The Bad Girl's Quick Transmigration System: Traveling Back and Forth

Chapter 767 Iron and Blood Beneath Black Wind Ridge

Lin Ping led her army northwards, traveling day and night with remarkable speed. Three days later, they arrived at the outskirts of Black Wind Ridge.

Black Wind Ridge truly lived up to its name. The mountains stretched endlessly, their slopes steep, with the main peak, Black Wind Mountain, soaring into the clouds. A layer of lingering black mist perpetually shrouded its summit, accompanied by howling winds, as if a dark wind were indeed at work. A winding mountain path was the only route to Black Wind Stronghold, easily defended and difficult to attack—a veritable natural fortress.

"General, scouts ahead report that Black Wind Stronghold has set up three checkpoints at the mountain pass, each guarded by hundreds of bandits equipped with powerful bows and crossbows, and even a few rudimentary catapults," a scout captain reported to Lin Ping.

Lin Ping reined in her horse and stood on a high point, gazing into the distance. Sure enough, along the mountain path, she could vaguely see stockade walls and watchtowers built against the mountainside, flags fluttering, swords and spears standing guard, indicating a very strong defense.

A resolute glint flashed in her eyes as she said softly, "This is an impregnable natural barrier, but we also have a way to defeat it."

She turned to the generals behind her and ordered, "All generals, listen to my command! Tonight we will launch a night raid on Black Wind Stronghold and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"

The generals readily agreed, and Lin Ping immediately began to deploy the battle plan. She knew the battle would be arduous, but she was fearless, with only one belief in her heart: for the people, for justice, these bandits must be defeated!

"The one-eyed dragon does have some brains, knowing how to take advantage of the terrain." Lin Ping snorted coldly, but there was no panic in her eyes. "Pass on my orders: the army shall set up camp on the spot, without making a sound or approaching. Send elite scouts to carefully survey the terrain of Black Wind Ridge, especially to find any other detours up the mountain."

"Yes!"

The army quickly set up camp in the open area at the foot of the mountain. The camps were long and orderly, demonstrating a high level of military discipline, which contrasted sharply with the rabble of the Black Wind Stronghold.

For the next two days, Lin Ping remained inactive. On the one hand, she sent out multiple scouts to conduct a comprehensive reconnaissance of Black Wind Ridge. On the other hand, she allowed the soldiers, who had traveled a long distance, to get plenty of rest and recuperate.

Inside Black Wind Stronghold, One-Eyed Dragon learned of the large-scale invasion by the government troops and was initially somewhat flustered. However, seeing that the government troops below the mountain were merely setting up camp and not immediately launching an attack, he was rather puzzled.

"Brother, what's this new female general up to? Why is she just watching and not making a move?" a burly leader asked anxiously.

One-Eyed Dragon, a burly man with a hideous scar on his face and blind in his left eye, sat on a tiger-skin chair, drinking heavily. He glared fiercely at the leader: "What's the panic! The government troops have come from afar, they must be exhausted! If she doesn't make a move, that's fine, we'll be happy to have some peace and quiet! This Black Wind Ridge is a formidable stronghold! I want to see what kind of magic Lin Ping has that allows her to break through!"

Despite his tough words, the one-eyed man was unsure of himself. He had long heard of Lin Ping's formidable reputation. She was a formidable woman who had carved out a territory near the old capital. He dared not be negligent and had been reinforcing defenses for days, deploying his most elite forces to guard key passes.

After suffering several casualties, Lin Ping's scouts finally brought back important intelligence. Black Wind Ridge is extremely treacherous. Besides the main mountain path, there are indeed several hidden trails, but they are all extremely steep and difficult to traverse, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and are riddled with traps. Clearly, Black Wind Stronghold had been preparing for this long ago.

"General, the narrow paths are too dangerous for a large force to pass through. Forcing our way through will only increase casualties and make it difficult to launch an effective attack," the scout captain reported.

Lin Ping frowned slightly. It seemed that a frontal assault was the only option. But this would inevitably result in heavy casualties. Although General Qin Yue had given her five thousand men, every soldier's life was precious, and she didn't want to make pointless sacrifices.

Lin Ping knew all too well that the cruelty of war lay not only in its ability to take lives, but also in the endless pain and sorrow it brought. She decided to personally explore these paths in search of other possible breakthroughs.

After a difficult climb, Lin Ping finally reached the entrance of one of the paths. She carefully observed her surroundings and found that the stone walls on both sides of the path were covered with sharp thorns and steep cliffs. A slight misstep could lead to a fall.

Lin Ping did not back down; she continued along the path. Along the way, she discovered some hidden traps, so cleverly designed that they were difficult to spot without careful observation.

Lin Ping thought to herself that these traps must be used by Black Wind Stronghold to prevent the enemy from attacking from the flanks. However, if a way could be found to break through these traps, it would be possible to breach Black Wind Stronghold's defenses.

So Lin Ping began to carefully study the structure and principles of these traps. She discovered that most of these traps were made using the natural environment and simple mechanical principles. As long as these principles were mastered, they could be easily cracked.

After much effort, Lin Ping finally found a way to break the trap. She immediately returned to the camp and told the scout captain about her discovery.

“General, I have found a way to break the traps. We can send a small team to quietly advance along the path and destroy the traps, and then the main force will follow. In this way, we will be able to successfully break through Black Wind Stronghold’s defenses,” Lin Ping said.

Upon hearing Lin Ping's words, the scout captain's eyes flashed with delight. He immediately led a small team, following Lin Ping's instructions, and quietly advanced along the path.

After destroying several traps, the main force successfully traversed the path and breached Black Wind Stronghold's defenses. The enemy at Black Wind Stronghold was completely unprepared for their meticulously constructed defenses to be so easily breached.

In the end, Lin Ping led 5,000 men and successfully captured Black Wind Stronghold. This victory not only earned Lin Ping the praise of General Qin Yue, but also strengthened her belief—to protect the lives of every soldier and achieve the greatest victory with the least cost.

She stood before the map, gazing intently at the terrain of Black Wind Ridge. The core camp of Black Wind Stronghold was located on the mountainside of the main peak, with three passes acting like three shackles, firmly locking the path up the mountain. The first pass was the outermost barrier, and also the easiest to breach. If they could take the first pass, they could establish a foothold and advance step by step.

"Pass on my order," Lin Ping finally spoke, a resolute glint in her eyes, "Tomorrow at dawn, launch a fierce attack on the first checkpoint of Black Wind Ridge!"

She paused, then added, "Order the artillery battalion to deploy all catapults and ballistae on the front line, and make sure to destroy the enemy's fortifications and firing points as quickly as possible! Order the first and second battalions to be the main attacking force and launch an assault from the mountain pass on the front! The third battalion will remain with me as a reserve force, ready to provide support at any time! In addition, select two hundred elite soldiers, carrying rope climbing equipment, to sneak up the most concealed path on the east side under cover of night. We don't expect them to break through the pass; they only need to harass the enemy from the flanks while our main force launches its attack, creating chaos and tying down enemy forces!"

"Yes, General!" the generals replied in unison.

As night fell, Black Wind Ridge fell silent, save for the occasional wolf howl, which added to the eeriness of the place.

Two hundred elite soldiers, led by an experienced centurion, vanished like ghosts into the dark forests to the east. Their mission was a surprise attack with a slim chance of survival.

Lin Ping stood outside the tent, gazing at the starry sky, her mind filled with countless thoughts. This was her first battle since arriving in Yun Cang Prefecture, and she could only win, not lose! Not only for the trust placed in her by the imperial court, but also for the people of Yun Cang Prefecture, and to live up to her sister's expectations, and for the promise they made to each other in Yun An City.

She gripped the handle of the "Cracking Wind" whip at her waist; the cold touch gradually calmed her chaotic thoughts.