kingnovel Chapter 2083 No Need to Return for Rescue!
Chapter 2083 No Need to Return for Rescue!
"Send word to Wang Huan in the east!"
Han Xing's voice remained steady, without the slightest panic: "Abandon the first section of the burning stockade wall, retreat thirty paces, and rely on the temporary earthen ramparts and antlers built on the inner side for defense!"
"Order all non-combat personnel in the camp to immediately fetch water and sand to extinguish the fire within the camp, and prioritize the safety of the food and armory!"
"Dispatch five hundred archers and fire at the Tang soldiers trying to cross the fire! They're carrying oil and are easy targets!"
"Order the cavalry to move towards the eastern area, ready to launch a counterattack at any time and drive out the enemy troops that have broken into the camp!"
Han Xing's response remained methodical and orderly.
He decisively abandoned the burning areas that could not be defended and used the depth of the camp to mount a step-by-step resistance.
At the same time, he astutely discovered the weaknesses in the Tang army's fire attack tactics.
The soldiers who charged with oil were exceptionally conspicuous in the firelight, making them excellent targets for the archers.
Under Han Xing's command, although the Chu army experienced some chaos and retreat due to the fire attack, it did not collapse.
They retreated in an orderly fashion to the second line of defense, where they continued to tenaciously resist the enemy by utilizing the complex terrain and pre-prepared obstacles within the camp.
The archers calmly aimed at the figures charging through the flames, their arrows hitting their mark every time. Many Tang soldiers fell into the sea of fire, their bodies riddled with arrows, before they even got close.
Xue Kehu was indeed brave, but his personal martial prowess was insufficient to play a decisive role in the face of such a dense rain of arrows and well-organized defense.
He roared and cleaved two Chu soldiers in two, but was forced to retreat by a barrage of crossbow bolts.
He also sustained several wounds and could only watch helplessly as the Chu army regained its footing, while his elite soldiers suffered heavy losses under the combined attack of fire and arrows.
Although the fire attack caused trouble and casualties to the Chu army and burned down a section of the camp wall, it failed to cause complete chaos in the Chu army camp as desired, nor did it force Ma Chao to return to reinforce.
Like a seasoned helmsman, Han Xing maintained firm control of the warship's course amidst raging waves and raging flames, preventing it from capsizing.
Guo Ziyi's wishful thinking failed once again.
The night, illuminated by the firelight and blood, appeared even more somber.
at the same time.
The night was deep, and the starlight was dim.
Ma Chao led his nearly ten thousand elite cavalrymen, moving silently through the hills and wilderness like ghosts in the night.
They split into two groups, like the gaping jaws of a giant pair of pincers, carefully searching for any clues that might be related to Li Jing's remnants or the Tang army's reinforcements.
They didn't overlook anything, not even the messy ruts, the abandoned armor, or the unusual firelight or smoke in the distance.
However, the support troops sent by Li Jing and Guo Ziyi were also extremely cautious. They made full use of the cover of night and complex terrain, and their actions were secretive and difficult to find.
Time slipped away amidst the tense search, and Ma Chao's anxiety grew like weeds.
He knew that every moment of delay brought Li Jing one step closer to Guo Ziyi's camp, and their chances of successfully intercepting and killing him would become increasingly slim.
Just as he reined in his horse and paused briefly on a high slope, his sharp gaze sweeping across the dark depression ahead, a guard behind him suddenly let out a low shout:
"General! Look over there!"
Ma Chao turned around abruptly and looked in the direction he was pointing.
That was the direction they came from, the location of the Chu army's main camp!
On the distant horizon, where there had previously been only scattered lights, a bright, leaping red light suddenly rose up!
That red light wasn't the usual light from the camp, but... flames! It was the light from a large area burning!
You can even vaguely see some black smoke, distorted and rising, illuminated by the firelight!
"The main camp is on fire?"
Ma Chao's heart sank, and the muscles on his face tensed instantly.
He stared intently at the ominous flames, his grip on the spear tightening involuntarily, his knuckles cracking softly.
A tremendous sense of worry and hesitation, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed him.
The camp is on fire!
what does this mean?
Does this mean that Guo Ziyi's fierce attack was effective?
Does this mean the camp's defenses may have been breached?
This means that General Han Xing and tens of thousands of his comrades are engaged in a fierce battle, or even on the verge of death.
"General Han, the main camp!"
Ma Chao muttered to himself, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a tight knot.
He seemed to hear the deafening battle cries coming from the direction of the main camp, blurred by distance, and to see the tragic scene of his comrades fighting bloody battles in the sea of fire.
A heavy voice echoed in his mind: "Ma Chao! As the commander-in-chief, how can you abandon tens of thousands of soldiers in the camp just to pursue Li Jing, whose whereabouts have not yet been confirmed?"
"If the main camp falls, all supplies and weapons will be destroyed, and tens of thousands of comrades will perish. Even if you kill Li Jing, how can you atone for this heinous crime? You will be a sinner of the Chu Kingdom!"
This thought gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
He abruptly turned his horse around, facing the direction of the main camp, almost blurting out the order to return and provide reinforcements.
Both a sense of responsibility and emotion strongly compelled him to return immediately.
However, another voice, belonging to the hunter's instinct and the desire for glory, was also shouting at the same time:
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Li Jing is nearby! Guo Ziyi's frantic counterattack shows that he's afraid! It means we've found the right direction!"
"If we turn back now, wouldn't all our previous efforts be in vain? General Han Xing is a prudent commander with strong fortifications; they are not so easily breached."
Two completely different ideas clashed fiercely in his mind, plunging him into an unprecedented struggle.
He gazed at the flickering firelight in the distance, then at the pitch-black wilderness before him, where prey might be lurking, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do.
The passage of time seemed incredibly slow and agonizing at this moment.
At this crucial moment—
"General! General!"
A rapid sound of horses' hooves, accompanied by familiar shouts, approached from afar.
Several knights broke through the darkness and headed straight for the high slope where Ma Chao was. The leader was none other than the astute bodyguard captain beside Han Xing!
"General Han has sent a message!"
The guards, barely having time to rein in their horses completely, shouted breathlessly.
Ma Chao's spirits lifted, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and he hurriedly asked:
"Speak quickly! What's the situation at the camp? What are General Han's orders?"
The guards steadied themselves and repeated Han Xing's words verbatim and clearly:
"General! General Han has instructed me to inform you that Guo Ziyi, in desperation, has launched a fierce attack on our camp using fire. This is his strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' intending to force you to return to our aid!"
"However, our camp is well-fortified and our soldiers are fighting bravely. General Han is absolutely confident that we can hold the camp! Please do not worry about the camp, and do not fall into the trap and retreat!"
He paused, then conveyed his final command in an extremely solemn tone:
"General Han's order: General Ma Chao is ordered to concentrate his efforts, expand the search, and do everything in his power to track down Li Jing!"
"Once discovered, there is no need to consult with others; make a decision on the spot and strive to capture and kill the suspect! This is the top priority, and must not be overlooked!"