Chapter 533: Chapter 58: The World’s Number One
Jingmen Prefecture, Shimen City.
Under the cover of darkness, continuous gunfire erupted at the East City Gate of Shimen City, signaling an ongoing siege!
More than two hundred meters from the city wall, several hundred individuals armed with firearms were taking cover and shooting ceaselessly at the City Guard Army on the ramparts.
Bullets whizzed through the air, sparks flew in all directions, and now and then someone was hit and collapsed, followed by agonized screams.
The attacking force consisted of over two hundred inspectors from the Inspection General Bureau of Jingmen Prefecture, joined by more than three hundred members of the Jingmen Prefecture City Guard Army.
In total, there were more than six hundred people, each armed with a gun, but without cannons or other siege equipment, breaching Shimen City was nearly impossible.
“Sir, I have a bad feeling about this; they might be trying to draw our forces here as a feint!”
A Commander (Sixth Level military officer) of Shimen City’s City Guard Army said to the Garrison.
In a typical city, the highest-ranking military officer in the City Guard Army would be the Garrison (Eighth Level military officer), leading three hundred men.
At this moment, the Garrison of Shimen City had gathered all of his more than two hundred City Guard troops at the East City Gate.
“A feint, my ass! Do you not see how many of them there are down there? Go get the defensive cannons up here, prepare to fire!”
The Garrison blatantly ignored the advice of his subordinate and commanded loudly.
The Commander’s subordinate, himself a marshal master, looked helplessly at his superior.
He was a veteran who had seen the battlefield before and, after retiring, had been assigned to the City Guard Army of Shimen City to live out his days in peace due to his martial master’s Cultivation.
Originally thinking he could serve his time out quietly, he never expected to see war again.
The veteran could tell that his superior was in complete panic.
The other man was seventeen years younger but more talented in martial arts, a Refining Strength Marshal Master with better connections, hence he had recently been appointed as the City Guard Army’s Garrison.
But this young Garrison had no experience in leading troops, let alone in warfare — and now that he was faced with a siege, he was utterly panicked.
This was actually a common problem among the military officers of most cities in the Da Lan Dynasty at that time.
Because the infighting between local powers was so fierce, local armed forces like the City Guard Army became extremely important, and there was no issue of idlers receiving pay without working.
Instead of reducing in numbers, many places were overstaffed!
Furthermore, these forces often clashed with local gangs and martial artists from the World, resulting in ample combat experience.
However, this experience was limited to small-scale street brawls, alley battles, or suppression operations.
And they were mostly easy fights.
As for true battlefield experience, who would rebel every day to accumulate such?
So the Garrison of Shimen City was deeply panicked.
“Sir, I’ve observed carefully; the enemy has not brought any siege equipment. Even if they were twice as many, they could not break into the city. It would be best to dispatch some of our brothers to defend the other gates to prevent the enemy from attacking from a different direction.”
The battle-experienced Commander tried to persuade with earnest concern.
“No way, we can’t go anywhere until we completely rout those people below!”
But the young Garrison would not heed the advice, “Prepare to fire the cannons!”
A loud explosion was followed by a vibration that everyone on the walls could feel.
“What’s going on? Did they fire cannons?”
The young Garrison looked bewildered.
“No, that’s not right, the sound is incorrect. It’s coming from the South City Gate! Something’s happened at the South City Gate!”
The battle-seasoned Commander’s face changed drastically as he shouted.
At Shimen City’s South City Gate.
The gate had been battered, leaving a huge hole!
Surrounded by dark Evil Qi, more than fifty Imperial Camp Cavalry looked like a black dragon as they directly smashed through the gate and began slaughtering their way into the city!
This Imperial Camp Cavalry had blood-red eyes and exuded a chilling killing intent, devoid of any human aura.
They killed on sight, sweeping through the city!
In a little over half an hour, Shimen City surrendered.
Subsequently, all four gates were sealed, certain areas were locked down, and people were forced out of their homes by armed inspectors and the City Guard Army, herded towards nearby squares or open spaces:
“Mommy, I’m so sleepy, why do we have to come here?”
“It’s okay, dear, we’ll be home soon.”
“When can we go home?”
Men supporting the elderly, women holding children, girls in their nightgowns… Everyone stood trembling, peering around nervously.
They had no idea what was to come.
Soon, they heard the sound of hoofbeats and felt the earth trembling ever so slightly.
The dark Evil Qi swept toward the crowd on the square like an approaching tide…
After the Imperial Camp Cavalry made two charges through the square, not a single body remained intact on the ground!
These cavalry, controlled by the Sha Qi and deprived of their senses, turned their horses emotionlessly and charged to the next location…
As more and more people died, an invisible force sped towards Jingmen Prefecture City and merged into the golden dragon hovering in the sky.
Soon, blood-colored patterns began to appear on the Dragon Scales of the golden dragon, gradually covering all of the scales.
Mass murder, death, and blood had continuously strengthened the Emperor’s Dragon Qi; the Tao Country that Qingxu True Monarch had sought to establish was finally taking shape!
Out on the plain, Li Fei and others dismounted from the train and gathered together.
State Preceptor Yun Shu was staring toward Jinshan Prefecture City, and when he saw blood-colored Dragon Scales appearing on the body of the golden dragon formed by the Emperor’s Dragon Qi, unprecedented anger flashed in his eyes!