"The rebels wouldn't trust us, only letting us guard a section outside the city. The core defenses were all built by the rebels, led by Long Qie, the foremost general under Prince Qi."
"Long Qie, isn't that one of Xiang Yu's subordinates!" I exclaimed in surprise.
Dongfang Ji Bai nodded, "It's that Long Qie. After his death, he joined Han Xin. When Han Xin rebelled, he appointed Long Qie as Grand Marshal, commanding millions of rebel troops."
"You mean, the rebel leader, that Prince Qi, is Han Xin!" I was even more astonished.
"You didn't know?" Dongfang Ji Bai asked me.
I truly hadn't inquired about it. No wonder the imperial army was struggling so hard. Han Xin was a master of warfare, an ancient "God of Soldiers."
But no matter what, Little Yama King had to be saved.
I pondered and then asked Dongfang Ji Bai, "Is Daxing Stockade considered territory of your Three Yin Hall, or rebel territory?"
"Naturally, it's rebel territory. It's the rebels' northern granary. What's wrong?" Dongfang Ji Bai asked.
"That's good, that's good." I nodded. It seemed my strategy was correct. I just didn't know how Li Yuanba's fire was progressing.
"Princess Dongfang," I still wanted to try one last time, "the rebels currently have a total of 350,000 troops. But I believe about 150,000 will be diverted by the fire at Daxing granary. With the remaining 200,000 rebels, your 50,000 Three Yin Hall soldiers, plus Little Yama King's 3,000 Black Armored Cavalry, do you think there's a chance of victory?"
Dongfang Ji Bai gave a wry smile and shook her head, "Lord Wu, please don't trouble yourself. Our Three Yin Hall soldiers have lived here for generations. The families of our soldiers are all in the city. If I were to defect to you and cover for His Highness Little Yama King to break through, there might be a possibility. But what about us? What about the people in our city? What would be the consequences? You're a smart person, I don't need to spell it out, do I?"
She was worried that if they lost, the rebels would massacre the city.
Seeing this, was Little Yama King's ordeal unavoidable?
However, Dongfang Ji Bai's attitude was quite clear. She wasn't truly rebelling against the court, but was forced by circumstances to stand with the rebels. This was understandable. It meant that as long as the situation changed, Dongfang Ji Bai's 50,000 Three Yin Hall soldiers could at any time change sides and betray the rebels. Having this intention was good enough.
I cupped my hands in farewell to Dongfang Ji Bai, "Alright, Princess. I will go and meet His Highness Little Yama King first to discuss further. If I need your help, where can I find you?"
"Southwest corner of the city, beside the Bell Tower, that is my residence."
"Good. We shall meet again."
"Take care!" Dongfang Ji Bai said, cupping her hands.
I activated the Gale Art and rushed directly towards the Three Yin Hall.
Upon reaching the city wall, there weren't many rebels inside the city. But outside the city, in the northern area, was a large slope. The slope was densely packed with rebel encampments, and at the end of the slope was Black Wind Cliff.
I passed through the rebel formations and in the middle saw an encampment flying a banner with the character "Long" on it. It was likely Long Qie's main tent, but I didn't dare to provoke trouble there, fearing I might not be able to defeat him. It was better to rendezvous with Little Yama King first.
I rushed to the top of the slope in one go. Between the two armies was a makeshift ice wall, likely constructed by the Black Armored Cavalry. However, it was only about a meter high, capable of defending against cavalry but not against enemy infantry climbing over. Numerous bodies, mostly rebels, were scattered before and behind the ice wall. It seemed a fierce battle had just concluded, and the battlefield hadn't been cleared yet.
Behind the ice wall, there were no tents. The Black Armored Cavalry were gathered in small groups, mostly warming themselves by fires. This must have been the northernmost point of the land, extremely cold, with thick snow and ice covering the ground. Water was not an issue; many Black Armored Cavalry were melting snow on fires using enemy helmets to drink. No cooking was observed, suggesting they were running out of rations.
I quickly looked around but couldn't find Little Yama King. I had to stop, which startled the surrounding Black Armored Cavalry, who thought it was a rebel raid. I quickly raised my Soul Requisition Token to explain, stating I was Wu Chengfeng!
Upon hearing the name Wu Chengfeng, everyone's spirits immediately lifted, perhaps thinking they were about to be rescued.
To be honest, I hadn't planned to save them. It seemed quite unrealistic. By visual estimate, the surviving Black Armored Cavalry were less than two thousand, many of them injured and incapable of further combat, barely holding on by relying on the advantage of the terrain.