Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 519 Encirclement of Three Sides and Leaving One Open: Strange Movements and Siege of the Blood Miasma Plain

"Shall we give you half an hour to let those in the city who are willing to surrender come out?"

"Has Yang Zun lost his mind?"

"Are they just stalling for time, waiting for Chencang's men to arrive?"

"We can't agree to Yang Zun's request. Who knows what kind of people they've released? What if they stab us in the back while we're attacking the city?"

………………

At Xia Hong's instruction, the negotiation documents sent by Yang Zun were quickly circulated among all the generals present, immediately causing a great stir. The vast majority of armored generals directly expressed their opposition and refused to agree to Yang Zun's request.

Only Xia Chuan, Xu Ning, and Lu Yang and Mu Longhe, who had just arrived after Xiao Kangcheng, remained silent.

"If they don't agree, then it will take a lot of effort to break through Beishuo City..."

Lu Yang spoke slowly, and everyone immediately fell silent.

They're not stupid; they naturally understand what those words mean.

Not even giving them a chance to surrender is tantamount to driving the people of Beishuo City to the brink of despair. Leaving aside the ordinary people for the moment, the will to defend the city among those who are capable of fighting will inevitably be strengthened, and the difficulty of their siege will be multiplied.

The saying "an army driven by desperation is bound to win" is no joke.

It would be good if we could eventually capture the city after paying a huge price, but the real danger would be if the siege was thwarted and we couldn't capture the city in a short time, which would have serious consequences.

"We understand what Lord Lu means! But if we follow Yang Zun's instructions, wouldn't we be being led by the nose?"

Hou Tong, the general of the Fifth Battalion of the Allied Forces and concurrently the commander of the Northern Zhao Army, spoke first. Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, he paused and continued, "Yang Zun is clearly trying to win people's hearts. Those who are truly loyal to him in the city will probably defend it to the death."

If we agree to his request, it will help him eliminate the fence-sitters in the city. Those who remain in the city will all be staunch defenders, and our spies in the city probably won't be able to cause any trouble.

Secondly, there's only a little over an hour until dawn. Those people won't have gone far from the city. Even if their weapons are confiscated, they're still a threat. If they turn back and attack the rear of our lines, it will definitely affect our siege. Our siege forces are already limited; we can't possibly dedicate a group of men to watching them."

After Hou Tong finished speaking, the group of generals who had just voiced their opposition all nodded in agreement, their meaning self-evident.

They're not stupid; how could they not see through Yang Zun's intentions?

But when they thought of Lu Yang's words, everyone's brows furrowed slightly.

If they don't agree, it will drive the Beishuo people in the city to their doom, which will greatly increase the difficulty of attacking the city.

Yang Zun's proposal was an open and honest scheme; whether he agreed or not, it would greatly hinder the Xia army's siege.

The group was at a loss for ideas and fell silent.

"What's wrong? You're all at a loss?"

From the moment everyone began reading the negotiation documents until Lu Yang and Hou Tong expressed their opinions, Xia Hong remained silent, simply listening quietly. Seeing that everyone had fallen silent and were undecided, he finally spoke with a smile, turning his gaze to Xia Chuan and the others in the front row.

Xia Chuan wasn't troubled at all. Seeing Xia Hong's gaze, he knew that his elder brother intended to test him. He took a few steps forward and smiled, "It's simple. What Commander Hou just said is right. If we agree to Yang Zun's request, we'll be led by the nose by him, so we definitely can't agree."

But it's not right to leave no way out for the people in the city. If word gets out, it will affect our subsequent attacks on the three towns of Yangqu, Jinshan, and Wuchuan. My idea is..."

At this point, he paused, walked to a shelf on the side below the main seat, and on the shelf hung a map, which was a complete map of Beishuo City.

He pointed to the three main gates of Beishuo City in the east, south, and north directions, and continued, "Since Yang Zun wants to do good, then let's fulfill his good intentions. We will go directly into the city and declare that we will only attack from these three directions and will not touch the west gate at all."

"In this way, those in the city who are unwilling to resist will have a way out. Moreover, since we have made a public announcement, Yang Zun cannot stop us. Furthermore, if they were to do anything to the West Gate, they would be harming their own people and would only make the people in the city more alienated from them..."

"Leaving the west gate open is not enough. We should tell the people in the city directly that as long as they don't help defend the city and stay at home, we will forgive them all after the city falls!"

…………

Clearly, Xia Chuan wasn't the only one with a plan in mind; Xu Ning, Lu Yang, Yue Feng, and others followed suit and spoke up, indicating that they had already come up with ideas.

Xia Hong, who was at the head of the table, had already lit up his eyes after hearing Xia Chuan's words. When he heard what Xu Ning and the others said next, he looked at the crowd below and did not hide the admiration in his eyes at all.

The principle of "leaving a gap when besieging an enemy, leaving one gap when besieging three sides" was something that anyone with even a basic understanding of Sun Tzu's Art of War would have understood in the past.

But this place is the Ice Abyss!

In the three years since I left, not only Xia Chuan, but also Xu Ning, Lu Yang, Yue Feng and others have obviously grown remarkably.

Of course, besides those in front of us, Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan, who are currently each leading a large army, and all the commanders of their respective units, are probably in the same situation.

Having achieved his objective of the teaching test, Xia Hong, relieved, wasted no more time. He stood up from his chair and said in a deep voice, "Since you have a plan, I won't interfere. Xia Chuan will personally lead the men to handle the rest. The siege will officially begin in one hour!"

After a while, there is only one hour left until dawn.

"I obey my orders!"

Upon hearing Xia Hong's final instruction, Xia Chuan and the more than one hundred generals below all bowed and answered in unison.

"Xu Ning, Lu Yang, Mu Longhe, Yue Feng, and Liu Yuan, the five of you will accompany me to Beishuo City. The rest of you will each lead your troops, inventory supplies, and prepare for the city's capture!"

Xia Chuan didn't waste any time. He selected Xu Ning and four others, and they immediately took off from the front of the army formation, heading towards the sky above Beishuo City.

"Cloud Dragon Army, prepare!"

"The Mountain and River Army, prepare."

"The Longyuan Army is preparing."

"Falcon Force, prepare!"

"Yellow Armor Army, prepare."

"Dragon Guard, prepare!"

…………

As Xia Chuan and his six companions flew away, the remaining generals began to disperse to the front ranks of the army, signaling their troops to prepare.

Ten angry shouts from the generals rang out in succession, and the blood and qi of the already prepared soldiers suddenly surged. A huge wave of blood-red heat rose instantly above the entire army formation, and the temperature of the surrounding space rose even more.

"The Cloud Dragon Army, the Dragon Guards, plus eight other units, totaling 22,000 men—this is practically the strongest force the Great Xia can muster right now. The difficulty of conquering the Ice Abyss should be no less than in my previous life..."

Looking at the formidable lineup of the Xia army, Xia Hong couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. The Yunjiao Army was currently the only two level-eight legions in the Xia army, with all five thousand soldiers having a strength of over 10. The remaining eight numbered armies were all level-nine legions, with only two thousand soldiers, and all of them had a strength of over 6.
Needless to say, the final Dragon Guard is another force to be reckoned with. Although this army only numbers a thousand men, these thousand are among the most talented individuals in the Great Xia Dynasty. He had seen them during the Battle of Whitewood City; even the ordinary soldiers within them generally possessed strength of 25 or higher, with some even exceeding 30. Their numbers were also quite considerable.
Without considering the size of the force or battlefield experience, the Dragon Guard's strength on paper is already comparable to Cai Qiu's Silver Scale Army.

Crucially, the Great Xia Dynasty also possesses a Saint Rune bonus that can be described as monstrous.

All Cold-Resistant level items have a 30% increase in strength!

"The three northern towns are connected with Chencang and Caiqiu. The Northern Shuo probably also has the means to allow the Digging Realm to fight during the day, but it is impossible for them to do so much. Even the Great Xia does not have the ability to make nearly 200,000 Digging Realm cultivators in the city appear during the day. The Northern Shuo is even less capable of doing so."

The city must be breached by dawn. The miasma in the Blood Corridor has dissipated, likely due to the monsters deliberately shrinking their territory. This means the monsters are fully aware of the current situation in the Southern Foothills. Their shrinkage is a deliberate attempt to give the two vassal states an opportunity to advance south, allowing our Great Xia to draw their attention first. Those monsters in the Blood Miasma Plains are truly ruthless…”

Xia Hong's brows furrowed slightly as he recalled what he had discovered two days ago when he returned from the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor, and a look of seriousness appeared on his face.

His eagerness to attack Beishuo City was not without reason. There were two main reasons: first, he was worried about the arrival of people from Chencang, which could lead to unforeseen changes; second, the changes in the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor.

The miasma in the Blood Corridor has receded, but what about the Bone-Corroding Path?
He already knew in the Mo'aochuan region that the Black Wind General of the Bone-Eating Path was in cahoots with the monsters of the Blood Miasma Plain. If the miasma in the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor began to recede, and it was indeed as he suspected, that the monsters were doing it on purpose, then the Bone-Eating Path would definitely change in sync.

After all, Blood Mist Plains was facing pressure from two major warlords, so there was no reason for it to only let Chencang go south while continuing to block Caiqiu's path.

"The one who slaughtered the geniuses of the two factions during the Blood Miasma Plains trial was called Xuanbing; the one who plotted against me in the Manluo Flower Sea was called Qianmian; the one from the Bone-Eating Path was called Heifeng. All three of them have the strength of the Tribulation Realm, so it can be basically confirmed that they are all subordinates of that monster that is about to be revived in the Blood Miasma Plains."

The key point is that they may only be floating on the surface. The strange force in the Blood Miasma Plains has been able to contend with the two major warlords for so many years. Its true strength is probably far beyond imagination. It can even change the flow of time at will. The strange creature that is about to be revived must be a calamity-level monster, or even stronger!
If we don't deal with it soon, I'm afraid...

Xia Hong's expression suddenly turned gloomy. During his months in Yanling County, he had learned a lot about the secrets of the Blood Miasma Plain through Jiang Xinfan and Ji Hong. Through these findings, he was able to roughly understand the strange forces behind the Blood Miasma Plain.

The more you understand, the heavier your heart becomes.

There's still a time bomb in Qinghepuna that hasn't been dealt with, and now an even more terrifying entity has emerged in Yanze Lake to the north.

"The wider the footprints extend, the more unknown and powerful beings we will encounter. Where do these powerful beings come from? What kind of world is the Ice Abyss...?"

Xia Hong breathed a deep sigh of relief. Although his gaze was focused on Beishuo City, his mind had already wandered elsewhere.

"People of Beishuo City, listen up! Lord Xia Hongren is benevolent and willing to spare your lives..."

Xia Chuan was very efficient. He and Xu Ning and the other four had only been gone a short while when a loud voice came from the sky above Beishuo City.

With all the military commanders gone, the platform was empty except for Xia Hong and his family of four.

Hearing Xia Chuan's voice, Li Xuanling looked up at the sky and realized that dawn was approaching. She took a few steps forward, walked to Xia Hong's side, and whispered, "Do you need my help?"

Xia Hong turned to look at his wife, raising an eyebrow slightly, and said, "No need. Just take good care of Yao'er and Sheng'er. I'm back now, so there's no need for you to lift a finger!"

It must be said that his wife's talent is undeniable. She broke through to the Manifest Yang level in nine years in the Great Xia Dynasty, and now, in just three years, her basic strength has already reached 19 jun.

Xia Hong remembered clearly that when his wife first broke through, she had a strength of 9 jun, which meant that she was now at the mid-stage of the Manifestation Yang level.

Of course, it can't compare to itself, but compared to the other Xianyang-level beings in the Great Xia Dynasty, or even the Xianyang-level beings in the vassal states, it is already in a clear lead.

"I've prepared a lot of good stuff for you. After this great battle, your strength should increase significantly..."

Xia Hong only said half of what he wanted to say, but it made Li Xuanling's eyes light up immediately. On her way here last night, she had already learned about the battle in Baimu City from Xia Chuan. Although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she could roughly sense that Xia Hong's current strength was probably far beyond her imagination.

Li Xuanling knew her husband's temperament quite well; if even he said it was a good thing, then it must be extraordinary.

"Father, I want one too..."

Hearing his eldest daughter's interruption, Xia Hong couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, good, good, good, Yao has one, Sheng'er has one, they all have one, Daddy will never forget you..."

After saying this, he paused, then changed the subject, his expression becoming serious as he continued, "However, both of you need to open your eyes wide today and see clearly how our Great Xia's territory came to be..."

Ten years old, if it were in my previous life, that would be considered a half-grown child. Let alone going to a cruel place like the battlefield, even spending a few minutes in a slaughterhouse would probably cause psychological problems.

But this is the Ice Abyss!

Leaving aside other weaker camps, let's take the Great Xia as an example. Even in the Great Xia, which is now powerful enough, children around ten years old have to start learning to hunt cold beasts. Going back a few years, it was even more so. In the early days when the Great Xia first moved to the valley, ten-year-old children had to go out into the wilderness every night to cut wood or gather resources. Sometimes, they would encounter cold beasts and be killed, which was not uncommon.

The kidnapping of Xia Yusheng served as a wake-up call for Xia Hong. He couldn't protect the two children every moment, and even Xia Cheng couldn't guarantee that they would always be safe.

Instead of using confinement to indirectly ensure their safety, it would be better to boldly let go and allow them to truly adapt to the cruel survival rules of the Ice Abyss.

Seeing the brutal battlefield with your own eyes is the first step to adapting!
Li Xuanling was clearly aware of her husband's thoughts. A hint of hesitation flashed across her face, and she subconsciously wanted to say something, but before she could speak, Xia Hong stopped her with a look.

She remained silent for a long time, and finally just nodded slightly.

The two children were so excited that they had no idea what they were about to see. They just stared intently at the soldiers below the command platform, their faces full of excitement.

"Its daybreak……"

Xia Hong looked up at the gradually brightening sky, murmured a soft murmur, then turned to look at the army formation below and loudly gave the order:
"Beat the drums, sound the horns, begin the siege!"

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

At his command, a rapid drumbeat erupted from the flank of the command platform. The thunderous sound made the hearts of all the soldiers pound.

Waaaaah...

The drumbeats lasted for more than ten breaths before a huge horn sound joined in.

Anyone with a decent ear can usually tell that both the drumbeats and the horns are coming from three directions at the same time.

The main gate on the east side was the main direction of Xia's attack.

On the south and north sides, there are two more armies supporting the attack. Moreover, as Xia Chuan's strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one open continues, the original 10,000 troops on the west side have been divided into two groups and joined the armies on the north and south sides respectively.

Therefore, at this moment, the entire city of Beishuo is under attack from three sides.

The main city gate on the east side faced 20,000 elite Xia troops; the city gates on the north and south sides each faced 15,000 allied troops.

"Fire arrows!"

With a command from the commanders of the three armies, countless arrows rained down on the three gates of Beishuo City.

(End of this chapter)