The sun, dull and lifeless, hid behind a blanket of gray clouds. The wind howled, and beneath the sky, the cries of battle already rang out in all directions.
Arrows rained down from the stronghold, wave after wave, targeting the enemies who had already reached the deep trench and begun laying wooden bridges.
The fierce wind greatly reduced the accuracy and speed of the arrows. The enemy had time to react; those in the front row easily raised their shields and blocked the incoming arrows.
Several wooden bridges had already been laid across, and now the enemy began to fire arrows in return. The fortifications designed by Joseph Qiao significantly reduced casualties.
Behind the wooden walls, the front-line soldiers crouched, aiming through small holes to shoot at the enemy. Those behind stood and continuously drew their bows, launching arrow after arrow.
Even though the wind weakened their efforts, the sheer volume of arrows still inflicted casualties among the enemy. All around the outer wooden walls, enemies pressed in, and eight wooden bridges now spanned the deep trench.
"Phoenix Yu, the enemy is coming. I'll go below and have the soldiers ready."
Mason Mao and Phoenix Yu were behind the left wooden wall. The enemy was poised to charge at any moment, and arrows flew densely at the wall. Some soldiers fell after being struck.
The deep trench was proving less effective than hoped. Phoenix Yu watched nervously as yet another wooden bridge was laid across it.
Below, soldiers gripped their spears, positioned at the lower section of the wall. Every meter, there were two spots smeared with mud—small openings just big enough for a human head, designed to thwart enemies trying to climb the wall with ropes.
Gradually, more and more wooden bridges were laid over the deep trench. More than thirty bridges now spanned it completely, allowing five or six hundred soldiers to cross at once.
More and more soldiers on the platforms were struck down by arrows. Even with these defenses, the enemy outnumbered them many times over. Those at the front of the trench raised their shields, while behind them, countless archers readied their bows.
Suddenly, a horn sounded, and the enemy surged forward. In an instant, the space beneath the wooden wall was packed with shield-bearing soldiers, while archers outside the trench began a frenzied barrage at the defenders atop the wall.
Joseph Qiao smiled, then shouted loudly.
"Begin. Show them our fangs."
Instantly, screams erupted. After several waves of enemies had crossed the bridges, Joseph Qiao shouted again.
The shield-bearing soldiers had no idea what was happening until bone spears shot out from the black mud along the wooden wall, piercing their bellies. Agonized screams filled the air.
Only then did some soldiers realize that the base of the wooden wall was riddled with small holes. After the initial thrust of spears, dense volleys of arrows shot out from those openings.
In an instant, soldiers outside the wooden wall collapsed, tumbling into the trench. Those farther out never expected such a deadly crossfire; arrows from both directions claimed countless lives in moments.
"Order the soldiers to fall back."
As soon as Liang Bing saw what was happening, he shouted, and the retreat horn sounded. Immediately, the soldiers began to flee in panic.
Looking at the dense little holes in the wooden walls of the stronghold, Liang Bing felt a heavy weight in his heart. Although they'd scouted before, they'd never realized the enemy had hidden this trick—the wooden walls were covered with black mud. Now, the stronghold looked like a hedgehog; once you got close, there was no way to defend against arrows coming from above and below.
At such close range, the arrows were devastating. Forget about taking the stronghold within three days now.
Joseph Qiao quietly watched the enemy retreating in the distance, a cold smile on his face. The soldiers below cheered—the first battle for the stronghold had been won, decisively.
Phoenix Yu descended from the watchtower. Many generals, previously grim-faced, now broke into smiles. The two strongholds behind were being rapidly fortified according to this stronghold's defenses—even if this one was lost, a long-range raid by the enemy would be extremely difficult.
There were countless enemies ahead, but today they'd lost thousands in an instant. Some soldiers used ropes to reach the outer edge of the stronghold, then moved the wooden bridge away and threw it into the deep trench.
The enemy’s makeshift wooden bridge was now completely useless. Liang Bing stared coldly at the front of the stronghold’s wall, at Joseph Qiao standing atop the watchtower.
At this moment, Joseph Qiao was filled with hope. This was a tactic he’d pondered for a long time, and now, after being tested, it truly worked. Previously, he’d been filled with despair—after witnessing Ji Chang’s death and hearing of the passing of Ji King and Ji Queen, his heart had been unsettled.
"Thank you, Yuna. Rest assured, I’ll make the enemy understand that these grasslands are not forests."
"Things have gotten a bit troublesome now."