Chapter 1052: The General Offensive Begins

Chapter 1041: The General Attack Begins

No one around dared to answer.

Fushanlie's gaze fell on Hong Ming. In his absence, the adjutant had command. If anything went wrong, Hong Ming would be held responsible.

"Her troops behind her are well-disciplined and exude a formidable killing intent, unlike the Yuheng army. It takes years of battlefield combat to forge such a force," Hong Ming quickly explained, seeing the fierce glint in his superior's eyes. "If we attack rashly, I'm afraid, I'm afraid it will ruin the general's plan!"

"Ruined my plan?"

Fushanlie suddenly punched him in the shoulder, sending him flying about ten feet away. "You have already ruined my plan!"

"Even if she were General Hong, these dozens of people couldn't simply fly into the city." He suppressed his rage. "Yuheng City lowered its drawbridge just now, and you actually let that excellent opportunity slip away?!"

Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Fushanlie cursed, pointing at their noses, "Idiots! Something abnormal is always suspicious. How could General Hong abandon the Northwest Front and come here in the middle of the night to call at the gate?"

The subordinate stammered, "Perhaps... perhaps Yuheng City sought aid from Panlong City? If they could ask Jintao Kingdom for help, why couldn't Yuheng City ask Panlong City for aid? After all, aren't the two cities more closely related?"

"Aid?" Fushanlie slapped him on the head, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "If that He fellow could get General Hong to act, why isn't he here defending the city while General Hong leads her troops to sweep through Longchuan! If General Hong were to come, she would be in charge, naturally taking command of the battle. Why would she guard Yuheng City for He Lingchuan?"

The subordinate was knocked unconscious by the blow, and everyone else suddenly realized why they had felt something was deeply wrong just now.

"Furthermore, why would this 'General Hong' be casually strolling on the city gate? Wasn't it precisely to let you see clearly?" Fushanlie was furious. "Blind in both eyes and mind, you fell for such a simple trick!"

He Lingchuan was absent—what a perfect opportunity to attack! These fools utterly wasted it!

Hong Ming cautiously asked, "So now?"

"Should we attack now?"

Fushanlie then carefully observed the dark red figure on the South City Gate again.

Although he had thoroughly berated his subordinates, was it possible this 'General Hong' was the real one? It was still a possibility.

After all, General Hong's legs were her own; who could control where she went?

What if her arrival was merely a bit too coincidental...? Are there so few coincidences in this world?

Even Fushanlie's own birth was an absolute coincidence.

He actually believed in coincidence more than anyone, but he couldn't wait any longer.

He could already sense the aura of the Emperor's Dew. Once the spiritual dew descended from the heavens, it would not be good news for them.

"Attack! Immediately order the attack! Not a moment more can be wasted!"

"Yes!"

Hong Ming didn't hesitate. He pulled a thousand-knot grass talisman from his pocket and snapped it in two. The general attack began!

Inside Yuheng City.

After the explosion at the Zhao residence, the onlookers had all gone home, continuing to observe the curfew. The streets returned to order.

Just after a patrol group had passed through Bailu Street, more than thirty people suddenly emerged from two inns and a residential alley near the East Gate. They strode purposefully towards the East Gate, all dressed in city guard uniforms.

The glowing spore streetlights were bright. The East City Guard found these individuals unfamiliar and their movements suspicious, so they immediately shouted, "Stop! Everyone stop! Anyone who approaches will be killed without mercy!"

As soon as the guards shouted, these individuals drew their weapons and charged towards the city gate. Before they even reached it, dozens of explosive copper talismans were hurled onto the wall. A continuous series of bangs erupted, producing plumes of smoke.

Each gate of Yuheng City had external defensive formations, escape-blocking formations, and formations to protect these major arrays. Without first damaging the formations from within, it would be very difficult for external enemies to breach the city walls.

"Enemy attack!"

The East Gate captain rushed to the top of the wall. Looking out, his face changed dramatically: countless torches snaked out from the forest, and a vast army converged towards them. By their numbers, they were no fewer than two thousand strong!

Arrows rained down like locusts onto the city wall. It was a coordinated attack, from both inside and out.

The East Gate captain did not hesitate. While ordering his subordinates to withstand the enemy attack, he fired a red signal flare into the sky and simultaneously rang the alarm bell.

The East Gate boomed, and the alarm bell rang loudly, audible throughout Yuheng City. But according to regulations, he still had to fire that signal flare to signal the enemy attack.

The explosions, bell, and red signal flare occurred in quick succession, and City Governor Zhao Linyang immediately dispatched city guards to reinforce the East Gate.

He Lingchuan had left 800 defending soldiers in the city for his bandit suppression mission—which should have been plenty. He Lingchuan's adjutant, Chao Qian, abandoned his current security duties to reinforce the East Gate with 200 men. Zhao Linyang was displeased: "Is this meager force nearly enough?"

As he spoke, two more fireworks signals rose from the East Gate. That was a sign of intensified enemy attack. Chao Qian shook his head. "The remaining forces must guard the South Gate." Other city gates also needed to be manned.

By now, Chao Qian had also figured it out: the enemy had sent over thirty elite operatives who had infiltrated Yuheng City and set up an ambush before dark. The descent of the Emperor's Dew was their signal to act.

These thirty-plus individuals were extremely formidable. They had already scouted the terrain and seized a small section of steps, making a last stand with formations and flying arrows. The army outside the city vigorously attacked, coordinating their efforts from both within and without, creating an immense clamor.

Over four hundred defenders, relying on the East Gate strengthened by formations, had to withstand an attack of over two thousand people.

Fortunately, Zhao Linyang and Wen Daolun had already arrived and begun directing the defense.

Just then, rain began to fall from the sky. The rainwater was fragrant and slightly viscous.

Both sides in the fierce battle were a little startled: The Emperor's Dew had arrived? Of all times, it had to be tonight; what impeccable timing.

Some soldiers transporting supplies within the city couldn't help but look up and catch a few drops of the spiritual rain, slowing their running speed. The supervising squad rushed over, lashing a whip across their backs: "Hurry up, hurry up! Who told you to slack off?"

Originally, only the East Gate of Yuheng City was bustling, but with the arrival of the Emperor's Dew, the entire city erupted.

The inns and private residences near the East Gate, which had been tightly shut, now flung open their doors. Over three hundred merchants and residents rushed out, red-eyed, heading straight for the East Gate!

Men grabbed pokers, women wielded rolling pins, porters dragged carrying poles, and teenagers clutched their household washbasins—all were improvised weapons. These were the ordinary civilians of Yuheng City.

The fighting guards yelled at them, "What are you doing! Retreat, it's dangerous here!" However, the civilians seemed deaf, their eyes glazed over as they joined the fight—their target, surprisingly, was the East City Guard! They were helping the enemy, fiercely attacking their own people.

These civilians fought without any technique, but they possessed immense strength and felt no pain. One red-eyed youth was struck on the nose with a city guard's sword hilt, bleeding profusely, yet he neither cried out in pain nor flinched. Instead, he clung to the city guard with all his might, his stark white teeth aiming to tear at the man's throat.

Meng Shan rushed over and slammed him against the wall with a punch. With a thud, the youth was knocked unconscious and finally stopped moving.

The sudden defection of the civilians threw the East City Guard into disarray.

These weren't enemies; they were local residents, some of whom were old acquaintances of the city guards, normally exchanging greetings and chatting. How could the city guards bring themselves to strike them?