Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The warning whistles and whistling arrows, like boulders thrown into a stagnant pool, shattered the silence of the night. The lurking beast at Black Wind Warehouse, after a brief moment of panic, revealed its ferocious fangs.

On the southeast corner of the wall, torches suddenly multiplied, and shadowy figures ran and shouted, the chaos tinged with a furious rage after being awakened. Sparse arrows began to fall from behind the battlements, most missing their mark and blindly disappearing into the darkness below, but a few, with a mournful whoosh, slammed into the thick shields of the advancing Wei infantry, their fletchings still trembling.

"Raise shields! Advance!" Chen Wei's roar remained steady and powerful amidst the whistling of arrows. He was hidden behind the foremost shield cart, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the section of wall that appeared even more dilapidated in the firelight. The bandits' reaction was as he had anticipated, even slower than he had expected; the chaotic rain of arrows precisely demonstrated that they had failed to organize an effective defense in their haste.

"Heave-ho!" A deep shout rang out from behind the shield cart. Dozens of the strongest Wei soldiers, shouldering and carrying, steadily raised the massive battering ram. The cold, menacing gleam of the ram's tip, reflected in the flickering firelight, shimmered with a bloodthirsty light. Their steps were heavy and unified, like moving hills, resolutely advancing towards the target wall. Arrows occasionally struck their black armor, making a crisp clanging sound, but they could not stop this torrent of steel in the slightest.

"Stop them! Quick! Throw stones! Use logs!" A bandit, seemingly the leader, shouted hoarsely from the top of the wall, his voice distorted with fear. Several large stones and rough logs were haphazardly pushed off the wall, crashing down with a whooshing sound.

"Bang! Boom!"

Most of the stones and logs struck open spaces or the shield carts, producing dull thuds and sending wood chips flying. A thick wooden plank in front of a shield cart was hit by a boulder, instantly cracking it. The two Wei soldiers pushing the cart were jolted, but their comrades immediately filled in, and the offensive continued unabated.

"Now! Crash!" Chen Wei seized the opportunity and roared, his voice booming like thunder.

"Break—!" The Wei soldiers carrying the ramming log roared in unison, their voices echoing across the land. With a surge of power from their waists and abdomens, they took a powerful step forward, channeling all their strength into their arms, propelling the massive log, weighing thousands of pounds, forward with unstoppable momentum, as it slammed violently into the broken wall!

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening roar, far more muffled and deafening than any sound before, exploded out! As if the earth itself had turned upside down, the entire southeast corner of the wall trembled violently. Dust billowed from the point of impact, and splinters of wood flew everywhere! The already crumbling rammed earth wall visibly caved in under this powerful blow, large chunks of soil falling away, and the internal wooden fencing creaking with a sickening crack!

"It works! Again!" Chen Wei's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he roared.

The bandits on the wall were so terrified by this thunderous attack that they momentarily forgot to attack. They had never witnessed such a brutal and ruthless way of breaching a city.

"Quick! Shoot those men carrying the logs!" The bandit leader's howl rang out again, filled with desperate madness.

More arrows rained down on the Wei soldiers carrying the battering ram. Despite the shield carts and their own heavy armor, at such close range, several warriors were still pierced by arrows, their blood splattering with muffled groans. Yet, no one retreated! Their comrades silently filled the gaps, the battering ram was raised again, pulled back, and charged—

Meanwhile, outside the north gate.

Zhao Tiezhu and the others saw the faint flash of light that Chen Xing had fired, and they also heard the deafening roar and shouts of battle coming from the southeast corner. His heart, which had been somewhat flustered because the plan had been exposed, was instantly stirred up by the signal and the sounds of the main battlefield.

"Our lord has ordered us to proceed according to plan! The stronghold is in chaos; this is our time to make our mark!" Zhao Tiezhu roared, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Build the bridge!"

He and another strong young man exerted their strength, forcefully pushing the heavy flying bridge out of the grass and accurately setting it over the shallow ditch with a slight thud.

"Li Shu! It's up to you now!" Zhao Tiezhu looked at the thin figure.

Li Shu said no more, took a deep breath, and like a real raccoon, glided silently across the flying bridge, disappearing quickly into the shadows beside the north gate. His target was the hidden drainage ditch.

Time ticked by, and the sounds of impact from the southeast corner rang out again and again, like heavy hammers striking not only the walls but also the hearts of every bandit within the stronghold. The bandits' attention was almost entirely drawn to that, leaving a slight emptiness near the north gate.

A moment later, the seemingly closed wooden door on the north side suddenly made a soft "click," as if the latch had been moved from the inside. Immediately afterwards, the wooden door was pulled open a crack, and Li Shu's mud-covered face peeked out, gesturing to Zhao Tiezhu and the others who were anxiously waiting outside.

"It's done! Go in!" Zhao Tiezhu was overjoyed. He shouted in a low voice and, along with Wang Jian and two other of the most clever and daring young men, like four shadows, quickly crossed the flying bridge and squeezed into the side door.

Inside the door was a narrow alleyway, piled high with clutter and reeking of a foul stench. Li Shu lowered his voice and said urgently, "The night patrol just passed by, and the bandits have all headed southeast! There are fewer guards over the main house!"

"As the lord commands! Open the door first, then find an opportunity to behead them and set it on fire!" Zhao Tiezhu quickly reiterated the order, and everyone nodded. He left Wang Jian and a young strongman here to clear out any stray bandits and guard the escape route. He himself, along with Li Shu and another young strongman, used the shadows of the houses as cover, and stealthily made their way towards the largest wooden house in the center of the village.

Chaos indeed erupted within the stronghold. Like headless flies, most of the bandits swarmed towards the southeast corner, shouts, curses, and the clash of weapons filling the air. Few noticed the few figures flitting about in the shadows.

Zhao Tiezhu's heart pounded like a drum, his palms drenched in cold sweat. He gripped the ring-pommel knife tightly, his gaze sweeping over the scene before him—some bandits' families huddled in fear inside their houses, while a few drunken bandits emerged, bewildered. He tried to avoid them, and those he couldn't avoid were silently dealt with from behind by Li Shu with a dagger.

Finally, the largest wooden house came into view. Sure enough, there were only two guards outside, craning their necks and nervously watching the towering flames and shouts of battle from the southeast.

Zhao Tiezhu gave Li Shu a wink. Li Shu understood and nimbly moved to the side like a cat. Zhao Tiezhu and another strong young man then leaped out of their hiding place and pounced on the two guards!

"Who goes there?!" The guard exclaimed in surprise. He barely had time to turn around before Zhao Tiezhu's powerful blade came crashing down! The guard raised his sword to parry, but felt an immense force; his hand split open, the sword slipped from his grasp, and Zhao Tiezhu kicked him to the ground, finishing him off with a final blow. The other guard was also killed by the young man and the timely arrival of Li Shu.

It seemed someone inside heard the commotion, and a startled, angry voice shouted, "What's going on outside?!"

Without thinking twice, Zhao Tiezhu kicked open the wooden door and rushed in like an angry Vajra! Inside, the room was brightly lit, and a burly man with a full beard and disheveled clothes was frantically grabbing a ghost-head knife on the table—it was the bandit leader! Beside him was a scantily clad woman screaming in terror.

"Give me your life!" Enemies meeting are filled with intense hatred. Zhao Tiezhu, recalling the tragic state of Zhao Family Village, his eyes bloodshot, roared and swung his knife to strike!

The bandit leader, a seasoned veteran, remained calm despite his initial shock, grabbing his dagger and parrying with all his might! "Clang!" A loud crash rang out, sparks flying. Zhao Tiezhu felt a tingling sensation in his arm, realizing the man's incredible strength. The bandit leader was even more astonished; how could this suddenly appearing man possess such formidable power?

The two men began fighting inside the house, their blades flashing and tables and chairs overturned. Li Shu and the young man quickly poured kerosene, the kind of oil used for lamps in bandit camps, into the house, then rushed out and began setting other buildings on fire.

Meanwhile, in the southeast corner.

"BOOM—!!!"

With the fifth, all-out impact, a section of the wall nearly ten feet wide finally succumbed to the relentless force, letting out a groan of despair before collapsing with a deafening roar! Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, revealing a huge gap large enough for several people to walk side by side!

"The breach has been opened! Charge in!" Chen Wei was covered in blood, whether his own or the enemy's, he pointed his longsword forward and shouted hoarsely.

"kill--!!!"

The pent-up fighting spirit erupted like a volcano! Seventy Wei soldiers dropped their battering rams, raised their halberds, and surged through the breach like a flood, carrying overwhelming killing intent! The cold iron armor clashed instantly with the hastily arriving bandits, halberds like a forest, each thrust bringing a spray of blood! Screams, the clash of weapons, and roars reached their peak! From the moment the wall was breached, the battle entered its most brutal urban warfare phase.

Throughout the Black Wind Warehouse, shouts of battle shook the southeast corner, flames began to rise in the central area, and the north door quietly opened... Chaos had spread to every corner like a plague.

Standing on the high ground, Chen Xing looked down at the battlefield below, stained red with fire and blood, and watched his own soldiers charge into the enemy camp like tigers among sheep. He watched the thick smoke rising from the camp and knew that the most crucial step had been taken.

However, seizing this warehouse was only the beginning. He gripped his sword hilt, his gaze passing over the carnage before him and into the deeper darkness. The first cornerstone of this chaotic world must be forged and solidified with the blood of his enemies.

The intense battles between the characters vividly depict the cruelty and shock of ancient night raids on strongholds, and the plot unfolds with suspense.