LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 51 - Like divine soldiers descending
Kaden Yu, the young prince of the Xianyu Tribe, ordered three thousand of his barbarian soldiers to join the siege.
Seeing the barbarian army sending another three thousand soldiers to attack, Magistrate Finn Chen of River West County and Colonel Felix Wu felt the pressure mounting.
Fortunately, the city walls were high and thick, capable of withstanding the barbarian cavalry. The barbarians had to switch to infantry assaults, significantly reducing their advantage.
The barbarians and Huns, known for their prowess in mounted archery, were not skilled in siege warfare. To take the city, they had to sacrifice their soldiers.
The high-ranking nobles didn't care about the lives of ordinary soldiers; to them, these soldiers were no different from cannon fodder.
Felix Wu commanded the soldiers to defend the city relentlessly, while the scholarly Magistrate Finn Chen wielded a sword and fought alongside them.
Though a scholar, Finn dared to wield his three-foot sword against the enemy, greatly boosting the morale of the defending soldiers.
"Hold on! Reinforcements are on the way. Once they arrive, we can definitely repel the barbarian forces," Felix Wu shouted, slaying an enemy climbing the city wall, constantly encouraging his men.
Yesterday, five hundred defenders had perished. Today, only fifteen hundred remained, including the brave warriors and fighters from within the city.
But the attacking barbarian army numbered five to six thousand, outnumbering them four or five times over.
Even with the city walls, they couldn't hold out for long.
Despite his efforts to boost morale, Felix Wu felt uncertain. He knew that Peace Pass had been battling the Huns for a month and likely couldn't spare many soldiers for reinforcements.
Saying that reinforcements were coming was just to give the defenders hope.
As for whether River West County could hold out, Felix Wu had no confidence.
The barbarian army continued their assault until noon, but the garrison's fierce resistance prevented them from breaching the walls.
However, the garrison had suffered over half their numbers in casualties, leaving only seven hundred soldiers, many of them wounded.
Colonel Felix Wu and Magistrate Finn Chen looked grim.
Could they hold out today?
Neither of them knew. They had no answers.
...
Meanwhile, Oliver Sheng was leading his troops on horseback at full speed.
He had divided the seventeen hundred reinforcements into two groups, with Cameron Guo and Wesley Hu each leading a thousand men.
He appointed the veteran Martial Masters as sergeants, the Martial Artists as corporals, and the experienced veterans as platoon leaders and squad leaders.
Oliver believed that with the leadership of three hundred veterans, this new force wouldn't fall apart at the first encounter.
In the Northern Frontier's October, the leaves and grass had already withered.
On a road covered in falling yellow leaves, a cavalry unit was galloping, the sunlight casting a dance of leaves like butterflies.
Such a beautiful scene, but Oliver and his men had no time to appreciate it.
"Hyah!"
"Hyah..."
Leading his men at full speed, they didn't stop, racing towards River West County.
Rescue was like fighting a fire; if they were even a step too late, River West County could fall to the barbarian army, rendering their efforts meaningless.
The cavalry moved swiftly like the wind, their banners fluttering, bearing the large character "Sheng," signifying Oliver Sheng as the commander of this unit.
...
At noon, after a brief rest and lunch, the barbarian army resumed their assault.
"Brothers, defend the city!" Colonel Felix Wu shouted.
Over seven hundred soldiers, along with several hundred constables, warriors, and fighters from the county, picked up their weapons and prepared to face the enemy.
The barbarian army's horns blared, causing panic among the city's residents.
Some wealthy families were busy packing their valuables, ready to flee once the city fell.
Participate in the defense? Sorry, they were noble lords, not commoners, and had no duty or inclination to defend the city.
"If the city falls, we all perish. The Magistrate is fighting bravely on the walls. Do you dare to wield your three-foot swords and join me in defending the city?" a scholar shouted.
"Even the scholar-general at Peace Pass, Oliver Sheng, dares to fight for the country. We can do the same," another scholar declared.
"With a fierce resolve, we can feast on barbarian flesh and drink Hun blood. Though we are scholars, we know some martial arts."
"Let's go, defend the city!"
A group of scholars, wielding their three-foot swords, ascended the walls.
While there were brave scholars, there were also cowards. Some timid scholars, merchants, and wealthy lords were busy packing, ready to flee at any moment.
Those who dared to defend the city were mostly commoners. Their homes were here; where else could they go?
"Kill!"
"Crush these barbarian scum!"
Stones, wood, boiling feces, tetanus swords, and tetanus knives were all used against the attacking barbarian army.
"Take this, you bastards!" a commoner poured boiling feces onto the barbarians' heads.
"Ah..."
The boiling liquid scalded many barbarians, causing them to fall from the siege ladders.
The sounds of battle and screams merged into a cacophony.
This was the battlefield, filled with blood, swords, life, and death!
"Brother Jin!"
Song Chengwen watched his friend being killed, his eyes filled with sorrow and hatred.
"Kill!"
He slew a barbarian soldier but was immediately surrounded by two more.
The barbarian army's assault was relentless, and the defending soldiers kept falling.
Finn Chen, the scholars, warriors, and commoners were all bloodstained.
Colonel Felix Wu, in the late Acquired Realm, was also facing two barbarian Acquired Realm warriors.
River West County was in grave danger!
By the afternoon, only three hundred defenders remained on the city walls.
"Magistrate, when will our reinforcements arrive?" a bloodstained scholar asked.
"Soon, very soon. We must hold on," Magistrate Chen replied.
"Colonel, hold on, you can't die," a sergeant shook Felix Wu's body.
Felix Wu had fought two barbarian Acquired Realm warriors and was gravely injured.
In the barbarian camp, seeing the stubborn resistance of the Great Wei garrison, Kaden Yu's playful smile faded.
He didn't see fear or despair in these Wei people's faces.
Instead, he saw determination to fight to the death!
"So this is the Great Wei my father spoke of? Their resolve is indeed strong," Kaden Yu murmured.
The Wei people had held out without retreating, choosing to fight to the death rather than flee.
"Send another three thousand men and take River West County," Kaden Yu ordered, abandoning his playful attitude.
No wonder his father said the Great Wei was a formidable enemy with strong resolve.
The Great Wei, capable of resisting both the Huns and the barbarians, was indeed not to be underestimated.
"Yes, young prince."
The Xianyu Tribe, a royal clan among the barbarians, allowed Kaden Yu to lead thirty thousand troops south to attack River West County.
Seeing the barbarian army sending another three thousand soldiers, Magistrate Chen's eyes showed a hint of despair.
Felix Wu was gravely injured, his fate unknown. Now, Finn Chen was the highest-ranking official left in River West County.
Despite this, Finn Chen didn't retreat or think of fleeing.
He was the Magistrate of River West County. There could be a dead magistrate, but never a fleeing one.
Whether there had been one before or would be one in the future, he didn't know.
But he would never retreat. Finn Chen had his own principles.
"Everyone, we might not hold out until the reinforcements arrive. Are you afraid of death?" Finn Chen shouted.
All the soldiers on the wall looked at him.
"No!"
"Kill those barbarian scum!"
"In eighteen years, we'll be heroes again. What is there to fear?"
"Yes, kill them all!"
The remaining soldiers, ready to die, laughed instead of showing fear or sadness.
"Good, you are all brave warriors, true men of the Great Wei. I am proud to fight alongside you."
"Now, let us face the nation's peril together and vow to fight the barbarians to the end," Finn Chen raised his sword, ready to die.
At this moment, Finn Chen looked less like a scholar or magistrate and more like a scholar-general.
"Fight to the end!"
"Fight to the end!"
The people on the wall, united, showed no sign of retreat. They were determined to live and die with River West County.
"Futile barking," Kaden Yu said, watching the shouts from the wall.
River West County was already in his grasp.
"Today, we shall repay our country with our nine-foot bodies," Magistrate Chen's spirit shone, his aura rising.
"Kill!"
The barbarian army surged like a tide, unstoppable.
River West County couldn't withstand this wave; its fall was imminent.
Finn Chen glanced towards Peace Pass. They hadn't managed to hold out until the reinforcements arrived...
"Kill..."
...
"How far are we from River West County?" Oliver Sheng asked, galloping on horseback.
"Colonel, we are ten miles away," Cameron Guo replied.
"Order the men to speed up."
The cavalry surged forward like a torrent, their banners fluttering like a giant serpent.
They had rested very little along the way.
If not for the horses needing rest, they wouldn't have stopped at all.
Ten miles was only a quarter-hour's ride for the cavalry.
Zane Wang, sent to scout, soon returned with two other scouts.
"What's the situation?" Oliver Sheng asked Zane Wang.
"Colonel, the barbarian army is still attacking. River West County is in grave danger," Zane Wang panted.
He had ridden back at full speed. The city walls of River West County were defended by only two or three hundred soldiers.
"Full speed ahead. We can't let the barbarians breach the city gates," Oliver Sheng shouted, increasing their pace.
"Cameron Guo, take five hundred soldiers and help defend the walls. The rest, follow me."
"Yes, Colonel!"
"Follow me!" Cameron Guo immediately selected five hundred men and headed towards the city.
Oliver Sheng led fifteen hundred cavalry straight into the enemy camp.
The thundering hooves echoed far and wide, impossible to conceal.
On the city walls of River West County!
"Men of the Great Wei, follow me and kill the enemy. If there is a next life, we shall drink together," Finn Chen led the remaining soldiers, fighting off the attackers.
"Young prince, enemy cavalry! The Great Wei reinforcements have arrived," a barbarian scout reported.
"How many?" Kaden Yu asked immediately.
"Fifteen hundred cavalry!"
"Fifteen hundred cavalry think they can save River West County? Too late," Kaden Yu smiled, dismissing the Great Wei cavalry.
If it were a cavalry battle, he was confident the barbarian cavalry could crush the Great Wei cavalry.
"Send two thousand cavalry to destroy them," Kaden Yu ordered.
"Yes!"
Two thousand barbarian cavalry quickly left the camp, heading towards Oliver Sheng's forces.
Soon, a soldier on the wall spotted the Great Wei banners in the distance.
"Magistrate, look!" a soldier excitedly pointed towards Oliver Sheng's direction.
"What is it?"
"Reinforcements! Our reinforcements have arrived," the soldier cried with joy.
Everyone looked over. On the horizon, the Great Wei banners fluttered, and a cavalry unit approached rapidly.
"Reinforcements! Our reinforcements are here!" the remaining soldiers on the wall cheered.
They had finally held out until the reinforcements arrived.
"Kill!!"
Cameron Guo led five hundred soldiers into the city, rushing to the walls.
"Kill..."
The loud battle cries sounded like heavenly music to Magistrate Chen and the others.
"Hahaha..."
"We're saved!" Finn Chen wept with joy, collapsing to the ground.
He was utterly exhausted, sustained only by sheer willpower.
Oliver Sheng's forces, like divine soldiers descending, saved the day, rekindling hope in the remaining defenders of River West County.