When Jiang Jin arrived at the South Gate tower, Zhou Sui, Yao Ji, Xia Chanyi, and the others were already there.
"My Lord," everyone called out.
Jiang Jin nodded. "What's the situation? Do we know who is leading the Quzhao army?"
Zhou Sui shook his head. "They are too far away to see clearly."
Jiang Jin looked into the distance. The information had been reported in advance by the scouts, and there was still no sign of the Quzhao forces at this moment.
Jiang Jin's eyes were icy. "Move the heavy ballistas onto the city walls. Have the Dragon Shadow Guards and the archers stand by. Bring up the catapults as well."
"Yes, my Lord!"
The Dragon Shadow Guards and archers moved swiftly, forming their ranks on the city wall, waiting in full battle array.
During the winter months, the weapons workshop had never stopped operating. With a complete supply of raw materials and a massive recruitment of workers, they had manufactured thirty-six heavy ballistas.
They had also produced two hundred Dragon Feather Crossbows, all of which were distributed to the Dragon Shadow Guards, the elite unit personally trained by Jiang Jin.
Each crossbow could be loaded with twenty specially made arrows, meaning that the two hundred crossbows could fire four thousand arrows in a single continuous volley.
The catapults had been modified by Jiang Jin, improving both their firing range and payload capacity. When these various weapons and equipment were used in coordination, the effect would absolutely be devastating.
One by one, the heavy ballistas and catapults were pushed out of the weapons workshop and headed toward the South Gate.
Both of these weapons were quite bulky, so wheels were installed at the bottom for easy movement.
A flash of worry crossed Yun Ci's eyes. This battle would likely be a difficult one to fight.
Since the Quzhao army had sent so many people, it showed their determination to conquer Gefeng.
However, thinking of the various arrangements made within the city, his heart settled down again.
The heavy ballistas and catapults were pushed onto the city walls and positioned. The soldiers were currently transporting the specially made arrows and boulders up to the tower.
In the distance, a massive, dense swarm of moving figures finally appeared. Fortunately, the ice and snow had just melted, and the ground was still somewhat damp; otherwise, the dust would have filled the sky.
Jiang Jin and the others remained motionless, watching as the Quzhao army drew closer and closer.
"It's Qu Bai," Zhou Sui narrowed his eyes slightly. As the distance closed, he could finally see the leading general of Quzhao clearly.
Zhou Sui, remembering that Jiang Jin did not know Qu Bai, explained in a low voice, "General of Hussars, Qu Bai. His saber techniques are superb, and he has beheaded many military generals of the Yan State."
His expression was very serious. "Under his command are ten fierce generals. Each possesses formidable martial skills and is incredibly ferocious. They are all fierce warriors capable of fighting ten men at once."
Jiang Jin was expressionless, but a cold light flashed in her eyes. "Do you think he will lay siege to the city, or attack directly?" Jiang Jin asked.
Zhou Sui looked at the distant Quzhao soldiers. "He will probably surround us without attacking. Qu Bai is a cautious man. I suspect he will send someone forward to test the waters."
After all, the Divine Punishment from before was too shocking; otherwise, they wouldn't have waited until now to attack.
Looking at the number of troops the enemy brought, they clearly took this very seriously. Even during the Battle of Dingyang, there was an army of only sixty thousand, yet now, a staggering fifty thousand men had come for her small border town.
This showed just how much influence the Divine Punishment had on this world.
Yao Ji sneered coldly. "If they dare to come, we'll make sure they never return. I just fear they don't have the guts."
The Quzhao army was indeed very cautious. They stopped advancing when they were still about five hundred meters away from Gefeng City.
Before long, a burly man rode out on horseback. In his hand, he wielded a massive hammer with a rather strange shape.
Yun Yu introduced him: "This man is Qu Zhongzi, one of the fierce generals under Qu Bai. He has boundless strength, and his weapon is the Earth-Shattering Hammer. It is said that his hammer weighs over a hundred catties, though I don't know if that's true."
Qu Zhongzi stopped when he was about a hundred meters from the city gates and shouted at the city tower.
"You cowardly Han rats, open the city gates at once! Otherwise, my two hundred thousand soldiers will flatten Gefeng City and slaughter every civilian inside!"
Falsely reporting troop numbers was a common disease of this era. An army of a few thousand would dare claim to be tens of thousands, so exaggerating fifty thousand to two hundred thousand was not out of the ordinary.
This was originally a tactic to boost morale and flaunt military might, but the Quzhao people had not mastered it. Their men were all lined up below the city, clear at a glance, making the false report seem utterly ridiculous.
For veteran commanders on the battlefield, estimating troop numbers was a routine operation. They generally knew the approximate count just by taking a single look.
Xie Nanxiao stepped up to the challenge once again. "Two hundred thousand? Do you think we are as illiterate as you barbarians? A mere fifty thousand men, and you dare come to our Gefeng?"
"You want to enter the city? Come on then, try it if you have the skill! I have an army of a million men waiting for you inside! If each of us took a piss, we could drown you all."
Jiang Jin was speechless. Sure enough, there was no such thing as the most exaggerated, only more exaggerated.
A million? A place as small as Gefeng wouldn't even have enough room to stack a million people.
However, speaking like this certainly carried a lot of imposing momentum.
Qu Zhongzi's face darkened. "Shameless Han people, how dare you spout such arrogant nonsense! Your Gefeng has an army of a million? Haha, the vengeful spirits of the Han people who have died under our iron hooves should number a million!"
"You Han people are simply weak. Before my Quzhao army, you are like chickens and ducks, left for us to slaughter and consume. Your Han women are even more so, left for us to enjoy."
Hearing his words, all the soldiers and officers on the city wall gnashed their teeth, their hearts filled with indignation.
A trace of bloodlust flashed in Xie Nanxiao's eyes, yet his voice carried a cold, mocking laugh. "We're like chickens and ducks? Then who were the ones beaten so badly last time that they pissed their pants, abandoned their armor, and fled for their lives?"
"Our Gefeng is a city blessed by the heavens, while you Quzhao go against the natural order. Your sins are monstrous, and everyone has the right to punish you. You have already been abandoned by the heavens, reduced to a puddle of filth in the dirt."
"Just like your generals before—struck down by Divine Punishment, torn into pieces, dying without a whole corpse, and leaving a stench that will last for ten thousand years."
Saying this, he burst into laughter again. "Speaking of which, your Quzhao army is quite ungrateful. Your generals were turned into minced meat and bone fragments, and your soldiers actually ran away entirely!"
"It was our Gefeng that kindly collected their remains, throwing their body parts into the cesspits to become fertilizer for the land of Gefeng City."
"You!" Qu Zhongzi was so enraged that his hair stood on end. The Divine Punishment was the pain of the Quzhao people, and also their greatest fear.
Four Quzhao generals had inexplicably shattered into countless pieces under the watchful eyes of the masses. For a time, they had truly believed it was a Divine Punishment, that Quzhao had been abandoned by God!
Divine Punishment!
It was both appalling and chilling!
They didn't want to believe it, nor did they dare to!
How could they possibly be a race abandoned by the heavens?!
Over the course of a few months, they finally came up with a reasonable explanation: Gefeng must have been despicable and used a powerful hidden weapon. They felt that they had merely been made fools of by Gefeng.
Thinking back to the Quzhao army's panicked retreat, abandoning even their siege equipment and the corpses of their generals, it was an absolute humiliation for Quzhao!
Since entering the pass, they had never suffered such humiliation or felt so stifled. Thus, as soon as the weather turned warm, they couldn't wait to set out, determined to take Gefeng back this time!
Qu Zhongzi had been poked right in a sore spot, his face turning bright red with anger.
However, he also knew he couldn't beat the Han people in a battle of words. Adjusting his breathing, he shouted at the city tower, "You little brat, do you dare come down and fight me?"
Xie Nanxiao looked at Jiang Jin, rubbing his fists and wiping his palms, itching to make a move.
Xia Chanyi immediately requested to fight: "My Lord, please let me go forth. I will surely cut him down from his horse."
