Guo Dajing and his men, who had been preparing for nearly two days, wanted to bring a big "surprise" to Jianlu, delay their march, shorten their attack time on the mountain, and camp in a small village at night.
Guo Dajing fought and retreated at the same time. The route was determined and the terrain was familiar to him.
The Jianlu behind them were shot by cold arrows from time to time, and stepped into traps from time to time. Although their legs and feet were only trapped in the snow pit, it greatly affected their pursuit speed.
In fact, this was the way Guo Dajing liked. Using his crossbow and body skills to shoot down the prisoners one by one, it was almost a one-sided attack on the enemy.
If it were night, that would be Guo Dajing's specialty, and Jianlu would be unable to fight back.
Continuously moving, Guo Dajing had killed more than a dozen Jianlu by himself and led other enemies out of the woods.
Yes, there was a small river ditch behind the woods. Guo Dajing ran and jumped at a very fast speed, crossing an open distance of more than thirty meters, and then got into the woods on the other side of the river ditch.
Jianlu came out of the woods and saw only the attacker's figure disappearing into the woods. They didn't think much, anger replaced their reason, and they continued to chase forward.
A crossbow arrow was fired silently, killing a prisoner. The attacker did not flee far, but was still killing people calmly.
More than twenty Jianlu howled and rushed forward one after another. There were also a few skilled archers who set their bows and arrows and shot arrows in the direction they guessed.
Suddenly, there was a dense sound of bowstrings vibrating in the woods, and hidden figures emerged from behind the trees and from the snow, firing bows and arrows at the enemies in the open area.
The ambush was violent and sudden, and those who ambush here were all good archers. In just a few breaths, and amid constant screams, more than twenty captives who were exposed in the open area were shot to death and wounded.
Guo Dajing calmly shot an arrow, knocking Jianlu down to the ground when he turned around and fled back when he saw the situation was not going well.
Jianlu, who was chasing a little slower in the woods and had not yet escaped, yelled and cursed in anger, stretched his bow and shot arrows into the woods on the opposite side, but did not dare to chase him out.
Guo Dajing blew the whistle, and Cui Xiaoyi and others quietly retreated with the ambush.
Time passed by minute by second, looking at the corpses of his companions in the open area and the wounded who were not killed by arrows, Jianlu hesitated and began to test.
Guo Dajing was not in a hurry and hid himself well. He watched coldly as the shield-wielding Jianlu cautiously came out of the woods and advanced cautiously.
It was not to kill more enemies, but to make Jianlu unable to figure out the rules. It seemed that he had retreated and left after just one hit, but it was unexpected.
Let Jianlu have a new experience every time, and never guess the enemy's layout and fighting style, so that every harassment can achieve the maximum effect.
Jianlu obviously gave up the pursuit and just wanted to take the body and the wounded back. After testing, another Jianlu came out of the woods and came to carry the body and the wounded.
Guo Dajing took a deep breath and aimed at Jianlu who was farthest away. Since he was given a chance, he would kill a few more.
The crossbow arrows fired silently, and Jianlu fell down in response. After Guo Dajing fired the crossbow arrows, he did not observe the results, but quickly pulled the string and shot at the enemy again.
……………….
Sarna and Turle rushed to the place where the forward was attacked. Looking at the scorched marks left by the explosion on the road, they both frowned and turned pale.
"Don't worry, sir." The forward general said through gritted teeth: "The general has sent people to hunt down the enemies, and we will definitely come back with their heads."
Sarna looked up at the woods beside the road and said in a deep voice: "Be careful of being ambushed, and then send someone to deliver the order to prevent them from pursuing you."
Turle glanced at Sarna and felt that this guy was a little too cautious.
There is a reason why the forwards were ambushed this time, because this is really not a suitable place for an ambush and harassment, so it was a mistake of negligence.
After sending the messenger, Sarna ordered the vanguard to continue marching. Not wanting to delay too long, he and Turle waited where they were.
The waiting time was not short. Only when Sarna became a little impatient did he see the soldiers coming out of the woods one after another.
"This -" Tuerle was shocked. The soldiers who came back were all dejected, and they were still carrying corpses and wounded on their backs.
Sarna rolled his eyes and exhaled a long, depressed breath. After all, he was still fooled, and the loss seemed to be quite large.
Twenty-seven were killed and seven were wounded...
Turle couldn't help but take a breath when he heard the accurate casualty figures. Including the casualties caused by landmines, there were almost fifty. The key is that the enemy retreated safely, with almost no losses.
"The enemy's arrow skills are very precise." An officer who was pursuing him held up the crossbow arrows in his hand, lowered his head and said, "They are all shot straight, every arrow is sure to hit, and it is well concealed, and it is almost impossible to find his hiding place.
"
Sarna carefully inspected the crossbow arrows, handed them to Turle, and said: "These should not be those Korean volunteers, but people from the Dongjiang Army."
Turle looked at the crossbow arrows and guessed: "It seems to be a crossbow arrow, so short."
After speaking, he concluded: "Next time we encounter an attack, send more people so that we won't be afraid of an enemy ambush. The number of enemies is obviously not large, so they might be scared away."
Sarna turned his head, rolled his eyes, and looked down upon Tuerle's countermeasures.
Regardless of whether they were the vanguard or the brigade, Jianlu became cautious after this attack. The vanguard searched even more carefully and did not dare to be careless.
The marching speed had to be slowed down, and Sarna had no choice but to feel a haze in his heart. The attacker who shot accurately made him have to guess whether he was the guy who shot Yue Tuo.
If so, Sarna turned his head and looked at the weeds and trees beside the road, feeling a chill rise.
Speaking of death, Sarna was not afraid. But if he was attacked by a cold arrow and didn't even see the appearance of the enemy, and had no chance to draw his sword to fight, it would be really cowardly and aggrieved.
He is a warrior who has experienced hundreds of battles. Fighting face to face, even a few or a dozen enemies will not make him feel intimidated.
A burst of noise came from afar, and Sarna heard shouts of death and exclamations from the direction of the rear group.
Forward, brigade, grain transport convoy, rear guard. This is the marching order of Jianlu. It is very formal and easy to see through.
Guo Dajing and others did not flee far away. More than a hundred people regrouped and sneaked closer to the main road.
According to the degree of vigilance, the rear team should be the lowest and most careless. In fact, this is exactly the case. The Jianlu rear team did not expect that there would be an ambush in the area they had passed.
Arrows were like rain, three rounds of rapid fire, and with bluffing shouts of "fight" and "kill", Guo Dajing led his men to retreat.
When Jianlu woke up from his panic and went out angrily to search and pursue him, he found no attackers who were familiar with the terrain.
There were dozens more casualties, and Sarna was a little numb after receiving the report, but he still didn't think of a way to deal with it.
This group of enemies is so bold that they hang around, waiting for an opportunity to attack and then run away. They are like a fly buzzing around, unable to hit, ignoring them and getting very annoyed.
Of course, there is a way to stop the advance, divide the army into small groups, and search and hunt the surrounding area.
But this method - it’s not worth it! Sarna shook his head and gave up.
Now it is not a simple march of the army, but a large cart of grain and grass must be escorted, and it must take the main road. This creates opportunities for the enemy. You can't put guard troops on both sides of the road, right?
The mountains and forests on both sides of the road gave the attackers the best place to sneak in and hide. Being familiar with the terrain gave the attackers more confidence and certainty in escaping, and they became more courageous.
Of course, not all mountains and forests line both sides of the road, and the Jianlu only need to strengthen their vigilance in some areas where they may be ambushed.
After Guo Dajing led his men to harass, they did not follow Jianlu as he thought. They took the mountain trails and rushed to the forest near the small village. While resting, they sent people to monitor Jianlu's movements from a distance.
"The ice has melted slightly. People will not be able to walk on the ice for another seven or eight days at most." Cui Xiaoyi drank hot water and said excitedly: "Jianlu wants to escape unscathed, so go ahead and dream!"
Guo Dajing smiled and nodded, and said: "The mountains and rivers of Ping'an North Road will become the battlefield where Jianlu is buried."
Jin Zhongguo said with emotion: "If I had given Master Guo's advice and fought against Jianlu with Master Guo earlier, the situation now would be different."
The same kind of harassment can be played in Guo Dajing's hands, which is breathtaking.
And having many means is only one of them. What benefited Cui Xiaoyi and others a lot was Guo Dajing's thinking. To put it bluntly, it's just four words: "thinking from someone else's perspective."
War is a battle of wits and courage between the enemy and ourselves. You can't do whatever you want. It's not what you think or what you think.
Based on the enemy's troop strength, combat power, route, and tasks to be completed, figure out the enemy's thinking, and then make targeted arrangements.
For example, if you ambush the enemy's vanguard, you will see that the arrogant Jianlu will suffer a lot, and will most likely come to pursue him. Guo Dajing lured the enemy by himself, which also made Jianlu relax his vigilance even more.
The rear team ambushing the enemy captured Jianlu's psychology even more. The front team was heavily guarded and searched intensively, while the rear team would be careless.
Whether it is a fight and run, or a continuous trap, depends not only on the actual situation, but also on the analysis and judgment of Jianlu's psychology.
Just like this small village, Guo Dajing made the judgment that Jianlu would camp here and made arrangements and preparations in advance.
Harassment is to delay time and create favorable conditions for the friendly forces of Dragon King Tuozi, so that Jianlu will not have enough time to attack the mountain.
"Jianlu passed the village and continued to move forward." The sentry came to report, but everyone was not surprised, but smiled.
Guo Dajing stood up and said with a smile: "Don't say much, just act as planned."
"Master Guo, take care."
"Master Guo, please be more careful."
Everyone gave instructions, and Liu Qishi patted his brother on the shoulder helplessly and with concern, saying nothing.
Hiding in advance, waiting for Jianlu to camp in a small village, and then sneaking out for action at night. Guo Dajing's idea was unique, but it captured Jianlu's psychology. They didn't expect it, but it was the best opportunity.
Moreover, this seemingly easy method is not that simple and requires analysis and judgment of the architecture in the small village.
Jianlu must have lived in the village. There were only so many houses, and the accommodation for two thousand people was not very spacious. They also had to put up some tents.
As for grain and grass supplies, it is more important to store them in the village. Civil servants and barbers can only be outside the village, acting as a peripheral buffer or early warning.
This includes both Guo Dajing's analysis and Cui Xiaoyi's judgment. Apart from Liu Xingzuo, he is the only one who knows more about Jianlu.
Only Zhang Lin regretted that Guo Dajing had to act alone, so he could only cooperate with Cui Xiaoyi and others outside.
Jianlu only sent a few cavalrymen to wander around the deserted village before moving on. They wanted to cross Longwang Tuozi while it was still dark, even if they camped in the wild.
Sarna's idea was good. He wanted to get past the dangerous place as quickly as possible. The closer he got to Longchuan, the safer he would be.
After Jianlu passed by, Guo Dajing entered the village and hid in the hiding place he had already found.
In fact, there is no need for walls or cellars. He does not want to hide until midnight. When Jianlu's attack on the mountain is thwarted, he retreats to the village to camp, and then he comes out in a dignified manner when there is a commotion.
Wearing the same clothes and armor as Jianlu, he entered the village with a huff and a whistle. Who knows which one came first? This was the inspiration Guo Dajing got from a detective TV series he watched, and now he is going to apply it to reality.
The Jianlu led by Sarna would not have thought that their action had been completely predicted, and they encountered an obstruction at Dragon King Tuozi.
The forward failed to attack the mountain. Sarna and Turle arrived with their troops. After rearrangement and adjustment, they launched a fierce attack.
Rolling logs and rocks were smashed down the steep hillside, and arrows were shot down from the flanks. The Jianlu soldiers who attacked the mountain held shields and struggled to attack upwards. From time to time, someone was hit by rocks, rolling logs, and rolled to the ground screaming.
The Jianlu archers drew their bowstrings to full length and fired rapidly toward the mountain. Arrows rained down, darkening the sky.
Sarna squinted his eyes slightly, watching the attacking troops move forward step by step under the cover of bows and arrows, and subconsciously clenched his fists.
With such a defensive strength, Sarna hoped to be able to break through the enemy's position in one fell swoop. The reason for his confidence was that he only saw the defenders' more conventional defenses.
Casualties will definitely have to be paid, and Sarna has been mentally prepared. This is the Dongjiang Army's troops, relying on dangers to defend, not stragglers.
Turle's expression was not as solemn as Sarna's. Looking at the progress of the attack on the mountain, he said optimistically: "If the enemy's defense only uses this method, our army will win."
Although Sarna had the same idea, he did not dare to make a judgment lightly and said, "If the enemy only relies on the advantage of the terrain, he will not be able to defend this place."
While the two were talking, Jianlu, who was attacking the mountain, continued to make progress and was already less than a hundred meters away from the defender's position.
"Charge, kill." The Jianlu officer used his shield to protect himself from the incoming arrows, and nimbly dodged the rolling logs, directing the soldiers to charge upwards for dozens of meters.
Although soldiers continued to pay casualties, being hit by rolling logs, stones, or arrows, they were completely within the tolerance range.
Officer Jianlu rushed up a few steps, but suddenly his feet slipped and he fell to the ground. He tried to get up with his hands and feet, but he slipped and fell to the ground ridiculously.