The leaders of Jiaozhou were like ants on a hot pan.
The news that Gongyang He had been scared to death by Liang Xiao spread like wildfire, further deifying the Heavenly General's deterrent power, leading to a complete lack of fighting spirit among the troops.
The Heavenly Sun cavalry, on the other hand, were listless daily due to Achilles' death, their dejection evident during training.
Their only reliance now was to defend their strategic position.
Emulating Zhuo Ying's previous blockade of the eastern mountain pass in Luzhou, they now stood guard at the crucial junction from Yuzhang to Jiaozhou.
If this place fell, Jiaozhou would inevitably face the relentless southward advance of the Great Gan army.
"This place is treacherous. Even if the enemy has more strange weaponry, they will absolutely not break through our defenses!"
Only Hannibal, the Grand Marshal of Heavenly Sun, boosted morale daily.
"What if the enemy bypasses this mountain, cuts off our supply lines, or even launches a long-range assault on Jiaozhou?" Dugu Qun worriedly asked.
Hannibal's face darkened. "Why didn't you bypass Luzhou and raid all over Jiangnan then?"
Dugu Qun was speechless.
When the enemy heavily guarded one stronghold, rashly bypassing it carried immense risk, making them vulnerable to surprise attacks and potentially cutting off their retreat.
Battle formations were typically employed during offense; troops marching could not maintain a dense formation for long. The column would eventually have to revert to long lines to prevent congestion and self-trampling.
The Great Gan cavalry was fully capable of intercepting any troops attempting to bypass the city.
Even if a hundred thousand troops attempted to encircle the city, appearing formidable, once dispersed, an attack by as few as ten thousand soldiers at the opportune moment could cripple the enemy.
If they were cavalry, five thousand men launching hit-and-run raids could make the marching army miserable.
To ensure the safety of the marching troops, they would need to be well-disciplined, capable of rapid reaction at any time, and supported by numerous scouts and vanguard units for patrol and security.
However, they were unable to operate effectively on the enemy's territory in Jiangnan, and their vanguard units had been repelled several times, forcing them to abandon any attempt to bypass the city.
"But now our morale is low, and the enemy's is high. I fear the Jiaozhou troops won't even have the will to defend, let alone chase after the enemy's flanking forces..." Xiao Che looked troubled.
Hannibal, usually stern, suddenly smiled. "Where is the 'list' I asked you to prepare?"
"These disgruntled soldiers have been confined to a separate camp. How do you intend to deal with them?" Xiao Che nodded.
In the crowded military camp, five thousand Jiaozhou soldiers, disarmed, awaited military judgment.
"The morale of the entire camp is low, so why are they targeting us specifically?"
These soldiers whispered among themselves, looking dejected.
They had merely uttered a few words of "it's better to retreat" in private, and someone had reported them.
They were apprehended, but not beaten.
At that moment, the sound of horses' hooves echoed from outside, and the soldiers looked in that direction.
It turned out to be Heavenly Sun cavalry arriving at the camp, including the elite Heavenly Sun Fierce Riders, led by Hannibal, their eyes glinting with ferocity.
"Marshal Hannibal, we know we were wrong! We will charge with all our might and will never complain!"
The soldiers prostrated themselves, admitting their fault.
Hannibal smiled. "It's nothing!"
Everyone rejoiced. "Thank you, Marshal Hannibal!"
Hannibal waved his hand and continued with a smile, "No need to thank me. I am following the guidance of the Heavenly Sun gods to grant you eternal slumber."
"Eternal slumber?" The soldiers looked at each other in confusion.
Hannibal then raised his command flag: "Unleash your fury!"
In an instant, thousands of Heavenly Sun cavalry surged forward like wolves and tigers, their faces contorted in grim smiles.
Heart-wrenching cries and pleas echoed through the camp.
But the camp had already been sealed off, and the guards had been replaced by Heavenly Sun soldiers.
"What? All five thousand were killed?!"
Hearing the report from several personal guards, Xiao Che was shocked and enraged.
"It wasn't just killing. Those soldiers were brutally murdered by the Heavenly Sun cavalry, and several hundred were even... violated..." the personal guard stammered.
Everyone's expression changed.
They didn't even spare the men?
"They've been cooped up in the camp for months; it's understandable that some have become violent," King Nan Xiao Chang said with a dry laugh.
"Not only that, but they also disemboweled those five thousand men, took their hearts and livers, and used them as snacks. The camp was covered in blood..." The personal guard trembled all over, his lips pale, clearly having witnessed the most terrifying scene of his life.
"Ugh!" Dugu Qun and several other personal guards who had reported simultaneously vomited.
Everyone's heart pounded, and they were at a loss for what to do.
From the brief description alone, they could imagine the hell on earth that had unfolded.
The Heavenly Sun tribe truly enjoyed cannibalism...
Hannibal returned to his tent and saw everyone's ashen faces. He smiled, "They disrupted military discipline. They were all killed, understand?"
"But..."
"No buts! A bunch of deadweight, soldiers who could mutiny at any moment. They were killed, and that's that! Now our soldiers have recovered their morale and are ready to defend this place!" Hannibal said impatiently.
Xiao Che, who had been worried, was overjoyed. "Truly!"
Seeing Hannibal nod, Xiao Che finally felt at ease. "You can't catch a wolf without a child. They were made to extract their final value, a form of atonement!"
"Five thousand soldiers, what a waste! Even if they were used as suicide squads or laborers, it would have been something!" Xiao Chang lamented.
"If our soldiers cannot regain their spirit and the camp's morale deteriorates further, the loss of this mountain is only a matter of time!" Hannibal roared.
Everyone nodded in agreement, saying no more, as the butcher's blade had not fallen upon their own men.
The news of the Heavenly Sun cavalry's massacre of five thousand Jiaozhou soldiers was strictly ordered to be kept secret by Xiao Che.
The personal guards responsible for delivering the report returned to their own tents, their faces ashen.
As Xiao Che's personal guards, they had enjoyed comfortable lives.
But now, having personally witnessed the atrocities of the Heavenly Sun tribe, they were deeply shaken.
Most importantly, among the slaughtered soldiers were their fellow townsmen, their comrades in arms, who simply hadn't become personal guards.
"This cannot be kept secret! At least let Third Brother and the others know the consequences of angering the Heavenly Sun tribe..."
Finally, a personal guard could not contain himself. Under the cover of night, he crept into the tent of an acquaintance and secretly relayed the information.
"What?!"
Upon learning of the situation, these soldiers became panicked and uneasy.
Word spread like wildfire... Soon, the entire army knew!
The next afternoon, the soldiers who would usually chat during breaks now walked silently, merely exchanging glances with acquaintances before lowering their heads and remaining silent. The saying "roads meet the eyes" was unfolding within the military camp.
After the news leaked, the leaders of Jiaozhou were furious and lost their composure.
The next day, several nearly intact human skins were placed in Hannibal's luxurious tent. Those personal guards had also vanished forever from the sight of the Jiaozhou soldiers...
A shroud of fear enveloped the entire camp. Only the Heavenly Sun soldiers remained cheerful, their morale boosted by the sight of one hundred newly arrived ballistae.
Their wolf-like nature unleashed, they finally regained the confidence they once had when sweeping across South Asia.
Meanwhile, the army in Yuzhang had already assembled.
"The enemy's grain is stored in the mountains, but there is a continuous flow of provisions from Jiaozhou. The supply route is about 150 li to the southwest!"
The scouts had finally ascertained the information about the Jiaozhou troops.
On the assembly platform, Liang Xiao counted the cavalry. Nan Jiyun was appointed vanguard, leading the White Robe soldiers to march around the mountain.