eat and be eaten (1)
As soon as the war broke out, the Imperial Palace, the Murim Alliance, the Heukje Castle, and the Open Government scattered well-trained Jeon Seo-gu and Jeon Seo-eung to the world.
The training itself was ordinary, but the trained beasts were flying beasts, comparable to semi-spiritual creatures. The unique Jeonseo-gu, which were well-maintained from their pedigree, flew more than three times the distance compared to ordinary Jeonseo-gu.
This was the reason why information about Gansu and Shaanxi could be quickly received at the imperial palace. Of course, there is a difference of a few days, but being able to obtain detailed information in three or four days from this large continent was a very great weapon.
This was the power of the Central Plains, which had been preparing for war for several years.
However, even if an amazing information management ability was obtained, it would still take time to transmit the information again.
In other words, no matter how quickly information is transmitted, what happens in each region must be managed by those in charge of that region.
“Are you going to be okay?”
Yeon Ho-jeong could not easily answer Yeon Wi’s question.
After receiving information from Gansu, he immediately spread the word to the central government, and later realized the seriousness of the situation.
“Make solid preparations in the central region right now… … .”
“Probably not.”
“What are you saying?”
Yeon Ho-jeong pointed to Gansu with a serious face.
“These guys are not going over to Sacheon. The road is too rough. Rather, if they pass over, they get caught in Sacheon’s information network and the grave of surprise cannot be saved.”
“A surprise attack?”
“Out of the 5,000, 3,000 have moved, leaving 2,000. The use of separate forces could only be the intention to carry out a surprise attack without the enemy knowing.”
Yeonwi nodded.
“You are right. then?”
“If they are targeting the central region, they will come down to Shaanxi. Otherwise, they will penetrate Shaanxi and press up and down Jongnan and Hwasan with 10,000 cavalry.”
Yang Chen’s eyes narrowed.
“… … “That’s a bit strange.”
“That’s right.”
Yeonwi, who was quietly lost in thought, also nodded.
“Yeah, that’s strange.”
Taegong asked.
“I don’t know what this old man is talking about. “Can he please explain?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s finger, which had been pointing towards Gansu, headed towards the southwestern part of Shaanxi.
“Three thousand troops took a detour and came down to the south of Gansu… … From Gansu’s perspective, it was a blow. “It’s not a tactic that can be easily chosen without some sort of distribution, to move two thousand miles away.”
“I understand that 5,000 troops are a lot, but if they are few, they are a small number of troops.”
“That’s right. However, if you look at the region as a whole, it cannot be said that there are many. “But we split that troop into two.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“Attack up and down Shaanxi with this many troops? This doesn’t make sense. This is a question of absolute numbers before force. “It’s not like we’re pushing it out of a ravine, and it may cause damage, but it’s not enough to turn the whole country of Shaanxi upside down.”
“Hmm, really?”
“But even to say they are pushing into the central region, the numbers are small. If there was a non-pole number on that side, it could cause a lot of damage, but right now there are two non-pole numbers in the Murim Alliance. The difference in military history also makes comparison impossible.”
Taegong’s eyes sparkled.
“If it’s not a disposable force, there’s no reason to penetrate into another area.”
“Exactly. Considering the forces of the entire three religions, 20,000 troops may not be that many. But it’s not a number worth sending just to make a threat. Crucially, this fight is the first battle.”
The index of Yeonhojeong took a detour along the Cheonghae and moved to the south of Gansu, and then moved straight to the north.
“The Gansu troops would have formed a thorough formation to deal with the enemy troops coming down from the northwest. But being bitten here? “There will be tremendous damage.”
“Hmm.”
Taegong’s old face also had a serious look on it.
“But the military force of the Gansu martial arts people is not formidable, is it? “It may be a surprise move, but I think it will be enough to block attacks from the rear.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled bitterly.
This is why commanding a war must be done by a warrior who has experience in actual combat. If nothing else, war is an area that cannot be mastered through books and theories alone.
“If you think about the numbers, yes, but this is war. “In an extreme environment where you don’t know when or how you will die, even the most well-trained warrior is bound to be nervous, and that tension is bound to push the owner to the crossroads of life and death.”
“Huh!”
“The unit that was watching the front and making full preparations was ambushed from the rear? Even if it is handled well, there will be 30% damage, and if you panic and get swept away, more than half of the area can be destroyed in an instant.”
A serious look appeared on Taegong’s face.
“Then isn’t it a big deal?”
Yang Chen said.
“It’s a big deal, but the gap in damage may vary depending on the earthquake.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Yangcheon looked at Yeonhojeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong placed three batons of different colors one after another on the map.
“Battles between groups are organized into various camps depending on the terrain and the characteristics of the soldiers. The most common among them is the two- and three-line movement.”
“Ride… … .”
“When facing the enemy, if the front line seems to be losing ground while fighting, a second line is brought in to reinforce the force. Afterwards, if the issue cannot be resolved through the second term, a third term will be brought in.”
“her!”
“Even if you don’t necessarily deploy troops, the morale of the military goes up just by knowing that there are strong reinforcements in the rear. On the other hand, if there is only front-line fighting without reinforcements, it is literally no different from a drain.”
Sujin Bae.
This means that there is no place to retreat, so you have to fight with your life.
If the morale of the soldiers is such that they risk their lives, they may be able to achieve results beyond expectations due to their strong mental strength.
However, usually when a battle is struck, the morale of an army that is left behind is at a low point. This is because there are no second or third line allies to help from the rear.
In other words, colliding with enemies in that state means charging towards death. It is a situation where morale cannot fail.
“However, in the case of Gansu, the distance between the second and third lines was lengthened considerably. “The topography is the topography, but the martial arts people have a great sense of spirit, so we want to prepare for an unexpected attack from the side.”
“You made the house thicker.”
“That’s right. “If a fight breaks out on the front lines, quick support is possible thanks to the sound and momentum, even if the distance is far.”
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
“But if you go all the way to the thick outer wall of the house and come back up from the end of the house, the problem becomes more serious.”
Taegong exclaimed.
“The long distance of the horizontal movement is a weakness… … !”
“That’s right. In addition, the Gansu troops dispersed their forces by creating the last firing line. Naturally, the inaction and number of the four lines are the lowest.”
Yeon Ho-jeong put away his baton one by one.
“If 3,000 troops surprise you from the rear, the four lines, three lines, and two lines will collapse in that order. “You can’t even imagine that a battle took place, so in the case of the second and third lines, they will send scouts to the rear to check the cause.”
“hour!”
“That’s right. Time is of the essence in battle. “If we send scouts carefully when it is not enough to go to help right away, the enemy’s 3,000 troops may come rushing in.”
“B-But the Tang family…” … !”
“The Lord of the Tang Family dragged Nokpung and Noksu with him. This means that, unlike the main unit in Gansu, it will be responsible for surprise attacks that utilize mobility. “This information itself came from Lord Dangga, so Nokpung and Noksu will deal with the remaining Icheon troops.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.
“If we cannot stop all of the Icheon troops, they will be able to attack the flanks and cause even more damage to the Iseon and Samseon. If so… … .”
bang!
Yeon Ho-jeong slammed down the map. Then the batons that had been removed to one side were scattered in all directions.
“The first battle of Gansu is over. Even if we annihilate the enemy without saving a single one, this should be considered defeat.”
Once an area is devastated, there will be no troops to stop the enemy if they come again.
In other words, there is now a clear path to the central plains. If you send reinforcements to prevent this, a power vacuum will occur in another area, creating a base that can be broken through more easily than in the first battle.
Additionally, the fact that an area was engulfed in the first battle would give the enemy a huge morale boost.
Of course, from the midfield point of view, there should be no openings anywhere.
“Well, then what should I do? “We can’t send troops right now, can we?”
“I’m worried, though.”
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.
“You have to believe it. “There are many people with excellent strategic tactics, such as the minor leader of the Murim Alliance heading to Shaanxi and the Tang family leader fighting in Gansu.”
You have to believe and wait. The war has now begun.
Only when each person properly demonstrates their abilities in the first battle will their roles in subsequent battles change.
“Gansu’s information will be analyzed after the battle is over. From now on, we will focus on the war in Shaanxi, here, and Hebei.”
* * *
“Hmm?”
Donggun, who had just given the order to the warriors to eat, looked back with some uneasy feeling.
“Elder. “I brought you a meal here.”
“… … .”
“Elder?”
“huh? Oh yeah. “Thank you.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“no.”
Donggun took a deep breath.
“I guess I was nervous too. “You can see that it reacts sensitively to wind noise and temperature.”
The prosecutor smiled bitterly.
“We didn’t even know you were like that.”
“The leader of the unit should not show himself like that. “At least it’s you who says this.”
“Honestly, we do more. “Everyone doesn’t want to show it, but they are very sharp.”
“Isn’t this the first time we’ve had a large-scale battle like this? It is on a different level from subduing a nearby group of black or bandits. Moreover, their power is… … .”
It was then.
‘… … ?!’
The anxiety that had been creeping up my back suddenly rose up to the nape of my neck.
The eyes of the comrade who threw down the meal and quickly ran to the rear a hundred yards widened as if torn.
It’s the enemy.
Even though I was climbing up a shallow hill, there was no sound of footsteps and no dust. However, the speed was reminiscent of lightning.
Donggun shouted without realizing it.
“enemy… … !”
Whoa!
As a ray of light flashed, a fist-sized hole opened in Donggun’s chest.
The one who runs at the head, leading three thousand demons.
Although it did not exert any force, its presence was terrifying. The moment you laid eyes on him, he gave off a tremendous sense of intimidation that bound your body.
A physique as proud as that of a man. He wore a large sword on his back and a black bow in both hands.
A single arrow fired from there took the life of a fellow soldier.
The woman’s mouth opened.
“It’s the beginning of the festival.”
Low voice like a general.
As the deep voices spread out, murderous blood rose from the bodies of the three thousand demons.
Hwaaaaaaa!
They were different from the beasts led by Yabaekdo. They were dignified demons who held normal swords like women and possessed a normal sense of reason.
The Third Priest, Jimahu (地魔后), led three thousand demons and began to sweep through the four lines.
