking back on it, isn't this his style? It looked dangerous, but in truth he calculated everything clearly and predicted that Zhao Kuo wouldn't dare to attack," Zhan Lang said emotionally.

"What should we do now? Our plan has been broken, so we need to think of a new one."

"That's right. Even without the reinforcements, the Qin are equally matched with us, so we need a detailed plan. If not, they might really beat us."

Zhao Army Tent

After hearing that the Wei army was intercepted and killed, Zhao Kuo locked himself in his tent and didn't see anyone. Even the Pingyuan lord Zhao Sheng was rejected at the door.

Based on Zhao Kuo's character, after gaining the advantage, he wanted to chase it and not give the Qin army any chance to rest. In the end, the prudence of the Zhao king spoiled his plan.

Now, the Wei army was destroyed and there wouldn't be any more reinforcements coming to Changping.

With the current situation, the Zhao army had no choice but to defend. They could only use Lianpo's plan to standoff against the Qin army and see who couldn't last.

Comparatively, the Zhao army definitely held the advantage.

The problem was, the current situation was much different from the time when Lianpo and w.a.n.g He had their standoff.

During Lianpo's time, both armies held half of Changping, and they each formed three defensive lines. As for Zhao Kuo's Defence, it was just a single line, comparing the strength, it was obvious.

And with Meng Ao's forces in front of w.a.n.g Ling Camp, them wanting to change formations was impossible. The only plan was to fortify the defense.

Zhao Kuo was well-read in military books, and his knowledge was very vast. If one talked about defending and not attacking, he immediately thought of an idea. He suddenly stood up. "Immediately send for general Zhao Zhuang!"

Zhao Zhuang hurried over and seeing Zhao Kuo sitting solemnly behind the general's table, he immediately bowed.

Zhao Kuo invited Zhao Zhuang to sit down on the floor opposite him and smiled. "How's the Meng Ao force's attack?"

"After intercepting and killing the Wei army and returning to Changping, their attacks hadn't decreased but increased instead If one said that they were faking their attack before, now it looks like they really want to take down the w.a.n.g Ling Camp and crush our defensive line." Zhao Zhuang said solemnly.

Hearing Zhao Zhuang mention the Wei army, Zhao Kuo's face cramped. It slowly returned back to normal as he said, "Since that's so, can you all handle it? The moment the w.a.n.g Ling camp is taken over, the army under Gu Pa.s.s would immediately face their threat." Zhao Kuo didn't reveal what he was thinking. Instead, he tested Zhao Zhuang.

"General don't worry, we definitely won't let the Qin army get away. However, what I'm worried about is that if they increase their forces once again, the troops defending would face immense pressure. General, shouldn't you organize more soldiers from Gu Pa.s.s to reinforce them just in case?"

Zhao Kuo shook his head. "If we increase troops, we will fall into their trap. They will take the chance to start a war and deplete our main force and prevent a long drawn out war."

"So, what should we do?"

"I have a formation that we can set up under Gu Pa.s.s which ensures that the Qin army wouldn't be able to attack an inch." Zhao Kuo was very confident.

"What formation is general referring to that will have such great effect?"

"Chariot circle formation!"

"Chariot circle formation?"

"Yes!"

"I heard that it was a long lost formation from Sun Bin. How did general learn of it?"

Zhao Kuo laughed but didn't say anything.

Zhao Zhuang knew that the general had a lot of confidence in it working and said happily, "As long as General remembers how to lay the formation and how it works, then it will definitely work!"

Zhao Kuo nodded. "Sun Bin mentioned that this formation was so amazing that one didn't need to make changes and adaptations to it. As for how to arrange the men, it's also very simple. Look!" He took a piece of sheepskin and started drawing. With his intelligence and quick thinking, in less than an hour, he had described the formation.

"Sun Bin is a war genius! This formation is so useful!" Zhao Zhuang exclaimed.

"It's okay if the Qin army increases their troops to attack. If they really do, we can only add a little more troops to defend w.a.n.g Ling camp. To fight head on isn't a smart strategy. The main force will set up the formation under Gu Pa.s.s to welcome them. I want to see how Baiqi breaks it."

"Yes, general!" Zhao Zhuang went away to prepare the formation so that they could set it up at the foot of Gu Pa.s.s. Apart from that, he also gave the responsibility of the formation to the advisor in the army for him to drill the soldiers such that they were well versed in it.