Chapter 1071: The Brave Warriors and Military Strategy
Added 2024-11-18 14:01:12 +0000 UTCChen Xi was always this crafty. Since history had proven that Zhang Fei had the potential to become a deity in the Martial Temple, then with Chen Xi, a time traveler, in the mix, this potential should be fully realized!
After all, with Chen Xi's involvement, his allies shouldn't get weaker. If that were the case, wouldn't that mean they were diminishing their own combat power?
"But there's one thing you can be assured of—I believe you can do it, and not just that, you'll do it excellently," Chen Xi said with a smile, looking at Zhang Fei.
For a moment, Zhang Fei had the urge to give Chen Xi a firm pat on the back, but luckily, he restrained himself. Otherwise, Chen Xi's shoulder blade might have been shattered.
Zhang Fei stared at Chen Xi with his wide bull-like eyes, while Chen Xi, unwilling to be outdone, met his gaze. After a long while, when Chen Xi felt that he was losing the psychological battle, he slowly spoke up. "I can give you a few hints."
"I knew it! You're my brother, how could you not help me out?" Zhang Fei laughed heartily, patting Chen Xi on the shoulder.
"If you keep patting me, and my arm breaks, don't expect me to take care of anything," Chen Xi said, pointing to his shoulder, which Zhang Fei had been slapping.
With an awkward chuckle, Zhang Fei withdrew his hand, and Chen Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Fei's strength wasn't a joke. If he kept hitting, something would really break.
"Being the commander in the northern campaign is set in stone. Lord Xuande, Guan Yu, and I are all counting on you. I don't think you'll let us down," Chen Xi said seriously, looking at Zhang Fei.
"I know. Both my elder brother and second brother hope I can be more than just a reckless general," Zhang Fei said, somewhat helplessly.
"Let me tell you something. There's no real conflict between being a fierce general and a renowned commander. A famous general is someone who wins—no matter the method," Chen Xi said with a sarcastic tone. "No matter how dangerous your strategy, as long as you win, it's the right one. On the battlefield, the only thing that matters is life and death, victory and defeat."
No matter how skilled Zhao Kuo was, holding out for days without his troops breaking meant nothing. If you're remembered for one of the greatest defeats in history, you'll always be nailed to the pillar of shame, no matter how well you performed before. Reality can be cruel.
"I'll teach you a strategy that suits you best," Chen Xi said with a sinister smile. "A method tailored just for you."
"What? What? Teach me quickly!" Zhang Fei rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, brother."
"You choose: I have two methods. One is unbeatable in offense, and the other is impenetrable in defense," Chen Xi said with a smile, knowing he could only trick Zhang Fei with such things.
"I want both!" Zhang Fei shouted without a second thought.
"You can only choose one. If you bite off more than you can chew, it won't work. Remember Hua Xiong and his 'Heavenly Lock Sixty-Four Changes'? He only mastered three, but he ingrained those three changes into his very instinct. His cavalry combat is unmatched," Chen Xi reminded him, using Hua Xiong as an example.
"Attack!" Zhang Fei said resolutely.
"The first rule: Gather as much intel about the enemy as possible before battle. The more detailed, the better. If you're both in unfamiliar territory, make sure you know more about the area than the enemy. If you're in enemy territory, just remember that anything you know, the enemy knows too," Chen Xi said seriously.
"That's not difficult. I’ll just send out scouts everywhere," Zhang Fei thought for a moment and confidently patted his chest.
"The second rule: When you strike, you must remain calm. When leading a charge, your first strike must be shocking!" This was the real advice Chen Xi prepared for Zhang Fei. It was clear that teaching Zhang Fei complex strategies wouldn’t work. It was better to guide him toward being a courageous warrior!
"I understand being calm before a battle and leading the charge, but what do you mean by a 'shocking first strike'?" Zhang Fei was puzzled, unable to grasp the concept of "shocking."
"It means that for your first strike, use all the secret techniques and cloud-based powers you have. Don’t focus on killing the enemy—focus on instilling fear," Chen Xi explained.
"Fear?" Zhang Fei scratched his head.
"To put it simply, when you strike, create as much bloodshed and destruction as possible. I remember you’ve strengthened your arms through special training. Even under the suppression of cloud-based powers, you can still fire air blasts with your punches, right?" Chen Xi tried to explain as clearly as possible.
"I can, but, Brother Chen, let’s be real. I’ve only enhanced my arms, not my entire body. Under cloud power suppression, I can only do that once," Zhang Fei admitted with a bitter smile.
"Then remember: use your maximum strength for that first strike. With it, you’ll raise the morale of your entire army. I know you have a legion ability. After the morale is boosted, activate your legion power without hesitation. Charge forward with the belief that you can break through the enemy’s lines!" Chen Xi said sternly.
In the age of cold weapons, morale was the most important factor in a military unit. A few thousand soldiers with sky-high morale could easily break through tens of thousands.
"Alright, I trust you!" Zhang Fei agreed without hesitation.
"Third rule: After you win, maintain your army’s formation during the pursuit. Ensure you have a clear field of vision. If your view becomes obstructed, stop the chase. If you can do these three things, while I can’t guarantee victory every time, it will be difficult for anyone to defeat you," Chen Xi said with the utmost seriousness.
"That sounds simple enough. No problem. But are you sure this will work?" Zhang Fei asked, still feeling like it was all too straightforward.
"Because I believe you excel at this kind of direct and brutal approach. Teaching you anything more complicated might be beyond you," Chen Xi said with a grin. While he wasn’t being entirely truthful, he wasn’t lying either. As long as Zhang Fei followed this advice, losing would indeed be hard for him.
In fact, this method was essentially the long-abandoned strategy used by the "Brave Warrior" school of thought—no need for elaborate schemes, just prepare well beforehand, avoid falling into traps, and then force the enemy into direct combat. Once the confrontation begins, overpower them with brute force. Simple, brutal, and highly effective for superhuman warriors like Zhang Fei.
This was the same tactic used by Xiang Yu—direct and brutal, yet highly effective. If not for issues with logistics and supplies, Liu Bang would have likely been defeated in direct confrontations. That’s the strength of the brave warrior method!
As for Zhang Fei, he had all the qualities of a brave warrior—fearlessness and raw power. The three rules Chen Xi provided were essentially repackaged versions of "military formations."
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