Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3733 What grass doesn't turn yellow? What day will it not move? What person doesn't serve?

At the beginning of the Yin hour, the camp of the Flying Cavalry outside Gongxian City was already filled with a solemn atmosphere.

Wang Wu tightened the worn-out leather belt around his waist, took a deep breath, and tried to dispel the inexplicable tension in his heart.

Even though this wasn't his first time playing.

He could almost hear his heart pounding, his blood surging...

With rough hands, he vigorously rubbed the end of the weapon in his hand into the mud under his feet a few times.

The earth gave him a steady touch, which calmed Wang Wu's heart a little.

Today, the squad leader's order was unusually clear, even somewhat excited: "Today's target: the breach in the wall at the west gate, the one that was bombarded! The breach! Did you hear me? The breach!"

The word "gap" was shouted out loud by the squad leader, like two red-hot iron nails driven into the ears of every foot soldier like Wang Wu.

Their original plan was to climb the city wall, but now that there's an opening, it's much easier.

As long as we clear away the clutter and congestion at the opening...

I heard that a single cannon shot costs ten thousand gold coins?
Wang Wu wasn't entirely sure, but he knew that this gap had been created with a staggering sum of money!

He could almost still feel the lingering echoes of the shelling from yesterday, the day before, and even earlier.

With each explosion of artillery fire, the earth groaned and trembled, as if it were about to devour all those lying on it.

This shock and destructive force struck Gongxian deeply and were also imprinted on the hearts of Cao's soldiers.

Once the artillery reached the front lines, Cao Cao's soldiers would instinctively shrink back and hide whenever they thought of the devastating scene.

The sky finally began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, sparingly outlining the blurry and dilapidated contours of the Gongxian city wall.

It was somewhat ferocious and weak.

In the dim morning light, the city wall facing the west gate looked as if it had been gnawed by a giant beast, even more shocking than what had been seen in the past few days.

The huge gaps in the brickwork are jagged and interlocking, and the once neat crenellations are crooked and broken, like a row of broken and rotten teeth.

Although the shelling had temporarily ceased, a strong, lingering smell of burning, mixed with the acrid odor of sulfur and gunpowder, still lingered on the position. Carried by the chilly east wind of the early morning, it rushed into people's nostrils, making their throats tighten and their eyes sting.

Wang Wu vigorously wiped his face with his sleeve, trying to remove the lingering smell, but only managed to remove a layer of grime mixed with oil and sweat.

bath?

No, I haven't washed it for many days.

This mixture of chalk, dust, oil, and sweat had become like a second layer of armor for him.

The same was true of most of the soldiers around them.

The training these past few days has been tough; everyone is holding their breath and working hard.

If you win, you can take a shower whenever you want.

If I die...

Then there's no need to bother taking a bath.

Just as Wang Wu was losing control of his racing thoughts, he suddenly heard someone whisper beside him: "Minato, there's movement from Minato's side!"

Wang Wu suddenly snapped out of his daze, squinted, and strained to look towards the water gate in the southeast corner of Gong County.

really!

At the dim boundary between the sky and the water, flickering flames could be faintly seen, mixed with muffled shouts of battle and the crisp clang of metal. But the distance was indeed quite far, and with the wind blowing, the sounds were torn apart and indistinct, making them difficult to hear clearly. All that could be caught was a buzzing sound wave created by the superposition of chaos and clamor.

The great banner of the General of the Cavalry also appeared near the water gate...

Cao Jun was also drawn to it.

The sergeant walked over, inspecting the area while saying in a low voice, "Silence! Don't get distracted! Check again! See if the ribbons are loose, if everything is brought, if the armor plates are fastened securely..."

Sometimes Wang Wu felt that the squad leader was a nagging mother, always going on and on about everything. But with the squad leader nagging like that, the soldiers around him would subconsciously start checking their equipment.

The squad leader was doing it for everyone's good...

Although it can be a bit wordy at times.

The platoon leader surveyed the area, then pointed to several inconspicuous triangular flags standing behind a waist-high earthen mound a few dozen paces ahead. "Attention, everyone! Keep an eye on the flags!"

Everyone nodded and focused their attention on the flags.

The commotion from the direction of the water gate was like drops of boiling oil being thrown in, growing louder and louder, and even the roar of cannons began to sound.

One door, two doors, three doors, four doors.

A complete artillery formation.

Two, three, four artillery formations!

The chaotic noise seemed to grow clearer and more intense, causing noticeable unrest among the defenders on other sides of the city wall.

The figures behind the battlements began to move and run around frequently.

Especially from the west gate tower, Wang Wu could vaguely see that the figures of the guards who had originally been lined up behind the dilapidated city walls seemed to have...

It has become much sparser.

Many figures were drawn to the water gate, and some could even be seen running back and forth on the city wall, waving their arms as if mobilizing troops.

Instantly, an indescribable tension filled the air, and even the others around Wang Wu began to breathe cautiously, as if anticipating something...

*Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!*

"Beep, beep beep..."

Suddenly, the war drums sounded sharply, three times in quick succession, followed by the sound of the bronze whistle.

The sergeant abruptly sat up straight, waving his arm, "Follow me! Charge!"

Wang Wu's heart clenched suddenly, then pounded violently as if struck by a drumstick. Almost instinctively, he followed the squad leader and his comrades, leaping out from behind their earthen mounds, crouching low, and like a pack of cheetahs skimming the ground, pounced towards the base of the west gate city wall.

Beneath your feet lies land that has been repeatedly shelled, filled, crushed, and shelled again, to the point that some places are as soft as mud. If you accidentally wander into such an area, you will sink deep into it with every step, stirring up sticky mud. This not only greatly consumes your energy but also slows down your progress.

Therefore, it is essential to carefully choose the direction for each step forward and each subsequent step.

The platoon leader, almost bent over, stared at the ground before him, choosing a dry spot with clearly visible footprints. Their task was 'simple': to take advantage of the moment when the water gate distracted Cao Cao's army, and as quickly as possible, clear a path through the mountain of bricks and rubble piled up at the foot of the west gate wall, ravaged by repeated artillery fire!

The road to victory!
Or...

A path to death.

When they reached the foot of the city wall, the first two waves of engineers were already frantically waving their tools.

They are paving the way for Wang Wu and others in the initial stages!

Shovels and picks clashed violently with rubble, broken bricks, and charred wooden beams, producing a piercing clang and a snapping sound as wood broke.

Sweat and dirt mingled, streaming down their taut cheeks and necks, leaving streaks of dirt on their cold leather armor.

Wang Wu and his men rushed over quickly, practically trampling on the engineers' bodies, shoulders, and backs...

Rush over!
Break through!

No one spoke; only the heavy, bellows-like breathing and the clatter of tools created a cruel labor chant.

The slow-witted defenders on the city wall finally noticed the unusual activity at the base of the wall!
After a brief moment of shock, the warning gong rang out shrilly, and then arrows, like an enraged swarm of wasps, suddenly became dense and menacing with a chilling 'whoosh' sound!
Several arrows flew past Wang Wu's scalp, the chilling aura of death making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The arrow pierced deep into the soil behind Wang Wu, its tail feathers still vibrating at a high frequency, emitting a mournful buzzing sound.

Wang Wu and his men rushed to the city walls.

Begin cleaning up the combat platform.

"Shield!!" the squad leader roared hoarsely.

Several shield-bearing soldiers who were already prepared on the sidelines struggled to lift the large shields covered with thick raw cowhide, put them together, and set them up to create a small sheltered space above Wang Wu and his men.

"Duh!" Duh! ! 』

The arrow struck the shield with a dull thud.

but……

Wang Wu's hands kept moving, but hearing the sound from the shield made him feel inexplicably relieved.

This is much quieter than during previous training sessions!
You should know that during the training, even though the arrowheads of the guards directly under the cavalry battalion were removed, their fighting spirit did not slacken at all!

The arrows struck the shield with a sound like hailstones falling, and each impact caused the shield-bearer's arm to tremble violently, and his body to involuntarily hunch down a little!
Wang Wu remembers that even when he was hiding under the shield, he could feel the enormous impact transmitted from the shield above his head, as if the shield would shatter at any moment!
And now... Wang Wu didn't even raise his head. He just lowered his body further, gripped the wooden handle of the shovel tightly with both hands, and used all his strength to frantically dig, pry, and push at the pile of rubble mixed with broken city bricks, wood chips, and loose soil in front of him!
Even if you're going to build a wooden plank or a ladder, you still need a solid foundation!

Sweat poured from his forehead and temples like streams, mixing with the flying dust and flowing into his eyes, stinging them and blurring his vision.

He could only rely on his senses and mechanically repeat the digging motions.

The sounds around him were the heavy, labored breathing of his comrades, the muffled thuds of shields bearing down blows, the thud of arrows piercing the surrounding earth, and even...

He clearly heard a suppressed, painful groan!
A warm liquid splashed onto his back!

He knew what had happened without even turning around...

A stray arrow!

On the battlefield, sometimes luck can determine life.

Another group of soldiers rushed up beside Wang Wu.

They cleared the ruins and cleared the passageways even faster than Wang Wu and his team!

Wang Wu glanced at it briefly and saw that it was the engineers led by Captain Chen Wu!
After clearing another section of the road, they rushed up again to help Wang Wu and the others clear the combat platform...

These guys who specialize in building bridges and paving roads seem to set up planks and ladders wherever their picks and shovels dig!

In a short time, the engineers and others arrived first and quickly expanded out a flat area!

The Cao army soldiers on the west gate tower were clearly aware of the huge potential threat posed by the group of soldiers engaged in construction work at the base of the wall. However, the continuous artillery bombardment had obviously severely damaged the structure of the tower, making it impossible for the defenders to launch a multi-layered and multi-angled counterattack.

Moreover, because some of their soldiers had been transferred away, the Cao army's counterattack was not as fierce as expected.

But that doesn't mean Wang Wu and the others are safe...

Several heavy logs fell, most of them landing a few steps away from Wang Wu and his group with a loud bang, sending mud and gravel flying everywhere.

One of the logs, with tremendous momentum, slammed into the leg of an engineer under Chen Wu's command who was bent over and digging with all his might!

A sickeningly clear "crack" sound of bone breaking could be heard!
The soldier let out a short, muffled groan before collapsing to the ground, his face instantly turning ashen.

The two veterans beside him reacted extremely quickly, dropping their tools almost instantly. One of them held his legs, and the other grabbed his armpits, swiftly dragging him away from the danger zone.

Wang Wu caught a glimpse of the unfortunate fellow's contorted, pained face and his limp, drooping legs out of the corner of his eye. His heart clenched, but his hands moved without the slightest hesitation.

This is the fate of engineers: filling trenches, clearing obstacles, enduring arrows, and being hit by rolling stones...

They paved the way for the elite soldiers with their own flesh and blood, but their names rarely even appear on the list of merits.

Wang Wu gritted his teeth.

The whistle blew in the north, signaling the start of their ascent and attack!

"I'll avenge you!" Wang Wu gripped his knife tightly.

He recalled the hellish climbing training on the earthen slope behind the camp a few days ago, the "spearheads" and "arrows" covered in chalk powder, the cold record board and hourglass in the captain's hands...

What General Fei Qian honed with mud and sweat was not only the sharpest blade of his elite soldiers, but also their ability to execute efficiently.

The harshness of the new military system, in the face of this cold reality, reveals its cruel yet effective logic.

Use the "casualties" during training to gain real chances of survival on the battlefield.

Perhaps the feint attack on the water gate attracted more defenders, or perhaps the damaged structure of the city gate limited their effectiveness; the clearing was much faster than expected.

The shelling caused a collapse, resulting in a large amount of debris piling up at the base of the wall.

However, these obstacles, though enormous in size, are structurally very loose, like building blocks and sand haphazardly piled up by giants.

The commotion from the water gate direction seemed to have reached an unprecedented peak!
The shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the booming sound of something heavy collapsing mingled together, creating a massive sonic shockwave!
Immediately afterwards, a deafening boom followed!

A deafeningly loud bang suddenly rang out!
The sound was so loud, like a roar from the depths of the earth, that the ground beneath our feet trembled violently and noticeably!
Caught off guard, Wang Wu stumbled and nearly fell, instinctively shrinking his neck as if the loud noise had exploded right above his head.

The defending troops on the city wall reacted even more violently!

Like a hornet's nest thrown with stones, it instantly exploded into chaos!

Terrified, panicked, and desperate cries rose and fell, spreading wildly across the West Gate tower and the entire western city wall!

The arrows that were originally aimed at Wang Wu and his men visibly thinned out and became scattered!
Many of the defenders seemed completely stunned by the loud noise from the direction of the water gate and the ensuing chaos, even forgetting the threat at the base of the wall, and staring blankly and shouting in the direction of the water gate.

"It's done!!" The sergeant's low, suppressed roar of elation exploded in Wang Wu's ears. "Get ready! Get ready! Follow me! Follow me!!"

Wang Wu didn't know exactly what had happened at the water gate...

Did the feint attack force actually break through the water gate?
Or did it create even greater chaos and draw away Cao Hong's main force?
Or perhaps gunpowder was buried under the city walls and exploded?

All he knew was that the suffocating pressure of death above his head had suddenly lessened!
Hey-yo!

Several burly soldiers worked together to brace a half-person-high stone with a crowbar. Amid the shouts of the squad leader, veins bulged on their foreheads and muscles bulged all over their bodies!

"Creak... Boom!"

The stubborn stone finally groaned in resentment, was pried off its original position, rolled and crashed onto a pile of rubble, stirring up a cloud of dust.

The last obstacle has been cleared!

The breach is right in front of us!

Almost at the same moment the stone slab hit the ground, a resolute shout, as sharp as a blade being drawn from its sheath, burst forth from the mouth of the captain leading the elite troops behind them!
"Attack! Charge!!"

This command was like a spark igniting a fuse!

Not only were troops advancing up the breach, but people on the sidelines were also pushing ladders and ramps up.

At the same time, several thick hemp ropes with heavy iron hooks whistled through the air as they were forcefully flung into the sky by the strong arms below!

It precisely and firmly secured the gaps in the brickwork of the dilapidated crenellations at the west gate!

The rope instantly taut!

Ladders, ropes, and straight through the gap!

The defenders on the city wall finally realized what was happening!
A tremendous terror overwhelmed them instantly, like a plague!
"Enemy attack! The city walls have been breached! The west gate has been breached!!"

A shrill, distorted scream resounded from the West Gate tower, carrying with it a despair as if the end of the world had come!

But it's too late!
When the first-ranked elite cavalryman scaled the broken ramparts, his ring-pommel sword spilling crimson blood, Cao Cao's army was already doomed.

Then came the second one! The third one! The fourth one...

More warriors surged forth like a tide of steel, instantly engulfing the crumbling western city wall of Gongxian!

"Kill them all—!!!"

"Stop them!!"

The sharp, intense clash of weapons, the muffled thud of blades piercing flesh, the agonizing screams of the dying, the furious roars…

It erupted instantly on the west gate, weaving together a bloody and frenzied symphony of death!

Wang Wu leaned against the cold, piercing city wall, his chest heaving violently. Each breath felt like a broken bellows pulling him, and his throat was filled with dust and dirt, dry and foul-smelling, with a hint of rust.

Sweat, mud, and perhaps even bloodstains that had splattered on him at some unknown time covered his face, but he was completely unaware of it.

The deafening shouts of battle filled Wang Wu's ears, but involuntarily, images of his hometown's small river shimmering in the sunlight, and the few acres of barren land beside it that he longed for so much, surfaced in his mind.

General Fei Qian, the Grand General of the Cavalry, once said to him and other ordinary soldiers during a troop reward ceremony, "If this battle is won, you may all retire and return to your fields as you wish. Those who are discharged will be granted land according to their merits, ensuring you a comfortable life for the rest of your days!"

The words were firm and resounding, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The new military system was as strict as iron, yet its rewards and punishments were as clear as a mirror.

Wang Wu believed the words of the General of the Cavalry.

This trust didn't stem from any grand principles, but from seeing the commander's flag embroidered with the character "Fei" always standing tall, even on the brink of life and death...

This stems from the fact that after each seemingly impossible or arduous task, one always receives a more substantial reward than before...

Behind this rigorous training lies the very essence of survival, written with chalk and sweat...

Oh, and there's also "merit"!
Wang Wu suddenly felt a surge of energy within him, allowing him to recover from his exhaustion. He grabbed his sword, stood up, and joined the other soldiers as they charged toward the walls of Gong County.

This is the only path for him, and for all those like him, living in barren lands where life is as insignificant as grass, to advance in their careers.

A road paved with blood and iron.

They can endure hardship, they can bear it, they can sweat and bleed, but they also need to be able to touch that vague yet incredibly real future, and to see that magnificent hope!