The giant arrow roared like wind and thunder as it crashed into the crossbow mechanism. The arrow and the mechanism shattered together, and the flying fragments pierced the soldiers beside it, killing them on the spot atop the city wall!
Zhao Cheng swept into the fight with his halberd. One swing of the Great Halberd swept across the battlefield, sending countless enemy soldiers flying off the barbican.
Below the barbican lay a trap. Deep pits had been dug into the ground, and countless sharpened bamboo stakes stood upright within them.
Zhao Cheng's Great Halberd fell like the Milky Way spilling across the wilderness, using the enemy's flesh and blood to fill the pits. After a furious charge, the deep pits were more than half filled.
Everyone atop the barbican was trembling with fear.
They had dug those pits themselves, never imagining they would become their own burial ground!
Seeing that the traps no longer posed a threat, Zhao Cheng kept sweeping the enemy soldiers off the wall and using them as projectiles, hurling them into the defenders gathered before the city gate. In an instant, the soldiers were knocked sprawling, leaving the wall deserted and throwing the area behind the gate into even greater chaos.
"Killed them all?"
Then he would go below and kill some more.
Zhao Cheng leaped down and charged straight behind the city gate. One swing of his halberd split seven or eight men in two.
This time, the enemy soldiers behind the gate were terrified too.
Just then, a towering, black-faced man who had been bracing himself against the city gate turned around. His eyes went wide with fury.
"Damn it! Are you all useless? How'd you let someone kill his way in here!?"
He spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, broad-backed and powerfully built, a head taller than the soldiers around him. He had been holding the gate back with his own body for a long time, and only now realized something was wrong.
He swept a huge hand out, shoving the soldiers around him aside, then grabbed a long halberd from nearby and charged at Zhao Cheng.
"Let me take you on!"
The man was already as huge and imposing as a black bear. As he charged, he was like a battering ram; even the Han soldiers in his path were sent flying.
He was a fierce warrior indeed.
The soldiers who had been preparing to flee stopped in their tracks, hope lighting their eyes.
"Wonderful! Lord Chai Lie is a fierce warrior the general brought from Xinzheng. With him, we can surely hold back that demon!"
"If Captain Chai didn't have the vital duty of guarding the city gate, how could this bandit have been allowed to run rampant?"
"Captain Chai can lift a ding with his strength. He's as strong as ten men and can kill a black bear all by himself!"
Beneath the soldiers' expectant gazes, Chai Lie charged up to Zhao Cheng. His advance was like a boulder rolling down a mountainside, and his long halberd came crashing down with a fierce whoosh!
The young man stood firm, raising his halberd one-handed to block.
Boom!
Chai Lie's long halberd slammed into Zhao Cheng's braced Great Halberd with a thunderous crash.
The long halberd instantly bent and sprang back, trembling under the immense force. Even Chai Lie's arm went numb from the impact, but Zhao Cheng's Great Halberd did not budge an inch. The arm holding it one-handed did not tremble in the slightest.
He stood as steady as ever, towering like a mountain.
Feeling that rock-solid strength, Chai Lie's expression changed dramatically.
What a freak!
All this time, his strength had been second to none in the army. He charged into battle with blood and courage, and no one could stop him.
If not for his bad temper and somewhat slow wits, he would have become a general long ago.
Yet his full-force strike had been stopped by a young man—and with one hand, without the slightest effort!
Just how strong was this kid!?
As Chai Lie stared in shock, Zhao Cheng moved.
Still holding his halberd one-handed, he gave it a light flick.
Chai Lie suddenly felt a force like a mountain collapsing. The long halberd in his hands was flung into the air, leaving his guard wide open. Zhao Cheng's Great Halberd surged straight through and came to rest against his throat.
Chai Lie swallowed. The bobbing of his Adam's apple brought a sharp sting.
His arm had begun to ache and tremble from the tremendous force of their clash.
He stared, utterly dejected, at the calm young man before him, a wave of defeat washing over him.
He had trained through the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, honing his body for nearly thirty years, only to be effortlessly defeated by a young man.
He could hardly accept it.
The surrounding soldiers found it even harder to believe.
"Th-this is it? He's lost already?"
"How can this young man be so strong? Captain Chai couldn't even last one exchange?"
"I saw him give the slightest flick, and Captain Chai's long halberd went flying. No wonder he can charge through our army like this—the difference in strength is enormous..."
"It's over. Surrender. If even Captain Chai can't beat him, he'll kill us like chickens."
Clang, clatter.
Quite a few soldiers dropped their weapons and knelt to surrender.
Just then, a thunderous crash rang out!
The city gate was suddenly smashed open, and the army surged inside.
Meng Tian led the charge, fighting his way forward as he shouted, "Kill! Support the Assault Cavalry Commandant!"
"Ah Cheng, where are you... Huh!?"
The Qin Army poured in, charging wildly, then suddenly came to a halt.
The scene fell silent. Meng Tian looked a little awkward.
The enemy soldiers before him were kneeling everywhere, while Zhao Cheng stood in their midst, holding his halberd in one hand and pinning down the enemy general, who looked like a great black bear. The man did not dare move.
It was a peaceful sight. Zhao Cheng had cowed the entire field by himself. He did not need anyone's support at all.
"You're here?"
Zhao Cheng looked at Meng Tian. "The barbican has fallen. Push inside—the fighting on the walls is still fierce!"
Zhao Cheng had fought only at the eastern city gate. Elsewhere, the Qin Army was still locked in a fierce siege, and many Han soldiers were continuing to resist to the death.
But after the general and deputy general had died, the Han Army was leaderless, and its resistance was growing weaker by the moment.
At Zhao Cheng's words, Meng Tian immediately led his troops into the city, joining forces with the besieging army outside.
The barbican had fallen, and Zhao Cheng had filled in the traps. The Qin soldiers reached the city wall without breaking a sweat, while the enemy fell back step by step.
At the city gate, Zhao Cheng looked at Chai Lie as if he had thought of something. He did not seem in a hurry to kill him.
"Not bad strength. Are you convinced?"
Chai Lie's eyes narrowed. He gritted his teeth and said stubbornly, "No!"
Zhao Cheng grew a little interested and drew back his Great Halberd. "Then try again. I'll give you three chances."
"After that, you either submit or die."
"Make me submit? Never!"
At his words, Chai Lie flew into a rage and took up his stance. His legs planted themselves like the roots of a great tree. He drove off the ground, twisted his waist, rolled his shoulders, and whipped his elbow around, sending his long halberd lashing out like a dragon. Even in midair, it bent under the tremendous force.
Zhao Cheng again braced his Great Halberd one-handed.
Clang!
Crack!
The Great Halberd still did not move an inch, but the long halberd bent to its limit before suddenly snapping. Its upper half flew away.
Looking at Zhao Cheng's completely unharmed Great Halberd, Chai Lie could not help feeling envious. Even so, he said, "I'm not convinced. Your weapon is better!"
"Stubborn," Zhao Cheng said with a smile. He drove the Great Halberd into the ground, burying it three feet deep, then beckoned to Chai Lie. "I won't use a weapon. Go pick one up and try again."
"If you're not using a weapon, neither am I!" Chai Lie choked back his frustration and charged at Zhao Cheng like a black bear, swinging a fist at his head.
That fist was truly as large as a clay pot.
Zhao Cheng raised his right hand and pressed down lightly!
Thump!
Chai Lie's heavy punch was like a bull made of mud sinking into the sea. Zhao Cheng held it firmly in place.
And despite Chai Lie's full-force strike, Zhao Cheng did not sway in the slightest. Chai Lie's eyes widened, his mind reeling in disbelief.
"Are you a Qi Refiner?"
Zhao Cheng raised an eyebrow, catching the key piece of information.
But he did not answer. Instead, he pressed down on Chai Lie's fist. The towering man immediately cried out in pain and dropped to his knees as if a golden mountain had fallen and a jade pillar had toppled.
"Are you convinced?"
"No."
"You have one chance left."
Zhao Cheng released his hand. Chai Lie counterattacked at once!
Thump!
Chai Lie was slapped to the ground, grimacing in pain.
"Are you convinced?"
"I—"
Zhao Cheng swung his Great Halberd toward Chai Lie, about to split him in two!
Chai Lie quickly changed his answer. "I'm done fighting. I'm convinced!"
The Great Halberd stopped steadily just before Chai Lie's forehead. His eyes widened in horror. As death loomed, he suddenly realized that submitting to Zhao Cheng was not so hard to accept after all.
At the very least, this man was clearly far stronger than he was. If he followed him, perhaps he could even learn the ways of Qi Refining.
Zhao Cheng put away his Great Halberd and ordered, "Get up and kill the enemy with me. Once you've killed a hundred men, you'll be my household slave. Otherwise, you still die."
"How can you—"
Chai Lie was about to say something, but when he saw Zhao Cheng's gaze, he quickly changed tack. "Be so wise!"
"Let's go kill the enemy right now. I can hardly wait."
Zhao Cheng could not help laughing. I still prefer the way you were before, all arrogant and defiant.
Chai Lie seemed to have flipped some kind of switch. He picked up a long halberd from the ground and immediately hacked down a Han soldier. Apparently finding that too dull, he pounded off outside, caught up with a Han Centurion, and struck him down in a single blow!
"Ha! You bastard sons of dogs! I've been sick of you for ages!"
"Doing nothing all day but throwing your weight around!"
The more he killed, the more fired up he became. He followed Zhao Cheng onto the city wall, using his familiarity with the place to find several captains hiding among the ordinary soldiers and chop them down on the spot.
"Chai Lie! You've betrayed us!"
"You bastard! A bunch of useless wretches think you're my equal?" Chai Lie had gone wild with killing. He searched all around. "Where's your general? Where's Han Jiang!?"
"I'm going to butcher him!"
Zhao Cheng stared in astonishment. What a turncoat! His very first act after changing sides was to want to kill his own former boss.
As he fought and seized lifespans, he said to Chai Lie, "I killed Han Jiang. Find all the officers you know and kill them."
Chai Lie snorted. "Hmph. I don't kill just anyone. There are still some loyal and brave men in the Han Army!"
"Hm?" Zhao Cheng glanced over.
Chai Lie immediately lowered his head again. "I mean, those loyal and brave men might still be useful. Why not have them serve as household slaves for you too, sir?"
Zhao Cheng found this amusing. He finally understood how someone with Chai Lie's courage had managed to remain only a captain until now.
Even after being beaten into submission, the man still had no filter.
"Then go find them and bring them to me."
"Understood!"
The two of them fought as if no one else was there. Chai Lie alone was already a fierce warrior capable of facing a thousand men.
If Zhao Cheng had not been there, Chai Lie could have held the city gate by himself for a long time, giving the Qin Army serious trouble.
Moreover, he had considerable prestige in the army. Now that he had switched sides, the enemy fled at the mere sight of him.
Chai Lie killed with growing relish, venting all the pent-up frustration in his heart. Little by little, he began to appreciate the benefits of changing sides.
After slaughtering his way through the enemy for a while, he found more loyal Han officers and hauled them back to Zhao Cheng to report.
There were seven in all. They were imposing and powerfully built, and each had stubbornly led his troops in resistance. Without them, the Han Army would have collapsed completely long ago.
After Chai Lie dragged them out, the Han Army quickly fell apart. Before long, the soldiers began fleeing into the city or kneeling in surrender, laying down their weapons.
The Qin Army hunted down the remaining stragglers, gathered the prisoners, and swiftly occupied Ye County.
The siege had gone so smoothly that many officers found it hard to believe.
This wasn't a siege at all. It was practically an outing.
But everyone also understood that it was not because they were so strong.
It was because Zhao Cheng had descended like a divine weapon upon the enemy city wall, killed their general, then broken through the barbican and seized the city gate. That was why they had won so easily and suffered so few casualties.
The soldiers were grateful to Zhao Cheng and spontaneously spread word of his exploits, making his reputation grow more and more legendary.
But when it came time to tally the military merits, Meng Wu found himself in a difficult position.
Everyone else's was easy enough to verify. Squad Leaders, Wuzhang, and other junior officers had recorded and checked the numbers, so each soldier had a count of how many enemies he had killed.
But Zhao Cheng had charged back and forth across the city walls alone, moving like the wind. Every swing of his halberd took down a whole swath of enemies. He had killed too many, too quickly, and later charged into the barbican and behind the city gate as well.
The number of enemies he had killed could no longer be counted. They could only estimate.
Then there were the more than two thousand enemies he had killed the night before while charging through Ye County.
All told, the estimate was already four or five thousand.
And that was before adding all his other military achievements: obtaining intelligence as a spy, infiltrating the city wall and killing the general, breaking through the barbican from within, and seizing the city gate.
Put on paper, his military record was already shocking.
If Meng Wu had not seen it with his own eyes, even he would have found it hard to believe.
It was hard to imagine what kind of uproar this report would cause when it reached Xianyang.
There was no way around it. It sounded so much like a fabrication that if they sent this thing to Xianyang, the military officials and the Minister of Titles would never believe it!
Meng Wu sat in his tent, brooding for a long while. Then he picked up his brush and began writing a letter to Ying Zheng.
"To His Majesty, the King: Your servant Meng Wu bows his head. I respectfully report matters concerning the frontier..."
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