The setting sun gradually sets in the west, its afterglow casting a layer of pale yellow over the earth, diffusing across the sky.

The woods outside Linhuan Pass have become sparse and desolate, bereft of their past prosperity.

The distant mountains have disappeared into the faint mist, where once there was laughter and joy, now it has become a distant loss.

As night falls, quiet descends over the area outside Linhuan Pass.

Only the occasional rustle of wind-blown leaves and the friction of dragging corpses occasionally tear through the desolate evening.

The great battle has ended, leaving behind this desolate battlefield.

The Great Shang army has retreated a hundred li, returning to their camp.

No troops from Linhuan Pass pursued them, allowing them to leave.

Both sides sent soldiers to clear the remnants of the battlefield, carrying the corpses of their comrades and discarded weapons aside.

They did so with solemnity and seriousness, not a trace of joy on their faces, only heaviness and fatigue.

Those companions who were once so close have now fallen one by one, breathless forever.

The remaining flames and smoke on the battlefield continue to burn slowly, permeating a pungent smell.

Broken arrows, shattered shields, and damaged walls lay strewn on the ground, silently recounting the brutality and ferocity of war.

The defending soldiers, dragging their weary bodies, took the corpses of the Great Shang soldiers from the city walls to outside the battlefield, then carried back their own fallen comrades.

Although they successfully defended the walls, there was no hint of post-victory excitement.

Only a profound sense of trauma emanated from the depths of their souls.

Not far away stood their beloved City Lord on the city wall.

At this moment, Wen Zhong's expression was very heavy.

For him, was this not also the first time witnessing such a brutal battlefield?

Seeing his soldiers' haggard appearances, he could only do his utmost to encourage them to persevere.

Only by persevering can victory be awaited.

Although they repelled the enemy's assault today, they didn't gain much advantage. Both sides paid a tremendous price with heavy casualties.

Perhaps this is the cruelty of war.

Nevertheless, Wen Zhong was still grateful.

After all, it was a victory in their first engagement on the battlefield!

Despite it being a pyrrhic victory, it was still far better than a defeat.

After all, the soldiers inside Linhuan Pass had just been recruited, not only few in number but also having undergone only brief emergency training. To last till the end on the cruel battlefield and stubbornly defending without giving the enemy any opportunity was a remarkable feat.

Moreover, after experiencing this victorious battle, these soldiers will undergo significant growth, transforming from green recruits to veterans accustomed to life and death!

These surviving soldiers will be an invaluable asset.

In the future, when recruiting new soldiers, they could implement a veteran-led training system, greatly reducing the difficulty of training and shortening the time needed to form an effective force—essentially a cornerstone.

...

At this moment, hundreds of li away from Linhuan Pass in the Great Shang army camp, grief was prevalent as well.

A large number of injured required urgent treatment, but they brought only a small amount of supplies for faster travel, thus having nowhere near enough healing herbs.

In addition, having suffered defeat, many warriors were panicked.

In the central command tent of the camp, King Wu Cheng, Huang Feihu, sat behind a desk, staring blankly, pondering over unknown strategies.

Below him, Mo Family Four Generals, Zhou Ji, and other more than a dozen generals quarreled fiercely.

Some suggested retreating to regroup and tend to the wounded before returning to attack; others proposed a full mobilization for incessant assaults, attacking day and night until they stormed the city head, even if it meant piling up corpses to take Linhuan Pass!

Both suggestions were rather extreme: one too cautious, the other too aggressive.

Most generals did not endorse these ideas but suggested remaining stationary and asking the court for reinforcements, awaiting further instructions...

In short, they wanted to leave this mess for King of Shang Di Xin and the court officials to solve.

The generals had their own ideas and refused to give in to one another, arguing heatedly, their faces flushed with anger, almost coming to blows—not at all as harmonious as when they had first arrived.

Huang Feihu had grown accustomed to such scenes.

Results are all that matter on the battlefield; victory means everything is negotiable, but defeat means no one gets off easy.

Apart from Huang Feihu as the commanding officer, whom no one dared to blame, the other generals were more or less the subjects of murmurs and whispers.

It couldn't be helped. The military has always been forthright, and following a defeat, the soldiers' frustration was palpable—they were no longer as polite as before.

Facing this situation, Huang Feihu knew that he had to make changes swiftly.

But what could he do?

If it were just Linhuan Pass and those tens of thousands of inexperienced defenders, he was confident he could take this solidly fortified city within a month.

But this war was not just about the battlefield on the ground; it involved battles where gods and immortals soared and participated.

While he could make a difference on the ground, he had no say in the battles in the heavens, relying solely on the Mo Family Four Generals.

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