Chapter Nineteen: Breaking the Deadlock

"Can this hypothetical person still continue passing information back to his original camp? Real information," Wang Luo asked.

"As long as it doesn't involve the group controlling this hypothetical person, there shouldn't be a problem," Yang Wentian replied, choosing his words carefully.

"Then, does this hypothetical person know approximately how many contractors are in the enemy's camp?"

"Leaving aside what can't be spoken, there are about sixty or so."

"Sixty-something?" Wang Luo stood up. "How many groups are they divided into?"

"This hypothetical person doesn't know, but it shouldn't be hard to find out."

"If," Wang Luo stroked his chin, "if the team controlling this hypothetical person has conflicts with the Han army's other contractor teams; if the Yellow Turban Army strikes at other teams and lets this team profit, would they accept it?"

"Definitely," Yang Wentian replied. "Competition between teams on the battlefield is usually intense. It's not even rare for them to come to blows. What are you planning?"

"No need to hurry. There are still some corners I need to understand, and the soldiers need training and better equipment. By tomorrow at the latest, there will be a general conclusion."

"Then I'll step out for now. If the hypothetical person can find the needed information here, they might be quite pleased."

Having reached an understanding, Yang Wentian felt much more at ease. Wang Luo, meanwhile, immediately headed toward the camp for the routed soldiers.

"You mean there were only about five hundred Han troops who attacked your camp?" he asked.

"That's right," replied a man with an injured arm. "General Liu led us to meet them, but we lost and were scattered. The Han troops took our camp but didn't pursue us."

"We had a few hundred here, too. I can't count, but the Cui family lad told me," answered another, a dark-faced man.

"At the time, Boss Zhang sent me to get reinforcements. I got on a horse and rushed to Chief Sui's camp next door, but Han troops were there too—hundreds of them. I figured we couldn't win, so I retreated," said a tall, shameless-looking man. Wang Luo thought about it but decided to ignore him for now.

He picked up pen and paper and began listing the unreasonable aspects since entering this scenario one by one.

1. Why did the Yellow Turban Army split into so many small camps stationed in this area?

2. Why did the Han army divide into so many units of a few hundred, each attacking different camps? And why did the Yellow Turban commanders choose to attack rather than defend?

3. Guo Da's utterly illogical and unreasonable greed, and his inconceivable submission under pressure.

4. The abundance of iron ingots and iron ore in Guo Da's camp. In the past few days, even the routed soldiers coming to join him brought plenty of iron ingots and ore.

Every effect has its cause.

No matter how illogical these things seem, the fact that they've happened means there is a reason. In reality, such events might mean a huge conspiracy; but here, in a space whose principles can't be understood and where strange creations abound, perhaps it means that some skill or item is at work.

Since the Yellow Turbans are at a disadvantage, it should be the Han army's contractors using these means.

Wang Luo closed his eyes, pondering a possible conspiracy—using certain items to force the Yellow Turbans to settle and mine iron; using other items to control a few Han troops to attack the scattered Yellow Turban camps.

Breaking a main camp and killing Yellow Turbans might bring a reward. But occupying the camp and capturing its resources might bring an even greater one.

Such speculation barely makes sense. Still, events rarely unfold exactly as the planner wishes; there are always mishaps—like Zhou's item, which might have had an impact.

If A and B, disguised as Yellow Turban soldiers, were here, they'd surely support his theory. But Wang Luo didn't know of their existence and could only reason step by step on a hypothetical basis.

"Outside the party, there's only the emperor's will; within the party, endless factions and intrigue. Sixty-some people, plus the team controlling Yang Wentian—say seventy in total—it’s impossible for there to be complete harmony. When there's profit, everyone looks out for themselves. That's perfectly normal and natural."

"In other words, some have profited greatly by these actions, and others are bound to be envious."

"If previous speculations might be flawed or omit key points, and may not be accurate—this kind of mentality, among all the suppositions, is the most reliable and can be the firmest foundation."

"Give these soldiers more training and better arms, and they'll be stronger. But their chances of winning a head-on fight are still very low."

"But, by taking the enemy's mentality as the basis, relying on their past actions, and using new, similar actions as bait through newly opened channels—"

"—that is the best way to break the deadlock."

---

"You’re saying he’s not happy with the slogans we shout?"

After that night's training, Wang Luo invited the newly appointed officers to dinner. During the conversation, Bai Erjin mentioned that his former superior was dissatisfied.

Wang Luo asked for details, and Bai Erjin quickly responded, "Yes, chief. Bai Gou has been spending time with Mao Man lately. The two of them often say privately that your methods are disrespectful to the Great Sage and Good Teacher."

"What else did he say?" Zhou Yingxiong, sitting nearby, inquired.

"He also said... that as long as one cultivates piety, the Great Sage and Good Teacher will surely descend with divine power and save everyone from disaster."

"My brother has believed in the Great Sage and Good Teacher since we were in Wancheng," sneered Zhang Xiong, sitting nearby. "More devout than anyone, but my brother keeps losing battles, doesn't he?"

Other new officers—Tiezhu, Liu An, and the rest—also expressed agreement, briefly recounting how their own sincere faith had only led to repeated defeats.

"I have no wish to save someone only to be dismissed with 'it was the will of the gods.' If he believes so much in the gods..."

---

"You’re saying the Yellow Turban main camp has split off two more detachments?"

The figure shrouded in a black robe, Garryville, stared at the hurried Yang Wentian, full of questions about the new intelligence.

"Yes," Yang Wentian replied. "They intend to station here and here."

He pointed to two locations on the map.

"That's possible," said the gray-clad woman beside him, Mei Xiaosheng. "If the 'Wuzhou' team used one item, this wouldn’t happen; but if they used another, the Yellow Turban camp would still tend to scatter again."

"Then let’s act at once!" Garryville leapt up. "This time, no matter what, we can't let those harpies keep us in the dark!"

"Wait," Mei Xiaosheng stepped in front of Yang Wentian. "Can you be sure this information is true?"

"I can't," Yang Wentian lowered his head. "I saw this news in the new Yellow Turban chief’s main camp. He hasn't given the order yet—whether he'll carry it out, or change his mind... I don't know."