In the spring drizzle, fine as ox hair, a hundred or so crossbowmen sheltered beneath makeshift plank huts atop the eastern wall of Liting City in Qinghe Commandery, spanning their crossbows and setting bolts in readiness. Their leader, Deputy Commandant Han Erlang, one of Assistant Governor of Qinghe Cao Shancheng's trusted generals and a man usually known for his steadiness, also looked pale as he pressed his lips together and watched beyond the walls.
The atmosphere atop the wall was exceptionally tense.
A little over a hundred paces away, on the official road directly opposite the gate's drawbridge, two squads of Exorcising the Dragon Gang cavalry were busy with something in the fine drizzle, which barely obscured the view at all. One squad wore heavy armor, the other light armor. Their movements were casual, their manner relaxed, and they simply stood around the few men doing the work, chatting and laughing.
Many of the riders had bloody heads tied to their horses' necks or behind their saddles. Stripped clothing, armor, and bags also hung from many of the spare mules and horses. Clearly, they had come here after achieving some success in battle, which accounted for their good spirits.
In short, they paid no attention whatsoever to the troops standing in battle readiness on the walls.
This distance lay within theoretical range, but not within effective killing range. Only truly skilled hands, including cultivators, using particular powerful crossbows or heavy bows could achieve anything... and this was precisely what frightened the Qinghe commandery troops and their commander, Han Er, atop the wall.
Of the two groups of Exorcising the Dragon Army riders opposite them, the lightly armored riders were plainly only a border patrol, which was one thing. But every rider in the other, heavily armored group had a leather-covered