On the first day of August, as usual, I am earnestly and sincerely pulling for monthly votes. Please give the monthly votes in your hands to me. I will write them seriously. I cannot promise they will be good, but I promise I will do my best. Thank you, everyone.
…
…
After this obstruction, the Qin family rebel army's momentum was forced to a halt. Their formation, bound by the Jingdou streets, couldn't help but panic. At this moment, a number of explosive shouts rang out from within the army. At the first instant, a clear and powerful order was given, stabilizing the vanguard camp.
Immediately after, the shield-holding soldiers caught up from behind. Stepping over the pools of blood on Chang Street, they bravely broke through the wooden doors of the private residences on both sides of the street and charged into those dark spaces. For a moment, the streets were filled with the sound of killing, but the true situation of the killing could not be seen.
With a crash, a large hole opened up in a private residence. A rebel soldier covered in blood was stabbed to death and fell out. Inside those private residences, there were still countless soldiers and Overwatch Council subordinates lying in ambush, carrying out a dangerous killing.
The rebel army's discipline was strict. When Qin Heng coldly gave the order to use the lives of a large number of soldiers as the price to launch a counterattack toward the two sides of the street, the rain of crossbows attacking from all directions weakened.
A bright knife light flashed. Dozens of treacherous horse-tripping ropes on the stone pavement of the street were neatly cut. These black leather ropes were like poisonous snakes with their heads cut off. They lay limply on the ground. The poisonous needles shining with a metallic luster were like the shiny liquid on the snakeskin.
Qin Heng sat on his horse and stared ahead under the military flag. Abruptly, he picked up the horsewhip in his hand and lashed it down forcefully.
A fierce general at his side gave a muffled grunt. Holding a long spear in his hand, he yelled, "Kill!" His legs squeezed the horse's abdomen. Leading hundreds of riders, he once again charged toward Chang Street. For a moment, there was only the sound of horse hooves rolling up like wind and thunder with an imposing aura.
There were still wretched cries on Chang Street. There were still the sounds of knives sinking into bones in the private residences and the muffled sounds of bodies falling to the ground. It was difficult to see the figures of Overwatch Council subordinates. They only knew that these people were carrying out the killing work in the private residences on the side of the street.
Gradually, blood seeped out from under the wooden doors.
The fierce general of the Qin Clan's vanguard camp ignored him and led his subordinates to charge on the long street. Only to see this person's long spear thrust out, stirring up a strong gust of wind, and with a 'cha' sound, it pierced into a wooden door beside the horse!
With a roar that shook the heavens, the general pulled back his spear. There was a black-clothed man on the spear. Fresh blood dripped from the spear. The tip of the spear had pierced through the chest of the Overwatch Council secret agent.
The general under the armor released a muffled groan. With a shake of his arm, the corpse on the spear tip was flung out like a paper bag.
He took the lead on a horse and once again stepped over the corpses and pools of blood on the street. Once again, he galloped forward. The black spear in his hand was completely forged from iron and steel. It was mighty and powerful, and the spear was not weak at all. Along the street, it actually picked up five wooden doors and killed several people in quick succession.
Qin Heng stared coldly at his most ferocious general from the back. He waved his hand and ordered the entire army to press forward. He was prepared to use a powerful military force to directly suppress the Overwatch Council snipers on both sides of the street. Although they had lost nearly 200 soldiers in their first encounter, Qin Heng's state of mind did not tremble at all. He had never thought that the Overwatch Council's methods in the dark could directly stop the advance of a large army.
An Overwatch Council official holding a crossbow appeared on the building in front of them on the left. Through the window, he took aim at the vanguard general. Unexpectedly, before he had time to pull the trigger, an arrow had already shot into his eye socket. The official gave a muffled groan and fell down the building.
Immediately after, a series of whooshing sounds rang out. The dozens of bodyguards following the vanguard general on horseback on the street held light bows in their hands and shot to the left and right. Arrows flew out quickly.
Immediately, many arrow holes appeared in the small buildings and private residences on both sides of the street. The Overwatch Council subordinates lying in ambush were preparing to use their crossbows to kill the vanguard general when they were all struck and fell. Of the three powers in the world, the Qing army was the strongest in riding and shooting. At this moment, they were riding on the long street and holding hard bows in their hands. In an instant, the Overwatch Council crossbowmen didn't dare reveal themselves.
Even though there were occasional arrows that flew out from the two sides, they did not seem to be very accurate. They hit the heavy armor on the vanguard general's body but were unable to penetrate deep into his body. They only produced a few blooms of blood.
In the blink of an eye, the Qin family general had already led the vanguard battalion to charge over a hundred zhang, and behind him was the vast cavalry. In front of them was an open field, and there was no longer anything that could stop them from charging into the Imperial Palace.
At this moment, a mournful signal arrow rang out on the long street. Pa, pa, pa, pa. The windows of the houses on both sides of the street were all closed. Although the killing in the houses continued, the long street had returned to peace. It was an extremely strange peace.
The vanguard general's face was covered in blood and dirt. His expression was murderous. With a shake of his long spear, he pulled it behind his back. Like a mountain-splitting axe, he pierced toward the end of the street. Although he had noticed the strange scene on both sides of the street, he did not feel a glimmer of fear. Now that the charge had been formed, how could the Overwatch Council's tricks stop the advance of the army?
"Scoundrels," he thought disdainfully.
"Scoundrels." Qin Heng led the army and pressed toward the long street. With a stern expression, he looked at the street that had suddenly recovered its silence. He thought with slight mockery that the Overwatch Council still could not see the light of day.
Right at this moment, a signal suddenly rang out on the long street that had regained its peace after the signal arrow. This signal only had one word.
"Hou!"
This "Hou" was very simple. It was clean and tidy, but it contained boundless killing intent. Qin Heng's pupils constricted slightly. He raised his eyebrows.
The rebel soldiers pulled back their bows. Countless arrows shot out, piercing toward the place where the order had come from. Thud, thud, thud. Like rain hitting a city, the wooden building was immediately pierced with countless holes. The long arrows pierced through the wind. There was only a faint muffled grunt. The Overwatch Council official who had given the order had died.
Immediately after, there was only the sound of horse hooves, the muffled sounds of killing, and the sound of arrows piercing through the air. The order rang out again, "Hou!"
Qin Heng's expression became gloomy. He held onto the reins and ran on the street. He didn't know what the Overwatch Council's "Hou" meant. He could have chosen to split his forces and go around this section of the street where the Overwatch Council was heavily ambushed. He could have chosen a more reliable method. However, military orders were like a mountain. Since his father had ordered him to be the first to reach the Royal Palace, he had to maintain his speed, even if he had to pay an even greater price.
Thus, he suddenly waved the whip in his hand. The thousands of rebel soldiers on the street shouted in unison, "Kill!" Like a flood, the group of lightly armored rebel soldiers charged toward the empty and dangerous street.
The vanguard general, who no one dared to stop with a long spear in his hand, had already led the dozens of riders behind him to the end of the street. Behind him, Zhengyang Gate glowed under the morning sun. The open space in front of him was attracting him. Further away, he could faintly see the Royal Palace still waiting for his attack. Thus, he was filled with heroism and courage.
Then, he suddenly heard the thunderous sound of hooves. Then, he saw that at the empty end of the long street, over two hundred cavalry had suddenly appeared. These cavalry had appeared at some point in time. They wore bright armor and held long blades in their hands. They silently and coldly waited for the rebel army to arrive.
Beside these cavalrymen, there were more than ten scattered corpses. They were the ten or so scouts sent out by the Qin Clan's rebel army. Not only were the scouts dead, but even the warhorses had fallen to the ground.
The Qin vanguard general's pupils constricted. He knew these riders were tough. Otherwise, they could not have killed a dozen of his subordinates without making a sound.
It was the Imperial Army.
He could no longer stop. The vanguard general gripped the metal spear in his hand tightly. The roughness and coldness of the spear made him feel boundless confidence. Then, he squeezed his horse's belly and led the dozens of riders behind him toward the Imperial Army.
The Imperial Army general's entire body was covered in armor. Only his eyes were exposed. There was not a glimmer of emotion in these eyes. There was only calmness, coldness, and determination. The coldness toward his own life and the determination to complete the mission the commander had given him.
He raised the saber in his hand high. The edge of the blade flashed with light, making one shiver. He squeezed his horse's belly. The warhorse under him suddenly struggled and shot out like an arrow from a bow.
Just like that, the hundreds of cavalrymen charged forward with indomitable courage. They were like two different-colored torrents that were about to collide head-on!
…
…
Just at this moment, an Overwatch Council order suddenly rang out on the long street that had just been silent for a moment. "Release!"
The Qin vanguard general's eyes were blood-red as he watched the Imperial Army riders charging toward him at high speed. With an explosive roar, his horse suddenly sped up. He was just about to charge out of the street when he suddenly heard this sound.
His state of mind was firm and ruthless. There was not a glimmer of panic or slowing down. He didn't care at all about the scoundrels of the Overwatch Council. What he cared about was the valiant Imperial Army in front of him. He had to open a bloody path for the general and a bloody path to the Royal Palace.
A black shadow was thrown out from a private residence by the side of the street. It just happened to appear in the air in front of the vanguard general's horse.
The vanguard general raised his elbow. The tip of the spear flashed. With a ripping sound, the black shadow was immediately torn to shreds. Cloth flew wildly. The powder inside was swept into the air. Some of it landed on the vanguard general's body, but most of it landed on his horse.
He held his breath. His eyes were blood-red. He knew that the Overwatch Council's use of poison was powerful, but he was not afraid. As long as the poison did not enter his heart for a moment, he would be able to force back the approaching Imperial Army. However, he was worried about his horse. Steeling his heart, he struck the back of the spear viciously against the horse's rump. The horse was startled and sped up again.
A series of springs rang out. On the street that had been calm for a long time, the crossbow bolts came again. The Qin vanguard general huffed coldly and swung his spear to protect his vitals and the head of his horse. A gust of wind swept out. Countless crossbow bolts fell to the ground. Occasionally, a few bolts hit his armor. With a crisp clang, they fell powerlessly to the ground.
This vanguard general abruptly discovered that among the rain of crossbow bolts, there were a few smears of unlucky red.
Red?
Fire?
…
…
With a swish, three crossbow bolts landed separately on the vanguard general's heavy armor and the head of his horse. The crossbow bolts had fire cotton tied to them and were burning with tiny flames. In the red morning sun, they were not obvious, but they were particularly fatal.
The moment the flames touched the powder on the heavy armor, they began to burn with a whoosh. From the horse's head to the heavy armor and then to the helmet, wherever it touched the powder, the flames immediately spread. In the blink of an eye, the fire burned fiercely and enveloped the vanguard general in flames.
* Chi chi … * A terrible roar came from the flames. At this time, the vanguard was still maintaining his charging posture, but he had already become a burning torch!
He roared in terror and threw away the spear in his hand, trying to put out the fire on his body. However, this had already become something he could never do. The fire the Overwatch Council had set was not so easy to put out. He knew he was done for. His heart was filled with incomparable terror.
The horse was in great pain and let loose a wild gallop. Shrouded in flames, the rider and horse charged terrifyingly to the front of the Imperial Army's front line.
The general of the Imperial Army looked coldly and mockingly at the man on fire charging toward him. As the two riders passed each other, he swung his long knife with a flash. The knife came out without a sound. It passed through the fire and chopped off the head of the vanguard general.
With a crack, the head broke off. Tied by the neck armor, it burned in the flames.
The flaming horse let out a mournful cry as it charged blindly. Carrying its headless master, it crashed head first into an alley wall on the side of the street. With an extremely heavy muffled sound, both the horse and the master fell to the ground, neighing miserably.
No one looked at them. There were only two hundred or so riders of the Imperial Army. At this moment, they maintained a very high speed. They stepped over the bodies of the vanguard soldiers that had been shot into beehives and burned into charcoal. They charged toward the center of the army where Qin Heng was.
…
…
Qin Heng didn't know what kind of shameless and sinister murder his most valued vanguard had suffered. After hearing the Overwatch Council's second call for an order, he had already ordered his army to begin pressing toward the two sides of Chang Street because the Overwatch Council's second attack had already begun.
After a long silence and the two cold calls for an order, the rain of crossbow bolts fired toward the rebel soldiers became even more intense. Most of them were aimed at the center of the military flag, particularly where Qin Heng's personal camp was.
"It's a repeating crossbow!" Finally, a rebel soldier cried out timidly. Amidst the howling of crossbow bolts breaking through the wind, this cry was particularly heart-shaking. Doo, doo, doo, doo. A series of densely packed strikes rang out. The first arrow was blocked, but what about the second and third?
A dozen personal soldiers bravely stood in front of Qin Heng's horse. They only had elbow shields in their hands. It was not enough to block such a dense and fast crossbow bolt. They used their bodies and the large bodies of their warhorses to act as meat shields for Qin Heng.
On Chang Street, people and horses were thrown off their feet. Tragic cries rang out repeatedly. Countless rebel soldiers had crossbow bolts stuck into their faces. Fresh blood and sweat mixed together. Everywhere, there were cries for help.
In just an instant, most of the soldiers around Qin Heng had died. Qin Heng knew that the Overwatch Council's target was him. His face was covered in blood and dirt. His expression appeared particularly sinister amidst the blood and dirt. It was not until this moment that he finally confirmed that Fan Xian had the Overwatch Council lie in ambush at Zhengyang Gate not just to block and stall for time. He was prepared to put his life on the line … to keep his life here.
Although he didn't know why Fan Xian valued his life so much, he was stern and fearless. He only looked at the initially calm Chang Street, which was now filled with the sound of crossbow bolts, and his subordinates bravely and helplessly fighting against the poisonous powder and hidden crossbow bolts. A vein appeared on his temple. A wave of anger filled his chest. These scoundrels only knew how to use such unorthodox methods. Did they dare to delude themselves into trapping him?
He pulled out the long sword at his waist and squeezed his horse's belly. The horse leaped like a dragon and leaped out amidst the crossbow bolts. He roared, "For the Qing Kingdom, kill!"
The commander began to risk his life to charge the formation. The morale of the rebel soldiers rose greatly. In unison, they cried out "kill" and charged deep into the two sides of the street through the rain of crossbow bolts. They used their bodies and lives to slightly suppress the Overwatch Council's second wave of attacks.
After all, the rebel soldiers had the advantage of numbers. As long as they could come into direct contact with the Overwatch Council officials hiding in the darkness, they would obtain the final victory.
However, at this moment, the imperial soldiers at the other end of the street had already charged over. There were only 200 riders, but it was like there were 2,000. Thunder rumbled and a murderous aura surged. Their power could not be stopped.
Like a flood, they charged into the Qin family army, which had already been forced to scatter. Both sides wore armor and had knives in their hands. Murderous intent boiled to the heavens. Although the Qin family army's formation was a bit messy, on the not very wide Chang Street, this was a head-on collision with no path of retreat.
The two cavalries, which were advancing at high speed, had their first head-on collision on the long street below Zhengyang Gate. Like two large iron hammers, they fiercely smashed into each other, giving rise to an ear-piercing and incomparably terrifying loud sound.
In an instant, countless riders fell from their horses and were trampled. The people on the horses were stabbed to death, squeezed to death, chopped to death, or shaken to death.
Knives and spears collided, armor collided, and auras collided.
Qin Heng looked at this scene with an ashen face. He wondered how many people Fan Xian and the Great Prince had to have so many people lying in ambush below Zhengyang Gate.
… …
"I've smashed all the soldiers that can move inside Zhengyang Gate."
Fan Xian stared at the smoke in Jingdou and said with a heavy expression, "Although I hadn't guessed that they would be so powerful as to enter from nine city gates, since they have smashed inside Zhengyang Gate, I had to make some noise!"
The Great Prince glanced at him and then at the gradually approaching rebel army flags in the Jingdou streets. He couldn't help his pupils constricting slightly. "In the end, it is only one path. The general trend cannot be reversed. In that instant earlier, if you had charged out from inside Zhengyang Gate, perhaps you would have had a chance to break out."
"The Eldest Princess must have backup troops outside Jingdou," Fan Xian said. "Break out? What would I use to break out? "
"Didn't Jing Ge take 200 Black Knights and disappear from Jingdou?" The Great Prince glanced at him.
Fan Xian didn't reply. He only looked at the square below the Royal Palace with a heavy expression. This square was very large. During the military parade, tens of thousands of people had lined up. At this moment, he could faintly feel the ground trembling. Presumably, the eight paths of rebel soldiers were about to surround them. Even though he had long seen through the concept of life and death, he couldn't help but feel his heart begin to tremble.
He raised his head and looked in the direction of Zhengyang Gate. He knew that the strength that he and the Great Prince had left outside the Palace was mostly concentrated in that path. Regardless of who wanted to reach the Palace from there, they would probably have to pay a heavy price.
If he knew that it was the second-generation leading figure of the Qin family who was, at this moment, struggling to advance through crossbow bolts and poisonous smoke, he would probably laugh out loud. Fan Xian had always firmly remembered the Qin family's attack in the valley. However, he didn't know how many of those loyal Overwatch Council subordinates, as well as the Imperial Army's suicidal cavalry, would survive a moment later.
Just as the Great Prince had said, a mere city gate was not enough to change the general trend.
…
…
At the foot of the Royal Palace, a rider appeared at the corner of the street at the edge of the square. At this moment, the Imperial Army had all gathered into the Palace. The square outside the Palace gates was completely empty. Thus, the rider's appearance was very abrupt. It was as if a discordant black dot had suddenly appeared in the empty space.
Amidst the clattering of horse hooves, the rider did not stop to rest. From the edge of the square, he charged straight to the center of the square and came to the front of the Royal Palace.
Behind this cavalryman, a second cavalryman appeared, a third cavalryman, a tenth cavalryman, a hundredth cavalryman, a thousandth cavalryman … Eight of the Qin and Ye Families' armies, after sweeping away any resistance along the way, finally arrived in front of the Imperial City like a dark cloud pressing down on the city.
The densely packed rebel soldiers silently and coldly surrounded the entire Royal Palace. The murderous aura seeping through the silence and the steady aura made the hearts of the imperial soldiers on the palace walls tremble for no reason.
Fan Xian and the Great Prince finally stopped chatting to hide the nervousness in their hearts. They silently watched everything in front of them.
A moment later, a flag fluttering in the morning wind appeared in everyone's field of view. This flag came from the corner of the square on the long street. A large "Qin" character was revealed on it.
Another rider came swiftly from the other side of the palace walls. In his hand was a large flag with the "Ye" character written on it.
The last thing that appeared was a bright yellow flag. There was not a single word on it. There was only a dragon soaring through the clouds embroidered with golden thread. Its golden claws shattered the auspicious clouds as it stepped through the air.
…
…
"Even the dragon flag has been openly displayed." Fan Xian was silent for a long time before he finally spoke. The Qin and Ye family armies were too powerful. Although he was a ninth-level ace and had an incomparably firm temperament, he still couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle when faced with the densely packed army.
"Are you afraid?" The Great Prince looked at him expressionlessly.
"Anything will appear terrifying when there are too many of them. Ants are like this, mice are like this, cockroaches are like this, much less people." Fan Xian summoned a subordinate and said a few words.
The three large flags moved slowly. Under the burning gazes of the rebel soldiers around the square and the slightly fearful gazes of the Imperial Army guards, they came to the front of the Royal Palace. They came behind the first rider to enter the square and fluttered in the wind.
"You've been stubbornly refusing to break through. I always thought you still had some trump card up your sleeve," the Great Prince said slowly as he looked at the riders and flags in front of the Royal Palace with narrowed eyes.
"My trump card is long gone," Fan Xian said without changing his expression. Fan Xian's expression did not change as he said, "But, I always thought that those old fellows wouldn't just leave us to die. I always thought that since the rebel army had already entered the city, they would jump out and pretend to be super Saiyans. Unfortunately, it seems that I guessed wrong."
"What are Saiyans?" The Great Prince twitched the corner of his mouth. "I am also very confused. Has Director Chen really been poisoned?"
Fan Xian looked at the mountainous army in front of the Royal Palace and suddenly took a deep breath. Slapping the bricks of the Royal Palace, he said, "Even if it's the two of us, so what?"
The Great Prince looked at him deeply and said, "I don't want to die with you."
The storm was coming, and the buildings were filled with worry. The two worried people in the corner of the Royal Palace were joking. The surrounding Imperial Army soldiers secretly watched this scene and listened to the Duke and Commander's hearty laughter. For some reason, they also felt that the rebel soldiers in front of the Royal Palace were not as terrifying as they had imagined.
…
…
The Great Prince looked at the three lonely flags in front of the Royal Palace and the rider at the very front. He smiled slightly and said, "They are using their aura to suppress us and try to make the Imperial Army afraid. My subordinates would not be so cowardly."
"Why did we throw all the cards in our hands at Zhengyang Gate?" Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the four riders standing in front of the Royal Palace.
"It was to kill the enemy's spirit and raise the morale of our army."
"Then, how could we allow these four riders to stand so arrogantly in front of the Royal Palace as a demonstration?"
"According to military tradition, the first rider to arrive will receive unparalleled glory."
Fan Xian stared at the rider like a black dot. A moment later, he suddenly said, "Then, let him lose his glory."
The Great Prince furrowed his brows. As the Commander of the Western Expedition Army, he had a natural respect for the Qing Kingdom's military tradition. Although he greatly disliked the riders silently showing off their strength in front of the Royal Palace, he had never thought of doing anything. Furthermore, they were standing in a good position. It would be difficult for arrows to reach them.
Fan Xian said resolutely and decisively, "I am not a soldier. I also don't understand glory. I only know that this is a matter of life and death. To still stand in front of me at this time, that is …"
Before he finished his sentence, his hand had already swung down. The city guarding crossbow in the corner of the Royal Palace that had been silent for countless years suddenly let out a wretched cry. It was as if it wanted to wake up all the resentful spirits that had once died in the Royal Palace.
Click … After the loud sound of a spring, a crossbow bolt as thick as a child's arm left the crossbow mechanism like lightning and shot out along a preset trajectory.
The riders and banners standing alone in front of the Royal Palace were lonely but arrogant. They looked coldly and disdainfully at the imperial soldiers on the palace walls, conveying a powerful intimidation and pressure.
All of this was broken by the sound of the crossbow.
The first rider to enter the boundaries of the Royal Palace didn't even have time to raise his head before the massive crossbow bolt pierced through his body and into the body of his warhorse. Accompanied by a large spray of blood, the man and horse were ruthlessly nailed to the stone tiles of the square.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
