Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 212 Surprise Attack on Caishiji

As the last vestiges of night faded at the end of the Yin hour (3-5 AM), the warm, humid air from the East China Sea and the cold current from the north bank of the Yangtze River finally clashed in a silent yet massive battle over the vast expanse of the river and its mudflats in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. The result was that the entire world was plunged into a thick, viscous, milky-white chaos where one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

Fog, an unprecedentedly thick fog.

It was not still, but slowly flowing under the push of a gentle breeze, like thick cotton wool, or an inverted sea of ​​milk, swallowing the riverbanks, trees, hills, the sky and stars, and even sound. Ten paces away, human figures were indistinguishable; thirty paces away, outlines blurred; fifty paces away, only a chilling pale expanse remained. The once mighty roar of the Yangtze River was suppressed and distorted in the fog, becoming a low, indistinct sob.

North of the river, upstream of Wulindu, an abandoned fishing village camp.

Chen Xing stood on a slightly elevated mound outside the camp. Although he wore a thick mink coat, his hair and eyelashes were already damp with mist, condensing into tiny water droplets. Behind him, high-ranking officials such as Chen Wei, Jia Wen, and Shen Qing stood silently. Everyone's gaze was straining to penetrate the tangible white barrier before them, directed south—even though they could see nothing at all.

"The fog shrouds the great river; Heaven is on our side." Chen Xing's voice sounded somewhat ethereal in the thick fog, yet carried an unwavering resolve. "The time has come. Issue the order: according to Plan A, the entire army—cross the river!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The deep, penetrating war drums resounded rhythmically deep within the fog. The drumbeats were specially treated; they were not high-pitched, but like the heartbeat of a giant beast, they spread steadily through the viscous fog, becoming the sole location and command for each unit's movements.

On the north bank of the Yangtze River, several hidden docks and beaches that had been pre-arranged came to life instantly.

The first to set sail were dozens of specially made pointed-bow speedboats and some medium-sized barges, all low-slung and manned by skilled oarsmen. Dian Xiong, clad in heavy armor and wielding his signature massive battle axe, stood like an iron tower at the bow of the lead speedboat. His face was coated with antifreeze grease, and his eyes were wide open; despite the swirling mist, his gaze seemed to burn through the white barrier, fixated on the opposite shore.

"The will to charge into battle!" Nobuyuki roared, his voice bursting from his chest, suppressing his raging fighting spirit.

"No one will live or die!" Behind them, the first batch of eight hundred elite soldiers from the Vanguard Battalion, who boarded the ship, pounded their fists on their armor in a dull response. Each of them wore double-layered composite armor, wielded long swords or heavy axes, and carried powerful bows and crossbows on their backs; they were the sharpest blades in the entire army.

The oarsmen chanted low, rhythmic calls as the speedboat, like an arrow released from a bow, silently and swiftly pierced the fog-shrouded river, hurtling towards the designated landing point on the opposite bank—a relatively flat, hilly stretch of shoal about five miles downstream from the Caishiji Fortress. The dense fog provided excellent cover, but also amplified the unknown dangers to the extreme. Everyone held their breath, gripped their weapons tightly, and listened intently for any unusual sound within the fog.

Following closely behind the elite cavalry was a massive, almost continuous troop transport fleet. These ships were larger, carrying the second and third waves of landing troops, as well as some light equipment. Shen Qing personally boarded a large warship serving as the forward command post, positioned in the middle of the fleet. He kept his eyes fixed on the white expanse of the river ahead, listening to the faint homing whistles occasionally transmitted from the scout ships, silently calculating the time and distance in his mind.

"Maintain formation! Stay close to the lead ship! Watch the river current! Lookouts, keep your eyes wide open!" Shen Qing's orders were relayed with difficulty through the thick fog via flag signals and messengers.

Further back, eight new-style warships, resembling mobile fortresses at sea, escorted by several warships, slowly emerged from the concealed river branch and arrayed themselves in a position slightly north of the river's center. Their massive forms appeared and disappeared in the fog, like ancient behemoths emerging from a sea of ​​mist. The heavy ballistae on board were already cocked, their bolts gleaming coldly in the fog; the baton poles were slowly raised, like the fangs of a giant beast. On the top deck of the warships, observers used specially polished crystal plates, slightly enhanced for light transmission, to strain their eyes to see the blurred outlines on the opposite bank, providing extremely rough directional indications for the ballistae.

Across the river, at the Allied Forces' camp in Caishiji.

The sentries on night duty were dozing off in the fort and along the riverbank. The fog was thicker than they had ever experienced. Visibility was reduced to its limit, and the patrol boats on the river had already been ordered back to port to avoid collisions or getting lost in the fog. Apart from the dim, yellowish glow of the nearby campfire, tinged by the dense fog, the only sounds in the world seemed to be their own heavy breathing and the snores of their comrades.

Occasionally, some vigilant veterans would feel uneasy, thinking that such thick fog presented an excellent opportunity for a surprise attack. But these thoughts were quickly suppressed by ideas such as "the main force of the Northern Army is launching a fierce attack on Xiakou on the western front," "the natural barrier of the Yangtze River is not so easy to cross," and "even they would be disoriented crossing the river themselves in such thick fog." After a few days of tension, a sense of complacency inevitably spread.

suddenly!

"Thump...thump...thump..." The deep, rhythmic thuds seemed to come from the distant heart of the river, through the thick fog.

"What's that sound?" A sentry listened intently.

"It sounds like... drums? How could there be drums on the river?" another sentry said uncertainly.

The sound grew clearer and closer, accompanied by a dense "splashing" sound like countless oars cutting through the water, and faint, suppressed shouts!

"Enemy attack—!" The piercing alarm finally broke through the fog from a forward outpost with slightly better visibility!

However, it was too late!

Almost simultaneously with the alarm sounding, the first batch of Trapped Camp fast ships, like ghosts, broke through the last layer of fog and crashed heavily into the soft mudflats! Before the bows of the ships had even come to a complete stop, Norio had already leaped off like a giant, his heavy combat boots sinking deep into the mud.

"Follow me and kill—!" he roared, his voice shaking the surrounding area and instantly drowning out the fog and alarms! He swung his giant axe, sending two sleepy Southern Dynasty soldiers who rushed forward with their weapons flying!

Eight hundred elite soldiers of the Vanguard Camp descended like tigers from the mountain, roaring as they landed. They quickly formed battle formations, their blades and axes flashing, slicing through the scattered and chaotic resistance on the beachhead as easily as a hot knife through butter!

"Seize the hill ahead! Establish a defensive line! Quickly!" Dian Xiong, covered in blood, didn't stop, directing his soldiers to charge towards the hill that could provide cover not far behind the beachhead. Their mission was to establish a solid foothold as quickly as possible to cover the landing of the main force!

Almost simultaneously with the landing of the Trapped Camp, from the depths of the misty river came the sickeningly loud clanging of machinery—"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

That was the "city-breaking crossbow" on the new-style warship firing! Despite the obstructed view, based on the pre-determined distance and approximate location, the giant crossbow bolts, as thick as a child's arm, tore through the thick fog, whistling through the air, and slammed into the camps, fences, and areas where troops might be gathered around the Caishiji Fortress!

Boom! Crack! The muffled sounds of wood and stone shattering and bodies being pierced, along with screams, could be faintly heard even in the thick fog, exacerbating the panic and chaos among the defenders on the south bank.

"Fire! Cover the area behind the beachhead! Prevent enemy reinforcements!" Shen Qing shouted from the warship. The medium crossbows and ballistae on the warships and battleships also began to fire suppressive fire. Arrows rained down from the fog like locusts into the depths of the south bank. Although the accuracy was limited, the coverage area was extremely wide, effectively delaying the enemy troops who were trying to reinforce the beachhead from the main camp of Caishiji.

More troop transport ships began to dock. The second and third waves of Xingqi infantrymen shouted and jumped off the ships. Under the command of their officers, they quickly expanded to the flanks and depths, with the landing battalion as the core, to clear out the remaining enemy, consolidate the beachhead, and begin to construct simple defensive fortifications.

The dense fog, after initially providing perfect cover, began to cause trouble for the attacking force. Formations were easily broken, communication was disrupted, and it was difficult to assess the enemy situation deep within the territory. However, the Xingqi Army was well-trained, had comprehensive contingency plans, and officers at all levels worked tirelessly to maintain order. The jubilation of the successful landing and the anticipation of subsequent troops transformed into a powerful driving force.

The alarm bells at Caishiji Fortress finally rang frantically, their sound carrying far and wide in the thick fog. The Allied commanders were roused from their sleep, hastily donned their armor, only to receive the news that "the Northern army has suddenly appeared from the fog, landed several miles downstream, the beachhead defenders have collapsed, the enemy is establishing camps, and reinforcements are pouring in!"

"How many enemy troops? Who is the commander? Is it a feint or a main attack?" The defending general was both shocked and furious, shouting questions repeatedly, but only received vague and contradictory reports from the scouts in the fog.

During this precious window of opportunity—fraught with dense fog, chaotic information, and panic among the defending troops—the main force of the Xingqi Empire's southern expedition had already driven itself firmly into the south bank of the Yangtze River like a sharp wedge. The surprise attack on the flank of Caishiji had successfully completed the most crucial first step!

On the opposite bank, on a hill, Chen Xing received battle reports from the front through messengers who rode swiftly between the river and the camp. When he heard the news that "General Dian Xiong has secured the beachhead, and the second wave of 10,000 troops is landing," his clenched fist finally slowly relaxed.

"Order Shen Qing to secure the river crossing with all his might! Order Chen Wei to deploy follow-up troops as planned to expand the landing zone! Tell Dian Xiong that I want him to be firmly rooted there like a nail! He must hold his ground before dawn when the fog clears!"

He took a deep breath of the cold, damp fog, gazing at the southern land still shrouded in thick white, yet already engulfed in the flames of war, his eyes reflecting the first, blood-red glimmer of dawn.