allonlinenovel Chapter 1113 Victory
Chapter 1113 Victory
Meanwhile, in a cave upstream of Flying Eagle Gorge, Xie Shang received a signal and saw that the Black Pine Forest was on fire. He was ready and immediately ordered, "Sappers, get ready and put out the pottery jars."
Hundreds of engineers ignited earthenware jars filled with kerosene and sulfur and hurled them into Eagle Canyon, where they landed in the area of the Northern Owl's main camp and granary.
At first, there was only a dull cracking sound, but soon, Bei Xiaobing realized something was wrong. The mixture of sulfur, saltpeter, and grease in the pottery jar was ignited by the remaining charcoal fire, unleashing terrifying power.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The series of explosions shook the entire canyon, and thick smoke billowed out, engulfing them. Soon, the tents in the canyon also caught fire, and the fire grew larger and larger, with flames gradually breaking through the thick smoke and shooting high into the sky.
If it's just thick smoke, that's fine; at least their food supplies are safe. They can try to salvage the situation once the smoke clears. But if there's a bright flame like a dragon in the sky, it means something inside is burning, and the fire is quite large.
General Xiao Lei of the Northern Owl Kingdom returned with his iron cavalry. Seeing the situation at the main camp, he roared, "Why aren't you putting out the fire? What happened? Where is Commandant Jin? Get out here!"
The thick smoke made it hard to breathe, and someone coughed repeatedly, "Cough cough...Reporting to the General, we can't see!"
"I can't see anything! I can't see anything at all!"
"The horse is startled! Quick, hold it back!"
"The horse has run away! Pull it back!"
"The stables, hurry to the stables..."
The scene was chaotic. Xiao Lei roared angrily, "Why are you running? Put out the fire! Save the grain first! Even if you have to stay here, you must get the grain out for me!"
"..." Everyone was focused on saving their own lives and had no energy left to salvage the food supplies.
Bei Xiaobing said, "It was the Great Zhou army that launched a surprise attack on the main camp."
Xiao Lei simply didn't believe it; no matter how capable the Great Zhou soldiers were, they couldn't possibly sneak into the main camp and set it on fire.
The Northern Soldier said, "Fire and oil come from the sky."
Xiao Lei was even angrier. The terrain of Flying Eagle Gorge was steep, and it was impossible to climb up with such thick ice and snow. A slight mistake would result in being smashed to pieces.
Bei Xiaobing said, "The Black Pine Forest is a sea of fire... there's no way to save it!"
Xiao Lei felt like the sky had fallen, and he was so angry that he vomited blood...
Black Pine Forest is a source of firewood for the Northern Owl Kingdom. It is the largest primeval forest in the northwest and far north. The Northern Owl Kingdom engages in logging and hunting every year, and Black Pine Forest supports many of its people...
Without the Black Pine Forest, the Northern Owl Kingdom would be like losing half an arm.
At this moment, Commander Jin was also awakened by the thick smoke. He had taken advantage of the general leading his troops out to sleep with a woman and accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up, he could not see anything.
Commander Jin abandoned the woman and fled for his life. When he left the camp, he was dumbfounded. "How could this happen?"
With explosions ringing in his ears, Commander Jin was on the verge of tears. This was the winter's worth of provisions that the Northern Xiao Kingdom had prepared!
How did it all catch fire?
He shouted, "Fire! Quick, put out the fire!"
But the water in the canyon was only enough for everyone to drink. How could such a large fire be extinguished? It smelled of kerosene, and the fire was burning brighter and brighter.
Finally, even Captain Jin could no longer shout. He looked at the sea of fire before him and collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Lei also drew his broadsword and roared, "You treacherous dog of the Great Zhou..."
Chaos reigned in the camp. Thick smoke stung their eyes and ached their noses. Soldiers covered their faces and fled blindly, while warhorses were startled and ran amok.
Xie Shang stood on the cliff above Flying Eagle Canyon, looking down at the hellish scene below. The firelight reflected off his face, and his eyes revealed a cold killing intent.
A scout reported, "Your Majesty, the left wing army has suffered heavy casualties, and General Peng has led the remaining elite soldiers out."
Xie Shang did not linger in the fight. He could go down now and kill their commander, Xiao Lei, but Xiao Lei was not so easy to kill. He was afraid that he would lose more than he gained by trying to steal a chicken.
Their main camp was attacked, and they had no idea what was going on inside. A large number of Northern Wolves soldiers were sure to come to their aid. Going down now would not only be pointless, but they might also be trapped like turtles in a jar.
There is ample time!
In addition, the indigenous people of the Northwest were also allies of the Northern Owl Kingdom. The indigenous people made way for the Northern Owl Kingdom to attack the Central Plains. What role did they play in this battle?
He said, "According to the original plan, we will retreat first."
The assassins quickly withdrew; their arrival was arduous, but their departure was effortless.
Xie Shang's team quickly retreated to safety, but Peng Fei, seriously wounded, managed to break through the encirclement and fortunately returned alive.
Everyone was overjoyed, "We...won?"
"It's just the first battle." Xie Shang looked in the direction of Bei Xiao's main camp. "We only burned their supplies, preventing them from continuing their attack on Da Zhou in this cold winter. But they will definitely come back with a vengeance next spring, so we can't be too happy yet. In addition, their main force is almost completely intact, and we should be clear about that."
The smiles on everyone's faces vanished instantly upon hearing this.
Seeing that everyone's high spirits had instantly plummeted, Xie Shang said, "Don't be discouraged, everyone. At least the Northern Xiao Kingdom won't attack anytime soon, giving us plenty of time to prepare. Next time, we'll show them that winter in the Great Zhou Dynasty is their hell."
The soldiers echoed, "Next time, we'll make sure they don't leave alive."
Seeing that Guo Xiao had not yet returned, Xie Shang asked in a deep voice, "Has Guo Xiao and the five hundred assassins he took with him not returned yet?"
"They didn't come back."
Xie Shang's mood sank. None of them had been to the Black Pine Forest. It was Guo Xiao who volunteered, saying that he had scouted the terrain long ago. The fact that the Black Pine Forest was on fire meant that their mission was complete, and they should be back by now.
Time passed slowly, and the fire in the direction of the black pine forest began to weaken. The sky grew darker and darker, and the scattered flames flickered in the night like the eyes of a dying beast.
He said, "Soldiers, listen to my command, follow me to the Black Pine Forest to find Guo Xiao and the other five hundred elite soldiers."
The scout said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Black Pine Forest is located between the Northwest and the Northern Owl Kingdom. There must be many of the Northern Owl Kingdom's main forces there now. If we go there now, it will be like lambs to the slaughter."
Peng Fei also said, "Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. The soldiers, the people of Great Zhou, and Her Majesty the Empress all need Your Majesty to return and take charge of the overall situation..."
"How about we wait a little longer? Guo Xiao is smart, and I believe he will be safe and sound." Peng Fei was seriously injured, and at this moment he was unable to cross the snowfield to find Guo Xiao.
"Scouts, listen to my command!" Xie Shang's voice gradually calmed down, but the veins on his clenched fists bulged.
The scout knelt on one knee.
Xie Shang said in a deep voice, "You lead a team to track down the assassins along the snowfield. If you can't find them, don't linger in the battle; retreat immediately."
The scout replied in a deep voice, "Yes."
Xie Shang and his men waited where they were.
At this moment, he could only pray to God to spare Guo Xiao's life and bless the people of Great Zhou to return safely.
The sky was turning a pale white, and the snowfield revealed its menacing appearance in the morning light: charred trees, melted snow mixed with mud, and scattered remnants of weapons.
The scouts searched along the way and indeed encountered the already stiff Great Zhou soldiers. They searched for a long time but could not find Guo Xiao's body.
Faced with the current situation, he had to make the worst possible assumption: Guo Xiao was probably already dead.