My Cultivation Starting from Archery

"Can't you also bring your brother-in-law over?"

"He would never be willing."

"But we still have to save him."

"Can't save him, let's see what fate has in store for him."

The Empress, dragging her dragon robe, left and disappeared from sight.

...

The Agate River.

The shore of the Big Snow River.

All the soldiers of the Hongze Camp successfully crossed the pontoon bridge.

Fifty miles ahead of them was the largest camp of the barbarian tribes within thousands of miles. Although its fortifications were not as strong as those of a real city, they were incomparable to those of ordinary camps.

The most critical aspect was that a Martial Saint was stationed there, with fifty thousand troops ready for combat. In all directions, there were countless barbarian tribes gathering.

Ten days!

Within ten days.

If they couldn't find a way to leave this place, they would be facing a siege by one hundred thousand soldiers, along with three Martial Saints!

"Sir!"

Xia Cong brushed off the ice and snow from his body and bowed with his fist, "What are our next arrangements?"

"Sir, shouldn't we... just go back the way we came?"

Chu Shixiong put away the report he had just received.

Seeing that sending letters to Chen Sansi was useless, Liangzhou simply started sending letters to Chu Shixiong.

He said, "We can still make it, before the battle commences."

"Whoever speaks of retreat again, off with his head to sacrifice to the battle standard!"

The voice of Chen Sansi roared above the wind and snow, "At Hulaoguan, I had only three thousand men, yet I still smashed a hundred thousand and captured Fan Shuzhen alive! Today, I have fifteen thousand men, could it be that all these newly joined soldiers of the Hongze Camp are cowards, dragging down the combat strength of our army?!"

"General!"

"We swear we will not retreat to the death!"

"Swear not to retreat to the death!"

"Behead Yuwen Jingwen!"

"..."

The brothers from Po Yang, the original three thousand Black Armor warriors, all shouted together, and the other Hongze Camp soldiers also followed suit, their voices thunderous.

"Someone, tear down the pontoon bridge for me!"

Chen Sansi ordered.

"Yes!"

Several Assistant Generals immediately complied.

Before fifteen thousand soldiers, they dismantled the pontoon bridge completely.

A point of no return!

Onward with courage!

Chu Shixiong dare not mention retreating anymore, he asked, "General, since that's the case, let's march as quickly as possible. I've scouted ahead earlier, ten miles ahead, just outside the great village of the barbarian tribes, the terrain is open, suitable for our cavalry to form up, and in case something goes wrong, we can still detour for some time on the small path to the northwest."

"No, pass my military orders!"

Chen Sansi stood at a high point, "Set up our military formation right here, on the shore of the Agate River!"

"Right here?"

Chu Shixiong turned around, looking at the cold river water beneath his feet, "If we take one step back, we'll fall right into the river."

"Then, don't take a single step back!"

"Form up!"

"..."

...

The great village of the barbarian tribes.

"Uncle!"

Prince Yu Wenxin came hurriedly into the tent, "They're here! All of them! Last night, Chen Sansi successfully crossed the river!"

"Hmm."

Yu Wenjingwen asked, "Is their main force camped ten miles outside of our Great Village?"

"No."

Yu Wenxin replied, "After crossing the river, they dismantled the pontoon bridge themselves and didn't move forward at all, just arranged their troops in formation right there."

"Oh? They took down the pontoon bridge and are now backed by the Agate River?"

The usually unflappable Yu Wenjingwen finally showed a hint of surprise on his face. He squinted his eyes as he stared at the map of the Agate River: "It seems this young man has truly made up his mind to have a decisive battle with me right here!"

"Good nephew, are you certain the entire Hongze Camp is there?"

"Positive!"

Yu Wenxin said with conviction, "We've checked back and forth many times. At the riverside, there are at least twelve thousand men, basically the entire army."

After all, they were not counting names in a line, so it was impossible to get an accurate count of the enemy troops down to the last man, only a rough estimate.

A full-strength camp numbers fifteen thousand men.

At least twelve thousand men, plus the losses along the way, are about the sum of their main force. There would be no reinforcements from the Sheng people here.

"One last question."

Yu Wenjingwen asked, "Are Chen Sansi and Chu Shixiong both there?"

The surname Chen was full of tricks.

He also had to guard against a general laying an ambush in advance.

"Both are there!"

Prince Yu Wenxin said, "Not only are Chen Sansi and Chu Shixiong there, but also King Yan Cao Zhi, the Twelfth Prince of the Old Emperor of the Sheng Dynasty. There's absolutely no mistake!"

"Try again."

Yu Wenjingwen wasn't in a hurry.

"Report——"

Just then.

A soldier came to report.

"Chen Sansi and Chu Shixiong, leading a few hundred men, have come to challenge us outside the Great Village!"

"How timely!"

"Swish——"

Yu Wenjingwen abruptly stood up.

Wrapped around his arms was a layer of thick Mystic Iron Chains, which rattled as he moved. At the end of the chains in his right hand was a large hunk of metal.

Meteor Hammer!

The spherical hammer, covered in spikes, was nearly as tall as a man.

"Boom!"

Under the tug of the imposingly-built Yu Wenjingwen, the Meteor Hammer began to shift, like an iron mountain in motion.

"Uncle."

Prince Yu Wenxin said, "You're moving so quickly to take action yourself. Why not wait a bit longer and send out two generals to test Chen Sansi's mettle first?"

"Nephew, let me ask you,"

Yu Wenjingwen said as he stepped into the snow, "Do you know why, despite having a hundred thousand soldiers and the aid of Zhong Hu's son, Lingsuan Ran Jingxuan as military advisor during the Battle of Hu Lao, Fan Shuzhen of Nan Xu still lost?"

"Because..."

Yu Wenxin thoughtfully replied after some consideration, "Chen Sansi is full of tricks?"

"Incorrect."

"I admit, he is unparalleled in courage."

"Wrong again, think harder."

"Could it be because he had, by his side at the time, Qing Country's defected General Deng Feng and Mr. Feng Chu Fang Qingyun?"

"Still not right."

Yu Wenjingwen patiently explained, "Fan Shuzhen's defeat lay in his hesitation!"