Chapter 126: Divine Strategy and Marvelous Troops, A Great Battle Against the Beast Cavalry

"What? You wiped out an army of four hundred thousand? Are you speaking nonsense? Falsely reporting military intelligence is a crime punishable by slow slicing."

"Reporting to Your Highness, every word I speak is the truth. You may send scouts to verify if the enemy has indeed suffered such losses; if I have lied, I am willing to accept any punishment."

"Very well. I should like to hear how the two of you managed to annihilate an army of four hundred thousand."

"Yes. Han observed that the two enemy forces were heading toward Anxi, so we pushed forward with all speed, arriving ahead of them to meet Protector Lei and obtain a divine artifact capable of repelling the desert's strange insects. Using this artifact, I drew forth a swarm of a million insects, which consumed the forty-thousand-strong enemy force entirely."

"Oh? Such a divine artifact exists? What does it look like?"

Han Chong produced two pieces of Jinu Ancient Wood and presented them. The Prince took them, examining them from every angle and occasionally sniffing them. Though he could not immediately verify the truth of Han’s claim, he was certain the wood was extraordinary; even with his vast experience, he could not discern its origins.

"Hmm. I shall provisionally believe you, though the efficacy of this object requires further verification. Protector Lei, as you have performed such a great service, your previous offenses are pardoned for now. Once I have thoroughly investigated the matter, I shall make a final ruling."

"I thank Your Highness for your discernment." Lei Wanshan cast a look of gratitude toward Han Chong. He had not expected that, despite having only just met and spent barely half a day together, the other man would be willing to share such a monumental achievement. He was truly a man of noble character.

The three of them withdrew and walked toward the side courtyard of the Demon-Slaying Battalion.

"General Han, I am eternally grateful for your selfless assistance. By the way, what happened when you infiltrated the enemy camp? I thought you had met with disaster, which is why I hastily led my troops to break through!"

"Protector Lei, there is no need for such courtesy. Military merit is of little use to me; to have saved a renowned general of the Northwest like yourself is a blessing for our region. As for that day, it was indeed perilous. The enemy had set an ambush, and two monsters comparable to Void-Return realm experts captured me. Fortunately, I had a stroke of luck and managed to escape."

"Hiss!" Xun, Lei, and the others gasped. They had not expected the enemy to be in league with monsters; no wonder they had suddenly launched such a massive invasion of the Northwest.

"Haha, Brother Han is truly blessed by fate. You cannot imagine the agony General Xun and I felt when we heard reports of your demise. And to think you managed to rescue Protector Lei from the First Prince—that was truly unexpected!"

"Hehe, General Xun is too kind. By the way, why is the First Prince so intent on executing his own commanders, and why did he treat my reports of the enemy’s beast-cavalry and their million-strong force with such disdain?"

"That is something we cannot fathom either. The First Prince is the most skilled in warfare among all the royal brothers. It is said that in his youth, he followed the Emperor on campaigns, often serving as the vanguard, where he would slay enemy generals and amass great glory. Perhaps he has some reliance that makes him unafraid of the enemy's beast-cavalry?"

That night, the three men were deeply worried and unable to sleep, yet they heard music and dancing coming from the rear hall where the First Prince resided. He was drinking and making merry with two red-clad generals, showing no concern for the impending battle.

"Brothers, do you know the origins of those two red-clad generals, and why the First Prince holds them in such high regard that they never leave his side?"

"We do not know. Judging by their age, they are barely thirty, and their attire—I have never seen such Flame-Armor before."

"Wait, could they belong to the Divine Strategy Army?" General Xun’s pupils contracted, and he exclaimed in shock.

"The Divine Strategy Army?" This was the first time Han Chong had heard that name.

"That’s right, Brother Xun is correct. Only the Divine Strategy Army would possess such young men and such extraordinary standard-issue armor," Lei Wanshan added, lost in thought.

"The Divine Strategy Army is the most mysterious and elite force of the Great Feng Dynasty. It is extremely rare, and it is said that its members are chosen from the descendants of the imperial clan and nobility, trained from childhood. Within it, there are several specialized divisions; the Red-Clad Artillery Corps and the Divine Strategy Musket Battalion are the most lethal. They are the nation’s heavy weapons, never used unless the country faces a crisis."

Han Chong was astonished. He had not realized the Great Feng Dynasty possessed such advanced military units. It was no wonder the First Prince was indifferent to the enemy’s beast-cavalry, and why those two red-clad generals held such esteemed positions! However, he remained uneasy; even with two Divine Strategy units, it would be difficult to contend with the combined beast-cavalry of two nations. After all, he had seen with his own eyes the terrifying, overwhelming power of those two armies.

At dawn the next day, the sky was dim and overcast, and gusts of howling wind caused the banners to snap violently. Sand and stone flew through the city of Beiting, making it nearly impossible for the civilians to keep their eyes open.

Suddenly, the screeching of nearly twenty thousand eagles pierced the heavens. The generals rushed out of their quarters, looking toward the western sky.

A black cloud was moving rapidly toward the city of Beiting. Within moments, it revealed itself to be a massive swarm of giant eagles stretching for over ten miles, soaring over the high mountains thirty miles to the west.

Horns sounded the alert of an enemy attack. The First Prince arrived with a dozen officers, gathering in front of the north gate tower.

Each giant eagle carried a beast-hide-clad archer holding a bow. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, they were within ten miles, still advancing at lightning speed, poised to launch an assault on the defending troops.

"Hehe, well done. It truly is the Tiger-Eagle Flying Cavalry. Shen Luo, Hu Fei, give them a taste of something special," the First Prince said with a light chuckle, waving his folding fan.

"As you command." The two red-clad generals behind him bowed and leaped down from the wall.

Following them, squads of soldiers in dark red armor—some shouldering seven-foot muskets, others wheeling cannons as thick as a man's thigh—rushed onto the walls under the command of the two red-clad generals. There were ten thousand of them in total, each group of one hundred led by a captain. They were highly skilled and looked arrogant, as if they held the Tiger-Eagle Flying Cavalry in total contempt.

When the two sides were about a mile apart, they launched their attacks simultaneously.

The Tiger-Eagle Flying Cavalry fired poisoned three-edged arrows. Coming from above, the arrows moved with immense speed, making them difficult to defend against. Once they pierced a human body, they caused grievous wounds that were nearly impossible to heal.

The Divine Strategy Army responded with a deafening volley of artillery. The shells burst in the air hundreds of feet away like fireworks, releasing a black, poisonous smoke that enveloped the flying cavalry. Then, the musketeers fired into the sky, filling the air with a rain of lead that shrouded the descending riders.

Dismal shrieks echoed continuously from the sky. One after another, the Tiger-Eagle riders plummeted from a hundred feet in the air, smashing into the ground like heaps of gore!

"Hahaha! A mere beast-cavalry dares to challenge the Great Feng? How ignorant of death they are!"

Watching the enemy cavalry flee in terror, the First Prince laughed triumphantly, and cheers erupted from the city walls.

However, two hours later, a rumbling sound shook the earth, and clouds of dust rose from the north, a hundred miles away. A vast herd of Yak-Elephant heavy cavalry was charging toward them, with the Tiger-Eagle Flying Cavalry circling above.

The Seventh Prince, Pang Ji, had been thwarted and suffered significant losses, leaving him furious. He had never suffered such a defeat before, so he waited for the Yak-Elephant heavy cavalry to arrive. With the two forces combined, one in the air and one on the ground, their momentum was truly formidable.