The bright moon hung high in the sky.
Its silvery glow bathed the land like flowing water.
At this moment, the entire city was illuminated under the moonlight, bright as daytime, enough for one to read and recognize words.
On the western city wall of the inner city
Blazing torches were lit, casting flickering shadows as figures hurried back and forth. More people were continuously arriving from all corners of the inner city.
Soldiers were also pouring water onto the outer side of the city wall.
In the biting cold of winter, with temperatures well below freezing, the water splashed onto the icy wall and quickly froze into a slick, glass-like layer.
This made the wall extremely smooth, making it difficult even for powerful martial artists to scale it by stepping on the ice-covered surface.
"Sir, look!"
A soldier who had been pouring water onto the wall suddenly noticed a figure soaring through the air from the direction of the outer city. The figure moved with incredible speed, seemingly gliding effortlessly.
He immediately shouted in alarm.
His cry instantly drew the attention of everyone nearby.
Xiao Chen, the city garrison officer who had been patrolling the wall and issuing commands, also leaned over the battlements to look.
Moments later, he saw the figure arriving at the base of the wall.
"No need to panic. That should be Commander Jiang!"
Just then
The sound of approaching footsteps came from behind him.
"Xiao Chen, what's going on?"
At the same time
A wave of respectful greetings echoed from the soldiers behind him.
"Greetings, Lord Commander!"
"Greetings, Lord Commander!!"
"Greetings, Lord Commander!!!"
Hearing the title Lord Commander, Xiao Chen immediately turned around.
He saw a man hastily ascending the city wall Ge Zhengyuan, the Grand Commander of the City Guard.
The City Guard was responsible for all military defenses in Luoshui County.
"Greetings, Lord Commander!" Xiao Chen cupped his hands and saluted.
At that moment
Jiang Ning leaped onto the city wall.
In an instant, he soared over the towering battlements and landed gracefully atop the wall.
Ge Zhengyuan, who had been about to ask another question, was immediately drawn to the sight of Jiang Ning rising from below like a great roc soaring into the sky.
As one of the most powerful figures in Luoshui County, a seventh-rank official, and one of the few martial artists at the seventh rank, Ge Zhengyuan was well aware of what it took to scale a sheer wall with nothing but speed and agility.
More importantly, Jiang Ning's leap was not achieved through brute strength alone.
"Strange… Jiang Ning only became Wang Jin's disciple last year. But now, he looks like someone who has mastered both internal and external cultivation techniques. Could it be that apprenticing under Wang Jin was just a cover and that he has another teacher?"
Ge Zhengyuan mused to himself.
He still vividly remembered the apprentice banquet he had attended when Jiang Ning formally became Wang Jin's student.
At that time, Jiang Ning had impressed him, but only in the way that a promising young man might.
Now, however, he realized that he could no longer see through Jiang Ning's abilities.
This movement technique soars upward like a great roc
It was not something that could be achieved through mere physical strength.
Even as a seventh-rank martial artist himself, Ge Zhengyuan could leap over a city wall if given footholds.
This was precisely why city walls were designed to be as smooth as possible, with routine polishing every few years to prevent martial artists from easily scaling them.
Only those with exceptionally long-lasting inner breath who could lighten their bodies to the point of floating through the air could directly leap over a ten-zhang-high city wall.
And right now, Jiang Ning is demonstrating precisely that ability.
This was why Ge Zhengyuan concluded that Jiang Ning had already mastered both external and internal martial arts.
"Commander Jiang, have you just returned from the outer city?" Ge Zhengyuan asked.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning turned his gaze to Ge Zhengyuan and immediately recognized him.
In Luoshui County, Ge Zhengyuan was one of the few officials ranked above him.
However, as a member of the Inspection Bureau, Jiang Ning had special privileges his rank was considered one level higher when dealing with other officials.
In terms of position and authority, he was not beneath Ge Zhengyuan.
As for martial prowess, there was no longer a need for comparison.
"Lord Commander," Jiang Ning cupped his hands in greeting before saying, "You should make preparations immediately. The Black Mountain Cavalry has breached the west city gate of the outer city and is now advancing straight for this location."
"The Black Mountain Cavalry?"
Ge Zhengyuan's expression changed instantly. He quickly followed up, "Commander Jiang, are you certain? The Black Mountain Cavalry has truly entered the city?"
"I am certain," Jiang Ning replied coolly. "A total of thirty-four Black Mountain Cavalrymen are riding this way as we speak."
"Thirty-four..."
Ge Zhengyuan inhaled sharply, his face turning grim.
As the Grand Commander of the City Guard in Luoshui County, Ge Zhengyuan naturally knew of the Black Mountain Cavalry.
Thirty-four cavalrymen this meant at least thirty-four battle-hardened veterans, all at the eighth rank of martial arts, and all highly trained riders.
Such a force alone was enough to rival the highest-tier combat strength in Luoshui County.
Not to mention, among these thirty-four riders, there were bound to be some at the seventh rank of martial arts.
And a seventh-rank warrior from the Black Mountain Cavalry was far more formidable than their counterparts in a county town.
Having launched their rebellion in Daming Prefecture and then traveled thousands of miles through blood and fire, they were survivors of countless battles. Compared to the well-fed and comfortable seventh-rank warriors of the county, these men had superior willpower and experience, utterly crushing them in both aspects.
And that was in a one-on-one fight.
In military combat, warriors specialized in group battles.
If their numbers exceeded ten, even if their martial ranks were similar, it would be a one-sided massacre.
Hearing Jiang Ning's report, Ge Zhengyuan immediately realized the gravity of the situation.
At this moment, Luoshui County was in its weakest state of the year.
The strongest force in the county, the Inspection Bureau, was primarily composed of personnel from other cities. With the long holiday for the New Year, most of them had returned home.
As a result, the overall strength of Luoshui County was at least half of what it had been a month ago.
And now, at this exact moment on the very night when the city's defenses were at their thinnest the Black Mountain Cavalry had suddenly launched an attack. After breaching the outer city, they were charging straight for the inner city.
This was a meticulously planned assault.
Ge Zhengyuan knew full well that, as the highest-ranking officer of the City Guard, he bore the greatest responsibility.
If Luoshui County were to fall completely, his head would be the first to roll.
For him, abandoning the city and fleeing was a guaranteed death sentence.
With this in mind, he took a deep breath and turned to Jiang Ning.
"Commander Jiang, did you see how many Black Mountain troops were following behind the cavalry?"
"I don't know," Jiang Ning replied, his gaze fixed on the darkened outer city. His tone remained calm. "As soon as I saw the thirty-four Black Mountain cavalrymen, I immediately returned to report."
"But we don't even need to look to know. With the cavalry present, they must have gathered a force of Black Mountain troops. Together, there should be around a hundred men or possibly more."
Hearing this, Ge Zhengyuan nodded in agreement.
"Indeed…"
"The county's defenses are weak right now, and this attack was completely unexpected. Many of our colleagues are still on their way back."
"The Black Mountain Army has chosen their timing well!"
Jiang Ning remained silent, quietly observing the direction from which the Black Mountain Cavalry was approaching. He gave a slight nod.
"It is a good time for them."
Suddenly
Jiang Ning spoke. "They're here."
"What?" Ge Zhengyuan was momentarily stunned.
Jiang Ning said, "The Black Mountain Cavalry has arrived."
At the edge of his vision, Jiang Ning could already see them.
"Where?" Ge Zhengyuan hesitated before tilting his head, listening carefully.
Only then did he hear the distant thunder of galloping hooves.
His expression tensed. "They're here!"
Turning to Jiang Ning, he cupped his hands and said, "Commander Jiang, we will need your assistance in defending the city. I hope you will lend us your strength."
Jiang Ning gave a slight nod.
"Thank you!" Ge Zhengyuan bowed, then hurried off to make preparations for the city's defense.
Tonight was crucial for him not just for his official position, but for his very life.
By now, more and more people were arriving at the city wall from various parts of the inner city.
But Jiang Ning no longer paid attention to what was happening behind him.
He knew very well that the next stretch of road would be his best chance to strike against the Black Mountain Cavalry.
Meanwhile
The Black Mountain Cavalry galloped at full speed down the road leading directly from the outer city to the inner city.
They knew that every moment of delay meant the defenders would be that much stronger.
They were relying on a race against time.
If Luoshui County had time to fully react and fortify itself, how could their mere hundred-man force hope to take an entire county?
"Victory or failure hinges on this charge!"
The leader of the Black Mountain Cavalry stared ahead at the towering city walls looming in the darkness, his expression grave.
The outer city had been easy to breach.
The inner city was another matter entirely.
Not only did it have several times the usual defensive strength of the outer city, but thanks to the warning from the outer city, it had already made some preparations.
To breach the inner city, they would have to scale the walls by force.
That was why they couldn't afford to waste a single second.
Of the entire Black Mountain Cavalry, only four including himself could scale a ten-zhang-high city wall unaided.
Even if they counted the hidden Saintess of the cult traveling with them, that made only five.
In other words, the five of them had to climb the walls quickly, eliminate the defenders, and open the gates from within.
Only by doing this could they lead their comrades into the inner city.
With their brothers providing reinforcements, they could establish a foothold and perhaps even take Luoshui County completely.
But that was only a possibility.
Because no one ever knew just how deep the waters of a county city ran
Or whether some hidden powerhouse might be residing there.
There had been a precedent.
Once, a rebel army had breached a county city and was on the verge of victory.
Wh.en an old man walked out, wielding nothing but a tree branch.
With a single sweep of his sword energy, he turned the invading rebels at the gate into a mist of blood.
Then, along with his sword, he slew thousands of enemies with ease, single-handedly turning the tide of the battle.
By the end of that fight, only thirty percent of the rebel force had survived.
That was only because the swordmaster did not wish to cause more bloodshed.
As the walls of the inner city grew clearer, the icy surface outside the walls reflected the cold moonlight.
The leader of the Black Mountain Cavalry grew increasingly tense.
Tonight's assault plan mainly came from the suggestion of the hidden Black Lotus Saintess.
Before this, he had never considered such an idea.
Attacking a county city with just a hundred men was sheer madness.
Even with tonight's perfect timing, it was still an utterly reckless act.
However, while the Black Lotus Saintess was only a newly appointed candidate among the saintesses of the sect and not as highly ranked as the others, her status was still far above that of a mere captain like him.
"I hope everything goes smoothly tonight!" The leader of the Black Mountain Cavalry looked at the approaching city walls and silently prayed in his heart.
Just then
Boom!
A thunderous explosion suddenly rang in his ears.
He turned his head sharply.
One of his brothers, clad in black iron armor and who had followed him through thousands of miles, was suddenly blown apart, his flesh and blood scattering in all directions. Even his mighty Black Nightmare Horse was torn to pieces.
"Iron Mountain!!" His eyes instantly turned bloodshot.
Before he could process what had just happened
Boom!
Another explosion, like a sudden clap of thunder, shattered the night.
He turned his head again, only to see another brother violently torn apart. His black iron armor was completely shattered, and his towering Black Nightmare Horse was ripped into countless chunks of flesh.
Frantically, he turned toward the city walls.
There, he saw a lone figure standing atop the wall, his bowstring pulled taut once more.
"Find cover! There's a godly archer!!" he roared in alarm.
At that moment
Jiang Ning stood upon the city walls.
Twang
He released another arrow.
In the darkness, the arrow vanished the moment it left the bowstring.
Less than a breath later
Boom!
Another explosion rang out. A Black Mountain Rider was struck as if hit by a cannon, his body torn apart into pieces.
Without hesitation, Jiang Ning nocked another arrow and drew his bow once more.
Meanwhile
With the Black Mountain Cavalry fully visible under the moonlight, everyone on the city wall was already on high alert, awaiting their assault.
Ge Zhengyuan, as the chief of the City Guard, had stopped his frantic preparations. He drew the treasured blade hanging from his waist and began carefully wiping it.
He knew that the Black Mountain Cavalry had no siege equipment.
Their method of attack would be simple only their strongest fighters would scale the walls and open the city gates from within.
From the front, these mere thirty-odd riders had no chance of breaking through the gates.
At the rear of the wall, elite soldiers were preparing their massive Shen Ji Crossbows, carefully loading them with armor-piercing bolts.
The Shen Ji Crossbow was a military weapon designed to counter martial artists.
Its armor-piercing bolts had small heads, only about ten centimeters long, but they were forged from ten-thousand-times-refined iron. With the sheer impact force behind them, they could easily penetrate several centimeters of solid iron.
Even a sixth-rank martial artist dared not take a direct hit from an armor-piercing bolt.
Only a peak fifth-rank Inner Strength expert could withstand these bolts using their internal energy for a short time. But as their energy depleted, even they would not dare face them head-on.
These weapons were also strictly controlled by the Great Xia Dynasty.
Any private possession of such a weapon was punishable by death.
Only the imperial military could rightfully wield these restricted weapons.
At that moment
Jiang Ning's arrows whistled through the air, each shot followed by an ear-splitting sonic boom.
The explosions echoed through the night, instantly drawing the attention of the defenders on the wall.
Only then did they notice Jiang Ning once again drawing his bow.
Twang
Jiang Ning loosed another arrow.
The moment it was fired, it disappeared from view. The air itself seemed to explode into a white mist where the arrow had passed.
"A Silent Arrow!"
"Commander Jiang's archery is that strong?!"
The defenders murmured in astonishment.
Ge Zhengyuan, standing nearby, was particularly overjoyed.
He knew very well the kind of impact a godly archer who could fire Silent Arrows would have on a siege battle.
To him, Jiang Ning was a grim reaper, a merciless executioner standing atop the walls.
Especially at night.
Though the moon was bright, it was still nighttime.
In the darkness, vision was far inferior to daylight. Ordinary martial artists relied on their eyes to track incoming arrows, but in these conditions, that was nearly impossible.
On top of that, Silent Arrows traveled faster than sound.
For the attackers, this meant they couldn't even rely on their ears to detect incoming arrows in advance.
Under these circumstances, the terror of a master archer only multiplied.
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