Chapter 519 – Three-Way Battle (3)
The archers of the Green Garment Army crouched low, stealthily maneuvering through the thick grass, inching ever closer. General Ping Tian felt his heart rise into his throat as the distance between them gradually shrank… three hundred meters… two hundred fifty… two hundred… one hundred fifty…
Ordinary bows were not like modified crossbows; drawing a heavy bow capable of long-range shots wasn’t something just anyone could manage.
You could say this hundred-strong archer brigade was the apple of General Ping Tian’s eye—losing even one would hurt him dearly.
As the proximity lessened, the atmosphere grew more tense for General Ping Tian.
He directed the Green Garment Army to advance slowly, the night becoming their best camouflage, with Xiangyang City seemingly within their grasp.
Finally, the archers were within shooting range. One by one, they pulled arrows from their quivers. The arrowheads were wrapped in coarse cloth soaked in oil—just a spark from a flint or a fire stick, and they would ignite, piercing flesh with devastating force.
The sound of flint striking echoed, sparks flying as flames erupted.
General Ping Tian’s eyes were glued to the soldiers atop the city wall, still yawning sleepily.
At this moment, the archers had their bows drawn and aimed.
He whispered, “Fire—”
But just a second before the bowmen released their arrows, the formerly lazy soldiers suddenly ducked down, hiding behind the parapets, black shields rising up to block the arrows that directly struck them instead.
General Ping Tian gaped in shock. What was this rhythm?
What was this rhythm?
The enemy had seen through their plan long ago; they were merely playing along with their little performance.
The shields blocked the first wave of arrows, and the soldiers crouching behind the walls quickly maneuvered the crossbows to the edges, already loaded and ready to fire.
Crossbows were handy for both attacking and defending a city.
According to Jiang Pengji and Zhang Ping’s research, they had further improved the existing crossbows, allowing for six heavy bows to be mounted. Cranking the winch would draw back the strings, and using the combined power of the heavy bows, they could launch specially made long arrows, reaching a range of six hundred steps with immense lethality!
The arrows featured wooden shafts, iron-tipped heads, and iron-fletched tails.
Using these for city defense, based on Jiang Pengji’s earlier tests, could easily pierce through those ordinary ladders, giant shields, and wooden screens, obliterating them. The Green Garment Army was within range too—weren’t they just asking for death?
The arrows flew, buzzing incessantly like the roar of the masses, a torrential downpour of arrows raining down upon the Green Garment Army.
As the shields lifted on the walls to block the arrows, General Ping Tian was momentarily stunned.
The vanguard of the Green Garment Army had already braced the ladders against the walls, only to be met with fierce arrows that easily pierced through two or three of them, splattering blood, their bodies tumbling forward from the force, lifeless.
The enemy was prepared!
Realizing this, General Ping Tian’s heart raced in fear, wondering where the leak had occurred.
Though the soldiers on the walls seemed lethargic, they were clearly not pretending, yet reality slapped him hard in the face.
After the first wave of arrows, the Green Garment Army’s fallen were either dead or utterly incapable of fighting back, the thick scent of blood saturating the air.
Grinding his teeth, General Ping Tian gambled on Xiangyang’s defenses being thin. As long as they climbed onto the wall, victory would be theirs, and he must not retreat in fear.
With that thought in mind, he roared, “Attack the city—”
The ladders were against the walls, where the crossbows couldn’t shoot.
If the Green Garment Army fled, they’d die even more swiftly. Could they sprint six hundred steps in an instant?
In comparison, the city wall was much closer to them.
Everything unfolded just as Feng Jin had predicted; he raised a hand, covering his smirking lips, hiding the bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.
“Prepare rolling logs and stones—”
Xiangyang’s city wall wasn’t too high, and with seven or eight hundred corpses dropped by the Green Garment Army, the remaining soldiers were already nearing the wall.
Archers stood beyond the crossbow blind spots, while several Green Garment soldiers were climbing the ladders.
The first to ascend were met with logs and boulders that sent them crashing down, emitting dull thuds.
Despite the Green Garment Army’s heavy casualties, some still neared the height of the wall.
Below, they smashed heavy logs against the city gate, each thud resonating like a heartbeat.
Feng Jin remained calm while directing the troops; among the soldiers, there were seasoned veterans and fresh recruits yet to see battle.
What began as trembling hands due to nervousness gradually steadied under Feng Jin’s confident commands. Their racing hearts calmed as their minds blanked, moving in sync with Feng Jin’s orders to either handle equipment or load arrows…
The wooden shields were incredibly heavy, requiring three men to hold steadily, shielding them from multiple arrow strikes.
“Fire arrows, load!” Feng Jin continued issuing commands.
The soldiers grasped their modified crossbows, igniting the arrows.
Though crossbows weren’t easy to maneuver, that didn’t mean they couldn’t retaliate.
With the enemy’s own tactics, they returned fire.
Flaming arrows soared through the night, striking the climbing Green Garment soldiers and knocking them down in droves.
“Sir, the pressure at the city gate is increasing…”
Luo Yue, clad in armor, rushed up from below, his face ashen.
Feng Jin replied, “It’s fine, keep going!”
The assault on Xiangyang wasn’t solely from this Green Garment Army; there was another force too.
As long as their defenses weren’t exhausted, these soldiers wouldn’t be climbing the walls—dream on!
The penetrating power of the modified crossbows was unquestionable, and with the deadly fire arrows, each Green Garment soldier falling from the ladders had little chance of waking up again—not just because the arrows pierced them but also due to their comrades stepping on their bodies to ascend the ladders, turning them into mush even if they hadn’t fully died yet.
Feng Jin continued commanding the defending soldiers, everything orderly. Compared to the casualties below, the defending soldiers suffered only minor injuries. The logs at the city gate still slammed against it, while General Ping Tian’s complexion darkened to a deep shade of grey.
Unable to breach the gates or scale the walls, had he overestimated the city’s defenses?
His firm resolve began to waver, but there was no retreat now. If he pulled back at this moment, he would surely be engulfed by the nearby Green Garment Army, risking his life. He had no choice but to push forward.
At this moment, he wished that the Green Garment Army from Maolin County would join the assault on Xiangyang; that would significantly improve their chances of victory.
The pounding on the city gate persisted, reinforced not only by soldiers within but also by heavy blue bricks…
Yes, Feng Jin had brought thousands of crafted blue bricks to block the gate.
Could the Green Garment Army still dream of breaking through, even with all their might?
Not a chance!
