To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Upon hearing this, Hikona and Ito-ou stopped raising their swords.

The two exchanged a glance.

The Qin people's methods instilled fear in them, and they dared not look at the city again.

However, with the army currently in disarray, if the losses are not recovered, the tribe leaders will not be able to quell their rebellion upon returning. Therefore, this plan is the only option.

"Go west! Seize the Qin ships!" King Ito made the decision.

"Sound the bugle! The entire army retreats westward!"

The bugle call to retreat sounded.

Upon hearing the order, the remaining less than 10,000 Japanese pirates immediately dropped their weapons and fled towards the western coast.

……

On the city wall.

They saw the enemy troops below retreating.

The 1,500 Qin soldiers erupted in cheers.

"Great Qin will be victorious!"

The soldiers raised their weapons and shouted.

Fifteen hundred men fought against an army of twenty thousand, not only defending the city but also inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy, killing or wounding more than half of them.

Wang Li, with a thousand soldiers, calmed down all the refugees at the city gate.

The Japanese pirates who had infiltrated the area had been killed by the refugees, leaving the ground covered in blood.

Listen to the cheers outside!

Wang Li walked up to the city wall and was greatly shocked by the battle situation outside the city.

"You won already?"

Wang Li couldn't believe it:

"Fifteen hundred men resisted twenty thousand... and they actually won a great victory?"

Just then.

A scout climbed the city wall using a rope and knelt before Zhang Fan to report:

"Respectfully submitted to the Guru!"

"The Japanese pirate army is retreating westward!"

"Judging from the route, they're heading straight for our fleet!"

Upon hearing the report, the expressions of the surrounding generals changed.

"Oh no! They're trying to cut off our escape route!" Wang Li exclaimed urgently.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan sneered.

"He's courting death."

Zhang Fan looked at Mo Feng beside him and said:

"Mo Feng, the two thousand soldiers we arranged in the north have also come in handy."

"Shoot the arrow that pierces the clouds!"

"Order the entire army! Everyone, leave the city and pursue!"

"Kill all these Japanese pirates, leave not a single one alive!"

"promise!"

As Mo Feng received the order, a whistling arrow soared into the sky, exploding in the night sky and igniting a burst of fire.

I saw the arrow piercing the clouds.

The Qin soldiers on the city wall were greatly encouraged.

The city gates opened and the drawbridge was lowered.

"kill!"

The soldiers roared as they charged out of the city gates, chasing after the fleeing Japanese pirates.

"Kill all the Japanese pirates!"

"Leave no one alive!"

The roar of the crowd echoed in all directions.

Ji Dan, Yan Na Ke, and others led less than 10,000 remaining soldiers and fled towards the western coast.

Sudden.

The sound of Qin army war drums rose from the north.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

As the war drums sounded, the fleeing Japanese pirates panicked and their ranks fell into disarray.

Ji Dan stopped and stared in disbelief at the Qin army banners that had appeared to the north.

The Qin army not only dared to defend the city with a small force, but also fought against their 20,000-strong army.

They even sent so many people to ambush here beforehand!

Intercept the fleeing soldiers!

This shows that...

The Qin army never thought they would lose from the very beginning!

From the very beginning, the Qin army was planning to annihilate them!

The Japanese king and the king of Ito, who were standing nearby, were even more terrified when they heard the sound of war drums.

Seeing the Qin army charging out from the north, the King of Wa was furious.

He grabbed Ji Dan by the collar and shouted at him:

"Didn't you say before that you were sure you could defeat this Qin army?!"

"What's going on now?! Where did these ambushes come from?!"

Ji Dan did not resist, her face turned pale.

He looked at the approaching Qin army, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"impossible……"

"With such a vast disparity in troop strength, how dare they spare troops for an ambush..."

"This is impossible..."

But now is clearly not the time for infighting.

The shouts of battle from the Qin army behind them grew ever closer.

Yanna Ke pushed Ji Dan aside and quickly ordered a thousand men to be sent out to hold off the Qin army.

He, along with King Ito, Jidan, and the rest of their forces, continued their frantic march toward the west coast without looking back.

……

the other side.

Zhang Fan rode his warhorse, observing the battle situation ahead.

A scout ran up quickly to report:

"Respectfully submitted to the Guru!"

"The two thousand soldiers lying in ambush to the north have engaged the enemy and killed over three thousand!"

"The remaining seven thousand Japanese pirates did not linger in battle; they all fled towards our First Fleet on the west coast!"

Upon hearing the report, the Qin soldiers around him were immediately in high spirits and their expressions were excited.

Big win!

This was a complete and utter victory!

The soldiers, gripping their weapons, began to discuss excitedly:

"Fighting alongside my guru is so exhilarating!"

"Exactly! We thought we'd be fighting to the death tonight, but we, 1,500 men, actually routed them!"

"Hahaha, tonight is the night to kill the enemy and earn merit! After this battle, everyone will be promoted to noble titles and honors in no time!"

The soldiers were in high spirits and full of fighting will.

Wang Li, standing to the side, looked at Zhang Fan with admiration in his eyes.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked:

"Master, the enemy is fleeing in disarray. Should we commit all our forces and continue the pursuit?"

Zhang Fan looked towards the west coast and slowly shook his head.

Seeing Zhang Fan refuse, Wang Li's expression immediately became anxious, and he quickly advised:

"Master! The enemy's morale is completely low now; this is the perfect opportunity!"

"If we charge in, we'll wipe them out!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan helplessly covered his forehead with his hand.

He looked at the anxious Wang Li and said:

"Wang Li, the catapults on our warships have a significant accuracy error!"

"If you're not afraid, you can naturally lead your men to charge in and fight them!"

Upon hearing this...

Wang Li was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was happening.

Once the catapults on the warships were launched, they provided indiscriminate coverage over a wide area.

If the Qin army and the Japanese pirates were to engage in a fierce battle, they would inevitably suffer collateral damage.

Once he understood this, Wang Li suddenly realized what was going on, took a half-step back with an embarrassed expression, and chuckled awkwardly.

Zhang Fan lowered his hand, his expression solemn, and immediately gave the order:

"Give the order to the entire army!"

"Form a semi-circular military formation and advance to sweep through!"

"Cut off all their escape routes, force them but don't kill them, and drive them all to the west coast!"

"Force them into the fleet's firing range!"

After hearing this military order...

Everyone immediately understood Zhang Fan's intention, and were even more shocked.

"promise!"

The soldiers loudly accepted the order, their fighting spirit soaring.

The army quickly dispersed, forming a semi-circular encirclement, and gradually approached the west coast.

……

at the same time.

west coast.

The night breeze caressed the seawater and lapped against the coastline.

The First Fleet of the Great Qin Dynasty was anchored on the water.

The boat rocked with the waves.

On the deck, the five hundred Qin naval officers and soldiers who remained to rest and recuperate were waiting in their respective positions.

Sudden.

A sharp whistling sound appeared in the sky over the eastern inland region.

Immediately afterwards, a ball of red fire exploded in the night sky.

Upon seeing the arrow piercing the clouds explode in the sky, the captain on the main ship immediately stood up.

He loudly issued the order:

"All troops, prepare!"

"Untie the ropes and remove the veil!"

Instructions issued!

Five hundred naval officers and soldiers quickly sprang into action.

They were divided into small teams according to their organization and ran around on the deck.

The sailors untied the thick ropes securing them to the planks and forcefully tore off the heavy canvas covering the machinery.

The canvas was removed, revealing the large machinery underneath.

That was the flying wheel catapult made by the Mohists!