It wasn't that these soldiers of the State of Meng were afraid of battle, but that the pressure Li Yan exerted was too immense. He was an invincible existence.
For them to charge forward was no different from suicide. The most that could be written on the roster would be that they had died a heroic death for their country.
Seeing Dongling Min pause again, Li Yan's face slowly turned cold. He looked at Cui Feng, on the verge of ordering an immediate attack on the enemy. He had already exercised an unprecedented amount of restraint today, yet the other party was so ungrateful. Even if that strange thought arose again, he could not let the enemy go in front of all his men.
Just then, that pleasant voice was heard once more. "General Li, is Captain Kong currently stationed at Green Mountain Pass?"
Li Yan's order to attack was instantly retracted. He was startled by Dongling Min's words. Had the enemy's scouts managed to learn the deployment of his garrison? But his face showed no expression. He just looked at Dongling Min, knowing she had more to say.
Captain Kong was his trusted general. This time, when the entire army went south to meet the enemy, he had entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of guarding Green Mountain Pass. But for some reason, hearing Dongling Min suddenly mention Captain Kong, a faint sense of unease rose in Li Yan's heart.
"I wonder how Green Mountain Pass is doing now?" After saying this seemingly random sentence, Dongling Min turned without looking back and quickly ran west. Her generals also gave their commander a strange look before quickly following.
"Marshal, this woman is playing tricks. She is trying to sow discord in our army's heart. Let this subordinate capture her, and you can interrogate her to get to the bottom of this," Cui Feng said, glancing into the distance and then at the motionless Li Yan, before stepping forward to respectfully request the order.
Li Yan's expression did not change at all. He just sneered a few times. "No need. Let her go. It's just a petty trick. I have my own use for letting her go!"
Originally, Dongling Min's parting words had sent a chill through the hearts of many soldiers on the west flank. But seeing their Marshal sneering and then saying such words, they no longer paid it any mind.
Cui Feng was initially puzzled that Li Yan was still letting the enemy go, but when he heard Li Yan's next words, he thought of the woman's surname. 'That woman must be from the State of Meng's royal family. The Marshal must have a brilliant plan to make use of her identity.'
Li Yan glanced at the offensive on the east side. Now, without the support of the enemy forces from the west, and with the reinforcements Li Yan had brought, they had already gained the upper hand.
"The west side must still be strictly guarded. Gather the troops later and resolve the eastern army as soon as possible. General Cui, you make the arrangements first, then come and see me."
After speaking, Li Yan walked towards the rear. The remaining matters of troop deployment were left to Cui Feng, so there was no need for further details.
By the time Cui Feng had hastily arranged matters at the front, half a quarter of an hour had passed. When he arrived at the temporary Marshal's tent in the rear, he saw Marshal Li Yan sitting alone behind the desk, his face in deep thought, so absorbed that he didn't even notice Cui Feng's entry.
"This subordinate pays his respects, my lord!" After entering, Cui Feng saw that Li Yan didn't react and quickly announced his presence softly.
"Oh, you're here. Come forward," Li Yan said, finally looking up.
But when Cui Feng saw the Marshal's face, he was shocked. Li Yan's expression was extremely grim, and beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead.
Cui Feng hurried forward and stopped in front of the Marshal's desk. He heard Li Yan muttering to himself, "Something is wrong. Why did the State of Meng's armies suddenly arrive all at once? One reason is to lure our main force out. The second... could it be that there really is a traitor, planning an inside job?"
Cui Feng was shocked again. So the Marshal was still worried about what had just happened. And from the looks of it, his earlier composure was just an act to calm the army's heart.
"Marshal, Captain Kong has followed you for nearly ten years. Back when you were just a centurion in the 'Wind-Hunting Battalion,' he was already your subordinate. I don't believe there's a problem with him. It's most likely the enemy's ploy to sow discord. By doing this, even if we send our fastest scouts back to investigate, a round trip would take four or five days. This could delay our main army from a full-scale pursuit."
After hearing this, Li Yan shook his head lightly. "I've already weighed this possibility. It is one possibility. Do you know why I ultimately let that Dongling Min go? Because her second attack was not aimed at my vitals. She was acting as a member of the martial world, showcasing her unique skill in a contest of strength. Perhaps her mind was in chaos from the initial loss, so she forgot this was a battlefield between two armies. Her actions, in the eyes of others, were essentially a sneak attack. Under such circumstances, if I had killed all of them, so be it. There would be no need to follow the rules of the martial world. But I still let her go. At that point, what Dongling Min said was no longer what a commanding general should say, but rather a form of apology from a martial artist, an apology for her own reckless behavior. If her repayment was too small, it wouldn't match her status. If she said too much, it might be leaking military secrets."
At this point, Li Yan took a deep breath.
Cui Feng thought for a moment and said, "But between the two, leaking military secrets is the more serious matter. As a general, how could she be so flippant about something of such importance?"
Li Yan shook his head again. "That's because, if what she said about Captain Kong is true, the event has probably already happened. At the latest, it would have happened two days after our main army departed. By that time, your forces at the front would have already engaged with the enemy's various armies, and I would have begun to disperse my forces for support. Even if we knew, it would likely be too late to redeploy troops for a return to aid."
Cui Feng was speechless for a moment. The State of Meng's full-scale invasion this time was indeed puzzling.
The various fortresses on the southern border, after so many years of reinforcement by Li Yan, were like they were cast from bronze and iron. A direct assault had less than a fifty percent chance of success and would come at a heavy cost. The State of Meng could not bear such casualties.
Yet, they still did it. What surprised Cui Feng this time was that the enemy was able to launch a surprise attack from the west of "Fallen Immortal Slope." Everything else was within expectations. This tactic was truly perplexing.
"Alright, General Cui, this place still needs to be strictly guarded. I will leave all the men here under your full command. Resolve the eastern army as soon as possible. If the enemy army retreats, proceed with caution and advance step by step. Do not be greedy for merit and advance rashly. The main priority is to defend 'Fallen Immortal Slope' strictly. You are a veteran general, so I don't need to worry about the detailed deployment. I need to personally return to Green Mountain Pass. Also, deploy another unit to guard the north, defending the direction of Green Mountain Pass. Then, send this news by fast horse to the other fortresses at the quickest speed. But issue a strict order that only the main generals are to know. Before my next order arrives, anyone who leaks this information will be executed!" Although Li Yan was anxious, he still laid out his plans slowly.
"Marshal, if you really want to go back and check, then leaving ten thousand of the troops you brought is sufficient. The rest of the soldiers must return with you."
Cui Feng had heard Li Yan's muttering, but he also knew Captain Kong well and was only half-convinced. But there was no room for games in the army. The simultaneous arrival of several of the State of Meng's armies was already extremely rare, so how could he be certain at this moment? However, protecting Li Yan's safety was the most important matter.
"No need. Right now, only I alone can return to Green Mountain Pass in the shortest amount of time. If there is no trouble at Green Mountain Pass, I will naturally return. If there is trouble, the fastest the army can arrive is in four days. By that time..."
Li Yan was not exaggerating. With his peerless lightness skill and profound, long-lasting internal power, he could probably reach Green Mountain Pass by noon tomorrow if he traveled without rest. How could he be willing to travel with a large army?
"Even so, the Marshal alone can only investigate. The main army must still follow. Otherwise..." Cui Feng said urgently, but he stopped at the end, unwilling to voice that scenario.
Li Yan thought for a moment and felt that Cui Feng was right. It seemed his heart was in turmoil. No matter how powerful he was, if Green Mountain Pass had truly fallen into chaos, he would have no choice but to flee in the face of a large army's attack.
"You are right. I will arrange for Li Du to lead the main army to follow behind me," Li Yan nodded.
Li Du was his personal guard captain, a former high-ranking general in the army who had willingly given up wealth and status to follow Li Yan. He was the most suitable person to lead the army.
After arranging everything, Li Yan set off half an hour later. He sped north alone and silently.
From "Fallen Immortal Slope" northward, there was a smooth, main road. Li Yan's mount was a rare divine steed, but he did not use it. He even left his fearsome great halberd on the mount for Li Du to bring back with the army.
Li Yan, for his part, removed his armor, taking only his sword, and traveled light.
He unleashed his lightness skill to its fullest and sped north. His martial arts were already invincible in this era, and his lightness skill was unmatched. At full speed, he was like an arrow shot from a bow, gone in a flash.
After traveling for nearly two hours, Li Yan's figure suddenly paused. In his field of vision, on the official road at night, a lone rider was galloping towards him. The sound of hooves on the ground was like rolling thunder in the silent night.
At night, his vision was limited by the darkness and terrain. Li Yan could only vaguely see the scene ahead. But his internal power was profound. After just a few breaths, he could already hear that there were at least a dozen horses galloping towards him.
Li Yan flashed to the side of the road, under a large tree. It was the tallest tree nearby. He suddenly leaped up, his toes tapping continuously on the thick branches of the tree. After a dozen taps, he had reached the treetop canopy.
He condensed his full power, circulated a breath from his Dantian, and landed on a thin branch at the very top of the tree, no thicker than a thumb. His entire body swayed with the branch, like a ghost in the dark night.
From this vantage point, he could see everything within two or three li. Although it was still blurry, Li Yan could already see clearly. In the very front was a lone rider. About two li behind them were about a dozen more riders, galloping towards him like a storm.