Chapter 257: Encirclement of the Monastery
Regardless of whether it was the Goguryeons or Wang Chong, both sides were hastening their preparations. Even though Wang Chong didn't know the Goguryeons had brought forward their plans, and the Goguryeons didn't know that Wang Chong and group were planning to strike their nest.
Even though neither sides have realized it yet, it had already turned into a race of time.
If the Goguryeons were to launch an assault before Wang Chong and group were done with their preparations, the operation would be a tragic failure.
——One must know that the monastery was simply too close to the capital!
Similarly, if Wang Chong and the others could finish getting the various parties to work together with them and deploy the necessary troops in the crucial regions, the Goguryeons would be bound for failure.
At such a crucial moment, no one was willing to conduct any intelligence gathering by capturing the other side's men and interrogating them—this was simply way too dangerous. They risked alarming the other party by doing so.
Three days passed swiftly.
"It's finally accomplished!"
Within a massive monastery on the mountain beyond the capital stood a bald Goguryeon warrior dressed in a cassock, feigning as a monk. He sighed deeply, and the excitement in his voice couldn't be concealed.
It had taken some time, but they were finally done with their preparations. The top-notch experts from Goguryeo who would be assassinating the influential officials from Great Tang had all arrived at the monastery. Soon, Great Tang would find itself shrouded in a storm of bloodshed.
All those who managed to climb to an influential position had well-guarded residences filled with experts. Assassinating them was no easy feat; this was the reason why they had to go the way out to bring in the best experts from their empire.
To them, this was no longer a simple assassination mission. Rather, it was a war they had to win at all costs for the sake of their homeland.
Everyone knew that it would be hard for them to get out of this alive, and they had already mustered their will to fight to the last breath.
"Are you all ready?!"
The Goguryeon dressed as a monk raised his arm and yelled. In an instant, loud cheerings crashed into the surroundings.
"We are ready!"
"For the empire!"
...
Looking down from the sky, the monk was surrounded by many black-clothed Goguryeon elites with three sabers hanging behind them. Their exposed sharp eyes gleamed in passion, excitement, and frenzy.
The killing intent that they had welled up felt as though a massive tsunami crashing down into the area.
A long, elaborate preparation spanning over a course of four months had finally been completed. More than a thousand brave warriors of their empire had gathered here in this massive monastery.
Furthermore, unlike the Goguryeon warriors who were killed in those base back then, they were the true experts, true elites of the Goguryeon army. They were handpicked from thousands of their peers.
Fifteen years ago, another group of elites of such scale had caused a river of blood to flow through Great Tang's capital before escaping safely.
Today, history will repeat itself!
"For His Majesty!"
"For Your Highness!"
"For the greatness of Goguryeo!"
"Kill! ——"
...
Amidst passionate shoutings, the thousand or so masked Goguryeon assassins drew their sabers and pointed it to the heavens. Beneath the starlight, the sword shone with bone-chilling gleams.
Boom! In the next instant, the Goguryeon experts began leaping over the high walls of the monastery, headed toward Great Tang's capital.
"Go, my brave warriors. Make Great Tang bleed at its core!"
Amidst a strong gale, three powerful auras suddenly surged from the roof of the monastery. At this moment, their figures felt reminiscent of a mountain.
The three of them gazed at the huge army of Goguryeons beneath who was charging forward, and in their eyes shone a gleam so bright that even the stars would pale before it.
All arrangements were made and done. The tunnel into the city was under the management of their own men, and a group of experts would enter first. Even if some kind of accident occurs and a patrol squad were to notice their presence, they would surely be able to purge the squad swiftly, preventing any news from leaking out.
And after tonight, Great Tang would fall into disarray whereas the Goguryeon empire would hold them as their pride.
Yiiiii!
Just as the group of men gazed in the distance with ambitious thoughts, a change abruptly occurred. Amidst the night, a brilliant firework suddenly whizzed into the sky from afar.
A brilliant light with a long trail of smoke; even from afar, it was extremely conspicuous.
"What's going on?"
On the roof of the monastery, the three men suddenly froze in astonishment. And they weren't the only ones. The Goguryeon experts who were charging forward were also dumbstruck. With their gazes in the sky, they subconsciously came to a halt.
This was the wilderness, a significant distance away from the capital. It should be impossible for such fireworks to appear here.
And today wasn't a festival of any sort either. It was impossible for fireworks to appear here!
In that instant, the heaven and earth fell silent. The cheerings disappeared into the void. Only the furious wind continued to rage on above them.
A hint of unease surfaced in everyone's hearts.
But the surroundings were completely silent. Other than the firework that rushed into the air, nothing peculiar happened at all.
That single instant felt like an eon to everyone here. Just as everyone was wondering why nothing was happening at all, the next instant——
Boom!
It was as if huge intangible hands were shaking the entire mountain range, sending innumerable birds fluttering into the sky.
"Charge! ——"
Deafening war cries tremored the mountains. In the next moment, amidst the shocked gazes of countless Goguryeons, the Great Tang Imperial Army guards suddenly charged in from all directions.
"How is this possible?"
On the roof of the monastery, the faces of the three Goguryeon experts' immediately warped in shock, and they nearly fell from the roof.
"This is impossible! How can there be so many guards here? How in the world did they get here?"
"Where are our patrols? Where are our damned patrols? Those bastards are already here, why didn't they send any signal at all?"
"Be careful, it's an enemy attack!"
...
Desolate, panicked, and furious Koguryoan echoed in the air. In an instant, the Goguryeon army fell into chaos.
What they thought they would be facing were the powerful guards of those influential officials, not a standard army of Great Tang Imperial Army!
What that should have been an assassination operation had turned into a true war now.
"For the glory of our empire, kill those bastards!"
Klang klang klang! Some Goguryeon elites quickly recovered from their shock and drew their sabers immediately to put up a defensive pose.
However, they were still a step too slow.
Hong hong hong!
Before the Goguryeon elites could react, they were already impaled in the chest by a thick steel arrow, pinning them firmly onto the ground.
"Master archers! Be careful! Those bastards have master archers with them!"
A desolate cry echoed in the air, only to be extinguished at the next moment. That Goguryeon was shot in his forehead, dying instantaneously.
"Defend!"
Those who were deployed here were all the elites of the Goguryeon empire. After the initial attack, they swiftly scattered to look for cover before swiftly retreating backward.
Their figures flitted among the various tree trunks with astounding agility that few could rival.
"Charge! ——"
But before they could retreat back to the monastery, the neighing of war steeds reverberated in the air, and the first wave of Imperial Army cavalry charged forth.
These steeds were cloaked with a steel armor, and every single one of them was exceptionally tall. Their powerful bodies harnessed the incredible might reminiscent of a monster, allowing them to even knock down trees that stood in their way. It seemed as though there was nothing that could stop their charge.
Hong long long!
In just an instant, the two powers collided with one another. Two different types of martial halos lit up simultaneously before clashing against one another.
The immense force crushed even the trees in the surroundings into shreds, and wooden shavings cloaked the air ten zhang high.
【Congratulations to user for killing 691 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 692 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 693 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
...
On the other hand, on a small hill not too far away, Wang Chong stood beneath a lush tree. A familiar voice sounded in his head once more, and his Bane of the Battlefield aura began growing again.
"A war-type halo... Indeed, the best way to grow it is through war as well!"
Amidst frenzied wind, Wang Chong felt his strength growing at a rapid pace. Every single cell of his body was nourished with a powerful energy, leaving him incredibly energized.
This kind of method that allows his strength to grow without doing too anything was truly too pleasurable.
"It's a pity that I'm only one of the commanders in this battle. The true commander is the man over there!"
Wang Chong turned his gaze over to a certain direction.
There an austere-looking Imperial Army general sat above a towering steed. His gaze was directed to the front, and he carried an overwhelming disposition of valiance. Clearly, he had been on a large-scale battle in the battlefield before.
He was the man that the royal court dispatched here.
Even though Wang Chong was favored by King Song, he wasn't a member of the Imperial Army. In order to prevent the Goguryeons from escaping, too many Imperial Army members had to be mobilized for the operation, and so, a sufficiently high-ranked Imperial Army commander had to be dispatched over.
He was the true commander of this battle.
Thus, it couldn't be helped that the benefits Wang Chong could obtain from this battle would be thinned. However, it was fortunate that King Song's token was still in his hands, and this base was also found by Wang Chong. Thus, he would still be granted the greatest rewards from this operation.
"It's fortunate that I called uncle over. After this operation, he should be promoted once more. With this contribution, his qualification would exceed many others, and it would only be a matter of time before he rises through the ranks!"
Wang Chong turned over and gazed at Uncle Li Lin in the distance, who had led the army up to the monastery. A hint of a smile crept onto his lips.
Even if Wang Chong didn't gain the right to lead the army, he still wanted his uncle to claim the greatest credit!