"Right Vanguard Commander Lin Tian, receive your orders!"
"Lin Tian is here!"
"I order Right Vanguard Commander Lin Tian to lead the Right Vanguard Camp. Three days from now, depart for Maling near Han. Await my command, and at any moment, attack Maling!"
"Yes!"
Maling in Han was not a well-known place. The only time its name was recognized was when the military genius Sun Bin killed the famous Wei general Pang Juan there, taking revenge for the gouging of his knee.
However, next to Maling, there was a city that was different.
Its name was Xinzheng, the capital of Han.
Once Maling was captured, Lin Tian would be within striking distance of the Han capital, Xinzheng.
From such orders, it could be seen that General Teng intended to launch a full-scale assault on Han, aiming to conquer it.
Indeed, the document General Teng gave to Lin Tian made this very clear.
He would lead the main force to attack Yangcheng in Han, then Xincheng in Han, and finally, advance directly to Xinzheng, the capital of Han.
Xincheng in Han was located roughly near Maling, both adjacent to the Han capital Xinzheng.
However, Xincheng was relatively larger and slightly further from the capital Xinzheng.
Therefore, it would not be without trouble to advance all the way from Yangcheng.
General Teng arranged for Lin Tian to go near Maling. After he had drawn away the main Han forces, Lin Tian would then launch a surprise attack on Maling, leaving Xinzheng, the Han capital, vulnerable from both front and rear.
But Maling was one of Han's military strongholds, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Without truly elite soldiers and generals, it would be impossible to capture Maling.
If it weren't for Lin Tian's extraordinary combat prowess, his ability to fight a thousand with one, General Teng would not have entrusted this mission to him.
Upon seeing the mission requirements, Lin Tian immediately began his preparations.
He needed to prepare some siege equipment to facilitate his attack on Maling later.
Three days later, Lin Tian led the Right Vanguard Camp and set off.
Others did not know their destination.
General Teng's orders were conveyed secretly by his personal guards, so even the members of the Right Vanguard Camp were unaware.
They only knew that they had marched with Lin Tian for several days, then found a place to set up camp.
After that, training stopped, and most of the soldiers, except for the patrols, were required to remain quiet.
They had to maintain a state of relative silence so as not to be discovered by the enemy.
However, they remained silent for five consecutive days without any news, which made many impatient.
"General, we've been stationed here for five days. Why is there still no action?"
"That's right! We've been lying low for five days. If we lie here any longer, I feel like I'll be completely worn out!"
"General, give us an order to kill the enemy! We've been here for days, I've gotten to know every mosquito within a five-mile radius!"
The soldiers of the Vanguard Camp were inherently a group of passionate and proud individuals.
After a month of training under Lin Tian, they had long been eager to test their combat strength.
But now, although Lin Tian had led them out, they were constantly lying in wait.
Apart from mosquitoes, they hadn't seen a single enemy.
This was truly unbearable for them. Every single one of them wanted to go out and fight a fierce battle.
However, Lin Tian raised an eyelid and asked,
"What is it? Do you want to go out and kill people?"
"Yes! We dream of it!!"
"Then do you want to kill one or two people and earn a small merit, or do you want the merit of conquering cities and expanding territories?"
"Of course, the merit of expanding territories!"
The soldiers of the Right Vanguard Camp answered instinctively.
It was only after they answered that they belatedly realized.
"Ah? Are we hiding here for the merit of expanding territories?"
"Yes."
Lin Tian nodded gently and answered the question.
This answer was like heavenly music to everyone else.
"Hahaha! I knew it! Following Brother Tian always leads to good things!"
"Our General is indeed a General. He acts only when it's time, and when he does, it's for great deeds!"
"General, the way you're doing this, I suddenly don't feel sleepy anymore. No, I need to do a few more push-ups to keep my physical fitness at peak condition!"
Although the soldiers of the Right Vanguard Camp didn't know where Lin Tian was leading them to attack, the mere words "expanding territories" were enough to excite everyone.
In the following days, the soldiers of the Right Vanguard Camp remained in a state of silence.
However, each of them diligently maintained their physical fitness, refusing to slack off.
Their hearts were filled with fervent anticipation.
This state lasted for five days.
That is, ten days later, Lin Tian finally received General Teng's order.
"The main forces at Maling have been drawn into Xincheng by us. The time to act has come. You may now attack Maling!"
Upon seeing this order, Lin Tian's eyes lit up.
Soon, he issued his command:
"All troops advance! Objective, Maling in Han!"
"Yes!"
As soon as Lin Tian's order was given, the entire Right Vanguard Camp moved.
They were all excited and advanced rapidly.
Hearing the order to attack Maling, they roughly understood what they were supposed to do.
Maling was located next to the Han capital Xinzheng. If they captured Maling, they would be directly threatening Xinzheng.
If they were lucky enough to breach the gates of Xinzheng,
Then it would not be merely the merit of expanding territories, but the supreme merit of destroying a nation.
If they truly accomplished this, their names would be remembered for eternity.
Therefore, on the road to Maling, not a single person asked for rest; they were all brimming with energy.
An hour later, they arrived outside Maling.
At this moment, the people in Maling city were not paying much attention to the situation outside the city. They were more concerned about whether their Xincheng in Han could be defended.
Therefore, when Lin Tian led an army of five thousand to appear outside Maling city, the soldiers within Maling were thrown into a panic.
"Bad, enemy attack! Enemy attack! The Qin army is coming!!"
"Sound the gongs, quickly sound the gongs! All personnel to battle stations!!"
"Defend the city, defend the city quickly!!"
Lin Tian's sudden arrival caught the people of Maling completely off guard.
Fortunately, Lin Tian's numbers were not large, only a few thousand. And Maling city still had three thousand troops, so they could still defend it.
Of course, this was merely their assumption.
The reality was vastly different from what they imagined.
When Lin Tian discovered that Maling city had not yet entered a full combat state, he did not even let his Right Vanguard Camp soldiers rest.
Instead, he directly ordered:
"Soldiers, the opportunity to expand territories is before us. Haven't you always wanted to see my combat power?"
"Follow me and attack the city!!"
"Kill!!"
Lin Tian charged at the very front, giving all the soldiers a surge of spirit.
At this moment, a new wave of strength surged within many of them.
Without any hesitation, they followed Lin Tian and launched the fiercest charge against Maling city.
...