With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

A rumbling sound came from the horizon, and the earth began to tremble slightly. The black torrent of five thousand Northern Xiongnu cavalry finally appeared on the horizon outside Jingbian City.

On the city wall, Lin Ye and the officers beside him looked down at the endless cavalry formation below, and everyone's fists clenched involuntarily.

This situation has far exceeded pre-war expectations.

According to intelligence, the Northern Xiongnu forces numbered at most two or three thousand, while Jingbian City had a combined force of five thousand, including the Lin family army and local garrison. Relying on the city walls to hold out, it should have been a sure thing.

But right now, the number of enemy troops below the city is roughly equal to the number of our defending troops!

Even more critically, although they had city walls to rely on, the walls of Jingbian County were far too flimsy, a mere three zhang high, which was practically useless against the battle-hardened elites of the Northern Xiongnu.

Let alone second-rate warriors, even third-rate centurions can easily climb onto the city wall with just a little effort using the ladder.

Moreover, the Northern Xiongnu lived year-round in the harsh and cold borderlands, fighting against monsters every day, and their individual combat strength far exceeded that of ordinary soldiers of the Northern Han.

This battle is destined to be a bitter one.

"Fortunately, they came from a long distance and did not bring any siege troops," Lin Ye thought with some relief, glancing at the cavalry that were gathering outside the city.

If those incredibly strong siege soldiers were to crash into the gates of a small town like Jingbian, they would probably be utterly crushed.

Once the city gates are opened, facing the charge of the cavalry, our few thousand men will probably have no choice but to abandon the city and flee.

Right now, all we can do is rely on this low wall and the soldiers fighting desperately behind it.

The Northern Xiongnu cavalry arrived at the outskirts of the city in no time, and after a brief preparation, they launched a charge like a black tide.

"put!"

With Lin Qiang's command, the catapults on the city wall roared, and pottery jars filled with kerosene streaked through the air, exploding amidst the charging Northern Xiongnu army.

The blazing flames instantly engulfed dozens of unfortunate cavalrymen caught in the blast. The Northern Xiongnu soldiers, now ablaze, screamed and rolled on the grass, trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies.

But kerosene ignites when exposed to wind, so it's useless and can only turn into charred lumps of coal.

However, this small amount of fire was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for a massive army of five thousand.

As the distance closed, the effectiveness of the catapults rapidly diminished. When the Northern Xiongnu army charged within a hundred paces of the city wall, the defenders on the city wall had to stop firing to avoid accidentally injuring their own troops.

"Release the arrows!"

The arrows from the Northern Xiongnu army came like locusts, blotting out the sky.

Since the city wall was only three zhang high, it was an easy target for the Northern Xiongnu, who were skilled in archery and horsemanship.

The arrows whistled through the air and landed precisely on the battlements. Defenders were constantly struck in the shoulders or helmet seams, screaming as they fell from the walls.

The defenders on the city wall hid behind the crenellations, barely peeking out half their bodies to rain arrows down while simultaneously shoving down the prepared logs and stones.

The rain lashed down on the heads of the Northern Xiongnu soldiers who were setting up ladders, instantly breaking their bones and causing them to scream in agony.

But the Northern Xiongnu's offensive was too fierce, and siege ladders were erected one after another on the walls. Because the walls were too low, the agile centurions could leap over them in just two steps.

"kill!"

The first Northern Xiongnu warrior had barely poked his head out when he was met by a row of spears that Lin Qiang had already positioned on the wall.

With a flash of cold light, several spears pierced his throat in an instant, and his body was thrown off the city wall.

Immediately afterwards, seven or eight more Northern Xiongnu soldiers attempted to scale the city walls, but were blocked by the elite troops personally led by Lin Qiang and Zhu Shaowei.

Amidst the clash of swords and the flying of blood and flesh, in just a few moments, these climbers were cleanly and swiftly chopped down.

But this was just the beginning. More Northern Xiongnu cavalrymen had already swarmed in, and a new wave of attacks was pounding on the crumbling town.

Just then, the third-rate warriors, those at the centurion level, in the Northern Xiongnu army began to exert their strength.

They were agile and quick, and in just a few leaps on the ladder, they reached the top of the city wall.

Facing the dense array of spears thrusting towards them by the defenders, a centurion's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he suddenly channeled his inner strength into his scimitar, creating a sharp arc of light.

With a few crisp clangs, he bent the tips of several spears made of fine iron with a single blow!

Taking advantage of the moment when the defenders were stunned by the damage to their weapons, he pounced on them like a wolf, instantly cutting into the formation. With a flash of his blade, three defenders fell to the ground with screams.

Of course, some centurions were caught off guard and riddled with holes by the impenetrable array of spears on the city wall, screaming as they were thrown off the wall.

At this moment, the third-rate warriors of the Lin family army and the Jingbian garrison drew their swords to meet the Northern Xiongnu elites who were climbing the city walls.

However, the enemy outnumbered us, and the Northern Xiongnu army was fearless. More and more Northern Xiongnu soldiers swarmed onto the city walls, and the narrow city walls quickly descended into a chaotic and grueling battle.

In this bloody grinder, Liu Yun, Lin Qiang, and Zhu Shaowei, these three second-rate martial artists, became pillars of strength.

Lin Qiang wielded a large sword, each strike powerful and heavy. With his internal energy surging, ordinary Northern Xiongnu soldiers dared not take the blow head-on, and were often sent flying with a single blow.

Zhu Shaowei was even more valiant, his spear moving like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, weaving freely through the crowd, each thrust precisely piercing the throat of an enemy.

Liu Yun's figure stood out conspicuously among the enemy ranks.

He did not ride the wolf-like beast, but instead wielded a three-foot-long green sword, his figure elusive as he executed a set of Qingyuan sword techniques to their fullest extent.

This sword technique emphasizes "lightness, agility, and speed." Liu Yun's wrist flicked slightly, and the tip of the sword trembled like willow catkins fluttering in the air. It seemed gentle and weak, but in reality, the sword energy was restrained and the aftereffects were long-lasting.

A Northern Xiongnu centurion who had just leaped onto the city wall roared and swung his sword at Liu Yun, but Liu Yun did not take the blow head-on. Instead, he shifted his feet and followed the sword, the blade of his sword sliding along the back of the curved blade.

Immediately, the sword tip, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, struck the centurion's wrist pulse point.

With a soft "whoosh," the sword energy pierced through his body, and the centurion felt half of his body go numb instantly, almost dropping his scimitar.

Before he could even retreat in shock, Liu Yun's sword technique changed. With a move called "Clear Stream Dividing Stream," he slashed diagonally upwards. A flash of cold light, and the centurion, clutching his bleeding throat, fell backwards.

Because of the agile and nimble moves of the Qingyuan sword technique, which is extremely adept at dealing with group battles, Liu Yun moved with ease on the crowded city walls. Often, as soon as a Northern Xiongnu soldier raised his weapon, the tip of his sword had already touched a vital spot.

With each flash of sword light, a Northern Xiongnu soldier would fall to the ground with a scream. The sharp and elegant swordsmanship contrasted sharply with Lin Qiang's powerful and sweeping heavy halberd and Zhu Shaowei's brave and skillful spear, yet both instilled fear in the surrounding Northern Xiongnu soldiers.

Wherever these three second-rate martial artists charged, the Northern Xiongnu army there would retreat like a tide.

The Northern Xiongnu centurions who had just stormed the city walls saw these three men as if they were demons, and they all intentionally or unintentionally avoided their attacks, instead looking for other weak points in the defenses to attack.

The formidable strength of second-rate martial artists was on full display at this moment; each of them was worth a hundred men, making them an undisputed pillar on the battlefield.

On a distant high slope, the young Northern Xiongnu commander also took in the unusual scene on the city wall.

He frowned slightly, turned around and respectfully bowed to the group of shamanic warriors dressed in strange attire beside him, saying, "I humbly request that you masters take action to suppress those warriors."

Once they are killed, the morale of the Northern Han army will be thrown into chaos, and this city will be easily captured.

"Let's go! Let's show these weak and incompetent Northern Han people the power of the Eternal Heaven Warriors!"

The man at the very front of the shamanic procession sneered, and seven or eight shamanic warriors behind him echoed him in unison, their eyes flashing with bloodlust. They immediately leaped toward the city wall.

At the same time, Lin Ye, who was on the city wall, had already locked his gaze on the approaching figures.

Since the start of the war, Lin Ye has remained inactive. Even when the sounds of battle were deafening from the city walls, he calmly deployed his troops.

He must ensure that his internal energy is at its peak.

As the only wandering martial artist in this small town, his primary duty is to hunt down shaman warriors who could potentially cause devastating damage to his side.

City defense is different from battles on plains. On these mere three-zhang-high city walls, high-ranking martial artists have absolute mobility and can move like the wind.

Without the restraint of martial artists of equal caliber, ordinary soldiers and third-rate martial artists alone would be no match for the slaughter of a first-rate master.

If the enemy manages to break through the defenses easily, the morale of our troops will collapse in an instant.

Therefore, Lin Ye's existence is the last anchor of this city wall, and it must not be lost.