I am a soldier in the border army

Chapter 630: The Battle of Xiangji Temple! My Great General!
Some people describe moths flying into a flame as seeking their own death.

However, some people praised this move as a great spirit of pursuing light and courageous sacrifice.

Han Shao has always remained noncommittal about how to evaluate these two.

Whether it is seeking death or pursuing light and sacrificing oneself.

None of this prevented him from turning Xiangji Temple and Zhenliao Army into the brightest flames in the darkness, constantly attracting Huang Tianjun to rush towards them like moths to a flame.

As for the final result, will the flames burn all the moths, or will the overwhelming moths extinguish the flames?

The bet is nothing more than the brightness of the fire and the number of moths.

So seeing that today's battle was coming to an end, Han Shao said indifferently.

"The boys fought well today. Tell them I am proud of them."

"Let's just fight like this from now on, don't have any reservations."

A general looked at the tragedy in the distance, thought for a moment, and hesitated.

"Your Majesty, if we hit them too hard, will that scare off those moth thieves?"

Well, if nothing unexpected happens, from now on, Huang Tianjun, who had always been derogatorily known as the ant thief, will have the additional nickname of moth thief.

As for such worries, Han Shao shook his head and chuckled.

"Will not."

"The brighter the fire, the more moths will flock to it."

What is conspiracy?

The opponent is forced to jump into the pit even though he knows it is set in front of him.

The stronger the fighting power of the Zhen Liao Army was, the more the Huang Tian Army on the opposite side dared not let them wreak havoc. They had to surround them tightly in this urn called Xiangji Temple before they could feel at ease.

And this is exactly Han Shao’s purpose.

Xiangji Temple starts a fight!
He wanted to break Huang Tiandao's backbone and even the foundation of his faith in one battle!
……

In fact, although Han Shao said that with great confidence, the reality was slightly different.

The initial battle at the gate of Xiangji Temple that day had actually stunned Huang Tian’s army.

As a result, in the second half of the battle, several Huang Tian troops that rushed to the battlefield chose to stop after seeing that there was no hope of winning, and watched their fellow brothers all die in the bloody sea created by bullets and rain.

And for the next two days, they chose to just lay siege but not attack.

It seemed that he was planning to trap the Zhen Liao army to death in Xiangji Temple.

Han Shao, who was slapped in the face, couldn't help feeling a little ashamed and angry.

Seeing that more and more Huang Tianjun were gathering at the foot of the mountain, and the big jar was getting thicker and thicker, he finally became restless.

"If the mountain doesn't come to me, I will go to the mountain!"

"Let the boys move, attack!"

In today's Zhen Liao Army, Han Shao's will is the will of these hundreds of thousands of ferocious tigers and wolves.

The simple word "attack" uttered lightly from his mouth destined a bloody battle of life and death.

Mid to late November.

It’s already winter, how can it not be cold?
However, this little chill was just a breeze for the Zhenliao Army, which had long been accustomed to the freezing cold weather in their hometown.

Not only did it not affect their combat effectiveness, but it made them feel as if they were back at home.

"Shenji Battalion, march!"

As the military order from the central army was conveyed, several slightly prepared Shenji battalions headed in their respective directions and rushed straight towards the Huangtian army on the opposite side.

But before that, the familiar artillery formation roared behind him.

After successfully clearing out the defensive fortifications that had just been built on the opposite side, they extended their forces again and bombarded the Huang Tianjun camp in the rear.

As expected, this sudden attack once again successfully stunned the opposing Huang Tianjun.

As a result, there was chaos in the camp.

The Huangtian soldiers who rushed out of the tent in a hurry looked at the broken bodies that were torn to pieces by the Lingwen Cannon without any chance to react. Some of them stood there in a daze, while others panicked and did not know what to do.

Under such circumstances, facing the overwhelming Zhen Liao Army, not to mention organizing an effective resistance, countless people trampled on each other and killed each other in panic.

So, without a doubt, it was another tragic defeat.

However, just when they thought that the Zhen Liao army would continue to advance and completely tear open the pocket they had set, they saw that those killing gods holding unparalleled sharp weapons and wearing black light armor actually retreated slowly and orderly after burning down the camp.

During this period, Huang Tiandao, who came to rescue, was so angry that he led his troops in pursuit.

But what he got in return was a merciless blow.

In the end, they failed to pursue the enemy and were instead hit by the Zhenliao Iron Cavalry who suddenly appeared and ran through them in an instant. They were chased and killed, and ended up with a tragic end of being completely annihilated.

……

It snowed a little yesterday.

The commanders of Yanzhou and Yuzhou and a group of core Taoists of Huangtian Dao looked at the charred black half-hidden under the snow-white, as well as the stiff corpses and limbs, and their faces became darker and stiffer.

Failed!

One miserable defeat after another!
It was like a loud slap in the face.

While crushing their years of pride, their dignity was also trampled underfoot.

You must know that since Huang Tiandao started the uprising, whether it was sweeping across eight states overnight, or now he controls eighteen states in most of the world, it has always been smooth sailing. When has he encountered such a setback?
When have I ever suffered such humiliation?
The anger growing in their hearts burned like flames, making their faces turn red and their eyes seem to be spitting fire.

"Attack! I don't believe it!"

"Today, our Huang Tian army has more than one million soldiers, but we are fighting against his Zhen Liao army, which is only several hundred thousand strong. We have ten times more soldiers than him! How can we not gain any advantage?"

The anger made Yanzhou Qu Shuai, the once quiet Taoist, look a little ferocious.

The same is true for the Taoists around him.

Seeing that Commander Qu had already made a decision, he immediately echoed it.

"Master Qu is right!"

"The Zhen Liao army is so arrogant. If we don't dampen their spirit, what will the reputation of our Huang Tian army be?"

"If we don't take revenge, how can we explain this to our disciples and followers? How can we explain this to the Great Sage Master?"

Amidst the shouts and cries of fighting, everyone turned their eyes to Yuzhou Qu Shuai who was coming side by side.

However, amid their indignation, Yuzhou Qushuai, after also experiencing shame and anger, calmed down.

After fighting one battle after another, the terrifying combat power displayed by the Zhenliao Army made him feel cold in his heart.

And yesterday's surprise attack made him feel even more terrified.

'trap?'

These two words emerged in his mind, and he couldn't help but frown, and subconsciously wanted to say "we should take a long-term view".

But when he met those angry gazes, he hesitated.

Because he had to admit that what these people, including Yanzhou Qu Shuai, had just said did make some sense.

If we fail to dampen the morale of the Zhen Liao army and allow them to continue wreaking havoc, our army's morale will be completely lost and we will not be able to fight this battle.

What’s more crucial is that the advancement in Zhuozhou on the north bank is also not going smoothly.

If they fail to achieve anything, how will people in the world view Huang Tiandao?

Will they think that Huang Tiandao is nothing special and thus have other thoughts?
How should they explain to the Great Sage Master then?
So even though he knew that launching a large-scale military campaign at this time was not the best option, he still looked at Yanzhou Qu Shuai and nodded.

"Just follow what Senior Brother says."

But after saying this, he thought about it and said again.

"But... in my opinion, we should still leave some room for maneuver, so as to avoid being schemed by that thief Han in a hurry."

In the past, everyone said that the Youzhou Han thief was a tiger or wolf of the time.

This is used to describe the bravery and cruelty of the Han thieves.

But after Yuan Feng's demise, the title of tiger and wolf began to carry a hint of cunning and treacherousness.

Therefore, Yanzhou Qu Shuai did not turn a deaf ear to the reminder from his close junior brother. Instead, he gradually calmed down, thought about it carefully, and nodded in agreement.

"What you said makes sense, I will follow your advice." "We should not attack too hastily in this battle. After we win the battle and stabilize the morale of the army, we should attack steadily to prevent the Han thieves from finding a flaw!"

Seeing his senior brother so willing to follow advice, Yuzhou Qu Shuai showed a look of relief on his face.

But soon his expression gradually turned cold and he said indifferently.

"In addition, please send a message to those noble families, explain the benefits to them, and ask them to contribute a little."

Yanzhou Qu Shuai was stunned when he heard this, and subconsciously felt that something was wrong.

Moreover, considering the moral character of those noble families, they probably would not agree.

But before he could open his mouth, Yuzhou Qu Shuai spoke coldly.

"Brother, you can tell them that the thief Han is narrow-minded and not the kind of person who can tolerate others."

"If they don't believe it, they can look at the fate of those noble families in the several states occupied by the Han thieves now!"

No matter how nicely you speak or how respectfully you do things.

But the actual situation cannot be concealed.

Now in Youzhou, Zhuozhou, Bingzhou, and even Qingzhou which has not yet completely fallen into Han Shao's hands, the decline and fall of the noble families are so tragic that it is simply horrifying!
Up to now, how many families and clans are left of the noble families that once occupied these places?

He felt that as long as the Yanzhou noble families were not blind or hopelessly stupid, they would never sit idly by.

As for his senior brother's other worry, Yuzhou Qu Shuai smiled and said.

"Brother, don't worry. As long as those people put on my Huang Tian robes, who would know whether they are my Huang Tian disciples or nobles from aristocratic families?"

It may sound absurd that humans make peace with jackals and even fight side by side with them.

But what does it matter when it comes to gains and losses?
……

I have to say, before things started, everything seemed so beautiful.

But when the results come out, they are often unexpected.

Just like Commander Qu of Yanzhou, before he ordered his army to attack the Zhen Liao army, he thought that as long as he could gain a little advantage and win the first battle, he would stop while he was ahead, and then proceed slowly.

However, the powerful fighting force unleashed by the Zhen Liao Army shattered his beautiful fantasy.

Batches of disciples and believers who were sent to the battlefield died under the terrifying new weaponry of the Zhenliao Army, but the results achieved were pitifully small.

As more and more troops are deployed and casualties become more and more severe, it is meaningless to talk about rationality at this time.

At this time, Yanzhou Qu Shuai was like a gambler who had lost all his money. The only thing he could do was to keep putting his chips on the table and keep increasing the stakes.

The original intention of just wanting to win a small victory is no longer there.

Facing the mountain of corpses piled high in front of the two armies, and the winding river of blood accumulating at the foot of the mountain, the only thought in his mind now was to win a decisive victory!
It would be best if you could win back all the chips you lost before!
Seeing his senior brother so anxious, Yuzhou Qu Shuai, who had already realized that something was wrong, gave him advice more than once.

"Brother! Stop it!"

"We can't keep fighting like this! If we continue, the blood and bones of our disciples will be drained dry!"

It must be said that, at first, Commander Qu of Yanzhou was able to listen to such advice.

Choose to temporarily stop the war and rest for a while to think about countermeasures.

But every time at this time, the Zhenliao army on the opposite side would choose to take the initiative to attack and provoke for a while.

At the beginning, I just tried it briefly.

But as the battle progressed, they had gradually figured out Huang Tianjun's strengths and weaknesses, and became more and more courageous and aggressive.

Later, the Tiger and Wolf Cavalry, which had turned to serve as auxiliary forces in this battle, broke through the encirclement and began to fight and wreak havoc in various places in Yanzhou, tearing apart the connection between the Huangtian Army of the two states bit by bit.

Faced with such a situation, even if they no longer wanted to fight like this, they had no choice.

"Those noble families...what do they say?"

Yuzhou Qu Shuai, who was extremely anxious, asked about the matter again.

In response to this, after going through the hardships of war for some time, Yanzhou Qu Shuai, whose eyes were somewhat dim, showed a bitter smile on his face.

"Junior brother, don't you know what those noble families are like?"

"How can it be so easy to get them to contribute?"

Hearing this, Yuzhou Qu Shuai was so angry that he laughed.

"When the lips are gone, the teeth are cold! Do those idiots have to wait until the thief Han holds his knife to their necks before they regret it?"

stupid?
No! They are not stupid at all.

Just too shrewd.

He was smart enough to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between two tigers, and he was smart enough to see Huang Tiandao's strength being continuously consumed.

The interests of this world are like a big pie.

The stronger Huang Tiandao is, the more he eats.

On the contrary, as long as Huang Tiandao becomes sick, he won’t be able to swallow food even if he wants to.

In the end, these benefits naturally fell into their mouths.

But they are not stingy.

They were willing to provide money, food, and military supplies, and even the clan soldiers were willing to contribute some.

After all, they didn't want to see Huang Tiandao lose the battle, which would eventually lead to Yanzhou falling into the hands of that butcher.

But that’s where the support ends.

There is not a single strong core member of the tribe who can truly decide the outcome of a small-scale war.

Yanzhou Qu Shuai was helpless in the face of such an attitude.

"If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have kept these tumors..."

If they had been ruthless enough to attack and destroy these noble families and take all the spiritual resources accumulated by their generations for their own use, then by now, ten years later, the strength of the entire Huang Tiandao would have skyrocketed to another level.

With so many powerful people around, how could we be in such a predicament today?

But when he heard Yuzhou Qu Shuai's angry snort, Yanzhou Qu Shuai's face changed and he interrupted him quickly.

"Senior brother be careful!"

The decision not to touch these noble families for the time being was made by the Great Sage Master.

Upon hearing this, Yuzhou Qu Shuai was startled and immediately shut up.

No matter how 'foolish' those noble families are, they will have to continue fighting this battle.

Now, the Xiangji Temple, which was once not very famous, is like a huge bonfire in the dark night.

As long as it remained there lighting up the day, they would have to rush upon it one after another.

Fight until death!

……

"Sui Mou—Kill!"

Amidst the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a young general charged into the enemy camp with a long sword in hand.

Behind him was a group of sword-wielding warriors who were clearly out of tune with the Zhen Liao Army as a whole.

No, to be precise, these sword-wielding soldiers are somewhat out of place with the murderous aura that permeates the entire battlefield.

Especially those bald heads without helmets, which are smooth and shiny.

Bathed in blood, every time he swung his sword, he looked like a furious King Kong.

But after putting away the knife, he showed mercy.

However, no matter how awkward it is, one cannot deny their strong fighting power.

They took off their monk robes and put on black armor, and the weapons in their hands changed from sticks to long-handled swords.

It is said that this sword was the product of the Duke of Yan's "inspiration", and he even named it himself - Mo Dao.

As he took big strides forward, he was like pushing forward a wall of knives!
He swung his sword and chopped, and both the man and the horse were chopped to pieces!
At this moment, the Zhenliao army generals who were watching the battle could not help but sigh when they saw the terrifying power of the Modao infantry formation.

"If we had this knife in hand, it would have been much easier to deal with that mad dog Shibi."

……

(End of this chapter)