Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

As the night deepened, most of the soldiers in the camp had fallen asleep, resting and gathering their strength for tomorrow's battle.

Only patrolling soldiers holding torches walked back and forth around the camp, vigilantly watching every movement in the dark.

It was dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun had just faded away when Zhao Yu led twenty elite scouts and quietly left the camp.

These soldiers were all dressed in dark night clothes, their faces were smeared with mud, and they had short knives and ropes on their waists. They made almost no sound when they moved.

"Remember, our mission is to eliminate the sentries, not engage in direct combat."

Zhao Yu lowered his voice and said to the soldiers behind him, "Each group will be two people. Move according to the pre-assigned areas. When you find the secret sentry, try to eliminate it quietly. Only use crossbows as a last resort."

The soldiers nodded silently, with determination glittering in their eyes.

They are all skilled fighters carefully selected by Zhao Yu. They are all agile and good at lurking and close combat.

Zhao Yu personally led two soldiers towards the camp in the cliff cave.

The mountain road was rugged and the night was as dark as ink, but the three of them moved among the rocks and bushes like ghosts, hardly disturbing any nocturnal animals.

"stop."

Zhao Yu suddenly raised his hand to signal, and the three of them immediately crouched behind a protruding rock.

Zhao Yu narrowed his eyes and observed the front in the faint moonlight - a figure was vaguely visible on a crooked tree about fifty steps away.

"The first secret sentry."

Zhao Yu said in an almost inaudible voice, "Ahu, go around from the left, Xiaoqi, you go from the right."

"I'll attract his attention head-on. Remember, I have to kill him with one strike. I can't let him raise the alarm."

The two soldiers nodded in understanding and disappeared into the darkness as silently as two shadows.

Zhao Yu waited patiently for a quarter of an hour, and when he estimated that the two men were in place, he deliberately stepped on a dead branch, making a slight "crackling" sound.

The sentry in the tree was indeed alarmed and leaned forward slightly, trying to see the source of the sound.

At this moment, two black shadows jumped up from the left and right sides at the same time. One of them covered the sentry's mouth, and the other's dagger had accurately pierced his back.

The sentry only had time to let out a muffled groan before he fell limply onto the tree branch.

Zhao Yu quickly stepped forward and assisted the two soldiers in gently putting the body down to avoid making too much noise.

He examined the body and took out a horn from the other's waist - it was indeed used to sound a warning.

"Neatly done." Zhao Yu murmured in approval, "Keep going, there should be at least three more secret sentries."

The three continued to sneak towards the camp.

In the next hour, they used similar methods to eliminate six secret sentries one after another. Some of them hid in the cracks of the rocks, some disguised themselves as bushes, and some lurked in the reeds beside the stream.

Zhao Yu couldn't help but secretly admire the vigilance of these remaining Wei soldiers. If Wang Dachuan hadn't provided the approximate location in advance, it would have been difficult for them to find these well-hidden sentries in the dark.

When the last secret post was eliminated, the moon had risen to the zenith.

Zhao Yu took out the flint he had prepared in advance and tapped it lightly three times on a flat rock, emitting faint sparks - this was a signal to the main force on standby in the distance, indicating that the secret sentry had been eliminated.

Almost at the same time, Zhao Yu saw three faint flashes of fire in the southeast sky - that was the signal sent by the area that Xun Yu was responsible for.

Both teams successfully completed their missions, and the time was ripe for a general offensive.

Zhao Yu quickly returned to the location of the main force.

A thousand elite Chu troops are ready to go, with fighting spirit burning in each of their eyes.

The weapons in their hands shone coldly in the moonlight, and a murderous aura filled the night sky.

"brothers!"

Zhao Yu's voice was deep and powerful. "The remnants of Wei have colluded with the Han, intending to cause chaos within the borders of Chu. Tonight, we must let them know that anyone who offends the Great Chu will be punished, no matter how far away they are!"

The soldiers gripped their weapons silently, determination gleaming in their eyes.

"According to the original plan, we will advance in two teams. One team will follow me to attack the cliff cave, and the other team, led by Lieutenant General Wang, will attack Daliushu Village."

Zhao Yu drew his sword, and the blade drew a silver arc in the moonlight: "Remember, wait until you see the fire signal from Lord Xun, and then launch an attack at the same time!"

At the same time, another Chu army led by Xun Yu was also nervously waiting for the moment of attack.

This strategist, who came from a civil service background, also changed into a set of light armor and wore a long sword at his waist, looking very heroic.

He stood on a high ground, looking at the Wei army camp in the distance, with a calm light in his eyes.

"Sir, all the sentries have been eliminated." A scout reported quietly, "General Zhao has also sent a signal."

Xun Yu nodded and took out an exquisite copper hourglass from his bosom. Fine sand was slowly flowing down from the upper part.

"Wait another quarter of an hour. When the sand runs out, immediately launch the rocket signal."

A quarter of an hour later, three rockets took off from Xun Yu's position, drawing three dazzling red lights in the night sky.

Almost at the same moment, the Chu army from four directions launched a fierce attack on the Wei army camp like tigers out of a cage.

The shouts and cries of killing suddenly broke the tranquility of the night, and the light of torches spread rapidly in the darkness like stars.

Zhao Yu took the lead and led the soldiers to rush towards the cliff cave.

At the entrance of the cave, several Wei soldiers who had just been awakened were shot like hedgehogs by the rain of arrows from the Chu army before they could even pick up their weapons.

"Charge in! Don't leave anyone behind!" Zhao Yu shouted and rushed into the cave first.

The space inside the cave was unexpectedly spacious, and hundreds of Wei soldiers were frantically organizing their defense.

By the light of the torch, Zhao Yu saw a large amount of weapons and food piled up deep in the cave.

Obviously, these remaining Wei soldiers had been operating here for a long time, preparing to launch a larger-scale attack on the Chu army.

"kill!"

Zhao Yu's roar echoed in the cave, and the Chu soldiers rushed in like a tide, fighting with the Wei army who responded hastily.

Amidst the flash of swords and sabers, blood quickly dyed the ground inside the cave red.

The battle lasted less than an hour, and the Wei army camps everywhere were breached one after another.

Although these remaining Wei soldiers were brave and good at fighting, they were ultimately unable to organize an effective resistance in the face of the carefully planned surprise attack by the Chu army.

When the first rays of dawn shone on this hilly area, the flags of the Chu army had already been hoisted in all the camps.

Zhao Yu stood outside the cave on the cliff, looking at the Wei army prisoners being escorted out, but there was not much joy of victory on his face.

He turned to the deputy general and said, "Count the casualties and the results of the battle. Also, send someone to check on Lord Xun to see what the situation is."

Not long after, the messenger sent by Xun Yu brought good news.

All the camps on all sides were captured, and more than 1,200 Wei soldiers were annihilated, more than 800 were captured, and countless weapons and food supplies were seized.

Most importantly, it was learned from the captives that these four armies were indeed secretly supported by the Han Dynasty with the intention of creating chaos in the territory of Chu.

"Master Xun is indeed a master of strategy."

After hearing the report, Zhao Yu finally smiled. "Pass the order down. The entire army will rest for half a day, and then escort the prisoners and spoils back to the camp."