knife

Chapter 336 Everything is under control
(It's still not working. Which reader said I could write while lying down? I wrote while lying down for half an hour, and I almost couldn't climb off the sofa. I stood there frozen, rubbing myself for almost half an hour before I recovered! I'm going to send you a knife! Another chapter owed! How can this be allowed!)

Suddenly, a deafening roar, like muffled thunder, came from above. Everyone looked up and was terrified. Countless boulders were tumbling down from the mountaintops on both sides, their speed increasing. They were propelled high into the air by the slopes and ridges, and when they fell, they shattered into even more small stones, which then crashed down on the people below.

The long, serpentine procession instantly scattered into countless smaller groups, each scattering to avoid the falling rocks. While dodging the flying stones, smaller teams broke off from the main force and swiftly rushed towards the mountaintops on either side.

It must be said that this is a very elite and experienced unit.

Even under the sudden attack, they still remembered to send men to attack the mountaintops on both sides.

If there is a large enemy force on the mountain, their attack will prevent the enemy from launching a proper and thorough attack on the large force below, thus minimizing their losses.

A brightly colored pheasant stood atop the mountain, looking bewildered at the first expert to arrive.

Then, with a clucking sound, it flapped its wings and fled in a flurry of flight and leaps.

The officers and soldiers who rushed up only saw some nets woven from mountain vines.

Clearly, these nets originally contained stones, but when they arrived, someone cut the nets with a knife and released the stones.

Those who set up the traps were all masters of this art. The traps were so cleverly designed that a few people could launch an attack on a large army and then escape.

Looking at the vast mountains, the officers and soldiers were at a loss.

Upon reaching the summit, everyone was stunned once again by the mountain of rocks piled up before them.

The road ahead has been blocked.

"Your Highness, clearing these rocks will take at least two or three days!" an officer reported to Li Huimin, whose face was full of anger. "This place is the narrowest point, and there are enough rocks that have washed down. Then the rolling of the boulders caused a landslide. I have checked, and it should not be a normal landslide. Rather, the enemy is digging at some key points. Without a huge external impact, these rocks and soil will not be a problem. But once they encounter such a strong impact, it will cause a large-scale landslide, thus blocking this road!"

"If we have to take a detour, are there any other routes?"

“We’ll go back half a day, turn west at Jigongling, and then go through Tian’eling to Xianrendu. This route will take us two days longer than planned!” The officer, who was clearly very familiar with the roads, said to Li Huimin.

"Change course, take the Swan Ridge!" Li Huimin ordered.

Every day that can be fought for is a day.

The group moved forward again, but this time they turned around first.

Everyone hurried on their way, a sense of foreboding lingering in their minds.

It was obvious that their opponents knew they were returning and that they were going to take this route, so they began setting up these traps here many days in advance.

Perhaps, when their army had just passed through here and was heading towards Jianmen Pass, their enemies had already begun construction behind them.

When their army marched out, they thoroughly searched the mountains and found no trace of the enemy or anything amiss.

At that time, a huge conspiracy targeting Sichuan had already begun.

However, they weren't completely unaware at that time.

Several officers looked at Li Huimin at the front of the column, their eyes filled with worry.

If the enemy could set up such a trap here, why wouldn't they have done so at Swan Ridge? Or at Fairy Ferry?
Of course there are.

The army's vanguard, mounted on a high ground, looked at the raging fire and billowing smoke at Xianren Ferry with fear on their faces.

They rushed as fast as they could, arriving at Xianrendu a day late, only to find it already engulfed in flames.

The small unit stationed here to guard the ferry crossing had all turned into corpses, and the bridge that was used by the army to pass through was being ravaged by fire, with pieces of wood falling into the water one by one! And the dozens of boats moored at the ferry crossing were also groaning in the fire.

The Immortal's Ferry has been destroyed.

It would be impossible for the army to return to Chengdu after passing through this area. If they were to take a detour, it would take more than a day or two, at least five days.

Li Huimin's face turned ashen.

The enemy's tactics were crystal clear.

That is to do everything in our power to create trouble for them on their way, so that they cannot return to Chengdu to provide support as soon as possible.

Despite knowing their opponent's strategy, Li Huimin and his team had no countermeasures.

“Your Highness, I know a shortcut that can be taken in just two days, but it’s too difficult to travel!” An officer mustered his courage and approached Li Huimin.

"That way?"

"Go through Eagle's Beak Rock!" The officer knelt on the ground and drew a simple map on the ground with his scabbard. "Below Eagle's Beak Rock, there is a channel naturally carved out by a flash flood. When it doesn't rain, the water level is low enough to make it a passable road."

"Lead the way!" Li Huimin didn't hesitate for a moment. No matter how difficult the road, could it be as difficult as Motianling? What the enemy could do, he could certainly do too.

Moreover, he really can't afford to delay any longer.

When leading these nearly 10,000 people away from the main force, each person only carried ten days' worth of food. If they continued to delay day by day, what would happen if the food ran out and the army went out to fight on an empty stomach?
If we eat sparingly now, we can still barely make it through. More importantly, Eagle Beak Rock is clearly not the real path. The enemy would never have guessed that we would come here. Perhaps the enemy has prepared some unexpected traps for us on the path we should have taken.

Taking this route will surely catch the enemy off guard.

A day later, they arrived at Eagle's Beak Rock and saw the flood discharge channel that the officer had mentioned.

It was very spacious, and apart from having many smooth stones polished by the water, it was not much different from a real road.

Li Huimin embarked on this path without hesitation.

When the army camped out for the night, Li Huimin breathed a huge sigh of relief. Tomorrow, at most half a day would be needed before they could leave this mountainous area and embark on the main road.

My subordinates brought over a fragrant roasted pheasant. There wasn't much else to be had in the mountains, but wild game was plentiful. However, with the army passing through, any slightly savvy soldier had already fled. And the army had its rules; naturally, they wouldn't allow soldiers to hunt for their own sustenance.

Of course, this applies to ordinary officers and soldiers.

Someone like him is naturally not included in this category.

His guards could find him delicious food under all sorts of pretexts.

Enjoying a delicious roast chicken, drinking liquor infused with spring water, and then taking a good nap to recharge before facing the enemy.

Such petty squabbles may delay your schedule, but they cannot stop it. Some schemes and tricks cannot change anything.

Could we have captured Chengdu by wasting just two or three days of our time?

That would be underestimating their own business in Sichuan over the years.

Li Huimin was awakened from his sleep by a strange noise. As a martial arts master, his senses were naturally much sharper than those of ordinary people. When he stepped out of the tent, he saw that many of his subordinates had already been awakened.

The strange noise became even clearer.

An officer suddenly dropped to the ground, listened for a moment, then jumped up and shouted, "Flash flood! The water is coming! The water is coming! Everyone, take cover!"

Because of the steep terrain on both sides, everyone camped out at the bottom of the ravine. Except for Li Huimin, who had a small tent, the rest of the officers also slept on the ground. They were slightly better off than the ordinary soldiers because they had a blanket or mat under them. At this moment, the officers' loud shouts woke up the people nearby.

The strange noise became increasingly clear.

Everyone heard the sound of the water rushing.

"Move to both sides! Move to both sides!" the officers roared, and the encampment stretching for miles was thrown into chaos in an instant.

The flash flood, carrying countless dead trees, leaves, and even a lot of rocks, came crashing down.

It hasn't rained for a long time, so such a large flood certainly couldn't have happened naturally.

Some people first store water upstream, and then release the floodwater at this time.

My every move was indeed within the other party's calculations.

Standing on high ground, watching the raging floodwaters rushing down the ravine and seeing countless soldiers swept away by the sudden influx of water, Li Huimin gritted his teeth.

As dawn broke, the team finally regrouped.

The flood has passed, and the flood discharge channel has returned to its original state as it was yesterday.

However, the army is no longer the same as it was yesterday.

A major flood claimed the lives of about a thousand people.

Even more serious than the shortage of personnel is the shortage of logistical supplies.

In the panic last night, everyone was only concerned with running away and forgot to take these things with them. By the time they realized it, the rain and wind had already swept them away.

Everyone was dejected, and no matter where they went, they seemed unable to escape the other party's schemes.

The officer who suggested taking this route yesterday has been confirmed not to be an enemy spy, because just last night, when the floodwaters had just come down, this officer committed suicide in front of Li Huimin to atone for his sins.

If he were an enemy spy, he would have had plenty of time and opportunity to escape last night.

But this result was even more alarming to everyone.

It feels terrible to have everything you have completely outmaneuvered by your opponent.

"Form ranks and set off!" Li Huimin said, enunciating each word clearly. "Everything the enemy has done is merely scratching the surface and cannot shake our strength. On the contrary, it only demonstrates their fear of us. Set off, set off, return to Chengdu, find the enemy, and wipe them all out!"

Two more days passed, and when the army finally emerged from the mountains, they were greeted by the main force of the 3,000-strong inspection team personally led by Li Dachui, who had been waiting in formation for a long time.

(End of this chapter)