Chapter 600: Chapter 280: Nanzhao’s Surprise Attack

Time went back one month ago.

Within Xichuan Country.

Tired footsteps stepped on the ground between dense forests, with wretched figures struggling to walk.

Zhao Changqing wiped the water droplets that seeped through the forest mist on his face, paused briefly, and took a breather.

Even though he was mentally prepared for it, he realized what it meant to be in a world-famous country surrounded by mountain ranges only when he actually embarked on this journey.

Even for them, the people born between the mountain ridges in the southwest, it was quite difficult to walk through one steep mountain range after another.

“Although the losses are somewhat huge, the good thing is that everything is about to end.”

Zhao Changqing murmured, looking back at the long line of people behind him, his face couldn’t help but smile.

It had been a month since they entered the mountains.

During this month, they crossed plateaus, traversed streams, climbed steep ridges, and entered grasslands. They faced countless natural dangers, poisonous insects and fierce beasts, and experienced many terrifying risks.

How many people who died on this difficult road were unknown.

But all this was worth it.

Because after crossing these mountains, there was a plain in front of them.

That plain was the destination of their trip.

Thinking of this, Zhao Changqing rubbed his face, cheered up, and moved on with the crowd.

After walking for another couple of hours, the dense forests seemed endless.

But this was obviously an illusion.

Because after he stepped out of another stretch of woods and took another step forward, the intense sunlight poured down, dispelling the shadows in the dense forest.

Looking ahead, a vast plain appeared at the foot of the mountain.

The plain was as vast as the sea, and there seemed to be no end in sight.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Changqing, who had spent a month climbing mountains, was instantly certain that he had finally reached his destination.

The companions around him seemed to realize this as well, and many people who walked out of the mountain ridge burst into tears of joy and gratitude.

Cheers erupted at the intersection of the mountain ridge and the plain.

Looking back at the excited companions, Zhao Changqing just smiled and did not stop or blame them.

As a fellow experiencer, he deeply knew what these companions had gone through in the mountains for more than a month?

The difficulty of crossing mountains and ridges was exhausting even for an Inborn Grandmaster like himself, and he couldn’t help but feel weariness and hardship.

Most of the soldiers in the team were ordinary people, which made it even more unbearable.

Many people had paid the price of their lives to cross the thousands of miles of mountains, and now they lay forever on the roads they had traveled.

“Your Highness.”

As he vaguely recalled his previous experiences, a soft call came to his ears, pulling Zhao Changqing’s thoughts back to reality.

Turning his head, a general wearing black iron armor, a helmet, and a determined face greeted him.

“General Hua.”

Zhao Changqing nodded to this general, with a smile on his face.

This general’s name was Hua Kaiyun, a famous old general in Nanzhao Country. Although he was over sixty years old, he was still vigorous. Over the decades, he had made countless contributions to his own father, the emperor, and was a true pillar of the country.

He was appointed as the deputy general for this military expedition, and along the way, he helped manage the army.

The old general did not fail to live up to his duties, not only managing the military affairs properly, but also taking advantage of this opportunity to pass on his decades of experience in military campaigns to Zhao Changqing, without any reservations.

Facing such a loyal and devoted old minister like a teacher, Zhao Changqing naturally respected him immensely.

“Your Highness, now that our army has crossed the mountains, we should be in the heart of Xichuan in front. However, we are not sure exactly where we are at the moment.”

Hua Kaiyun fulfilled his responsibilities as a deputy and teacher, saying to Zhao Changqing: “The old minister suggests that we shouldn’t act rashly. First, let’s send out a few scouts to find out the surrounding situation, and then make other decisions.

The army has been marching through the mountains for more than a month, and the soldiers are exhausted. Many units have also lost a lot of manpower, and it is necessary to inventory the losses.

It is an excellent opportunity to rest and recuperate. After regaining our strength, we can break the enemy in one fell swoop.”

Hearing this suggestion, Zhao Changqing just nodded with a smile: “Do as the old general said.”

Hua Kaiyun saluted: “The old minister takes the order.”

Then he got prepared.

Time passed slowly.

Scouts were sent out from the army to infiltrate the nearby plains and gather information about the situation here.

However, according to the reports, there were no villages or settlements within twenty miles nearby.

Some abandoned village ruins were found, but they were already deserted, and no one lived there.

So, with this report, Hua Kaiyun breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t make things difficult for the exhausted soldiers, forcing them to build a solid camp.

Since there were no people living nearby, they naturally didn’t have to worry about the risk of exposure or the possibility of someone discovering their army and attacking the camp.

Therefore, Hua Kaiyun only let the units set up tents and cook on their own, for rest and recuperation. At the same time, he called for the commanders of each unit, asking them to count their respective losses.

Crossing this group of mountains was not easy.

The route they took with Nanzhao Army had never been passed before, and it was completely a path forced through a wild and desolate area.