Just then, a short man beside Fang Wenhe asked in a low voice, "Elder Fang, even if they have other tricks up their sleeve, can't we just regroup with the main army and counter-attack?"
The man's words immediately found agreement with many others.
"Exactly! The enemy is coming on strong and they far outnumber us. If we fight them here, we have no advantage at all!"
"It won't be long before we're all killed or wounded!"
"The most pressing matter is to regroup with the main army first, then gather our strength to fight back together!"
For someone to say such things to undermine morale at this critical moment was clearly intended to make things difficult for Fang Wenhe. This was what angered him the most.
Not long after the man finished speaking, Fang Wenhe struck out with his palm. The man didn't even have time to react before he was blasted into a fine powder.
Everyone stared at Fang Wenhe in shock, never having expected the elder to be so ruthless at a time like this.
"I don't know what you fools are thinking!" Fang Wenhe roared. "But if anyone else is thinking of running, you might as well let me kill you right now."
Staring into Fang Wenhe's icy gaze, no one dared to doubt him. This man would truly dare to kill them all.
Since that's the case, Elder, what do you think we should do? the others thought. At this point, they could only swallow their pride and ask if he had any other preparations.
But what other options did Fang Wenhe have now? He understood that since Lin Yun had appeared here, he must have already set up an encirclement. Their only chance was to break through from another direction. This would also prevent Lin Yun from concentrating his forces to deal with them.
Quickly, Fang Wenhe laid out his plan. The elite disciples of the Crimson Ghost Sect would charge at the front, hoping to break through the weakest part of the defensive line Lin Yun had arranged.
Lin Yun, at that moment, was still sitting astride his warhorse.
After a short while, a messenger galloped up. "My lord, it is just as you predicted. The Crimson Ghost Sect has begun their breakthrough."
How could Lin Yun not have anticipated what Fang Wenhe was thinking? To be honest, he had seen the methods of the Crimson Ghost Sect long ago and knew that with their abilities, they were no match for him. Fang Wenhe was a smart man; under these circumstances, he would quickly make a choice. He would certainly not choose a head-on confrontation with Lin Yun. Therefore, his only option was to retreat.
Of course, he wouldn't lure Lin Yun's army towards the main Crimson Ghost Sect force. Fang Wenhe would definitely choose to break through from another angle.
And that was precisely what fell right into Lin Yun's plan.
Fang Wenhe led his cultivators in a bloody battle. Throughout the entire process, they were able to inflict very few casualties on the enemy. In contrast, by the time they had broken through, their own forces had already been reduced by nearly thirty percent. The effort had also massively drained Fang Wenhe's own energy.
Though the losses were heavy, seeing that he had successfully broken through the encirclement, Fang Wenhe was still quite pleased.
"See? As long as you follow me, a breakthrough is easy! But we haven't completely shaken off these damn pests yet! Everyone, move! We need to leave this damned place as fast as possible!" Fang Wenhe roared, leading his men forward.
He had thought that since he had broken through, he had nothing more to worry about. But just then, the unexpected happened.
As Fang Wenhe and his men continued their charge, they suddenly found that large numbers of troops had appeared on their left and right flanks. Fang Wenhe tried to turn and retreat, only to find that the enemy from behind had caught up.
Only at this moment did Fang Wenhe finally understand. This was all Lin Yun's plan. They were now turtles in a jar.
Sure enough, he soon saw Lin Yun.
"With just these people from your little village, how could you possibly be our match?" Lin Yun taunted. "Elder Fang, you are, after all, a smart man. You should understand that a wise man submits to the circumstances, not resists so stubbornly."
Fang Yu'er wouldn't let this opportunity slip by either. "Isn't Elder Fang's favorite pastime using the lives of others to make himself seem magnanimous? I fear that this time, Elder Fang was also hoping to use the deaths of others to prove his plan was correct."
Seeing the two of them singing the same tune, Fang Wenhe's expression turned ugly.
"You brat, don't you spout nonsense here! We were surrounded by you; this was a numerical disadvantage! If we were on truly equal footing, do you really think you could stop us with just these soldiers of yours?"
Even now, Fang Wenhe was still being stubborn. This was because Fang Yu'er was right beside Lin Yun. No matter what, he was unwilling to admit his failure, to admit his weakness, in front of her. It was precisely for this reason that Lin Yun now had a complete grasp of every thought in Fang Wenhe's heart.
"So, in your view, you still have the ability to defeat us."
Fang Wenhe sneered. "But of course. If you don't believe me, come out and fight me one-on-one. I'd like to see if you, Prince Zuo Cheng's running dog, are really so formidable."
Seeing Fang Wenhe's furious expression, Lin Yun just shook his head and slowly dismounted from his warhorse.
Fang Wenhe was taken aback. He had only been running his mouth. He knew Lin Yun would never give him the chance for a one-on-one duel. But to his surprise, Lin Yun had actually done it. He looked at the young man, confirming once more. "Have you thought this through? If I can beat you, you have to let us leave."
Lin Yun scoffed. "You are already a turtle in my jar, yet you still have the audacity to negotiate with me. I don't know where you get your confidence. With a single order from me, the arrows from these men can pierce you with ten thousand holes."
Fang Wenhe fell silent.
Lin Yun continued with a smile. "However, I happen to be in a good mood today. I can give you this chance for a fair challenge. As long as you can defeat me in this battle, I can let you all leave alive."
Hearing this, the despairing Fang Wenhe's eyes lit up with the light of survival. He absolutely did not want to die here. Lin Yun's words had just ignited the last glimmer of hope for him. Even if he had to pay any price, Fang Wenhe would fight to the very last moment.
Little did he know, his desperate expression only looked all the more foolish in Lin Yun's eyes.