Chapter 115: A Lone Hero Ventures Into the Camp, Ants Transport Supplies
“Protector General, do not worry. The newly formed Left Vanguard Army of the court should be arriving soon. If we can hold out for just another half month, we will overcome this crisis!” General Xun offered some consolation.
At that moment, a subordinate officer hurried to the hall and urgently reported, “Respectfully informing the Protector General, the scouts have reported that the armies of the two nations have split into several detachments and are raiding in all directions. Their destinations are unknown!”
“Send out scouts again!” the Protector General ordered.
“The armies suddenly divided their forces. We do not know their intentions,” the Deputy Protector General frowned and said.
“This is bad. The enemy soldiers from both nations are wary of attacking the Demon-Slaying Camp directly and thus dare not launch a full assault. Instead, they’ve split up to plunder the surrounding villages and towns. If this continues, our Northern Frontier will become a completely isolated fortress!”
“What can we do now?”
...
Han Chong furrowed his brow, contemplating alongside the other generals before respectfully proposing, “What if we launch a night raid on the enemy camp to seize their food supplies and water sources? That would resolve the crisis.”
“Hmm? And who might this be?” The Protector General raised an eyebrow and looked toward General Xun.
“Reporting to you, Protector General, this is General Han Chong, who has slain countless demons and ghosts, earning numerous merits,” Xun replied. His knowledge of Han Chong was limited to this.
“So it is General Han. Your suggestion seems reasonable, but accomplishing it will be exceedingly difficult. The two armies each number two hundred thousand strong, and their elite warriors are as numerous as fish in the river. They have lived their entire lives on horseback, sleeping under the sky and on the earth, battling wild beasts. Whether in single combat or large-scale battles, their combat effectiveness far surpasses that of our Dafu soldiers. Furthermore, their food and water supplies are hidden with great secrecy; we have never found any trace of them. Therefore, this plan cannot be executed.”
...
“Then how about this: I consider my physical body quite strong and am willing to infiltrate the enemy camp alone to scout. If I discover their food and water supplies, I will signal with the totem. Protector General, you can then dispatch troops to strike. What do you say?”
“What? General Han is willing to risk his life personally?”
The generals were shocked. They had not expected this man to volunteer himself as a sacrifice. Not only was he free of complaint, but he was even braver and more fearless than the generals of the Northern Frontier.
“Heh, laughable indeed. Though we are high-level Qi cultivators, our bodies are only slightly stronger than innate martial artists. Even those few who have both magical and physical cultivation struggle against the bodies of Heavenly Realm warriors. General Han, how can you boast that your body is strong?”
---
But Generals Li and another could not help but sneer at Han Chong’s boldness.
“Yes, General Han, your loyalty and courage are admirable, but there are hundreds of Heavenly Realm warriors among the two armies. Without having found the location of their supplies, you would surely be slaughtered. Better not to show off.”
Deputy Protector General Duan shook his head with a wry smile.
“General Xun, what do you think?” the Protector General asked.
“If I were not injured, I would certainly volunteer to investigate. There might be some chance. General Han, do not be reckless; it would be a pity to lose your life,” Xun sighed.
Han Chong understood their concerns. However, he was a dual cultivation practitioner—both magical and martial—and had recently attained the pinnacle of the Heavenly Transformation Realm in martial arts. Moreover, with his enhanced speed and attack, his physical body was already comparable to the strongest Heavenly Transformation warriors!
It could be said that even if a hundred innate martial artists attacked him simultaneously, he could escape unscathed. With caution, infiltrating the enemy camp to scout was not impossible.
With this in mind, Han Chong grabbed an iron wine flask from the table, removed its lid, and drank it down in a single gulp.
Then, to the astonishment of the generals, he casually squeezed the flask in his hand.
The iron flask bent as if it were made of clay, easily molded into different shapes. The generals’ faces turned pale in shock!
“Such strength! To casually crush it like this, even our Protector General cannot compare!”
The Protector General took the mangled flask from Han Chong’s hand, amazed, and tried to squeeze it himself.
Despite his full effort, he could only manage what Han Chong had done with apparent ease. The difference in strength was clear at a glance.
“Very well, very well. Captain Han conceals his true abilities and is evidently a profound martial cultivator. It may be worth a try. Tonight, I will personally lead the troops. Once General Han signals, we will sally forth immediately!”
At midnight, Han Chong, clad in night attire, followed the generals to the southern city gate. He gazed toward the endless enemy tents of the Biluguo army more than thirty miles away, pondering a stealthy infiltration route.
Finally, he slid down the eastern city wall along a rope and dashed rapidly toward the eastern mountain foothills. Using the terrain’s ridges, hollows, and withered vines, he stealthily moved southward.
Han Chong’s speed was swift, and under concealment, he gradually penetrated deep into the Biluguo camp.
He deliberately sought out smaller tents to investigate, avoiding the central command tents where keen-sensed martial arts masters surely stood guard.
Most Biluguo soldiers had removed their black iron armor and were asleep. Han Chong searched over a dozen tents but found no sign of food or water supplies.
An army of two hundred thousand must have provision stores. This was truly puzzling.
The two nations spoke different languages, and he could not interrogate anyone.
Half an hour passed with no progress, and Han Chong grew somewhat anxious.
---
Suddenly, his foot slipped slightly, and with a faint crack, he looked down to see he had crushed a small brown ant no larger than a fingertip.
On the ground marched a massive column of brown giant ants, shoulder to shoulder, carrying grains in their mandibles!
Following this trail, he found a secluded tent where no one resided.
On the ground, the ants had dug a hole the size of a pigeon’s egg, continuously transporting grains out.
Indeed, the net of heaven is vast but not lax. The Biluguo army had buried their food supplies underground, but they could not escape the search of these ant soldiers.
Han Chong used his sword to dig through the loose earth, entering a deep cellar.
It was a long, narrow tunnel filled with tens of thousands of sacks of military grain and tens of thousands of jars of water.
Without hesitation, Han Chong burst out onto the surface, set the tent aflame, and released the Cloud-Piercing Black Tiger totem.
This immediately alarmed the Biluguo soldiers, and dozens of sub-commanders rushed out from all directions to surround and attack Han Chong.
But he moved like a specter, dodging left and right, vanishing into the chaos of soldiers in the blink of an eye.
Seeing the totem Han Chong had released, Protector General Shang and others were overjoyed and quickly led their troops out of the city to charge.
Within moments, they had broken into the enemy ranks. The Biluguo general hurriedly organized elite troops to block the assault.
Yet, they saw hundreds of tents suddenly ignite in flames. The army fell into disarray, routed by the Northern Frontier cavalry and forced to retreat temporarily.
...
Han Chong appeared and called for the generals to quickly haul out the food and water supplies.
From afar, the Biluguo commanders gritted their teeth in fury and reorganized their forces to counterattack.
The fierce battle raged until dawn. Most of the Biluguo camp’s provisions were plundered, and the remainder suffered significant damage.
...
“Haha, how exhilarating! It’s been a long time since I felt so good! Without General Han, we would surely have been trapped and starved within the city. I will definitely report to the court to recommend you for great rewards!”
The Northern Frontier generals never expected this enormous problem to be solved so easily by Han Chong; it felt like a dream.
Han Chong himself felt lucky. Had he not accidentally discovered the ants carrying supplies, he might never have found that the provisions were buried underground.
“Protector General, you flatter me. In truth, other skilled warriors could have done the same.”
“No, General Han, do not be modest. Completing this task required not only agility but also courage and wisdom—qualities all indispensable. At least I would not have had ten percent confidence in accomplishing it personally.”