My lord, spare his life!

The gold bricks crashed into the city wall with unparalleled force.

A deep, resounding crash echoed, and the entire city wall trembled violently. Spiderweb-like cracks spread from the point where the gold brick had fallen, the nearest brick turning to dust, while those further away were riddled with cracks, sending dust billowing into the air. Several battlements subsequently collapsed, revealing obvious gaps.

At first glance, it looks like the city wall is missing a tooth.

"What's that noise—?"

The common people inside the city had not received prior warning to take cover. Many who were out making a living only realized there were enemies outside when they saw two huge star beast heads emerge from the direction of the city walls. The elderly and weak, who rarely went out, only looked out when they felt the ground shaking.

Chaotic shouts echoed through the city streets.

The vendors and pedestrians, who were fleeing in panic, were startled by the loud noise and staggered, creating chaos. The vendors' belongings that they were desperately gathering fell to the ground, and soups and pastries were overturned and trampled into the mud by others, becoming unrecognizable in the blink of an eye.

Mountains collapsed and cities crumbled; everyone lived in fear.

Screams continued incessantly.

Before long, the bustling streets of the county seat were deserted, leaving only a mess on the ground, with every household's doors and windows tightly shut. No one knew whether the enemy outside the city could break in, whether they would sheathe their weapons or not, or whether they would plunder and loot.

All they could do was hide their valuables, either in their hair buns, shoe insoles, or in other secluded places within the house. Only after they had hidden their belongings could they then settle the living.

The commotion felt within the city was less than one-tenth or one-twelfth of that felt on the battlefield.

Zhang Yang's powerful flying bricks caught the defending soldiers and laborers off guard. Some lost their footing and fell, while others managed to steady themselves by holding onto the wall. The firewood piled under the giant cauldron collapsed, and the boiling molten gold inside spilled out. The two giant cauldrons closest to the center of the impact exploded, and the entire pot of scalding molten gold splashed several meters away.

The laborers, unable to dodge in time, screamed in agony from the scalding heat.

The prefectural commandant shouted sternly, "Archers, seize this thief!"

The order was given, but several breaths passed without a volley of arrows, only a few dozen rustling sounds. What kind of suppressive or repelling effect could such a small number of arrows have? The commander was furious. He snatched a bow and arrow from one of the soldiers, drew it instantly, and aimed at Zhang Yang's vitals: "Die, you traitor!"

The arrow pierced the air, leaving a trail of blue light.

Despite his unremarkable cultivation level and lack of outstanding troop command and training abilities, and his mediocre overall qualities, which are entirely due to his background connections, his archery skills are actually quite good among all his unremarkable stats.

You don't even need to aim; you can shoot accurately just by intuition.

Unfortunately, this skill isn't very important in chaotic battles because the battlefield situation changes too quickly; every breath is precious, leaving no time for archers to aim accurately. Archers only need to fire volleys in succession, maintaining rhythm, ensuring each volley is connected, and guaranteeing that the arrows land within a general range.

Before the arrow even left the bowstring, the prefect knew he had hit the target. But before a smug look could appear on his face, he saw the arrow, glowing with a bluish light, crushed into dust by an invisible shockwave. The golden brick that struck the city wall was pulled back steadily into Zhang Yang's hand by a certain force. She tapped Zhang Dami's head with her toes, using the momentum to accelerate towards the city wall, completely ignoring the arrows coming from all directions.

On the city wall, a hundred or so spears thrust simultaneously toward Zhang Yang's target.

These spears may look ordinary, but their surfaces are actually covered with a faint glow, which is the effect of the Xuanwu Formation. With this enhancement, wood that could be broken with a snap can become as hard as iron, and a seemingly fragile wooden spear can become indestructible.

Zhang Yang took a long step and firmly suppressed the area.

The soldiers holding spears could neither withdraw them nor get any closer.

The other guards seized the opportunity to stab at the enemy a second time.

Zhang Yang subtly used his footwork to shatter the spearhead, while simultaneously the golden brick in his hand melted and stretched like butter, instantly transforming into a golden spear that swept across the area. Screams rang out as the innermost guards fell in droves, and the faint light surrounding them dimmed considerably. Although their lives were not in danger, the shockwave from the heavy blows at close range caused excruciating pain in their internal organs.

Wang Qi and Guan Si climbed the city wall one after the other, joining forces with Zhang Yang to draw away a significant number of troops, which meant that three breaches appeared in the wall. Zhang Dami and Zhang Da Miao were still howling in pain from the scalding and foul-smelling molten gold, wanting to slap the wall in revenge, but afraid that their paws would be attacked by the molten gold again, so they were both angry and annoyed.

At that moment, a falcon's cry rang out from the sky.

Zhang Dami and Zhang Dami listened intently, their eyes darting around, and they each changed their strategy. Instead of focusing on the molten gold on the city wall, they used their massive bodies to block the city wall guards' view and hinder the archers.

Their large size creates many blind spots.

By adjusting their positions and working in conjunction with the gap created by Zhang Yang and his two companions, they could create a large safe space for the troops below the city wall. These two were also very cunning; with their combined efforts, the angles at which the city wall defenders could fire at the city gate were extremely tricky.

but--

This situation cannot continue indefinitely.

The guards on the city wall changed their target for splattering molten gold from the beasts' heads and forepaws to their entire bodies. The former required aiming, while the latter only needed to be thrown with their eyes closed. As gushing molten gold from the giant cauldrons poured down, the two beasts howled in pain but dared not open their mouths, fearing that if they did, the molten gold would be thrown right into their mouths.

Unable to resist any longer, it raised its paw to cover its mouth.

Every minute they were attacked by the golden liquid felt like an eternity to the two beasts. They kept urging Guan Zong and the others to break through the city quickly with their eyes. Their ability to withstand the attack was limited, and they weren't truly invulnerable. Too much golden liquid could burn their skin and fur, and if it couldn't be washed off, a large patch of fur would have to be shaved off, or worse, the wounds would fester and become infected.

Zhang Yang and his two companions acted faster than anyone else.

Before Lu Yuan could react, his adoptive mother had already disappeared.

She squeezed the horse's flanks and shouted.

"Godmother, your son is here to help you!"

The newly surrendered Zhe Meng had not yet recovered his strength and could only watch the battle from the rear. There were people guarding her around, ostensibly for protection, but in reality for surveillance, but she didn't care. However, when she heard Lu Yuan's powerful roar, her eyelids twitched violently.

Feeling deeply ashamed, she wanted to cover her face.

"Ryubak, Ryubak, you're truly shameless!"

Being friends with Lu Yuan is like having a glaring stain on your body.

Lu Yuan didn't care about these evaluations. When he led his men in the charge, he felt that the sky was blue, the wind was sweet, and he could clearly hear the beating of his heart. Everything was so vivid and exciting. Seeing his adoptive mother Zhang Yang's bravery, his stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat were also ignited. He vowed to compete with Zhang Yang and see who was better.

Crimson and purple flames erupted from within the body and surged outwards.

From a distance, it looked like a red and purple arrow heading straight for the city gate.

He Zhi watched the red and purple figure disappear into the distance. Even from that distance, he could still hear Lu Yuan's shouts and curses, which seemed different from the cold and ruthless person he remembered. He pressed his forehead and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Guan Zong, who was holding the line in the center, and frowned slightly.

"General, you are renowned for your bravery; would you not wish to step into the fray and give it a try?"

Guan Zong, a ruthless man who slaughtered 30,000 people.

Even now, He Zhi still couldn't quite believe that the person before him was Guan Zong. The Guan Zong he had heard of was an even more ruthless and cold-blooded butcher than Lu Yuan had previously described, the sharpest and most indiscriminate blade in the Eastern Army. With such a significant advantage, how could he possibly remain passive?

Guan Zong glanced at He Zhi out of the corner of his eye.

Although martial artists also value being proficient in both literary and martial arts, cultivating both can never compare to focusing solely on one. Compared to these strategists who single-mindedly delve into ingenious and cunning schemes, most martial artists appear rather honest and simple. However, Guan Zong is an exception.

He doesn't have many schemes, but they're enough.

For example, He Zhi is now testing Guan Zong's limits, appearing to be flattering him on the surface but actually stirring up trouble. Adhering to the principle of "like attracts like," Guan Zong dislikes people who are more cunning than himself.

However, He Zhi's identity is somewhat special.

Her adopted sister, Lü Yuan, revealed some inside information to Guan Zong: He Zhi was not only the biological father of Lü Yuan's only daughter, but also one of her many fleeting romances that suited her taste and that she found interesting.

Guan Zong, an honest man, said he didn't quite understand.

Do you think...he's interesting?

"If I don't like it at all, I can't sleep either." Lu Yuan nodded, speaking with conviction, "If I really don't want to sleep with someone, then am I sleeping with them, or are they sleeping with me?"

One should definitely prioritize their own positive experience.

Guan Zong knew that Lü Yuan had imprisoned people for many years.

And that's why you treated him like that?

"So what? He's never submitted to me, it's quite interesting." What Lu Yuan liked was He Zhi's years of forbearance and hatred towards her, his simultaneous hatred and resistance, and his obligation to raise her only daughter—not just left to fend for herself, but with all his heart and soul. Lu Yuan occasionally had wicked and perverse thoughts; she discovered she didn't hate He Zhi's hatred, and even felt a secret pleasure from his disgusted gaze. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle and her limbs tingle with pleasure.

This kind of emotion is even more intoxicating than venting on the battlefield.

Guan Zong: [...]

Because of his sworn sister, he felt more sympathy for He Zhi than for anyone else.

Even if they don't like something, they won't give it a cold shoulder.

"Things aren't what they used to be; I'm afraid I'll get chopped into mincemeat now."

Ordinary guards posed no threat to Guan Zong, but skilled generals or well-formed military formations might not be so. Guan Zong weighed his own strength and worried that he might not return.

His lord might not necessarily send divine intervention to save him from his predicament.

He Zhi: "Is there something wrong with the general's health?"

Guan Zong sighed, "Yes, I'm getting old. I can't wield a hundred-pound sword anymore. I can only play mind games with people now."

Otherwise, he wouldn't be here directing and overseeing things.

He Zhi: "..."

It seems they didn't expect Guan Zong to admit it so readily.

In this chaotic world where everyone's life is uncertain, weakness often means being targeted by hunters and becoming their prey.

Guan Zong's old enemies are not all dead yet.

"There's no need to worry too much. Sometimes, choice is more important than effort. For example, choosing a lord who is good at fighting." Guan Zong wasn't praising Zhang Yang as a lord for being particularly competent, but rather saying that Zhang Yang loved to charge into battle so much that even if enemies came knocking, he could rightfully protect his lord. His lord would definitely die before him, so—Guan Zong could remain calm at this moment.

Even if I die, my lord will be there to take me down with him, so what's there to be afraid of?

He Zhi: "..."

Xiao Sui directed the siege, while Fan You kept a close eye on breaching the gate. The Imperial City's defenders, judging that the advantage was clearly on Zhang Yang's side, stopped loitering on the periphery and led their troops, along with those on the left and right flanks supporting Lü Yuan's forces, straight towards the city gate.

Lu Yuan wanted to show off her abilities to her adoptive mother. Thinking of Zhang Yang's feat of breaking through the barrier with a single golden brick, she disregarded the tidal wave of arrows overhead and led her group out of the area covered by rolling stones, logs, and arrows from the city wall, entering the tricky blind spot formed by Zhang Da Mi and his two beasts. The next second, her stellar power surged like a tide, and her twin fiery serpent wings transformed into their largest form.

Soldiers and horses are the bows, and fire serpents are the arrows.

Target: the city gate.

"charge--"

Lu Yuan's shout overlapped with the thunderous roar of the fire snake blasting open the city gate. The thick wooden city gate was engulfed in a sea of ​​red and purple flames. Wood chips exploded, iron pieces flew everywhere, and the raging flames danced wildly in the sky. Thick smoke, carrying heat waves, spread out from the city gate, making the air scorching hot.

The city gate did not completely collapse.

However, this could not stop Lu Yuan's repeated attacks.

She pierced through the unfinished brickwork behind the city gate, and her warhorse leaped over the collapsed ruins. She wielded her long weapon with impenetrable skill, the spear tip thrusting, slashing, and prying, trampling the heavily wounded guards who fell to the ground, their screams abruptly cut short.

Behind Lü Yuan, the troops marched straight in.

On the city wall, the prefectural commander broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing the commotion.

He watched in disbelief as the two city gates were violently breached, the Xuanwu Formation that had been used to block them only buying him a brief respite. What alarmed him even more was the sheer number of enemy soldiers scaling the walls as the gates opened wide: "Where did all these people come from?"

How did these people get up here?

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the enemy soldiers were using the two star beasts as ladders, climbing their bodies as stepping stones. The two beasts were extremely large, and the enemy soldiers used them to level off the height difference with the city wall, thus rendering the rolling stones and logs used for city defense useless.

Without the advantage of city walls and defensive equipment, the two sides were forced into direct hand-to-hand combat. The prefect's mind was in turmoil, with only one thought in his mind—it's over! The combined number of soldiers on the city walls and those inside the city was less than the enemy's.

They are outnumbered and outmatched in strength.

The final result was predictable.

His lips were parched and his throat dry. He tried to use his accumulated power to suppress the panicked and cowardly guards, threatening to kill anyone who retreated and making an example of them. However, this move had little effect, and the defeat was difficult to reverse.

Guan Zong never expected his sworn sister to be so fierce.

They led their troops to catch up, lest Lü Yuan enter the city and be trapped and beaten.

Zhang Yangzhen, after repelling the red-named monsters who surrounded her, also noticed that their numbers and determination were far less than before. She secretly lamented, "How come I never noticed this before?" You see, in the game world, apart from a very few monsters with special settings, other red-named monsters won't have the thought of running away just because their health is about to drop, let alone lose their offensive formation.

The little monster can't do it, but these people in front of us can.

Zhang Yang didn't make things difficult for them. She fought her way through, leaped across the city wall, and jumped into the city. Without needing to figure out directions, she knew immediately where the prefectural government was. As soon as she landed, she saw Xiao Sui galloping past her on horseback. Zhang Yang chased after her, tossing out, "Xiu Ying, keep a close watch on the troops. Don't disturb the civilians. Anyone who kills innocent people and claims credit for their service will be executed!"

??(￣ェ￣;)

Writing 10,000 words a day takes a toll on my energy. My back aches from sitting for so long, but I'm feeling better today. I'll try to write another 10,000 words in the next few days.