Ji Xin watched helplessly as Luo Lan leaped off the city wall without a second thought, his voice hoarse as he shouted, "Brother!"
His eyes burned with grief and fury as he swung his blade numbly, his mind blank except for the single thought: kill, kill, kill...
The remaining Han soldiers roared as they charged at the Qu Zhao troops, driven by a desperate resolve to die together with their enemies.
Jiang Jin lopped off another Qu Zhao general's head, his warhorse not slowing, the Great Demon King blade in hand as he broke through Qu Zhao's layered defenses, charging toward Lin County.
Qu Shilang's eyes nearly split with rage as he charged at Jiang Jin.
Just then, Zhou Sui intercepted him, Cold Scale blade in hand: "Your opponent is me!"
Qu Shilang's pupils shrank. "The Great General of Yan?"
Without a word, Zhou Sui swung his blade down at Qu Shilang.
Qu Shilang had no choice but to raise his own blade to meet the strike.
Clang! The impact rang out like thunder, sparks flying.
Zhou Sui felt a slight sting in his grip.
He marveled inwardly: the Great General of Qu Zhao truly lived up to his reputation.
Fearless, his blood boiling with excitement, he raised his blade again and slashed horizontally.
Qu Shilang was equally stunned by Zhou Sui's strength. His expression grew serious as he responded with caution.
Clang, clang, clang...
In just a few breaths, they exchanged dozens of blows, each holding their ground, neither gaining the upper hand.
Nan Wen, riding beside Zhou Sui, faced two of Qu Shilang's lieutenants. Outnumbered two to one, he still held his own without faltering.
Times had changed. The blade he wielded now was no longer the notched sword he'd used as a bandit; it was a long saber custom-made for him by the weapons workshop, its size and weight tailored to his height and strength.
He was already a formidable warrior, and with such a fine weapon in hand, his overall combat ability had grown far beyond what it once was.
This was Hua Ruo's first battle since enlisting, and he was positioned slightly to the rear.
Watching the Jinyang Army break through the enemy lines in mere moments, his heart swelled with pride and a thrilling sense of invincibility.
Just then, an enemy blade came straight for his face.
Hua Ruo tilted his body sideways to dodge the edge, then thrust his right-hand curved blade forward with force.
Clang! The Qu Zhao soldier felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and tumbled off his horse.
A silver gleam flashed before his eyes. Hua Ruo reacted swiftly, parrying with his left-hand curved blade.
The collision of weapons screeched horribly.
Hua Ruo's expression remained unchanged. As they passed each other on horseback, the dripping curved blade in his right hand swept out, blood splattering.
The headless body of the Qu Zhao soldier galloped for a few more paces before crashing to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hua Ruo had already engaged a Qu Zhao junior officer...
On the city wall, some Qu Zhao soldiers fought the Han troops, while others scrambled for arrows on the ground, readying themselves for the approaching Jinyang Army.
The roles of attacker and defender had reversed.
Moments ago, they had been the ones scaling the walls in an assault; now, suddenly under siege themselves, they were caught off guard.
Before the moat, the Qu Zhao archers and shield bearers swiveled around, aiming their black arrowheads at the Jinyang Army.
Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and their arrows fell short.
The Great Demon King blade pointed forward as Jiang Jin shouted, "Release!"
No sooner had the order left her mouth than hundreds of arrows flew toward the city.
Thump, thump, thump...
A dozen of those arrows pierced through wooden shields, striking the shield bearers' faces. The soldiers cried out in pain, tossing their shields aside and stumbling backward, trampling the archers behind them.
Their tightly packed formation collapsed into chaos.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh...
Another volley of arrows rained down from the Jinyang Army.
On the city wall, Qu Zhao soldiers were also struck down, forced to take cover behind the battlements.
The Qu Zhao soldiers still climbing the wall were less fortunate. Several rounds of arrows mowed them down in droves, leaving heavy casualties.
"Ye Shang, look out!" Wen Ping shouted in alarm from the tower.
A bloodstained blade swung toward Ye Shang's neck. But Ye Shang, gripping his own blade in both hands, was locked in combat with a Qu Zhao junior officer and had no chance to evade.
Clang.
In the nick of time, a sword struck from the side, blocking the bloodstained blade. It was Li Qian who had arrived.
The ambushing soldier, undeterred by his failed strike, raised his bloodied blade and went for Li Qian.
"Leave me be, lower the drawbridge!" Ye Shang shouted between his own attacks.
Wen Ping cut down a Qu Zhao soldier before him and rushed toward the mechanism for the drawbridge on the tower.
Soon, a dull grinding sound echoed as the drawbridge's chains began to lower slowly.
But the drawbridge itself didn't budge.
Wen Ping panicked: "What... what's going on?"
Jiang Jin, drawing closer to the city gate, lopped off a Qu Zhao soldier blocking her path and noticed the chains lowering while the gate remained unmoving.
Her eyes narrowed. She shouted, "Yun Chengxuan! The drawbridge is frozen shut. Smash it!"
Yun Chengxuan spurred his horse on Jiang Jin's right. Hearing her order, his gaze sharpened as he scanned his surroundings for something useful.
His eyes lit up. Gripping the reins tightly, he leaned to the right and flicked his Buddha Heart blade at a large iron axe lying beside a corpse on the ground.
Thud.
He caught the spinning axe firmly, then hurled it forward with all his might.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the axe struck the frozen section of the drawbridge, making the entire structure shudder.
Crack, crack...
Great chunks of ice shattered, spraying frost and shards as the drawbridge finally began to lower.
Bang. The drawbridge still hung inches above the ground, but hooves clattered down, sending ice and snow flying.
Crossing the moat, Jiang Jin stared at the battering ram blocking the gate. Though battered and deformed, the heavy doors still guarded this broken city.
"Rraah!" A few Qu Zhao soldiers burst out from behind the battering ram.
Before Jiang Jin could act, Yun Chengxuan dispatched two with a single slash, Xia Chanyi took down another, and the Dragon Shadow Guards behind her loosed arrows to kill the rest...
Jiang Jin wasn't disappointed that the gate remained closed. She dismounted and headed for the left side of the city wall. Too many corpses blocked the horses' path.
With a few leaps, Jiang Jin reached a siege ladder. Stepping onto the pile of bodies heaped at its base, she climbed nimbly upward.
Yun Chengxuan and Xia Chanyi flanked her, with the Dragon Shadow Guards following behind.
Beyond the moat, the Jinyang Army's crossbowmen had taken over, providing cover for Jiang Jin and her team as they scaled the walls.
They aimed at the Qu Zhao soldiers still on the wall, picking them off with deadly accuracy at close range.
Jiang Jin moved fast, reaching the top of the siege ladder in moments. With a powerful push off her feet, she vaulted onto the battlements.
At the same time, she drove the Great Demon King blade downward, blood spreading.
The Qu Zhao soldier hiding behind the battlement grabbed desperately at the blade, convulsing, his eyes wide with shock at how he'd been found.
The long blade slid out, trailing a smear of blood.
Jiang Jin leaped onto the wall platform and swung her bloodied blade forward, claiming another Qu Zhao soldier's life.
"Lord!" Ye Shang and Wen Ping cried out, their eyes lighting up at the sight of her.
After lowering the drawbridge, they had tried to help the three planted agents open the city gate, but found themselves pinned down by Qu Zhao soldiers.
Jiang Jin shook the blood off her blade. "Kill them all!"
The Dragon Shadow Guards who had climbed up behind her aimed their crossbows at the Qu Zhao soldiers. Bolts flew, hissing through the air.
In moments, the Qu Zhao soldiers in front of Ye Shang and the others toppled in droves.
Li Qian leaned on his blade, steadying himself as blood dripped from his thigh, his gaze distant and vacant.
“So powerful!” he murmured.
Jiang Jin gave the order: “Open the city gates!”
“Understood!” Xia Chanyi led a squad of Dragon Shadow Guard as they sprinted toward the horse road.
Yun Chengxuan led another squad of Dragon Shadow Guard, charging at the remaining Qu Zhao soldiers on the city wall.
The clash of battle erupted once more.
