Chapter 83

On the battlefield, battle cries shook the heavens as the opposing forces locked in brutal combat, staining the sandy ground crimson with blood. Amidst the flashing of blades and the roar of soldiers, the clashing of weapons wove together into a merciless song of war. In the thick of the fray, Lǐ Rúfēng moved with nimble grace, his long spear sweeping like a dragon. Wherever his spearpoint directed, enemy soldiers fell in droves. Seeing that the enemy forces, though thoroughly disordered, were still putting up stubborn resistance, a flash of insight struck him, reminding him of the tactic of "blooming from the center with a coordinated inside-and-outside strike." If they could have a contingent of elite troops create chaos at the core of the enemy formation and coordinate with the main army on the outside, it would surely accelerate the enemy's collapse. Decisive as ever, he turned his head and shouted to Deputy General Guan Xi by his side, "Guan Xi! Go at once and inform General Li. Tell him I suggest we employ the tactic of 'blooming from the center with a coordinated inside-and-outside strike.' We will select a unit of elite troops to plunge deep into the enemy's heartland and disrupt them from within, while the main army tightens its offensive on the outside. We will surely crush the enemy in one fell swoop!"