45: Chapter 45 The Way to Break the Stalemate

Du Wei's heart sank, little by little.

He knew it was over.

Nie Kong's route had also failed.

Moreover, listening to those screams, what they encountered was likely something even more terrifying than the wall of fire on the main battlefield.

"All troops... retreat!"

He almost gritted his teeth, squeezing this final order out from between them.

This time, there was no longer the slightest hesitation.

The army of Dushan Stronghold retreated in a sorry state, like stray dogs.

On the stockade walls, the warriors of Panshi Stockade watched the enemy's panicked, fleeing backs, and erupted into a heaven-shaking cheer!

"We won! We won again!"

"Panshi Stockade is mighty! Stockade Master is mighty!"

They held their weapons high, venting the joy of victory to their heart's content.

Gao Feng stood on the stockade wall, listening to the cheers in his ears, but there wasn't much of a smile on his face.

His gaze pierced through the smoke and looked toward the retreating enemy army in the distance.

He knew this was far from over.

As long as Bear Overlord was not dead, as long as the main force of Dushan Stronghold remained.

Then, a more violent, more insane revenge would definitely come.

The cheers echoed in the valley for a long time.

The joy of victory diluted the tension and bloodshed brought by the war, and every Panshi Stockade warrior's face was brimming with pride and excitement.

Once again, under the leadership of their own Stockade Master, they had repelled a formidable enemy several times their number.

This sense of achievement from winning against superior numbers and strength brought their cohesion and sense of belonging to an unprecedented height.

Gao Feng did not disturb their celebration.

He knew that after being suppressed for so long, they needed a thorough emotional release.

He just silently walked down the stockade wall and began to arrange post-battle matters.

"Old Qiu, have the brothers put out the fires, stay safe."

"Luo Qin, take stock of our casualties, as well as the consumption of arrows and fierce fire oil, compile the statistics, and report to me."

"Thin Monkey, take a team to check the back mountain, remember, don't get too close, just ascertain the situation."

"Yes, Stockade Master!"

Everyone received their orders and immediately took action.

Gao Feng himself walked towards the medical camp located in the central area of the stockade.

There, Uncle Sun was busy bandaging the wounds of the injured, along with several young girls trained by Luo Qin.

Although Panshi Stockade barely engaged the enemy in close combat on the main battlefield this time, during the prior preparations and the fire extinguishing process, over a dozen warriors were accidentally burned by flames or injured by rolling stones.

The air was filled with a mixed scent of herbs and blood.

Gao Feng walked in, and when the wounded saw him, they all struggled to get up and salute.

"Stay lying down! Don't move around!" Gao Feng hurriedly waved his hand, stopping them.

He walked up to a young warrior whose arm was severely burned, squatted down, and asked softly, "How is it? Does it still hurt?"

The young warrior, seeing that the Stockade Master had come to visit him personally, was so excited that his face turned bright red, and he shook his head repeatedly: "No... it doesn't hurt! Stockade Master, being able to contribute to the stockade, this little injury is nothing!"

Gao Feng patted his shoulder and looked at Uncle Sun: "Uncle Sun, are there enough medicinal materials?"

Uncle Sun wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Rest assured, Stockade Master. Thanks to the large batch of medicinal materials you had people purchase earlier, as well as those thriving herbs in the medicinal garden, dealing with these injuries is more than enough."

"That's good." Gao Feng nodded. "Be sure to use the best medicine so the brothers can get better as soon as possible."

He thought for a moment, then took out a leather pouch, which contained diluted spiritual water.

"This is good stuff. Feed everyone a little; drink it and the wounds will heal."

He fed all the wounded one by one before walking out of the medical camp.

Looking at the smiling faces outside, listening to the heartfelt "Stockade Master is mighty," Gao Feng's heart did not feel much joy.

Instead, there was a heavy pressure.

He climbed the highest watchtower alone, his gaze deep as he looked toward the direction of Dushan Stronghold.

He knew that everyone in Panshi Stockade, including Luo Qin and Old Qiu, regarded this victory as a glorious triumph.

But in his own view, this was merely a successful "delay."

They won, but it was a lucky win.

It relied on the advantage of intelligence, on surprise tactics, and on the Tiger King, an "unexpected force" that no one could have anticipated.

They had heavily damaged the two flanking forces of Dushan Stronghold, but the Foundation of Dushan Stronghold, that most terrifying Tier 4 expert Bear Overlord, as well as his core main force, had not suffered any substantial damage.

Today's defeat would only make that already enraged giant bear become even more insane.

Next time, he would absolutely not give Panshi Stockade any chance to use schemes.

He would definitely use the most pure, most brutal, and most unreasonable method, using his absolute Tier 4 strength, to raze Panshi Stockade to the ground!

And this was precisely the situation Gao Feng least wanted to see.

"Hard strength, it's still too far behind..." he muttered to himself.

Tier 3 and Tier 4, a difference of one tier, yet there is a world of difference.

Even with the help of Tiger King Ada, he himself had absolutely no possibility of being Bear Overlord's opponent.

Once their formation was crushed head-on by Bear Overlord in a field battle, then what awaited Panshi Stockade was total annihilation.

Passive defense, after all, is not a long-term strategy.

Must find a way to take the initiative.

Must find a way, before Bear Overlord launches the next general offensive, to find a method to break the deadlock that can secure victory in one stroke!

"What on earth should I do..."

Gao Feng's brows locked tightly, and he fell into deep thought.

...

In stark contrast to the jubilation of Panshi Stockade.

Dushan Stronghold, at this moment, was shrouded in dead silence and gloom.

They were defeated.

Defeated again.

Moreover, compared to last time, they were defeated even more miserably and thoroughly.

The frontal force led by Du Wei was burned by a great fire, suffering heavy casualties and losing all morale.

And the surprise force led by Nie Kong, which had been pinned with high hopes, was completely annihilated, with only Nie Kong himself, heavily injured, escaping back like a stray dog.

When Du Wei and Nie Kong returned to the stronghold with the remnants of their troops.

Greeting them was the gaze of the Chief Leader Bear Overlord, which was almost enough to eat people alive.

Inside the Gathering Hall, the atmosphere was so oppressive it could suffocate a person.

"Speak!"

Bear Overlord's voice, like a booming bell, echoed in the hall, making people's eardrums ache.

"Who can tell me what on earth is going on?!"

"Five hundred main troops! An elite surprise force! Why were they defeated so miserably?!"

Third-in-Command Du Wei had a face as dark as water and said nothing.

And Second-in-Command Nie Kong was pale, covered in bandages, with fear still lingering in his eyes.

The moment he thought of those two fierce tigers that were like ghosts and gods, his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"It... it was tigers..." he said in a hoarse voice, "In the back mountain of Panshi Stockade, there... there are two Tier 3 fierce tigers! We were ambushed, the brothers... the brothers all..."

He couldn't continue.

"Tigers?" Bear Overlord frowned, "What kind of tigers could cause your thirty elites to be completely annihilated?!"

"Big Brother, it's true!" Nie Kong said urgently, "Those two beasts are exceptionally fierce, invulnerable to blades and spears; they are simply monsters! We were simply no match for them!"