Three Kingdoms, One Pass

The first cannon shot landed in an empty field outside the pass. It hurt no one, but soldiers on both sides of the city bridge looked up. Xue Beng drew his sword and ordered the Heaven Dou troops to bring the civilians into the city. Dai Mubai stationed the Star Luo Empire soldiers outside the medicine carts at the North Gate, while Bibi Dong had Yue Guan block the old faction's remaining forces from using the chaos to move troops.

The gunner had deliberately chosen an empty patch between the two armies' banners. If either side took the shot for a provocation, they would fire arrows at the other camp next. Xue Beng called back a deputy commander who was eager to attack and told him to escort the coachmen away first. Remembering the forged order from that night on the bridge, the commander stopped arguing and evacuated the women and children along the road nearest the gate.

"Three cannons. Find the gunners first." Tang San handed a fistful of flying needles to an Agility Hall disciple. "Cannons are heavy. Those carts won't move fast."

Zhu Zhuqing had already pursued them into the woodland. The first cannon cart was hidden beneath a tree, its gunner covering the barrel with a Heaven Dou military banner. She dropped through the branches, severed the ignition cord with her claws, then slipped beneath the cart and dragged him out from behind the wheel axle. Dai Mubai arrived and blasted apart a wall of earth at the woodland's edge with a White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, clearing the way for the Star Luo Empire supply troops to haul the cart off.

Scrap iron had been buried on both sides of the cart. When Zhu Zhuqing landed, she heard a mechanism click beneath its wooden wheels