Prestige Like a Mountain, Tiger of the Xiang Clan

Although the Chu Army would arrive the following day, both Han Army scouts and Chu Army scouts could potentially arrive ahead of time to gather intelligence.

Therefore, this moment highlighted Meng Wu's decisiveness and his formidable ability to deploy troops and arrange formations.

After capturing Ye County, he used the shortest possible time to thoroughly handle all matters within the city.

Then, within a few hours, he had everything rearranged; even if the Chu Army were to arrive right now, they would not be able to spot a single flaw.

At this moment, before the horse path of the Kunyang Mountain Range.

Thirteen thousand cavalrymen stood in a strict formation, obeying orders and prohibitions, solemn and silent.

The youth, clad in gilded scale armor, sat on his horse and rode through the ranks.

One could see his face was like fine jade, his eyes like cold stars, and the corners of his mouth were set in a firm, sharp line—heroic to the extreme, yet permeated with a murderous Sha aura.

Holding a twelve-foot Great Halberd in one hand, his divine might was tyrannical.

He sat upright like a long spear thrusting toward the heavens, his sharp spirit shattering the clouds.

One officer after another sat ramrod straight on their horses, their gazes following him closely; their left hands gripped their sword hilts, their right fists hammered hard against their breastplates, and their eyes flashed with fanaticism as their voices rolled like thunder:

"Light Cavalry Battalion Captain Ge Dan, reporting to the General!"

"Light Cavalry Battalion Colonel Jing Chu, reporting to the General!"

"Light Cavalry Battalion Centurion Chen Ling, reporting to the General!"

"Assault Cavalry Battalion Colonel Cang Xi, reporting to the General!"

"..."

Following the battle on the city walls earlier, Zhao Cheng had become something of a deified figure in the hearts of the soldiers.

Countless soldiers watched him ride through the formation, wishing they could leap off their horses to salute him; their reverence was plain to see.

One officer after another seized the opportunity as Zhao Cheng passed by to lead their troops forward and pay their respects.

Countless ordinary cavalrymen surged forward, looking just like fans from later generations seeing their idols—their fanaticism mixed with excitement. Had the military regulations not been so strict, they would have rushed forward to kowtow to Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Cheng merely nodded slightly, yet the soldiers were stirred into waves of excitement.

Upon reaching the very front, the Assault Cavalry Elite who had followed Zhao Cheng for some time were even more exceptionally thrilled.

This was the young divine general who had fought his way out of the Assault Cavalry Battalion, now holding the rank of Vanguard General—how could they not feel a sense of shared honor?

Beyond their pride, their reverence for Zhao Cheng deepened even further.

"Assault Cavalry Battalion Colonel He Ping, reporting to the General!"

"Assault Cavalry Battalion Colonel Feng Nian, reporting to the General!"

"..."

Zhao Cheng nodded slightly, and inadvertently catching the expression on his personal guard Feng Quan's face, he was instantly reminded of that meme of the smirking character from the later generation's Drawing Sword.

No way, is this kid really that smug?

Zhao Cheng was caught between laughter and tears, tapping Feng Quan with his Great Halberd, nearly knocking him off his horse.

Feng Quan was startled, "What is it, General?"

This halberd was truly heavy as hell; just a light tap had nearly sent him and his horse tumbling over.

"Keep up."

"Yes!"

Feng Quan wiped the smile from his face and followed closely by Zhao Cheng's side.

By now, Zhao Cheng had passed through the entire formation. Looking back, the ten thousand or so cavalrymen appeared like a vast river, and sitting on his horse, he could not see the end of them.

He said nothing, merely riding through the ranks, yet the morale of the army had already been raised to its peak.

Meng Tian, standing to the side, laughed, "How is it? How does General Zhao feel?"

Zhao Cheng gave a wry smile, "It's all because of your lousy idea; otherwise, we would have already covered several miles by now."

Meng Tian chuckled, "You don't realize your current reputation in the army. What is most important in war? Naturally, it is morale!"

"With you, the Life-Snatching Yama, at the front, the soldiers will surely have morale as high as a rainbow. When they fight, they will kill with all their might, terrified of running too slowly and missing out on military merit!"

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Zhao Cheng shook his head and spurred his horse forward, "I've only fought two battles."

"Two battles?" Meng Tian exclaimed, "We fought two battles, but did you only fight two?"

"That affair in the city was no small matter. When our comrades went into the city to handle the aftermath, they saw that mountain of enemy corpses—all of them killed by you!"

"Along with the battle to break the city, it has already spread throughout the entire army. That title of yours, Life-Snatching Yama, you won't be able to shake it off now."

Zhao Cheng scratched his head. Life-Snatching Yama, what the hell.

"I was just providing cover for the other scouts so they wouldn't suffer unnecessary casualties."

Feng Quan and the others nearby were deeply moved.

They had been terrified at the time, relying entirely on Zhao Cheng to draw the enemy's fire so they could gather intelligence as if walking through an empty land.

So it turned out that when the General ventured deep into the enemy city, taking risks to create chaos and even being surrounded by two thousand enemies, it was for their sake...

"You call this providing cover?" Meng Tian was speechless, though he was quickly distracted by other matters.

He scrutinized Zhao Cheng's jade-white complexion, unable to help but frown in confusion, "Come to think of it, how are you getting fairer and more delicate by the day?"

"When others join the army, they get rougher the more they fight, yet you're becoming more fair and tender. You've truly become a 'white-faced young general'."

Zhao Cheng no longer needed to wear a disguise, and having washed his body clean, the skin refined by his internal energy was naturally exposed. Amidst a troop of rough-hewn soldiers, he appeared exceptionally conspicuous.

Zhao Cheng thought for a moment and said, "I've been soaking in blood for the past two days. Perhaps fresh blood has a whitening effect?"

Huh?

Feng Quan and Feng Ruo were both startled. Blood can soak a person white?

Just how much blood would that take?

Meng Tian touched his own cheek, thoughtfully committing this key piece of information to memory.

Zhao Cheng asked again, "I heard the Chu State and Han have been clashing quite a bit. Even if they come to provide support, how many troops could they possibly have?"

Meng Tian rode alongside Zhao Cheng, "The Chu army's true intention is likely not to support the Han army, but to take advantage of the situation to grab a share of the spoils. At the very least, they want to see our forces suffer heavy losses so they can reap the benefits as the fisherman."

"Therefore, the enemy arriving this time will not be few."

"Furthermore, there is a possibility that reinforcements may strike from the direction of Wan City, so we cannot be careless."

"Understood."

The following day at noon, the sky was cloudless.

The main army continued its advance, having circled to the east in a large arc, coming to a halt far behind the position where the Chu army was expected to appear.

If Meng Wu's deployment was a bottle, the main army in front of Ye County was the belly, the twenty thousand light infantry in the mountain forests were the neck, and Zhao Cheng and his men were the cap about to be sealed shut.

Once the Chu army entered this area, it would be difficult for them to retreat.

Of course, if this cavalry unit belonged to anyone else, there might be a chance for remnants to break through, but unfortunately, it was Zhao Cheng guarding this spot.

As time passed, the scouts Zhao Cheng had dispatched had already crossed paths with small enemy scouting parties.

"The Chu army is approaching. Relay the intelligence to the General."

A Flying Cavalryman immediately galloped out, heading toward the main camp beneath the walls of Ye County.

Upon receiving the news, Meng Wu immediately began a large-scale "siege," making the clash between the fake Han army and the Qin army appear extremely intense.

Meanwhile, the scouts of both sides continued to probe one another.

Zhao Cheng couldn't sit still, "I'm going to go catch a live one."

He spurred his horse and took off, fast as lightning. Before Meng Tian could even react, he had already vanished from sight.

"Wait, you're a general! Why are you running off to act as a scout?"

Not long after, the scouts suddenly heard a familiar sound of a bowstring, and they couldn't help but be startled.

"The General is here?"

"Huh? Isn't the General leading the army?"

"This... one arrow per kill, who else could it be but the General?"

Several scouts rushed forward, only to see Zhao Cheng returning on horseback, dragging a few captured scouts with him.

The hands and feet of these scouts had been pierced by sharp arrows, rendering them unable to move, and several of their teeth had even been knocked out.

Zhao Cheng looked displeased, "These dog-things have bones that are too hard. Take them back and have them properly interrogated!"

Having witnessed Zhao Cheng's efficiency before, the scouts were left between laughter and tears, "General, these scouts were all carefully selected for their iron wills. Without some specific methods, it is indeed difficult to extract information."

"Just head back and let Feng Quan and the others handle the interrogation."

Zhao Cheng nodded and returned to the front of the formation, leaving the elite scouts like Feng Quan to conduct the questioning.

Feng Quan and his men dragged the immobilized scouts into the woods. Before long, muffled groans of agony drifted out, and shortly after, Feng Quan and his men emerged, wiping blood from their hands.

"General, we managed to get some information out of them."

"That fast?" Zhao Cheng felt that compared to them, he was far too lacking in this craft.

However, there was no need to learn it, nor did he want to watch. Although he was fond of killing, he believed in a clean end and had no desire to torture others.

"Speak."

Feng Quan and the others relayed the intelligence they had extracted, cross-referencing the details.

"The incoming force totals ninety thousand. Thirty thousand are Han troops from Wan City, and the Chu reinforcements consist of sixty thousand troops. The commander is Xiang Tuo of the Xiang Clan. This man is the cousin of the famous Chu general Xiang Yan and is known for his ferocity. He once charged an enemy formation alone and beheaded a Han military commandant; the army calls him the 'Tiger of the Xiang Clan'."

"Beyond that, this man is highly skilled at training Elite Soldiers. He has a thousand Death Warriors under his command with superior combat prowess. Xiang Tuo once used them to capture three Han cities."

"Xiang Tuo..." Meng Tian looked thoughtful, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes. However, after glancing at Zhao Cheng, that gravity dissipated.

Seeing Meng Tian's reaction, Zhao Cheng asked, "Brother knows this man? Is he very famous?"

Meng Tian replied, "He is considered a well-known general in Chu and has fought several famous battles. When I was studying military strategy, I researched his campaigns and command style."

"Unlike his cousin Xiang Yan, who favors a steady, step-by-step approach, this man specializes in surprise attacks and rapid warfare. He is known for his fierce and unyielding nature. His own martial prowess far exceeds that of an ordinary man, and he often leads from the front, acting as the spearhead to tear through enemy lines. His combat style is somewhat similar to yours, Ah Cheng."

"However, with you here, he won't be able to show off any of his might..."