Chapter 148
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Chapter 148: Strategy
Zhao Pan, as the defensive general, couldn’t possibly be unaware of the issue of the stone consumption.
However, the situation at the time left him no choice.
Once the attack frequency weakened, the enemy would seize the opportunity to push forward all at once.
The Iron Wall Tribe’s close.combat forces weren’t strong, and once the enemy advanced to the city gates, they would be in danger.
“How many sling stones are left?”
“The men below just finished counting. There are 321 sling stones remaining in the warehouse.”
Zhou Tao, who had just entered, replied with a grave expression.
In terms of warfare, although he wasn’t as skilled as Zhao Pan, he knew that 321 sling stones was not an optimistic number.
After all, twenty slingers consumed twenty sling stones in a single volley.
As defenders, their sling stone consumption was too high!
And at this critical juncture, they couldn’t possibly open the city gates to collect the launched sling stones.
With this thought, Zhou Tao couldn’t help but speak again.
“I’ll have the tribe’s mining team work overtime tonight to try and replenish the losses.”
“Yes, I’ll trouble you with that.”
Zhao Pan nodded, but his expression remained grim.
Although sling stones were low cost, as the tribe developed, the Mirror Tribe’s requirements for sling stones also increased.
Not just any random rock found on the roadside could be used as a sling stone.
This was because slingers would find it difficult to maintain accuracy with stones of varying sizes and irregular shapes.
To avoid this, every sling stone they currently used was carefully polished.
“Don’t pull a long face.”
“Be optimistic.”
“At least we repelled those outsiders today, didn’t we?”
Liu Zheng, sitting nearby, tried to comfort Zhao Pan.
However, for someone not skilled at this kind of thing, the effect was clearly not good.
Zhao Pan shook his head, then spoke with a firm tone.
“In today’s siege, the outsider chief very wisely retreated before his soldiers suffered heavy casualties.”
“He is trying to deplete our sling stone supply.”
“Even if the Chief sends reinforcements after realizing the outsiders’ target is our Iron Wall Tribe, it would take at least three days.”
“This means that if the enemy’s attack frequency is high enough, we will have to face at least two to three more rounds of siege warfare.”
“And before that, once the sling stones are exhausted, we will be considered defeated.”
Liu Zheng was at a loss for words for a moment.
“Are you overthinking it?”
Zhao Pan didn’t speak again, just shook his head…
At this, Liu Zheng couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
Then, a flash of inspiration hit him.
“How about a night raid?!”
“What if we attack them under the cover of night?!”
Hearing this, Zhao Pan didn’t even raise his head.
His eyes remained fixed on the map spread before him.
He then pointed to a location on the map not far from the Iron Wall Tribe.
“If I’m not mistaken, those outsiders will encamp near this area tonight.”
“This way, they can constantly monitor our movements.”
“The moment we open our city gates, they’ll react immediately…”
Before he could finish speaking, a soldier responsible for delivering messages quickly walked in, his face solemn.
“Reporting, Commander! The outsider forces have set up camp in the hilly region outside our tribe!”
“Oh?
Liu Zheng couldn’t help but make a sound, surprising the reporting soldier.
However, before the soldier could wonder further, Zhao Pan pushed the map forward.
“What’s the exact location?”
As he did so, Liu Zheng’s gaze also flickered over, completely unconvinced.
Then, he saw the soldier’s hand point to the exact area Zhao Pan had just indicated, and Liu Zheng’s expression immediately became as if he had seen a ghost.
Ignoring the stunned Liu Zheng, Zhao Pan nodded and said.
“You’ve worked hard. Tell the sentries on duty to take turns watching that area. Do not relax your vigilance after nightfall. All right, you may go.”
“Uh, what should we do now?”
Faced with this situation that Zhao Pan had completely predicted, Liu Zheng’s old face flushed slightly, recalling his earlier optimism.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Pan’s answer once again left him dumbfounded.
“Your words just now reminded me, we’ll launch a night raid!”
“Huh?”
“We’ll launch a night raid!”
Looking at the utterly confused Liu Zheng, Zhao Pan seriously repeated the last five words.
However, after he spoke, Liu Zheng repeatedly waved his hand.
“No, no, I heard you, but… but didn’t you just say that a night raid wouldn’t work? Given their current position, they’d immediately detect us the moment our city gates open. How can we launch a night raid in such a situation?”
“We can.”
“…”
As night deepened, a sharp whistle shattered the silence outside the enemy camp in the hilly area.
Zhang Yisheng, who was sound asleep in his tent, suddenly awoke.
“Enemy attack?!”
Outside the tent, a commotion erupted.
The whistle, suspected to be an enemy attack signal, had clearly woken everyone in the camp.
Without time to think, Zhang Yisheng grabbed the longbow beside him, walked out of his tent, and seeing the slightly panicked soldiers in the camp, he shouted loudly.
“Everyone, don’t panic!”
“Archer units, fall back!”
“Close combat units, form a defensive formation!”
Zhang Yisheng’s command level was clearly not low.
The moment he spoke, the previously panicked soldiers seemed to find their backbone.
Within a few breaths, they quickly formed a defensive formation and rushed out of the camp.
Then, looking at the Iron Wall Tribe with its tightly closed city gates in the distance, Zhang Yisheng was instantly dumbfounded.
Damn it!
Where was the promised enemy attack?
Besides the two sentries on the sentry tower, he couldn’t even see a single person from the Iron Wall Tribe!
Rubbing his brow vigorously, he originally wanted to yell,
“Which idiot called out enemy attack?!”
But in the end, he didn’t, because it seemed he himself had yelled it too…
“Chief, so what do we do now…”
“Those on night watch rotation continue to monitor them. Everyone else go back to sleep!”
Zhang Yisheng, who had already realized he had been tricked, practically squeezed these words through gritted teeth.
Returning to his tent, he didn’t even bother taking off his leather armor.
Drowsy, Zhang Yisheng collapsed and tried to sleep.
However, just as he was about to drift off, another sharp whistle sounded from outside the camp.
His facial muscles twitched uncontrollably.
Zhang Yisheng slammed his fist onto the ground, then roared as he rushed out of his tent.
“Damn it!”
“This isn’t over, is it?!”
Zhang Yisheng, having been fooled again, was also getting infuriated.
This time, he waved his hand decisively.
“Search for him!”
“Find that scoundrel for me!!”
Under Zhang Yisheng’s command, the equally enraged soldiers searched around the camp.
This commotion continued until midnight.
The fruitless result left Zhang Yisheng with nowhere to vent his anger.
Finally, he could only declare fiercely.
“Ignore him!”
“Don’t mind that whistle anymore, just leave it alone!”
And indeed, the whistle never sounded again.
Then…
“All troops, charge!!”
“Kill!!”
The shouts of battle echoing under the night sky made the temporary camp ‘lively’ once more…
