"If Xue San hasn’t been captured, he should be hiding behind enemy lines now, waiting for our arrival. Additionally, the team members are all carrying a week’s worth of dry rations, so as long as he hasn’t been caught by the enemy, he must still be alive. We can only save him if we deploy troops now."

"Old Ye, worrying about Xue San’s safety here is pointless, and the longer we delay, the greater the danger he faces. If we wish to rescue Xue San, the best approach is to break the current deadlock and take the initiative to deploy troops," Shangguan Jian kept persuading Ye Shikai, who was hesitant.

"Alright," after a long while, Ye Shikai finally said.

"We will deploy troops now, guided by this map, and we’ll arrive before nightfall. Then we can discuss how to break through the campsite," Ye Shikai said through gritted teeth. Ultimately, reason triumphed over his impulse; Shangguan Jian made sense. If they wanted to find Xue San, they had no choice but to deploy troops. However, this decision was extremely risky, akin to a "big gamble," betting on Xue San’s life. Ye Shikai bet that Xue San hadn’t been captured and that as long as they conquered Yan Yu’s campsite, they would find him. But, conversely, if Xue San had already been captured, then Ye Shikai’s decision to advance would be Xue San’s "death sentence." Yan Yu might execute him out of spite—one step forward and back, life and death...

Barracks.

"General, I am willing to be the vanguard. If we don’t break the enemy camp, I’ll accept military punishment." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Please give me a chance, General."

Many leaders were enthusiastically volunteering to be the vanguard, each looking confident and determined. They’ve been eagerly asking Ye Shikai for such an opportunity almost daily. Naturally, this was their chance not only for a fierce fight but also to achieve career advancement and military merit. No leader wanted to pass it up.

At the same time, Man Cang stood silently at the back. Both Ye Shikai and Shangguan Jian noticed the tall, dark-skinned fellow, understanding that Man Cang felt guilty about the previous incident.

"Man Cang, come to the center," Ye Shikai said indifferently.

"Yes."

Man Cang walked forward slowly, feeling uncomfortable under the piercing gazes of the nearby leaders.

"General."

"Man Cang, are you willing to take on the role of vanguard?" Ye Shikai asked. Man Cang shuddered upon hearing this, surprised by Ye Shikai’s question.

"I..." Man Cang hesitated, perhaps feeling unworthy of the vanguard position.

"The Man Cang I once knew was a valiant fighter who dared to charge into battle bare-chested against the Wolf Clan, taking enemy generals’ heads amidst thousands of enemy troops. What happened? One setback and you become dejected?"

"Report, General—I fear... improper command..."

"What nonsense!" Ye Shikai shouted, interrupting Man Cang.

"As a vanguard, all you need to do is charge into battle with the soldiers and achieve victory. No one can control how many soldiers will be lost," Ye Shikai reprimanded harshly. He understood that after the Eagle Ridge campsite attack, Man Cang acquired a ’heart demon,’ which kept him from daring to lead troops to battle. If he wished to recover, he had to remove this ’heart demon.’

"I now give you a chance to avenge fallen brothers, a chance to clear your shame. You will be the vanguard. By nightfall, reach the enemy camp and launch a fierce attack overnight. By tomorrow noon, I want the enemy camp cleaned out. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I accept the command," Man Cang knelt on one knee, bowing, feeling clearer-headed after Ye Shikai’s scolding. Having suffered the enemy’s fire attack, Man Cang perhaps could no longer rampantly kill as he did before. However, in another sense, this was a good thing, as from now on, Man Cang would be more meticulous, detailed-minded despite his roughness. Though this lesson came at a significant cost.

"All troops, hear my command: march quickly, ensure you reach the designated location tonight without fail. This time, I will personally lead."

"Yes."

"Yes."

...........................

Beast Mountain, Forest.

"These bastards, of all places to shoot, they had to shoot my leg," Xue San tore off a clean piece from his clothes and twisted it into a strip to re-bandage the wound on his thigh. After all, this wasn’t modern times, and even Ye Shikai couldn’t equip every team member with a medical kit. Thus, when injured, one could only use clean cloth to bandage a wound.

Previously, when Ye Shikai idly chatted with Xue San, they often joked about Xue San’s "thieving days." As a thief, and indeed a God Stealer, a habitual thief, one would constantly dodge risks by the riverside—yet occasionally one’s shoes would get wet. If caught by the estate’s guards, the most feared consequence was a beating on the legs, as impaired mobility meant no more stealing.

Xue San lay amidst some bushes; rain continued to fall from above, hindering the healing of his wound, requiring frequent bandage changes. Eating the remaining trace of dried food he had, Xue San waited quietly, awaiting Ye Shikai’s troops.

"Quickly, search thoroughly; General Yan commands an exhaustive search. Leave no stone unturned—a cave has blood stains; someone must be hurt."

"Yes, let’s spread out and search carefully."

Meanwhile, distant voices reached him as Xue San lifted his head to peek: it was the uprising troops of Beast Mountain, seeming to patrol. Given Yan Yu knew about the cave, leaving it for the Qin Army wasn’t an option. Xue San initially thought they’d seal it, but surprisingly, over two days, they hadn’t. Instead, daily patrols of uprising troops ventured in and out of the cave.

"Centurion, why does the General leave this cave? What if Qin Army used it to sneak attack us?" Xue San, hidden in a bush, overheard the conversation of seven or eight patrolling soldiers a dozen steps away.

"Haha, think about it, this cave is so small that even two or three people struggle to pass together. How many Qin soldiers are there? Wanting to pass here would take one to two hours!"

"What if Qin dispatched a team for stealth attacks; wouldn’t that be a chance for them?" another soldier asked.

"Relax; as I heard, General Yan stationed many around the cave as ambush. Any Qin soldiers lurking are marching to their deaths."

"Ah, now I see, General Yan’s strategy is brilliant, setting traps for Qin soldiers."

"Haha, indeed—those Qin soldiers can’t hold out long. With so many people, how much food does the camp need daily? In one to two months, they’ll withdraw to the county at best."