Yesterday my train of thought hit a snag, and today is the Dragon Boat Festival, so I'll take the day off and resume three updates tomorrow. Happy Dragon Boat Festival to everyone again!

By the time the news arrived, it was clear the situation around Guhe City had shifted again. The Grand Army of Yunxia City had withdrawn five hundred li and formally merged forces with Lieyan Mountain City, redeploying in a location known as Huling Hill.

And Hu Qianqiu, showing no hesitation, also abandoned his defensive positions and pushed his forces forward several hundred li, deep into the heartland of the opposite Yuning Province, stationing his troops with Qiu Wei directly opposite Huling Hill.

In the span of just two days, the two sides had clashed more than a dozen times, resulting in over two hundred thousand casualties for both sides, with victory swinging back and forth.

Upon learning of these latest developments, Hu Zhongyuan's expression subtly darkened. Zong Shou, however, summoned the messengers Hu Qianqiu had dispatched back to Guhe City and questioned them in detail. Moments later, he had a complete grasp of the entire situation on the front lines.

"This Feng Nu truly lives up to his reputation as a regional powerhouse! No wonder he could stand against someone like Zong Weiran for years without falling. He cannot be underestimated..."

The massing of troops to invade Guhe City was merely a facade. Using the battle for Guhe City as a diversion, Feng Nu had quietly erected a towering wall and dug countless pitfalls around Huling Hill.

What was remarkable was that all scouting parties, including those from Qiantian Mountain, had remained completely oblivious.

If not for the swift collapse of Taoyun City under his full-scale assault—where the three provinces were swept clean in little over twenty days, and three million soldiers under Taoyun City’s command were decimated in five continuous battles—this man might have succeeded in solidifying the Huling Hill defense line.

"If that had truly happened, even if Feng Nu the Overlord couldn't withstand their current offensive, he could use that line as an anchor to slowly bleed Qiantian City dry."

Seeing Hu Zhongyuan still wearing a look of unease, Zong Shou smiled faintly: "Don't worry about it. A general in the field is not bound by the mandates of the sovereign. Hu Uncle's decisive abandonment of defense to launch an attack was precisely to prevent Feng Nu from completing that Huling Hill line. If he had merely followed my orders and watched Feng Nu succeed, I would be the one to rebuke him. I see that in these ten-plus battles, every move has targeted the vital points of the Yunxia and Lieyan armies. Whether they win or lose, the rhythm of the enemy is disrupted. Uncle Qiu and Uncle Hu are indeed seasoned generals—they nearly intuitively grasped the cunning of Hu Qianqiu and Qiu Wei. For Lieyan Mountain City, this is, at most, mere interference, preventing them from smoothly repairing their defenses. But against the eastern front held by the Yunxia army, they clearly exerted twelve-tenths of their strength. Nearly forty percent of the two hundred thousand casualties came from the Yunxia side."

Hu Zhongyuan paused, then visibly relaxed. His greatest fear had been Zong Shou's displeasure. The transition from past disregard to present reverence had happened without him even noticing.

With no more fighting near Guhe City, Zong Shou simply rested there for another two days. Only when his twenty thousand elite cavalry had fully regained their spirit did he unhurriedly ride toward Huling Hill, appearing utterly unconcerned with the fighting ahead.

However, the entourage accompanying him had grown by three thousand more elite cavalry. The leader was a man named He Li, who was not only the City Lord of Guhe City but also the Patriarch of the Danhe Clan.

This was another major clan under Qiantian Mountain, having submitted to Zong Weiran only four years prior. However, they had always remained somewhat detached, guarding a region for Qiantian Mountain. The troops He Li led now were the most elite of his clan: the Danhe Cloud Cavalry.

Lightly armored and mounted, they could march eighteen hundred li non-stop in a day and night. Due to the special nature of their mounts, they could fly over mountains and cross valleys. Their combat strength surpassed that of ordinary elite cavalry, making them one of Qiantian Mountain's sharpest light cavalry units.

This clan often produced Spirit Masters, particularly skilled in the arts of medicine and poison. It was rumored that Zong Weiran himself had suffered at their hands before; however, for some unknown reason, he had subsequently subdued the Danhe Clan completely, making them willingly serve him. Along with the three million people of Guhe City, they became subjects directly governed by Qiantian Mountain.

In the Shenhuang game, Zong Shou had once been poisoned by a Demon Race player from the Danhe Clan, nearly resulting in his instantaneous death. It must be known that even back then, Zong Shou was famous throughout Yunlu with a single sword, and even top-tier players on the same level as the Seven Sovereigns had never managed to put him in such a desperate situation.

Therefore, whenever He Li was by his side, Zong Shou felt a prickle of unease and maintained a cautious distance. Fortunately, He Li was quite young, only about twenty years old. He had a slightly effeminate look, always smiling softly and speaking in a gentle tone to everyone, not appearing like a dangerous person.

Even if he harbored ill intentions, given his age, his mastery of poison was likely not yet at its peak.

The so-called Huling Hill was a modest rise, covering only about ten li in area, with a maximum height of a hundred zhang.

The millions-strong armies of both sides naturally could not all be piled up in one spot. Feng Nu's Huling Hill defense line was merely anchored by Huling Hill, connecting several medium-sized cities surrounding it. The entire battlefield stretched nearly one hundred thirty li, with millions of soldiers arrayed across this region, confronting and fighting each other.

When Zong Shou arrived, he first selected a high vantage point to survey the terrain. After only a moment, he understood why Feng Nu had chosen this unremarkable location for the battlefield.

On one side was a great mountain range, and on the other, a large river named the Pei River. This entire area resembled a funnel, with Huling Hill at its narrow tip.

"It is indeed a crucial strategic point. To hold this location is to control the throat of Yuning Province, fully shielding several provinces behind it. Moreover, the Overlord can use this as an anchor to guard the nearby Shengde Province."

Upon examining Feng Nu's constructed defense line more closely, Zong Shou completely abandoned the idea of using the Yuanmie Crossbows.

Feng Nu had clearly made countermeasures specifically for this. His over one million troops were spread extremely thinly. Even at the point of highest concentration, there were only a few tens of thousands, relying on high walls for defense and supported by roaming cavalry to firmly hold Hu Qianqiu's assault outside the line.

Even just looking from afar now, Zong Shou had a feeling that the sections of the wall already completed likely incorporated Spirit Formations designed to guard against Yuanmie Crossbow impacts.

Although the Yuanmie Crossbows were incredibly powerful, their method of attack was singular; if preparations were made in advance, dealing with them was not difficult. This was why such a potent weapon had rarely been used on the battlefield over ten thousand years.

After watching for a moment, Zong Shou closed his eyes in thought. Then, he casually picked up a twig and began drawing lines and characters repeatedly in the dirt before him.

A moment later, the entire tactical map of the Huling Hill front line was vividly displayed on the muddy ground.

Zong Yuan, Chai Zhou, Ling Xuan, and Hu Zhongyuan watched in silence, while He Li also tilted his phoenix eyes, observing with interest.

Then, Zong Shou pointed from the left flank, drawing a thin line that led directly to the rear of the Huling Hill defense line: "Zong Yuan, can you lead these twenty thousand elite cavalry to break through here? I want you to reach this precise point within five shichen."

Zong Yuan raised an eyebrow, leaned down to look closely, then glanced both backward and forward, a look of sudden comprehension spreading across his face. Without asking further, he bowed and acknowledged, "Your servant understands!"

Those around him also brightened their gazes. All were well-versed in military matters, and they intuitively recognized that this line struck precisely at the weak flank of Yunxiao City. Their Lord was as sharp as he had been a few days ago when sweeping through the three provinces.

This point was currently the weakest spot for the Yunxia army. A breakthrough here would pose an immense threat to the Yunxia army's flank and rear, forcing Feng Nu to abandon this segment of the defense line and regroup further back. In fact, if handled poorly, perhaps a hundred thousand soldiers could be annihilated here.

Even He Li couldn't help but praise the strategy as vicious, precise, and deadly.

Then, Zong Shou lightly pointed at a spot about seventy li to the rear: "City Lord He, I know your Danhe Cloud Cavalry have always prided themselves on their marching speed throughout Yunlu. If I ordered you to circle around the nearby great mountains and launch a surprise attack on this city from the flank and rear, what confidence would you have, and how much time would it require?"

"Gushan City?" He Li's eyes narrowed slightly, then he looked confused: "Besides the open terrain here, being easily accessible from all directions, there is nothing noteworthy about this location. Why does Your Lord care about this place?"

Zong Shou frowned slightly. During these past ten-plus days commanding the army in the campaigns across the Three Provinces of Huanlong, Hu Zhongyuan and the others no longer questioned his decisions. Even veteran generals like Chai Yuan followed his orders attentively. He Li's comment was somewhat unexpected.

But he quickly dismissed the feeling, as he was not the type of person to dominate conversations and reject input from others. He could explain his deductions and use the wisdom of those present to fill in any gaps.

He then pointed directly at the Pei River: "For the past few days, both Yunxia Mountain City and Lieyan Mountain City have been transporting vital supplies via this Pei River. Grain and fodder are also stockpiled in several cities along the riverbanks before being transported to the various armies—"

He Li nodded, "The situation is indeed as you say... but what does this have to do with Gushan City?"

"It's just one thing that puzzles me: Feng Nu the Overlord knows that all his Cloud Ships have been sunk, yet our over a thousand Cloud Ships have safely returned and can enter the Pei River within a few days. Why does he still dare to rely so heavily on this river?"

Upon hearing this, the faces of those present suddenly lit up with excitement, and He Li's eyes shone brightly.

"The fleet in the Pei River is merely a diversion, perhaps even a trap to lure our fleet into attacking! The real supply hub for Yunxia City is actually Gushan City?"

At this point, He Li's thoughts expanded further: "Your Lord sending Zong Yuan to strike here is just to create a diversion and draw away the nearby Yunxia City troops. The true heavy blow is actually here. To receive such high regard from Your Lord, City Lord He is deeply honored—"

"Zong Yuan and the others are going there also to escort you safely back."

Seeing a hint of approval on Zong Shou's face: "In short, within ten shichen, I want this Gushan City burned to the ground!"

He Li said nothing, simply bowing slightly. Hu Zhongyuan, however, was curious: "Then where does Your Lord plan to go?"

"Me?" Zong Shou smiled again: "Naturally, I will go to negotiate with Feng Nu the Overlord. It would be best if this battle need not be fought at all."