It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 118. The Defense of Hongnong Commandery (2)

Many military strategy books state that wars are lost when there are no supplies.

Without provisions, without stockpiled resources, battles cannot continue.

During the Han Dynasty, although Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang suffered numerous defeats against the Conqueror Xiang Yu, he ultimately unified the realm, thanks not only to the strategies and battles fought by talented individuals but also greatly to the logistics managed by Xiao He.

Thus, the Three Essentials.

Combat, governance, and supply.

Only when none of these elements are lacking can victory be achieved.

Competent commanders never forget this.

Especially someone like Sun Jian, who had experienced countless battles.

Sima Yi furrowed her brows for a moment and then nodded.

War is a battle of intelligence.

Skilled in such matters, Sima Yi had already deployed scouts to identify the enemy’s supply route.

Their supply line was surrounded by mountains.

Moreover, the commander was Sun Jian of Jiangdong.

After suffering a bitter defeat in the coalition, he likely would have stationed sufficient guards along the route.

Thus, a reckless march through this terrain would not only risk discovery but also leave exhausted soldiers no match for the guards protecting the supplies.

Therefore, the answer was to reduce the number of troops and send a small elite force solely to burn the supplies. However, this was almost impossible under normal circumstances.

But for the current Sima Yi, it wasn’t a problem.

A bizarre tactic that ordinarily could never be employed.

Recalling this, Sima Yi smirked.

And so, the defense of Hongnong Fortress began.

The girl guarded the walls with minimal troops while employing continuous fire attacks to prevent the enemy’s battering rams from approaching.

This tactic seemed effective, as the enemy found it difficult to advance.

“Report! Sun Ce’s cavalry has made a wide detour and is heading towards the outer perimeter of the walls!”

“Alright, deploy Commander Zhao Yun with three thousand cavalry.”

She meticulously received reports from the lookouts and responded to their attacks.

“The enemy is crossing the ridge!”

“They will never reach the walls. It will take time for the battering rams to be operational, so we will respond with counterattacks and deploy special forces led by General Unsam and Commander Zhao Yun to cause chaos. Relay the orders.”

Clearly, the girl was steering the battle into a war of attrition.

‘They must have noticed by now that something’s off.’

Sima Yi unfolded her fan and faintly lifted the corners of her mouth.

They wouldn’t realize.

That monsters beyond human comprehension were now in Sima Yi’s hands.

“So dull.”

– Tap!

Sima Yi folded her fan, sat down, and rested her chin on her hand.

Her violet eyes were utterly serene.

***

Damn it, why the hell am I climbing a mountain?

I let out a deep sigh while gripping the reins.

It had already been two weeks since I started climbing the mountains.

It felt like going hiking on the weekend with a boss from a toxic company.

How did it come to this?

I closed my eyes briefly to recall.

‘Sir, you won’t be joining us.’

‘What?’

Sima Yi had said this with a bold expression.

‘Lü Bu, it’s the same for you. Both of you have something else to take care of.’

‘Huh? Me too?’

‘Yes. Do you two happen to enjoy hiking?’

At that moment, Lü Bu and I exchanged frowns.

Sima Yi, seeing us, gave a wicked smile.

‘Originally, this strategy is the lowest of the low… but if it’s you two, it’s doable.’

Then she pointed at us alternately.

‘Peerless Warrior of the World and The Greatest Under Heaven. You both hold the most extravagant titles in the world, so handling a thousand troops should be easy, right?’

‘What nonsense are you spouting, kid?’

‘Oh, I’m not asking you to face them directly. Just accomplish the objective and retreat immediately.’

Sima Yi unfolded a bamboo slip.

‘Do you see this path? According to intelligence, this is their supply route.’

‘Supply route?’

Lü Bu asked, and Sima Yi nodded.

‘Yes, we intend to use the advantages of defense to drag this battle into an attrition war. In the meantime, you two will need to cut off their supply line. However, since this path is surrounded by rugged mountains, we can’t deploy many troops. Thus, exactly one hundred—that’s the maximum force we can deploy.’

‘So, you’re saying we just need to burn the supplies here?’

‘Yes, Sir. Can you manage? If you think it’s impossible, we can explore a new strategy.’

‘…’

I shook my head.

‘No need.’

So, here we are.

Lü Bu and I climbed the mountainside side by side.

Sima Yi had instructed us to reach the mountain summit within the designated timeframe to observe the enemy’s movements.

The attack was to be carried out in the evening, aiming to end them swiftly.

As we sat on a rock to give the horses a rest and ponder various thoughts, Lü Bu crossed her arms and looked down at me, scoffing.

“You think you can manage, struggling like that? You weakling.”

“Sigh, didn’t I tell you? My body’s already recovered.”

“Ha, seriously. That brat isn’t normal either, making us do this ridiculous shit.”

“Our strategist is a bit peculiar.”

“Our strategist? You’re the weird one. Who calls someone’s name like that?”

“It’s her nickname.”

“…Tch.”

Lü Bu clicked her tongue as if she found it annoying and sat beside me on the rock.

“By tomorrow, we’ll reach the summit. The guys behind us are exhausted. This forced march has been way beyond normal standards.”

“So, Lü Bu, are you exhausted too?”

“Idiot, do I look like it?”

As she said, Lü Bu seemed perfectly fine.

“When I was in Bing Province, a forced march like this was nothing. Especially when I was 14, clearing out bandits—”

“Damn it, do you know how many times I’ve heard that story? Just stop it already, seriously.”

“Tch, just listen to it again. You’re such a petty guy.”

Lü Bu shook her head but then pulled out a black cloth from her coat and handed it to me.

“Do we really have to use this? We’re not assassins, you know.”

“Just take it, idiot. Don’t you remember Green Forest? Why act squeamish now?”

Ah, that time in Xu Province.

Back then, we also wore these cloths like assassins and carried out night raids.

Thanks to that, I became much more skilled in pressure point techniques.

I could be called a first-rate assassin now.

But I’m not fond of being an assassin.

It feels cheap.

If you’re a man, you face your enemy head-on!

That’s the spirit of romance, isn’t it?

But now wasn’t the time to be picky. I sighed and took the cloth.

“Man, tomorrow’s going to be quite a hassle.”

“What, are you scared?”

“You just don’t drop dead, Lü Bu.”

“Shut up. I should kill you right here and now.”

We looked at each other and grinned.

***

Under the faint moonlight in the deep mountains, the two soldiers, Ju Han and Xu Kong, were catching their breaths.

They were soldiers tasked with guarding Sun Jian’s supply line, diligently standing watch under his meticulous orders.

Though technically part of Yuan Shu’s army, they couldn’t complain. Yuan Shu had handed over most of the military authority to Sun Jian.

“How can anyone attack a place like this? Isn’t it too much?”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

There were a total of 1,500 personnel transporting the supplies.

The very idea of cramming 1,500 troops into this narrow path was incomprehensible to them.

“Still, orders are orders. You keep an eye on the west side, and I’ll watch the north.”

They yawned, their expressions relaxing as they turned to face different directions.

In the pitch-black night, not even an ant could be seen. To avoid being detected, they extinguished all lights at night.

“Hey, look at this.”

“Wow, look at that strength~”

Eventually, Xu Kong dropped his pants to relieve himself, a sign of just how bored he was.

Ju Han chuckled, finding a bit of amusement in the dullness.

Then, an owl’s hoot echoed from afar.

Startled, Xu Kong quickly pulled up his pants and listened intently, his face tense.

“Is it just me, or does this feel creepy?”

When Xu Kong asked, Ju Han clicked his tongue.

“What, you scared?”

“Man, it’s dark, so my mind keeps wandering.”

Ju Han shook his head in dismay, but then his eyes widened at the sound of rustling nearby.

The two men’s gazes fixed on one spot.

Ju Han drew his sword. Xu Kong gripped his spear tightly, hiding behind Ju Han.

“You go first.”

“It’s probably just a wild animal. No need to get scared.”

Confidently, Ju Han stepped forward.

Then—

“Gah!”

In an instant, a dark figure leapt out and jabbed at his throat with its finger.

“W-Who’s there?!”

Xu Kong rushed over with his sword drawn, positioning himself beside Ju Han.

Ju Han clutched his throat, staggering backward.

“W-What’s happening?! What the hell?!”

“Guh, gugh…! Guh…!”

Ju Han tried desperately to speak, but coherent words wouldn’t come out. It felt like something was stuck, lodged in his throat.

“Damn it! We’re under atta—”

Before he could finish, another dark figure sprang from the trees, grabbing Xu Kong’s face.

Then—BAM!

The world shook violently as the figure slammed his face into the ground.

Ju Han, stunned, stared wide-eyed at Xu Kong, who had already passed out.

His face was shattered, teeth scattered, blood splattered.

A voice echoed from the darkness.

“Tch, why so noisy? Might as well announce that it’s a night raid.”

“This is pretty quiet, considering. So keep your mouth shut.”

“Lü Bu, you’re definitely not suited for this assassin stuff.”

“You damn bastard. So what, should we just kill them all?”

“You plan to kill them all? Seriously? Didn’t I tell you to tone down that temper?”

“I’m not your dog! You think I’ll just obey because you tell me to?!”

“Stop.”

“You little—!”

As the woman snarled, the man casually shrugged and approached Ju Han slowly.

He bent down, meeting Ju Han’s gaze.

The crimson glow beneath the black cloth was blood-red, like the eyes of a beast.

“Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of your business.”

That was Ju Han’s last memory, as his vision began to blur.

All that had happened was a single finger piercing his chest.

That was all.

Yet, strangely, his consciousness started to fade.

– Thud!

And so, the man blocked his ears against the woman’s grumbling and calmly passed by the unconscious bodies.