Chapter 397: Chapter 397

Joyful occasions invigorate a person, and Li Fusheng radiated such an aura at this moment.

When Zheng Fan led troops into battle, it was more often for the thrill of command, the sense of dominance as thousands of soldiers charged and moved at his will. Simply put, he did it to show off.

Li Fusheng was different; Li Fusheng purely enjoyed killing.

The blind man once said that a person’s eyes are the hardest to deceive. The bloodshot crimson in Li Fusheng’s eyes was a stark testament to his current, insatiable thirst for blood.

"Chief Zheng, come with me."

This was actually a kind gesture. Firstly, it was to give Zheng Fan exposure. Despite his decent track record, Zheng Fan’s battles were mostly blitzkriegs or guerrilla warfare, often against simple-minded Wolf Land Soldiers. Secondly, it was to help him gain experience. In the traditional view of the Yan people, managing the city’s internal affairs was a merit. However, only bloody military achievements constituted solid capital for promotion, and other accomplishments paled in comparison. This was akin to how many in older generations viewed any profession outside of civil service as mere labor.

Truthfully, Zheng Fan was quite eager to witness a battle involving tens of thousands. Besides, with the blind man and the others managing the city, there wouldn’t be any chaos. He immediately cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Thank you, my lord!"

Li Fusheng laughed, then walked out of the room. His seemingly lazy Pi Beast immediately rose and knelt on its forelegs before him.

Li Fusheng mounted the Pi Beast and declared, "Pass on my command, the army advances!" Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novelꜰire.net

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Outside the South Gate, units of the Northern Town Army cavalry were deploying in an orderly fashion. When 20,000 cavalrymen set out on a combat mission, they naturally wouldn’t all be crammed together, swarming in one direction.

Li Fusheng personally led three thousand cavalry as the central column. Under his command, six Guerilla Generals, each leading nearly three thousand cavalry, had already advanced towards the locations reported by the scouts. An aerial view at this moment would reveal seven rapidly moving shadows sweeping across the area south of Chuzhou City.

Zheng Fan and Liang Cheng naturally rode with Li Fusheng’s central column. Technically, the two thousand five hundred cavalry from Green Willow Fortress should have formed Li Fusheng’s temporary personal guard. However, Li Fusheng considered two factors: first, the Green Willow Fortress soldiers had been working all night without rest, and second, he needed to accommodate his own troops’ eagerness for battle.

A truly formidable army is a confident one. They do not fear war; they crave it. The very scent of battle excites them.

Liang Cheng carefully observed their surroundings. Dispatch riders constantly shuttled back and forth between the various units, ensuring the timely relay of commands.

Cavalry tactics were diverse and far more fluid than those of infantry. Their mobility granted them more opportunities on the battlefield, but effectively commanding cavalry was a profound skill.

Evidently, whether Li Fusheng was clinically unstable, as the blind man had suggested, or not, his military command abilities were superb. This wasn’t theoretical knowledge; it was expertise honed over years of battling the master cavalrymen of tribal groups in the desert.

Previously, their two-to-three-day stay in Chuzhou, setting aside political factors, was for two main reasons: First, to resupply. Due to the long-distance forced march, the troops hadn’t carried extensive provisions. Second, to rest the horses. Warhorses were not only expensive but also delicate. They required recuperation after long marches to prevent significant losses.

However, just as they finished resupplying and resting, it was like a godsend—a Qian army suddenly materialized before them.

Unlike Chief Zheng, who managed his affairs with careful frugality, Li Fusheng was far more aggressive. His first reaction upon spotting the enemy wasn’t to assess their strength or his potential losses, but a single imperative: Fight!

Just then, Li Fusheng, having heard a report from a dispatch rider, laughed and cursed, "Direct Thief! Those Qian bastards actually tucked their tails between their legs!"

Zheng Fan was beside Li Fusheng. This was hardly the time for a Q&A.

But Li Fusheng’s mood seemed to shift with this military report. He appeared somewhat disdainful, yet also more relaxed. He voluntarily turned to Zheng Fan and exclaimed, "This Qian army... no idea where they popped up from, but definitely not from the north. They probably don’t even know Chuzhou has fallen. This morning, they were foolishly marching this way. Now, it seems they’ve sensed something’s off and are trying to regroup towards Qingshan County to the southwest."

"This isn’t a Qian army specifically dispatched to attack and recapture Chuzhou?"

Most people in Chuzhou, Zheng Fan included, had assumed this Qian army was the King’s army. They believed these soldiers, who had suddenly appeared on the outskirts of Chuzhou, were sent to fight the ’Yan bastards’.

But this did not seem to be the case.

The exact makeup and origin of this army remained unclear for now. However, judging by their earlier naive advance on Chuzhou and their current panicked retreat towards a nearby county town, it seemed this was merely a Qian army... just passing through.

No wonder. Chuzhou had fallen into the hands of the Northern Town Army far too quickly and without offering any real resistance. Simultaneously, the Northern Town Army had dispatched numerous scouts over a wide area, effectively sealing off the large city from the outside world.