Kang Luo's answering letter came the next afternoon.

The place of the meeting was set outside the mouth of the third way through Mount Buddha's Hand.

Ning Chen put the letter down and could not help laughing. "Kang Luo is as sure of himself as ever. He actually dares come over Mount Buddha's Hand to meet me."

Pan Yucheng said, "In that case it means the other three ways are short of troops. Could we take the chance to cut across and strike?"

Ning Chen glanced at him, his expression peculiar.

Pan Yucheng's old face reddened. "Pretend I never said it."

Ning Chen handed the letter to Tong Yuanzhou. "Write back to Kang Luo. Say the hour of the Rooster, the day after tomorrow, and that I will be there as agreed."

"Yes!"

When the day of the meeting came, Ning Chen had Wei Feng bring fifty thousand men along.

Wei Feng's heart opened like a flower.

Ning Chen had only ten thousand men and horses.

If his fifty thousand caught them between themselves and the Nanyue army, Ning Chen's ten thousand would not be worth looking at.

Sixty thousand men came out of the fort like one long dragon, a great body of men come sweeping down.

The hour of the Rooster is from six to seven in the evening.

Night was coming down.

The army moved forward, a great body of men come sweeping down.

"Report... urgent military news. The Nanyue army is striking out from the first way through Mount Buddha's Hand."

"Report... urgent military news. The Nanyue army has appeared at the second way."

"Report... the Nanyue army has appeared at the fourth way."

Halfway there, the scouts came galloping in at full speed.

Their urgent voices beat through the night air.

"This is bad. Kang Luo, the son of a bitch, sets a meeting with me at the mouth of the third way and sends his men out by the others. He means to surround us."

"Pass my order. The army returns by the road it came. Fast, fast, fast!!!"

Ning Chen gave the command.