Chapter 341
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Chapter 341: A Temporary Measure
A raging inferno instantly spread outside Iron Wall City.
Undoubtedly, the large wooden barrels thrown from the city wall were filled with highly concentrated fire oil!
The terrifying, high-temperature flames instantly engulfed the beastman soldiers closest to Iron Wall City’s wall.
Zhao Pan showed no mercy listening to their continuous screams.
He even had the soldiers on the wall throw down several more rounds of rolling logs.
While attacking the beastmen soldiers below, the rolling logs also served as excellent accelerants, making the fire burn even fiercer!
Watching the soaring flames in the distance, Li Yuanjie, who had always appeared exceptionally calm, finally panicked.
He leaped from his bronze chariot.
“Damn it! Retreat! Tell them to pull back immediately!”
While the number of Minotaurs was not as scarce as Elephant men, they were by no means many.
Each one was capable in both offense and defense.
In his beastman army, they were elite-level existences.
If too many were lost at once, even as the ruler of this beastman civilization, he would have no way to replenish them in a short time.
With a pained heart, Li Yuanjie decisively ordered the werewolf guards beside him to blow the horn of retreat.
Facing the retreating beastman army, Zhao Pan naturally did not mind having his slingers and archers pursue the enemy for several more rounds to maximize damage and results.
However, the enemy was clearly unwilling to retreat just like that.
After moving out of attack range, the entire beastman army quickly regrouped and gathered on the high ground, confronting Zhao Pan on Iron Wall City from a distance.
Judging by Li Yuanjie’s posture, he clearly intended to attack the city again as soon as the fire extinguished.
But fire ignited by fire oil was not so easily extinguished.
Moreover, at such a critical moment, Zhao Pan would not allow the fire to die down.
After a period of futile stalemate, Li Yuanjie knew there was no point in waiting any longer.
He curled his lip in annoyance and then fiercely issued the order to withdraw.
“Temporary retreat! Find a place to set up camp and rest!”
Watching the temporarily retreating beastman army, the defending soldiers of Iron Wall City cheered, celebrating yet another victory.
However, Zhao Pan, as the protagonist of this defensive battle, was not optimistic.
He knew very well that this fire was merely a temporary measure.
How much fire oil could there be? Including all the reserves within Iron Wall City, it could at most last for one more battle.
After that, if reinforcements did not arrive, Iron Wall City would most likely not be able to hold against such a monstrous force.
Furthermore, a high-temperature fire like this, if it burned for too long, would also damage Iron Wall City’s walls, making them vulnerable.
It was a double-edged sword.
Whether they could buy enough time depended on whether the other double-edged sword he wielded could play its intended role.
Descending from the city wall, Zhao Pan quickly called military generals like Liu Zheng, Zhou Yi, Zhang Lue, and Liu Tao, along with Zhou Tao, the City Lord of Iron Wall City, to the military camp for a discussion.
After a brief analysis and presentation of the overall situation, everyone’s expressions turned grave.
Among them, Liu Zheng frowned slightly and asked.
“So, what is your intention?”
“I want the people of Iron Wall City to gradually evacuate to Shangyuan City in the rear, starting today. During the evacuation, all transferable resources, like ore, should be taken with them. If reinforcements don’t arrive, I can at most hold out for one more siege. After that, if reinforcements still haven’t arrived, I will choose to preserve our forces and abandon Iron Wall City, retreating to Shangyuan City. We’ll leave an empty city for those monsters.”
Zhao Pan calmly stated his plan.
After listening, Liu Zheng’s brows furrowed even deeper.
“Isn’t your idea a bit too pessimistic? From today’s siege, it’s clear that while those monsters are strong, their numbers are relatively limited.”
“Moreover, we did achieve a small victory today, and the soldiers’ confidence has just been built up. Having the people of Iron Wall City evacuate now might be a bit demoralizing.”
Undeniably, Liu Zheng’s words made sense.
The entire scene fell into a brief silence.
Just as Zhao Pan was about to say something more, Zhou Yi, who had been sitting silently by his side, raised his hand, indicating he had something to say.
Seeing this, Zhao Pan raised his hand in permission.
Zhou Yi then spoke.
“I agree with General Zhao Pan’s strategy. This isn’t a matter of pessimism. After the people of Iron Wall City evacuate, having no worries about their safety will be good for us.”
“As for affecting the soldiers’ morale, we can just say that the upcoming battles will become more intense, and to avoid involving the people in the city, we are having them temporarily evacuate.”
“After all, this is for the people’s safety, and I believe both the soldiers and the people of Iron Wall City will accept it.”
Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Pan’s eyes because they had thought of the same thing.
So, he directly echoed.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Alright, since you’ve decided, I have no objections.”
As old partners for many years, Liu Zheng had always trusted Zhao Pan’s judgment in tactical arrangements.
What he said just now was merely his usual expression of thoughts and opinions.
As the City Lord of Iron Wall City, Zhou Tao had even fewer objections to the current situation.
“I don’t understand much about warfare, so I will follow the generals’ instructions.”
“Yes, City Lord Zhou, you will have your work cut out for you with this evacuation of Iron Wall City’s people.”
As he spoke, Zhao Pan cupped his hands toward Zhou Tao, who was sitting beside him.
“It’s my duty. We’ve known each other for so many years, General, there’s no need to be so polite.”
After saying this, Zhou Tao rose directly.
“This evacuation will likely involve a lot of work, so I’ll take my leave first.”
“Alright, I’ll dispatch some personnel from the army to help you maintain order, to prevent chaos due to the crowds.”
As they spoke, Liu Zheng and Zhou Yi also stood up.
After both sides reached a consensus, when the news was announced, it was certainly not without any impact, but Zhao Pan and Liu Zheng had been the defending generals of Iron Wall City for so many years, and both were undoubtedly deeply trusted and loved by its people.
This action quickly gained the understanding of the populace, who all showed exceptional cooperation.
Before nightfall, all the city’s people were already packed and ready, beginning their evacuation from the other city gate of Iron Wall City, escorted by several teams of soldiers.
