My lord, spare his life!

"Enemy, enemy—"

The night watch soldiers felt a strong sense of weightlessness.

In the darkness, his body plummeted from the arrow tower like a falling leaf, crashing heavily to the ground. The part of him that made contact with the ground seemed to lose all feeling for a moment. He coughed up blood, using the last of his strength to shout a final warning. With his voice, he was sure he could call for help, and he would be saved. But his breathy voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, and it was mercilessly swallowed by the torrential rain as soon as it escaped his lips.

He is the first.

But it is far from the last one.

The second arrow arrived almost simultaneously.

Before the guard lost consciousness, he vaguely saw something falling from the distant arrow tower. Boom! A violent explosion, accompanied by a burst of golden light, forcefully blasted open the tightly closed door. The raindrops that hadn't yet hit the ground were shaken into a hazy mist, plunging the guard into complete darkness.

He died without ever understanding where the enemy came from.

Before the guards at the arrow tower could issue a warning, the area was cleared clean. Several corpses were riddled with arrows, their bodies covered in a thick layer of thorns. The warm, deep red liquid that had just flowed from their bodies was washed away by the cold rain, turning it into a pale pink. They were clearly dead beyond any doubt.

Some soldiers took cover and tried to fire whistles.

"Ugh—"

The guards rolled their eyes in disbelief.

An arrow pierced through the thick wall, striking her throat with perfect accuracy. Blood welled up and filled her mouth. In that instant, her mind was blank; she acted solely on willpower. First, she swallowed hard, holding her breath, then she raised her hand and snapped the arrowhead. Her back pressed against the cold, hard wall, and with a sudden burst of strength, she propelled herself forward, breaking free from the arrow's grasp.

He rolled over, picked up the fallen bow and arrows, and pulled a second whistling arrow from his quiver, enduring the pain until the veins on his forehead bulged. Gathering his strength, he drew the bow and released the arrow into the sky.

He didn't even care if the bowstring snapped back and hit his eyelid.

At least, she is successful—

The whistle had barely uttered a short syllable when its specially made arrowhead was pierced by another arrow that shot across the sky. The wreckage of the whistle fell from the sky and landed not far from the guards. Realizing that her warning had been interrupted, she suddenly opened her eyes wide. Along with the feeling of suffocation, a heavy hoarse sound came from her throat, and her face quickly turned ashen.

However, the explosion caused by the rushing through the gate was loud enough.

Reinforcements will arrive soon.

Before her consciousness faded into darkness, she felt a chill run through her body, making her shiver uncontrollably. She didn't know if it was the rain that had taken away her body heat, or something else. Suddenly, thick streams of yin energy surged from the fallen guard's body. She stiffly rose from the ground, her eyes bloodshot. One second, blood was gushing from the wound in her throat, but the next, it had completely stopped, congealing into a scab.

The soldiers were enveloped in a gloomy aura, resembling armor.

"what?"

Amidst the pattering rain, a questioning voice could be heard.

The swordsman in the straw raincoat, almost blending into the darkness, had just leaped onto the city wall when he glanced in this direction out of the corner of his eye. The guard vanished from his spot, bursting through the rain, and swung his broadsword at the swordsman with wide, sweeping strokes, only managing to strike a black bamboo hat.

clang--

The cold metal splits a corner of the wall.

The guard's muscles bulged visibly, displaying a flexibility completely different from his appearance. The twisting and rotation of his joints defied human logic as he narrowly blocked the golden broadsword of the swordsman in the straw raincoat. Even so, the guard's body was still sent flying by the heavy blow, the blade shattering into several pieces. The broken pieces spun rapidly in the air, the blades sinking heavily into the cracks in the brickwork.

The guard's back slammed into the wall several meters away, and his internal organs shuddered violently before he could barely stop the attack. The yin energy around him seemed to have faded a bit as well.

The swordsman in the straw raincoat: "Are the stars descending in fury?"

Seven or eight of the guards who had clearly fallen rose up after a few breaths. They still had arrows stuck in their heads, and their health bars were hanging by a thread, stubbornly holding on to their last bit of health.

They didn't need to see to pinpoint the straw-cloaked swordsman's location, and they surrounded him with extremely unpredictable movements. Under the rain, the straw-cloaked swordsman frowned: "Is this some kind of temporary health lock?"

What kind of invincibility mechanism was triggered?

Based on her experience, monsters with invincible health cannot be killed no matter how you attack them; you can only wait for their invincibility countdown to end.

For a mere moment of hesitation, the speed of the nearest guard created a vacuum in front of him, completely piercing through the rain. The cold blade reflected the peach blossom eyes of the swordsman in the straw raincoat. The latter did not dodge, but instead closed in on the guard with his sword, slashing upwards at an angle.

With a soft "poof" sound—

He fell to the ground with the severed arm and the knife still attached.

The swordsman in the straw raincoat's eyes flashed, and he beheaded someone with another slash.

"Why bother finishing off someone like that?"

Following the swordsman in the straw raincoat, Wang Qi, riding the leopard-like star beast Zhang Da Miao, also scaled the wall. He casually crushed the guard's wrist and flung him off the wall. Wang Qi's eyes were obscured by the rain, but his contemptuous and provocative tone suggested he wasn't friendly.

Zhang Yang did not argue with him.

He simply said coldly, "Someone's here."

The camp behind the high wall had been completely alerted. From a distance, one could see countless tiny figures, no bigger than ants, converging on this side. Wang Qi's lips twitched slightly: "Heh, you knew about it too."

The sound of them rushing through the pass was loud enough for even a deaf person to hear.

These guards didn't need to bother sounding the alarm with arrows.

Zhang Yang ignored his words.

"Big Meow—"

Zhang Dami climbed the wall in two steps and caught Zhang Yang precisely.

The golden knife in the latter's hand had been replaced by a large golden bow.

A volley of arrows was unleashed upon the first arriving troops. The golden light shone brightly in the dark, rainy night; any enemy with eyes could see she was a moving target. The garrison commander, who rushed to the scene upon hearing the commotion, roared in fury: "That arrogant and domineering thief! Capture him first!"

The defender was met with a hail of arrows.

Golden arrows converged, forming a makeshift trench that blocked their path of reinforcements. Many of the defending soldiers had miraculously survived; they had been patrolling and guarding the city walls before the explosive charge. Those closer had rushed up the walls upon hearing the commotion. At this moment, the enemy's rain of arrows had already reached the high walls.

Some people mustered up their courage to investigate the number of enemies.

One glance was enough to sink my heart.

Under the cover of rainy night, everything in sight appears black at first glance, with only the faint shadows of dense forest visible on the distant horizon. Upon closer inspection, subtle differences emerge between the shades of black. These different shades of black seem to move! But these shadows are not the tree shadows at the edge of the horizon!

The dark figure is approaching this way.

Boom—

A muffled clap of thunder suddenly echoed in the sky.

The CD player cast a dark shadow, illuminating the moving black shadow as well.

It turned out to be a large group of enemy soldiers charging forward!

It was difficult to determine the exact number at a glance, but it was definitely not less than two thousand! This group of people had managed to sneak up to the city gates without a sound. The guards were terrified, their breathing rapid, thinking that the heavy city gates should be able to hold them off for a while.

It definitely can!

This group of soldiers didn't carry any siege equipment, not even wooden stakes. Given the thickness of the city gate, it wouldn't be easy for them to break through. Their minds were in a daze, causing the defenders to forget the direction of the loud noise.

The loud noise happened right at the city gate!

"Guard the city gates!"

The garrison commander cursed inwardly.

The garrison soldiers didn't know who the enemy was, but the general could guess quite a bit. The power distribution among the various counties in the mountains was relatively stable. The only forces capable of launching a surprise attack from here were Chesi County, Liesi County, or Huanguan County. Among them, Huanguan County was the closest, but also the least likely to make a move. It wasn't because the two counties had a good relationship or anything else, but because Huanguan County was also close to the Imperial Capital.

The Imperial City holds a special position.

Those people occupy a strategically advantageous position, posing a threat to all sides, but at the same time, they are being pressured into a corner by all sides. If the Eunuch County were to send its elite troops to launch a surprise attack, the Imperial Throne City would inevitably be aware of it. With the Eunuch County vulnerable, the Imperial Throne City would definitely seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

Chesi County and Liesi County are more likely to be involved.

Do not--

It's highly unlikely that either of them will succeed.

We have no past grievances or present enemies, so why this sudden sneak attack?

Zongzheng County has never delayed the delivery of goods to either of the two families.

Thinking of this, the garrison commander's mind buzzed, and a vague outline appeared in his mind. No, there was still a suspect among the two families. Not long ago, a mutiny occurred in Chesi County, where Lü Yuan killed his adoptive father and took power. For warlords, fighting was a good way to divert attention from internal conflicts, build prestige, and consolidate power.

Perhaps, Lu Yuan wants to take this opportunity to establish his prestige and, incidentally, use the war to purge the forces left behind by the old man.

The garrison commander's breathing became rapid.

The mouth reacts faster than the brain; a curse has already escaped its lips.

"You bastard, you bastard!"

This army is definitely composed of Lü Bafeng's men!

"Hold the city gate tight! Make sure those bastards don't leave alive!" Anger made the general feel feverish; even the rain couldn't cool him down, and sweat was pouring from his skin beneath his armor. "Take your men and follow me!"

The defending general quickly gathered his men, preparing for a decisive battle with Lü Yuan.

The warhorse had barely run a short distance when the commander's heart sank.

The garrison commander noticed that the light was not quite right.

If the city gates were tightly closed, forming an effective defense with the city walls, the light coming from the gates shouldn't be like this. These torches are specially made using secret methods; they cannot be extinguished by wind or rain. The guards are all well-trained and would never knock over the lights.

Unless it is—

"Report—"

As if to confirm the commander's suspicions, a soldier covered in blood, with an arrow lodged in his shoulder, staggered in, shouting a battle report: "The city gate has fallen! The enemy has broken in!"

The garrison commander subconsciously raised his head.

No colossal beasts towering above the city walls were seen, nor were the sounds of continuous pounding on the city gates heard. What did this mean? It meant the enemy hadn't formed a battle array to summon the Four Symbols Beasts to storm the gate, nor had they brought siege logs. How exactly were the city gates breached?

"Could it be that an inside agent opened the city gates?"

For a moment, this was the only answer in the garrison commander's mind.

This is also the most logical answer.

Although they didn't use massive stones to block the city gates, the gates themselves possessed extremely strong defensive capabilities. Each gate leaf was over four inches thick, made of pine wood, and covered with iron sheets half a finger's width thick, secured with large copper nails. The weight of a single leaf was considerable, requiring several adult soldiers to push it open and close each day. The gates were locked from the inside, making them difficult for the enemy to break down.

Unless, there's a mole inside!

Thinking of this, the garrison commander gritted his teeth.

The most likely explanation is that the mole was secretly bribed by Lü Yuan. The garrison commander ordered the wounded soldiers to retreat while he led his troops to reinforce the city gate. Even behind the soldiers, the fire was already spreading. With the city gate fallen, it wouldn't be easy for the garrison commander to hold it.

"Lü Bafeng, get out here!"

The general rode away on his warhorse, braving a hail of arrows.

The occasional arrows that fell were easily deflected by the defending general.

"You fucking woman, get out here!"

The words had barely left his lips when a powerful sense of crisis crashed down upon him. Without hesitation, the general raised his bronze mace to meet the attack, his warhorse neighing in pain under the strain. A radiant light erupted from within the general, giving rise to a strange creature with a single horn on its head and thick fur. The animal's horn pierced the face of the approaching general.

"The Doumu Xie?"

The newcomer did not immediately kill them.

Even so, the defending general was knocked off his horse by the force of the impact, rolling half a circle before regaining his footing. The unicorn-like creature, resembling a xiezhi and taller than an adult, took a step forward with its hoof, using its body to provide a tentative shield for the general. Both man and beast watched as the enemy descended from the sky.

Even through the blurry rain, the garrison commander recognized that the person was not Lu Yuan.

He spat and said, "Where's Lü Bafeng?"

Zhang Yang asked expressionlessly, "What do you want with her?"

The garrison commander cursed, "I can't even get close enough to curse her ancestors! That bastard, she turns her back on us the moment she gains power, huh? A sneak attack on my territory! If she's got the guts, she should come herself. What's the point of sending thugs? Does she really think she's so great just because she staged a coup and became the ruler?!"

Just then, the voice of the newcomer pierced through the rain and reached the guard's ears. The voice was calm and indifferent, and with just a few words, the guard almost didn't react: "I am the adoptive mother of Bafeng."

The defending general showed no outward reaction.

But Doumu Xie, standing beside the general, couldn't help but look at him directly.

His face, soaked by the heavy rain, seemed to have a somewhat distorted expression.

Zhang Yang picked up the golden knife.

"Your mouth is dirty."

"Varied--"

The guard couldn't react in time, and Doumu Xie couldn't stop him either. In the blink of an eye, the golden blade had become a blur, closing in on her. She had no trace of the Twenty-Eight Constellations' phantom aura around her; with only her mortal body, she easily shook off Doumu Xie, who was charging at her with its horn. The golden blade's afterimages slammed into the bronze mace. The opponent deliberately controlled the force, and each strike caused a small crack in the guard's hand. After two breaths, the guard's palm under his glove was covered in sticky blood. She staggered backward, her internal organs experiencing a dense and even shockwave.

Doumu Xie stood in front of the defending general, engaging Zhang Yang in combat for only a few breaths. Cracks appeared all over its body, covering even the hardest horn, and many of the scales beneath its fur had broken off. Its hooves dragged long furrows in the ground, and its forehooves curled unnaturally, unable to touch the ground.

Boom—

Another loud explosion erupted from the city gate.

The blazing fire and the burning disc player cast a dark shadow over the night. Rain and murderous intent brewed together. The defending general, seeing the situation out of the corner of his eye, felt anxious but unable to escape. Zhang Yang showed no mercy, shooting her into the flagpole with an arrow, and then another arrow, this time into her left shoulder.

Zhang Yang: "This will help balance things out a bit."

If the weight of his body and armor were all placed on the arrow in his right shoulder, the wound might widen and reopen. But with the weight distributed more evenly on both sides, the impact would be more even. The fallen Doumu Xie was panting heavily, his form so ethereal it seemed about to dissipate.

The defending general was filled with righteous indignation.

The stellar energy from its meridians surged forth without reservation, converging into the body of the Doumu Xie. Its body swelled in the wind, its thick fur transforming into plates radiating a cold metallic sheen, its injured forehooves instantly returning to normal, and its vital areas were covered with protection.

Just as I stood up, a huge shadow appeared from the side.

A loud tiger roar—

The giant cat opened its blood-red maw, its sharp teeth precisely biting into the neck.

??|??w?`)

I hope it won't rain tomorrow when I go to sweep the tombs.