"Kill!!!"
With a furious roar, the armored soldiers began raising siege ladders, preparing to storm Lintao.
The archers on the walls kept firing back, and arrows flew across the battlefield.
In the past, the Shu Kingdom's military equipment had always been on a par with Wei's, with little to choose between them. But now, a gap seemed to have emerged between their equipment.
Jiang Wei watched arrows fly toward his side, his armored soldiers screaming as they fell to the ground, and soon brought this round of the assault to an end.
This was a probing attack on Lintao. Given the strength of Sima Wang's defenses, Jiang Wei's hopes of tearing open Liangzhou's defensive line and sweeping through the entire region were probably unrealistic.
Still, Jiang Wei had to keep the pressure on. Only then could he ensure that more Qiang and Hu could safely escape the Cao Thief's pursuit and gather at his position.
By now, Jiang Wei had successfully taken in more than ten thousand Qiang and Hu troops, greatly bolstering his confidence.
He felt that if he could hold on a little longer, he would be able to bring a large force of elite cavalry back to the Shu Kingdom.
Just as Jiang Wei continued probing and maneuvering, taking in assorted Hu tribesmen, scouts suddenly brought devastating news.
The enemy's main force had appeared behind them and was marching toward Tazhong.
At that moment, Jiang Wei was utterly stunned.
He asked in bewilderment, "General Hu was left to guard the road. How could he possibly let Wei's main force slip past them without a sound?"
Jiang Wei had originally left Hu Ji near Shanggui precisely to watch for Cao Wei's reinforcements, fearing that they might cut off his retreat.
Thus, when he learned that the Wei army