knife

Chapter 704 Victory is assured
Not only has Tiger Roar Plain been captured, but the allied forces at Volcano Fortress have also been completely defeated. Yang Rong fled, while Li Zhengqin and Li Cunxiao died on the spot.

"We won again!" An Xuan was overjoyed. Since joining Li Dachui's side, victory after victory had come, and he had forgotten what defeat tasted like.

"This isn't over yet!" Ma Dacheng, equally excited, was also more cautious: "Whether it's Tiger Roar Plain or Volcano Fortress, they can only be considered flanks. This is the main battlefield. Although the flanks have won, if we lose on the main battlefield, we can't be considered winners in the long run!"

“Do they still have a chance to beat us?” Ma Liang walked over and said, “I estimate they will soon receive the same news, and their morale will probably plummet to its lowest point. Will they still be in the mood to fight us? If Gu Xiaoman on Tiger Roar Plain leads his troops down, our heartland, including Boling County, will be in danger!”

"The enemy will put up a desperate struggle!" Ma Dacheng leaned against the wall, looking at the endless enemy camps in the distance, and said, "We can keep the news from them for a while. As long as we can take Yangguan, we will at least have a balance of power, and we can even use Yangguan to regain control of Huxiaoyuan. So in the next battle, we will definitely face the biggest test since the start of the war!"

“We’ve been fighting for days and haven’t let them gain any advantage. It only takes two days to get here from Volcano Fortress at full speed. Do they dare to take that risk? With Protector Xiao cutting off their retreat, they won’t even be able to escape!” Ma Liang said.

“Li Guohua will not take this risk!” Ma Dacheng said with certainty. “But Cui Ming will definitely. If they fail to take Yangguan and lose Huxiaoyuan, Boling County will inevitably be lost. For Li Guohua, Boling County is just a border prefecture and is not important, but for the Cui family, it is their life and fortune.”

Ma Liang suddenly realized: "That makes sense, Father. I'm not worried about their armored men, but Cui Ming will definitely fight desperately. With a master of innate level leading the attack on the city, the pressure on us will be immense!"

“I’ll carry it!” An Xuan said, lifting the spiked club in his hand.

"You can't take it!" A voice suddenly rang in their ears. The group turned around in surprise and saw an old man wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat standing behind them.

"The city lord?!" The group was both surprised and delighted.

"Didn't you say it would take you two more days to get here?"

"As soon as he received the news of the war starting here, he rushed back!" Zhou Zhi said, "That kid Li Dachui is too good at causing trouble, one thing after another, leaving no room for anyone to catch their breath!"

These words sounded like a complaint against Li Dachui, but the tone of his voice carried a Versailles vibe, and coupled with his smug expression, Zhou Zhi's true intentions were obvious.

With Zhou Zhiyi's arrival, Ma Dacheng's last bit of worry vanished.

"Lord Zhou, why didn't Lord Chang and the others come? If they had, our innate masters could have ganged up on Cui Ming!"

“Phashiba’s ideas differ from those of Yiming and Changjian,” Zhou Zhidao said. “The more they discussed it, the greater their disagreements became, and they couldn’t extricate themselves from their arguments!”

"So you didn't get involved?"

"Compared to the great cause of the Great Hammer, what's so great about the Divine Ascension Realm!" Zhou Zhi waved his hand. "What I gain is my luck, what I lose is my fate. Besides, what good will it do to enter the Divine Ascension Realm?"

At this point, his expression suddenly turned melancholy. Wasn't He Qingqiu in the realm of spiritual travel back then? But when all hope was lost, he ultimately died at the hands of a villain.

"With the city lord here, we have a means to resist the enemy's strongest military force, which will greatly increase our tactical options!" Ma Dacheng said excitedly. "General An, I think it's too stifling for you and your men to stay inside the pass after the war breaks out. Why not break out of the city and give them a good beating!"

An Xuan laughed loudly: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

“Alright, you choose three thousand cavalry,” Ma Dacheng said. “Based on my understanding of Li Guohua, after learning that Huxiaoyuan has been lost, he will definitely think of retreating. If Cui Ming refuses, he will abandon Cui Ming. Therefore, General An Xuan, this time, do not attack Li Guohua's troops. Our goal is to deal with Cui Ming!” “You mean Li Guohua will stand by and watch us die?”

“He might even be using Cui Ming’s troops as cover for his safe escape!” Ma Dacheng said.

"I understand!"

"Father, I want to go too!" Ma Liang said from the side. "In the pass, there aren't many who are better at mounted combat than me!"

After a slight hesitation, Ma Dacheng finally nodded.

Going out to fight is naturally much more dangerous than defending the city, but if a fledgling eagle doesn't experience wind and rain, it will never grow into a divine eagle soaring in the sky.

Danger and opportunity always go hand in hand.

Moreover, with his abilities, his son should have no problem achieving a good result in such a sure-win battle.

“They’ll probably receive the news tonight, and then Cui Ming and Li Guohua will likely argue about whether to make one last desperate gamble or retreat. So tonight should be uneventful, and we have plenty of time to make arrangements and give them a good surprise!” Ma Dacheng said.

"I'll go pick the men!" An Xuan said, carrying his spiked club, as he turned and headed down the city wall.

"I'm going to check on my precious grandson first, and then get a good night's sleep!" Zhou Zhi waved his hand and disappeared from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

The entire Yangguan area looked exactly the same as it had been in the past few days, except that under the cover of darkness, countless people were busily making preparations.

Tomorrow will be the day of decisive victory.

Lu You carefully wiped the armor on his body. He was large and could not wear standard armor. He had never worn armor before. Later, as his official position rose higher and higher and his money became more and more abundant, he had armor specially made in Tai'an City. In the days that followed, the armor was covered in wounds, but it also helped him to avoid a lot of damage.

After this battle, take it back to Tai'an City to see if it can be repaired. If it can't be repaired, take it home and enshrine it, then have a new set custom-made.

After taking Boling County, they would officially be advancing into the interior. Fatty had never been inside the Great Wall, only knowing it was an incredibly wealthy place. Back when he was a bandit, he occasionally managed to plunder goods from there—porcelain, silk, and other items that dazzled these country bumpkins. In Tai'an City, the prices of these fine goods from the interior always left them, the bandits, sighing in despair. Even the songs sung in brothels originated from the interior, sounding far superior to the folk tunes from beyond the Great Wall.

If I follow Protector Li into the pass to conquer the country, I might actually become a marquis or something in the future!

The fat man thought to himself with a smug satisfaction.

"Fatty, it's time to collect your stuff!" came the shouts of his men outside. Lü You clapped his hands, stood up, and walked outside.

Tomorrow they will follow General An Xuan out of the city to fight. Lu You, who was originally a bandit, is an excellent horseman and a master of the seventh rank of Xuan Yuan, so he is naturally among those to be sent out.

(End of this chapter)