Chapter 007: The Great Fire of Thirty Li, A Monumental Achievement (Part Two)

At this moment, Wang He and others were gazing at the endless raging fire in the distance and the wails and roars of the Zhao army within the flames, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

At least tens of thousands of troops! The Zhao army has truly launched a night raid on our forces. Wang Jian was deeply shocked, but at this moment, he could only temporarily collect his thoughts and immediately spoke up to remind others

General, this place is less than 10 miles from the Qin army's main camp. According to the time, the Qin army must have already fallen asleep. As long as we secretly set fire to the camp, the Qin army will surely suffer a great defeat

The immense blaze caused the Qin army's camp to erupt in chaos, as the cries for help from tens of thousands of people prompted Wang He, Wei Jing, Gao Hu, and others to crawl out of their tents, not even having time to don their armor.

In the jungle between the two armies of 20,000, countless torches were lit. However, the torches were obscured by the jungle, making it difficult to discern how many people there were. At first glance, it seemed as if tens of thousands were present.

Elder brother, how did you know that Zhao Jun would take such a secret path?" Wang Ben held a spear, his eyes scanning the darkness.

At first glance, it seems like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses

The crimson blood splattered onto the city tower, and the entire person fell backward.

"Elder brother, it is truly as you said!" At this moment, the voices of the Wang father and son were extremely agitated. Had it not been for Su Jie’s timely reminder, the Qin army would undoubtedly have fallen into a perilous situation, the consequences of which would have been unimaginable

... ...

Therefore, in general night raids, firelight is used as a signal, much like when Sun Bin ambushed Pang Juan, carving words into a tree, stating, 'When the light appears, shoot a thousand arrows at it'

In the darkness of night, the three could be said to be unable to see their own hands, having early on concealed five hundred Qin soldiers around the trap, ready to strike with thunderous force at the slightest sign of movement.

Su Jie chuckled softly and said, "No worries, the Zhao army currently believes they are undetected and unaware, yet little do they know that we have long been ambushed here, waiting for their arrival"

Everyone's first thought is that Zhao Jun will launch a night raid on the camp, and it is feared that today the Qin army will be unable to escape the fate of total annihilation

The smell of sulfur, how could there be a smell of sulfur here, perhaps it is resin, said a soldier

Ah ... ...

Generals, generals! Countless soldiers exclaimed

At this time, the southwest wind rises fiercely, and the raging fire spreads mercilessly, to the point that even Su Jie can no longer control it. For Su Jie and others, the southwest wind conveniently surrounds the retreating Zhao army.

After a quarter of an hour, Wang Jian's eyes shone brightly, radiating brilliance.

Ah ... ... help ... ...

Soldiers, gather and retreat to Lushui, retreat quickly, retreat quickly

While howling, he waved the prepared branches on the ground, producing countless rustling sounds

After landing at Lushui, one must traverse a dense forest. The forest is lush, and not to mention in such darkness, even during the day, it is difficult for anyone to discern any clues.

Wang Jian said: "This is called the Buried Listening Elder!"

... ...

The fire has become uncontrollable, with thick smoke billowing like a dragon, causing countless Zhao soldiers to suffocate and fall to the ground

Thousands of Zhao soldiers were engulfed by the flames, writhing on the ground in agony, while the soldiers behind them, in a state of panic, could only choose to flee

Alright, issue the order, prepare the fire archers, and be absolutely cautious; we must not be detected by the Qin army

Brother Su, Ben'er, an unidentified army has indeed appeared ahead, less than ten miles away, with at least ten thousand troops.

At this moment, within the Shangdang Commandery, the commander had already assembled an army of 50,000 troops, waiting for the flames of the Qin army's camp to appear, which would signify that the main force could charge forth. With such internal and external coordination, the Qin army, caught unprepared, would inevitably achieve success

"Brother Su, what should we do next?" Wang Jian unconsciously began to inquire of Su Jie.

At that moment, an undercover agent inadvertently touched a tree and felt an incredible stickiness. Instinctively, he sniffed it with his nose, and immediately his soul seemed to leave his body.

It was precisely this flicker of light that instantly invigorated the ambushed Su Jie and his party

In the darkness of night, it is inherently difficult to see; confusion arises ahead, while behind, one is naturally at a loss as to how to act

Zhao Jun's route of action is extremely secretive, and it is likely that the ambush route was planned well in advance

Under the state of forgetfulness and uncertainty, Wang He suddenly had a gleam in his eyes: "What a Su Jie, you truly spoke the truth!"

At this moment, Wang Jian was intently lying on the ground, pressing his left ear against the surface, completely still

Wang Ben suddenly appeared and shouted: "Soldiers, shoot your arrows!"

At this moment, Zhao Jun was completely unaware and instead issued the order: 'Send the command down, increase the marching speed, prepare the fire archers, and everyone else follow me to set fire to the main camp'

At this moment, Zhao Jun's soldiers have drawn their weapons, including swords, bows, and crossbows. Under the guidance of the scouts, they are nearing the ambush site where Su Jie and others are lying in wait.

Due to the need for road illumination, there are only a few scattered torches positioned slightly ahead and behind.

The densely packed heads finally came into the sight of Su Jie and the others, and the five hundred soldiers suddenly became aware, each one immediately tensing up

Whoosh whoosh whoosh ... ... Countless arrows swiftly flew towards the Zhao army's ranks

General Zhao Jun had just extinguished the flames on his body, but at this moment, his hair had already been burned away. Seeing the soldiers in a state of panic and fleeing, he knew that the situation was dire.

Since a surprise attack is to be launched, one would naturally seek an excellent and secretive location. Although the march here is difficult, it allows for a direct approach to our Qin army's main camp. If I were in this position, I would certainly choose this route

Su Jie then understood, it turned out to be the sound of the elder!

Su Jie once again issued the order, and the three hundred soldiers here shouted loudly: "Charge... annihilate the Zhao troops." The sound was continuous and echoed back and forth.

It is important to note that at this moment, the night is dark and the wind is strong; without a torch, it would be quite difficult to see anything

It is a trap

Wei Jingxin, shaken to the core, also said: "I regret not heeding Su Jie’s words; now is indeed a fortuitous opportunity for our Great Qin army to conquer Shangdang County. Alas, I have missed it, missed it!"

Zhao Jun had just advanced less than 200 meters when a person ahead stepped into a clearing. Suddenly, the ground in the clearing gave way, and the soldiers let out a terrible scream as they all fell into the dark, dense forest, resulting in chaos and confusion.

The head coach let out a roar and then fainted.

As commanded, Wang Ben left quickly in a low voice after receiving the order

... ...

What is this smell? Suddenly, a pungent odor permeated the air here

Rest assured, General, this route is extremely secretive, and the Qin army will have no way of knowing our marching path

On the city tower of Shangdang County, the commander trembled all over, his veins bulging, and tears welling in his eyes. He extended his trembling hands and pointed towards the rear of the Qin army's camp.

Su Jie smiled and naturally would not reveal the truth to him

The enemy is bright while I am in the dark. I instruct the soldiers that upon seeing the firelight, they must not act rashly. Once the vanguard of the Zhao army enters the trap, chaos will surely ensue, leading to an opportunity for attack.

How could Su Jie allow Zhao Jun to escape? He immediately ordered the two hundred fire attack troops, who had been ambushed in other locations, to prepare and set the entire forest ablaze

Who exactly is it? I, Zhao Jun, have been planning a night raid for over a month... Who exactly is able to see through this? I do not believe it is that Wang He. Investigate, investigate for me.

Zhao Junqian's army fell into a trap, and the rear was engulfed in darkness; any careless movement would result in a sudden collapse of a large number of troops

The great fire spread across the sky, resembling a merciless giant beast that engulfed the Zhao army within the woods of the Qin army's camp

"Not good, the rear has also caught fire, run quickly"

The oil cloth wrapped around the arrowhead was ignited, and the arrow was directly shot into the area that had been thoroughly coated with tung oil. In an instant, a great fire surged into the sky, and the entire forest was engulfed in flames in a moment. The merciless fire spread throughout the ranks of the Zhao army.

Ah, quickly... quickly... retreat

Su Jie asked curiously: "How did General Wang Bai ascertain the number of people?"

The voice just must be.

General, our actions have been discovered, there is tung oil everywhere, retreat, quickly retreat

Five li ahead of Zhao Jun's route, Su Jie, Wang Jian, and Wang Ben had already ambushed themselves in a mound of earth.

Wang Jian discerned the direction and position of the Zhao army through underground listening, but the ability to assess their numbers indicates his extensive combat experience