Chapter 996: Breaking the City (2)
Chapter 996: Breaking the City (2)
September 25, 2017
As an ally of Lu Hai Kong, Zhang Yan had been working closely with him for almost five years and was quite familiar with the various military forces under his command. She was well aware that siege warfare was not Lu Hai Kong's forte.
Among the battles Lu Hai Kong's legions had fought, the only one that could be considered a straightforward and brilliant frontal assault was the Hulao Pass battle. All the other victories were achieved through unconventional means, either by employing siege beasts or directly using assassins to open the city gates. Even in the Hulao Pass battle, Lu Hai Kong had relied on borrowed troops.
Therefore, it was only natural for Zhang Yan and her allies to assume that Lu Hai Kong's strategy for this siege would involve some sort of unorthodox method, and they believed that the ten massive trebuchets were the key to his plan.
Indeed, those ten terrifying trebuchets were formidable, and while they did pose a significant threat, Zhang Yan had a trick up her sleeve. She held a magic artifact in her hand, ready to be unleashed at the critical moment, ensuring their safe passage through the crisis.
With the most dangerous crisis averted, Zhang Yan naturally believed that they were temporarily safe and that Lu Hai Kong would not be able to pull off any more surprises.
Zhang Yan was not as optimistic as Zhang Yan, but he also didn't think the upcoming attack would be unstoppable.
The defense system of Yangyuan City was his masterpiece, and he was extremely confident in its capabilities. Even against an opponent like Zhang Mancheng, he didn't believe that his meager force of just over 30,000 troops and 20,000 supply troops could capture their city.
Unless Lu Hai Kong had his top-tier legions, which Zhang Yan had never heard of, especially any elite infantry units. As for cavalry, they were useless in a siege until the city gates were breached.
Under these circumstances, Zhang Yan was confident that he could guarantee the defense of Yangyuan City, even against Zhang Mancheng. He believed he could hold out for at least ten days, despite the numerical disadvantage.
When Zhang Yan said that the defense was in his hands, his confident and resolute reply greatly boosted Zhang Yan's morale. However, as her confidence soared, Zhang Yan's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
After all, today's battle was more challenging than she had anticipated.
Throughout the battle, Zhang Yan had experienced countless moments of triumph followed by setbacks, and she had become conditioned to this pattern. Whenever she felt a glimmer of confidence, doubts would creep into her mind, wondering if Lu Hai Kong had another trick up his sleeve.
As it turned out, Zhang Yan's premonition was spot-on. Just as she was having these doubts, two terrifying auras suddenly erupted from among the soldiers who were equipped like the Light Armor Guards.
"Not good!"
As soon as the auras appeared, Zhang Yan's face paled, as he instantly recognized them. These auras were not that of individual warriors but the collective might of legions.
Only exceptional soldiers could possess such terrifying military might.
"Flame Yellow Iron Blood, Invincible!"
"Battlefield Death Will, Death Before Surrender!"
Two earth-shattering roars echoed as two legions emerged from the Light Armor Guards and charged towards Yangyuan City, led by two warlords.
From the city walls, Zhang Yan immediately spotted the two leading warlords, and her pupils contracted upon seeing them.
"Pan Feng and Gao Shun? Has Lu Hai Kong gone mad?"
Zhang Yan's face drained of color, turning ashen. At that moment, a hint of regret crept into her heart.
From the very beginning, Zhang Yan had been plotting and calculating.
With Dong Zhuo, Yuan Hong, and their allies surrounding Lu Hai Kong, she knew he couldn't possibly defend on all fronts. Thus, Zhang Yan had anticipated that Lu Hai Kong would adopt a defensive strategy.
To her surprise, Lu Hai Kong boldly dispatched troops to attack her instead.
Initially, Zhang Yan wasn't overly concerned about this situation, as she knew that with strong enemies surrounding him, Lu Hai Kong's available forces would be limited. Meanwhile, she had mustered all her strength to face this challenge, so she believed there wouldn't be any issues.
However, when the two armies clashed, Lu Hai Kong's lineup immediately struck fear into Zhang Yan's heart.
The appearance of Zhang Mancheng caused her some worry, while Dian Wei's presence filled her with anxiety. When Lu Hai Kong's legions demonstrated their prowess, she began to panic.
Fortunately, Zhang Yan had Zhang Yan by her side to boost her morale, and her own mental fortitude was not too shabby. So, after a brief period of despair, she managed to regain her composure.
But this time, with the appearance of Pan Feng and Gao Shun and their two legions, Zhang Yan was utterly hopeless.
In her eyes, Lu Hai Kong, that lunatic, seemed determined to eliminate her at all costs. As an ally neighboring Lu Hai Kong, she had vaguely heard rumors about his two elite legions that rivaled cavalry in combat prowess.
Although she had dismissed these rumors, she now had no choice but to believe them, as Lu Hai Kong had brought these legions right to her doorstep.
Despite not knowing the true strength of these two infantry units, the mere mention of Gao Shun and the Charge to Death Legion was enough to plunge Zhang Yan into despair.
In fact, it wasn't just Zhang Yan who felt hopeless; even Zhang Yan himself had completely lost all confidence at this moment.
When these two legions appeared, Zhang Yan finally realized that from the very beginning, the two sides had never been on equal footing.
This wasn't a war between equals. In a war, the emergence of a single elite legion could alter its course, and either the Iron Blood Guard or the Charge to Death Legion alone could easily breach this city.
At this moment, Lu Hailing directly unleashed both legions, giving them a feeling akin to playing cards, where one has a three-of-a-kind, but the opponent slams down the King and four twos.
As they watched the two elite legions charging forward with battle cries, Zhang Yan and Zhang Yan felt not only despair but also utter disbelief. They couldn't help but curse, "What the hell is Lu Hailing thinking? He's sending two top-tier legions just to take a city?"
Beneath the city walls, Pan Feng and Gao Shun were unaware of Zhang Yan and Zhang Yan's emotions, and they didn't have time to care about such things.
These two beasts were exhilarated, for this was the first time their legions had engaged in battle since their formation.
In previous wars, the cavalry had always taken the spotlight, leading to rumors that Lu Hailing's infantry was inferior. While Lu Hailing didn't seem bothered by these rumors, Pan Feng and Gao Shun were far from pleased.
They had been itching for an opportunity to prove their worth and demonstrate that Lu Hailing's infantry was also among the best in the land, if not better than the cavalry.
Now, with this chance before them, they weren't about to let it slip away.
Pan Feng, leading the Iron Blood Guard, and Gao Shun, commanding the Charge to Death Legion, launched simultaneous attacks from the left and right against the city defense system of Yangyuan City. Pan Feng immediately activated his recently learned General Trait, Copper Wall Iron Fortress, while Gao Shun also unleashed his own General Trait, Peerless Warrior Soul.
With their traits activated, the two legions became like land tanks, crushing through the city walls as if they were nothing.
Zhang Yan and Zhang Yan tried to stop them, but their resistance was futile against the elite legions, failing to hinder them in the slightest.
Watching their efforts come to naught as the enemy effortlessly scaled the walls, Zhang Yan's eyes filled with despair.
"Saintess, the situation is hopeless. Let's retreat. It's just Yangyuan City; we can let them have it!" Seeing this, Zhang Yan could only sigh and suggest to Zhang Yan beside him.
Hearing Zhang Yan's words and witnessing the two legions that seemed like heavenly beings, invincible and unstoppable, Zhang Yan could only nod in resignation.
Upon seeing Zhang Yan's nod, Zhang Yan sprang into action. He arranged for troops to hold off the enemy while gathering his elite forces. Then, he escorted Zhang Yan out of Yangyuan City.
Zhang Yan's reaction was relatively swift. As soon as Pan Feng breached the city walls, they began their retreat.
Thanks to their quick response, their withdrawal was swift, and within less than an hour, they had smoothly exited Yangyuan City. However, this rapid reaction came at a cost. Zhou Cang and Tie Chui, who were originally stationed nearby, could only manage to recall Zhou Cang, while Tie Chui was left behind.
In this situation, those who stayed behind, even if they survived, would likely face capture. But with no other choice, they had to leave immediately or risk everyone's lives.
After Zhang Yan and Zhang Yan left, they headed south towards Pingshu City, not far from Yangyuan City, where they had set up a defensive line and could rest briefly.
As Zhang Yan glanced back at Yangyuan City, her face was filled with mixed emotions.
She had taken control of this force with high aspirations, believing she could make a name for herself. Yet, in just one day of battle at Yangyuan, she suffered a crushing defeat, losing not only tens of thousands of troops but also two of her top generals. This was a devastating blow to her.
However, she hadn't completely given up hope. There was still a glimmer of expectation in her eyes, as she knew she had another chance. Lu Hailing's reckless actions would surely lead to his downfall.
"Zhang Mancheng, Dian Wei, Pan Feng, Gao Shun... Lu Hailing, you're bringing all these top generals against me? I'll see how you'll stop Dong Zhuo's army when the time comes."
"Saintess, we should worry about ourselves first," Zhang Yan said bitterly, responding to Zhang Yan's words.
Just then, a group of soldiers appeared before them, led by none other than Meng Qu.
(End of Chapter)
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