Chapter 49: Mercy (10)

It was a pity he realized too late. The soldiers led by Li Kuo lightly leaped over the battlements and landed on the flat city tower. The defender ran about ten steps before his feet gave way; before he could shout, Pu Dachui rushed over and knocked him down. Quick and decisive, the arriving soldiers finished off this threat with just a few slashes. Old Wang, who had previously dismissed it as unimportant, stood frozen in fear. “Prepare to die! Tell the others to hurry up—our time is running out!”
Throwing aside the wooden token in his mouth, Li Kuo ordered loudly. The young man hadn’t expected the south side of the city to be unguarded at all, allowing him to capture a city tower so easily. Yet he felt no sense of relief, for the real battle had just begun. Although the defending forces numbered only over a hundred and were mostly exhausted, they were still experienced guards, far more combat-effective than the recruits under his command. If they couldn’t seize control of the tower while the enemy was divided, it would be even harder to win once they recovered.
“The commander orders us to follow and take the tower with one push! The commander will treat us to wine!”
Dou Qing repeated Li Kuo’s words loudly and led the way.
“Take the tower! Wine, wine!”
The soldiers rushed forward eagerly, desperate to plant the Vermilion Bird flag on the city gate tower right away.
“Move along the wall and try not to make noise,” Zhang Yanji instructed his men in a low voice. Though they had a clear numerical advantage now, minimizing losses was still best.
“Hurry up! Don’t act like a sickling! Mortals, nothing but mortals!”
Zhou Wucui scolded a soldier who fell behind, his cheeks trembling.
“Sigh, sigh.”
The soldier dared not argue—his squad leader was known for his sharp tongue. Arguing with him would only bring trouble. Anyway, following the squad leader was never a mistake. Now that the south city had been captured, it would take only a little more effort to take down the entire tower. There would surely be generous rewards then.
With these thoughts, a smile appeared on the young man’s lips.
“Sir, there’s movement in the south!”

A soldier in proper uniform bowed to Yang Yibo as a reminder. Just as Yang Yibo was about to scold him for overreacting, he turned around and was stunned—entire battalions of soldiers, led by a youth in black armor, were charging at him with fierce momentum. How had they gotten up there? An attack on the city should have made noise; he hadn’t seen any ladders or arrows flying. How could nearly a hundred enemy soldiers suddenly appear before his eyes? Could they be divine warriors descending from heaven? No, that was impossible. “Where are the sentries? The sentries!” He called several times, but no one responded. Only then did Yang Yibo realize he might have been deceived by that old fox, Zhang Shouyu. The attacks from the north and west were feints, meant only to draw the defenders’ attention. He had concentrated most of his forces there because their feints seemed too convincing. In other words, if he hadn’t gathered all his troops there, the breach in the city walls might have opened in those areas! Realizing this, Yang Yibo collapsed like a deflated balloon, utterly unable to muster the will to face the crisis ahead.

“Lord Commander, you must give an order. The soldiers are waiting for your command.”

Seeing his commander in such a state of despair, Xu Ling, who was sweating profusely, kept urging Yang Yibo, who was on the verge of breaking down, to issue orders.

“Yes, yes! Charge forward! All of you, charge! Stop them, stop them!”

Yang Yibo had completely lost his rationality. To others, this siege might have been just a drill, but for him, it was a crucial opportunity. Thanks to his cousin’s connections, he had gotten this chance to train his troops. He had thought that by paying a hefty sum to take on the role of defender, he could easily secure the position of colonel. Who would have thought that some brat would suddenly appear and shatter his dreams?

“Sigh!”

Xu Ling glanced at the dispirited Yang Yibo and sighed deeply before leaving.

“Team One, block the city tower! Team Two, everyone except the long spearmen—carry arrows and provide cover from behind!”

Xu Ling shouted loudly, making the best decision for his commander. This was highly frowned upon in the army, but if no orders were given soon, the fortress would likely fall under attack from both sides.

Under repeated urging, the soldiers rushed to the city tower entrance. This makeshift command post had now become a barrier, the last line of defense for the defenders.

“Follow me and charge!”

Pu Dachui roared loudly, drew out his “Horizontal Sword,” and charged ahead first. Xian Yu Cheng followed closely behind, his heart filled with curiosity. To him, everything seemed so new. Feinting attacks, scaling walls silently, head-on confrontations—these were exactly the things a man should do. His previous sixteen years had seemed wasted. His father had confined him within set boundaries, forcing him to follow rules day after day, with no idea what existed outside. He was glad he had joined the army; it was the right choice, the choice every man aspired to.

“Archers, scatter fire!”

Xu Ling firmly issued the order. With fewer defenders than the enemy, they had to “wear down” as many enemy soldiers as possible before they reached the city walls.

Dozens of arrows were shot, but perhaps due to the short distance, they were easily deflected by the three brigades of brave soldiers before they could land, failing to exert any meaningful firepower pressure. Only a few slow-reacting recruits were hit by arrows; counting the white marks on their bodies, they left the formation in disappointment.

“Don’t stop! At this distance, they can only fire one round of arrows!”

Li Kuo deflected an incoming arrow and shouted loudly. Hearing this, the soldiers sped up. Aside from a few who were hit, the rest successfully dodged the defenders’ first round of attacks.

“Grab our weapons and go at ‘em!”

Pu Dachui spat out a mouthful of phlegm, leaped like a tiger, and swung his “Horizontal Sword” at a defender’s waist. Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wucui followed closely, also drawing their swords and engaging in close combat. Soon, it was a chaotic melee.

After effortlessly knocking over a defender who tried to block his path, Li Kuo cleared some space and shouted at Dou Qing, “Don’t get entangled with them! Take a few men and pull down the enemy’s flag right away!”

“As ordered!”

Dou Qing responded and signaled Zhang Yanji, Xian Yu Cheng, and a few other agile youths to charge at the enemy’s flag like sharp needles, with unstoppable momentum. How could the defenders let them pass? They surrounded them, trying to stop them.

“This isn’t real combat!” Dou Qing thought, shocked. He quickly shouted at his comrades, “Chop at the crowded areas—three white marks, and they’re dead!”

The men seemed to wake up from a dream. According to General Geshu Han’s rules, anyone with three white marks on their armor was considered “killed in battle.” If that was the case, they only needed to attack the crowded areas, but the more people there, the worse it would be for them.

“Cut their legs—kill them all at once!”

Zhang Yanji excitedly raised his “horizontal sword” and swung it at the defenders’ lower bodies. The large number of defenders found themselves in a difficult situation—moving forward meant falling victim to the opponent’s tactics, while retreating would result in stepping on their own comrades, causing even greater chaos. At this point, the outcome of the battle depended on individual bravery rather than the commander’s strategies. The defenders, though numerically superior in some areas, were thrown into disarray by a few brave youths. What had once been a spacious and open battlement now seemed cramped to them.

Xian Yu Cheng charged too recklessly and was quickly surrounded by three defenders. Though brave and determined, he gradually struggled under the combined assault. He had to fend off attacks from the front while also guarding against sneak attacks from behind. He fought frantically, with no time to rest, sweating profusely until his armor was soaked through. “Who told you to be so greedy for glory?” Zhang Yanji rushed over, blocking the “horizontal sword” aimed at the youth’s back and shouting. “Do you know what kind of people die easiest on the battlefield? Idiots, and those who are greedy. If you were on the battlefield, you’d already be dead countless times!”

Captain Zhang stood behind Xian Yu Cheng, repelling enemies while giving him advice. Xian Yu Cheng’s eyes reddened with emotion as he said, “Brother Zhang…” “Stop talking nonsense and come with me to break through. We’re comrades, brothers who’ve shared life and death!” Seeing the two in danger, Pu Da Chui knocked down the two obstacles in front of him before charging forward with a shout. His duty was to protect Li Kuo, but he couldn’t ignore the two youths in peril. It was a promise to his comrades, regardless of family background or rank. (Note 1) “Damn you, you brat! Come at me if you’ve got the guts. What kind of skill is it to bully two kids?” With a single sweeping strike, Pu Da Chui knocked down nearly five defenders. It was clear he was truly angry, using all his strength in each move. The defenders who took those blows were no pushovers either and surrounded him. All the soldiers were enraged, and the situation became uncontrollable. An exercise was turning into a brawl…

“The defenders’ flag has been taken! The defenders’ flag has been taken!” Suddenly, both sides stopped fighting, put down their weapons, and looked northward.

Note 1: During the Tang Dynasty, it was stipulated that lower-ranking officers must protect their superiors, and soldiers must protect lower-ranking officers. If a superior died, their body had to be recovered; otherwise, the offender would be executed publicly. This is why Tang generals and soldiers could perform their duties effectively.