The Qin banners drew closer, the thudding of their march growing ever louder.
Zhao Feng led the charge, wielding the Tyrant Spear as he burst into the Wei camp. He swung the long spear, unleashing a terrifying force. Several Wei soldiers in front of him had no chance to react before the Tyrant Spear swept them away.
Several Wei soldiers were killed instantly by the impact, their bodies crushing several of their comrades to death.
"You have killed a Wei Centurion. Gained 5 Constitution."
"You have killed a Wei Soldier. Gained 5 Strength."
"You have killed a Wei Soldier. Gained 5 Speed."
"You have killed a Wei Soldier. Gained 5 Speed..."
A series of notifications sounded in Zhao Feng’s mind. This was the very source of his motivation to slay the enemy.
Behind Zhao Feng, a large contingent of the Qin Army charged. Whether they were Sharp Warriors or from the Penal Battalion, every man harbored a deep desire to kill the enemy and earn military merits.
"Leave no one alive," Zhao Feng roared.
The slaughter continued.
In less than an hour, the Army Marquis Camp, garrisoned by a thousand men, was completely wiped out.
Once the fighting subsided, Zhao Feng immediately turned to Zhang Han. "What are our casualties?"
"Reporting to the General," Zhang Han promptly replied. "Our army suffered over seventy injuries in this battle, but there were no fatalities."
This battle was a surprise attack. Zhao Feng had eliminated the Wei Junhou with a single arrow, leaving the camp unable to mount a proper defense. Coupled with their absolute advantage in numbers, victory was easily achieved.
Zhao Feng nodded, then ordered, "All soldiers, heed my command."
"Soldiers of the Penal Battalion who lack armor are to strip it from the Wei corpses and equip themselves."
"Rest for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then we continue the assault."
"Yes, sir!" all the soldiers immediately responded.
The difference in combat effectiveness between armored and unarmored soldiers was significant. Since this thousand-man Wei force was fully armored, Zhao Feng naturally had his Penal Battalion do the same to enhance their strength.
The Wei army was still frantically trying to break through.
With Zhao Feng no longer personally commanding the defense, and without the doubling effect of the Fate Official Seal, the soldiers defending Wei City fought to the death, but their combat strength was now notably inferior.
Tu Sui and Wei Quan supervised the battle from the city wall’s watchtower.
"If one man falls, another takes his place!"
"If ten men fall, ten more take their place!"
"Kill them all!" Tu Sui roared from the watchtower.
A chaotic rain of arrows flew from the city wall, and soldiers hurled stones down upon the Wei forces below.
The siege was incredibly brutal. The entirety of Wei City was shrouded in the thick, acrid stench of blood.
「In the Wei army’s central command.」
Wei Wuji sighed, a hint of reluctance in his tone. We’ve been attacking continuously for three days now, yet there’s no sign of chaos within the city. Although the Qin Army’s combat strength has diminished, their defense remains tight. Perhaps... we have no choice but to deploy the Wei Wu Troops.
Originally, the Wei Wu Troops were the ultimate trump card for this invasion of Qin, meant to break through only at the most critical moment. He never expected to have to use them on the very first city.
"No wonder Zhao Feng is so highly valued by the King of Qin, appointed as a general at the tender age of sixteen. He truly is a capable commander," a Wei general remarked.
Wei Wuji’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. "This boy... if he cannot be made to serve our great Wei, he must not be allowed to live."
He then made a decisive command, "Relay my orders! Deploy twenty thousand Wei Wu Troops to assault the city. If they cannot breach it, send in the remaining thirty thousand. The regular soldiers are to conduct an orderly retreat."
"As you command, my lord," the armored officers beside the war chariot responded in unison.
The next moment, the Wei Wu Troops, who had remained stationary at the rear, began to move.
"Wei Wu Troops! No retreat until victory!"
From the rear of the Wei army, twenty thousand armored soldiers advanced, armed with shields and long spears. Compared to the other Wei forces, this contingent of Wei Wu Troops appeared far more formidable and orderly as they pressed toward Wei City.
Atop the city wall, watching the Wei Wu Troops advance, Tu Sui’s brows furrowed, his expression turning grave. "This is bad."
"What’s wrong?" Wei Quan asked from the side, puzzled.
"The Wei Wu Troops have been deployed."
"I knew it," Tu Sui said grimly. "Since Wei’s own Wei Wuji is leading the army, how could the Wei Wu Troops not be here? They were holding them back to deal with our Qin later." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
"The Wei Wu Troops?" Wei Quan still looked confused.
Having risen from the ranks as an ordinary logistics soldier, Wei Quan was a Wanjiang who relied completely on Zhao Feng. His understanding was naturally not as thorough as that of Tu Sui, the former Imperial Guard Commander.
Seeing Wei Quan’s confusion, Tu Sui didn’t keep him in suspense. "The Wei Wu Troops are Wei’s strongest elite. Every one of them is a Powerful Warrior, carrying a shield in his left hand and a long spear in his right. Their combat prowess is peerless."
"Years ago, when Wei was at its peak, the Wei Wu Troops inflicted substantial losses on our Qin. The Hexi region also fell into Wei’s hands, all because of them."
"Now that the Wei Wu Troops have been deployed, the real battle is about to begin."
Hearing this, Wei Quan nodded, but then let out a cold laugh. "I get it. The Wei Wu Troops used to be strong, but our Qin soldiers today are not weak either. Besides, we have the advantage of defending a fortified city. No matter how strong they are, the walls stand between us. If they have the skill, let them try and get up here."
Tu Sui shook his head helplessly. "Mr. Wei, you don’t understand. The Wei Wu Troops have a defining trait: they do not retreat until the enemy is broken."
"When they march into battle, it is to fight to the death."
"Either they will all die fighting, or they will breach our city walls. Now do you understand what I mean?"
Wei Quan was taken aback, his surprise evident. "You mean they will attack relentlessly?"
"Precisely," Tu Sui nodded gravely. "They will stop only when every last one of them is dead, or when our city has fallen."
At this, Wei Quan’s expression finally turned grim.
"Prepare to fight to the death," Tu Sui declared. "Wei City cannot fall, no matter the cost."