Chapter 38: A Ghostly Figure

Is Sun Liu putting on a cartoon show here?

Zhao Ergou couldn't help but inwardly scoff. He patted the back of his head and said nonchalantly, "How about we make a wager? Let's bet on whether or not I can take Gaoque Pass before dawn!"

"Huh?"

Sun Liu was dumbfounded. He never dreamed that Zhao Ergou would suddenly propose a bet. "What time do you think it is? How can you still be in the mood for games?"

"Hey, do you trust me or not?"

"I... I..."

Sun Liu bickered with Zhao Ergou all the way until they reached the foot of Gaoque Pass.

"Is this Gaoque Pass? My God, how in the hell are we supposed to get up there!"

Moonlight spilled into the mountain forest as Tu Dakang covered his mouth and let out an exclamation, his voice filled with despair. In his desperate eyes, the walls of Gaoque Pass were reflected—a towering, cloud-piercing barrier that felt like an insurmountable chasm.

Built along a mountain ridge, the pass backed directly onto the sheer cliffs of the Xiangyang Path, with the front and rear stockades forming a three-dimensional defensive network. The outer wall alone was over three zhang high—nearly seven or eight meters—and the gate tower of the main fortress rose another zhang above that. The fence of the main camp extended all the way to the precipices on both sides.

There were four watchtowers on the walls, each equipped with signal fire platforms and arrow slits. Although it was well past midnight, the walls were as bright as day under the glow of torches. Every ten paces, there was a guard armed with a bow and arrow, and patrols passed by constantly; the security was suffocatingly tight.

"Forget getting up there—it’s impossible even to walk past it..." Luo Datong’s voice was filled with bitterness, low and gravelly, as if rubbed with sandpaper.

To bypass the Xiangyang Path and reach this fortress, they had abandoned their horses and climbed mountain trails for over half an hour in the dark. They were lucky the moonlight was bright; otherwise, they would have been delayed even longer. Yet, upon arriving here and facing the towering wall, their first concern was not how to attack, but how to even approach it.

As far as the eye could see, the area for hundreds of paces in front of Gaoque Pass was barren and deathly silent. The trees had been razed, leaving only bare ground. Braziers were placed at regular intervals, their eerie flames tearing through the night to illuminate the area like a ghost realm—clearly a precaution against night raids. The terrain here was treacherous, shaped like a twisted gourd, with a path as narrow as a throat flanked by bottomless cliffs on both sides.

The closer one got to the main camp, the slightly wider the terrain became. Even with a massive army, there was no room to maneuver; only a small number of elite troops could barely squeeze through. And this sole passable area was completely exposed to the rain of arrows from the walls. With bows and crossbows firing from three sides, this road would instantly become a meat grinder. It was no wonder people said that a frontal assault on Gaoque Pass, even with ten times the force, would be in vain.

Luo Datong let out a long sigh and fell silent. He looked at Zhao Ergou, his eyes for the first time filled with complex, negative emotions. Could this squad leader, who had performed miracles time and again, turn the tide this time? Were these cliffs of Gaoque Pass truly destined to be their burial ground?

"Gaoque Pass? Luck? Miracles? Ha! In my dictionary, the word 'impossible' doesn't exist!" Zhao Ergou grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Just you watch. Today, I'll show you what a true miracle is!"

He patted his chest, his spirit soaring. "Ever since we started roaming through Rongdi territory, these guys must have been like birds startled by the twang of a bow. But so what? In my eyes, they’re just lambs waiting for the slaughter!"

Zhao Ergou rubbed his chin; far from showing fear, he grew increasingly excited. "As expected of the Right Wise Prince’s own troops—this momentum, tsk tsk, it’s truly something else! And this majestic Gaoque Pass in the Helan Mountains, it certainly lives up to its reputation!"

"But how did those Rongdi dogs capture a place like this?" Zhao Ergou’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, as if he had just discovered an interesting toy.

"..." Watching Zhao Ergou, Sun Liu felt a mix of emotions. Did this guy really think he was a god descended from heaven, capable of anything? Yet, for some reason, seeing Zhao Ergou’s overflowing confidence, a stir of inexplicable anticipation rose in Sun Liu's heart.

"The Gaoque Pass we built does have its unique features. It cleverly utilizes the mountain ridge and cliffs to completely seal off the Xiangyang Path, making it impassable for wagons and horses. However..." A flash of shrewdness crossed Sun Liu's eyes. "Gaoque Pass, built along the mountain, has one fatal weakness: its water supply!"

Sun Liu pointed to a pitch-black area in the distance. "There is a small stream there, the only source of water. The Rongdi surrounded it without attacking for ten days, and that’s how they took Gaoque Pass."

"Stupid, truly stupid!" Zhao Ergou curled his lip.

"It wasn't stupid! At the time, the two Great Wise Princes were besieging our Great Qin, and there was simply no capacity to reinforce this place." Sun Liu shook his head. "Unless General Wang marched out to fight them to the death, we had no chance of besieging Gaoque Pass, let alone breaking this fortress."

"We don't have time to wear them down like that, so this Gaoque Pass is indeed impregnable!" Sun Liu’s voice was filled with helplessness.

Zhao Ergou didn't respond. His gaze fell upon the bottomless cliffs on either side of the passage before the gate, which looked like an entrance to hell. However, there was no fear in Zhao Ergou’s eyes—only a gleam of excitement.

"Fine, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it." Luo Datong slapped his own cheek hard, forcing himself to rally. "The original plan stands. We'll pose as fleeing soldiers to trick them into opening the gate, then swarm in to buy the squad leader time to strike the heart of the enemy and capture their leader alive!"

Luo Datong waved his hand. "First wave, Squad Leader Zhao and I will go! The moment you see the gate open, charge immediately! If something feels wrong... retreat at once, report to Clerk Zhang, and tell them not to send any more reinforcements!"

This was the plan they had agreed upon—simple and brutal. It relied on Sun Liu posing as a retreating Rongdi soldier to trick the guards into opening the gate, followed by Zhao Ergou leading the charge. If Zhao Ergou hadn't demonstrated such shocking combat prowess earlier, they never would have accompanied him to their deaths. But whether this plan could succeed really depended on luck.

"What if I can't trick them into opening the gate?" Sun Liu’s eyes were shifty, clearly lacking confidence.

"Tch, these Rongdi are surely scared out of their wits by now. If I were their commander, I definitely wouldn't let anyone in at night. Even if I did, I wouldn't open the main gate—I’d lower a basket at most. What do you plan to do then?" Luo Datong said dismissively. "Always fearing the wolf in front and the tiger behind, overthinking everything—how can we fight a war like this?"

"Exactly, to hell with fear!" Tu Dakang unsheathed his weapon with a metallic ring, the blade gleaming coldly. "We're already here; there's no turning back! We have to listen to the squad leader! Otherwise, if they discover us and track us down, none of us will escape!"

"Fine, fine, fine. It’s just a matter of 'doing them in,' I'm with you!" Sun Liu resigned himself. "I've already written my last will and testament anyway. Death is just a scar the size of a bowl!"

Luo Datong, Tu Dakang, and the others exchanged glances and were about to speak when—

"There's no need for all that trouble."

Zhao Ergou’s voice suddenly rang out, sounding like a ghost.