Sorry! . . .
Song Jue expressed his astonishment, saying, "Really? You have a plan?"
The prevailing circumstances were undoubtedly grim, and despair loomed over everyone. Song Jue had previously attempted to offer solutions to Cha Eun Xiao regarding how to thwart the enemy's fire attack. However, despite his efforts, he couldn't devise a strategy to counter this devastating fire attack. Even if a rainstorm were to arrive, extinguishing such an enormous blaze would be a time-consuming and challenging task.
Yet Cha Eun Xiao remained composed, withholding the details of his plan. Instead, he issued an authoritative command, "Gather up, follow my lead! Prepare for battle. Today's engagement may be our sole opportunity to secure victory! The impending fire attack is our chance!"
Confusion clouded the minds of all present. However, they had received their orders, and even though they couldn't fathom the plan, they prepared for battle, placing their trust in their commander.
The soldiers gathered silently as Commander Cha observed them from the wall.
In the camps of the Kingdom of Lan-Feng, Wenren Jianyin grappled with a headache. Wenren Chuchu observed her uncle, wondering if he could truly bring himself to issue the command to ignite the fire.
The thought of burning down an entire area and all living creatures within it weighed heavily on her. The repercussions of this action would be felt for decades, and countless innocent civilians would lose their livelihoods. Wenren Jianyin felt deep anguish and frustration; he had an army of one and a half million men pitted against a force of just over one hundred thousand, yet he was compelled to resort to such a heinous plan. It was, to him, a profound personal failure.
Wenren Chuchu softly inquired, "Uncle, is victory truly worth reducing this place to a wasteland for decades?"
"Are you willing to destroy this land, leaving it barren for years, just to secure a victory in this war?"
Wenren Jianyin pondered deeply, a pained expression on his face, and surveyed the hundreds of generals who looked up to him in silence. If he didn't emerge victorious, they would all be held accountable upon their return, and some might even lose their families.
"I... I have no other choice," he replied, his voice filled with agony. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and gazed up at the sky.
"Wouldn't you..." Wenren Chuchu began to say but ultimately chose to remain silent, understanding the severity of their predicament.
Wenren Jianyin gave the order with a twisted expression, "Faster! Pour the kerosene as well!"
"Commander, should we... add something extra to it, akin to what we did with the kerosene in that tent?" one general cautiously inquired.
Wenren Jianyin's face contorted with bitterness as he mumbled, "There are still some limits we must uphold, even though we're about to resort to unscrupulous tactics."
His words carried a sinister undertone, leaving the general with no further questions, and he promptly departed the tent.
Throughout this time, Wenren Chuchu had been observing Iron Peak, where she noticed a man in white attire calmly standing on the wall. He appeared nonchalant, seemingly unfazed by the dire situation unfolding below.
The general asked, "Commander, why have they not launched an attack against us yet? Don't they understand the peril they are in? Logically, even if they can't thwart our plans, they should have dispatched forces to attempt something, given it's their sole remaining hope. They might at least manage to inflict some casualties on us. Isn't it a tragic fate to be consumed by the flames all at once?"
Others shared the general's perplexity regarding the enemy's inaction.
One of the generals speculated, "Are they giving up on this because they know they can't win?" They gazed at the white flag atop Iron Peak, perplexed by the lack of action.
"Could they be devising a scheme?" someone else wondered. "We must remain cautious."
His suggestion was met with ridicule from the others. "A scheme? I'd like to hear it. What possible scheme could they have in this situation? Even if the ten most accomplished generals in the world joined forces, there would still be no solution. All they can do is resign themselves to their fate."
"Why haven't they taken any action? Are they simply waiting for death? They have more superior cultivators than we do. If not for their superior cultivators, we would have won the battle long ago. This plan is our last resort."
"Who are we supposed to ask? Maybe they've all given up!"
"Commander, I'm concerned they might be planning some tricks, and they might just be waiting for us to ignite the fire," one general approached Wenren Jianyin and expressed his worry.
Wenren Jianyin took a deep breath and fixed his eagle-like gaze on the distance, sharp and unrelenting. "Even if they are, we must proceed."
"We have no other choice!"
"Stick to the plan and move forward!"
"We must secure victory at any cost! This victory is worth every sacrifice!"
"Yes, Commander!"
"Set the fire at midnight!"
Wenren Jianyin announced as he continued to observe Iron Peak.
"Commander, isn't that a bit late? There are still twelve hours until midnight. What if they flee before then..." one general questioned.
"I want them to flee. I am giving them the time to evacuate," Wenren Jianyin responded in a somber tone. "I would rather face them in battle than burn them alive there."
"Understood, Commander."
Their soldiers marched forward. The woods had been pushed to within ten meters of the wall. However, the soldiers on the wall remained motionless, simply observing the stack of wood growing beneath them.
Kerosene was liberally poured over the pile, and more wood was added.
Yet no one on the wall made a move to stop them. No one attempted to escape. They watched impassively, appearing resolute.
Wenren Jianyin kept his gaze fixed on his adversaries.
None of them attempted to flee; they stood on the wall, ready to confront an imminent conflagration. It was as though they had chosen to perish alongside Iron Peak, preferring to die defending their kingdom.
"I am cornered, and so are they," Wenren Jianyin sighed and whispered, "Sorry."