Dawn broke over the northern pass with a sharp chill in the air. Mist clung stubbornly to the ridges, giving the landscape an ethereal, almost unreal quality. Jeng Minh stood atop a hidden cliff, surveying the Phoenix forces entrenched along the eastern ridge. Their formations were disciplined, their supply lines reinforced, but their options were now limited—the subtle manipulations of the past days had forced them into a predictable pattern.
Bai Ye's voice was tense but excited. "Commander… everything we've observed… their central strength, flanks, reserves… it's all visible. Now we can strike decisively."
Jeng Minh's eyes gleamed. "Strike, yes—but with precision, not haste. The Phoenix has revealed not only their strength, but their strategy, command tendencies, and adaptability. Today, we exploit knowledge as a weapon, not brute force."
The plan was simple in principle but intricate in execution:
The lightly held flanks would be feigned targets, drawing the Phoenix commander's reserves further along the ridge and revealing exact troop movements.
Hidden contingents, positioned along ridges and forest edges, would close in from multiple angles simultaneously, forcing the Phoenix into a constricted battlefield.
The engagement would appear chaotic, masking the control guiding every movement, while subtly forcing the Phoenix commander to make revealing decisions.
The true goal was to force the Phoenix to expose both their tactics and their command structure, ensuring that future engagements would be fully informed and overwhelmingly advantageous.
By mid-morning, minor skirmishes erupted along the flanks. The Phoenix commander, perceiving a weak point, committed reserves to maintain control. Jeng Minh's hidden troops remained unseen, manipulating the battlefield with subtle diversions. Every movement, every command, was exactly as he had predicted.
Bai Ye whispered, awe in his voice, "Commander… they're reacting exactly as expected. Their reserves, their coordination… it's all visible now."
Jeng Minh's gaze was sharp. "Yes. The Phoenix believes it is adapting, but each choice confirms its patterns. We are not just fighting them—we are reading them, learning from them, bending the engagement to reveal the commander's mind itself."
As the sun reached its zenith, the converging contingents closed in. Minor clashes became more pronounced, yet remained controlled. The Phoenix central battalions, pressed along the ridge, had little room to maneuver. Supply lines were subtly threatened, forcing critical decisions in real time.
The Phoenix commander, recognizing the constriction, issued urgent commands. "Hold the ridge! Commit all reserves to flank support! Do not allow the village to fall!"
Jeng Minh's lips curved into a faint smile. "And there it is—the full scale of their mind exposed. Strength, weakness, temperament… all revealed in a single chain of decisions. This is the advantage of shaping the battlefield before striking."
From the shadows, Jeng Minh observed as the Phoenix forces reacted, their commander forced to reveal tactics, resource allocations, and adaptive limits. The northern campaign had shifted completely—the engagement was now under his control, the Phoenix moving as if guided by invisible strings.
Bai Ye exhaled sharply. "Commander… we can anticipate every move now. We've won before even delivering the first true blow."
Jeng Minh's eyes scanned the ridge, calm but fierce. "Victory is never just in battle. It is in knowledge, in control, in forcing the enemy to reveal themselves. The Phoenix has burned bright, but today… it has shown us everything. Tomorrow, we will decide whether to crush the flame, bend it to our will, or let it illuminate the battlefield for our own advantage."
The sun glinted off the ridge, glimmering across disciplined troops unaware that their commander's brilliance had been dissected. The decisive engagement of the northern campaign was underway—not a clash of armies, but a battle of minds, and the unseen warlord, Jeng Minh, now held every advantage.