Inside the city of the Right Camp.
Chu Fu, who had recently been gaining Sun Wuji’s trust, was now discussing the upcoming battle plans with the camp’s generals.
Chu Fu possessed a sharp eye for strategy. After the first day, he continued to command the Right Camp’s forces in battle, proving his talent through consecutive victories. While Sun Wuji initially saw him as a mere figurehead to win over the people, he had now grown to rely on Chu Fu’s advice almost unquestioningly.
Chu Fu made a point of saying, “Regarding military affairs, General, please involve other advisors in the discussions as well. I am grateful for your trust in me, but for the sake of the greater cause, it is unwise to rely solely on one person.”
Sun Wuji sighed in admiration, “A man like you is a true gentleman of virtue!”
Today’s discussion in the Right Camp focused on cavalry-related matters. Although recent battles had produced favorable outcomes, Sun Wuji’s elite forces had suffered significant losses and needed replenishment.
Bringing in reinforcements from other parts of Cheng Province risked interception by Jianping’s main forces outside. Chu Fu proposed, “Generals Tao, Chen, and Shi each command tens of thousands of surrendered troops. You could recruit them for your own use. These soldiers are originally from the eastern lands, merely captured by the enemy, so they are naturally different from others.”
Many officers in the Right Camp had initially resented Chu Fu’s sudden rise. However, as they were also from the east, with numerous comrades and fellow villagers lost or scattered during the conflict – having been forced to fight surrendered troops before – they had long felt discontent. Now, they voiced their support for Chu Fu’s suggestion.
No matter how high Sun Wuji’s personal prestige, he had to consider the sentiments of his subordinates when making decisions. Moreover, he was keen to help Chu Fu establish his footing. With most in agreement, he followed Chu Fu’s advice.
At the same time, Chu Fu advised privately, “Tao Jia is cunning, and the officers under him are crafty. You must enforce strict discipline over the newly recruited surrendered troops to prevent enemy spies from infiltrating.”
Sun Wuji harbored some doubts but hesitated to voice them, fearing that speaking up might make Chu Fu feel he lacked trust. Hearing this, he immediately responded with delight, “Indeed, I have not misjudged you!”
On the surface, Chu Fu maintained a calm and composed demeanor, but inwardly, he sneered.
Once the decision was made, the Right Camp once again launched attacks against the Jianping forces. Their assaults always started fiercely before easing off, each time capturing a number of surrendered soldiers and bringing them into the city.
Within the encampment of the Jianping army.
Ren Feihong had now changed into the attire of an ordinary soldier. Her appearance had always leaned too scholarly, but having spent years in Tai Province, she had once learned from the local indigenous people a method to alter skin tone using plant extracts. After some disguise, she now looked like an ordinary soldier.
Long before the siege began, to win over the hearts of the surrendered troops, she had deliberately come to the barracks, sharing meals and staying overnight with them. Since most of the surrendered soldiers were from Gu Province, while the majority of the Right Camp troops hailed from Cheng Province and its surrounding areas, the two groups had never been particularly close. Seeing their commander so approachable, the surrendered troops were moved and willing to serve her.
Ren Feihong planned to infiltrate the city hidden among these soldiers. Beforehand, she openly shared her plan with the officers among the surrendered troops and gave a deep bow. “For this mission, I entrust my life to you. If we succeed, I will never forget your support.”
As a character frequently mentioned in discussions, Ren Feihong has distinct traits. She is bold, adventurous, and having long mingled among common folk, she speaks without the biases of social status, allowing her to interact with anyone.
The minor leader among the surrendered troops also bowed in return. Coming from a modest local gentry family with limited means to withstand the perils of war, he had previously relied on Ren Feihong’s help to reunite with his lost elderly mother. He had long held a sense of gratitude, and now, slicing his hand with a knife, he joined those around him in a blood oath. “We will follow Lord Ren’s orders in all matters.”
Without wasting words, Ren Feihong began making arrangements immediately. She did not enter alone but brought several trusted guards with her. Before setting out, she earnestly instructed those around her, “Once inside the city, there is no need to take extra actions. Even if the enemy orders you to attack General of Charlots and Cavalry and his forces, comply as instructed. Any consequences will rest solely on me.”
As the Right Camp harbored the intention to recruit surrendered troops, their attacks during this period were less fierce and relentless than before. Ren Feihong and her companions pretended to put up some resistance before surrendering and were smoothly brought into the camp to settle in. Day after day, they dutifully carried out miscellaneous tasks such as carrying bricks, building walls, and piling earth. Discipline in the Right Camp was somewhat lax, and over time, the management of those around them grew more relaxed.
Ren Feihong remained remarkably patient. Even when she noticed oversights among the guards, she consistently held her ground. Staying in the militia camp, she occasionally heard that some newly recruited surrendered soldiers in the city had been discovered as spies from Jianping, and entire groups were subsequently executed by Sun Wuji and others. Of course, Jianping had not sent so many people, but the newly recruited surrendered troops often had disciplinary issues. Looking at them with a critical eye, Sun Wuji naturally regarded everyone with suspicion, as if they all harbored ill intentions. Even a few junior officers originally within the Right Camp were executed by Sun Wuji for speaking up on behalf of the surrendered soldiers.
After this, perhaps the high-ranking officers in the army remained fiercely loyal to Sun Wuji, but for the common soldiers, the distinction between Sun Wuji and their former oppressors gradually blurred.
Sun Wuji remained unaware of the changes brewing beneath the surface. After a period of attacks, the encirclement outside the Right Camp appeared to have thinned. He ascended the city walls daily to survey the surroundings, filled with confidence and ambition.
Chu Fu asserted, “Since the Jianping forces can no longer maintain an effective encirclement outside, they will concentrate their troops in one area to guard against our continued assaults. From now on, further attacks will likely not be as easy as before.”
Having enjoyed a period of smooth sailing, Sun Wuji had long stopped regarding renowned generals like Tao Jia with concern. Initially, he paid little heed to Chu Fu’s words. It was only after suffering three consecutive defeats that he summoned Chu Fu and earnestly sought his advice.
Chu Fu sneered twice but did not put on airs. “General, do not worry. Although they have won a few battles, their morale is actually broken.” He then added, “Please first send scouts to observe the number of cooking fires in the enemy camp.”
Having been humbled by reality, Sun Wuji immediately followed Chu Fu’s advice and sent scouts to investigate. They soon reported that the cooking smoke from the Jianping camp had been decreasing day by day.
Chu Fu nodded slightly and said, “Just as I thought. Tao Jia is a seasoned veteran. If he were to commit his elite forces here, the reputation he regained back in Tai Province would likely be lost in this place. They must already be planning a retreat but fear that a sudden withdrawal would give you an opening. So they pretend to hold their ground while actually arranging for troops to withdraw. Those left behind are merely a facade. As long as you gather your elite forces and strike with full momentum, you can achieve victory in one decisive battle.”
During this period, Chu Fu not only offered strategic advice to Sun Wuji but also involved himself in logistical matters within the army. It wasn’t that Sun Wuji had reached such a level of trust in Chu Fu, but Chu Fu, coming from a prominent family with deep scholarly traditions, far surpassed ordinary advisors in matters of calculation and planning. With him alone, he was worth more than a dozen mediocre talents.
Sun Wuji nodded repeatedly and then gathered his officers, intending to launch the decisive battle.
Chu Fu deliberately avoided involvement initially, but mobilizing elite forces inevitably involved complex matters of provisions and equipment. In the end, it was Sun Wuji who took the initiative, offering polite words and personally inviting him to participate.
Banners fluttered, and countless soldiers and horses stood arrayed before the Right Camp. During the formation, Jianping forces sent troops multiple times to disrupt them, but each time they were repelled by the Right Camp’s generals. Once the army had fully assembled into formation, war drums thundered, and dust swirled across the land. Sun Wuji donned his armor, mounted his horse, and led the troops into battle.
Cavalry units charged in formation, advancing like sharp arrows that thrust fiercely into Jianping’s battle lines. The moment the two sides clashed, Jianping’s forces showed signs of collapse, just as Chu Fu had predicted – mere show without substance. Struck by this heavy blow, Jianping’s troops retreated again and again, until finally, like a rolling snowball, they completely fell apart in disarray.
Sun Wuji personally oversaw the central command, dispatching all his generals to pursue the enemy, eager to behead Tao Jia and others at once.
“General!”
Just as Sun Wuji was filled with triumph and elation, a nearby guard suddenly cried out in alarm. He turned to look behind him and was shocked to see flames rising from the Right Camp.
Caught between extreme highs and lows, Sun Wuji swayed, nearly falling from his horse.
The city was already on fire!
How could the city suddenly be ablaze?
There was already some distance between them and the Right Camp. If not for the predominantly flat terrain and the intense ferocity of the fire within the city, the flames would have been impossible to see from here.
Upon the city wall of the Right Camp, Chu Fu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, solemn and composed. This was one of the Five Great Camps of the Great Zhou, a solid fortress built through the immense efforts of past generations. He had been reluctant to destroy it. However, if the Right Camp remained standing now, considering that the city was mostly filled with Sun Wuji’s men, should Sun Wuji return with his forces, he could still recapture the city and continue obstructing the Jianping army. It was better to cut the problem at its root, making a clean break once and for all.
Sun Wuji wanted to turn back, but his cavalry had already charged forward in pursuit. Turning back would mean going against the momentum, inevitably shattering morale. As he hesitated, the vanguard cavalry he had sent to pursue the Jianping forces was actually driven back in retreat.
“Report – Reporting to the General, our men encountered Jianping’s ambush ahead!”
A minor officer with an arrow wound in his shoulder rode up to deliver the message, breathless and bleeding profusely as he spoke.
Upon hearing this, Sun Wuji almost gritted his teeth in fury. While he vaguely sensed that this was part of Jianping’s strategy, he had not anticipated the current situation. The enemy was exploiting their lack of experience in commanding large-scale battles.
Earlier, Generals like Shi Zhuhe had feigned a retreat, moving their elite forces to the rear to prepare for an ambush. Those left in the original camp were mostly militiamen and surrendered soldiers, with only one in ten capable of fighting. Sun Wuji had pursued too eagerly, causing the vanguard to become separated from the main force and disrupting command. As a result, the well-prepared Jianping forces struck back fiercely.
His cavalry had already suffered heavy losses from days of continuous combat, and now with the vanguard completely destroyed, how could he continue fighting Jianping’s troops?
With matters having reached this point, Sun Wuji could no longer afford to hesitate. He decisively rallied the remaining soldiers and prepared to return to the Right Camp. His future strategy would also shift from offense to defense, relying on the advantages of the city to continue confronting Jianping. However, upon reaching the city walls, he saw Chu Fu standing above, sneering at him. “All provisions and wooden platforms in the city have been burned. Tell me, General, can you still stop anyone from heading to Hengping?”
Sun Wuji looked around in shock and saw that Jianping’s troops had indeed bypassed the Right Camp and were continuing their swift advance eastward. The very reason he had stationed himself here was to block these forces. If he let them pass, recapturing the Right Camp would be meaningless.
“Treacherous Chu! I will not rest until you pay for this!”
Sun Wuji roared in fury, snatched a bow from a nearby guard, and shot an arrow directly upward. Unfortunately, the distance was too great. Before reaching the top of the wall, the arrow lost momentum and drifted harmlessly down.
Chu Fu laughed heartily. Sun Wuji had no time to engage with him and immediately led his cavalry to pursue the Jianping forces. Midway through the chase, he suddenly realized – the territory behind them was their own. Even if Jianping intended to launch an attack, they would need to secure supplies first. How could they advance lightly equipped with only cavalry? This had to be a ruse to delay him from recapturing the Right Camp. However, by the time he thought to turn back, it was already too late. Sun Wuji let out a long sigh and had no choice but to take refuge in a nearby small town to rest and reorganize. He planned to gather his remaining forces, return to Hengping County, and reunite with his senior fellow disciples before deciding on the next move.
Inside the Right Camp.
The city gates had been burned to a crisp, the walls were destroyed, and with the camp’s elite forces taken away by Sun Wuji, those left behind were powerless to resist. In the end, they simply opened the gates and surrendered. Once the situation gradually settled, Yang Dongxi – who would later become a renowned assassin in certain side storylines – finally allowed herself to collapse unceremoniously, tossing the long blade in her hand aside. Disguised as an attendant, she had been assigned to protect Chu Fu up close, but due to his exceptional acting skills, she had hardly had a chance to do anything. Initially, Yang Dongxi felt somewhat disappointed at the lack of opportunity to prove herself, but only now did she realize that having a chance to display one’s talents was not necessarily a good thing. Before this, she had never in her life encountered a situation where she was chased and beaten by over a hundred people. If not for the slight advantage of the terrain and eventually linking up with Ren Feihong and others, she would have long since reunited with her ancestors.
Ren Feihong lazily sat down beside Yang Dongxi, taking a few weak sips of bland wine. As a strategist, her combat skills were only slightly better than the Emperor’s – essentially above an ordinary soldier but not quite at the level of an elite. Her survival until now was largely thanks to the outstanding performance of her comrades.
