Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

"kill--"

Shouts echoed from the city walls. Zhu Tong brandished his sword and charged towards Guan Sheng in front of him. The Qi army opposite was growing larger and larger. Now was not the time to stand here and listen to their nonsense. His goal was to kill them and retreat to the city walls with his own troops.

"How brave!"

Guan Sheng shouted, flicked his hand along his magnificent beard, which fluttered in the air for a moment, and then charged towards Zhu Tong with both hands gripping his sword.

Blades clashed, slicing through the air, the clanging of metal echoing continuously. Sparks flew between the two iron blades, occasionally grazing the armor and leaving white marks on the iron plates on the chest and arms.

Clang——

As the two swords clashed, Guan Sheng's tall and burly body pressed forward step by step, advancing like a chariot. Zhu Tong gritted his teeth, bracing himself with his hands on the hilt and blade of his sword, his legs retreating incessantly, large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Zhu Tong roared "Ahhhhh!" and stopped abruptly. He pushed his arms forward to deflect Guan Sheng's horizontal blade, and then swung his blade to strike.

The thunderous sound of footsteps spread from all sides, long swords slashed, shields clashed, and the shouts of battle instantly resounded through the sky. Limbs and severed arms flew into the air along with blood, and corpses dressed in scarlet military uniforms fell on the city wall, with blood flowing and spreading along the cracks in the bricks.

"Quickly, come and save General Zhu!"

"Reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements?!"

Shouts came from the fighting. Someone heard the cries and turned to attack with his soldiers. Han Chang, carrying two swords, turned and went to meet them. The smell of blood instantly intensified on the city wall.

Guan Sheng and Zhu Tong wielded their blades with a whistling sound, occasionally raising their hands and feet. Their movements as they wielded their iron swords were fierce and swift, the sound of metal ringing in the air, and several nicks appeared on the blades.

Zhu Tong's battle robe and armor plates were repeatedly slashed, his scarlet robe hanging tattered on his body, scales bursting apart, wounds appearing all over his body, thick blood flowing freely, a rolled-up scar across his face, almost cut in two by the blade.

"Ah ah!"

Anxious, the bearded man from Yuncheng strode forward and swung his iron sword in a wide arc at Guan Sheng.

The long sword, riddled with nicks, struck from below; with a push, he spun around.

Clang——

Zhu Tong's iron sword tilted outward by an inch, and the figure of General Qi opposite him appeared to the side of the sword.

"Drink!"

Guan Sheng exhaled sharply, gripped the knife with both arms, and then delivered a powerful and heavy blow.

Zheng——

A flash of light, and half of the blade spun in the air.

Zhu Tong's eyes widened suddenly. "Damn it..." The word was still stuck in his throat when the figure on the other side turned halfway, straightened up, and swung his hand, sending a flash of light through the air.

Dang clang——

Half of the iron knife fell to the ground.

puff--

The eight-and-a-half-pound head shot into the sky, with a few wisps of severed beard fluttering in the air.

thump—

Gulu gulu——

The helmeted head slammed onto the city wall passageway, spun around a few times, and landed face up.

"Whoosh..."

Guan Sheng sheathed his longsword to protect his chest, his chest heaving rapidly. His phoenix eyes scanned the surrounding area, and he saw that most of the Song soldiers around him had been killed by his own troops who had formed battle formations.

Further away, a squad of more than twenty soldiers was chasing after Song soldiers who had turned to flee. Han Chang was half-crouched, his right hand holding a knife straight into Gong Duan's chest. Seeing that the other man was dying, the young general quickly stood up, shook the blood off his knife, turned around and shouted, "Go open the city gate!" He then led the charge to continue fighting against the resisting soldiers.

He glanced at the knife in his hand, looked around, walked to the side, picked up a relatively intact iron knife, took a deep breath, and his loud voice rang out in the east of the city: "Follow me and charge down!"

A black torrent began to surge down the stone steps.

……

North of the city.

The cracks spread across the wall, and finally, with a loud bang, a passage wide enough for two people to walk side by side was created. The soldiers waiting below the city wall immediately rang the alarm bell.

"The city wall has been breached!"

"General, this is a golden opportunity!"

"Quickly send a message to the central army!"

The figure carrying the monk's staff suddenly shouted, turned around to look at the soldiers behind him, and pointed to the crack in the city wall: "Archery cover, those with arms, follow me and attack from here!"

"I brought them all!"

His soldiers burst into laughter and marched toward the breach, carrying their swords, spears, and wooden shields.

The Song soldiers inside rushed over with their weapons. As soon as they stood still, a hail of arrows rained down on them. They quickly raised their shields to block the arrows, and several screams rang out from behind them.

The man in front didn't bother to turn his head. He had just lowered his wooden shield when a fierce-looking Qi army general with an iron helmet, a full beard, and a menacing appearance came into view. His large body strained against his armor, and he dragged a water-polished monk's staff in one hand, letting out a vicious roar: "Get out of my way—"

bang——

The staff swung in a semi-circle and slammed into the shield. The wooden shield cracked with a sound, and the entire shield shattered into pieces. The staff continued its swing and slammed into the man's chest and abdomen with a thud.

"what--"

He screamed and spat out a mouthful of blood, which exploded in the air as the Song soldier was sent flying as if he had been hit by a galloping warhorse.

bang——

Slamming into the shield behind them, several colleagues hurriedly used all their strength to brace themselves. The impact transmitted backward for a moment, and they slid down like noodles.

Arrows kept falling from the crack overhead.

Lu Zhishen stepped in, his staff slamming into the blood-stained wooden shield in front of him. He glanced at the Song soldiers who were lying scattered about.

"Hahaha, those who block my way, die!"

From further away, a figure wielding two broadswords looked over.

……

Soldiers and horses fought their way up the city walls from the north, east, and west. Song Jiang rang the alarm bell in the city. Chaos broke out in the prefectural government office. Officials and clerks wearing long gowns took off their clothes representing the Zhao Song dynasty and changed into the clothes of ordinary people, rushing out of the gate and finding a place to hide.

A gaunt-looking prefect stared blankly at the "Song" flag on the city wall. Black smoke billowed from the three city towers due to the fire arrows. He gripped a sharp knife with his thin hand and stared at it for a long time, but in the end, he did not have the courage to plunge it into his throat. He sighed, took off his official hat, placed it on the table, and then hung up his seal and left.

The townspeople moved their wardrobes to the doorways, bracing them shut, and crouched behind them, clutching whatever "weapons" they could find in their homes. They listened intently to the clanging of metal bells. When the metallic sounds outside stopped, they couldn't help but shift their weight, moving closer to the walls. In a house in the west of the city, Sun Erniang pulled out her willow-leaf dagger and placed it on the table beside her. She sat with her eyes closed, trying to calm herself. The sounds of shouting and running outside occasionally drifted into the room, but the shrew remained motionless.

Panic began to spread throughout the city. Running soldiers shouted orders from the defending generals, while the garrison troops, dressed in dirty scarlet uniforms, reluctantly took to the streets, piling up wooden boxes, tables, and chairs as obstacles to block the enemy.

"Hurry up! Steward Song said that everyone who participates in the battle today will receive a reward, and you can collect any money from the city's treasury after the battle."

Wu Yong wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced at the running soldiers, and seeing the eagerness on their faces, raised an eyebrow and continued to shout loudly: "Whoever kills one enemy soldier will be rewarded with three strings of cash, and whoever kills an enemy general will be rewarded with one hundred strings of cash. Don't worry about not having enough money, just see if you can kill them!"

The sound echoed through the noisy street, and the figures in motion paused. "Whoa—" A cheer erupted, and the soldiers moved twice as fast.

Wu Yong let out a breath, looking at the scene before him without joy or sorrow, and gazed at the distant city tower.

On the other side, the short-statured Song Jiang also stopped shouting, surrounded by soldiers whose morale had been boosted.

A shout suddenly erupted from the direction of the city wall, and several pairs of eyes looking at the city tower shrank back. The fluttering flags were cut down and fell to the ground.

……

"The gates are open."

Under the central banner, Lü Bu watched the fallen flag on the city wall, and saw a crack appear in the once tightly sealed gate, through which light shone, illuminating the fallen flag.

"Order the cavalry to advance, have Yao Gang mount his horse, and sweep away the rebellious ministers within the city for me."

"Issue another order to the Wolf Riders and other cavalry units to protect Yao Gang and his men for me."

The cavalrymen immediately galloped away, horns sounded in the army, and horses' hooves thundered. The cavalrymen who had been harassing the outer perimeter turned and rushed across the pontoon bridge.

Okay, okay, okay—

The warhorse, clad in heavy iron armor, trotted along, its long neck bobbing gently up and down. Yao Gang, gripping his iron spear, glanced at the open city gate.

Wolf riders carrying banners and other cavalrymen were galloping inwards. Every now and then, someone would turn back to look at them, give them a smile, and then ride away.

"Damn it, these bastards are just taking advantage of our slow pace, aren't they?"

Two veins bulged on Yao Gang's temples as he gritted his teeth and glared at the arrogant cavalry entering the city: "If we didn't have this armor, would you think we'd look so impressive?"

Zheng Huai, carrying his iron rod adorned with a coiled dragon, glanced at him upon hearing this and shrugged: "Without this armor, what makes us special?"

"Damn it, stop saying such discouraging things."

Yao Gang glanced at him, his warhorse stepping onto the pontoon bridge. The wooden planks below creaked, and he couldn't help but look down. He turned and shouted, "Stop, you guys! Have someone reinforce this damned pontoon bridge! Damn it, we don't want to die on the battlefield and then drown in this moat. That would be a joke those damned bastards will tell for the rest of their lives."

The soldiers guarding the pontoon bridge quickly ran away, and soon after, someone came carrying hard planks to reinforce the pontoon bridge again.

Yao Gang then revealed a satisfied smile, spurred his horse forward, and the dull sound of hooves echoed.

Ahead, the sounds of fighting in Hejian Prefecture grew increasingly clear and audible.

……

"Hold on—"

In the tense atmosphere, Yu Deyuan shouted hoarsely, his blood throbbing and boiling in his veins as the black figure surged down from the city wall. His face slowly turned red. Standing on the street inside the city, he could feel the oppressive force of the Qi army that had stormed into the city more than anyone else. The dark clouds pressing down on the city and the impending destruction of the city were something he understood, even though he hadn't read many books.

The infantrymen who had been waiting at the front took a stance, and long spears protruded from above the shields. Those holding the shields could see through the gaps that the crimson figure was being chased and swallowed by the black tide behind them. Screams rang out, and many people's facial muscles trembled as they bared their teeth and roared, "Run!"

The air was thick with the stench of blood and burning wood. A figure in black armor charged through the dust, his footsteps drowning out the screams of the dying ahead.

"kill--"

Figures wielding swords and shields charged forward, the shouts of battle sending chills down the spines of the Song soldiers. Yu Deyuan's eyes widened, his grip on his broadsword tightened, his scalp tingling. He roared, "All of you, stay alert! Charge forward! Those who retreat... think about whether your families will survive!"
Fight! "

"Let's fight—"

The Song soldiers, whose homes were scattered here, shouted out, and their previously low morale soared. They roused themselves and gripped their weapons tightly.

"Shoot!"

A general roared, and in his hoarse voice, a dense mass of arrows flew into the air.

The roar of crossbows came from the opposite side, followed by screams from both sides as the fallen figures struggled to be carried aside.

Ahead, a spear flashed past, and with his boots slamming into the ground, He Zhongbao leaped high into the air, raising his three-pointed double-edged sword and slashing down at the shield: "He Zhongbao, General of Pingxing of the Great Qi, is here!"

The distance between the two sides is reduced to a minimum.

The three-pointed double-edged sword slashed down, and the shield below exploded with a bang. As the shattered wood flew, the sharp blade cut the figure holding the shield in two. He Chai and He Yun, closely following their elder brother, used their two broadswords to deflect the spears that were thrusting at them. Relying on their superior armor, the three of them strode towards the Song army general.

It sounded like waves crashing against rocks.

The dark mass of Qi soldiers charged forward, and the moment they collided with the shields, a series of loud bangs echoed as spears pierced the shields, sending splinters of wood flying into the air. The soldiers behind them paused, their battle cries rising even higher as they rammed into the shield formation with even greater speed.

The air was filled with screams and the sounds of swords slashing against shields, gradually punctuated by the cracking of bones and screams of agony. Blood and flesh exploded and splattered as people fought a frenzied battle.

The battleground of the street fighting was not limited to this one place. Inside the city, a figure dressed in crimson retreated into the streets and alleys, using the cover in the middle of the road to keep shooting arrows at the Qi soldiers who were charging towards them.

The sound of arrows piercing the ground and houses continued. Sun Li, along with Sun Xin and a few others, stood in the west of the city. They glanced at Li Kui, who was wielding a battle axe and fighting against the Qi army in the distance. Sun Li then made a gesture to Le He, who immediately dispatched archers to advance.

Bang bang bang—

The staff, carrying the force of a thousand pounds, slammed into the battle axe, causing Li Kui to stagger backward. The fat Qi general in front of him was a skilled fighter; if it weren't for his thick skin and considerable strength, he would probably be a bloody pulp by now. Even so, the force of the staff was too much for him to withstand with one hand. After only ten or so blows, he couldn't take it anymore and began to retreat.

"Iron Bull, retreat!"

The sound from behind startled Li Kui, who quickly took a step back to dodge Lu Zhishen's staff, which slammed into the ground with a thud, creating a small dent.

Without saying a word, Li Kui turned and ran. He had only taken three steps when a rain of arrows fell from the sky. Lu Zhishen, who was behind him, dared not pursue and kept retreating. The sound of arrows whistling through the air filled his ears. In a short while, he saw the man who had been carrying the axe retreat into the front formation.

"Come on, come on!"

Lu Zhishen glanced at the arrows hanging on his armor, took a breath, and reached out to pull them off: "Assemble the troops and follow me to break through the formation!"

……

The warhorse puffed out hot air, its hooves pawing the ground, its long neck swaying as the knight holding the reins glared angrily at the rows of stag antlers ahead.

"What kind of bastard came up with this idea? Why bring barricades into the city streets? Did they prepare for street fighting from the very beginning?"

Wang Yin turned and roared, "Quickly send the infantry forward to move these damned barricades away!"

Infantrymen in black armor ran forward, and a banner with the character "武" (Wu, meaning martial/military) moved forward from the Song army.

Outside the rear city gate, armored cavalrymen stepped onto the ground and began to assemble. (End of Chapter)