Fifteen days.
A full fifteen days had passed, and Fan Li’s army had seemingly vanished from the world.
Xiang Chong couldn't find him, and neither could Zhang Juzheng.
Zhang Juzheng had abandoned the ambush. He had moved his army to Zitong Pass, a strategic location on the road from Peng City to Yunzhou City.
Since the ambush had failed, he would switch to a defensive strategy.
No matter how cunning Fan Li was, if he wanted to reach the Yunzhou battlefield, he had to pass through Zitong Pass.
Zhang Juzheng had absolute confidence that with three times the number of troops, if Fan Li dared to show up, he wouldn’t return alive.
…
Gulp!
Fan Li swallowed a mouthful of strong liquor and tore off a large chunk of mutton.
After half a month of military life, he was forced to adapt to sleeping under the stars and eating whatever he could find.
Now, he had a scraggly beard and unkempt hair. If not for the exquisitely crafted and expensive marshal's armor he wore, he would have resembled a beggar.
"Damn it! Zhao Si, I told you to cook the mutton thoroughly. Are you deaf?!"
Fan Li pointed at the bone of the mutton leg. Red streaks of blood, like flower stamens, were still visible.The stench of mutton fat and blood mixed together made him gag.
He cursed, shoving the half-cooked mutton leg back into the earth beside the bonfire to cook some more.
"Uh, did I not cook it thoroughly?"
The speaker was a massive man, over eight feet tall and weighing over four hundred pounds.
His name was Zhao Tieniu, and he was one of Fan Li's personal guards.
Since he was the fourth son in his family, with three elder brothers – Zhao Jinniu, Zhao Yinniu, and Zhao Tongniu – Fan Li simply called him Zhao Si.
As for his three elder brothers, they were Zhao Da, Zhao Er, and Zhao San.
The four brothers, all towering and strong as oxen, had been personally assigned to Fan Li by Fan Chun as his personal guards.
"What do you think?!" Fan Li snapped.
But as he spoke, the stench of mutton blood escaped his lips, assaulting his nostrils, making him nearly vomit.
Zhao Tieniu, however, was simple and a bit dull. He thought Fan Li was being picky and hadn't eaten his fill. He happened to be holding a mutton rib, half-eaten.
“Would you… like to have mine? This one is definitely cooked thoroughly.”
He offered the half-eaten rib to Fan Li, saliva still dripping from the bitten end.
Fan Li stared at him, speechless. The rib was still approaching, the bitten end, coated in saliva, nearly touching his face.
“Zhao Tieniu, listen to my command!” Fan Li shouted.
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“I’m here!” Zhao Tieniu snapped to attention, dropping the mutton rib to the ground.
“I command you… to scout ahead and see how far we are from Yanmen Pass,” Fan Li said weakly.
“Yes!”
Military orders were absolute.
Although Zhao Tieniu didn’t understand why, with scouts available, the marshal’s personal guard was being sent to scout the route, he immediately turned and, using his family’s secret technique “Iron Mountain Lean,” his massive body leaping forward like a giant ape, disappeared from sight.
Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief.
The four Zhao brothers had served in the Great Chu military for generations. They were professional soldiers, highly disciplined and skilled.
Zhao Da, or Zhao Jinniu, was at the second rank of the Golden Core realm and served as captain of Fan Li's personal guards. He was a strategic thinker, skilled in military formations and tactics. A true commander.
Fan Li had heard from Fan Chun that they planned to give Zhao Jinniu an opportunity to prove himself and promote him to general.
Zhao Er, or Zhao Yinniu, was at the first rank of the Golden Core realm and a jack-of-all-trades.
From digging ditches to building walls, from blacksmithing to carpentry, even various crude but effective low-rank mechanical techniques – there was nothing he wasn’t skilled at.
Zhao San, or Zhao Tongniu, was also at the first rank of the Golden Core realm.
He appeared rough and unrefined, like his brothers, but Fan Li had recently discovered that he was actually a skilled accountant.
Initially, he had helped his eldest brother manage the expenses of the personal guards, never making a single mistake.
Fan Li, recognizing his talent, had asked him to help the army scribes manage the financial accounts, and he had surpassed even the most experienced scribes in efficiency and accuracy.
Now, he had been promoted to Chief Scribe, only nominally remaining within the personal guard unit.
Only Zhao Si, or Zhao Tieniu, gave Fan Li constant headaches.
In terms of cultivation, he was the strongest of the four brothers, at the fifth rank of the Golden Core realm.
This level of strength would make him one of the most elite guards in the Great Chu imperial palace.
Unfortunately, he was clumsy and dull, unable to complete even the simplest tasks.
Fan Li had always believed that there was no such thing as useless talent, only poor leadership.
But facing Zhao Tieniu, he began to doubt his own philosophy.
“Sigh…”
Fan Li shook his head, reminding himself that he was the commander of one hundred thousand troops. He shouldn’t waste his energy on Zhao Si.
If necessary, he could simply remove him from the personal guard unit and assign him to another battalion.
Unfolding a map, his gaze sharpened.
“Zitong Pass… Hmph.”
“Yanmen Pass.”
He pointed at Zitong Pass, located in the east-central region of the map.
Then, with a sweeping gesture, his finger moved across the map, stopping at the northwest corner.
Yanmen Pass.
Since the fall of the Han Dynasty, Yanmen Pass had served as the northern gateway to the Wei kingdom.
Entering Yanmen Pass meant entering the prosperous Central Plains.
Leaving Yanmen Pass meant entering the vast and desolate northern wilderness.
His mission was to march east from Peng City, in the southwest corner of the map, towards the eastern region of the Central Plains. Upon reaching Zitong Pass, he was supposed to turn north towards Yunzhou.
Now, he was heading northwest, turning his back on Zitong Pass.
His goal was to cross the territories of the former Han Dynasty, reach Yanmen Pass, and march along the old Han Dynasty’s northern border, through the wilderness and deserts.
A grand maneuver, an unexpected route, appearing north of Yunzhou City, catching everyone off guard!
Then, like a sharp dagger, he would strike south, piercing Yunzhou City from above.
“Master, such a grand strategic maneuver – the Overlord would never have considered such a thing,” Wu Gang said.
Meanwhile, in the Dragon God Palace in Peng City, Fan Li’s true body was also studying a map, explaining his unorthodox route.
Wu Gang, the Overlord’s former mount, had witnessed countless battles. Although her military expertise couldn’t compare to that of the world’s greatest generals, she was still a seasoned veteran.
“The Overlord’s military style was to overwhelm his enemies with brute force. But that was his style. I don’t possess his strength or his extraordinary aura,” Fan Li said with a smile.
He continued explaining, “Half a month ago, when I departed Peng City, there was already an ambush awaiting me. I would have been defeated. If I abandoned the Yunzhou campaign, breaking my agreement with our allies, I would suffer the consequences, and the Great Ming and Xiang Chong would benefit. Therefore, I must reach Yunzhou City, but I cannot take the route through Zitong Pass. We will march by night, resting and eating during the day. The Great Chu is my territory. I can ensure that our movements remain undetected by Xiang Chong. Once we enter the former Han Dynasty’s territory, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan won’t hinder our progress. They’ll welcome us.”
A cold smile appeared on his lips.
“The Great Ming Dynasty colluded with Xiang Chong, laying a trap with three hundred thousand troops. I’ll collude with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, borrowing their territory to transport my hundred thousand city guards to the Yunzhou battlefield unharmed."