Chapter 115: Comeback
After the thrilling and disastrous night raid, the people of the Jianghu Alliance were exhausted physically and mentally. However, the shadow of failure did not crush their will, but was like a raging fire, igniting a stronger fighting spirit in their hearts. In the temporarily safe valley, Lin Feng sat with everyone, the atmosphere was solemn and firm.
"Although this defeat has caused us a great setback, it also allows us to clearly see the cunning and strength of the mysterious forces. However, we must not retreat because of a temporary setback, and we must not let the blood of our brothers flow in vain." Although Lin Feng's voice was a little tired, every word was sonorous and powerful, like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's heart.
His eyes slowly swept over everyone present, with both regret for past failures and firm belief in future victory in his eyes.
"Master, what should we do next? We all listen to you!" A young disciple broke the silence first. His face still had a childish look, but his eyes were full of expectations and trust in Lin Feng.
Lin Feng nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "We must learn lessons from this failure and re-plan our strategy. First of all, we must strengthen intelligence gathering. The reason why the mysterious forces can repeatedly take the lead is largely because we know too little about them. We must send smart and capable disciples to disguise themselves and blend into the surrounding towns and villages, or even anywhere they may appear, to obtain information about the mysterious forces from various channels, including their action plans, troop deployment, food reserves, etc. Only by knowing ourselves and the enemy can we take the initiative in the battle."
Lin Feng paused, drank a sip of water, and continued: "Secondly, training cannot stop, and the intensity must be increased. This battle has shown us the gap between our own strength and the mysterious forces. We must improve everyone's martial arts skills, enhance the team's ability to cooperate, and strengthen tactical drills. Whether fighting alone or in groups, we must be able to do it with ease."
Everyone listened attentively and nodded from time to time to express their agreement.
In the following days, the Jianghu Alliance was like a machine that was rewound, and began a tense and orderly reorganization. The disciples responsible for intelligence collection took action.
Disciple Xiao Li was one of them. He changed into ragged clothes, wore a broken straw hat, and smeared some dust on his face, pretending to be a wandering beggar. He mixed into a bustling town, wandering in the streets and alleys, with his ears always erect, catching any information that might be useful.
In a bustling tavern, Xiao Li curled up in a corner with a broken bowl in front of him. At this time, two mysterious men dressed in black and hurried came in, sat in the corner and talked in a low voice.
Xiao Li's heart moved, and his intuition told him that these two people were not simple. He quietly moved closer and listened attentively.
Only one of them said: "Although this action has caused the Jianghu Alliance to suffer, they will not give up. We must strengthen our defense in that secret base."
Another person responded: "Yes, if the Jianghu Alliance finds that place, it will be troublesome."
Xiao Li was startled, tried to suppress his excitement, and continued to listen to their conversation.
From their fragments, Xiao Li finally pieced together the approximate location of the secret base. But he didn't dare to act rashly, for fear of arousing the other party's suspicion.
After the two mysterious men left, Xiao Li carefully followed them, passing through narrow streets and remote alleys, and finally determined the approximate location of the base. After making sure that he was not discovered, he didn't dare to stay any longer and quickly returned to report to Lin Feng.
"Master, I found a clue that may help us." Xiao Li ran all the way, panting, but his eyes flashed with excitement.
After hearing this, Lin Feng immediately stood up, with a flash of eagerness in his eyes: "Tell me in detail."
Xiao Li didn't even bother to drink a sip of water, and told Lin Feng everything he found in the tavern and how he followed the mysterious man. He described it in great detail, fearing that he would miss any key details.
Lin Feng was thinking while listening. After Xiao Li finished speaking, he thought for a moment and decisively decided to send an elite team to investigate this secret base.
Led by the captain Wang Meng, the team quietly set out at night. They were dressed in black night clothes and moved agilely, like ghosts in the dark night.
After a cautious journey, they finally approached the base. Wang Meng signaled everyone to stop, and then he took the lead in climbing a big tree and looking into the base.
The base was brightly lit and heavily guarded. On the high wall, patrols passed by from time to time, and their eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly.
"It seems that we can't act rashly." Wang Meng whispered, his voice was almost inaudible.
Everyone nodded, their eyes full of caution.
Just as they were about to quietly retreat and return to report to Lin Feng, an accident happened. A team member accidentally stepped on a dry branch, making a crisp sound. In this quiet night, the sound was particularly harsh.
The guards in the stronghold immediately became alert and shouted loudly: "Something is happening!"
Then, a team of guards searched in their direction.
"Run!" Wang Meng shouted decisively.
The team members quickly stood up and turned to run deep into the woods. Their figures shuttled through the woods, branches and thorns scratched their faces and arms, but they ignored them.
Behind them were the enemies chasing them, shouting and footsteps getting closer and closer.
During the escape, a team member accidentally tripped over a stone and sprained his ankle because he ran too fast.
"Don't worry about me, go!" the injured team member shouted, with a hint of despair in his voice.
"No, let's go together!" Wang Meng said firmly. He stopped, pulled up the injured team member, put his arm on his shoulder, and continued to run forward.
Other team members also gathered around, some in front of the way, some behind the back, and together protected their injured companions.
They fought and retreated, using the complex terrain of the woods to deal with the enemy. Finally, in front of a steep hillside, they found a hidden trail.
Wang Meng led everyone into the trail and temporarily got rid of the enemy's pursuit.
After returning to the valley, Wang Meng reported the situation to Lin Feng immediately.
Lin Feng frowned and paced back and forth in the room: "It seems that this stronghold is more difficult than we thought. But the more so, the more important it is to the mysterious forces. We must find a way to break it."
Everyone fell into deep thought, and there was silence in the room.
But the Jianghu Alliance did not give up because they knew that every setback is an opportunity for growth, and every challenge is a ladder to victory. They continued to rack their brains to find opportunities for breakthroughs, waiting for the opportunity to come...