Chapter 079: Appointed in a Crisis, Armies at the Gates
This meeting was attended by only a handful of key officials, mainly the core cadres represented by Old Sha and Victor. Wendy, Carl, Johnny, Shuke, and the rest of the younger leaders were all present as well.
“Let’s begin.”
Yang Jie’s seat remained empty. After Old Sha gave a brief opening from his place, the meeting officially commenced.
“The importance of this war needs no elaboration. Now that the chieftain remains unconscious, we must select a new leader to act as the interim chieftain to guide our people to victory.”
Time was of the essence, and Old Sha got straight to the point, directly stating the purpose of the meeting.
No one responded. Old Sha turned to One-Eyed Sneach, and continued by himself:
“We discussed this before you arrived, and everyone unanimously agreed that we need an experienced commander to lead us and win this defensive battle.”
“In the end, we all decided that you, Sneach, are the most suitable candidate. That’s why we summoned you back immediately.”
There was no room for unnecessary words—Old Sha laid out the meeting’s purpose plainly.
One-Eyed Sneach was momentarily stunned. In his view, he was merely the supreme commander of the Black Banner Army, and his prestige among the clan could not compare to Old Sha or Victor.
For a long moment, Sneach could not utter a single word. He knew he should accept—the enemy would be at their gates within two days at most, and time was running out.
Yet he was utterly unprepared. He had always obeyed the chieftain’s orders, fighting where he was told. Now, to shoulder the clan’s banner alone seemed an unimaginable burden.
His mind stalled; he had no clue about battle plans or strategic deployments.
“Minister Sha—”
“This is our unanimous decision. Please, do not refuse any further.”
Before Sneach could finish, Old Sha pressed his hand down, cutting off any protest and forcing Sneach to the fore.
“Victor and I will give you our full support. While we are more adept at civil affairs, when it comes to commanding battles, we are not your equals. What we need now is a commander with responsibility, courage, and the ability to win—not someone chosen by seniority to be the chieftain.”
After Old Sha finished, Sneach glanced at Victor, who wore a solemn expression and gave him a slight nod.
“Carl is young and lacks experience; Johnny is an outstanding warrior, but commanding troops in battle is not the same as dueling. They are both firmly behind you.”
It was Victor who spoke, stepping forward to make his stance clear.
Without his and Old Sha’s support, Sneach could never assume the role of interim commander.
“You only need to make decisions; we’ll offer suggestions at most. Whatever you decide, we’ll abide by it.”
Old Jill spoke up, the most senior among them, expressing his support for Sneach to take on the interim command.
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“You’re right, Victor. I excel at fighting, but I know nothing about military strategy. This position can only be filled by you, Sneach. We’ll all give you our full support!”
Johnny, though unfamiliar with politics, had picked up a few phrases from his time with Yang Jie.
Under such circumstances, how could Sneach refuse?
He swept his gaze around the room, seeing his mentors and friends, all looking at him with eager expectation.
Sneach swallowed, calming his uneasy heart.
“If that’s the case, I am willing to accept the position of interim commander. I’ll be relying on all of you.”
“The great battle is imminent. I won’t offer empty words, but I promise to do everything in my power to lead the ratfolk to victory!”
Thus, One-Eyed Sneach took up the banner as interim commander, and the previously unstable ratfolk were united once more.
Sneach’s mindset had already begun to shift, and he started contemplating an entire tactical system.
He changed his approach, emulating Yang Jie’s working style to advance the meeting.
“The enemy will be at the gates of Highcourt City within two days at most. I’d like a detailed report on our city defenses. Begin your briefings!”
...
On the evening of the third day,
After the Black Banner Army returned from their mission to intercept, Xue Hui’s twenty-thousand-strong human coalition, having trekked three hundred kilometers over thirteen days, finally arrived at the foot of Highcourt City!
Gazing from afar at the towering Horseshoe Mountain rising above the Northen Plain, Xue Hui murmured to himself:
“It seems this battle will be far more difficult than I imagined.”
“Wu Fan, Wu Fan, what gave you the courage to provoke such a behemoth?”
...
At the same time, atop Highcourt’s city tower, One-Eyed Sneach and the cadres looked out at the human army a kilometer away, estimating their numbers at nearly twenty thousand.
Along the several kilometers of the Tam River’s banks, the land was densely packed with people. Sneach’s expression did not change, but his heart felt as though it bore a thousand-ton weight.
The invisible pressure left the young commander struggling to catch his breath.
...
Within the human battle formation beneath the city walls, Xue Hui’s melancholy expression faded. He turned to the cadres and said,
“Rest tonight. Set up camp here and stay vigilant!”
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“Understood!”
“All key personnel, report for a meeting in two hours.”
“Understood!”
With that, Xue Hui mounted his goat and led a team to scout the terrain around Horseshoe Mountain.
As commander, inspecting the battlefield before combat was essential, especially in the era of cold steel.
The twenty-thousand-strong force spread out along the Tam River, arrayed against Highcourt atop the Horseshoe Mountain, maintaining a buffer of a kilometer along the gentle slopes ahead.
Two hours later, Xue Hui finished his reconnaissance, and the camp was nearly complete. The human warriors, led efficiently by the cadres, erected a temporary encampment fit for habitation in just two hours.
Inside the canvas tents, Xue Hui and the cadres sat around a campfire. With all key personnel present, the war council officially began.
“Our provisions will last two months, and thirteen days have already passed. Accounting for supplies needed on the return journey, we must resolve the campaign within forty days.”
As quartermaster, Feng Wanqing was the first to speak.
“Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts. Pool your wisdom. At present, we still hold the initiative.”
As commander, Xue Hui wanted to hear the cadres’ opinions. He took a wooden bowl of boiled water in his hands.
“I’ll share my thoughts.”
It was Wu Fan who spoke. Here, his words carried absolute weight.
“First, we mustn’t underestimate these ratfolk. Their fighting strength is far greater than we imagined. I estimate their effective combat force at around six thousand.”
“We have overwhelming numerical superiority. I suggest we launch a full-scale assault tomorrow morning.”
“A full assault, is it?”
Xue Hui chuckled lightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
“Six thousand? If it were only six thousand, I’d attack tonight!”
“I want to ask you all—if you were the ratfolk, what would you be thinking right now?”
...
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