Retreat

In the distance where Lu Shuangxing and the other two were fighting, Dao Youming Koudao Mountain, watched the blazing flames. A cold glint appeared in his eyes, and his body was surrounded by sword shadows as he slowly walked towards Lu Shuangxing.

Many soldiers who wanted to attack were killed by the Dao Youming before they even arrived. He was gathering his strength, and as he advanced, the sword intent on his body became more and more fierce, revealing a killing intent that chilled people to the bone.

When the Dao Youming, he drew it directly. The sword seemed to descend from the sky, its sharpness boundless. The sword's intent and killing intent manifested around him as if frost had risen and snowflakes were falling.

Looking at the two from the Great Feng Lieyang Sect, Dao Youming said coldly.

"Koudao Mountain Dao Youming on Xue Wubian, to inquire of the Blazing Lieyang Sect and seek their guidance."

Sensing that the Dao Youming, Lu Shuangxing quickly used the recoil from the attack to break free and create some distance between himself and the two from the Lieyang Sect.

He knew all too well that Dao Youming. Upon seeing the Lieyang Sect, he knew that guy was a madman. If he didn't leave, the guy might actually draw his sword. He might not kill him, but he would inevitably get injured.

Seeing that Lu Shuangxing had managed to break free, Dao Youming slashed down without hesitation. The distance was sufficient; even if Lu Shuangxing was caught in the crossfire, he would only suffer minor injuries at most.

Snowflakes fell, the blade touched the ground, and with a "boom," the blade energy shot over eighty meters, its sharp intent slaying countless enemies. Two members of the Lieyang Sect were also sent flying by this strike.

"Pfft." The two landed on the ground, the rampant sword intent impacting their bodies, causing them to spit out a mouthful of blood. Their clothes were tattered, and more than ten hideous wounds were bleeding continuously.

Looking at Dao Youming in the distance, the old man lying on the ground covered in knife wounds cursed angrily.

"Damn it, the Dao Youming. Xue Wubian broke through to the Celestial Phenomenon several hundred years ago, and he's been dead for nearly a hundred years. You're still bringing up things from four or five hundred years ago? I'll fucking kill you."

Seeing Dao Youming towards them, the two knew they couldn't say anything. They exchanged a glance and attacked. A burst of true energy condensed into a tangible flame on their bodies. The two flames merged and rose into the sky like a raging fire, the scorching heat turning the surrounding land into scorched earth.

"Marquis of Beimu, what do you mean? The war is at its most intense, and you summoned me? What do you mean by summoning all of us commanders back? Are you insane?"

Dong Zhenlin arrived in a hurry, his voice filled with anger before he even entered the tent. He was stunned for a moment when he was halfway through his sentence, then suddenly came to his senses and let out a roar.

Recalling back several key generals during wartime? What will happen to the army? Are you crazy?!

Qin Xiaosheng raised his head, his face expressionless, not caring about Dong Zhenlin's tone. The other generals had all spoken like this when they entered the tent, and he had heard these words many times in his decades of leading troops.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Qin Xiaosheng said in a low voice.

"Gentlemen, we have been defeated."

Dong Zhenlin shouted angrily.

"Nonsense, you've recalled your commander, how could you not be defeated?"

Qin Xiaosheng said with a complicated expression.

"We have to retreat."

After Qin Xiaosheng finished speaking, the tent was silent for a moment, then erupted into heated questioning.

The generals were all seething with anger. They were being replaced in the middle of a battle, risking the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Who could stand that? And now, hearing that the troops were being withdrawn, they all spoke up.

"Marshal, what is the meaning of this? The battle is not yet decided. To withdraw the troops now is tantamount to admitting defeat. Where is the dignity of our Great Feng?"

"Yes! If that's the case, what's the point of fighting this battle? If we retreat now after a battle, how can we face our soldiers? How can we explain this to His Majesty and the court?"

Upon hearing the voices, Qin Xiaosheng's expression changed, and he said sternly.

"Quiet down, let's look at the battle reports from all over!"

After reading the battle reports from various locations, the generals' expressions changed, and they became dejected. They had been leading their troops in battle and fighting on the front lines, only knowing the situation within their own army, but they had never imagined that the entire army would be in such a state.

It seemed like defeat was inevitable.

Qin Xiaosheng's heavy voice echoed in the tent.

"Now we need to consider not this battle, but the Cangshui. If the army insists on fighting to the very end here, it will only be annihilated. It doesn't matter if we die here, but what about the Cangshui?"

"Will the 60,000 soldiers at Cangguan Pass be enough to defend the Land of Cangshui? Or should we return the Land of Cangshui to Dagan?"

"In the past, when Marquis Tianwu led the entire nation's forces, our Great Feng was able to conquer Cangshui. If we were to send troops to You Province this time, we would not only lose the campaign but also lose the Land of Cangshui. That would truly be a disgrace to the prestige of our Great Feng, and we would truly have no face to face the three armies and be unable to answer to His Majesty."

"I, Qin Xiaosheng, cannot bear this responsibility, nor can any of you here. Are you suggesting that Marquis Tianwu should lead the army again, reignite the war between our two nations, and lead us back to Cangshui once more?"

After Qin Xiaosheng finished speaking, everyone was speechless and remained silent.

If Cangshui is lost, then all the efforts of the Great Feng over the past hundred years will have been in vain. Moreover, the expenses and losses incurred by the Great Feng in the Land of Cangshui over these years are immeasurable.

As the border defense line of Great Feng, it faces an endless Xuanshan Plain, allowing them to send troops at any time and move freely. With the newly built Cangguan Pass for defense, it can both attack and defend, making its strategic location unquestionable.

If we were to retreat to the other side of the Cang River, the sheer natural barrier of the Cang River alone would be enough to deter most people from even attempting it.

Marquis of Dongyue Dong Zhenlin spoke in a complex and low voice.

"Retreat? Hundreds of miles of plains, where can we retreat to?"

Hearing Marquis of Dongyue's words, Qin Xiaosheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was fine as long as he agreed to withdraw. There were only four main decision-makers in this tent, one of whom was himself.

Then there are these two beside him. One is the Second Elder of the Great Feng Imperial Clan, and the other is from the Five Elements Heavenly Sect. He is also the Xuan Shui Venerable of the current generation of the Five Elements Heavenly Sect. In terms of status, position, and seniority, Huangfu Sheng is only qualified to carry the shoes of these two.

The last one is Marquis of Dongyue Dong Zhenlin of Dongyue. Now that the four of them have agreed to retreat, things will be much easier.

Qin Xiaosheng immediately said.

"It's easier to retreat on this plain. If we can retreat 10,000 men, we can hold Cangguan Pass for one more day. This gives us one day to transfer troops from the Eastern Border. If we can retreat 50,000 troops, plus the garrison at Cangguan Pass, Dagan will have to think twice before attacking, since their losses have also been considerable."

"I have replaced the commanders of the various armies. They will hold back the Dagan force. The vanguard, the Dongyue Army, the Sufeng Cavalry, and the Immeasurable Iron Cavalry will cover the rear and block the Dagan force to ensure that the central army can withdraw."

"The personnel and experts from several sects will also remain here. They will hold off the Dagan experts and buy us time."

"This is the result of discussions between Xuan Shui Venerable, the Second Elder, and myself. Do you have any objections?"

The generals looked at Qin Xiaosheng, then at the Second Elder of the Imperial Clan and Shui Ninghua beside him. "You've made all the arrangements. What can we do?" they finally nodded.

After arranging all this, Qin Xiaosheng took a deep breath, sighed, and finally made the tough decision, speaking as he did.

"Qin Xiaofeng, lead the remaining Beishan Iron Cavalry to cover the rear and block the pursuing enemy forces."

A middle-aged general stood up and spoke without the slightest hesitation.

"This subordinate obeys."

The generals had mixed feelings. Covering the rear at this point would be suicide, but no one would say much. Withdrawing the army was difficult; the Dagan wouldn't let them go. They definitely needed someone to hold off the enemy from behind.

After the generals went down to lead the troops in preparation for the retreat, Qin Xiaosheng looked at the commander of the Beishan Iron Cavalry, who had stopped and was standing there. He was also his brother Qin Xiaofeng.

Qin Xiaofeng, clad in black armor, uttered only one sentence before turning and leaving.

"The Qin family is now in your hands."