After some time, Ling Feng finished sifting through the assassin's memories. He now knew exactly how many demons were hiding around the Blackwater Plains and where their lair lay hidden. With this information in hand, the human army would no longer fight blindly. They could strike first, hitting the water-based demons right at their source. Ling Feng's plan was simple. He intended to build camp right along the riverbanks beside the demons' lair. By doing so, he would force them out of the water to face open battle. Once they showed themselves, the elite Black-Armored Cavalry would sweep them aside. It would not take long to clear the Blackwater Plains of every last one of these lurking beasts. At dawn the next day, Ling Feng gave the order. The army moved out at full speed. By midday, they were to reach the southwestern corner of the Blackwater River and set up camp right beside the demons' territory. Once they settled along the bank, any sign of the demons landing would be impossible to hide. The human army would see everything. This sort of audacious tactic was something only Ling Feng would dare to try. By noon, more than two hundred thousand troops had gathered on the riverbank less than a hundred zhang from the water. There they pitched camp and built fortifications. Three thousand Black-Armored Cavalry guarded the outer perimeter, leaving no fear of sudden attacks from demonic beasts lurking below the river. Though many soldiers did not understand Ling Feng's decision, they followed every order without question. Deep beneath the Blackwater River, in the crystal hall of the Black Jiao Clan, the elders paced in circles like ants on a hot pot. "Those humans have some nerve. They actually built their camp right on our riverbank!" "This is outright provocation!" "Damn it. How did they find our crystal palace? Or is this all just some cursed coincidence?" While the elders argued and cursed, the Black Jiao Demon King sat on his throne, brow furrowed. His voice dripped with anger. "Shui Yecha, what about the assassins you sent last night? Have any of them returned?" Shui Yecha clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His voice was hard. "Chief, none of the three came back. I fear they failed and were captured." "Not one of them escaped?" The demon king's face darkened even more. Such a thing had never happened in any past mission. "Could they have given away our location? How else could those wretched humans know where to find us?" an elder growled. "Don't talk nonsense. My assassins are trained to die rather than be taken alive. If they failed, they swallowed poison. They would never have betrayed us!" Shui Yecha shot the elder with a cold glare, his eyes filled with malice. "Hmph. If they didn't leak our secret, then who did? Do you think one of us did it instead?" The elder shot back without backing down. "Enough!" The Black Jiao Demon King slammed his palm on the throne, his voice booming through the hall. "Is this the time to argue among ourselves? We gain nothing by pointing fingers." His cold gaze swept over every elder present. "We cannot allow the humans to dig in here. If they fortify their camp, we will lose all advantage. Our forces are too few to face them head-on, especially with their Black-Armored Cavalry among them." "Then what should we do, my lord?" Every elder turned to him for orders. "Shui Yecha, take five thousand warriors. Circle to the right and raid the human camp. Spread chaos but avoid a direct clash." The demon king's eyes shifted to the elder who had argued earlier. "Elder Hei Bing[1], take another five thousand from the left. Do the same. Keep them restless, then pull back. I refuse to believe these humans truly dare camp on our doorstep!" Shui Yecha and Elder Hei Bing both nodded and left the hall without delay to gather their troops. Inside the grand crystal hall, the demon king's face remained tense. He had fought many human commanders over the years, but none had ever dared to set up camp so brazenly right outside his own lair on the very first day. Never had he faced a human general this arrogant. "No matter what, we must push them back before the Lin Demon Clan's reinforcements arrive. If we let these humans squat on our riverbank, those Lin women will look down on us!" The demon king let out a cold snort. Honor was small, but pride was everything. If the humans blocked his gate and he did nothing, he would have no face left to show. Water splashed and waves broke as countless demonic beasts surged out of the river, weapons raised high. They roared as they charged straight for the human encampment. The soldiers who were still putting up tents and digging trenches froze at the sight. Many dropped what they were doing and reached for their blades. Ling Feng leapt to higher ground and shouted so loudly that everyone could hear him. "No one stops. This is nothing but a diversion. Pay it no mind. I have already made arrangements!" The soldiers looked at each other in disbelief. Their general was far too calm. Ling Feng landed on the outer line of the camp and bellowed again. "Huo Yuanyi! Xu Zhongda! Take ten thousand Black-Armored Cavalry each and form a blockade. If these creatures want to fight, give them a fight. If they run, drive them back into the river." Huo and Xu had been waiting for this moment. Ling Feng had warned them that the water demons would come to harass the camp. This was exactly the trap he wanted. He would use the Black-Armored Cavalry to sap their courage bit by bit! Two great masses of armored troops pushed forward like rolling storm clouds. They crashed into the demon forces with crushing force. Inside the camp, the rest of the soldiers carried on without pause, building fortifications as if nothing were happening. Once the defenses were up, the demonic beasts would never drive them away again. "Damn it! Retreat! Fall back now!" Seeing twice their number of Black-Armored Cavalry bearing down on them, the water demons panicked. How did this human commander read the demon king's mind so perfectly? He seemed to know their every move and had laid his trap in advance. In the end, everyone watched as the demons who had just charged out of the river now dove back into the water like dumplings tossed into a boiling pot. Huo Yuanyi and Xu Zhongda did not give chase. They pulled their men back and resumed guarding the perimeter. 1. 黑冰Hēi bīng - Black Ice. ☜