"Stay sharp!"
The Hundred-Household Officers stationed along every section of the Great Wall shouted to rally their men.
The triumph from Chen Sanshi's display of archery three days ago had long passed. Though the pride still lingered, the excitement had already cooled—and that was precisely why the barbarians had finally begun their siege.
Inside the gate fortress, Xiang Tingchun issued his command. "Loose the arrows!"
Messengers swiftly relayed the order.
Every beacon tower had its own assigned archers and crossbowmen. When the barbarian soldiers drew within two hundred steps, all archers aimed slightly upward and unleashed a storm of arrows.
The arrows arced through the sky like torrential rain.
Siege warfare—was nothing like the dramatized battles shown in stories.
It wasn't simply men charging with shields and blades, shouting battle cries. If they tried that, they'd only die in droves.
Siege warfare required machinery—lots of it.
At the front lines, the barbarians had rows of wooden mantlet wagons and covered battering carts.
The wooden mantlet wagons were siege carts shielded by thick wooden panels. Soldiers pushed them forward while hiding behind the cover, completely protected from incoming arrows.
The covered carts, built entirely of iron plates, worked the same way—like moving iron bunkers rolling toward the wall.
Behind them, barbarian archers fired volley after volley, their arrows raining back toward the battlements.
It was impossible to stop them with arrows alone. At best, they could kill a small fraction of the soldiers below. The real damage would only come once the enemy reached the walls and tried to climb.
Chen Sanshi's Fifteen-Stone Bow could easily pierce ordinary rattan shields, oxhide shields, and even thin iron plates. Each pull of his fingers claimed another life.
[Skill: Archery (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 508/1000]
At this pace, it wouldn't take long for his archery to reach major achievement.
But he was still only one man—how could one person stand against an entire army?
Soon, barbarian soldiers reached the base of the wall and began setting up cloud ladders.
These weren't simple ladders—they were massive siege machines weighing over a thousand catties, even several thousand, built with adjustable angles and iron hooks to secure them to the wall. The base formed a stable triangle that held firm against impact.
One by one, barbarians started climbing.
Logs and boulders were pushed over the edge, crashing down like thunder. Those who dared climb halfway up were met with buckets of boiling pitch poured over their heads.
"Saved this for days—come taste it, all of you!"
Zhu Tong shouted as he tipped bucket after bucket over the wall.
The scalding liquid seared flesh, and once infection set in, it meant certain death.
Chen Sanshi stood beside him, guarding with his long spear. Anyone who showed their head got skewered instantly.
In defense, one man could block ten thousand.
Within moments, he had already speared over twenty enemies, not letting a single one reach the top.
Gradually, the area he was responsible for fell quiet.
The Great Wall stretched for more than two hundred li.
The barbarians couldn't attack the entire line at once—they targeted the weaker points instead.
Even so, the first wave didn't last long.
After two hours, the barbarians sounded the gong to retreat.
Siege battles were long wars of attrition.
This first assault was likely just a test.
When the soldiers began cleaning up the battlefield and counting losses, the results came clear: over four hundred barbarians dead, while the Poyang Thousand-Household Division lost a little over fifty men—mostly those struck by stray arrows.
The casualty ratio looked good on paper.
But today, the barbarians had sent only their "old, weak, and infirm."
That much was obvious from their tattered leather armor. And up until now, not even a single tempering bone warrior had appeared.
It was clear—they'd used these four hundred expendables to test the Wall's true defensive strength.
[Skill: Commanding Troops (Beginner)]
[Progress: 388/500]
Real battle rapidly sharpened his skill in command.
Under his leadership, Chen Sanshi's men, though nervous, never panicked. Their coordination stayed tight, and with him standing firm at the front, only two died and three were wounded.
"Lazy bastard!"
Zhu Tong dragged Xu Wencai out of a corner, grimacing at the stench. "Didn't you say we were doomed? Looks to me like those barbarians are nothing but wine sacks and rice bags!"
"It's not over yet!"
Xu Wencai retorted, "They haven't even sent their tempering bone fighters. They haven't started digging tunnels or using sandbags. You'll see!"
"..."
Chen Sanshi let the old scholar chatter, using the time to continue cultivating. Then, he approached Xiang Tingchun to request permission to "hunt and bring back meat to reward the troops."
He'd just achieved great merit—there was no reward to spare, but at least he could earn a little privilege.
Riding his White Swan horse, he went into the mountains to train, soak in medicinal baths, and refine his medical skills.
Each time he returned, he brought back game for the soldiers to share.
Ten days passed this way. The barbarians made no serious move to attack, only beating war drums in the middle of the night and sending small groups to harass the walls by day.
"Fatigue tactics, huh…"
Chen Sanshi understood it clearly.
In a battle where food supplies weren't an issue, such attrition favored the barbarians. They had superior numbers, while the Great Wall's defenders would only grow more strained each day.
And with the weather growing colder, living day and night in the dirt was torture.
It was nearly the twelfth month now, yet still no snow had fallen in the northern borderlands.
If it did, the cold alone might force the barbarians back.
[Technique: Undying Golden Serpent Spear (Upper Scroll) (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 899/2000]
His cultivation had slowed.
The effect of the Condensed Dew Body-Refining Decoction was weakening.
At this rate, it would take another twenty days to reach tempering bone perfection.
However, his medical skill was on the verge of breaking through.
Medical Officer Jiang had also come with the army to the Great Wall. Chen Sanshi used the excuse of helping him, but in truth, he was taking the opportunity to raise his skill proficiency. After pushing the heavy stone grinder for medicine, he began practicing acupuncture on a wooden mannequin marked with every acupuncture point.
Medicine wasn't limited to herbs—acupuncture was part of it too.
He had already memorized every acupoint and needle technique through his [Perfect Memory], so all that remained was to get a feel for it. After an afternoon of practice, he had already mastered the techniques.
Finally, his panel shifted.
[Skill: Medicine (Mortal) (Mastery)]
[Progress: 0/1000]
[Effect: Recognition of Formulas Upon Sight; Decipher All Poisons]
[Decipher All Poisons: With unrivaled medical expertise, all mortal poisons can be instantly identified and neutralized upon sight.]
Detoxification?
Chen Sanshi had always been able to recognize when poison was added to his food, but not to cure it. In both the martial world and the battlefield, there were always those sinister bastards who loved using poison.
Now, with this skill, he was practically immune to any "poison."
Boom, boom, boom!
After many days of silence, the familiar sound of war drums thundered in his ears once again.
"Medical Officer Jiang, I have to go!"
Chen Sanshi's heart tightened. He tossed aside his silver needles and sprinted off. When he reached the top of the wall, he saw an ocean of barbarian soldiers surging forward like a tide. Judging by their numbers, this time they weren't sending the weak and crippled—this was a full-scale assault.
Both their numbers and quality far surpassed before. Siege engines were lined up at the very front, shield-bearers and spearmen behind them, then the archers and crossbowmen, and finally—two thousand cavalry forming the rear line.
And behind them were five hundred heavy cavalry—fully armored from head to toe. Even the vital parts of their warhorses were plated in iron. They were clearly the elite of the elite.
If, back on the grasslands, they had encountered these riders, Zhu Tong and the others probably wouldn't have survived.
The cavalry held position two li away, forming the rearguard line, while the four thousand foot soldiers spread out across the field. Some made feint attacks while others charged in earnest. The pattern of assault and deception made it impossible to tell where the real strike would fall, and the Great Wall's defense couldn't shift quickly enough to respond.
"This section's just a feint!"
The position Chen Sanshi commanded saw a few barbarians rushing forward to set up ladders, but barely any actually climbed. Within moments, they withdrew entirely, leaving only the ladders dangling against the wall.
"Hundred-Household Officer Chen! Lead thirty men east to Beacon Tower Alpha! Hundred-Household Officer Zhao can't hold much longer!"
The order came down belatedly through the runners.
By the time Chen Sanshi and his men reached the spot, four cloud ladders had already been hooked onto the battlements. Zhao Kang was locked in combat with a barbarian Hundred-Household officer, and his troops were desperately holding the ladders, unable to spare a single hand elsewhere.
Not far behind the ladders, several massive siege wagons were rumbling forward.
Assault Chariots!
These were the largest siege vehicles of their kind. The one before them wasn't even the biggest—yet it stood nearly twenty feet tall and several feet wide. It had three interior levels and could hold nearly a hundred soldiers. Each layer had its own heavy crossbows and hammers, and the top level allowed soldiers to leap directly onto the wall, while those on the bottom hacked and dug at the stone foundations.
If one of these reached the wall and released a flood of soldiers inside, the defense would collapse—and the Wall itself could fall.
"Set it on fire!"
Chen Sanshi gave the order calmly.
The fire basins were already prepared.
He and his archers took out iron-caged fire arrows, lit the oil-soaked cloth with torches, drew their bows, and fired toward the charging siege wagons.
But the barbarians had planned for this. Behind every assault chariot rolled a water cart—massive barrels with mounted pumps. Each time a fire arrow struck, a stream of water drenched the spot before the flames could spread.
Still, the water carts had limited capacity.
After a relentless rain of blazing arrows—like a fiery storm descending from the heavens—two of the siege chariots finally caught fire.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the barbarian catapults began hurling stones in volleys. Each rock fell like a meteor, smashing into the wall with thunderous force. Within a few rounds, the centuries-old wall cracked open, forming a jagged breach several feet wide.
Anyone below tempering blood minor achievement who failed to dodge was instantly crushed into pulp.
Amid this chaos, one of the assault chariots managed to reach the base of the wall intact.
Barbarian soldiers poured out of it one after another—but most of them didn't even get their feet onto the wall before a long spear tore through their chests.
"Charge! Kill him!"
"He's alone—take the first step and earn your glory!"
At that moment, all the soldiers who had followed Chen Sanshi to assist were stuck defending the ladders. In front of the siege chariot—he stood alone.
The barbarians, eager for merit, roared and surged forward like beasts breaking from their cage.
Chen Sanshi stood his ground without fear. His long spear whirled like a storm of flying serpents, its tip flashing faster than sight. Not a single gap remained in his defense. Any barbarian who showed his head found a hole through his body the next instant.
For five full minutes, he stood there, alone, slaughtering them until corpses piled high at the chariot's mouth. Not one managed to set foot on the wall for more than two seconds.
"Out of my way!"
A thunderous roar came from inside the chariot. A huge barbarian burst out, using his own men as a human shield, and charged forward swinging a spiked mace toward Chen Sanshi's head.
Clang—!
From Chen Sanshi's waist, the Mountain-Suppressing Sword flashed free of its sheath.
A cold gleam split the air.
The giant barbarian—his strength at tempering bone minor achievement—lost his head in a single stroke. Not even one exchange!
"Ahhh—!"
The soldiers inside the chariot froze as if drenched in ice water. Their ambition to earn merit evaporated instantly, replaced by sheer terror. Over a hundred eyes stared at Chen Sanshi in disbelief, feet rooted in place, none daring to advance.
Then Chen Sanshi took the initiative—charging into the packed mass of men. His right hand's Willow-Leaf Spear swept in wide arcs while his left hand's Mountain-Suppressing Sword sliced down stragglers. Heads rolled.
Someone screamed "Retreat!" and panic erupted. Soldiers scrambled over one another to flee down the chariot. Those who hesitated were pierced through on the spot. The chariot's interior became a slaughterhouse—men trampling men, blood spraying across the iron walls until the entire vehicle gleamed red.
And just then, from outside the Great Wall, the horns blared once again—the barbarians had sounded the retreat.