Meanwhile, Tinh V? Minh was overjoyed. He possessed the ability to predict the future using an ancient method: reading stones, also known as Thurim and Urim Stones—one white and one black stone kept in a pouch worn around his neck. These stones were used to determine right or wrong, based on the belief that the gods were on his side and would help him select the correct answer.
Tinh V? Minh asked, "Has the time come for the Lang Kingdom to deploy troops?" He reached into the pouch and pulled out a stone, the result was "Yes." He repeated the question once more, reached into the pouch, and the result was "Yes." Tinh V? Minh's heart nearly twisted with this answer, and the third result was also "Yes."
Tinh V? Minh took a deep breath and asked, "Should we set out tomorrow?" Three times, the result was "No."
He asked, "Should we set out in the spring, five months from now?" Three times, the result was "No."
He asked, "Should we set out in the winter, two months from now?" Three times, the result was "No."
He asked, "Should we set out in the winter, one month from now?" Three times, the result was "Yes."
He asked, "Should we set out 50 days from now?" Three times, the result was "No."
...
Finally, he confirmed the exact timing was 43 days from that day. Tinh V? Minh began to worry, thinking he might be crazy—why would they deploy troops in the middle of a cold winter like this? He divined repeatedly, but the result remained the same.
He double-checked by observing the celestial phenomena and the stars at night, confirming that the Lang King's moment had arrived. More than half of the Lang King's army was mobilized. The Lang King instantly believed him because, in addition to Tinh V? Minh, the Witches and Shamans also agreed with the idea. The Lang King quickly rallied troops from other cities, crossing the border simultaneously with thorough preparation, advancing deep into the center of Ng?c Chau Kingdom, straight towards the Capital.
The Lang King's army moved along the migration route of the wild animal herds, ensuring abundant food supplies. This route was often near water sources, so the massive army lacked nothing. The Ng?c Chau Kingdom's forces saw them but dared not intercept, only reporting to their superiors. The news made the city's populace anxious, rushing to move indoors. However, the King and the generals were completely unconcerned. They dismissed it as a mere stroll, believing that without siege engines and in the freezing cold, such a large force could not be maintained and would soon retreat. They trusted the Lang King was wise and wouldn't be mad enough to march in this weather.
The colossal Lang King army gradually approached the Capital and set up camp outside, near the water source and the animal migration route. The King and the army remained completely unworried, even mocking the Lang King for poor military strategy. They considered forcing soldiers to suffer in cold weather while penetrating deep into enemy territory an act of suicide. Consequently, the rulers, officials, and citizens inside the city were comfortable, eating and celebrating, completely ignoring the army outside. They thought it was a false flag, a bogus army designed to trick them and create a spectacle, never considering it a threat.
The Capital of Ng?c Chau Kingdom was no ordinary city. It boasted three layers of solid walls. The outermost wall was over 20m high, buried more than 10m deep, and wide enough for three horse-drawn carriages to pass. It was nicknamed "The Unbeatable." The two inner walls were even taller, measuring 35m and 55m respectively, where the royalty and nobility resided. The Lang King and Tinh V? Minh both understood the problem. Staying outside the Capital for too long would allow other armies of Ng?c Chau Kingdom to converge, leading to the Lang King's complete defeat. Ng?c Chau Kingdom had a vast territory with over 800 cities, while Lang Kingdom had only 180. Therefore, the best tactic had to be a quick strike and a swift retreat. The situation would become even more dangerous with the arrival of spring, enabling easier movement and rapid troop concentration.
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Under immense pressure from the Lang King and the Lang Generals, Tinh V? Minh was forced to devise a way to attack the city. If he failed, he could be immediately beheaded to appease the soldiers who had endured hardship to reach this point only to face death outside. They were impatient to get past the high, warm walls, where countless gold, silver, jewels, and the famously beautiful women awaited. His scrying ability and stargazing could only predict fate on a large scale; for small details and battle plans, he was helpless and required a great deal of time to figure them out.
At this moment, Tinh V? Minh was completely stuck. Stargazing only provided the big picture; for details, he was powerless. Tinh V? Minh was forced to ask Huy?n Anh for help. Huy?n Anh said:
"For major and difficult tasks, look at responsibility. For minor and trivial matters, look at cultivation. My friend, I commend your spirit of not clinging to power. Therefore, I will give you a strategy, but do not tell the Lang King that I helped. Take all the credit for yourself."
Tinh V? Minh replied:
"I understand. You fear that later generations will curse and insult the Yin-Yang School? I will take the responsibility, but in the future, when my family is in danger, please preserve one drop of the Tinh family bloodline for us."
Huy?n Anh smiled:
"Rest assured, that I can do."
Huy?n Anh used his divination skill, Fingertip Calculation (B?m ??t ngón tay). The thumb has two joints, used for asking right or wrong. The other four fingers have a total of 12 joints, representing the directions (East, West, South, North).
For example: The index finger represents the East direction, the top joint is Northeast, the bottom joint is Southeast, and the middle joint is directly East. Or, they can be combined to select the correct answer if there are multiple results. This is the ancient method of divination based on 12 finger joints, hence the frequent mention of the number 12.
Within one day, Huy?n Anh had the results and presented them to Tinh V? Minh, explaining and evaluating everything clearly so that Tinh V? Minh could accurately answer all the questions from the Lang King and Lang Generals, as well as propose counter-questions to predict situations.
Hearing the entire plan, Tinh V? Minh returned to his room and drew the layout all night. The next morning, he presented it to the Lang King. The Lang King was overjoyed, summoned the Lang Generals, and presented the contents to them. Once all the Lang Generals were silent and none objected, the Lang King immediately followed the plan. He formed two troop divisions:
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Wind Wolf Guards (Phong Lang V?): The wind wolf royal guard, also known as the Heavenly Dog Army (Thiên Khuy?n Quan). They gathered Flying Hounds (chó có cánh - winged dogs) strong enough to carry a person. This unit would secretly fly in at night, silently infiltrating elite soldiers into the Capital. They were commanded by the Black Guard Divine Dog General (H?c H? T??ng Th?n Khuy?n), who had the ability to transform into a large black dog with bird-like wings.
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Water Wolf Guards (Th?y Lang V?): The water wolf royal guard, with excellent swimming and cold resistance capabilities. They would enter the Capital through the underground sewer system. They would secretly infiltrate the city, gather intelligence, and wait for the signal to immediately attack and open the city gates for the Lang King's main army to flood in. They were commanded by the White Guard Demonic Wolf General (B?ch H? Ma Lang T??ng).
The citizens inside the city were completely unaware, continuing to feast and play as usual. Because they did not believe the Lang King's army was outside, they organized lavish parties to celebrate the New Year right in the middle of this cold winter. Even the city guards were comfortably eating and drinking on the walls; some were so drunk they fell off the walls, and no one cared, only pulling the bodies in for burial a few days later.
Throughout the days of the festival, the Wind Wolf Guards silently shuttled the Lang King's elite soldiers into the city, where they hid in the dark corners of the large Capital. They acted secretly, waiting for the collective movement of the other members later. They secretly redrew the map of the entire Capital and eavesdropped on people's conversations.
On the biggest night, amidst the winter festival, the sound of fireworks and cheering suddenly merged with the fierce sounds of fighting echoing from the city gates. It was a fierce battle behind the walls, where the special forces commanded by the Lang King confronted the few scattered guards, most of whom were drunk or had abandoned their posts.
That very night, the East and South city gates were thrown wide open. The Lang King's army split into two prongs, silently entering to attack the military camps within the city, ambushing the Ng?c Chau Kingdom soldiers who were sound asleep after their night of feasting. At this moment, the entire civilian population still did not realize the danger was close. They continued to eat breakfast, wash their faces, and set up their stalls as usual. Only those in the military camps heard the loud noises of fighting all night and found it strange, but the thought quickly passed, as they assumed it was just drunken brawls.
The Lang King's forces quickly occupied the military camps within the city, taking food supplies and other resources to replenish the soldiers outside. They also cleverly changed into the uniforms of the Ng?c Chau Kingdom soldiers to move freely through the city gates, which were now entirely guarded by the Lang King's troops.