Shattered to Pieces

Upon hearing the order, the guard peered into the distance, looking somewhat puzzled.

"Big Boss, it's so far, I've never fought before, is it... is it even reachable?"

Hu Tieniu cursed and said, "Damn it, get out of the way! You're turning down this chance to make a contribution?"

He reached out and pushed the gunner aside, then moved behind the gun emplacement himself.

A scope was mounted on the cannon. Hu Tieniu peered through it, adjusted it, and the commander's flag became clearer and clearer in the lens.

Beneath the banner, an old general clad in armor stood reining in his horse, surrounded by several other generals and personal guards.

Hu Tieniu was certain that this must be the commander of the Government Army, there was no mistake.

He couldn't be bothered to look closely; the area to his left and right was right under the cannon's muzzle. He could just sweep them over and call them a day, no matter who they were.

He steadied the cannon, didn't even look up, and asked a question.

"Are you ready?"

The ammunition feeder beside him had already loaded the ammunition belt and replied, "Don't worry, Chief, everything is ready!"

Hu Tieniu grinned and said, "Alright!"

His shoulder slumped, and he slammed the trigger.

"Knock knock!"

Twenty-three millimeter shells, like water being poured, came one after another, raining down on the banner three miles away.

Through the scope, the group of men was about to be engulfed by the flames.

People and horses were thrown about, shattered into pieces, and even screams could not be clearly heard.

The guards standing nearby were astonished, finally understanding why this cannon could hit targets from such a distance and shatter so easily.

The marksman was moved aside, shading his eyes with his hand, squinting, and intently looking into the distance.

He had only practiced shooting at Azure Cloud Stronghold before. The village was small and didn't allow for much practice, so the target was set up about a mile away.

Since the start of war preparations, artillery shells have become extremely precious, and his superiors have forbidden him from frequent target practice, so he can only ponder them in his mind.

Yesterday's battle was the first time he truly experienced the thrill of battle, but he didn't know that the cannon could shoot so far and with such power.

He was itching to show off his skills later, but before he could finish his hesitant remark, the cannon was snatched away by the chieftain.

When he saw how far the shells he fired could fly, he stood aside wringing his hands, filled with indescribable regret.

Behind the Government Army, Xiao Chenglie reined in his horse and looked ahead.

The attacking forces, pushing their siege equipment, were steadily approaching the city walls.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, checking for any gaps in the formation, and then observing the movements on the city walls.

He was still wondering why that firearm, which was known for its loud noises and was specifically designed to attack weapons, hadn't made a sound all day.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly saw a flash of fire on the city wall in the distance.

Before he could even react, a sudden heat surged through his chest, as if he had been struck hard by a red-hot iron hammer.

He and his warhorse were thrown into the air by a tremendous force, and everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more.

The booming cannon fire, carried by the wind, finally reached the ears of the Government Army.

Blood splattered across the banner.

His generals, personal guards, standard bearers, and bodyguards, along with their horses, were all caught in a barrage of cannonballs.

Before they could even groan, they collapsed in droves, their flesh and blood mangled.

The huge banner, its flagpole snapped in half, fell to the ground with a whoosh, covering the pile of corpses.

From the distant hillside, Shen Jingchuan could see this scene clearly.

He couldn't help but laugh and curse, saying, "This kid, only today has he figured out the true wonder of this cannon."

"That's too ruthless. This cannon can even penetrate and destroy tanks, and he's using it to shoot people."

He looked at the mangled, bloodied banner and shook his head.

"This completely crippled the command center. The Government Army had no chance to fight back; defeat was inevitable."

Over here, Hu Tieniu emptied both ammunition boxes after firing a full magazine.

He released the trigger, laughed loudly, patted the main gunner on the shoulder, and said, "See that? The Government Army's commander-in-chief has been turned into mincemeat."

"I gave you a chance, but you were too useless and couldn't handle it. This is a major achievement."

The lead archer was a trusted confidant who had fought his way up with him; they were close and bold. He pursed his lips.

"Chief, you're the kind of person who tries to steal credit from us subordinates."

Hu Tieniu raised his hand and slapped him on the helmet with a loud "smack".

"You little brat, you still have complaints about me?"

"Hurry up and smash all those obstructive weapons. Use your bullets sparingly, you hear me?"

The gunner dared not say another word, but he thought to himself: You just came up and used up both boxes of shells, leaving me with nothing to spare.

But he didn't slow down at all, excitedly reclaiming the main shooting position, and replied, "Alright, just you wait and see!"

He loaded a new ammunition belt, turned the cannon around, and aimed at the manhole covers and engineering vehicles that were still being pushed forward.

"Knock knock!"

The cannons flashed repeatedly, and well siege towers, ladders, and catapults were shattered upon contact, one after another falling apart and breaking apart. The nearby Government Army also suffered.

Hu Tieniu returned to the center of the city tower and raised his binoculars to look down.

Watching those well ramps, ladders, and catapults crumble into dust, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

The main gunner, caught up in the action, lowered the cannon and aimed it at the shield bearers in the front row.

The shield-bearers were not far from the city. When this volley of cannonballs swept over them, the large shields shattered instantly, and the men and shields were thrown away.

Once the shield bearers collapsed, the Government Army behind them, who had no cover, were completely exposed.

The crossbowmen on the city wall had been waiting for this moment; they unleashed a volley of arrows, raining down upon the enemy.

The Government Army fell in droves. Just moments before they had marched in orderly ranks, but now they fell like wheat being harvested, one wave after another.

Hu Tieniu saw this, grabbed a large tin megaphone, brought it to his mouth, and took a deep breath.

"Listen up, Government Army! Your commander has been killed by me!"

"The commander's flag has fallen, what's the point of fighting anymore? Surrender now, and we'll spare your lives!"

After shouting, his throat was dry and itchy. He threw down the megaphone, coughed twice, and rubbed his throat.

"You all shout, take turns shouting for me!"

The guards nearby quickly took the megaphone, brought it to their mouths, and shouted along.

At this point, the Government Army attacking the city also became aware of the situation.

The banner behind the formation was still; looking back, the banner had fallen.

Unrest began to stir within the ranks; morale wavered, and the initial drive to charge forward visibly diminished.

However, these Government Army were seasoned veterans, and the lower ranks could still keep the situation under control, while the squad leaders and sentry officers were shouting and cursing.

"What are you looking at! Get the hell up there and attack!"

"Anyone who dares to back down, I'll chop him down!"

Everywhere you looked, there were shouts of command, forcing the soldiers to keep moving forward.

Hu Tieniu then called over one of his generals, Zhang Qing, who was his trusted and fierce general.

Zhang Qing!

Zhang Qing stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Great Chief, your subordinate is here!"

Hu Tieniu said, "Go and line up all the reserves behind the city gate, awaiting my command."

Without hesitation, Zhang Qing replied, "Yes!" and turned to rush down the city wall.

Hu Tieniu leaned against the battlements, staring down at the city walls. He knew that war was all about willpower. Once that willpower shattered, defeat was not far off.

Ten minutes later, seeing that the Government Army were unable to attack or retreat, and their formation was beginning to crumble, he knew that the time was right.

He turned to his personal guard and said, "Go, tell Zhang Qing to open the city gates and break out!"

The guard responded and rushed downstairs.

A moment later, the heavy city gate at the south gate swung open with a loud crash.

Zhang Qing took the lead, leading the long-awaited reserve team, and roared as they charged out.