As the first half of the night drew to a close, following successive "visits" from Xiong Bonan, Xu Shiren, Dan Tonghai, Wang Shuyong, Niu Da, and the others, the two senior officials in the city agreed in principle, at Xie Minghe's suggestion, to send wine, torches, and other supplies outside the walls to reward the troops.
The results were poor. The troops inside the city remained frightened and unsettled, and in the darkness they showed clear resistance to, and disregard for, the supposed military orders brought by the two officials' attendants. The most critical positions, especially Cangcheng and the barracks, simply kept their gates firmly shut.
The Exorcising the Dragon Army had no choice but to do it themselves. They took some of the firewood and tinder stockpiled on the walls and managed to light a few fires... They had to. As the night deepened, the soldiers grew tired and their singing faded. Many reinforcements arriving afterward blundered into the tightly guarded camps, causing unnecessary casualties. Fortunately, more and more experts from the Exorcising the Dragon Army were arriving to keep the situation under control.
Yet it seemed this was precisely why the government troops decided to wait no longer. "Let's go, while the rebels are at their most exhausted!"
Unexpectedly, Li Shier himself made the suggestion. Even though he had just spoken of knowing when to bend and when to stand tall, the others still looked at him in surprise.
"Don't look at me like that." Though they had not dared light a large fire, the cultivators could still just make out everyone's expressions. Li Qingchen merely sighed before explaining earnestly, "Earlier, I wanted to fight because I thought we still had a chance. Mainly, I believed only the two senior officials had been seized inside the city, and