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Boom!
Another dull thud echoed, and Zheng Jian's soldiers let out a unified cheer. Some surged toward the city gate, while others gathered around the scaling ladders, climbing with even greater frenzy!
"Faster! Move faster!" Fei Qian shouted, urging the soldiers beside him to rush toward the next ladder that had just latched onto the city wall.
Under normal circumstances, Zheng Jian's forces would deploy around ten scaling ladders along with a single battering ram for an assault. The gate's entrance was only so wide, so even if they brought more rams, only one could strike the gate at a time.
These crude ladders, once toppled, were prone to breaking at their joints, rendering most of them unusable. They weren't items that could be endlessly recycled.
Thus, if the defenders could push over the ladders, they could effectively cut off this wave of Zheng Jian's soldiers attempting to scale the walls…
Boom!
Amid the thunderous impact, a faint but distinct sound of splintering wood came from the city gate!
"Ohhh!"
Many of Zheng Jian's soldiers erupted in cheers, instinctively charging toward the gate!
"The first to enter the city gets a hundred gold! Slay their general for a thousand!" Zheng Jian seized the moment, brandishing his sword and roaring. Unable to contain himself, he mounted his horse, joined by his generals and over two hundred cavalry, pressing toward Hangu Pass.
Warhorses were a precious strategic resource, and the Hongnong noble families had few. Had it not been for the annihilation of Guo Pu's eight hundred Xiliang cavalry, they wouldn't have gathered so many horses. This time, most of them had been allocated to Zheng Jian, bolstering his cavalry forces.
Zheng Jian had initially hoped Zhang Liao would attempt another sortie from the city, so he could use these two hundred-plus cavalry to teach him a harsh lesson and erase his previous humiliation!
Though it was a pity Zhang Liao hadn't led his cavalry out, it didn't matter now. The gate was on the verge of breaking, and the cavalry would soon prove their worth.
Boom!
An even clearer sound of splintering wood rang out!
"It's breaking! The gate's about to break!"
Zheng Jian's soldiers gathered beneath the gate, hacking at the thick wooden planks with their blades, doing everything possible to speed up the gate's destruction and widen the breach…
Atop the city walls, Fei Qian led his soldiers to push the ladders with all their might, but they were too few to keep up. On the other side of the wall, two ladders had successfully hooked onto the parapet. Several of Zheng Jian's soldiers had climbed over, brandishing their blades and charging forward!
"Kill!"
The soldiers of both sides clashed once more on the blood-soaked walls, engaging in brutal hand-to-hand combat!
Fei Qian shoved Huang Cheng, shouting, "Quick! Go help them!"
"But…" Huang Cheng hesitated. He was the only one left protecting Fei Qian. If he joined the fight, who would guard his lord?
Fei Qian glanced around, picked up a spear left behind by a fallen soldier, gripped it tightly, and assumed a thrusting stance. He yelled at Huang Cheng, "Go! I won't step forward—just go help them!"
"…" Huang Cheng looked around. The enemy was swarming up, and there was no time to delay. Gritting his teeth, he let out a fierce roar and charged forward, blade in hand…
Madness was a catalyst that unleashed the body's latent potential.
Zheng Jian's soldiers—whether remnants from the camp ravaged last night or the noble families' private troops who had marched long distances—were utterly exhausted after a full day of siege warfare…
The defenders could at least sit and rest briefly during lulls, but the attackers, even when retreating, had to rely on their own legs to fall back. For Zheng Jian's soldiers, aside from the cavalry serving as enforcers at the rear, every man was bone-weary…
Yet the hope of breaking the city acted like a shot of adrenaline, spurring them into a frenzy. They surged toward the gate—some helping to push the battering ram's log, others hacking at the already-cracked gate with their blades. Their expressions were a tangled mix of emotions, their faces contorted.
The crowd at the gate was frenzied, but those who had scaled the walls were even more crazed! They had reached the top, and if they could defeat the defenders, including Fei Qian, and survive, even if they didn't earn a hundred gold, a reward of ten was guaranteed!
Survive!
Claim the reward!
To do that, they had to kill everyone in their path!
Zheng Jian's soldiers fell into a feverish state, forcing Fei Qian's men to retreat step by step!
Fortunately, Huang Cheng's intervention turned the tide. After cutting down several of Zheng Jian's soldiers in quick succession, he halted their momentum and boosted the morale of Fei Qian's men.
Huang Cheng deftly sidestepped a slashing blade, flicked his wrist, and drew his ring-pommel saber across an enemy's throat. With a swift kick, he sent the blood-spraying soldier tumbling, knocking into another who had just climbed the wall. Both plummeted off the ramparts…
Seizing the moment, Fei Qian's soldiers grabbed hammers, quickly knocked off the ladder's hooks, and used wooden forks to brace the ladder, pushing with all their strength!
Whether from exhaustion after prolonged fighting or because the forks were slick with blood, the soldiers couldn't fully dislodge the ladder. It tilted outward, then swung back toward the wall…
Seeing this, Huang Cheng rushed back, grabbed the fork, and pushed with all his might!
One of Zheng Jian's soldiers, nearly at the parapet, lost his grip on the blood-slicked wall under the push. With a scream, he and the others on the ladder fell.
But soldiers from another ladder, perhaps wary of Huang Cheng's ferocity or spotting Fei Qian standing at the rear like a leader worth a high reward, slipped to the side while Huang Cheng and the others were occupied. Blade raised, one charged at Fei Qian!
Boom!
Crack… Amid the dull thud, the long-abused gate finally gave way, collapsing into a large breach!
"Ohhh!"
"The city's broken! The city's broken!"
Zheng Jian's soldiers let out a collective cheer. Even Zheng Jian himself, thrilled, spurred his horse forward. He knew that beyond the western gate lay the main east-west street, with no urn city to impede them. They could charge straight to the inner city!
Atop the wall, Fei Qian's hands trembled slightly. Though he had spoken confidently to Huang Cheng, he hadn't anticipated facing a soldier alone!
The enemy soldier seemed to sense Fei Qian's inexperience, flashing a menacing grin. In a few strides, he rushed forward, swinging his blade at Fei Qian!