BXBX NOVEL Chapter 207 Attack the City (2)
Chapter 207 Attack the City (2)
These suicide soldiers could form a barrier with five people, even the Warrior Masters could do nothing about it. If there were a dozen or so soldiers and they formed three or four Military Barriers that could back each other up in the battle, even Level 1 Qi-refining practitioners dared not to take them head on. Because once they became entangled, death awaited them.
Shangguan Qingcheng’s eyes were cold, she knew that she couldn’t let the Dengzhou Suicide Soldiers charge. Because if there were even a moment’s delay, then many Deng Zhou elites would charge up from behind them. By then the city wall would be firmly controlled by the Dengzhou army.
A number of imperial guards were being killed by the other side. Two of them were killed by the blade. Then Shangguan Qingcheng passed by the imperial guards, with her silver spear sharp like an arrow, she headed straight for the Northern Zhou Suicide Soldiers!
“Defend!” Since the Dengzhou Suicide Soldiers were the bravest in the army, they were not lacking in battle experience. Seeing Shangguan Qingcheng charging up wielding her spear, they knew she was a Qi cultivator, for there was just an extraordinary aura about her. So they wielded their shields to protect their bodies.
As her front foot stomped heavily on the ground, the fine dust swayed to the sides like rain. Shangguan Qingcheng then got into horse stance with her waist lowered and Spiritual Qi circled her spear. When her silver spear in her hand stabbed the shield heavily, she suddenly spat out the word, “Break!”
“Pop!” The shield cracked; this scene was reflected in the unbelievable eyes of the Suicide Soldiers. The shield had shattered into four or five pieces, and they shot all over the place like flying arrows. The conducted power from the shield was so big that the Suicide Soldier wasn’t firm on his feet and fell backward. But even before he could complete the fall, a silver spear appeared before his eyes and instantly penetrated his throat.
Shangguan Qingcheng had broken a shield and killed the person in one shot. As she wielded her spear left and right, two more Suicide Soldiers of the battle formation immediately fell.
Before the Suicide Soldiers behind them could come to their senses, Shangguan Qingcheng had already moved forward. She then kicked a Suicide Soldiers in the chest and he went flying, knocking down the comrade behind him. The Military Formation then had a big gap, and Shangguan Qingcheng immediately jumped into the formation to kill.
Her silver spear moved at light speed. There was no way the Suicide Soldiers could even catch her sharp spear’s trace. All they could see was a blur left by the spear. The soldiers kept wielding their long blades to block her silver spear. But time and again, they missed and cut into thin air. They didn’t even have the chance to attack again because the silver spear was simply too fast.
Amid the series of screams, the Suicide Soldiers fell one after another. Their strength and courage were useless when they faced off against Shangguan Qingcheng.
Shangguan Qingcheng had, alone, sliced her way into the Dengzhou Army guards’ formation. It was as though she had entered a no-man zone. There was just no enemy strong enough to stand up against her. Wherever she passed, northern Zhou guards fell one after another before her.
Blood soon dyed her robes, the red band on her silver spear was also stuck together with blood.
The Pinglu army soldiers followed closely behind her. On the one hand, they protected Shangguan Qingcheng’s two sides, on the other hand, they finished off the Dengzhou Army’s guards who were wounded by her.
This section of the city wall was quickly cleared up by Shangguan Qingcheng. Not even a single guard of Dengzhou military could be seen.
“You’re asking for death!”
“Such arrogance!”
At that moment, two gray-robed Taoist jumped on the wall. One of them was stout and cross-eyed, the other, with white hair and beard, looked like a master cultivator. They both wielded long swords. The latter’s long sword sliced Shangguan Qingcheng’s silver spear and forced her to retreat a few steps. Only with the help of the soldiers behind her, was Shangguan Qingcheng able to stabilize herself.
They were two cultivators who had reached Qi-refining Level 5!
This situation was not just urgent, but dangerous!
Extremely dangerous!
Shangguan Qingcheng’s killing spree had finally attracted Zhu Wen and others’ attention. So he sent more powerful masters to come over and fight for the control of this wall again!
Shangguan Qingcheng slightly squinted her eyes but kept her expression steady. The moment she steadied herself, without any hesitation, she let out a scream, wielded her silver spear and attacked again!
There was no retreat on the battlefield!
Retreat meant exposing your back to the enemy, which meant death!
What’s more, she was exposing her back to two Qi-refining Level 5 masters, and there was no chance of survival at all!
Shangguan Qingcheng chose to fight head on!
At the same time, the cross-eyed’s sword came for Shangguan Qingcheng.
As she attacked with her silver spear, Shangguan Qingcheng activated her Qi, and white light energy began emanating from the edge her spear. Her spear was pointed straight towards cross-eye’s throat!
“Bastard!” The cross-eyed screamed loudly. The silver spear was longer than the sword. When the long sword sliced the silver spear, sounds of loriots resonated from the sword. And the silver spear was split by the long sword.
“Go to hell!” A murderous look showed in the white-bearded man’s eyes. He took advantage of the opportunity and pointed his sword straight at Shangguan Qingcheng’s throat.
Shangguan Qingcheng retrieved the spear and placed it in front of her, which was supposed to block the long sword.
But her rushed block was not enough to offset the opponent’s attack. Not to mention that the opponent was a Qi-refining Level 5 master. Shangguan Qingcheng was instantly wounded and as she retrieved a few steps, she felt her insides turn. Then a stream of blood slipped out of the corner of her mouth.
“Huh?” The white-bearded old man was a little taken aback. He didn’t expect Shangguan Qingcheng, whom he thought had only reached Qi-refining Level 3, could still stand after absorbing his full strength attack. That had made him angry, he collected himself and wielded his sword to attack again.
In an instant, the sword light flashed, and fish scale-like light splattered like ink. Shangguan Qingcheng and the Pinglu soldiers beside her were all enveloped in it!
Shangguan Qingcheng did not dare to neglect the attack and blocked with her spear!
The spear and sword intersected, and the scale-like light suddenly grew and shot in all directions. When the light landed on the Pinglu soldiers, the light had turned bloody. Screaming in pain, the soldiers fell.
Shangguan Qingcheng’s face was pale, and the silver spear shook in her hands, almost came out of her hand. She retreated a few steps again.
In the same moment, the long sword of the cross-eyed man was already headed straight for Shangguan Qingcheng’s throat. It looked like there was no way the retreating Shangguan Qingcheng could avoid the attack, and the long sword was about to pierce her throat!
For two Qi-refining Level 5 masters of combining their powers and dealing with a militarism general should be easy.
As Shangguan Qingcheng stared oncoming long sword, the sword kept growing in her pupils.
Suddenly, Spiritual Qi flashed before her.
Blooded light was floating in the air!
The cross-eyed screamed and rushed back while covering his bloody throat. He could no longer hold on to his long sword, so it fell to the ground.
“General Shangguan, you have to be careful!” Zhao Polu suddenly appeared beside Shangguan Qingcheng. He quickly attacked with his spear and killed all the Dengzhou soldiers in front of him. He was a cultivator who had reached Qi-refining Level 8. Naturally, there were few people that could stop him.
“Thank you!” Shangguan Qingcheng calmed herself and attacked again.
Though they had similar armor, the uniform of the Imperial Army was different from that of the Dengzhou army. But the Zhongwu soldiers were dressed in yellow robes; Pinglu army was wearing black robes, and the Dengzhou soldiers were in gray robes. So it was not difficult to identify them.
The city wall was in a chaotic battle. Different Imperial Army Formations large and small faced up against the Dengzhou army in a bloody battle. They looked like isles in the ocean. The Dengzhou army still had the numbers, but behind every solid Military Formation were a few protective ladders.
The Imperial Soldiers continued to climb on the ladders to get in the middle of their own Military Formations to fill the gaps. As the battle went on, some formations became thin and penetrable, and eventually overwhelmed by the gray current-like attackers. Some formations, however, grew as the battle went on, and continued to swallow the gray current-like charge.
Few cultivators on top of the wall did much lone flying and swooping. They just led the Military Formation to fight for control of the wall. Bodies kept falling on both sides from the back and forth battle. Some dropped off the wall like falling dumplings and some fell on the horse track, which blocked the access.
Blood was everywhere on the woman’s wall and the horse track. And the blood was very sticky on the boots. When the cultivators attacked, the city’s gravel and broken limbs fluttered about. And flesh and blood were splashing, which was a sorrowful sight to behold.
After a day of fierce battle, and the Imperial Army almost stood firm on the city wall to take control several times. But the Dengzhou army was too resilient and they eventually had to retreat.
...
The battle lasted for three consecutive days, and both sides suffered a lot of casualties. The siege side, in such a battle, of course, suffered more deaths and wounds than the defending side. Otherwise, the city would have already been breached.
“We, as commanders have failed the siege, we beg for forgiveness!”
In the large tent, Shangguan Qingcheng, Zhao Polu and other dozens of Pinglu generals gathered together to confess their errors to Li Ye. As they had a bloody battle and took turns to fight today, although they had achieved some results, they were still eventually driven down from the city wall.
Li Ye sat behind the general’s desk, and just gently swayed the fan but said nothing. He did not show any emotion toward their confessions.
The large tent was very spacious, which could accommodate hundreds of people. The fire was brightly lit and the scribe was busy. As the Commanding Centre of the whole army, the large tent was like a complete government office. So it had to be big enough to accommodate all the officials.
Seeing Li Ye in total silence, the commanders held their breaths in silence. Sometimes they looked at each other, and anxiety showed on their faces.
As generals of the Pinglu army, they surely knew Li Ye’s governing laws. In Pinglu, no matter whether it was in training or fighting bandits, Li Ye’s military means was frank and strict. Simply put, good deeds were rewarded, and bad deeds punished.
Now, in Dengzhou, Li Ye as the commissioner, not to mention Prince An of the imperial court. And he headed the charge led three thousand Wolf-tooth Troops to their first victory. Prince An had earned respect for everyone in Pinglu army. And he instilled the fighting spirit in those soldiers. It was that very spirit that gave them the will and determination to siege for two consecutive days.
Otherwise, it was impossible for the newly-edited Pinglu army to charge the city wall especially faced against Zhu Wen’s elites. For a time, they actually stood firm on the city wall, almost taking control. But now, there was still no substantial progress and the leaders were both humiliated and guilty, and also terrified.
Li Ye didn’t talk for a long time, which was intentional. He waited for the generals to self-reflect first, then he slowly added, “Tomorrow, sub in new soldiers to attack the city.”
It was impossible for all 100,000 Pinglu soldiers to attack the city in one day. Even if they took turns to attack, only half of the soldiers got their turns.
Having heard Li Ye’s words, the generals that participated in the siege today were all sorrowful. They were extremely angry and shameful. Those who had not participated in the siege were excited and ready to fight. They ground their palms and rubbed their fists to get ready for attack. They wanted the honor of breaching the city.
Li Ye took the generals’ reactions to heart, and was very satisfied with it. This showed that morale was still there. The most frightening thing about leading troops to war was not how powerful the enemy was but your own morale. As long as there was still morale, the general was confident.
Li Ye’s strategy was actually clear and simple. This war was actually the best training ground for the 100,000 soldiers of the Pinglu army. Of course, he would not favor anyone with such a good opportunity. He wanted everyone to experience fighting a war on the battlefield. Only then, could the soldiers be honed. And the whole army would have a chance to become an elite force in the future, which was crucial for his ambition to eventually take over the whole world.