Pinggang City Gates Bleed and Scab, Ten Thousand Cavalry of Barbarian Corpses Block the Narrow Pass

Meng Wu swept his large hand through the air and gave the order in a deep voice.

Fifty thousand Qin soldiers marched mightily toward Pinggang City. The thunder of hooves shook the wilderness, yet it still could not shatter the deathly silence hanging over that city.

When the Qin Army passed through Pinggang City's gates, the sight before them instantly silenced every officer and soldier. Even their breathing seemed to freeze. Within that vast city, only the mournful wail of wind sweeping through the streets remained.

The streets were strewn with the corpses of Donghu cavalrymen. Clad in their distinctive black leather armor, their stiff bodies lay piled atop one another, nearly blocking the entire road.

Thick blood had soaked into the bluestone pavement and, under the scorching sun, had long congealed into dark brown scabs. Yet it was treacherously slippery beneath one's feet.

The city walls were riddled with enormous craters. Bricks and stones had shattered and sprayed everywhere, while the crater rims still bore scorched, smoke-blackened traces—terrifying scars plainly left by cannon fire.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder, mixed with the foul reek of rotting corpses. The various odors blended into something nauseating, turning the place into a living hell on earth.

"Heavens... just how many people died here...?"

A young Qin soldier could not help muttering, his voice trembling and his eyes filled with fear.

"The Blood-Clad Army truly went on a killing spree this time!"

"Look, nearly all these corpses are Donghu. There are so many of them—they must have wiped out an entire army!"

"The Blood-Clad Army showed some restraint toward the Yan Army. Along the way, any Yan soldiers who surrendered were merely bound and guarded. But these foreign tribes..."

The soldiers' discussions rose and fell, but everyone