Besieging the city

As the hatred subsided, Xu Qi'an re-examined the battle and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a deep coldness rising in his heart.

With his logical reasoning ability, after listening to Zhang Kaitai's description, he had already reconstructed the battle in his mind.

At the heart of this battle is the sorcerer god.

A game of strategy and war unfolds with the sorcerer god at its core.

Aiding the demons and barbarians was merely a pretext; Wei Yuan's true aim was to deal with the Witch God (the reason is unknown), while the late emperor and the Witch God Cult sought to protect the Witch God.

The layout made by the Witch God Cult based on this is as follows:

The late emperor hindered the army from behind, cutting off their food supplies and reinforcements once they entered enemy territory, thus wearing down Wei Yuan's forces and pushing the Great Feng soldiers into an abyss of no return.

Subsequently, two Rank 3 Spiritual Wisdom Masters, one Rank 1 Grand Wizard, and one Rank 2 Tribulation Transcending Master made the final move. As long as Wei Yuan's forces were weakened to a certain extent, they would inevitably take action.

Wei Yuan's response was to massacre cities along the way, sustaining the war through warfare, and pushing all the way to the heart of Yan State, with his army at the gates of the capital, even without food or military supplies.

Then, he feigned an attack on one route while secretly using a waterway to outflank the enemy.

From this perspective, Wei Yuan anticipated that the imperial court would be a hindrance. Therefore, he prepared from the beginning to fight a swift war, leaving no way out, not needing supplies, plundering the local area to sustain the war effort, and directly pushing towards the stronghold of the Witch God Cult.

In the final decisive battle, Wei Yuan faced four super masters. If he were only a second-rank martial artist, he would have no chance of defeating the four, let alone fighting to the death with the Witch God.

Wei Yuan had also considered this point; he had something to rely on: the Confucian sage.

Everyone thought this battle was about aiding the demons and maintaining balance, but who could have imagined there was a deeper purpose behind it? The Witch God Cult used a scheme to lure their enemies into a trap. Duke Wei also used a scheme to his advantage, summoning the Confucian Sage to wipe out the Witch God Cult's headquarters. The game and scheming involved were truly chilling.

Xu Qi'an muttered to himself.

He still had a few questions unanswered. For example, since Duke Wei was a martial artist at the Dao Integration Realm, a terrifyingly powerful being at a non-human level, why did he keep a low profile for so many years, publicly declaring that he had no cultivation and was just an ordinary person?

For example, why did the late emperor ally with the Witchcraft Cult to kill Wei Yuan? While a second-rank official like Wei Yuan was indeed terrifying, could one really expect to gain anything by dealing with a tiger?

Given the relationship between Wei Yuan and the Empress, the late Emperor could use this as leverage in negotiations. Moreover, with a high-ranking official overseeing things, maintaining overall stability wouldn't be difficult.

On the contrary, sending one's own soldiers and generals into the enemy's clutches would obviously have far greater consequences.

Xu Qi'an recalled a familiar question: Why has Your Majesty rebelled?

This is what puzzled him at that moment.

Finally, why did Wei Yuan, prepared to die in battle, capture the headquarters of the Witch God Cult?

It turns out I don't even have the ability to collect his body. Xu Qi'an a pang of pain in his heart.

Amidst his turbulent thoughts, he took a deep breath. "Duke Wei has been biding his time all along?"

Zhang Kaitai hummed in agreement, his gaze lingering on the entrance to the military tent, and slowly said:

"After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, Duke Wei had a secret meeting with His Majesty, and then he crippled his own cultivation. At the time, we couldn't understand it, and we still can't understand it now. We never imagined that Duke Wei had already secretly resumed his Martial Dao. Although he died in battle, I am still very gratified."

"Even a clay pot will break when it leaves the well, and a general is bound to die on the battlefield. To die on the battlefield as an unparalleled hero, I have no regrets for Duke Wei."

Xu Qi'an then asked, "Besides Yang Yan and Jiang Luzhong, you are the only Jinluo who survived. What are your plans for the future?"

"Once you become Nightwatchers, you'll be Nightwatchers for life." Zhang Kaitai tilted his head and looked at him. "And you?"

His response was silence.

At this moment, a lieutenant rushed in, his face filled with anxiety, and shouted, "Commander, scouts report that the Yan and Kang kingdoms have amassed 80,000 troops and are heading towards Yuyang Pass. They will be at the city gates in no more than half an hour!"

Zhang Kaitai's expression changed. "Who is leading the army?"

The lieutenant said in a deep voice, "Yan Jun, Nurhega."

Zhang Kaitai was taken aback and fell silent. He then gave the order:

"Summon officers of the rank of centurion and above for a meeting, order all soldiers to the city walls, and have the militia immediately go to the warehouses to move defensive equipment and supplies."

He issued instructions skillfully and calmly, but his stern expression revealed the heavy burden in his heart.

A moment later, a dozen or so generals clad in armor and carrying swords entered the military tent, bowed to Xu Qi'an and Zhang Kaitai, and took their seats.

Having probably learned that the armies of Yan and Kang were about to besiege the city, the generals all had serious expressions and did not exchange many pleasantries with Xu Qi'an.

Zhang Kaitai looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "The counterattack from the Yan and Kang kingdoms has arrived. It seems that the Witch God Sect is determined to fight to the death with our Great Feng."

Those present were all experienced generals with a keen sense of warfare. After retreating to Yuyang Pass, they conducted a situation analysis.

The Witch God Cult suffered heavy losses in this battle, losing seven cities in succession. There was too much to deal with aftermath. Under such circumstances, the correct approach was to deploy troops to repair the breached cities while sending scouts to keep a close watch on the border.

It is unlikely that war will break out in the short term; on the contrary, it would mean that the Witch God Cult will fight the Great Feng to the death.

"We don't have enough troops."

"The grain supplies are also insufficient. After Chen Ying killed those corrupt officials in the Ministry of Revenue, he learned that the grain supplies had not been delivered at all; those corrupt officials in the Ministry of Revenue deliberately concealed this from us."

"Treason and collusion with the enemy deserve the execution of the entire family. Our brothers are fighting desperately at the front, and these corrupt officials stab us in the back. They're sons of bitches."

Zhang Kaitai tapped the table, steer the conversation back on track, and said:

"What we need to do now is hold Yuyang Pass, and then send a report to the imperial court so that they can quickly send troops to support us. But food is a problem; the grain in the warehouses won't last until reinforcements arrive."

One general pondered for a moment and said, "Yuzhou has always been a grain-producing area, and the local people will not lack food. We can requisition grain from them. We no longer trust those corrupt officials, so we will send our own people to requisition grain."

Zhang Kaitai frowned. "This is against the rules, and the people may not be willing either. In the end, we might be branded as tyrannical and give civil officials ammunition to impeach us."

"They'll be willing."

The local general said, word by word, "The imperial court may have forgotten the debt from forty years ago, but the people of our three prefectures will not forget it."

With the issue of provisions settled, the generals turned their attention to the problem of troop strength.

They all looked worried and frowning.

"Given the speed at which the imperial court can mobilize troops, can our 16,000-plus men hold out?"

Unlike the barbarians, who rely on corpses to build sieges, the Witch God Cult possesses siege equipment. A small portion of this equipment is manufactured by themselves, while the rest is smuggled from the Great Feng arsenal.

During the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the Witch God Sect, after much painful reflection, summarized the reasons for their defeat and concluded that the Great Feng's ability to dominate the land was primarily due to its heavy weapons of mass destruction.

So they secretly colluded with officials of the Great Feng to embezzle military equipment, then dismantled and imitated it. Over the years, they also learned to manufacture many siege weapons.

Including gunpowder.

However, the Witch God Cult did not have Warlock. The siege weapons, cannons, and crossbows they manufactured were all ordinary objects, while the Great Feng's were Law Artifact, and their destructive power was incomparable.

"We must hold on, even if we can't. The Witch God Cult is just a paper tiger. If we repel them this time, we win. If we can't repel them, we must inflict heavy damage on them, crippling them completely. Just like the Battle of Shanhai Pass, let them never recover for twenty years."

"The worst that can happen is death."

As he spoke, Zhang Kaitai's deputy glanced at his direct superior and said in a deep voice:

"That bastard Chen Ying left the camp without permission. Now we only have a handful of fourth-rank experts left, it will be difficult to stop them. I remember Nurhega is a fourth-rank expert, a dual fourth-rank in both Martial Dao and the Sorcerer System."

These words caused the generals present to frown, and the atmosphere became heavy.

"Knock knock."

Xu Qi'an tapped on the table, attracting everyone's attention, and asked, "Dual cultivation of Martial Dao and wizardry? Who is this Nurhega?"

To be honest, he's seen a lot these days, but he's rarely encountered people with this kind of dual system.

Somewhat surprised.

Cultivation is so difficult; struggling within one system is already incredibly challenging, so where would one find the extra energy to cultivate another system?

Zhang Kaitai answered his question, "The succession of the throne in the vassal states of the Witch God Sect is different from that in the Central Plains. In the system of the Yan, Jing, and Kang kingdoms, political affairs were handled by ministers, while the monarch held military power. Therefore, the monarchs of each dynasty were all brave and unparalleled warriors and veterans who had fought on the battlefield."

Above both of these, there is a third-rank master from the Witch God Cult who serves as the Imperial Advisor. The Imperial Advisor does not concern himself with military or political affairs, but he is the person with the greatest power in the country. Except for the inability to depose or install the monarch, the Imperial Advisor has the power to decide and veto all matters. The monarch is actually more like a commander who controls the country's military forces.

No wonder Xiahou Yushu, the ruler of Jing, is hailed as a military genius second only to the Duke Wei. I've always wondered, for these two, being emperor is just a side job? And it really is just a side job!

Xu Qi'an nodded in realization, having roughly understood the class system where divine authority was supreme.

Zhang Kaitai continued:

"Nurhega is the current Flame Lord. His overall planning ability may not be as good as Xiahou Yushu's, but in terms of personal combat strength, even two Xiahou Yushus would not be his match. Nurhega is not only at the peak of the fourth rank, but also at the peak of the fourth rank in two systems."

"Before we set out, we were even prepared to replace him with two or three fourth-rank officials. Who would have thought..."

Who would have thought we couldn't even conquer Yandu?

Xu Qi'an calmly glanced at the generals present. Seeing their solemn expressions, as if they had become somewhat negative and frustrated because of Zhang Kaitai's story, he immediately nodded and did not ask any further questions.

Listening to comrades describe the enemy's strength is a very demoralizing experience.

Xu Qi'an had no experience in warfare, so he stopped participating and pondered with his eyes half-closed.

His silence greatly disappointed several generals who knew Xu Yinluo was a master of military strategy.

A peak fourth-grade opponent with dual systems is a bit difficult to deal with. Xu Qi'an weighed the options in his mind and realized that he did not have the ability to defeat his opponent.

First, the combination of methods from different systems can produce a qualitative change. Just like Xu Qi'an, who temporarily became an "all-rounder" by relying on Confucian School Law Technique books, and single-handedly subdued Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen.

At that time, he was two ranks lower than the other two.

Secondly, there are also strong and weak fourth-rank experts. Li Miaozhen, a rising star who has only been promoted to the fourth rank for half a year, would basically be beaten down when she encounters peak fourth-rank experts.

What does it mean to reach the peak of the fourth rank in a dual-system setup?

Below the third rank, there aren't many who can defeat him.

"My Heaven and Earth Slash combined with the Peace Blade can pose a threat to a fourth-rank expert, but only to a relatively weak fourth-rank expert like Li Miaozhen. Moreover, I may not be able to hit the opponent. The intimidating effect of the Buddhist School Lion's Roar is ineffective against a wizard who is proficient in the primordial Primordial Spirit realm. If I can't land that slash, I'm doomed."

"Even Master Shenshu didn't wake up. You can never wake someone who's AFK, even if they say 'nmsl' (a vulgar expression)."

"The Confucian School magic book is a very powerful support, but without the protection of Vast Righteous Qi, if I use it too aggressively, I'll die first. If I don't use it aggressively enough, I can't kill a peak fourth-rank dual-system expert at all."

After carefully examining his methods, Xu Qi'an felt somewhat discouraged.

Without any special abilities, it's extremely difficult, almost impossible, for a fifth-rank cultivator to kill a peak fourth-rank cultivator with two powerful systems.

Even if he joined forces with Li Miaozhen and Zhang Kaitai, the three of them together would definitely be able to defeat Nurhega, but the armies of Yan and Kang are not lacking in experts, and there are 80,000 of them.

Outside Yuyang Pass.

Under a clear blue sky, on a desolate plain, a densely packed army slowly advanced, consisting of artillery, infantry, and cavalry, in distinct ranks.

In front of the artillery were six enormous siege engines, pulled by twenty-eight crossbowmen. These siege engines were manufactured by the Yan Kingdom based on blueprints leaked by the Ministry of War.

It can be raised and lowered, reaching a maximum height of seven zhang (approximately 13 meters), which is sufficient to handle the height of most city walls. As for those buildings located in strategic passes, even if the height is sufficient, the siege engines cannot get in.

This is also why Wei Yuan did not bring siege engines when attacking the city. The passes of Yan Kingdom are dangerous and rely heavily on terrain, so siege engines would not be of any use.

In the cavalry formation, Nurhega rode on the back of a large, strange beast that resembled a horse, covered in black scales, with a single, sharp horn protruding from its forehead.

The unicorn-scaled beast of Yasukuni.

Nurhega's mount was no ordinary unicorn-scaled beast; it was a sibling of Xiahou Yushu's beloved steed, both offspring of the spirit Demon Beast from the Jingguo Horse Ranch.

"Brother Red Bear, Yuyang Pass is defended by less than 20,000 troops. How long do you estimate it will take to capture it?"

Nurhega, his temples graying, turned his head and looked at the rider beside him.

He was a burly man wearing black armor, with a vertical scar on his left cheek that ran from his eyebrow to his chin. This scar not only disfigured him but also destroyed one of his eyes.

Therefore, he is one-eyed.

This one-eyed man was of equally noble status; he was the younger brother of the King of Kang, Sugudu Red Bear.

Red Bear, true to his name.

This person is exceptionally talented and possesses astonishing strength. When he was at the Essence Refining Realm, he once broke the bones and tendons of a Qi Refining Realm martial artist with a single punch.

From the highest levels of government to the lowest levels of society in Kangguo, this person's cultivation level ranks among the top twenty.

Sugudu Red Bear squinted, gazing at the majestic walls of Yuyang Pass, and grinned. "At most half a month."

Nurhega shook his head. "I said five days, but of course, if things go as I expect, then perhaps three days will be enough."

Sugudu Red Bear frowned as he looked at him.

Nurhega laughed, "Wei Yuan is dead, and the morale of the Great Feng soldiers is low. Seeing our 80,000 troops at the city gates is another blow. Besides, most of the Great Feng's high-ranking martial artists have already perished in Jingshan City. How many experts can a small place like Yuyang Pass possibly have? Even if there are, are they enough for us to kill?"

Sugudu Red Bear nodded slowly.

The burly, middle-aged man continued:

"Furthermore, our soldiers are in high spirits. Wei Yuan is at the main altar, and the Great Feng God has died at our Witch God Sect's main altar. From another perspective, isn't that very inspiring?"

Their attack on Yuyang Pass was carried out on orders from the main altar of the Witch God Cult. The order conveyed by Grand Preceptor Yilbu was concise and to the point: Kill!

Kill!

Kill as many as you can, kill as many as you can.

The massacre that occurred forty years ago is being repeated across thousands of miles.

Nurhega gazed at the Great Feng banners fluttering atop the city walls, squinted, and chuckled:

"Wei Yuan slaughtered the people of my Yan Kingdom and shook the destiny of my Witch God Cult. Now, it is our turn to shake the destiny of the Great Feng."

It's very simple to shake the fate of the nation: war and killing.

A nation is made up of individuals. The larger the population, the stronger the fortune. It is self-evident which has a stronger fortune: a small country with tens of thousands of people or a large country with tens of millions of people.

The allied forces of Yan and Kang stopped; the sounds of footsteps, wheels, and clashing armor all vanished, leaving only silence.

Xu Qi'an, along with generals such as Zhang Kaitai, ascended the city wall and looked down into the distance. The 80,000 troops were arrayed neatly, like neatly cut blocks of tofu.

These 80,000 troops seemed as small as a swarm of ants, yet their dense, dark mass was equally suffocating, creating a sense of oppression like a tidal wave.

The soldiers guarding the city wall had solemn expressions, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Zhang Kaitai, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his expression solemn, looked down at the army below the city and said in a deep voice:

"The Witch God Cult is different from the Demon Barbarians. The Demon Barbarians have nothing but cavalry. When we charge and fight against them on the battlefield, we lose more often than we win. But the Demon Barbarians are also sensible and rarely attack cities."

"But the Witch God Cult has cannons, crossbows, siege weapons, and infantry skilled in swarming attacks."

Xu Qi'an suggested, "Didn't you say that Duke Wei broke through the heart of Yan? Yan had already suffered heavy losses, and now he's amassing troops. Ha, how many troops can he possibly deploy?"

"Perhaps their ranks are currently quite weak. Could we outflank them and launch a surprise attack on the Yan Kingdom's capital?"

Zhang Kaitai shook his head. "It's not that simple. Nurgahe isn't stupid. He must have left a minimum number of troops to defend the city, and then implemented a scorched-earth policy. We have a limited number of artillery pieces, and we can't afford to engage in a siege."

"What if we run out of cannons before we even capture the city? Wouldn't that be a double loss? Even the Duke Wei couldn't capture the capital of Yan Kingdom in a short time, let alone us."

"If we attack other cities, the battle lines will be stretched too thin, and the enemy can easily cut off our supplies, making the brothers we sent out sacrifice in vain."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly.

At this moment, he saw a rider step out of the ranks. With his eyesight, he could vaguely make out that it was a burly man with white temples, sharp eyes like knives, and a fierce aura.

He rode a magnificent and ferocious black-scaled beast.

Nurhega? He made a guess in his mind.

Then, including Xu Qi'an, the soldiers guarding the city wall saw the King of Yan raise his sword, turn his horse around, and roar at his army:

"Young men of Yan, half a month ago, the Great Feng army invaded our territory, massacring seven cities. Our parents and brothers were slaughtered, and our homes were burned to ashes. Have you forgotten this deep-seated hatred?"

The Yan army roared with overwhelming fury, "We haven't forgotten!"

Nurhega continued to roar:

"This is our hatred, but not our shame. Half a month ago, Wei Yuan died in battle in Jingshan City and was killed by our Witch God Sect. He paid the price for his actions with his own life. The mighty God of Great Feng Dynasty is nothing more than this."

"The Great Feng's proud military god was easily killed by our Witch God Cult, becoming a stepping stone for our fame throughout the land. Now, it's time for the weak Great Feng to taste our wrath."

"We must let the Great Feng know that the territory of the Witch God Sect is inviolable, and those who kill our people will pay with their blood."

With each word he spoke, the morale and confidence of the Yan soldiers rose.

In the end, their momentum was overwhelming.

The Kang Kingdom army was also affected by this, and their morale soared.

This speech was very successful because it had a solid foundation and strong evidence: Wei Yuan was killed by our Witch God Cult!

In the two weeks following the end of the Battle of Jingshan City, the three kingdoms of Yan, Kang, and Jing widely publicized the news of Wei Yuan's execution at the headquarters, which greatly excited the people, soldiers, and even martial arts practitioners of the three kingdoms.

Regardless of whether the propaganda of the witchcraft cult is suspected of downplaying the important issues, the facts are the facts.

The people of Yan, in particular, were overjoyed upon hearing this news.

That legendary Great Feng, who was so renowned in the Battle of Shanhai Pass that even the veterans who participated in the battle trembled at his name, was still killed by our Witch God Cult.

The initially resentful people turned from anger to joy, and the army, which had lost confidence, regained its fighting spirit.

On the city wall, Xu Qi'an's face was gloomy.

Nurhega pointed his blade at Yuyang Pass and shouted, "Attack the city!"

At a single command, the war began.

The two infantry units of ten thousand men each from the Yan and Kang kingdoms led the charge, pushing three siege engines, carrying ladders over ten meters long, and wielding battering rams weighing hundreds of kilograms.

Behind them, archers, cannons, and crossbowmen opened fire simultaneously, providing cover for the infantry's assault on the city.

On the city wall, drums thundered and horns blared.

Boom, boom, boom!

The cannons mounted on the parapet fired in succession, each shell crashing into the enemy ranks, causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere, and limbs to scatter.

Boom, boom, boom!

The ballista fired with a clear, resonant sound, sending bolts of white light shooting into the distance. While the crossbow bolts were less lethal than artillery, their range and penetrating power were superior.

Therefore, the crossbow bolts were aimed at artillery, crossbow carts, and enemy experts at a greater distance.

Beneath the copper skin and iron bones of a sixth-rank warrior, no martial artist could withstand a single strike from Law Artifact crossbow bolt.

Even a sixth-rank soldier would be seriously injured if he took a single arrow.

In addition to cannons and ballistae, thousands of soldiers drew their bows and fired arrows downwards.

Within half an incense stick's time, more than a thousand infantrymen had died in the charge.

The sounds of battle cries, screams, cannon fire, and crossbow bolts mingled together to create a bloody and gruesome scene.

Only siege engines can advance slowly.

The siege engine was enormous, with a frame made of a mixture of steel and wood, so even if it took a few hits, it wouldn't suffer much damage. It was also guarded by high-ranking warriors to protect it from cannon fire and crossbow bolts.

Each siege engine's steel compartment houses nearly a hundred elite soldiers.

Once these men reach the top of the city wall, they can quickly create an opening in the barrage of fire, relieving the pressure on the soldiers climbing and swarming below.

Xu Qi'an, who was staring at the soldiers attacking the city below, turned his gaze and noticed that a siege engine was approaching the city wall.

The artillerymen hurriedly raised their cannons and aimed at the siege engine.

Several shells struck it, causing it to tremble violently and develop cracks, but they couldn't destroy it.

Peace!

Xu Qi'an gently patted his lower back.

The Taiping Blade was drawn with a clang and whistled away. The dark golden blade light was as swift as a thread, lightly slicing across several load-bearing pillars. The next moment, with a series of "cracks", the siege engine was torn to pieces.

The heavy steel hull crashed down, killing dozens of infantrymen.

The peerless divine weapon is indestructible.

On the city wall, the surrounding Great Feng soldiers erupted in loud cheers, shouting "Xu Yinluo!" and their morale soared.

In the distance, within the cavalry ranks, Nurhega frowned, looked around, and asked, "Who is that person?"