Chapter 843: The Black Wind Cavalry Goes to Battle
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T/N: Posting tomorrow's update in advance as I'll be away.---
Having witnessed the city’s defense, Gu Jiao finally felt reassured. The State of Liang army might have the advantage in numbers, but as long as the gates remained sealed and the city walls unbreached, there was no way they could break through Chang Wei’s layered defenses.
After an hour of battle, the State of Liang army had already lost close to a thousand men, and with a general’s command relayed from the rear, Song Kai bit down on his frustration and ordered the retreat with the sound of the gong.
In this first wave of assault, they hadn’t even made it close to the city walls.
Their halfhearted attempt to use catapults had failed too, as Chang Wei’s offense had been too ferocious, never allowing them to get within range, resulting in the pointless loss of over a dozen massive boulders.
The State of Liang army rested for two hours before launching a second wave of attack later that night.
This time, they came prepared, driving their war chariots forward by several dozen feet behind near-indestructible shielded battering rams, and their catapults finally found their mark, inflicting some damage on the defenders atop the city walls.
Chang Wei responded by deploying black gunpowder.
The State of Yan had never successfully excavated large-scale saltpeter mines, which meant that the raw materials needed for black gunpowder were extremely scarce and difficult to use for military purposes.
Chang Wei had already resorted to bringing out every last stash he had hidden away; when the blasting power proved insufficient, he made up for it by deploying knockout drugs instead.
The State of Liang army was repelled once again.
Song Kai, covered in dust and grime, was so furious he looked as if he might explode on the spot!
With one arm wounded, he sat astride his warhorse and drew his sword, pointing it toward the city wall as he roared, “Chang Wei! If you’ve got any guts, come down here and duel with me! Hiding up there all day, what kind of man are you?!”
Chang Wei merely responded with two cold words, “Loose arrows.”
It was only thanks to his loyal guards throwing themselves in front of him that Song Kai narrowly avoided becoming a human pincushion.
At midnight, still unwilling to accept defeat, Song Kai launched a surprise attack, but Chang Wei, who had already anticipated every move, beat him back once again, sending him fleeing in disorder.
Thus ended the first day, a flawless defense!
The morale among the city’s defenders soared, their confidence, once crushed by the Black Wind Cavalry, was clearly returning, and everyone’s fighting spirit surged anew.
Though these troops had always belonged to the Nangong Family, the reason they now obeyed Chang Wei’s command so willingly could be credited to the trust and esteem the Nangong Family had placed in him over the years.
Now that the Nangong Family was no longer in the city, Chang Wei had become the central pillar of command, and whatever he said was followed without question.
When Chang Wei descended from the city tower, the first person he saw by the roadside was Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao stood with arms crossed, her right shoulder leaning lazily against the wall, “Not bad at all, Old Chang.”
Chang Wei cast her a cold glance and replied flatly, “We’re not that close. And for the record, I’m doing this for the people in the city, not to ally with you.”
Gu Jiao shrugged, her expression unconcerned, “Doesn’t matter to me, as long as you’re not working with the State of Liang.”
She lifted her hand to stifle a small yawn behind her fingers. “It’s getting late. I’m heading off to rest now. I’ll leave the task of guarding the city in your capable hands, General Chang.”
Watching her silhouette retreat into the distance, Chang Wei frowned slightly, but in the end said nothing. Instead, he turned and headed toward the infirmary camp to check on the injured soldiers from the day’s battle.
Upon entering, one of the Nangong Army’s physicians informed him that several soldiers who had initially suffered fatal injuries had been miraculously saved, thanks to none other than the young commander from the Black Wind Cavalry.
For as long as the fighting had raged on the walls, Gu Jiao had remained just as busy in the infirmary, only finishing her efforts moments before Chang Wei arrived.
“I see.” said Chang Wei simply.
Over the following three days, the State of Liang army launched no fewer than ten assaults outside the west city gate, all of which were repelled by Chang Wei’s masterful command as though he were a god of war.
Inside the city, with the grain supplies Gu Jiao had seized from Nangong Ze, they could hold out easily for ten days or even half a month, though in reality, there was no need to last that long. The imperial court’s reinforcements, which were one hundred and twenty thousand strong, would arrive in no more than five to seven days.
The situation in Quyang City was looking exceptionally promising.
However, just as everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of victory, disaster struck.
The northern city gate collapsed!
It wasn’t destroyed by the State of Liang army from the outside; it was sabotaged from within by a deeply embedded loyalist of the Nangong Family, who used black gunpowder to blow apart the gate hinges from inside.
That loyalist was a soldier assigned to guard the northern gate. By coincidence, it was his turn to stand watch that night. No one could have predicted he would commit such an act.
At the very moment the gate fell, soldiers rushed forward to seize him, but it was already too late, he had lit a signal flare.
“What’s that?” In the military camp, Cheng Fugui looked up at the night sky’s blooming light. “So pretty.”
Li Jin frowned and said, “It’s coming from the north gate.”
Tong Zhong looked puzzled. “Something happened at the north gate?”
Li Jin said, “I don’t know what the signal means. Send someone to investigate right away.”
While they were still unsure of what the flare signified, Chang Wei understood instantly. That was unmistakably the signal that the city gate had been breached!
But the State of Liang army was still stationed outside the western gate, so who had attacked the northern gate?
Could it be, there was a spy?!
A sharp jolt struck Chang Wei’s chest like a hammer!
At that moment, Gu Jiao was tending to the wounded in the infirmary camp. When she heard the commotion outside, she quickly rushed up to the city wall and asked Chang Wei, “What happened?”
With a grave expression, Chang Wei replied, “The northern gate has been breached.”
Gu Jiao frowned. “Breached? But there wasn’t any major force moving toward the north gate.”
Based on his experience, Chang Wei responded, “Exactly. That’s why the situation may be even more serious.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a nearby soldier pointed toward the encampment of the State of Liang army and shouted, “They’re withdrawing!”
Gu Jiao glanced in that direction, her eyes gleaming coldly. “They’re not retreating, they’re redirecting their forces toward the north gate.”
The State of Liang army was preparing to attack the northern gate.
Without delay, Gu Jiao and Chang Wei rushed down from the city tower.
Gu Jiao let out a sharp whistle, and the Black Wind King came galloping to her side; she took a long stride forward and leapt onto the horse with practiced ease.
Chang Wei summoned one of his lieutenants and instructed him to temporarily take charge of the defenses at the west gate, while he himself mounted his horse and rode off with Gu Jiao toward the north gate.
Halfway there, the two of them encountered a soldier hastily bringing news from the front lines.
The soldier saluted and reported urgently, “General Chang, bad news! The northern gate has collapsed!”
Chang Wei demanded, “Explain clearly, what happened?”
The soldier responded, “That bastard Zhang Daman, he used his night watch duty as cover and blew up the hinge stones of the gate!”
The hinge stones functioned much like the hinges of modern-day gates. Without them, the gates simply could not be installed.
What was more, the hinge stones of Quyang City’s gate tower had been carved from stone and integrated seamlessly into the gate’s archway. Once destroyed, they couldn’t be repaired. They had to be completely rebuilt from scratch, and that was not something that could be done in a day or two.
Chang Wei instantly grasped the gravity of the situation.
Their ability to withstand the State of Liang’s army had always relied on the defensive advantage provided by the city walls. If the enemy seized this opportunity to breach the city, the consequences would be unimaginable.
They couldn’t afford to reassign troops from the other three gates, because the threats they faced weren’t limited to just the State of Liang, there were also the ever-watchful Han Family and the looming forces of the State of Jin.
That meant the forces actually available to defend the north gate numbered fewer than twenty thousand——
Gu Jiao spoke calmly, “General Chang, return to your post and continue defending the west gate. Leave the north gate to the Black Wind Cavalry.”
Chang Wei opened his mouth, wanting to object. “But…”
Gu Jiao tightened her grip on the reins, her gaze fixed on the distant north, “From this moment on, the blood and flesh of the Black Wind Cavalry will become the city gate of the north.”
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…