My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Han Xiang spoke faintly, "However, in this Eastern Continent, there is indeed a formidable player."

Above the desk behind them, two volumes of books were placed.

One was the military treatise "Tactics."

The other was the biography of Chen Sansi.

"Whoosh——"

Han Xiang casually tossed the chess piece in his palm into the chess basket and said indifferently, "Boring, playing chess with you mediocrities is truly uninspiring. You may leave."

"Yes, Immortal Master."

Zhong Wuxin left the tent with his head lowered, and when he reached a secluded spot, he spat on the ground, "This is too much! Do they really think we are just pawns in his hands?!"

"Isn't that the truth?"

Deputy General Gong Yu followed up, "That Han Xiang is so arrogant, in his eyes, we don't even count as people. If he's really that great, why doesn't he just kill the Sheng's army of two hundred thousand by himself? Why does he need us to fight?"

"I really don't know if these Immortal Masters coming to our states is a good or bad thing."

Zhong Wuxin sighed and said, "Moreover, if we continue to drag this out, the supply line from the rear will become problematic."

"If you ask me,"

Gong Yu clenched his fist and said, "if we dispatch ten thousand light cavalry on each flank, taking advantage of the supervising army's advance, and directly loop around from Jingxing Road for a pincer attack, we could at least throw them into disarray."

"But the Immortal Master insists on making me a shrinking turtle."

"I really don't understand his intentions."

"Report——"

"Commander, a message from the scouts at the front."

In the midst of the conversation,

The scouts reported.

After reading the note, Zhong Wuxin still decided to report in person.

He returned to the tent and said, "Immortal Master Han, the Sheng's supervising army has set up camp in the Yiling area, and their encampment is quite fortified. It will be difficult for us to push forward from here on. It would be better to retreat west of the Luo River for now. Continuing like this is really disadvantageous to our forces."

"Wait, what did you say?"

Han Xiang put down the "Tactics" in his hand and inquired, "You said, where did the supervising army set up camp?"

"Yiling."

Worried that the opponent was unfamiliar with the terrain here, Zhong Wuxin added, "Yiling is easy to defend and hard to attack, and they can use it to escape the summer heat. With the supply line also secure, if we try to send a surprise force from behind now, I'm afraid it's already too late..."

Unexpectedly,

Before he could finish his words,

He saw Han Xiang sneer, his eyes filled with disdain, "Mediocrities, oh mediocrities. Tell me, how do you, such mediocrities, dare to lead tens or even hundreds of thousands of troops into battle?

"'The more, the better' is not a principle that applies to everyone. The most you people can competently command is around ten thousand troops."

"Immortal Master..."

Zhong Wuxin felt extremely disgruntled inside, but he dared not show it, "I am obtuse, Immortal Master, if you have a deeper stratagem, please do tell."

"The extreme summer heat, the climate in your Liang state is dry, with such tinderbox conditions, that boy with the surname Tong wouldn't dare to camp in the forest! "

Han Xiang threw down the scroll, suddenly rose to his feet, "Two hundred thousand enemy troops, are now ashes!"

"Zhong Wuxin, select twenty thousand men from the left and right armies, split into six groups, following the small paths I marked with a fine red brush on the map, directly charge into the Shengren Army Camp to set fire."

"Deputy General Gong Yu, you lead thirty thousand troops, set an ambush two hundred li to the east in the canyon."

"Leave fifty thousand troops to guard the camp, to prepare for any unexpected events."

"All others must immediately break camp, heading straight for Yiling!"

"Yes!"

...

That night.

Midnight.

The sweltering darkness was filled with the relentless chirping of cicadas.

The soldiers of Dasheng had stripped to the waist, with Armour and Weapons all cast aside at a distance, trying every possible way to cool off.

Yet the temperature kept rising, and it wasn't until the sound of crackling flames and the screams of their comrades rang out that they were jolted awake. To their horror, they saw flames soaring into the sky amidst the woods!

"It's on fire!"

"It's on fire!"

"Put out the fire!"

There was naturally water prepared within the camp.

However, with the weather being hot and dry and dry grass covering the ground, with the camp and the tents made from locally-sourced timber, all highly flammable, let alone the raging inferno, even a tiny spark could cause ignition, and any amount of water poured over it was like throwing a cup of water on a cartload of wood.

The fire spread uncontrollably, illuminating the area for hundreds of li around as bright as day, while billowing black smoke rose into the sky, appearing as a dark Jiao Long.

The eight hundred li connected camps!

One fire, thoroughly eradicated!

"Enemy Attack!"

"There's an enemy attack—"

"..."

Amidst the flames,

The soldiers of Dasheng saw the densely-packed West Qi Army charging at them.

In their panic, they cast away their helmets and armor, and countless died!

"Brilliant strategy, truly brilliant!"

The reassembled Zhong Wuxin couldn't stop praising, "Immortal Master Han, I understand now! Your continuous retreat, refusing to battle decisively with the enemy, was to lure them deep into our territory."

"You had anticipated early on they would set up camp in the strategically advantageous Yiling!"

"Or rather, it was you who arranged it such that they had no choice but to camp there, no other options whatsoever!"

"Then, it only took one fire to turn their eight hundred li stretch of camps into flying ash!"

"Military Immortal, truly worthy of the title Military Immortal."

"Not quite."

Han Xiang's expression was still as calm as a still lake; he rode his sword up into the air and looked down upon the raging fire, noticing that many of the camps stretching over eight hundred li were in fact empty.

"Report——"

Indeed, a soldier immediately came to report.

"The majority of Dasheng's supervising army, as if notified in advance, had already retreated!"

"Only the twenty thousand troops of the vanguard did not receive the notice and were still within the camp."

"..."