As Wei Bo’s brows furrowed deeply, a commander swiftly came to report.
"Reporting to the General! The Qin Army has a divine archer. As soon as our vanguard officers enter the Qin Army’s range, they are slain by this marksman."
"Impossible," Wei Bo commanded coldly. "How could anyone distinguish targets so clearly in the chaos of battle? Issue my order. Once an officer falls, the one subordinate in rank must immediately take his place. If anyone dares to retreat, the Supervisory Team will execute them on the spot!" Dıscover more novels at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
The commander beside him immediately departed to convey the order.
The Wei Army attacked frantically.
Coupled with the bombardment from the Wei Army’s Stone Throwing Machines, many Qin soldiers inside the city were crushed to death by the massive boulders. However, with the advantage of defending the city walls and the superior range of Qin arrows, the casualties inflicted upon the Wei Army were even more immense. A rain of arrows fell from the city. After such long preparations, the city was amply supplied with arrows and provisions—enough to sustain an army of 100,000 for three months. The King of Qin had already provided Zhao Feng with the resources needed for a prolonged defense.
With Zhao Feng personally supervising the battle, and empowered by the Fate Official Seal, the combat effectiveness of all soldiers under his command doubled. This boost in morale and power was reflected on the battlefield. Each soldier seemed to possess strength and vigor beyond their norm, fighting with exceptional ferocity.
Countless arrows were loosed from within the city as the Stone Throwing Machines bombarded relentlessly. Outside the walls, the Wei Army was reduced to a field of corpses. Cries of agony filled the air as soldiers were crushed into paste by stones or riddled with arrows until they resembled porcupines.
[Killed a Wei Army Capital Commandant. Gained 20 Constitution.]
[Killed a Wei Army Junhou. Gained 10 Strength.]
[Killed a Wei Soldier. Gained 5 Strength...]
Zhao Feng certainly wouldn’t miss such an excellent opportunity to acquire Attribute Points. From the moment the Wei Army’s assault began, he had been firing arrows nonstop, targeting not only the Wei officers but also sparing no ordinary soldiers.
Zhao Feng fired ceaselessly. For him, simply loosing arrows consumed almost no energy. It didn’t take long for the hundred arrows at his side to be depleted, but this was of no concern. With a single thought, he summoned more arrows from his Portable Space. He was surrounded by his trusted aides—his most loyal confidants—so he had no fear of being seen by others.
For Zhao Feng, this moment could be summed up in two words.
Rich harvest. he thought excitedly.
In just the short prelude to the Wei Army’s main attack, Zhao Feng had already gained over five hundred Attribute Points, an amount that would normally require a long period of cultivation to achieve.
Attributes... This time, perhaps all my attributes can push toward four thousand. Zhao Feng thought with mounting excitement, his rate of fire growing ever faster.
With each notification confirming the death of another Wei officer or soldier, the Wei Army’s casualties grew ever more severe.
Watching the chaotic forces charging toward Wei City, their morale seemingly shattered, Wei Wuji frowned and finally sighed. "Issue my order: retreat!"
"His Majesty has given an order!" the many messengers immediately roared. "Withdraw the troops!"
Following the command, the gongs were sounded to recall the army. The Wei forces that had just reached the walls of Wei City retreated like a receding tide. However, the Qin archers on the city ramparts would not miss the chance to press their advantage. They fired their arrows in a frenzy, doing their utmost to kill the enemy.
"Your Majesty," Wei Bo said, his voice laced with unwillingness the moment he returned. "The Vanguard Army had already reached the base of Wei City’s walls. Why did you order a withdrawal?"
"The vanguard’s formation was in disarray, and their momentum was lost," Wei Wuji said with a tone of disappointment. "Continuing the attack would have only led to more needless casualties. As a commander, do you not understand this?"
Wei Bo fell silent, but the expression on his face showed he was still unreconciled. Or rather, for Wei Bo, who had grown up under Wei Wuji’s personal tutelage, this was a difficult pill to swallow. It was common knowledge in Wei that Wei Wuji, and indeed the entire state, held high hopes for him. He, in turn, was desperate to prove himself.
"What are our casualties?" Wei Wuji asked, turning to a Wei General at his side.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," the general replied immediately. "This was a probing attack, and our casualties exceed five thousand. The exact number will be tallied once we return to camp. The Qin arrows and Stone Throwing Machines are even more formidable than we imagined."
"Qin arrows are indeed formidable," Wei Wuji nodded in agreement.
Thinking back to the chaos on the battlefield, Wei Wuji asked, "Why did our formation collapse into disarray?"
"There’s a master archer on the Qin walls clearly targeting our commanding officers," the Wei General replied instantly. "At least three Capital Commandants and seven Junhous were killed by his arrows, which threw the Vanguard Army into chaos."
"A master archer, is it?" Wei Wuji nodded, his face etched with deep thought. "Convey my orders. For today, we will return to camp to rest and reorganize. Replenish the lost officers. Also, all officers are to wear the Battle Armor of common soldiers, and must look no different from the regular troops."
As the last pillar of the Wei state and a veteran of countless battles, he had immediately devised a countermeasure. He figured the Qin marksman was identifying officers by their distinctive Battle Armor. By having them dress as common soldiers, he would render the archer’s strategy useless.
"This subordinate obeys the command," the Wei general replied.
"Also," Wei Wuji continued, "ensure that all battle reports concerning the Zhao state are reported to me at all times, as well as any movements from Qin."
This time, the National Fortune was at stake. If they failed, the state of Wei would be in grave danger. For this reason, Wei Wuji was exercising extreme caution.
"Your Majesty," Wei Bo said, bowing deeply to Wei Wuji. "This subordinate requests permission to lead the assault on the city again tomorrow."