"The entrance in the Northern Frontier had long been controlled by our men, with many Daoist masters using their arts to seal and suppress it. Even if we could not completely block that passage, any reinforcements Heaven Will Continent wanted to send would certainly be restrained and monitored by us. By all reason, there should not have been an army unknown to us, yet now such a force had appeared..."
As Liu Hong pondered this, he turned to glance at the sand table behind him.
"Even so, the original plan cannot be changed!" His brow furrowed, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes as he made his decision. "The more dangerous it is, the less we can retreat. If we cannot crush this suddenly arrived force as well, it will inevitably affect the northern battlefront!"
As he spoke, he drew a deep breath, calculated the timing, and added, "But this means Commissioner Wu and the others will undoubtedly bear greater risks. We must first make the danger clear to him."
"This..." The deputy general hesitated. "If we tell them the truth and stir strange thoughts among the soldiers, what then?"
"At a time like this, are we still to hide it?" Liu Hong's brow drew tighter. "There is no need to say more. Just do as I say. Besides, in this battle we must lead from the front ourselves. Otherwise, how can we stir the fighting spirit of the troops?"
The deputy general still wished to speak. It was not fear that held him back; he had fought alongside Liu Hong and Zhang Qi for many years and was likewise battle-hardened. Yet he worried that unrest in the soldiers' hearts might bring turmoil to the camp.
But Liu Hong's attitude was resolute. Seeing that nothing more could be gained, he