Chapter 749 - 30: Breaking Through Juyong Pass, Reclaiming Yan Yun

——The situation suddenly changed.

The core of Gu Jin’s plan this time was to rely on the delayed information to create an information gap, launching a pincer attack to break through Juyong Pass.

He had to be fast.

This was imperative.

The news from Gubeikou Gate could not be kept hidden forever.

Even if he managed to block all the information, the intelligence network that Wang Yingchen had built in Liao would still expose everything, not to mention it was impossible for Gu Jin to stop all the news.

The army galloped urgently.

Meanwhile, the great battle at Juyong Pass continued.

——This time, Gu Jin was evidently determined, leaving the task of daily strong attacks to these people.

He didn’t know whether he would succeed, or when it would happen.

To accomplish all his ideas,

he could only have the soldiers stake their lives for this sliver of chance.

...

At Juyong Pass, the battle was in full swing.

The main force of the Song Army continued to execute Gu Jin’s order of "daily strong attacks," with an unstoppable momentum, seemingly tireless.

Despite the heavy casualties, a fire burned in the soldiers’ hearts, secretly hoping that the Grand Tutor’s surprise troops could work a miracle. The Liao Army atop the pass, under continuous high pressure for days, still relied on the treacherous terrain to desperately hold on, but their nerves had long been stretched to the limit.

Everyone thought the Song Army had gone mad.

In their eyes, the Song Army now seemed like a mad dog, ceaselessly attacking them day and night without regard for anything.

Even with the advantage of the terrain,

the prolonged warfare still enveloped the entire Liao Army with fatigue.

Yet, they could not abandon their post.

Wang Yingchen had now changed his mindset, constantly telling the soldiers that if they were this exhausted, then the attacking Song Army must be even more so.

Most importantly, the effectiveness of the plow and fight system was fully showcased under these circumstances.

——Killing the enemy represented military honors.

This was also a significant motivator.

Atop Juyong Pass, the smoke of battle temporarily dissipated, and the air was filled with the scent of blood and charred remains.

A squad of Liao soldiers took advantage of the precious lull in the Song Army’s attack to slump down behind the battlements, grabbing a moment to catch their breath.

Their armor was damaged, faces covered in soot and blood, eyes filled with unmistakable fatigue.

"Pah!" An old soldier with a scarred face spat out the sand from his mouth, grumbling hoarsely, "Are these damn Song dogs made of iron? They’re attacking day and night without rest, and I have to keep them company!"

He rubbed his bloodshot eyes, looking out at the densely packed Song Army encampment below, and sighed, "When will this end....?"

Beside him, a younger soldier pulled half a piece of rations from his coat with trembling hands and took a bite, laughing bitterly at the comment, "End? Didn’t Chancellor Wang say the Song dogs are more tired than us?"

"If we keep this up, they are the ones who will collapse first."

He paused, his voice lowered, "But how many days has it been.... I’m.... I’m almost at my limit."

"Even if you’re at your limit, you must hold on!" A squad leader-looking man growled with a voice laced with exhaustion, "Holding on means military honors; chopping off a Song dog’s head means land, cattle, and sheep! Think of your wife and children at home!"

Yet this time, the word "military honors," which used to motivate most, seemed to have lost its effect.

The scarred old soldier scoffed, patting the heavy pouch at his waist, which seemingly contained cut-off ears.

"Military honors? In this bag, I have enough to exchange for dozens of acres of good land."

"But we still need to be alive to receive the rewards!" He pointed outside the pass, "Look below, they’re all risking their lives!"

"No amount of military honors is worth anything if you’re not alive to spend it, right?"

"Right now, I’d just love to have a full night’s sleep, better than getting ten Song dog heads!"

Another elder soldier who had been silent finally spoke, his gaze empty as he looked at the sky, "Yeah, military honors.... I have enough, and I’ve killed enough too."

"Now, every time I close my eyes at night, all I see are the faces of Song Soldiers climbing up, and the sight of our brothers falling.... "

"These military honors, they’re burning holes in my hands."

The young soldier listened to the veterans’ words, his movements of gnawing at his rations slowed, and the last trace of excitement over military honors vanished, leaving only fear and confusion towards the endless warfare.

He murmured, "If only.... if only they could stop for a day, just a day.... it would be great.... "

The squad leader opened his mouth, wanting to boost morale once more, but found his throat dry, unable to utter a word.

Wasn’t he tired himself?

Didn’t he long for this damned siege to end soon?

In the end, he merely waved a weary hand, "Stop talking nonsense, rest while you can. Once the Song dogs’ drums beat again, we’ll have to fight to the death again.... "

A deep sense of helplessness and war-weariness permeated this group of battle-hardened soldiers.

The allure of military honors, under the extreme fatigue and constant pressure of death, was gradually losing its luster.

Through these sighs,

the quartermaster hurriedly sent people over, skillfully distributing the daily rations and payment.

All the soldiers remained unresponsive, showing little emotion at receiving food.

Including — the accompanying war drums!

Battle descended once more.

The Liao Army numbly stood in formation, repeating the actions they did almost every day.

Such is the nature of humans.

When you first face death, you may tremble or become excited, with soaring adrenaline giving different feelings to many people.

But once this becomes routine, everything changes.

Even when facing death,

the overwhelming fatigue causes them to feel numb.