"The timing—Governor of Chen Commandery is betting on the opponent's resolve. Since the challenge is issued in the afternoon, it will probably be during the Wei Hour." Chen Deng had yet to answer, but Gan Ning had already reacted, his expression toward Chen Deng growing more solemn.
"The Wei Hour leaves only a little over an hour until nightfall. If the challenge leads to a battle formation, engaging for an hour before retreating is the most reasonable scenario. However, the opposition will surely stall you, then dispatch forces to attack Xiapi," Gan Ning observed with a note of admiration, speaking to Zhang Fei.
"Exactly. In that scenario, they'd stall us and then launch a nighttime assault on Xiapi. That would be the most logical choice. Battling us might yield no conclusive results and would be a waste of effort. On the other hand, taking Xiapi would likely succeed. If Xiapi is captured, they will gain a foothold in Xuzhou." Chen Deng nodded as he spoke.
