The government army swiftly surrounded the city.
Li Shu responded appropriately, and Xiong Bonan's arrival could also be counted as a timely remedy for their most dangerous weakness... The masked expert on the opposing side did indeed appear atop the walls, only to encounter the Purple-Faced Heavenly King, who had long since made his name and enjoyed tremendous renown in Hebei and the Eastern Territories. The two Core Formation experts fought in midair for an entire morning. As both happened to be honorable, levelheaded martial artists, they naturally drew the whole city out to watch.
Li Shu also let his troops watch as they pleased.
After suffering this crushing defeat, no one would make the mistake of underestimating the enemy again. By contrast, many of the routed troops were dispirited, and letting them realize that the Exorcising the Dragon Gang had top experts of its own was a good thing.
It was worth mentioning that Dan Tonghai was not among the dispirited. He struggled up onto the walls, watched for a while, and lost interest. His opponent was in the Core Formation Realm and had long since begun visualization; that simply meant his skills had been inferior. Once his own cultivation rose, he might not lose, and might even avenge that arrow.
By comparison, this chief was more worried about being stripped of every last scrap of military authority.
But Chief Dan himself understood that, in a situation like this, they had to unite against the outside enemy, and unified command was absolutely essential. Thus, his activities were limited to dragging his lame leg and internal injuries around, reassuring wounded men and routed soldiers, and gathering information.
After making his rounds, however, Dan Tonghai, who had not been particularly dispirited that morning, felt utterly powerless by evening. Of his twenty