Chapter 210: Snowball!
Wang Chong’s stratagem was working.
A relentless rain of arrows fell upon the room that Zhou Huang and Chen Burang were in. Through hiding in the steel cage located at the center, they survived the first wave of arrows. Xiu xiu xiu, Zhou Huang started releasing the second round of arrows.
A fight between the master archers of two differing factions wasn’t just a about the number of personnel on both sides. It went deeper than that.
When Zhou Huang managed to kill six of their master archers consecutively from the ‘fortress’, fear began spreading among the hostile master archers.
All of a sudden, the mountains several li around White Tiger Peak fell silent.
Zhou Huang’s masterful archery skills coupled with Chen Burang’s astounding talent formed the ideal combo. In all directions, dozens of arrogant Turk master archers and Goguryeon condor snipers had finally toned it down.
Wang Chong knew that this was a chance for them.
“Over there!”
Ten zhang away, an instructor whose left shoulder was pierced by a wolf fang arrow was kneeling on the ground with a pale face. Dozens of wolf carcasses were piled around him, but an endless number of Turk wolves seemed to fill the places of their fallen companions instantly, resulting in an endless barrage of attacks.
Other than a few Imperial Army guards who had been shot down by the wolf fang arrows, there was no one around him.
It was impossible to tell how long he had stood his ground, but judging from his pale face and the cold sweat dripping down it, it seemed like he had expended himself greatly.
Chi!
Wang Chong, Zhao Jingdian, Zhuang Zhengming, and an Imperial Army guard formed a small squad who swiftly slaughtered their way over to save the White Tiger Peak instructor.
Upon receiving the aid of Wang Chong’s group, the awful complexion of the instructor finally alleviated.
“Can you still persevere on?”
Wang Chong asked.
“I can!”
The instructor replied. The youngster before him felt unfathomable and mysterious. Given the chaos on White Tiger Peak, he didn’t expect for there to be such an organized squadron moving around.
Nodding his head, Wang Chong pulled the other party to his feet.
Then, with the addition of an instructor, the group headed for their second destination. At their second destination, there was a huge boulder, and behind the boulder, there was an Imperial Army guard who seemed to have suffered severe injuries from the rain of arrows.
And catching the scent of his blood, a large group of wolves surrounded him tightly, leaving him with no space to escape.
Slaying their way through the pack, the group saved the Imperial Army guard. Just like that, the total number of Imperial Army guards and instructors in Wang Chong’s group increased to three.
Wang Chong’s composure and confidence allowed him to earn the trust of these Imperial Army guards and instructor easily. At this point, their squad already formed quite a sizeable strength under the current circumstances.
“Our next target, that Goguryeon warrior!”
Wang Chong pointed to a Goguryeon standing in the midst of the wolf pack. That person had unkempt long hair and an aura of wildness. Grasped in his hands were three long sabers which slashed swiftly around as though a storm. Working along with the wolf pack, he slashed at an opposing Imperial Army guard at every possible opportunity, forcing the other party to retreat continuously. If the situation was allowed to develop on in such a manner, the Imperial Army guard would surely fall a moment later.
Boom!
The instructor and Imperial Army guards first launched the attack. Then, Wang Chong, Zhao Jingdian, Zhuang Zhengping, and a few other scions, as promised before, charged forward to reinforce them.
Wang Chong’s attrition strategy worked. In a few moments, the Goguryeon warrior’s internal organs were shattered and he died shortly thereafter.
And so, the number of experts around Wang Chong increased to four.
“Jingdian and Zhuang Zhengping, you two lead some men to gather the other recruits. Also, by the edges of the mountain where no one is around, light a few fires. The bigger it is, the better its effect will be. This will impair the master archers’ visibility!”
Wang Chong suddenly turned around and instructed his group.
Master archers weren’t invincible!
Even though their astounding eyesight allowed them to pick out an apple hanging on a distant tree clearly, that was only limited to daytime. At night, there were too many ways to limit their visibility, and starting a fire was one of them.
Theoretically, a source of light on the mountain should increase the threat of the enemy master archers to them. However, the truth was that the source of light would interfere in the master archers’ ability to adapt to the darkness, thus further impairing their visibility.
Furthermore, the campfire, whether subconsciously or consciously, would surely affect their concentration. After all, no matter how formidable master archers were, they were still mortal beings.
Doing so would limit the damage the master archers could cause, thus increasing the survivability of the forces on the mountain.
“Yes, we’ll go and get it done now!”
Zhuang Zhengping responded without any hesitation. Obeying Wang Chong’s instructions, they quickly left.
“This is a formation that I created. When facing any enemies later on, follow by this formation!”
After which, Wang Chong drew a simple formation diagram on the ground and explained its fundamentals to the instructor and Imperial Army members.
“Understood.”
The crowd nodded their heads. Wang Chong had designed this formation for the battlefield, and as veterans of the battlefield, they understood it far faster than Zhao Jingdian and the others.
Thus, leading the four Imperial Army members and instructor, Wang Chong advanced forward.
He didn’t partake in any battle. Rather, he focused his effort on leading the Imperial Army guards and instructor to clear away the isolated Goguryeon warriors and save their allies.
The fifth one, the sixth one…
Wang Chong’s group gradually expanded as they accepted rescued guards and instructors into the team.
The seventh one, the eighth one, the ninth one…
Different from the severely injured instructor and Imperial Army members in the group at the start, a large portion of those saved subsequently on retained a larger portion of their fighting prowess.
Under the current situation, wit was far more effective than brute strength.
“We’ll claim this ground first!”
Wang Chong pointed his finger to the front.
Back when he was exploring the mountain, he realized that there were three strategic geographical locations on White Tiger Peak. These three locations were interconnected. As long as they were able to hold onto all three, they could limit the number of enemies capable of approaching their forces at any one time.
And the place Wang Chong was pointing toward was the first of the three. It was located in the center of the rows of dormitories on the mountain.
There was a high chance they could survive as long as they conquered the area. Firstly, they could make use of the various dormitories to block the vision of the master archers. On top of that, they could make use of the walls in the surroundings to minimize the pressure from all directions to the minimum.
It could be said that other than Zhou Huang and Chen Burang’s fortified room, that was one of the safest zones on the peak.
“Everyone, let’s do according to what he says!”
An instructor who was saved by Wang Chong threw in his support.
Wang Chong’s composure had won the trust of the group. Without any hesitation, the instructors and Imperial Army guards carried out Wang Chong’s instructions.
Aooooooooooo!
Countless wolves pounced at them swiftly and ferociously, but they were unable to stop the group’s footsteps at all. After killing off three Goguryeon warriors hidden amidst the wolf pack, the group finally successfully claimed the first strategic ground.
Precipitous ten zhang tall cliffs surrounded this area on the both sides. The appearance of the nine Imperial Army guards and instructors seemed as though a skerry rising in the midst of a vast ocean.
Packs of wolves charged steadily toward them from the foot of the hill, feeling instinctively threatened by their presence. However, the defense of the group was as sturdy as a wall. Any wolf that came forward would be slaughtered and its lifeless carcass added to a growing pile on the ground.
The geographical terrain had played an important role in their defense. In here, the onslaught of innumerable wolves felt like an ocean attempting to surge into a river channel. From both sides, only a total of twenty or so Turk wolves could enter at any given time.
Following Wang Chong’s instructions, three men were stationed at the front and four at the back. The other two stood in the middle, ready to reinforce either sides at any moment.
The advantageous geographical terrain along with the formation made it such that despite the huge quantity of incoming wolves, on average, everyone was only facing two at any given time. Given the strength of the Imperial Army guards and instructors, dealing with two Turk wolves simultaneously was a walk in the park.
One after another, the giant wolves fell to the ground. Before long, there were already more than sixty carcasses lining the ravine. Yet, during this period of time, the group didn’t even sustain the slightest injury.
And while the group was camping in this area, the general wolf population on the mountain decreased, reducing the burden of the others on White Tiger Peak. Finally, they found a chance to catch a breather.
All of a sudden, the situation on White Tiger Peak seemed to be turning for the better.
To think that such a simple move would have such massive effects. In an instant, everyone felt even more awed by Wang Chong.
“Wang gongzi, what do we do next?”
An instructor looked at Wang Chong and asked.
“We mustn’t abandon this location.”
Frowning, Wang Chong contemplated for a short moment before issuing new instructions.
“We have to clear away the wolf carcasses in the ravine. Use them to fill the rooms at both sides, this can reduce the threat of the archers for us.”
There were no convenient dead tigers in this area. Even though wolf carcasses couldn’t compare to tiger carcasses, as long as there was a sufficient quantity of them, this location could still be turned into a new fortress.
Quantity could make up for quality!
“Do as Wang gongzi says!”
At this point, everyone finally saw a ray of hope. In just a short moment, the situation of the battle on White Tiger Peak seemed to have changed entirely.
The fearsome master archers were all forced to rein themselves in, seemingly fearful of something. As a result, the rain of arrows pouring down from the sky had grown sparse and less frequent.
And without the cover of the wolves and the archers, the threat the Goguryeon warriors posed was severely limited.
All of these were the credit of the young man before them.
Pu pu pu!
Everyone kicked the wolf carcasses into the nearby rooms, and before long, the empty rooms were entirely filled.
Hu! At the same moment, a large conflagration sprang up amidst the darkness. Then, a second one, and a third one! …
Zhao Jingdian and Zhuang Zhengping had accomplished their mission.
These flames lit up the corner of White Tiger Peak, but it seemed to place a cloak of darkness into the surroundings where the radiance was unable to reach.
“Well done!”
Back at Wang Chong and Su Hanshan’s room, Chen Burang saw the flames and his eyes lit up. Even the exhausted Zhou Huang, who was perspiring profusely at this moment, showed a hint of a smile.
With these flames, he would be in an even more advantageous position in the face off against the other master archers!
“There’s nothing that I can teach that child!”
Standing amidst the shadowy mountainside, Zhao Qianqiu wiped a layer of sweat off his forehead as he gazed at the blazing flames in the distance. A faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
It was just like a rolling snowball. Zhao Qianqiu didn’t expect that with just the limited strength of an Imperial Army guard and five students, Wang Chong would really be able to cause such a huge change in the circumstances on White Tiger Peak.
“Instructor Zhao, Wang Chong invites you over!”
At this moment, a voice sounded by his ear. Unknowingly, Zhao Jingdian had stepped through the darkness and appeared before him.
A skerry is a Scottish term for a small rocky island and can also be used for a series of such islands.