"Kill them!"
"Charge!"
The Xiongnu, boasting high atop their horses, excitedly brandishing their curved swords, initiated yet another bloody quarrel.
Witnessing the city gates being breached and the devastated town contained within,
The commanding general of the court, with desperate resolve in his heart, croaked out loudly to the remaining soldiers, "The civilians behind us haven't fled the city yet! We can't retreat!"
"Defend to the death! Do not back down!"
The horse voices of the soldiers behind him echoed the clarion call across the heavens.
"We will not back down!"
"We will not back down!"
"......"
The general was the first to charge into the fray, his untamed yell shaking the skies,
“Soldiers, charge!”
"Even if we die, let's drag some of these bastard's sons down with us!"
All soldiers, without the slightest hesitation, took up their arms and joined the charge.
Some killed until their eyes turned blood red, they began to count down, one, two.
With a "thud,"
A head was lobbed off, flying into the great void above.
Killing two of the Xiongnu - a two for one deal - it was worth it!
“Hahaha, I got five, it’s worthy!”
Elsewhere, a soldier was laughing before his death, his laughter filled with relief, filled with a sense of exhilaration.
Facing death, the only thought occupying their minds and eyes was how many enemies they had taken down.
After all, anything more than one was a fair trade!
What was there to fear in death!
The general, after a tiring bout of killing, was covered in blood, his hand trembling incessantly, drained...
He knew, he had expended all his strength!
Without any energy, he was like a lamb waiting for slaughter in front of the enemy.
The general reluctantly closed his eyes: Wife, I can't keep my promise, I can't return home safely!
Take good care of our child!
Let him grow up!
Don't let him learn martial arts in the future!
There is never a happy ending for warriors!
Just when he prepared to embrace death, an unexpected transition happened—
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"......"
“Ah!!! What is that?”
Sounds of dozens of thunderous booms went off outside the city.
The Xiongnu, who had never witnessed firearms, were blown into smithereens within moments, a inexplicable panic erupted among the crowd.
The once despairing soldiers of the court, after hearing this yet familiar thunderous booms, suddenly found new hope.
Oh my God!
This sound was far too familiar to them!
They had the same shock when they first witnessed these flying fireballs!
Were the Princess's reinforcements here?!
Is it the Princess?
The soldiers were so moved, they were almost in tears.
In this moment, they forgot the Princess was a rebel.
They did not wonder why the Princess would journey far and wide to save them.
All they knew, their comrades from the central plains were here!
As long as they had these flying fireballs, they could definitely send the Xiongnu running with their tails between their legs.
“The reinforcements have arrived! Hold on!”
“It’s a bomb! It’s from the weapon stores!”
“Hahaha the reinforcements have arrived!”
Upon hearing the arrival of reinforcements, energy returned to their drained bodies, one by one, they picked up their weapons and resumed their struggle with the Xiongnu.
Not long after, they heard the Xiongnu chief shouting in panic to retreat.
The Xiongnu, who overran the city like locusts, were blasted metres away by the explosions and like a startled flock of birds, they instantly abandoned the city gates they fought so hard for and hurriedly fled.
"Cries of fear and shock ring out, "What is that thing?"
"It's blown up!"
"Help, my legs! My legs!"
"Fall back, it's an artifact! Retreat!"
Led by General Guan, the army storms in, with resounding cheers echoing throughout the city.
The town is saved!
Seeing the soldiers from the plague town led by Zhou Qichen and General Qin, the encounter between the generals doesn't result in any mockery or confrontation. Instead, there's a certain calm acceptance of the alliance.
At night, the soldiers gather around a bonfire in the wide-open space, engaging in hearty chats.
Upon hearing the news of border cities being overrun and the bodies of citizens hung from city gates, every incoming military officer is filled with fury.
Rage, humiliation, and hatred surge forth, threatening to consume them.
"Qichen, it's time your special forces came into play,” one officer demands.
General Guan decides it's time to strike while the iron's hot. If they dare to kill his central plain's people, none of them get to go back.
However, the Xiongnu are too cunning. They're not settled as the central plain cities are. They scatter when the general tries to hunt them down, almost as if they're guerrilla fighters - causing great fury and headache to the general.
But this time might be different.
With special forces in the rear ambush, they can surely catch these wicked enemies in a net.
After dinner, the officers enter the camp. General Guan unrolls a map, devising tomorrow's battles.
"Zhou Qichen, I know your forces are exceptional, mainly their outfits. You lead your special forces team, hiding in Apingkou mountain range,” he commands.
When they are fleeing, you block them, surely driving them onto another road.
From tomorrow, you all will set out, mapping out terrains for the ambush.
After Zhou Qichen nods, General Guan instructs another officer to arrive earlier to set the trap. Once Zhou Qichen drives them onto this road, the Xiongnu should fall into the trap, leading to their total defeat.
General Qin will accompany General Guan tomorrow, setting out with the explosives to wage war against the Xiongnu, determined to recapture the lost cities.
Despite Princess Chang's allowance of fetching all the explosives, it is too scarce against the hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu.
Every bit of explosive has to be used to the maximum, not letting the Xiongnu realise that their numbers are dwindling.
The next day, the large army sets out in three divisions.
The main party led by General Guan, which also has the highest number of soldiers, advances into battle with the explosives.
The Xiongnu, having witnessed the terror of explosives the previous day, hide inside the city, refraining from battle.
So, it's the female special forces' turn to take the stage.
As per Gu Sang's request, Zhou Qichen has given these women different stages of training. Not only can they serve as a rescue party, but they can also be deployed as an assault force.
Led by Ge Qing, a group of women make good use of grappling hooks to secure a hold on the city tower; these agile officers climb up the tower swiftly in just a few moves.
Below, thousands of bowmen stand ready to shoot.
Anyone who dares poke their head out to tamper with the rope and hook will be promptly shot down by a fast-acting soldier.
These women, possessing a physique much lighter and quicker than the men, weren’t burdened by the cumbersome armor, which made their movements fluid and swift.
In no time, they ascended the tower and, using the modern free-fighting technique for close combat, they overwhelmingly repelled the soldiers.
Meanwhile, ladders for scale were being established in the back.
Thanks to these female bodyguards' obstruction, the court soldiers felt an unparalleled ease during their first ladder-scaling siege.
As the main forces of the Xiongnu began their massive offensive, someone immediately hurled a few hand grenades towards them.
"Boom!"
"Roaring Booms!"
