There Are Arrangements in the Darkness

The soldiers storming Lurong's South Gate, aided by the first-to-scale troops, finally smashed open the gates with a battering ram. The Xianzhen Soldiers outside brandished their weapons, shouting as they charged into the city.

Before long, both eastern and western gates had fallen. Lurong's defending commander fled north with several hundred remnants.

Lan Yuan left three thousand men with Gao Ling, ordering him and Yu Fan to clean up the aftermath, while he himself prepared to lead a thousand men with Chu Qing in pursuit.

Having heard the arrangements, Gao Ling quickly clasped his fists and volunteered. "May this subordinate join the pursuit as well? Prefect Yu should be able to handle everything here."

Lan Yuan frowned and shook his head. "Though today's assault on Lurong did not cost the camps heavily, many officers and soldiers were injured by falling stones. You must remain and assist the Medical Battalion in applying medicine for external injuries to the wounded. Invite the Instructors and students from the Medical College aboard the ships to help as well. Rest and await news in Lurong tonight."

"You will not return tonight?" Gao Ling asked curiously.

"There are still three shichen until nightfall. If we pursue north at full speed now, we will reach Xijuan shortly after nightfall. I do not know whether the Wuxi Barbarians have reached Xijuan yet, so I will first take a thousand elite men to assess the situation." Lan Yuan knit his brows.

"Why not leave General Li's navy behind? The Trap-Breaking Army can launch a night raid and take Xijuan. Father and the others surely will not expect us to move this quickly." Gao Ling proposed with a grin.

"Haste makes waste. We should rest at night when it is time to rest; there is no need to exhaust the