Chapter 361: Battle
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
At the exit of the wind valley.
Forty-over thousand soldiers stood inside the wind valley, quietly waiting for the orders to be passed from the front. And in front, Fang Zhengzhi continued to wait with a leisurely look on his face.
"Guard Fang, can they defeat this formation?" Teng Shisheng looked at the dozens of scholars suffering and holding themselves up in front, then finally couldn't contain himself anymore and asked.
When they other generals heard Teng Shisheng's words, they also looked towards Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi had indeed said that they should trust Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the rest of the scholars completely. However, the situation in front of them was clearly not one that could be resolved with trust.
Over ten scholars entering the formation through the death gate. It was clearly an extremely difficult task to defeat a formation that consisted of almost a thousand soldiers.
"Probably not." Fang Zhengzhi looked at the soldiers who were circling Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the rest of the scholars and shook his head.
"Probably not?! Then… Then we are just going to continue waiting?" Teng Shisheng couldn't understand.
Since Fang Zhengzhi felt that Wu Feng, Chen Feiyu and the rest would not be able to defeat the formation, then what was the point of delaying further?
"Of course not." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.
"Then, now we should…" Teng Shisheng was somewhat confused.
"Wait."
"Wait? Wait for what?"
"What do you think is the most difficult thing in defeating this formation in front of us?" Fang Zhengzhi pointed towards the formation consisting of almost a thousand soldiers and said.
"This… I don't really know." Teng Shisheng said honestly. As a native of the Southern Mountain Range, their knowledge and interaction with formations were indeed extremely little.
Ever since young, their main experience had always been in survival techniques in the dense forests, as well as tactics for sneak attacks and surrounding people. But in terms of formations, their knowledge was pitifully inadequate.
"I feel that the greatest difficulty would be that Nangong Hao only left one exit in the wind valley. In this case, if we wished to defeat the formation, there would only be one path for us to take." At this moment, a military commander stood out and expressed his views.
"General Li is right. Nangong Hao's formation at the exit of the wind valley is equivalent to having one man guard the pass to prevent thousands from passing through." Another commander also expressed his opinion.
"Yes, you guys only considered one side of the matter. There is another side." When Fang Zhengzhi heard their words, he nodded.
"There is another side?!"
When the two soldiers heard Fang Zhengzhi's words, they were somewhat confused. After participating in years of military activities and wars, they believed that they had already seen almost everything.
However, Fang Zhengzhi's words clearly implied that there was a point which they hadn't discovered.
This caused them to feel more or less somewhat dissatisfied.
However, now, Fang Zhengzhi was the true commander of the army. Even though they weren't satisfied, they didn't express it as clearly as those scholars.
The other commanders were just as confused. They all wished to hear what 'insights' Fang Zhengzhi, who had never participated in a single battle, had to say.
"Can you guys decipher what formation Nangong Hao employed?" Fang Zhengzhi naturally knew what these commanders were thinking.
In reality, this thought was a completely ordinary thought for any other person.
Would a general who experienced hundreds of battles listen to a scholar who had never been on the battlefield? This was clearly not very possible.
Fang Zhengzhi knew this. However, he had to change this.
Now, he indeed possessed strong forces. However, this strong force was one which could turn around and stab him at any moment.
Once the combat examination ended, or any unforeseen circumstances occurred.
This powerful force would immediately engage in their own actions, and there might even be somebody who would step out to take over Fang Zhengzhi's position. Hence, at this moment, this military force wasn't very different from a time bomb.
"If I'm not wrong, it should be the Eight Diagrams Formation!"
"The Eight Diagrams in front, and the Big Dipper behind!"
Two commanders quickly expressed their views, their faces filled with confidence.
"That's right, it is indeed the Eight Diagrams and the Big Dipper!" When Fang Zhengzhi heard their words, he nodded. Immediately after which, he continued to ask. "Then, can you see all the variations in this formation in front?"
"This…" A commander immediately turned speechless.
"Don't tell me General Fang is able to decipher it?" Another commander immediately asked back, unconvinced, when he heard Fang Zhengzhi's words.
"I can't." Fang Zhengzhi said honestly.
"Ha ha…"
The two generals laughed lightly, with a glimmer of delight on their faces. When they initially heard what Fang Zhengzhi asked, they were actually somewhat shocked, thinking that Fang Zhengzhi truly had the ability to decipher a formation in one glance.
However, after hearing Fang Zhengzhi's reply, they mocked inside their hearts, he is indeed just another scholar who only knew theory. How could the quality of his opinions and views be much higher than us?
"I'm unable to decipher it, is anyone among you able to decipher it?" Fang Zhengzhi didn't bother too much about the expressions of the two commanders. Instead, he continued to ask the people behind.
"This…"
"I can't."
"We are within the wind valley, yet the formation is outside the wind valley. How could we see the variations within?"
Each of the commanders shook their heads one by one. This moment was actually the best opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. However, they indeed couldn't decipher the variations in the formation in front of them.
"Yes, that's why there is another side of our greatest difficulty, and that is field of vision!" When Fang Zhengzhi heard the last sentence, he nodded with a gentle smile on his face.
"Field of vision?!"
The commanders couldn't quite understand. Because, the term "field of vision" had never appeared in any military texts.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at the dazed and confused expressions of the commanders and naturally understood what they were thinking. In reality, the term "field of vision" didn't even originate from any notable military texts.
Instead, it originated from a game in his previous world.
He only took it out and used it.
"Now that we are trapped within the wind valley, our field of vision is only limited to a line in the entire formation, we aren't even able to see the entire formation. At the very most, we can only guess its origins from our experience. However, it isn't very possible to decipher all the variations in the formation." Fang Zhengzhi explained.
"General Fang is right!"
"That is indeed true!"
"That's right, it is the field of vision!"
When the commanders heard this, even though they didn't quite understand the meaning behind the words 'field of vision', they understood what Fang Zhengzhi was trying to convey.
The formation that Nangong Hao had set indeed originated from the Eight Diagrams.
However, despite it originating from the Eight Diagrams, it didn't imply that it would mimic the Eight Diagrams. With Nangong Hao's abilities and talents, adding a few variations to the formation was something extremely possible.
Nangong Hao could achieve such a thing. Many of the commanders could also achieve it.
The difference was only the effectiveness of the variation.
"Then… what should we do now?" The two commanders who mocked Fang Zhengzhi in their hearts flushed somewhat red at this moment.
Even though Fang Zhengzhi's argument sounded extremely simple.
In reality, it was a problem that many generals who experienced hundreds of battles would neglect.
They didn't quite understand why somebody like Fang Zhengzhi who had never been on the battlefield would have such good observation skills. However, they understood that just on this point alone, they had already fallen behind Fang Zhengzhi in terms of knowledge by more than one level.
The battlefield was constantly changing.
One moment ago, you were still rampaging. The next moment, you might have already been degraded into a prisoner. Hence, in many situations, one's grasp of changes and ability to notice details actually decided whether a chief commander had the capability to turn the situation around.
"Wait." Fang Zhengzhi's answer wasn't very much different from his previous one.
However, the commanders didn't voice out any further objects. Because, they had already slowly began to trust in Fang Zhengzhi's judgement.
The commanders and Teng Shisheng didn't question further.
Hence, Fang Zhengzhi didn't bother to explain further. Instead, he returned his gaze to Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu, who were still fighting furiously in front.
"Pass down the order, the entire army shall rest right where they are and start on field cooking." After observing for a moment, Fang Zhengzhi felt that his stomach was somewhat hungry.
"Start field cooking? General Fang… it is the moment when two armies are engaging in battle, should we just consume some rations?" Even though a commander believed in Fang Zhengzhi, Fang Zhengzhi's order did seem a little too extreme.
"There is no need, it is still early. There isn't much nutrition in the rations." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.
"No nutrition?" The expressions on the faces of the commanders turned awkward. A war is breaking out between two armies, is something like a lack of nutrition really an appropriate reason?
Alright…
You are the chief commander, you have the final say.
Even though the commanders were filled with doubt, but after they thought of Fang Zhengzhi's words a moment ago, they still quickly passed down the order.
Hence, forty-thousand over troops let out a surprised cheer.
They didn't have much military awareness. For many of them, being able to have food to eat was their main reason for joining the army. Now that they could eat, they naturally began to celebrate that they didn't need to suffer in hunger anymore. And, most importantly, it actually wasn't just eating rations to stave off their hungry. Instead, it was field cooking.
This was simply too good to be true.
Each of the soldiers instantly began to dig and set up their metal stoves. Some soldiers even held bowls and chopsticks in their hands and began to drum enthusiastically.
"Teng Shisheng, take out the few mountain beasts hunted a few days ago and roast them!" Fang Zhengzhi wiped his lips and said to Teng Shisheng, who was standing at the side.
"Yes." Teng Shisheng didn't hesitate at all and immediately set up a campfire.
Not too long later, the rich and fragrant smell of meat began to fill the air.
This scene was definitely a strong contrast compared to the fighting outside the wind valley.
Wu Feng, who was extremely flustered in his fighting, suddenly identified a waft of fragrant meat smell. This caused him to feel extremely confused. Why is there the smell of roasted meat?
Don't tell me…
This Eight Diagrams Formation contained fire attacks?!
Instinctively, he turned towards the direction where the meat smell drifted from. Then, he saw that within the wind valley, there were a few huge mountain beasts being roasted on a campfire.
The simmering oil dripped from the mountain beasts, causing the campfire below to give off a sizzling sound.
"Roasting… roasting meat?! This Fang Zhengzhi, he… he still has the mood to roast meat?!" Wu Feng had considered many possibilities. For example, Fang Zhengzhi would watch by the side and not provide any assistance, acting only after they had lost. Or, Fang Zhengzhi would wait until they had exhausted all their energy before reaping the profits of their efforts.
However, he had truly never imagined that Fang Zhengzhi would sit beside them, start a campfire and begin roasting meat while they fought with their lives.
Can things be more outrageous!
Wu Feng felt a boiling sensation in his heart. Instantly, he felt something rather sweet in his mouth. He was so enraged by Fang Zhengzhi that he almost vomited out blood.
Another person who was just as angry and close to vomiting as Wu Feng was Chen Feiyu.
"Shameless, shameless, absolutely shameless!!!" Chen Feiyu was now already of the Supernatural State. This meant that he had greater survival abilities in the battlefield.
However, this didn't mean that he could escape immediately.
At the very least...
It wasn't very possible within a short span of time.
In reality, what he currently wanted to do most was to charge back into the wind valley, then, pull on Fang Zhengzhi's ear and shout loudly, you go and fight, I'll eat some meat first!
Unfortunately, the reality was that Fang Zhengzhi was eating meat, while he was fighting with his life.
Of course, what caused Chen Feiyu the greatest anger wasn't because Fang Zhengzhi and the rest were roasting meat on a campfire. Instead, it was because Fang Zhengzhi stared at them while eating his roasted meat, at the same time, he seemed to be chanting something with his mouth.
Don't tell me…
This guy is humming a tune?
…
News of Fang Zhengzhi starting a field cooking session naturally and quickly reached a stone house within the Icy Monkey Settlement. This also caused a few middle-aged men to open their mouths in shock.
"You say Fang Zhengzhi ordered them to start a field cooking inside the wind valley?" A middle-aged man was truly in somewhat of a disbelief, and had to confirm what he heard a second time.
"Yes!" The soldier who was responsible for reporting the news instantly responded.
"This guy is indeed daring. He actually ordered a field cooking during a war between two armies, isn't this a great military sin? Isn't he afraid that we would send our soldiers to launch a sudden attack?" The middle-aged man heard the soldier's confirmation and felt some spite in his heart.
"I fear that he really isn't afraid of that!" The middle-aged man standing on Nangong Hao's left hand side spoke at this moment.
"Why is that so?"
"The entrance of the wind valley had already been blocked. They cannot exit, at the same time, we cannot enter. Furthermore, at this moment, the wind in the wind valley had also stopped. There isn't any danger of being within the wind valley."
"Then… are we supposed to just watch them eat their hot meals right under our very eyes?"
"If we really dispersed the formation outside the wind valley, then send soldiers to launch a sudden attack, I fear that that would be truly falling into their trap."
"Young Master Nangong, what is your opinion?" Even though the middle-aged man knew that this was the case, he was clearly still somewhat unhappy that he was just supposed to watch this go on.
"It isn't very good to eat without wine. Ask somebody to send a hundred barrels of good wine over and help me to properly reward the forty-over thousand soldiers inside the wind valley for their hardwork!" Nangong Hao continued to read the ancient book in his hand and replied without even raising his head.
"We are still delivering wine to them?!" The middle-aged man clearly didn't know how to react.
"Good plan! Young Master Nangong, this plan is indeed beautiful!" The eyes of the middle-aged man standing on Nangong Hao's left side instantly lit up.