Two hours later, a mountain ridge appeared ahead, covered in snow, bare and desolate. The team stopped, and Luo Zheng stared at the mountain ridge, letting the snowstorm hit his face and body, motionless. His eyes sparkled with a gleam of intelligence as he continuously strategized various possibilities in his mind. Zhou Gang, responsible for guarding the rear, hurried over, saluted, and said, "Captain, we haven't spotted any pursuers behind us."
Everyone looked at Luo Zheng with surprise. After signaling Zhou Gang to continue scouting, Luo Zheng said to everyone, "There are two possibilities, one is that the enemy failed to encircle us from both sides, and considering their significant losses and the nightfall, they chose to spend the night in the forest and deal with it tomorrow; the second possibility is that the enemy did not attempt to flank us but rather went to block our route to the south, thinking we would choose a direct retreat and not make it in ti."
Everyone nodded at his words, and the Scholar said, "Regardless of which it is, the enemy won't pursue us. That being settled, what do we do next? Retreat south or continue heading west?"
"In my opinion, let's just return the way we ca and catch them by surprise. The enemy definitely won't expect us to make a counterattack. What do you think?" said the Gardener, who loved to attack, his face full of battle spirit.
Everyone brightened up at this proposal, evidently moved by it. They had just killed the enemy unexpectedly and had barely escaped the encirclent. Who would think they'd turn back? They all looked at Luo Zheng, waiting for orders, when Song Li inappropriately remarked, "Arrogant. So things work once but not again. Making a counterattack? Sounds nice."
"You?" The Gardener glared furiously at Song Li, looking as if he wanted to draw his weapon.
"Analyzing the enemy before battle and discussing tactics is a fine tradition passed down; what's wrong with talking about it? Making snide remarks isn't right, is it?" the Scholar said, looking sowhat displeased at Song Li.
Song Li knew the Scholar's background and didn't want to make too many enemies or cause trouble for his family. He turned his head away without retorting and remained silent with a cold expression. Luo Zheng gave Song Li a glance and said, "Alright, Gardener brother, no need to stoop to his level."
"Okay, I'll listen to you," the Gardener said, glaring at Song Li before falling silent.
"Gardener brother's proposal is good, but there's one thing overlooked: before entering the forest, there is a stretch of open wasteland. If discovered, the enemy can fully use the forest for a counterattack. They have more people and hold a geographical advantage; we are no match. We can't base our victory on the enemy's complacency. They have suffered once and will definitely be cautious. Moreover, they are better at fighting in snow than we are; we can't afford a failure," Luo Zheng said seriously, glancing at the Gardener.
The Gardener nodded without rebuttal, and Luo Zheng continued, "Moreover, we don't even need the enemy to send scouts to track us; Arctic Bear Country's military satellites are more powerful than ours, and they know exactly where we are. So, no matter how or where we retreat, they know."
"You retreated west to confuse the enemy?" the Scholar asked in surprise, and seeing Luo Zheng nod, he pondered for a mont before continuing, "It makes sense. After the enemy discovers we headed west, they have plenty of opportunities to deal with us, better to rest in the forest and conserve energy for tomorrow's battle while we are exhausted and no match for them."
"So, we now have two options: either we rest on this mountain ridge tonight and see what happens tomorrow, or we keep moving, utilizing the night to head south. The enemy also needs rest, and our retreat to the south won't give them enough ti to block us, but our troops are already exhausted, not well-suited for a forced march over a long distance," Luo Zheng said with so helplessness.
"Let's continue heading south. If we just sit and wait, we will be even more passive; in this freezing weather, stopping won't allow us to sleep and will only exhaust everyone further. It's better to leave this damnable place as soon as possible. Once we cross the mountain range ahead, the temperature will rise significantly, and then we can slowly deal with the enemy," Monk imdiately proposed.
Luo Zheng looked at Monk and smiled, "That's also my thought. The enemy might expect us to counterattack or find a place to rest, but they would never expect us to march through the night, risking our lives. However, it's best to consult everyone's opinion; morale is very important."
The Scholar and others imdiately exchanged views with their own squads, and the consensus was quickly reached. In the face of life and death, this choice was not difficult; everyone was willing to retreat south and march through the night. After receiving this outco, Luo Zheng smiled confidently; as long as morale was high, marching was not an issue—it would be over after a struggle. He then declared, "In that case, we head south."
"South retreat!" everyone shouted excitedly, their intense fighting spirit seemingly lting this icy world.
"After all that, isn't it just heading south? Would have been nice to have done it earlier. Why the fuss?" Song Li muttered quietly.
Just then, the Scholar passed by, heard Song Li's muttering, his expression turning cold. Thinking it over, he said quietly yet sternly, "Major Song, for the sake of friendship between our families and as colleagues, let remind you, retreating now, everyone together, boosts morale. Retreating earlier, leaving a team to cover, would be completely different. You should see that if you want to stay alive, better hold your tongue in the future."
"Eh?" Song Li was startled, then suddenly realized, not in his favor, he had already been isolated. Angering these people could end with them abandoning him here, or they could find any excuse to claim his life. After figuring this out, he broke out in a cold sweat, venomously glaring at Luo Zheng's back, but said nothing further.
Seeing that Song Li did not retort, the Scholar also breathed a sigh of relief. Despite having the highest military rank and the most distinguished family background here, for the sake of the team's stability and unity, and to make Luo Zheng have fewer enemies, the Scholar had spoken plainly and awakened Song Li. Seeing the effect achieved, the Scholar couldn't bother with Song Li anymore and hurried forward to catch up with Luo Zheng, whispering, "Brother, I expect the enemy will discover our change in direction and try to block us ahead. What do you think?"
"Even if the enemy discovers our change in route, adjusting their forces will take ti. From the map, the route they need to take is not easy either; they need to cross mountains, while we will directly enter a canyon, which is relatively smoother," Luo Zheng replied as he pulled out a map and spread it out, pointing to a spot, and continued, "Based on the route and speed calculations, they can only intercept us here, and reaching this point will take until tomorrow noon."
"What's your plan?" the Scholar nodded in agreent.
"My plan is to march through the night and reach this point by tomorrow morning. This place is a canyon with forest cover. The troops will enter the forest to rest; we'll send scouts out. If the enemy blocks the road ahead, they will surely be highly alert during the day but will beco worn out by night. We'll then act in the evening. If the enemy doesn't block the road, even better, we'll just pass through directly," Luo Zheng pointed to another spot on the map and said coldly.
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