Chapter 592: Chapter 277: Battle across the River

The cold winter receded slightly, and the first signs of spring appeared.

The riverbank, which was once covered with white frost, now saw the frost gradually receding, with a hint of green sprouting from the soil, covering the lifeless atmosphere left over from the previous year.

The dense fog spread across the river with the breeze, turning the surrounding area for over ten miles into a bewildering scene.

At daybreak, the fierce sun rose in the sky, but through the thick fog, one could only vaguely see a circle of white light, barely recognizing it as the eternal, undying sun.

Now in the early morning, the cold from the night had not yet dissipated, and the riverbank and the water were extremely tranquil, disturbed only by the gentle breeze that brushed against the water, creating faint ripples.

Of course, there were also the figures bustling on the riverbank.

Countless small black dots swarmed back and forth, with shadowy figures appearing intermittently across the water. These black dots quickly ran from the riverbank to the shadows, quickly merging into them.

If you were to bring your line of sight closer, you would realize that these black dots were actually people, and those shadows in the fog were rows of boats docked at the riverbank.

“Hurry up, move faster.”

“Take advantage of the fog and our enemies not noticing us to move quickly. We can attack them.”

“The general has ordered that in this river crossing, those who can kill more than ten enemies will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and promoted by three ranks. If you no longer wish to serve, you may take the silver and leave, and you will be free.”

“The general has ordered that those who advance will live, and those who retreat will die. In this battle, those who fear the enemy and disobey the Military Order shall be killed without mercy.”

“The general has ordered that those who betray us shall have their entire family implicated, and their parents, spouses, and children shall all die. You have been warned.”

“The general has ordered that after we break through the enemy’s city in this battle, you will be allowed to plunder the city for three days. The wealth and women in the city will be yours for the taking.”

Knight after knight rode their swift horses back and forth across the open ground on the riverbank, shouting the recently issued orders loudly.

Similarly, military officers at all levels, who were also aware of the content of the orders, repeated these orders to their soldiers over and over again.

They knew that without promising rewards and imposing constraints through these orders, it would be impossible to rely on their subordinates to work for their cause willingly in this battle.

That was because their soldiers were not from their same tribe, and some were even forced into service rather than joining voluntarily.

Furthermore, the enemies that had to be faced this time were the soldiers’ own tribesmen.

Under these circumstances, their soldiers could only be driven to obey orders through these harsh military laws and large amounts of rewards.

Did these methods work?

The numerous officers noticed that the desire in the faces and eyes of their soldiers, once filled with resentment, numbness, tension, and fear, had now diminished their initial worries.

They knew that these orders had successfully aroused the soldiers’ desires – for life, for wealth, and for primal instincts.

This battle can be fought.

Amidst the cold river breeze and the dense fog, Li Xiong stood on a hastily assembled wooden boat, his gaze fixed on the riverbank ahead.

Even as an Inborn Grandmaster, his vision in this thickness of fog was not much better than that of ordinary people.

His eyes could only see dark shadows, and anything beyond thirty feet was just a white, blurry nothingness.

The only advantage he had as an Inborn Grandmaster was his extraordinary spiritual power, which allowed him to sense objects within a thirty-feet radius through his Martial Dao True Intent, thus knowing a little more than others.

But compared to the increased sensitivity range, the number of troops on the riverbank at this moment was far too large.

Despite being arranged in compact rows according to order, the range they covered exceeded thirty feet. The scene resembled a black, seemingly endless dragon stretching down from where they stood.

“How is the preparation of the different units going?”

After gazing at the distant shadows in the fog for a long time, Li Xiong finally retracted his gaze and turned his head to ask.

Next to him, the white-haired Li Shou waited quietly.

Though he was his brother, he looked much older and weaker in appearance and vitality than his elder sibling.

Li Xiong was now just over fifty, with jet-black hair, a ruddy complexion, an upright posture, and a high spirit, resembling a man in his thirties.

The vitality brought by the Inborn Grandmaster had halted his aging.

Moreover, the promise he received a few days ago had enabled him to see the possibility of realizing his ambitions in his career, filling Li Xiong with the determination and enthusiasm to make a difference.

In contrast, Li Shou had half a head of silver hair, wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes, a slightly stooping waist, and an air of decrepitude, almost indistinguishable from a man his age.

From just their appearances, they looked less like brothers and more like father and son.

However, now, the one who looked like the father took out the booklet that he had just organized, glanced at it, then answered respectfully, “Elder brother, among the twenty units of the 10,000-strong first batch to cross the river, fifteen units have already embarked on their ships. The rest should be ready within half an hour.

As for the next two batches, totaling 20,000 troops, they will follow us across the river in two waves, one hour after we have crossed and established a foothold on the opposite bank.”

Upon hearing this, Li Xiong furrowed his brow slightly.

He looked at the thick fog around them and the white circle in the sky that was climbing ever higher, then carefully calculated the time, making sure that the sun would not dissipate the fog by then, before nodding in relief.