Turning the Tables

Flaming arrows rained down from the sky. Ji Ling's expression did not change; instead, the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward before he suddenly burst into laughter. Just as he had expected, the Cao Army had indeed ambushed him here—and their methods were vicious indeed.

He had spent half the night yesterday thinking about what method they might use to deal him a crippling blow. After turning it over in his mind, he had thought of setting fires. As the saying went, water and fire showed no mercy.

Today, in preparation for a possible attack, Ji Ling had brought only twenty thousand elite troops. He had not brought any logistical baggage or supplies, either. Instead, he had ordered every soldier to carry three days' worth of rations, precisely because he feared the Cao Army would set fires.

After all, ordinary flaming arrows could not cause much damage. But once the grain and fodder they carried caught fire, the resulting chaos would completely bury the army.

But now!

I may not be able to devise a scheme like this, but it won't be so easy to plot against me, Ji Ling. With that thought, Ji Ling gave the order: "Split to the left and right! Follow me and kill the bandits!"

Prior preparations made all the difference. After being ambushed, the soldiers not only did not panic, but their morale actually rose. Moreover, the troops Ji Ling had brought this time were not merely elite—they were all sword-and-shield infantry, specifically to deal with the situation before them.

Within the mountain forest, shouts of slaughter rang out across the hills. With the mountains high and the woods dense, Ji Ling could not see exactly what was happening, but the flaming arrows had clearly stopped, and the figures occasionally flashing among the