Chapter 1086

Chapter 1086: Expedition to the West (Continued Three)

The slaughter continued until nightfall.

As the ferocious warriors of the Great Zhou charged into the devastated Tulu Town, carrying out their merciless massacre, there were few left inside who could resist.

In this expedition to the west, Wang Chen not only summoned fifty thousand elite cavalry but also recruited seven fifth-level martial sect masters and hundreds of fourth-level martial generals to deal with the scattered enemy experts.

The Tulu Tribe had suffered heavy losses in the war against Hanhai City, and now they had less than half of their strength remaining. Their core combat ability was confined within the town, now facing bombardment from over a hundred cannons.

The outcome of their destruction was inevitable!

“Annihilate the entire tribe, leaving not a chicken or dog behind!”

This was the iron command issued by Wang Chen, and one by one, the tribal nobles were dragged out from the hidden chambers, pulled out like dead dogs for execution.

Along with them came a large amount of gold and silver valuables.

That night, a feast to celebrate victory was held three miles away from Tulu City on the grasslands.

Wooden materials dismantled from the town were chopped into firewood and piled into heaps of bonfires. Fat cattle and sheep were dragged to the stream to be slaughtered and cleaned, then cut up and seasoned with salt and spices before being roasted over the fire.

The rich aroma of grilled meat quickly overwhelmed the faint smell of burning from afar.

Wang Chen produced barrels of fine wine, distributing them among all the soldiers to enjoy together.

In this expedition to the west, besides summoning tens of thousands of elite cavalry, he had also plundered several county treasuries, including those from Hanhai and West Sea, storing vast amounts of supplies in the Cangqing Ring.

Apart from wine and meat, Wang Chen also distributed a large sum of gold and silver from the spoils.

The morale of the cavalry instantaneously reached its peak!

Following Wang Chen into the west, although the journey was tough, they never worried about food and shelter. Moreover, as they charged ahead, sweeping away the enemy like walking on flat ground, the thrill and satisfaction of victory was truly unparalleled.

In the minds of all the knights, Wang Chen had become a god-like figure.

Everyone was convinced that they would surely achieve ultimate victory!

The next day, the Great Zhou expeditionary force set off again on a new journey.

Three days later, the Hudi Tribe was destroyed.

Ten days after, the White Wolf Tribe was annihilated.

Due to a few tribespeople from the three tribes managing to escape, the fame of this cavalry quickly spread in all directions.

In people’s descriptions, the expeditionary force, which could easily annihilate entire tribes, appeared as a demonic force.

Leading them, Wang Chen became the embodiment of terror.

With overwhelming renown, Wang Chen marched north through the original territory of Dayan, encountering no resistance whatsoever; various mansions and county capitals offered their food and drink to welcome him, going to great lengths to flatter.

After Dayan was destroyed by Great Zhou, the new rule was not stable, and rebellions occurred frequently.

Especially in recent years, the far west Qin continually sent people to stir up trouble in Yan territory, colluding with the remnants of Dayan to seek opportunities for chaos.

The invasion of Hanhai by the three tribes was a total outbreak!

Now that the three tribes were fully eradicated, and tens of thousands of people had been slaughtered, everyone realized the brutality of the expeditionary force, falling silent in fear.

Many local Yan officials even offered Wang Chen gold and silver, and even wives and daughters, hoping to ensure their own safety.

For these terrified individuals, Wang Chen accepted the gold and silver they presented but refused the women.

He is not a traitor like Cao.

Additionally, Wang Chen has increased the number of the expeditionary force in the Yan region to sixty-five thousand.

During the campaign to eliminate the three tribes, the expeditionary force captured over a hundred thousand horses, further bolstering their strength.

But the most rapid improvement was in the combat effectiveness of the entire cavalry!

With each victory, the blades of the expeditionary force grew sharper, revealing their menacing fangs.

After a brief rest, Wang Chen led his forces westward toward the territory of Great Qin.

Great Qin and the Yan region do not share a direct border, separated by long mountain ranges and vast deserts and steppes.

However, as this colossal empire cast its covetous gaze toward the east, the people of the Qin Kingdom carved a thoroughfare through the Yun Tian Mountains and constructed a large fortress.

In fact, the clash between Great Qin and Great Zhou did not occur suddenly; Great Qin had already harbored intentions to invade and conquer the Yan Kingdom, but now redirected their target to Great Zhou.

The Qin people named this fortress they built "Gujin Pass," meaning as solid as bronze.

Three days later, the expeditionary force led by Wang Chen arrived at Gujin Pass and set up camp twenty miles away from the city wall.

“Grandmaster, that is Gujin Pass,” a local guide with graying hair respectfully pointed towards the fortress nestled among the distant mountains and said to Wang Chen, “The Qin have stationed at least fifty thousand troops there.”

Gujin Pass was not built in a day or two, but because the Yan Kingdom was annihilated by Great Zhou and their rule was unstable, unable to secure the border regions, it was successfully seized by the Qin.

Not only that, but the Qin Army also disguised themselves as bandits to raid the locals, capturing a large number of able-bodied men to return and build the fortress.

This Yan guide was one of those captured but managed to escape.

Having suffered greatly during the construction of Gujin Pass, he harbored a deep hatred for the Qin.

He brought his own provisions and voluntarily offered to guide the expeditionary force.

Wang Chen nodded and said, “You will be rewarded.”

After dismissing the guide with a bounty, Wang Chen discussed the plan to attack Gujin Pass with the military officials.

The entire expeditionary force consisted of cavalry, and although everyone could use flintgun weapons and there were some gunners, they lacked a substantial number of professional infantry and large siege equipment. How could they take such a formidable fortress?

According to the guide, the walls of Gujin Pass exceeded one hundred feet in height, and the width on top could accommodate two chariots side by side, with various defensive facilities fully equipped.

Moreover, they also deployed artillery weapons!

Most importantly, behind this fortress loomed a massive empire, with logistical support from the thoroughfare and fifty thousand elite Qin soldiers guarding it. Saying it was as solid as bronze was an understatement.

Gujin Pass was undoubtedly one of the bridgeheads for Great Qin’s eastern invasion. Although the main force of the Qin Army was currently stationed in the north facing Wu Zhao and Ling Zhiyuan, the fifty thousand Qin soldiers stationed at the fortress could stir up trouble in Yan at any moment if given the chance.

This was also the reason Wang Chen was determined to conquer Gujin Pass!

However, the military officials all furrowed their brows.

Gujin Pass controlled a perilous terrain with almost no weaknesses. Without any large siege equipment, how could the expeditionary force break through such a bronze wall-like fortress?

Wang Chen noticed their expressions and smiled, saying, “I will take responsibility for opening the city gate of Gujin Pass.”

Everyone instantly perked up and exchanged glances.

If anyone else had said such a thing, they would have thought it a joke.

But with Wang Chen saying it, who dared to disbelieve?

Thus, the plan to attack Gujin Pass was formulated with the scenario of the city gate being opened in mind.