He paused for a mont, then said: "No, that’s not the case."
"It’s our deaths that will plunge the Western Regions into complete chaos!"
"To reach this point as a man, isn’t it exhilarating?"
The Old Duke once again displayed a heroic spirit, Xiahou Duan felt increasingly respectful in his heart and said: "I will certainly guard by the Lord until the very end."
The Old Duke laughed heartily.
Yet his heart was filled with regret.
He didn’t want to run, nor could he run.
The Western Regions excel at light cavalry, coming and going like the wind, within the city he could still manage, but outside he would die quickly. His cautious and deep temperant wouldn’t allow risks, yet despite this, he feigned a bold deanor.
His inner resolve even his youthful friend Xiahou Duan could not fathom.
If he could survive, Li Shude wouldn’t refuse, but if he were to die, he would have to leave with dignity.
"Even if it’s death..."
The Old Duke leaned on his sword: "It should be a hero’s death."
"Fleeing for life and being pursued and shot dead in the vast desert."
"So disgraceful."
"Not the spirit of a noble family."
He gazed into the distance, yearning in his heart, hoping his son might co to rescue him, but he also knew, given the current military strength in Xiyi City, it was impossible.
If indeed an army ca, he’d have to die here.
That would an his son had abandoned his post, deserted the frontier.
The Old Duke contemplated within.
"If soone truly ca to save ..."
"If it were my child, then he would be my sole heir."
"But if it were soone else."
"Regardless of his wishes, I would comply."
"But how can this be possible?"
Another day of siege continued into nightfall, casualties within the city were severe, a Mo School elder aided the defense, bolstered by Mo Family disciples, holding firm. Initially, when the enemies scaled the city, they gathered human waste, boiling it into golden soup.
They poured it scaldingly down, anyone hit would have their faces burned with wounds, infected and rotting, screaming as they fell.
The golden soup’s effect was extraordinary, it was a ntal assault for anyone rational. Later, when wood, stone, and coal ran short, arrows and swords were soaked in this [golden soup], causing infection with each strike.
If an arrow penetrated deeply, it could cause death not long after.
Yet the n of the Western Regions were courageous, continuously launching volleys of arrows, bolstered by formations descending from above, causing greater ntal distress to those within the city than physical harm.
Siege warfare is inherently a brutal combat skill.
It affects both the attackers and defenders.
With Xiyi City and Anxi City’s ’reinforcents’ marching grandly, combined with the Mo School-supported defenders, the Western Regions coalition’s prolonged siege yielded unstable morale, but constrained by generals, stability was barely maintained.
But such stability, like a tea cup balanced on rolling logs.
A small slip would lead to complete collapse.
Complete breakdown.
At this opportune mont, Li Guanyi and Li Zhaowen finally seized the chance, leading eight hundred exceptionally brave Xuanjia Cavalry to a vantage point, from where they could see the sprawling camps and siege.
Although motivated by generous rewards, at this mont the Xuanjia Army felt intense unease, fear, ten thousand troops laid out before them, roars, shouts, even the whooshing of swords and arrows rging into [battlefield].
The imnse pressure threatened to suffocate.
Li Zhaowen narrowed her eyes, took a slight breath, even she felt sowhat tense now. Despite her frequent battles, she had yet to experience combat involving more than ten thousand troops.
Once numbers exceed ten thousand, it becos a sea of people, limitless.
Let alone a force of a hundred thousand.
Eight hundred against a hundred thousand seed like a re spit could drown them, even the bravest would feel fear at that mont. Li Zhaowen raised her eyes to look at Li Guanyi beside her, the latter’s expression was serene.
Li Guanyi withdrew his gaze.
Noting Li Zhaowen’s glance, her grip on her battle spear caught his attention, this was his good brother’s first encounter with a battle of this scale, naturally a sense of nervousness lingered.
Li Guanyi spurred his horse to Li Zhaowen’s side, extending his hand: "Co."
Li Zhaowen looked up at him, her Phoenix Eyes filled with curiosity: "What?"
Li Guan said: "Clap hands."
Li Guanyi lowered his voice: "Are you nervous?"
Li Zhaowen said: "Why would I be nervous?"
Then she paused, continued: "Just, seeing in historical records, the grandeur of a battle involving a hundred thousand compared to now seeing it firsthand, it’s ultimately a different feeling, there’s panic, concern, and excitent."
Li Guanyi watched Li Zhaowen.
He knew what weighed on Li Zhaowen was also the thought of her father trapped in the city, unable to communicate, uncertain of his danger or safety, great generals of the world mature step by step.
Li Guanyi chuckled: "I didn’t expect to have such a chance, to see Erlang in such a tender form."
Li Zhaowen said: "What?"
Li Guan said: "Because I know, after this battle, you’ll be familiar with the atmosphere of such level battlefields, a person like you, a battle involving a hundred thousand won’t be your end, however, this ti..."
Li Guanyi raised his hand, tapped on Li Zhaowen’s helt.
"Leave it to ."
"You’ll support as I lead."
Li Zhaowen gazed at Li Guanyi with her Phoenix Eyes, smiled: "Oh?"
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