On the city wall, tall, sturdy soldiers hammered and sawed away, working in full swing. Up close, one could even hear laughter and idle chatter, mostly about how far along they were with construction, what they would eat next, and what style the eaves should have...
"...Hahahaha, take a look, hasn't my craftsmanship improved? See how smoothly and neatly I shaved this wood—smoother than when I chop off heads on the battlefield... Where's my rasp?"
"Has anyone seen my rasp?"
A companion said, "You're sitting on it!"
As soon as those words fell, several people nearby burst out laughing.
Aside from this harmonious scene, one could occasionally see someone among them carrying a log two or three zhang long, leaping and borrowing force to vault from the base of the wall all the way up to the battlements. A glimmer of light seemed to flash beneath his feet, looking suspiciously like the martial qi of a Martial Gall Warrior.
Dozens upon dozens of people were building there, piecing together a simple framework from the watchtowers and battlements that had long since been burned down.
The flag atop the city wall had also been changed to the unfamiliar character "Shen."
The city gate, which had previously been smashed to bits, had been put back in place as well. It hung half-open and half-closed. A group of refugees did not dare approach, instead finding a spot to huddle and hide. They crouched there until both legs went numb, finally waiting for several commoners to emerge from the city carrying shoulder poles. Heavy loads in the bamboo baskets at either end bent the poles down under their weight.
At that moment, another whistle sounded from atop the wall.
The soldiers who had been working stopped one after another and gradually gathered around several