"Bad news! Terrible news, General!"
A soldier's panicked cries shattered the stillness of the command tent.
Li Dian, who had been calmly reviewing a map with his deputy, looked up, frowning deeply.
His deputy, seeing the bloodied and disheveled soldier stumble in, immediately reprimanded him.
"How dare you, a soldier, behave so disgracefully! Compose yourself!"
"Enough." Li Dian raised a hand, signaling the deputy to hold his tongue. His tone was calm, his brows relaxing as he turned to the soldier.
"You're from the cavalry, correct? Part of the reconnaissance squad? Did you encounter one of the Five Tiger Generals, or perhaps a contingent of enemy forces?"
Li Dian, styled Mancheng, was a Wei general known not for his strength but for his intellect. Though not listed among Wei's celebrated "Five Elite Generals," "Twin Tigers," or "Eight Tiger Riders," his steady demeanor and skill as a deputy made him a respected figure.
Known for his level-headedness and proficiency in training troops, he was often entrusted with important tasks. On this campaign, he served as deputy to Xiahou Dun, one of Cao Cao's "Eight Tiger Riders," tasked with pursuing Liu Bei's forces.
While Xiahou Dun held the main army in place to fortify their lines, Li Dian had been given command of 3,000 elite troops to hunt down the scattered remnants of the enemy.
Thus far, scattered skirmishes with enemy stragglers were routine, nothing out of the ordinary.
Li Dian's inquiry was measured, his tone unconcerned.
The soldier, however, knelt abruptly, tears streaming down his bloodied face.
"General Li! I'm not from the reconnaissance squad—I'm from the cavalry! General, Vice Commander Sun and over seventy of our brothers are all dead!"
Li Dian's calm demeanor shattered. He shot to his feet, his expression one of utter disbelief.
"Sun Hong is dead? He was only pursuing two isolated enemies! How could he possibly be dead?"
"General! It was an ambush—an ambush! There were enemies everywhere, arrows we couldn't see! We were trapped in the water; we couldn't fight back, and we couldn't escape! Everyone drowned or was shot down! They're all dead!"
"And Vice Commander Sun?"
"He... he was cut in half by the enemy!"
Li Dian staggered back into his chair, his face pale as he processed the soldier's report.
The cavalry—his elite forces, eighty strong—had been decimated. In total, he commanded only a little over a hundred cavalrymen. Losing so many at once was a devastating blow.
These were troops so formidable that even Liu Bei's legendary Five Tiger Generals wouldn't dare face them head-on. That two unknown soldiers could destroy them was incomprehensible.
Li Dian gripped his forehead, his mind racing. Gradually, he pieced together the situation and arrived at a conclusion.
They had been baited.
The two "isolated enemies" were merely a lure, carefully positioned to draw the cavalry into a trap. The location—a shallow river—was perfect for neutralizing their charge and trapping them in a kill zone.
The remnants of Liu Bei's forces must have regrouped, hiding in wait to ambush his troops.
Slamming a fist onto the table, Li Dian's face twisted with frustration.
To think that Liu Bei's scattered forces could recover so quickly—and strike back so effectively—was maddening.
Was this the work of Zhuge Liang himself?
The tent fell silent as Li Dian calmed himself, his brow furrowing in concentration.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Recall all patrol units. No more isolated actions. The enemy's remnants are tougher than expected."
"Understood. And our next move, General?"
"Yes. The initiative is ours; the advantage is ours. They'll be the ones to act in desperation, not us."
Li Dian exhaled deeply, his composure returning.
"We will consolidate our forces and strengthen our defenses. They caught us off guard and won the first round, but this is far from over.
"Let's see what tricks their remnants can pull against the steel wall of our 3,000 infantry."
"Understood, General!"
The deputy saluted and left to carry out the orders.
Alone again, Li Dian sighed heavily. Pulling the map closer, he refocused on analyzing the terrain, determined to outmaneuver his cunning foes.
Meanwhile, far from the Wei camp, Qin Ming and Ghost Lady had reached an abandoned village.
The signs of war were evident—doors were locked, chimneys cold, and the streets eerily silent. Fearing both conscription and violence, the villagers had fled.
The duo welcomed the solitude, choosing a random house to break into. Clearing the dust from the table, they laid out their spoils from the recent battle.
Though the eighty cavalrymen were not all elites, their attributes far exceeded those of common foot soldiers. More importantly, the absence of plotline characters meant their loot drop rate was unusually high.
From over fifty fallen enemies, the pair had collected:
1 Silver Key (dropped by the vice commander).
The keys were spread across the table, and the two stared at them in silence.
After a moment, just as Qin Ming was about to speak, Ghost Lady cut him off.
Pressing a hand on the silver key, she pushed it toward him with a serious expression.
"This victory was your doing. You led the charge and carried the battle. The silver key is yours. Take the blue and green keys too. I'll settle for a few white keys."
Her words were practical. Ghost Lady understood that her priority was advancing to the next tier, not hoarding loot. Before Qin Ming could even make an offer, she had ceded the lion's share of the rewards.
Qin Ming grinned and nodded.
"Fair enough. I'll take the silver key, but you keep the blue and green ones. I'll take the white keys instead."
"I know it's not an even split. Blue and green keys often yield valuable items, while white keys usually drop junk. But hey, we're teammates, right? Can't have you feeling shortchanged. If I'm eating the meat, I've got to let you have some of the broth."
Sliding the blue and green keys back to her, Qin Ming raised a brow.
"Here's to a successful partnership!"