If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

"You're too late."

"This door has changed owners."

As soon as Xu Qingshan finished speaking, Qi Biao realized what was happening.

"retreat!"

With a swing of the long-handled iron hammer behind him, Qi Biao gripped the horse's belly with both legs, turned the horse around, and charged toward the side gate.

The bandits following behind him also pulled on the reins.

More than thirty warhorses were crammed into the narrow street, colliding with each other, their neighing instantly drowning out the river.

Hou San, standing on the gate tower, raised his hand and waved.

"put!"

Zhenbeiqi pulled the rope at the same time.

The wooden wedges placed under the wheels were all removed, and the first two grain carts slid down the street slope. The heavy carts collided with the third cart, and all eight grain carts squeezed into the doorway one after another.

The axle rubbed against the stone wall, making a screeching sound.

The gap that was originally wide enough for two riders to pass through was soon reduced to less than two feet.

One of the bandits rushed to the door and lay on his horse's back, trying to squeeze through the gap.

The warhorse's shoulder collided with the wheel, and half of its body became stuck in the doorway.

The cavalry behind couldn't stop their momentum and crashed into the car, horses and all.

Chaos erupted in front of the side gate.

Seeing his escape route blocked, Qi Biao roared, "Push the car away!"

More than a dozen bandits dismounted and rushed toward the grain cart.

Suddenly, a row of crossbows appeared from under the straw curtain.

A series of clicking sounds rang out.

The crossbow bolts were fired close to the edge of the grain sacks, specifically targeting the horse's legs and belly.

The warhorses closest to the grain cart were hit by arrows one after another. Startled, they kicked wildly, knocking the bandits around them to the ground.

A black horse knelt down on its forelegs, and the rider leaped over its back, crashing headfirst into the carriage.

The horses behind were startled and turned around, making the street even more chaotic.

Qi Biao swung his iron hammer, smashing away the crossbow bolts that were being fired at him.

"dismount!"

"Use grain carts as shields!"

The remaining bandits quickly rolled off their horses, dragging their wounded horses and grain sacks as they sought cover.

Xu Qingshan had already led the Zhenbei cavalry to press forward from the front of the street.

"Liang Shun".

"The men from Duanhebao sealed off both sides of the alleyway."

Liang Shun gripped the spear tightly.

"Follow me, everyone!"

More than twenty veterans from Duanhebao emerged from behind the houses and courtyard walls.

Their armor was worn out, and their weapons were far inferior to those of the Zhenbei Cavalry.

But these people had already endured Ma Rong's rule for two months.

The fort commander in the water dungeon, the confiscated military rations, and the wives and daughters destined for Black Wind Stronghold were all laid out before him.

Liang Shun walked to the front of the line.

"Brothers of Broken River Fortress!"

"Ma Rong wants to sell our families to these bandits!"

"Those who hold back today will be their own family members suffering tomorrow!"

Two rows of spears pressed down from both sides of the street at the same time.

The bandits retreated towards the grain carts, their space for maneuver becoming increasingly smaller.

Qi Biao saw the soldiers of Duanhe Fort approaching and pointed at Xu Qingshan.

"Kill him!"

"Once Xu Qingshan dies, these poor bastards will naturally scatter!"

Four bandits charged out, swords drawn.

Xu Qingshan walked forward to meet them.

The first blade slashed from the right, and he deflected his longsword outwards, slicing open the opponent's leather chest armor.

The second bandit, using his companion as cover, got close and stabbed straight in the waist and abdomen.

Xu Qingshan took half a step forward, and the hilt of his knife struck the man's chin.

Teeth mixed with blood flew out.

Just as the third man was about to raise his sword, the Zhenbei cavalryman's shield slammed into his face from the side, sending him crashing into the wall.

The last bandit stopped and hurriedly retreated.

The old soldier from Duanhe Fortress thrust his spear into the back of his leg from behind.

Liang Shun stepped on the other person's wrist.

"Throw the knife away!"

The bandits tried to struggle, but the tips of three spears were already pressed against their chests.

The long sword clattered to the ground.

Xu Qingshan looked at the others.

Those who lay down their weapons will be spared their lives.

"Continue with the work, then stay at Broken River Fort to pave the road."

Qi Biao spat.

Don't listen to him!

"The Zhenbei Army will not let the bandits go; surrendering will not save you from death!"

Xu Qingshan said, "Those who have killed border residents and robbed caravans should of course be investigated."

"As for those who were captured and brought to the village but had not committed any murders, they can atone for their sins through forced labor."

"Whether you choose to die with Qi Biao or stay and await trial, the choice is yours."

The bandits behind the grain carts exchanged glances.

The hands of the men holding the knives began to tremble.

Qi Biao grabbed a young bandit next to him and smashed his hammer directly into the bandit's shoulder.

The sound of bones cracking rang out.

The young bandit screamed and knelt down.

"Anyone who dares to throw a knife will face this fate!"

Qi Biao's ferocity temporarily suppressed any wavering.

He then pointed to the city wall.

"There are still more than twenty brothers outside!"

"As long as we hold out until they break in, Broken River Fortress will still be ours!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than more than ten torches suddenly lit up on the opposite bank of the river.

A row of crossbowmen stood up from behind the reeds and low slopes, all aiming their crossbow bolts at the bandits outside the side gate.

Xiao Qi stood at the very front and waved towards the city wall.

The Zhenbei cavalry on the gate tower also lit torches.

The crossbow formations on both sides faced each other across the river, sandwiching the shallows outside the side gate in the middle.

The bandits outside initially wanted to urge their horses closer, but stopped immediately upon seeing the crossbow formation.

One of the bandits shouted, "The second-in-command is still inside!"

"Rush over there to catch him!"

The leader of the group looked at the narrow riverbank and then at the crossbowmen on the opposite bank.

"How do I rinse it?"

"The doors are all blocked!"

Xiaoqi raised her hand.

"Shoot the horse."

The first volley of crossbow bolts crossed the river.

The bandits on the outside hurriedly ducked, but several of their warhorses were shot in the legs and neighed as they fell into the shallow water.

The remaining cavalrymen quickly retreated, firing arrows at the city walls through the river mist.

Scattered arrows landed on the ramparts and grain carts, but could not suppress the Zhenbei cavalry inside the gate.

Hou San lay on the edge of the gate tower, looking down at Qi Biao.

"Your brothers outside don't seem to be very loyal."

Qi Biao raised the iron hammer.

"Shut up!"

The hammer flew out of his hand.

Hou San dodged to the side, but the hammer struck the wall, and shards of stone splashed all over his face.

"She has quite a temper."

He wiped the dust off his face.

"I have a back injury, otherwise I would have come down to talk to you."

Xu Qingshan looked up and said, "You stay up there."

"I have high hopes for Ma Rong."

Hou San turned around and glanced at Ma Rong, who was tied to the corner of the wall.

"The person is still alive."

"I was so scared I almost peed my pants."

Ma Rong's face turned pale.

"My lord, I didn't say anything."

"At a time like this, still calling me so politely makes me sound like I have something to hide."

The street confrontation quickly drew closer to the grain truck.

The veterans of Duanhebao were participating in the mopping-up operation for the first time, and their movements were far less agile than those of the Zhenbei cavalry.

After a soldier missed his target, the bandits grabbed the spear shaft and dragged him forward.

Liang Shun then delivered a follow-up spear thrust from the side, piercing the bandit's calf.

"Don't go ahead alone!"

"Three people per group, shield in front, spears from both sides!"

They began to adjust their formation to resemble the three-person formation at Blackrock Fortress.

The first row of shields held the grain carts in place.

A spear was thrust out from behind the gap.

If the bandits tried to charge, they would run into spears; if they tried to retreat, they would be met with grain carts blocking the city gates behind them.

Within moments, several people had been stabbed and collapsed to the ground.

A long knife was thrown out from behind the grain cart.

"I surrender!"

The second weapon quickly fell to the ground.

"I fled to this village last year when I was fleeing famine; I haven't killed any of the border residents!"

Qi Biao turned around and was about to hit someone.

Xu Qingshan had already rushed into the grain carts.

The long sword slashed down at the iron hammer.

clang!

The heavy impact caused several injured horses nearby to cry out in alarm.

Qi Biao gripped the hammer with both hands, his strength surpassing that of Sun Kui. As he pressed forward, the stone slabs beneath his feet cracked.

"You really think you've got this in the bag?"

"Black Wind Stronghold still has over two hundred brothers!"

Xu Qingshan braced himself against the hammer.

"If not all two hundred people came, it means you're not that important in the village."

Qi Biao's face darkened, and he swept his iron hammer across Xu Qingshan's side.

Xu Qingshan dodged backward, and the blade immediately fell towards his fingers.

Qi Biao parried with his hammer.

The long knife grazed the hammer handle, leaving a bloody gash on his forearm.

The two exchanged several blows.

Qi Biao, relying on the weight of his hammer, kept trying to corner Xu Qingshan in the grain cart.

Xu Qingshan moved along the vehicle, always stepping aside half a step before the hammer fell.

The wooden plank was smashed and cracked.

The grain sack was torn open by the hammer.

Wheat grains were scattered all over the ground along the train carriage.

Qi Biao stepped on it, and his body swayed slightly.

Xu Qingshan had been waiting for this moment.

The long sword pierced through from under the iron hammer, first slicing open Qi Biao's shoulder armor, then kicking him in the knee.

Qi Biao knelt down on one knee.

Two trusted confidants immediately rushed to the rescue.

The cavalry of Zhenbei fired a volley of short crossbows.

One man fell to the ground with an arrow in his chest, while another was shot through the shoulder and crashed into Qi Biao.

Qi Biao used the force to roll downwards from the grain cart.

There was originally a half-foot gap between the bottom of the carriage and the ground, but it was knocked askew by the horses when the door was blocked.

He grabbed the rope binding the car and slashed repeatedly with his dagger.

The two ropes snapped.

The outermost grain cart was moved slightly to the side.

Qi Biao lay on the ground and squeezed out from under the axle.

Xu Qingshan raised his hand and slashed.

The blade grazed Qi Biao's back, tearing a long gash in his leather armor.

When Qi Biao rushed out of the gate, the crossbowmen on the other side of the river had already spotted him.

Two crossbow bolts were fired one after the other.

One arrow pierced his shoulder, and another pierced his outer thigh.

Qi Biao staggered to the riverbank and snatched a warhorse from one of his confidants.

"withdraw!"

When the bandits outside saw him escape wounded, their morale completely collapsed.

The twenty-odd riders turned around and retreated westward along the valley.

Zhou Laoqi and Aman fought their way out from upstream.

The bandits' path was blocked, and in their panic, they squeezed into the reeds. Several warhorses stepped into the deep water, and the riders were thrown off on the spot.

Despite his leg injury, Qi Biao rushed across the shallows and escaped with six or seven of his confidants from the north side of the hillside.

The rest of the men were scattered by the cavalry from both sides.

The battle inside the fortress also came to an end.

After losing Qi Biao, the remaining bandits threw down their weapons.

Liang Shun led the soldiers of Duanhebao to tie up the men one by one.

Twelve bodies were left in the street.

Seventeen survivors were taken to the wall, while three others were seriously injured and unconscious.

The waist tokens, password wooden pieces, and village access tokens found during the search filled a wooden tray.

Seven of the eight grain carts were saved.

The remaining carriage was smashed by Qi Biao, and wheat grains were scattered all over the ground. Soldiers from Duanhebao were carrying winnowing baskets to collect them.

When Hou San came down from the gate tower, he had one hand on his waist and his steps were more unsteady than before.

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"Did the wound reopen?"

"I got pulled when I was dodging the hammer."

"Didn't you say that was bandit blood?"

"Now they're all mixed up, it's hard to tell them apart."

Hou San walked to the side door.

A trail of bloodstains was left on the riverbank, extending all the way to the north hillside.

"Qi Biao is a pretty fast runner."

Xu Qingshan also looked into the depths of the valley.

"It's good to be fast."

Hou San asked, "What's so good about it?"

"If he doesn't run back, who will tell Black Wind Stronghold that the eight cartloads of grain are still there?"