The commanders of Zhao and Wei awaited news. Such a large-scale battle allowed no room for carelessness on either side.
Upon receiving word that the Yunyue Kingdom's army remained stationary, the armies of Zhao and Wei accelerated their advance.
For an entire day, neither army paused. Before engaging in battle, they needed to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible.
Over the course of the day, the two armies covered approximately two hundred li. While not a rapid pace, it was considered good for a large-scale march.
That night, Chu Chen once again dispatched the third and fourth teams separately.
After they departed, Chu Chen had people create the illusion of troop activity in the camp using branches.
Although the army's numbers had significantly dwindled by this point, a close observation might still reveal some clues.
However, Chu Chen's tactics were sufficient to deceive the enemy. Moreover, any scouts sent to observe at this time would certainly not be meticulous enough.
As Chu Chen had predicted, his stratagem succeeded.
Those scouts discovered nothing of his ruse and returned to report.
Everyone was fooled by Chu Chen, and the armies continued to advance towards Chu Chen's position.
Meanwhile, Chu Chen's four divisions were steadily passing through the narrow mountain pass.
Wei had no defenses along this route, as Chu Chen had captured all of Wei's attention.
Furthermore, Chu Chen had allocated a full two days, allowing even a larger army to pass through the mountain pass with ease.
The armies of Zhao and Wei had now merged. Another hundred li forward, they would engage Chu Chen's forces.
At this point, the Wei army abruptly halted.
The Zhao army was perplexed. The general sent men to inquire and received the report that the Wei soldiers needed rest.
This sent the Zhao general into a frenzy, but he could do nothing.
After all, the Wei soldiers were the main force in this battle, numbering a full hundred thousand.
Zhao had only dispatched twenty thousand troops, making it virtually impossible to seize the initiative.
Helpless, the Zhao general repeatedly sent messengers to urge them on.
Even if the Wei soldiers did not engage, it was important to make them aware of the urgency of the situation.
In the Wei command tent, the Wei commander, having just dismissed the Zhao soldiers, shook his head with a grim expression.
A nearby strategist ventured, "Commander, constantly refusing them might arouse suspicion in the Zhao generals."
Hearing this, the commander offered a wry smile. "Even if they are suspicious, there is nothing we can do. We have only just arrived."
"We need to let the army rest. Otherwise, a direct confrontation with Chu Chen's forces will surely put us at a disadvantage."
The strategist nodded. The commander sneered, "It will take at most another half a day. Once we are rested, we will immediately send our army to advance slowly but resolutely towards Chu Chen."
"Then I will capture that brat Chu Chen. I will use his head as a chamber pot."
Half a day passed quickly. The Zhao and Wei armies set off again, their pace slightly slower but unwavering.
News of the army's departure quickly reached afar. Yunyue Kingdom's scouts raced back.
Upon receiving the news, Chu Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good. In another half a day, we will break camp."
"Right, have the vanguard become the rearguard now and advance towards the Wei mountain pass."
The order was immediately relayed to the vanguard. Chu Chen now controlled an army of only twenty thousand.
With the ten thousand troops of the vanguard departing, Chu Chen was left with only ten thousand soldiers holding the line.
Chu Chen did this to allow his men to pass through the mountain pass at a faster pace.
The armies of Zhao and Wei took half a day to reach a position twenty li from Chu Chen's forces.
At this point, they needed to rest again and also send soldiers to scout.
Chu Chen dispatched another five thousand soldiers towards the Wei mountain pass, leaving five thousand to engage the enemy.
These five thousand soldiers maintained a facade of strength and formation on the outer perimeter, while the rest used branches to create a thick haze of smoke.
Although there were only five thousand men, the commotion they created was no less than that of a hundred thousand.
Besides fighting, Chu Chen's army had developed a side profession: acting.
In his army, soldiers sometimes competed to see who could act better.
However, this was only temporary. After the Zhao and Wei scouts departed once more, Chu Chen issued the order to attack.
Of course, their target was not the opposing army but the Wei mountain pass.
Five thousand soldiers moved with lightning speed towards the mountain pass.
At this time, the five thousand soldiers previously sent by Chu Chen had already passed through the mountain pass by more than half. When Chu Chen's five thousand troops arrived, the mountain pass would become clear again.
And when the armies of Zhao and Wei reached the border, they would discover that Chu Chen's army had vanished.
Although they now commanded one hundred and twenty thousand troops, they dared not advance rashly.
They feared an ambush by Chu Chen. If they advanced recklessly and fell into his trap, their entire army would be annihilated, and they would be disgraced.
If Chu Chen had not retreated into the Yunyue Kingdom but instead launched an attack on Zhao or Wei, it would be even more troublesome for both countries.
Therefore, the two countries' armies were not considering an invasion of the Yunyue Kingdom but a immediate return to defend their own territories.
In the Wei commander's carriage, the Wei commander listened to the scout's report and was utterly stunned.
"What did you say? A hundred thousand men just disappeared without a trace?"
"Yes, Commander. Chu Chen's hundred thousand troops have completely vanished. We don't know where they went."
"Did he retreat, scared by our massive army?"
The scout said with a hint of pride.
Hearing this, the Wei commander scoffed.
"Who do you think Chu Chen is? Would he be afraid of an army? Besides, he has a hundred thousand men under his command as well."
The Wei commander frowned and said, "Invite the Zhao general over. Tell him there is an important matter to discuss."
The Zhao general received the news of Chu Chen's army's disappearance around the same time as the Wei commander.
He was also in a state of agitation. Upon receiving the message from the Wei commander, he immediately set off.
Upon arriving at the commander's carriage, the Zhao general hesitated for a moment before saying, "Commander, should we attack Yunyue Kingdom immediately?"