After Wei Qing and Qin Qiong finalized their plans, they began to study the map. Their primary objective was to remain hidden and maneuver behind enemy lines.
The enemy had numerous scouts scattered around, and many flying pets served as reconnaissance. If their movements were detected, they would face a siege.
To avoid such a situation, the two meticulously observed the enemy's disposition.
Dong Xiuxian's army marched in a fan-shaped formation. The flanks were densely packed with countless scouts, while the forward and central troops advanced at a rapid pace, predominantly cavalry, numbering hundreds of thousands.
Furthermore, the enemy possessed flying units, numbering around tens of thousands. These were winged soldiers used for reconnaissance, their presence visible everywhere.
"Should we take a detour? There's a mountain here. We can skirt around behind it and wait for the enemy's rear guard to arrive," Qin Qiong offered his opinion.
"Agreed. To be safe, we should make some disguises. Otherwise, we'll be easily spotted," Wei Qing concurred.
After their discussion, they began to assemble their troops and move away.
To prevent pursuit, Wei Qing specifically dispatched men to erase their tracks and simultaneously created false trails leading in the opposite direction.
An hour later, Dong Xiuxian's scouts discovered the situation and reported it to him.
Dong Xiuxian did not erupt in anger but frowned. "So easily falling into the enemy's trap? That Xiong Yuan is truly an imbecile."
"Did you ascertain where those enemies departed?" Dong Xiuxian inquired.
"They have left, heading to rendezvous with their army," the soldier replied.
"Be aware of further harassment. Report any attacks immediately," Dong Xiuxian commanded.
"Understood."
Unbeknownst to Wei Qing, his prudence had saved them from disaster. Had he not arranged for false trails, Dong Xiuxian would have immediately dispatched troops to pursue his actual path.
This was a fundamental quality of an excellent commander. Failure to consider every eventuality could lead to the annihilation of the entire army.
After evading detection, Qin Qiong and Wei Qing's forces began their camouflage, hiding in dense forests, concealed caves, or underground.
As a failsafe, Wei Qing produced a mist scroll, using it to envelop the entire mountain forest in fog, making their concealment even more effective.
Indeed, about an hour later, Wei Qing, through his reconnaissance units, detected enemy scouts arriving to investigate the area.
Their success now depended on whether they could fool these reconnaissance soldiers.
The enemy's flying pets could not see the ground below due to the thick fog obscuring the view.
"Do you think it's worth it for our Long family to deploy so many soldiers just to eliminate them?" a Long family scout mused while observing their surroundings.
"I heard it was a personal order from the Long family's Old Ancestor. You know how much he dotes on his great-grandson, who apparently died at the hands of this lord," another Long family scout replied.
"No way! You mean Long Fang? I heard he had a penchant for collecting women, especially the most beautiful ones. So he got himself killed."
"He was unlucky to provoke a lord who isn't afraid of the Long family."
"Keep your voice down. Speaking ill of the Long family will get you killed."
"Alright, why are the enemies here? We have over two million soldiers, and they only have a few hundred thousand. Where do they get the courage to attack us?"
"You're right. There's nothing unusual here. Let's head back and report."
"Let's go."
The ground reconnaissance troops, after a cursory sweep, confirmed the absence of the enemy and departed.
Qin Qiong and Wei Qing both breathed a sigh of relief. Once this hurdle was cleared, the rest would be easier.
After the enemy had moved further away, Qin Qiong and Wei Qing finally allowed their soldiers to emerge and assemble.
"Haha, we've successfully passed the most crucial step. Wei Qing, what's our next move?"
Qin Qiong was a capable commander, but in terms of strategy, he was no match for Wei Qing.
"No rush, no rush. Let's first assess the enemy's infantry situation."
Wei Qing knew that at such critical junctures, it was imperative to remain calm and identify the most opportune location for an attack.
Reconnaissance units had already relayed information about the enemy's infantry. They could only judge the enemy's approximate strength by sight, requiring a thorough understanding of the soldier types in the Lord's Continent.
This tested a commander's ability, but fortunately, Wei Qing had diligently studied such knowledge, and it now proved invaluable.
An excellent commander not only led armies in battle but also continuously learned. The Lord's Continent offered a vast amount of knowledge, and Zhou Yan had brought many books to their territory.
In his free time, Wei Qing enjoyed reading and studying, a habit that now demonstrated its importance.
"Qin Qiong, we have an excellent opportunity here," Wei Qing said with a smile.
Seeing Wei Qing's confident smile, Qin Qiong knew the opportunity had arrived. He didn't need to ask why.
He simply understood Wei Qing. Without absolute certainty, Wei Qing would never smile like that.
Therefore, as long as Wei Qing told him where to attack, he would follow without question.
...
Sun Wu, seeing that Wei Qing and Qin Qiong had not returned to report for so long, quickly ordered, "Check where Wei Qing and Qin Qiong have gone."
Guo Jia was also curious. Under normal circumstances, even if their plan had failed, with their capabilities, retreating should not have been an issue.
The fact that they had been gone for so long indicated that something had delayed them.
They immediately located their whereabouts and confirmed that they had indeed successfully annihilated thirty thousand enemy cavalry. However, after eliminating the enemy, they had headed towards a mountain range, and shortly thereafter, the entire mountain was enveloped in dense fog.
From Wei Qing's actions of erasing tracks and creating diversionary routes, they immediately understood Wei Qing's intentions.
"Haha, this Wei Qing is indeed clever, daring to take such a risk," Sun Wu said with a laugh upon seeing this, not blaming them.
War inherently involved risks, and taking chances was unavoidable.
"If they succeed, it will be a great feat. However, whether they can evade the enemy's reconnaissance remains unknown," Guo Jia also remarked.
"Regardless, Wei Qing's boldness and courage are enough to prove his abilities. Even if they fail, I will not blame him. After all, even if I were in his position, I would have considered this matter."
Sun Wu expressed his opinion. Now, viewing the situation from the perspective of a marshal, his thoughts were naturally different. If he were in Wei Qing's place, he would have made the same choice.