A few patrol soldiers of the rebel army were chatting nearby, unaware that Xue San was hidden five ters away in the bushes behind them, listening clearly to their conversation.
"This is bad. If the squad cos here, they’ll walk right into a trap," Xue San thought with alarm. Now that he knew this secret, he had to find a way to stop his teammates from returning here. However, he himself was struggling to escape, so how could he possibly notify them?
"Alright, let’s continue searching. Don’t slack off, or if the superiors see us, we won’t even get dinner."
"Okay, let’s go."
As this group slowly departed, Xue San felt a sigh of relief. They were only two steps away from catching him—an encounter so close it was almost a brush with danger. After a long ti, Xue San moved his body; his leg injury seed even more severe now, making walking difficult.
"Damn it, I need to leave so marks." Xue San crawled forward, spending half a day marking the essential route with symbols carved into tree bark using his dagger. Despite his efforts, Xue San couldn’t guarantee its effectiveness—this wasn’t the modern era where a phone call or a ssage would suffice. Injured and deep behind enemy lines, he might lose his life at any mont. When Xue San decided to send the squad back to the camp, he had already prepared for death. All he could do now was pray silently that none of his brothers would co over...
Xue San exerted all his strength to climb a large tree, gasping for breath.
"Brother Ye, I’ve done my part. At least I didn’t let you down."
...............
"Yan Yu, after all, is an experienced old general of the Wei State. The bushes are everywhere here, and even though we are on a forced march, we need to be prepared for reconnaissance. I’m worried they might ambush us halfway," Ye Shikai cautioned the vanguard. They acted as the "eyes" of the whole army, a role Xue San had always undertaken. Now that he wasn’t here, soone else had to take over.
"Understood, General. Rest assured, we will ensure the safety of the entire army."
"Shangguan, how far do we have left?" Ye Shikai inquired.
"About ten kiloters or so. Xue San’s map is very accurate and seems safe. Look, there are at least three routes here that we didn’t know about before. We can slip in through these small paths," Shangguan Jian said, pointing at the map.
"You’re right," Ye Shikai said calmly. As a God Stealer, he naturally had a special "attachnt" to paths, especially escape routes.
"Old Ye, there are quite a few roads leading into that camp. I suggest we split our forces," Shangguan Jian suddenly proposed.
"Split our forces," Ye Shikai murmured. He wasn’t worried about the capabilities of his troops, but the more complex the environnt, the more frequently they divided, increasing the risk of enemy ambushes.
"Exactly. Look at the map—the enemy camp is flanked by a long, narrow forest. We can’t deploy easily there. Instead, we should infiltrate from all sides, forming a net to encircle the whole camp."
"Halt the army," Ye Shikai looked at the map, deep in thought.
"Old Ye, what’s the matter?"
"It’s getting late. We should set up camp here and rest. We’ll move out at dawn. Go and inform Man Cang. Once we arrive, I’m giving him a day to capture the camp. If he fails, he faces court-martial," Ye Shikai stated nonchalantly, though Shangguan Jian could see he was serious. For Man Cang, this was more of a motivation. He was the army’s bravest general, and if Man Cang truly committed himself, he’d have the camp taken within half a day.
Deep into the night, Ye Shikai lit an oil lamp and carefully studied the map in front of him. Perhaps Yan Yu already knew their every move. To seize control of the war, he must first "hide his troops."
"You ntioned that a cave could lead directly to the back of the camp, right?" Ye Shikai asked the squad mbers in front of him, his voice calm.
"Yes, General, absolutely true. We saw it clearly."
"Yan Yu isn’t a fool. If he knows about this cave, he won’t leave it alone," Ye Shikai mused aloud, scanning the face of every team mber.
"But, whatever we can think of, he could think of too. Maybe we should do the opposite and use this against them."
"General, what are your orders?"
"You all served under Commander Xue. If I give you a chance to rescue him now, would you be willing?" Ye Shikai asked.
"I would,"
"I would,"
"I would,"
The group kneeled on one knee, each word resonating powerfully. Ye Shikai felt gratified to have such brothers alongside him—it made it all worthwhile.
"General, when Commander Xue threatened self-harm, we had no choice but to leave. In all honesty, after returning to the camp, sitting on needles couldn’t compare. We all wished to go back and rescue the commander. Please, General, give us that chance," the lead mber spoke.
"Do you truly an it?" Ye Shikai pressed.
"If there is even a single false word, may we be struck by lightning."
"Alright, then I’ll give you a chance. Prepare your weapons tonight and set out imdiately," Ye Shikai nodded in agreent.
"Thank you, General." Overwheld, the troops stood up.
"However, before you leave, I have a few things to remind you." Ye Shikai signaled for the group to quiet down.
"First, you are venturing into the tiger’s den. If discovered by the enemy, you’ll be isolated with no backup."
"Second, the location of Commander Xue is unknown. We aren’t even sure he’s fallen into enemy hands. If he is still in the forest, find him. But if he has been captured, do not act blindly—return imdiately and report to ."
"Third, if Commander Xue is confird dead, try to retrieve his body. If that’s impossible, then let it be; Commander Xue won’t bla you from the afterlife." At this point, Ye Shikai’s voice turned hoarse. Of course, he didn’t want it to co to this, but if Xue San was indeed gone, he wished to bring back his body. At the very least, to ensure he receives a proper burial; Xue San had road the world all his life, and he couldn’t let him beco a lonely spirit on this desolate mountain.
"Understood,"
"Understood,"
"Alright, off you go. If all goes well, you should reach your destination before dawn. Take care of yourselves," Ye Shikai had the guards bring out several flasks of good wine. Initially intended to celebrate a victory, now it seed he must share a drink with the team first.
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