The cavern within the Endless Mountain Range served as a temporary sanctuary for the five of them. Morning sunlight streamed through the cavern entrance, painting long, luminous streaks across the damp stone floor. The outside air was crisp and refreshing, carrying the fragrance of vegetation after a rain, but within, the atmosphere was incredibly heavy and solemn.
Tran Kien's decision had been made: "Before we reach Lam Kinh, we must pluck out a few irritating thorns." And the first thorn was the Black Eagle Stronghold, the most capable hunting dog of Marquis Vinh An in this territory.
Ly Tin, the silver-armored general, showed not a shred of hesitation. He immediately unrolled a detailed military map atop a flat slab of stone.
"Young Hero Tran," Ly Tin said, his form of address having completely changed, carrying an undisguised, profound respect. "This is all the intelligence we possess regarding the Black Eagle Stronghold."
His finger, heavily calloused from years of gripping a sword, pointed to a spot on the map. "Their lair is located on Black Eagle Mountain, roughly two days' journey to the west. The terrain is incredibly treacherous, bordered on three sides by sheer cliffs; only a single, perilous path leads to the summit. Upon it, they have constructed a heavily fortified mountain stronghold, easy to defend but exceedingly difficult to assault."
"As for their strength," he continued, his expression grave. "Their Stronghold Master goes by the moniker 'Iron Eagle'. His cultivation base has already reached the Mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and he is infamous for an incredibly vicious Eagle Claw technique. Under his command are four Great Hall Masters, all at the Late-stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, along with roughly three hundred bandits—every single one of them a desperate outlaw who fears not death."
Hearing this, Trinh Cong could not help but feel anxious. "An expert at the Foundation Establishment Realm, four at the Late-stage of Qi Condensation, three hundred vicious thugs, and such treacherous terrain... There are only five of us; how can we possibly face them head-on?"
"We will not face them head-on," Tran Kien replied. From start to finish, his gaze remained glued to the map. He was not only looking at the location of the Black Eagle Stronghold but also observing the surrounding terrain, the rivers, and the dense forests. Within his mind, the knowledge from the Essentials of Military Strategy, alongside countless historical battles of Great Viet, was being dynamically applied.
"The art of war states: 'Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat'," Tran Kien said unhurriedly. "We are five. Uncle Sword is a peerless expert who can single-handedly deal with Iron Eagle. General Ly and Elder Trinh are both at the Qi Condensation Realm and can pin down two of the four Hall Masters. Lam Vy and I, though lower in cultivation, are not without the strength to fight."
"The problem does not lie with their top experts," he pointed out the crux of the issue. "It is those three hundred bandits. Once they form battle arrays and rely on the geographical advantage of the stronghold, even Uncle Sword would find it troublesome. Therefore, our objective is not to frontally assault the stronghold."
"Then what is your plan?" Uncle Sword asked, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes.
Tran Kien did not answer immediately. He pointed a finger at a small river winding around the base of Black Eagle Mountain. "What is the name of this river?"
"That is the Black Water River," Ly Tin replied. "It is the sole water source for the entire stronghold. Every day, they must send men down here to draw water."
The corners of Tran Kien's mouth slightly curled into a calculating smile. "In that case, this chess match already has a solution."
He looked at the group and began to lay out his plan, his voice clear and brimming with absolute confidence.
"My stratagem is called: 'Lure the Tiger from the Mountain, Beat the Grass to Startle the Snake'."
"First: Lure the snake from its hole," he pointed at Ly Tin. "General Ly, I must trouble you to go to the downstream area of the Black Water River and intentionally reveal your tracks. But do not act as someone from the Duke of Dingguo's Estate; instead, assume the identity of... the Black Dragon Stronghold."
"The Black Dragon Stronghold?" Everyone was astounded.
"Yes," Tran Kien nodded. "The Black Eagle Stronghold is Marquis Vinh An's hunting dog. Although the Black Dragon Stronghold cooperates with the Marquis, they are fundamentally greedy wolves, always looking to devour one another. If they discover 'men of the Black Dragon Stronghold' loitering near their water source, what will be Iron Eagle's first reaction?"
"He will assume the Black Dragon Stronghold is plotting foul play, intending to poison or seize the water source!" Ly Tin suddenly realized.
"Exactly! Given the suspicious and vicious nature of those on the unorthodox path, he certainly won't sit still. He will immediately dispatch at least one or two Hall Masters leading an elite squad to investigate. This is the step of 'beating the grass to startle the snake', causing their internal ranks to fall into disarray."
"Second: Lure the tiger from the mountain." Tran Kien looked toward Uncle Sword. "Once their forces have been drawn away, I must ask Uncle Sword to go alone, with a single sword, straight to that perilous path leading up the stronghold. But you do not need to assault the gates. You only need to... kill."
"Kill?"
"Yes. Kill every guard you lay eyes upon. Kill them in the most overt, overbearing manner possible. Then, immediately retreat," Tran Kien said, his gaze turning icy. "Iron Eagle is an incredibly arrogant man. Seeing his subordinates slaughtered right on his doorstep, he will consider it an utterly unacceptable humiliation. He will absolutely lead the remaining Hall Masters to personally pursue you. This is 'luring the tiger from the mountain'."
"Third, and also the final step," Tran Kien looked at Trinh Cong, Lam Vy, and himself. "When the tiger has left its cave, its lair will be at its emptiest. The three of us will seize that opportunity, following another secret path I found on the map to infiltrate the stronghold. Our mission is not to slaughter, but to set fires! Burn their granaries, burn their armories! Turn the entire Black Eagle Stronghold into a sea of flames!"
"Once their lair is ablaze, their water source threatened, and their ranks in a panic, no matter how strong Iron Eagle is, he will lose all will to fight and can only frantically rush back to the rescue. At that moment, Uncle Sword and General Ly will lie in ambush outside, turning the pursuit into an encirclement and slaughter!"
The entire cavern fell into a dead silence after Tran Kien finished speaking.
This plan—every single step of it had been calculated with extreme meticulousness. It not only took advantage of the terrain but also struck directly at the enemy's psychology, exploiting the flaws in their character. It transformed the five of them from the weaker party into hunters laying out a deadly trap.
Ly Tin, a general who had commanded troops his entire life, looked at the youth before him, a wave of profound shock rising in his heart. This stratagem, compared to what was recorded in military texts, was far more flexible and far more ruthless.
Lam Vy looked at Tran Kien with eyes full of reverence. Trinh Cong could only stroke his beard, nodding continuously.
Uncle Sword was the last to speak. He offered no praise. He merely asked a single question.
"Are you certain that, relying on just the three of you, you can successfully infiltrate and set fire to a heavily guarded mountain stronghold?"
Tran Kien looked down at his matte-black saber, then back toward Lam Vy and Trinh Cong.
"I am absolutely certain," he replied, his voice brimming with confidence. "Because we are not just three people. We have an entire 'army'."
He reached into his robes and pulled out the manual, Compendium of the Hundred Viet Array Diagrams.
"We have the Myriad Li Soaring Crane Array."