Late Han Zhao Tang

Flames soared into the sky atop the western hill fortress. To prevent the fire from spreading, the Tang soldiers used their battle swords and axes to cut down trees, quickly creating a firebreak in front of the battle lines to contain the flames.

At the same time, following Fa Zheng's plan, while the mountain was ablaze, Huang Gai personally led a thousand armored soldiers to sneak along side paths and traverse treacherous terrain, intending to seize the spring water on the western mountain by surprise.

Today, due to the raging fire that burned the mountain, the area around the spring is bustling with activity, and Tang soldiers can be seen everywhere rushing to fetch water. The once dry land has become muddy and muddy because the Tang soldiers spilled the river water in their buckets as they hurried along, leaving behind a trail of footprints.

Through the thorny branches, a pair of large eyes took in the defenses of the spring and stream. Originally, the master was afraid of a surprise attack by the Shu army, so he arranged for hundreds of soldiers to guard them. Now, in order to put out the fire and fetch water, the guards have joined the water-fetching team, and there are not many soldiers left to guard them.

Seeing that the spring was undefended, the figure behind the thorns quickly disappeared, and soon a dark mass of figures appeared one after another from the thicket.

"kill!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and a large number of Shu soldiers emerged from the thicket of thorns, charging towards the Tang soldiers who were drawing water.

Upon seeing the Shu soldiers suddenly appear in bright light, many Tang soldiers turned pale with fright. Since they had no weapons, they threw down their water buckets and fled across the mountains and fields. However, Man Zi, the Tang army captain who had been in charge of the defense, knew that he had a heavy responsibility and dared not abandon the water. So he divided his troops to occupy the strategic points, while he led the Tang soldiers to fight against the enemy.

"Whoosh!"

Before the two armies clashed, the Tang soldiers who had previously held positions on the hillsides as lookouts launched arrows from the high ground, raining down like a storm. Many of the Shu soldiers charging forward instantly fell, splashing water into the springs and streams.

Then, Man Zi led over a hundred brave men wading through the water, their footsteps splashing water and wetting their armor. With spears and broadswords in hand, they slashed and killed the Shu soldiers who had fallen in the water. Crimson blood filled the stream, and screams and shouts of battle mingled together.

"Kill the thief!"

Seeing that Man Zi dared to advance with so few soldiers, the Shu soldiers swarmed forward, some tackling and stabbing the Tang soldiers, others shouting for the others to surround and kill them. In an instant, shouts, screams, and the sound of rushing water rose and fell, and corpses fell one after another, followed by crimson blood floating on the water.

Man Zi and his men formed a defensive formation, but they and their men were wounded by countless swords. They could only rely on the archers on the rocks to hold off the attack of the Shu soldiers.

On the mountain path, a young Tang general who had led his troops to fetch water saw this and immediately ordered his men to abandon the water buckets. He and the others drew their ring-pommel swords and ran wildly to the stream, shouting and fighting, joining the fierce hand-to-hand combat.

With the arrival of reinforcements, the Tang army barely managed to hold off the Shu army's charge. Now, the two armies were locked in a fierce battle in the stream, wrestling and fighting hand-to-hand, braving the water to fight each other. The battle was extremely brutal.

Huang Gai knew that the Tang army would send troops to rescue him once they learned that his troops had captured the water source. In order to seize the water source as soon as possible, he personally led his armored soldiers forward and shouted loudly to encourage the infantry.

Of course, Huang Gai was not without reinforcements. Looking up from the sky, a dense mass of Shu soldiers, using the black smoke as cover, were ascending the mountain path at its foot; their numbers numbered no less than several thousand. Clearly, the Shu army had gone to great lengths and invested a large number of men to seize the water source at Xishan Fortress.

News of the attack on the water source quickly reached the camp with the fleeing soldiers and was reported to Man Chong.

"Manchukuo, something terrible has happened!"

Wang Ling rushed into the tent in a panic and said, "The enemy took advantage of the raging fire burning the mountain to send their elite troops to launch a surprise attack on Xishan Spring."

Upon hearing this, Man Chong's pupils constricted, and he almost jumped up from his stool. His expression rarely showed any tension as he asked, "How is Xishan Spring today? And where is Man Zi?"

"We don't know the situation yet, we only know that everyone else has fled, and Man Zi has led his troops in a charge alone!" Wang Ling said.

Since taking up his post in the army, Man Chong has selected a group of capable people from his clan to join the army in order to better control his subordinates.

Man Zi, a nephew of Man Chong, was a rising star among the Man clan. During Man Chong's campaign against Qingzhou, he led from the front, bravely charging into battle, and was thus promoted to colonel for his merits. Considering the importance of the water source, Man Chong assigned Man Zi to lead his 800 men to guard the spring.

"Man Zi was diligent and martial, but he was suddenly attacked by enemy bandits. He could stop the Shu bandits, but he could not repel them!"

Man Chong paced back and forth a few times, his thoughts racing, and said, "Those who defend the mountains are most afraid of losing their water sources. Now the Shu people are setting fire to the mountains, ostensibly to clear out the forests and seize the mountain fortifications; in reality, they are launching a surprise attack on the springs to cut off our army's water supply."

"Therefore, the importance of the spring water is crucial to the victory or defeat of the army. I now trouble Wang Shangyong to lead his troops to the spring water and take charge of military affairs at Xishan Spring. Report any unusual movements to me immediately!"

"promise!"

Wang Ling was ordered to leave immediately. After leaving the tent, he summoned his subordinates and rushed to Xishan Spring.

Inside the main tent, Man Chong gazed at the map, thinking to himself, "The bandits are incredibly cunning. They managed to devise a surprise attack on the spring. I wonder if they saw through my plan to lure them in!"

"If the plan is seen through, wouldn't Kirby's army be in danger? And if Kirby's army cannot come to the rescue, wouldn't the main army be surrounded by the Shu people in the mountain fortifications?"

"The people of Shu are wise and insightful; conquering Shu is indeed no easy task!"

Man Chong sighed softly, and couldn't help but have some doubts about his own plan.

Not to mention that Man Chong's confidence has been shaken, the intensity of the battle at the spring has now reached a new level.

Before Wang Ling led his troops to Xishan Spring, Man Zi had already died on the battlefield after suffering multiple wounds under the fierce attack of the Shu army. The one leading the troops to resist the Shu army now is Jiao Ze, who was ordered to fetch water earlier.

Jiao Ze, relying on the rocks beside the stream, gathered more than two hundred soldiers to reorganize the defensive line, barely managing to hold off the Shu people with their formation. "Clang!"

When the battle was at its most intense, Wang Ling suddenly sent out a dozen or so Tang cavalrymen who lightly charged out from the mountain path and spurred their horses toward the crowd of people in the stream.

Because of the rugged stream, the horses were not moving fast. The Tang cavalryman thrust his spear diagonally with great force. The spear pierced through the body of the Shu soldier, pinning him firmly to the water. He then drew his long sword and spurred his horse to engage the Shu soldiers in close combat.

Seeing that more than ten Tang cavalrymen had disrupted the formation, Huang Gai was furious and led his armored soldiers forward. Holding a long sword horizontally, Huang Gai suddenly bent down and, with quick hands and eyes, cut off the horse's leg with a single stroke while the warhorse was swaying and fighting.

"Puch!"

Both men and horses fell into the water. Before the Tang cavalry could react, several spears killed them, and their blood stained the surface of the stream.

Led by Huang Gai, the dozen or so Tang cavalrymen disrupted the Shu army's formation and launched an attack, but due to insufficient momentum, they were quickly defeated. Apart from a few riders who escaped, the rest perished on the battlefield.

However, the Tang cavalry's charge relieved a lot of pressure on the Tang infantry and bought a lot of time for Wang Ling's troops!

Before long, Wang Ling took the lead and appeared on the mountain path. Looking down at the floating corpses covering the stream, he felt a surge of resentment and pointed forward with one arm holding a knife.

"Kill the thief!"

The brutal battlefield ahead did not frighten the Tang soldiers. On the contrary, their morale soared due to their commander's desperate roar. They quickened their pace and surged into the stream like a tidal wave, engaging the Shu soldiers in fierce combat.

Shortly after Wang Ling led his troops into battle, the Shu army's reinforcements arrived, and a fierce battle ensued in the narrow river channels and rugged mountain paths.

The Shu army fielded its elite troops, all former subordinates of Sun Jian, and was led by the fierce general Huang Gai. Although the Tang soldiers were caught off guard by the surprise attack, they gradually regained their footing with the arrival of Wang Ling's reinforcements and the bravery of the defending naval officers.

Within the narrow area, the dead lay side by side, blood flowed in the river, and the battle was fiercer than ever before. From noon until the afternoon, the two armies fought, with the commanders of Man Chong and Sun He continuously dispatching elite armored soldiers to fight for the water source, neither willing to retreat.

If the Shu people seize it, the Tang army will be defeated; if the Tang army seizes it, the Shu army will be at a loss!
At dusk, the Shu army lowered its banner.

Listening to the scouts' report on the fierce battle, Sun He sighed and said, "The Tang army is fierce. I have sent out my elite troops, but I still cannot defeat them. If we order a retreat now, all our efforts will be in vain!"

As he spoke, Sun He looked at Fa Zheng, who was gazing at the sky, and asked, "Strategist, is there any breakthrough today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sky, which was covered by thick clouds, suddenly began to rain, and the raindrops hit Sun He's face.

"It's raining?"

Looking at the sky, Sun He's face showed astonishment. The morning had been sunny, but now dark clouds had gathered and rain was falling.

Seeing that it was raining, Fa Zheng explained, "Hanchang is deep in the mountains, and the weather is unpredictable, especially in early summer when clouds and water gather, often causing rain. It may rain for a while, and then the sky will clear and the rain will stop."

"Now that it's raining, won't the wildfires be extinguished?" Sun He asked. "But the battle for the mountains and rivers is fierce right now, I wonder if that will have any impact? Does the strategist have any other plans to defeat the enemy?"

Fa Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "The battles in the mountains and rivers are fierce. We might as well let Gan Ning lead his elite troops to charge up the mountain and use the rain to extinguish the mountain fire. When the black smoke is thick and it is difficult to see people, we may be able to take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and establish a foothold on the mountain."

After a pause, Fa Zheng added, "General Gan is only worried about the scorching heat of the wildfire and dares not risk charging into battle!"

Enraged, Gan Ning said in a deep voice, "Let alone rain from the sky to extinguish the mountain fire. Even if it were a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I would not be afraid. Now, please lead my troops to climb the mountain fortifications and defeat the enemy."

"nice!"

Sun He was greatly impressed and pointed to the mountain fortress that was faintly visible under the black smoke, saying, "If Xingba can be the first to scale it, after this battle, I will report my merits to the magistrate, and being ennobled and appointed as a general will be a given!"

"Thank you, General! Rong Ning has broken through the enemy's defenses and captured the flag!"

After saying this, Gan Ning bowed slightly to Fa Zheng, then gathered his three thousand brave soldiers and climbed the mountain along the path burned by the wildfire. Although the rain had soaked them, the lingering heat from the fire still caused many Shu soldiers pain.

The mountain fire was burning from bottom to top, and the black smoke floated in the sky, temporarily obscuring the Tang army's vision and preventing them from spotting the Shu soldiers climbing the mountain.

Soon, as the rain extinguished the mountain fire, Gan Ning's troops gradually reached the top of the mountain. Through the black smoke and flames, they could almost see the Tang soldiers.

"kill!"

Seeing that the Tang soldiers seemed to have spotted him, and gazing at the flickering flames, Gan Ning gritted his teeth, wrapped himself in the soaked felt cloth, and charged headlong into the fire. With Gan Ning leading the way, a large number of Shu soldiers waded through the scorching flames and rushed towards the astonished Tang soldiers.

To be honest, the Tang soldiers had no idea that the Shu army would dare to charge through the smoke and fire. Now, suddenly faced with a fierce attack from the Shu army, everyone was utterly terrified!
"kill!"

Soon, many Tang soldiers who had recovered from their shock rushed towards the Shu army, attempting to stop Gan Ning from climbing the mountain. (End of Chapter)