Yuan Qiuyuan rubbed his chin and said, "So Advisor Rao is saying this Iron Demon pulled a feint? Making it look like an attack on Fortress No. 104, while his real objective is still us right here?"
Advisor Rao nodded. "Looking at his past habits, after he strikes a location, he often pretends to linger nearby. Once he draws people over, he suddenly shifts to strike some other undefended spot—or doubles back for a surprise attack just when everyone thinks he's gone.
"It's unlikely this Iron Demon would lay bare his intentions right from the start. His crossing at Fortress No. 104 was probably just a probe to test our reaction before deciding on his next move.
"My guess is that he's either lying low near Fortress No. 104 without moving, or he didn't actually push through there at all—he just wanted us to think so while he's really heading straight for us. That is why I advise against leaving this position."
Both Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque looked toward Chen Chuan, waiting for him to make the call.
Advisor Rao's tactical advice was something they could choose to adopt, but they were the ones who actually had to fight. If new developments arose, they were fully entitled to make their own choices, and as squad members, they answered only to their captain.
Chen Chuan considered it and decided to follow Advisor Rao's recommendation. After all, the advisor knew far more about their adversary than he did, and on this matter, he preferred to trust that expertise.
Besides, rushing off in pursuit without confirming the enemy's whereabouts would only lead them around by the nose; the moment they arrived, the enemy might well have moved somewhere else entirely.
Holding their ground remained the safest course of action for now.
So he told his squad members, "Hold our position."
Advisor Rao breathed a slight sigh of relief. As an advisor, he only possessed advisory power. But this tactical plan was not his alone; he had devised it together with his colleagues in the intelligence operations room, and it was grounded in solid analysis, so he genuinely hoped to see it through.
Since this was Chen Chuan's first time leading a team, Rao had worried that an eagerness to achieve distinction might cause the plan to go down the drain. Fortunately, the young man was calm and rational.
Nothing happened for the next two days, but on the third day, news finally arrived: a patrol squad had been ambushed during their morning rounds, and every last man had been killed.
They immediately consulted their map and found that the ambush site was exactly two days' travel from Fortress No. 104. Drawing an arrow in that direction outlined a route thrusting straight into the rear without a moment's pause.
The squad members could not help wondering: Had the Iron Demon changed tactics this time? Was he abandoning his feints and deceptions for a rapid thrust straight into the hinterland?
Advisor Rao furrowed his brow, staring intently at the map.
Merely half a day later, another report came in. A communications relay station had been sabotaged, and tracing the route showed that this intruding force had surged forward another large stride.
Another night passed. In the morning, word came that a fortress had narrowly avoided an attack, with patrol soldiers sighting several dozen cavalrymen rapidly slipping through below, riding straight toward the deep rear.
At this point, a telegram arrived from the garrison high command, demanding to know where their squad was and what they had been doing these past few days.
Upon learning that the squad was still stationed at Fortress No. 73, the command demanded in severe tones why the squad remained pinned to the spot even after receiving all the reports.
By now, even Advisor Rao felt the mounting pressure. A visible restlessness overtook him, yet he bit his lip and held firm, for even now he still trusted the analysis he and his colleagues in the intelligence room had formulated.
Yuan Qiuyuan said nothing, merely watching from the sidelines.
Qin Qingque seemed slightly anxious as well, but she fulfilled her duties as a squad member admirably, taking the captain's orders as absolute and raising no objections.
Chen Chuan remained as composed as ever. After giving it thorough thought, he said, "Advisor Rao, I am still inclined toward your view."
Advisor Rao looked up at him in surprise.
Chen Chuan continued, "I trust your judgment, but I also have my own reasoning. In my view, the trail of destruction he's leaving behind is simply too blatant.
"I may not understand grand strategy and tactics, but I understand fighting. An opponent who makes his intentions blatantly obvious is easily countered. A veteran wouldn't make that mistake—not to mention it doesn't match his usual style."
Yuan Qiuyuan chimed in, "But what if he anticipated our anticipation, turned the tables, and deliberately changed his style?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Changing styles is possible, but not in violation of basic common sense. If he drives deeper and we seal off both Fortress No. 104 and the entrance here at Fortress No. 73, he won't be able to retreat the way he came.
"Once we mobilize our forces to corner him, the only way he could escape would be over towering mountain ranges, cutting back across the territory of ferocious Confluence creatures.
"He and the third-limit fighters under his command might manage to escape that way, but the vast majority of his subordinates wouldn't. Looking at it reasonably, he wouldn't make a losing trade like that."
He looked at Advisor Rao. "Based on their feudal system, those cavalry warriors of his, along with their gear and mounts, are things he amassed on his own, aren't they?"
Advisor Rao confirmed firmly, "Yes. They were all assembled through the yields of his personal estate, along with profits from the factories and pastures he runs in their rear."
Chen Chuan said, "There you have it. His squad appears to be elite, his core capital. Would he be willing to throw that away?"
Yuan Qiuyuan nodded. "Makes sense."
Chen Chuan added, "And I noticed something else. He has broken through at Fortress No. 104 three times, but he has never succeeded here.
"Many third-limit fighters have a streak of obsession. When there is something they cannot accomplish, it eats at them; their heart's intent stays fixed on achieving it to prove themselves. I'm sure you two have felt the same way at times."
Qin Qingque thought for a moment and nodded.
Yuan Qiuyuan pondered it. "Now that you mention it, definitely."
Advisor Rao looked at Chen Chuan. "Captain Chen, part of the assessment in our intelligence operations room was based on that exact consideration. Your judgment aligns completely with ours. I'll make a note of this and submit it to the intelligence room as supplementary material."
Chen Chuan shook his head. "Mine is merely conjecture. Your analysis is the one backed by credible evidence."
This was not false modesty. The intelligence room's conclusions might draw on sources he had no knowledge of. To take an extreme example, there might even be reports fed directly from someone close to the Iron Demon—knowing the answer in advance. In that regard, he was no match for them.
Now that his deduction matched their findings, standing their ground here was without question the optimal move.
Qin Qingque said, "I support the captain's decision."
Yuan Qiuyuan said, "Count me in."
Chen Chuan looked at Advisor Rao and said, "Advisor Rao, transmit my stance back. I am the captain this time. If anything goes wrong, I'll take the responsibility."
Advisor Rao hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "I will co-sign it with you. I am the tactical advisor; holding this ground was my recommendation. There is no reason to let Captain Chen shoulder it alone."
With that, he saluted Chen Chuan and returned to send the telegram.
Another day passed. Early that morning, a barrage of reports suddenly arrived, stating that multiple communications relay stations even further in the rear had been sabotaged. It seemed to offer indisputable proof that the enemy had begun wreaking havoc behind the lines.
That night, a senior officer from the garrison command telegraphed another reprimand, harsher than the last.
Chen Chuan remained unfazed. As long as it was not a direct recall order, there was no need to pay any heed to what these people said.
He answered directly to the command headquarters. If the headquarters hadn't spoken up, who were they to bark orders?
Besides, no single decision was ever absolutely correct. Choosing to wait was itself a gamble, a part of the contest between both sides.
He gazed out at the pitch-black night. Nothing could be seen outside; the heavy darkness seemed to swallow everything, pierced only by occasional sweeps of light from the fortress.
At that very moment, several li away from Fortress No. 73, a demonic figure clad in armor and a crested helm, his face hidden behind a crimson mask, sat atop a tall, powerful steed patched with crimson markings over black. He was gazing up at the elevated fortress.
Behind him, dozens of riders stood in dead silence, not making the slightest sound. Only the eyes of their mounts gleamed with a faint, eerie red glow in the dark.
It was not that they hadn't crossed at Fortress No. 104; they truly had breached the perimeter there. But once through, they had split their forces. A detachment had laid a trail of false clues, following the river straight down to stir up chaos in the rear.
Meanwhile, their main force had taken a wide detour, lying low by day and marching by night, cutting through territories belonging to relatively manageable Confluence creatures. Even at the cost of losing two riders along the way, they had successfully reached the rear of Fortress No. 73.
Although the fortress guarded against threats from several directions, its strongest defenses were always concentrated on its front. The dense network of trenches and barbed wire all faced the valley entrance, leaving its rear comparatively vulnerable.
They had prepared thoroughly this time. As long as they seized this position, their retreat route would be secure, allowing them to freely sweep and strike the surrounding garrison posts without worry.
Subsequent moves could be adjusted based on circumstances: if the enemy mustered forces to counter them, they could quickly withdraw, or seize the opportunity while the enemy concentrated elsewhere to raid other locations. Either way, the initiative lay with them.
The lead rider emitted a muffled, somewhat unearthly sound from behind his iron mask.
Every single rider dismounted in unison. Aside from the clatter of shifting armor, not a soul made an extraneous sound. Each pulled down a cage from their saddle, inside of which clung beetle-like creatures, motionless.
The major governments and corporations possessed biological weapons that provided excellent combat support to their operatives; here, their forces wielded similar technology.
Fastening the cages to their backs, they began advancing toward the elevated fortress ahead, while the iron-masked figure remained mounted, the crimson eyes peering out from his visor fixed steadily upon the fortress heights.
Chapter 432