Victory Reports Arrive in Waves

Shan Dongxing was deeply worried. "Dragging along two million people, can we really break through?"

Wu Gongling said, "Elder Shan, do you still expect to take two million men with us? They are all a rabble. They have never undergone long-term formal training; they cannot march quickly or run fast, much less do they have any experience fighting. When they meet someone easy to bully, they swarm forward like a hive to scare people and bolster their momentum, but relying on them to fight a war would be a joke. Before, we could still exploit the Imperial Court's internal conflicts to gain a little advantage. Now Southern Prefecture's forces command the five regional lords—six regional lords joining hands! We are no match for them at all. If we do not flee, are we supposed to stay and wait for death? Taking this rabble along only wastes provisions. It is enough to use them to hold off the pursuing troops. Do not expect to take them all away. It will already be good enough if we can bring away Cang Prefecture's core forces."

Shan Dongxing said in distress, "Since you knew we could not win, why did you agree to rebel in the first place?"

He truly regretted it now. Given the burning, killing, looting, and plundering committed by Cang Prefecture's rebel army, how could the Imperial Court possibly spare them? And he had killed Qu Yunkong, Sect Master of the Immortal Fellowship Pavilion, as well as the daughter of Purple Gold Cave's former Sect Master. The three great sects would never let him off either.

Even if he wanted to surrender now, it was too late.

Wu Gongling said, "Wasn't it because we were misled by them? I thought that once the war began, Han Song's army would seize the