Riding upon the griffin beast, Duke Turingto saw countless massive stone blocks piled upon the open ground before the walls of Wind Thunder Fortress, scattered here and there.
Late last night, Turingto had heard a scout’s report of unusual activity at Wind Thunder Fortress. He immediately ordered the scouts to investigate further.
After paying the price of several hundred lives, the scouts reported that the Soren army was transporting massive stone blocks to the battlefield beyond the walls, attempting to create obstacles to block the army’s siege.
At that time, Turingto fell into hesitation. Should he dispatch cavalry to stop Soren?
The location of the Soren army’s operations was far too close to the walls of Wind Thunder Fortress, entirely within the range of all cannons and trebuchets. Sending too many cavalry would be sending them to their deaths. Sending too few would have no effect, still sending them to their deaths.
Moreover, in merely a few hours, Soren could hardly change anything more.
Early this morning, Turingto and Zhili climbed to a height to observe. Sure enough, several hundred metres before the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line, densely packed obstacles made of massive stone blocks were everywhere.
The tallest were no more than half a person’s height, and they were completely chaotic!
Viewed from above while riding upon the griffin beast, these massive stone obstacle groups also appeared very sparse.
Zhili immediately burst into laughter. “Soren truly is at his wit’s end. A mere few blocks of stone, and he thinks they can block my army of several hundred thousand?”
He completely ignored these chaotic, sparse stone obstacle groups. Indeed, they appeared unable to block anything.
Moreover, the arrow was already upon the bowstring and had to be fired. Time was not in Zhili’s favour!
With each day that passed, someone might surrender to Soren. The longer the night, the more dreams one had.
The appearance of these stone obstacles could not affect Zhili’s will to fight the decisive battle in the slightest. The army of several hundred thousand still charged frantically!
…
Soren stood upon the city walls, feeling the ground trembling beneath his feet. Looking at the soldiers around him, their complexions had turned somewhat pale.
Gazing at the several hundred thousand surging soldiers, it truly seemed like an endless tide.
At this moment, the originally solid and thick Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line appeared especially fragile.
Taking a deep breath, Soren looked behind him. Several tens of thousands of troops were already lined up upon the ground behind the walls.
Throughout Tianshui City, the soldiers Soren could mobilise numbered around one hundred and seventy thousand. Of these, one hundred thousand were stationed at the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line. One hundred thousand against Zhili’s four hundred thousand.
Of these one hundred thousand defenders, thirty thousand were distributed upon the walls. Among them were fifteen thousand Rock Pirate Legion soldiers and fifteen thousand Soren Clan City Guard soldiers.
The remaining seventy thousand were all in the military camp grounds behind the walls.
Ten thousand Luanyang Revenge Army soldiers, fifteen thousand Rock Pirate Legion soldiers, and forty-five thousand Southeast New Army soldiers.
The Southeast New Army was reorganised from the prisoners of Zhiliwei’s Southeast Legion. This was the army Soren worried about most.
Indeed, the forty-five thousand Southeast New Army soldiers had pale, ashen complexions, and their bodies were even trembling slightly.
They were certainly filled with fear, and also filled with imaginings.
After these people were captured by Soren, they had actually lived quite well. Their military pay had doubled, their weapons had improved, their armour had improved, and even their daily food had become much better.
So they held a certain gratitude towards Soren. But when it came to loyalty? It was truly difficult to overestimate, especially at a life-or-death moment. Truly, anything could happen.
On the contrary, the Luanyang Revenge Army had red eyes, ferocious expressions, and were filled with the desire to fight. They wished to wash away their shame.
Especially Tuli Yang, who had found Soren several times, asking him to arrange for the Luanyang Revenge Army to take the vanguard.
In Soren’s view, the Luanyang Revenge Army had admirable fighting will but average combat strength, so they could not take the vanguard.
Those who held fast to the first line of the walls could only be the most loyal, most elite Soren Clan City Guard soldiers, and the most ferocious Rock Pirate Legion soldiers!
And the Rock Pirate Legion, hearing the tsunami-like roars of the enemy forces outside, instantly became so excited their entire bodies trembled.
Battle was coming, slaughter was coming, and there were so many people.
Too exhilarating, too exhilarating!
“Hahaha…” The Rock Pirate Legion soldiers upon the walls had already begun cutting their faces with knives, igniting their fighting spirit.
The Rock Pirate Legion soldiers below the walls could no longer sit still, emitting strange cries and beginning to lick their blades with their tongues until they were covered in blood.
“Gaga…”
“Wuwuwu…”
Seeing the Rock Pirate Legion as excited as if celebrating a festival, the Southeast New Army could not help but relax slightly.
One soldier turned his head and looked around several times, discovering they were all familiar faces. He could not help but say to a fellow townsman beside him, “Actually, although Marquis Soren is a bit arrogant, he is not a bad person. The reorganisation did not break us up, and all of us are still together.”
…
“Fight to the death! Those who retreat shall die!”
“Heaven shall punish Soren!”
The vanguard of the charging Zhili army had already entered cannon range!
“Fire… fire… fire…”
At Soren’s command!
“Boom, boom, boom, boom!”
Several hundred cannons emitted a chain of thunderous roars, overpowering the tsunami-like roars of the Zhili army.
Then, several hundred solid shot cannonballs, like black lightning, shot out violently!
At this moment, there was no need to aim at all. The entire battlefield was flat ground between two mountains, merely about four li in width.
The army of several hundred thousand was densely packed, like a swarm of ants. One could hit them even with eyes closed.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Several hundred solid shot cannonballs violently carved out several hundred bloody paths. Wherever they passed, bodies flew in all directions, dying violent deaths.
A single cannonball could kill at most several dozen people!
One round of cannon fire caused several thousand casualties.
But for an army of four hundred thousand, this was completely negligible, like splashes in a pond that quickly disappeared.
The preparation time between each round of cannon fire was truly too long. Even though Soren’s artillery was now sufficiently skilled, it still required about six or seven minutes.
Only when breech-loading rapid-fire cannons arrived would that be the true gospel.
Soren fantasised in his mind, if there were several hundred breech-loading rapid-fire cannons, all using self-detonating shells, combined with the success of high explosives. That would guarantee killing these several hundred thousand people cleanly.
If there were Maxim machine guns, not too many, just one hundred would suffice! Soren dared guarantee that within a few hours, these four hundred thousand people would be killed cleanly.
Unfortunately, Soren had none of these!
Leaving aside breech-loading rapid-fire cannons and Maxim machine guns, things that would not exist within his lifetime, even high explosives would not exist for a very long time.
His only hope at present was that these stone obstacle groups before him would be effective!
…
The army of several hundred thousand still charged forward with howls.
The distance to the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line was now only two li.
From here onwards, the ground ahead was no longer completely flat.
Last night, after sleeping with Zhiyan, Soren’s mind was clear and refreshed, and a sudden thought came to him.
Thus, he dispatched several tens of thousands of troops and several thousand pack horses to transport the unused massive stone blocks from the construction of the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line beyond the walls, placing them randomly to create obstacles upon the battlefield.
Placing these things had advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that it would affect the killing power of cannons and trebuchets, and it could not completely stop the Zhili army, only effectively delay them.
But what was most important to Soren?
Time!
The firing intervals of cannons and trebuchets were both too long. So create obstacles to delay the enemy’s speed and time.
Time was more precious than gold to Soren.
Very soon, the vanguard of the Zhili army had charged within one li. Here, the various obstacles were even denser.
Previously, soldiers carrying siege ladders could advance unimpeded, but now they needed to twist and turn through hundreds of bends, their speed slowing even further.
“Trebuchets, fire!”
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Several hundred giant trebuchets launched their projectiles violently.
This time, they all used primitive cluster bombs. Within several hundred jin of gunpowder packs were placed countless lead shot and steel shot.
Massive gunpowder spheres arced through the air.
They fell into the enemy forces like a vast ocean.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
Earth-shaking explosions!
That terrifying scene appeared once more!
As if a metallic storm had swept through, after nearly a million steel shot and lead shot exploded violently.
The entire area was completely emptied!
Because this area was filled with stone obstacles everywhere. Countless steel shot and lead shot ricocheted off them, causing secondary damage from bouncing projectiles.
A mass of blood mist suddenly rose into the air.
After quite a while, people gradually climbed back up!
“Charge, charge, charge…”
The officers beside them roared desperately!
Instantly, soldiers covered in blood continued charging forward.
Some slowed down, while others stumbled and fell after a few steps, never to rise again.
The countless troops behind still charged forward frantically.
But within eight hundred metres of the walls, they were immediately blocked by these countless stone obstacles. Like massive waves crashing against reefs, they were directly stalled.
Instantly, the entire army’s charging formation fell into complete chaos!
…
Soren’s strategy was to pile stone obstacles within the distance of eight hundred metres to one hundred and fifty metres from the walls.
Thus, enemies beyond eight hundred metres would be struck with solid shot cannonballs.
Enemies within the range of one hundred to five hundred metres would be struck with trebuchets.
Enemies within one hundred and fifty metres would be struck with canister shot from cannons, and also from scorpion trebuchets.
This obstacle segmentation tactic was originally Soren’s whimsical idea. He felt it might have a miraculous effect, but it would be difficult to fundamentally change the battle situation.
However, he had not expected it to play such a huge role.
If the numbers were small, the impact would not be great. One could simply weave through these obstacles.
But with Zhili’s army of several hundred thousand, once the charge began, it simply could not be stopped.
Those in front wanted to stop, but those behind kept pushing forward. Moreover, this was a siege army that needed to carry siege ladders over ten metres long.
In an instant, the entire army was completely stuck within these obstacle areas. Not only did their speed slow down, but countless troops were packed into a chaotic mass.
And upon the battlefield, time was incomparably precious, especially to Soren. Every minute was like gold.
Because his trebuchets and his cannons could complete one round of firing every six or seven minutes.
…
Upon the battlefield, the Zhili army was clearly divided into three parts by Soren.
The first part had already charged within one hundred and fifty metres, already attacking beneath the walls. This portion was very small, only about twenty to thirty thousand people.
The second part was stuck within the stone obstacles at eight hundred metres, extremely crowded and moving slowly, a full several tens of thousands of people.
The third part was beyond eight hundred metres from the Wind Thunder Fortress walls, a full several hundred thousand people. They had completely slowed down, waiting for the troops ahead to pass through the stone obstacle groups.
This eight hundred metres of stone obstacle groups was like a filter, reducing the enemy from many to few. It was also like a speed bump, buying Soren the most precious time.
Very soon, the second round of cannon fire from the several hundred cannons of the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line was ready!
At this time, twenty to thirty thousand people had already charged beneath the walls.
“Scorpion trebuchets ready, fire!” At Soren’s command.
Several hundred medium and small scorpion trebuchets launched, hurling out gunpowder spheres weighing several dozen jin.
These trebuchets relied on elastic force to launch, firing rather close, only about one hundred metres or so. But their advantage lay in their small size and fast firing speed.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Several hundred gunpowder spheres flew out over one hundred metres, smashing into the twenty to thirty thousand troops that had charged beneath the walls.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
Violent explosions shot out countless steel shot and lead shot.
Harvesting over a thousand lives.
Very soon, the second round of cannon fire was ready!
But Soren did not use canister shot from cannons to attack the twenty to thirty thousand enemies beneath the walls. Instead, he used solid shot cannonballs to attack the enemies at eight hundred metres.
Because the enemies there were more crowded, capable of causing even more frenzied killing.
As for the twenty to thirty thousand enemies beneath the walls, let them charge up if they wished!
“Boom, boom, boom, boom…”
Several hundred cannons roared once more!
Several hundred solid iron spheres, like lightning, sliced through the air emitting sharp whistling sounds, smashing towards the enemies at eight hundred metres!
Because of the blocking by the stone obstacles ahead, the troops here were already packed beyond measure, people everywhere!
After several hundred iron spheres smashed in!
“Whoosh…”
They literally ploughed open several hundred bloody paths.
Soren’s cannon fire created unprecedented killing.
Countless enemies were torn apart, dying violent deaths.
Even the gruesomeness of their deaths caused people’s expressions to change!
…
And at this time, the foremost troops of Zhili had already charged beneath the walls.
After two rounds of slaughter, only about twenty thousand or so had charged beneath the walls. But the Zhili army behind still continuously passed through the obstacle groups, charging beneath the walls.
“Scale the walls, scale the walls!”
“Thud, thud, thud, thud!”
After a series of thunderous sounds, over a hundred siege ladders were placed against the walls. Countless soldiers climbed up like ants.
For this great battle, Zhili had even specially modified the siege ladders. Half of them were welded from iron bars.
Although this made the siege ladders very heavy, requiring over a dozen strong men to carry them, these siege ladders were extremely sturdy and not afraid of fire.
The person at the top of each siege ladder held a massive fireproof shield.
Of every three people, one wore a fireproof cloak!
“Thud, thud, thud…”
Upon the walls, countless barrels of flaming oil were hurled down.
Then countless fire arrows were shot down.
Instantly, the entire area beneath the walls blazed with roaring flames.
“Argh… argh… argh…”
Soldiers without fireproof cloaks, once set ablaze by the great fires, immediately emitted heaven-shaking screams.
Struggling within the roaring flames, they soon fell silent, collapsing dead!
“Climb, climb, climb…”
The elite Dragon Guard Legion completely ignored the terrible screams around them, disregarding the flames filling the sky below, climbing upwards frantically!
Finally…
Under this all-or-nothing madness, less than one hour after today’s decisive battle began, after the Zhili army paid the price of fifty to sixty thousand casualties, they finally scaled the walls of the Wind Thunder Fortress defensive line for the first time!
The battle entered the most brutal hand-to-hand combat!
The ten thousand Rock Pirate Legion soldiers upon the walls fought like beasts, waving their weapons and slaughtering those who climbed up.
…
At this time, Soren actually closed his eyes!
Although the most brutal battle had only just begun, he faintly already saw that in this decisive battle, he should win!
And the main reason he would win was actually that inconspicuous stone obstacle group.
Slowing the enemy’s speed, filtering the enemy’s numbers, causing the entire battle to enter a very subtle rhythm.
This stone obstacle group divided the battlefield into three parts. It allowed Soren’s most elite weapons to maximise their killing power.
Cannons for long range, trebuchets for medium range, scorpion trebuchets for close range, and the Rock Pirate Legion for hand-to-hand combat!
Once the battle entered this active rhythm, then victory was truly at hand!