"Hundreds of thousands of fugitives can only go through the Collapsed Space Plains. This involves the fighting will of the pursuers," Meng Chao said.
"When we were in the camp, the officer with the big horn was right. The fugitives aren't the main problem for the Blood Hoof Clan. No matter how angry the chiefs and priests are, as long as they still have a shred of rationality left, they won't come out in full force to chase after the fugitives."
"Why?"
Hailstorm asked. "The fugitives overturned the entire Black Horn City and humiliated the Blood Hoof Clan!"
"A qualified commander won't recklessly start a war because of anger," Meng Chao said.
Meng Chao said. "I believe that Blood Hoof Clan has a deep foundation of power, so they should have a few qualified commanders.
"That's right. The series of explosions in Black Horn City and the theft of the temple have indeed humiliated the Blood Hoof Clan. But just to regain their dignity, they will mobilize their entire army and scatter to the endless Collapsed Space Plains to chase after a bunch of filthy, lowly rats that are hiding everywhere?
"Then, what should we do about the fight for the highest authority between the Blood Hoof Clan and the Golden Clan?
"Aside from Black Horn City and the Collapsed Space Plains, who will deter and suppress the restless rat people in the other parts of the Blood Hoof Clan's territory?
"Will the Blood Hoof Clan still participate in the Battle of Glory against the Land of Holy Light when we march north?
"For the chiefs and priests who control the Blood Hoof Clan, the main problem right now isn't revenge, but to clean up the mess, maintain order, and ensure that the Blood Hoof Army is still a united army that can be sent into battle at any moment. Also, this army still has enough food, weapons, and all sorts of war resources.
"As for the rat people's servant soldiers and slave workers, there are plenty of them everywhere. We just have to recruit them again.
"The newly recruited Rat Citizens have not experienced the earth-shattering shock of Black Horn City. They still have a bit of respect for the Blood Hooves Warriors that comes from the depths of their bones. They are easier to control and exploit, making them better cannon fodder.
"As for the fugitives who rushed out of Blackhorn City, even if we catch them and capture them, what then?
"If we put them back into the slave or cannon fodder troops, the flames of rebellion have long since been ignited in their hearts. It is impossible for them to completely obey the orders of the Bloodhoof Warriors. They will pretend to be obedient while disobeying, slacking off, and even purposely sabotaging. Furthermore, this flame of rebellion will continue to spread like a plague, 'polluting' the rat people who came from the local areas and did not personally witness the tragedy of Blackhorn City. Isn't this a loss that outweighs the gains?
"How about we kill them all?
"Of course, this method is very satisfying, but it can't solve the problem of the Bloody Hoof Clan's lack of manpower and resources. It will also waste a lot of war resources. To put it bluntly, even if we send all the troops out to catch hundreds of thousands of pigs on the prairie, we will still need astronomical war resources! "The situation is already so bad. At this moment, will the leaders of the Bloody Hoof Clan be willing to make such a losing deal?"
Regardless of whether she was in the Land of Holy Light or Turanze, when Ice Tempest heard people talk about war, they would always say things like "for the glory of the True Gods, for the glory of the ancestors, for absolute justice".
There were very few people like Meng Chao, who treated war as a business and calculated the gains and losses.
She could not help but feel that it was a new experience.
Ice Tempest thought about it and asked, "But all the temples in Blackhorn City have lost a large number of ancient treasures. Don't the nobles in the city want to get these things back?"
"If they want to get the ancient treasures back, they won't rely on a large but clumsy army, but elite squads formed by powerful fighters," Meng Chao said.
"So, based on my speculation, as long as the fugitives leave through Collapsed Space Plains, there will not be many pursuers.
"Of course, the first wave of pursuers will come with an aggressive momentum. Once they capture the fugitives, they will not show any mercy. They will definitely use the cruelest methods to make an example out of the fugitives.
"But as long as the fugitives can withstand the first wave of pursuers, they will have a high chance of surviving, at least for the time being."
"What about War Drum Forest?"
Ice Tempest asked. "If the main force breaks out of War Drum Forest, what's the difference?"
"The difference is that War Drum Forest is an important granary for the Blood Hoof Tribe. There are countless Mandala Fruits stored there. Now that the Mandala Trees no longer bear fruit, and the more food they have in reserve, the more strategic resources they have are enough for any commander to send in all his troops," Meng Chao said.
"If hundreds of thousands or even more of the fugitives go through War Drum Forest, the commanders in Blackhorn City will have to consider the possibility of the Great Horn Army trying to take down War Drum City and seize their important granary.
"When Black Horn City's granary suffers great losses, and a lot of food is stolen or burned, no matter how great the price is, they will have to brace themselves and come out of their nest.
"In the Forest of War Drums, the defending army had nowhere to retreat to. When faced with the rat people warriors who outnumbered them by a hundred times, they could only stimulate the Bloodhooves Warriors' glory and bravery, fighting the rat people's frenzied tide to the end until the reinforcements from Blackhorn City arrived.
"You should know better than me just how terrifying a clan warrior is when he's truly angry.
"When the Blood Hoof Army becomes serious, it's definitely not something a motley crew formed in a hurry can fight against!"
Ice Tempest nodded with a contemplative expression. Then, he said hesitantly, "But just now, you said that you smelled a strange fragrance from the depths of War Drum Forest …"
"That's right."
Meng Chao smiled faintly. "I'm just saying that it's impossible for an army of hundreds of thousands to break out of War Drum Forest. The commotion will be too great, and it will only attract the main force of the Blood Hoof Army. Both sides will suffer great losses, and the Golden Clan will benefit from it.
"But if there are only a few dozen or at most a few hundred temple thieves with ancient treasures and they infiltrate the depths of War Drum Forest without anyone noticing, they might be able to break through the defense line.
"After all, as I said just now, the defending army will have to split up again and again. Their defense line will definitely be riddled with holes, and there will be openings everywhere.
"Besides, if I were the commander of the Great Horn Army, I would have already infiltrated and converted the rat people in the depths of War Drum Forest to make sure that there are a lot of loyal believers of the Great Horn Rat God among the rat people, servant soldiers, and slave workers in War Drum Forest.
"With these believers working together, it's hard to say if there are hundreds of thousands of people, but it's not impossible to secretly send hundreds of people out, right?"
When Ice Tempest heard this, he finally understood.
"So, these people in front of us, us, and the hundreds of thousands of rat people who escaped from Collapse Space Grasslands are all bait!"
Ice Tempest said, "Just like the camouflage in Black Horn City, we'll make all the Blood Hoof Warriors stare at Collapse Space Grasslands with burning eyes. The real big fish, the temple thieves with ancient treasures, will be able to swagger through War Drum Forest and leave!"
"That's right. That's one of the goals. There's another benefit to having a large number of escapees leave Collapse Space Grasslands," Meng Chao said.
"Do you remember what the officer with the Great Horn Rat God said? He said that this escape is the ultimate trial the Great Horn Rat God gave to all the rat people. Only those who pass the trial will receive the Rat God's protection and blessing. I think that in a certain sense, it's true."
"Trial?" Ice Tempest mumbled.
"That's right. The size of an army isn't always better, especially when Turanze's communication methods are so outdated. Their logistics system is huge and clumsy, and the high-grade orcs themselves are rather undisciplined and unruly. An army that has too many people will only be crushed by their own weight, just like a beast that can grow endlessly.
"Even with the treasures and secret techniques left behind by the ancient Turanze people, the Turanze army can only reach the size of a few million people, and that's already the limit. However, due to the crazy reproduction over the past fifty years, the number of soldiers in the human clans is several times or even ten times that of a few million!
"This is the reason why the human clans have to participate in the Game of the Brave and the Competition of the Five Clans.
"It's the same as having an internal elimination competition before going all-out against the Land of Holy Light. Through survival of the fittest, the elite soldiers who are truly qualified to enjoy the war resources will be chosen.
"The Great Horn Army faces the same problem.
"In fact, it's even more serious.
"After all, the war resources that the Great Horn Army can control are much scarcer than the other human clans.
"And the number of soldiers who are willing to join the Great Horn Army is more than ten times that of the human warriors.
"The Great Horn Army relies on the righteous cause of the Great Horn Rat God descending to save all rat people to gather the hearts of the people, but it's impossible for them to reject all the rat people warriors who are filled with the spirit of resistance and passion for battle.
"The most important thing is that the Great Horn Army lacks time to train these rat people who are filled with passion but lack fighting skills into real warriors.
"Before Blackhorn City was turned upside down, the Big Horn Army could still hide in the dark and develop without a sound.
"Then, after stirring up such a destructive storm, how could the existence of the Great Horn Army be hidden from the eyes of the other four human clans?
"I think that even the commander of the Great Horn Army doesn't have the extravagant hope of continuing to hide. That's why even a basic warrior like the round bone club can talk about the secrets of the Great Horn Army without fear.
"From the moment the chain of explosions happened in Black Horn City, the Great Horn Army could only soar into the sky and sweep through all of Turanze, setting foot on the pinnacle of glory.
"Or they could rise and fall, and be completely defeated.
"They can choose between these two paths.
"Tell me, at such a critical moment of life and death, do you think the Great Horn Army wants to accept hundreds of thousands of hungry mouths, or thirty to fifty thousand strong soldiers who have fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, honed their tenacious wills and powerful combat abilities in moments of life and death, and ready for battle at any time?
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