Chapter 18: Pre-Battle Mobilization

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Before the morning mist had fully dissipated, the thunderous sound of war drums shattered the silence. Around the parade ground, flags whipped and snapped in the wind. Soldiers from every battalion responded to the drums, seizing their weapons and donning their gear, rushing toward the grounds in a swift and orderly fashion.

In an instant, the vast parade ground was packed with a dense throng of men. The ranks were neat and precise, aligned in perfect rows and columns like squares on a chessboard—disciplined and rigorous. Such momentum was more awe-inspiring than that of an average regular army.

Qin Jue stood within the ranks, looking up toward the high platform at the front. Seven or eight men stood upon the eight-foot dais, each clad in gleaming silver armor with swords hanging at their waists, looking imposing and majestic. The man at the lead was particularly burly and tall, radiating an air of rugged strength. With a long beard and eyes that crackled with sharp, piercing light whenever they opened or closed, his inherent authority was such that few dared to meet his gaze directly.

This was Gao Yue, the Great General of Qingfeng Stronghold.

Watching him, Qin Jue felt a stir in his heart. Although this was their first meeting, he had long heard of the man’s reputation. Throughout his journey here, he had clearly sensed the Great General's unique charisma. Especially toward his own men, Gao Yue was known to be absolutely fair and impartial; if one possessed sufficient talent and strength, he would never be stingy with rewards. More importantly, he was not a man who sought idle pleasure, but one who harbored great ambitions. Following such a leader, how could one not hope to achieve greatness?

On the platform, Gao Yue stood tall, his gaze sweeping over the assembled troops. Every soldier looked up in anticipation. Within the army, this Great General’s prestige was unmatched.

"Brothers!" Gao Yue’s voice rang out like a great bronze bell, echoing across the grounds. "In the past, those bandits from Lishan repeatedly encroached upon our Qingfeng Stronghold, and we ignored them. Recently, they have grown bold enough to send a massive army to our borders, delusional in their attempt to annihilate us!"

"Tell me, what should we do?"

As soon as the words fell, the crowd flared with rage, raising their arms and shouting wildly.

"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"

The sound was like a rolling thunderclap that tore through the firmament, surging with unstoppable momentum.

Gao Yue drew his sword, his eyes burning with intensity: "Warriors should always press forward, fearless and undaunted!"

"Have the swords in our hands rusted?"
"Has the blood in our chests grown cold?"

The crowd’s eyes turned fiery; they clenched their fists and shouted at the top of their lungs: "No!"

Gao Yue spoke again: "If that is so, then today, we shall make the bandits of Lishan witness the might of our army!"

He swung his sword, and as the cold light flashed, an aura of inviolable majesty erupted. The crowd was shaken to the core. Among them, Qin Jue stared at the figure on the high platform, feeling his own blood boil and his fighting spirit soar.

Soon, Gao Yue’s voice continued: "In my eyes, there is no distinction of birth or status. Today, whoever can display true skill on this battlefield to slay the enemy and win glory shall be the hero of our army!"

"Today's battle is the time for you to earn your honors!"

His deep, resonant voice was infectious, shaking the hearts of many and stirring them to great excitement. They had joined the army to achieve greatness. Now that the opportunity was within reach, who could remain calm?

After speaking, Gao Yue’s gaze, sharp as a torch, swept over the soldiers once more. His straight, upright physique resembled a towering mountain, radiating a spirit that could swallow rivers and mountains. The soldiers stood tall, their eyes filled with fanaticism and reverence.

Qin Jue’s own eyes mirrored that same respect. For the first time, beyond his pursuit of the martial path, he felt a longing for such heroic boldness and the courage to dominate the field. *A true man should be just like this!*

"Brothers, now! Follow the point of my sword! We shall trample their lair and leave not a single armor scrap behind!"

Gao Yue swung his long sword forward, the blade whistling through the air. The soldiers below, ignited by his passionate words, roared in unison, a sound that shook the heavens. For a moment, shouts and cries intertwined, and the morale reached its peak.

"Kill!"

At the command, the soldiers turned in unison, their expressions resolute, and strode out of the camp.

...

Outside Dongchuan City, the mighty army moved with staggering momentum. For this campaign against Lishan, Qingfeng Stronghold did not deploy its entire force. The strategist Cui Ziyuan remained to guard Dongchuan City with the Godspeed Battalion and the Garrison Battalion to prevent any opportunistic attacks.

Great General Gao Yue led the Vanguard Battalion, the Heavenly Craftsman Battalion, and the yet-to-be-fully-formed Archery Battalion—a force of over a thousand men—marching eastward, straight toward Lishan.

As a renowned mountain range in Qinghe Prefecture, Lishan covered a vast area, stretching for a thousand miles like a crouching giant beast. On its far side lay a city named Liucheng, also occupied by a faction of bandits. Within Lishan, the terrain was rugged and undulating, with peaks interlocking and opposing one another. It was a complex landscape, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It was precisely because of this that so many bandits had gathered there. If not for the fact that the bandits had suffered heavy losses and were severely weakened, Qingfeng Stronghold would never have chosen to venture deep into Lishan.

Within the army, Qin Jue’s squad followed the main force, marching at the very front. The Vanguard Battalion was currently divided into three companies. Wu Mi’s company of over two hundred men had been chosen as the vanguard to strike the first stronghold, bearing the responsibility of breaking the enemy line.

Given Lishan’s treacherous terrain, large-scale maneuvers were impossible; they had to operate in company units. In time, they would inevitably have to venture deep behind enemy lines alone to open a path for the main force. The soldiers in the company felt no fear; rather, they were filled with anticipation. The stronghold they were to attack, Lingyun Stronghold, was only home to two hundred or so warriors. Furthermore, its defenses were incomplete; it was said the walls were only three zhang high, posing little obstacle to martial artists.

In such circumstances, being on the front line was the fastest way to accumulate military merit. If one could achieve one of the four great feats—breaking the line, being the first to climb the wall, slaying a commander, or capturing the enemy flag—given the Great General’s temperament, there would certainly be generous rewards.

Thus, Wu Mi had intentionally placed Qin Jue’s squad at the very front. Firstly, his squad members were all at the Second Barrier level, far surpassing other squads, making them the top choice for breaking the line. Secondly, he hoped that Qin Jue could use this battle to earn merit and rise to even greater heights.

Everyone generally had no objections to this arrangement, save for Chen Xi. However, he kept his dissent to himself, growing much more restrained than before.

At this moment, within the ranks, Chen Xi stared at Qin Jue’s back, his eyes dark and full of hostility. After his previous defeat, he had not succumbed to despair; instead, he had regrouped and handpicked nineteen new team members. Becoming a captain had shown him a sliver of possibility to surpass Qin Jue: military merit.

He knew clearly that with his current strength, he could not defeat his rival. In this situation, he had to take a different path, relying on military merit to gain rewards that would bolster his own strength. If he could outperform Qin Jue in merit, he might even be able to wash away his shame and regain his prestige. If his contributions were great enough, he might even convince the Colonel to retract his previous order and change the selection for the battalion-wide tournament.

At this moment, Chen Xi was full of confidence and resolve. Whatever he had lost last time, he was determined to take back in full this time.