The sky was gray and overcast, and rain and snow fell without cease.
The Far East rebels had violated the ceasefire agreement and reignited the war. They launched a sudden attack on a patrol of the Family Royal Army, then fled. Eager to win glory, Commander Fang Jin led an army of more than a hundred thousand in pursuit. When they reached the Moon Bay Plain, a vast shadow appeared on the horizon ahead through the swirling snow.
The panting soldiers hesitantly stopped and peered ahead. "What is that? Such a huge tangle of branches... is it a forest?"
"It looks like one, but why does it seem to be getting bigger?"
An old veteran narrowed his eyes and looked. Suddenly, he shouted, "They're all moving! Those aren't trees! That's an entire army coming toward us!"
The ranks stirred. The militia soldiers cried out one after another, "What a huge army! Is it the rebels?" "What do we do?" Commander Fang Jin rode through the formation, shouting, "What are you afraid of? The rebels are nothing but a rabble. No matter how many they have, they're no match for us! Form up and wait for them!" His composure and authority suppressed the unrest. The officers immediately slapped the panicked soldiers so hard that stars burst before their eyes. "You! What are you panicking for? Get back into formation!" They kicked and punched them back into place. The troops quieted down.
Division after division marched out and deployed across the plain. Huge, orderly squares of steel formed in an instant, filling the entire Moon Bay Plain. Messengers galloped between the formations, shouting, "Prepare!" The infantry raised their spears in perfect unison, and cold steel flashed above the ranks. The cavalry mounted up, forming reserve forces on both flanks for a countercharge.