The Reticent Blade-Chapter 207 - Desolate Liangzhou (Part Seven)

Dark clouds pressed down as fierce winds howled.

Thunder crashing mingled with the deafening sound of galloping hooves, echoing across the heavens and earth. Occasionally, a flash of lightning would illuminate the horizon, casting the stark silhouette of the charging cavalry across the city.

In that fleeting moment of lightning, the glimpse of the vast cavalry alone left the guards on Liangzhou’s walls pale with terror. They had never seen such an imposing cavalry before! Beyond the thunderous clamor of hooves, the tens of thousands of cavalry moved in eerie silence. They charged without a battle cry, in a deathly stillness that chilled the heart amidst the noise.

The sound of hooves echoed like the drumbeats of doom, enveloping all of Liangzhou Prefecture.

For a moment, chaos overtook the walls. People ran frantically in all directions, some shouting loudly, others trembling behind battlements, and still others hurriedly descending from the walls.

A fully armored deputy general, strode up to the wall. He grabbed a soldier fleeing down the wall by the collar, dragged him to the ground, and bellowed angrily, "Get back up there!"

The soldier scrambled away, crawling as he went.

The deputy general strode to the battlements, kicking aside a soldier who cowered there with his eyes shut. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he squinted into the distance at the Northern Qiang cavalry pouring forth like a tsunami.

After the initial chaos, the guards of Liangzhou Prefecture began to recover their discipline. Finally, the first order rang out from the walls.

"Prepare for battle!"

The governor and the city commander of Liangzhou Prefecture both ascended the wall. The deputy general turned to them, saluting with cupped hands. "Greetings, General. Greetings, Prefect."

Zhou Tong, the city commander, waved dismissively, ignoring the deputy general. He walked straight to the edge of the wall, staring at the dark tide in the distance.

"All cavalry... no wonder they’re so fast."

At this moment, Wen Yumou, the governor of Liangzhou, stepped forward as well.

"So, how confident are you in defending the city?"

Zhou Tong shook his head slowly. "I’m not sure... Cavalry isn’t suitable for sieging a city. Judging by their numbers, there are likely two hundred thousand of them. Though we have fewer than sixty thousand defenders in the city, we’re not short on provisions, and all of our siege equipment is intact. Defending the city should be manageable, but—"

A sharp glint flashed across Wen Yumou’s eyes as he said gravely, "If they surround but do not attack, using their presence to demoralize..."

Zhou Tong chuckled bitterly.

"Exactly... They don’t need to do anything, just constantly pretending to attack to keeps us on edge. Who knows whether they’re truly attacking or not? Once the main Northern Qiang force arrives, our exhausted troops will collapse without a fight."

"That's not all," Wen Yumou added grimly, shaking his head, "The presence of so many Northern Qiang outside the city not only pressures the soldiers but also weighs heavily on the civilians.

"The soldiers might not reach their limit first; the city might fall into chaos before that happens. Their plan is an open scheme."

"Is there a way to counter it?" Zhou Tong asked, turning his head.

Wen Yumou continued shaking his head, but he said, "There... may be a way."

Zhou Tong didn’t reply, only looked at Wen Yumou, waiting for his answer.

"The solution is rather simple..." Wen Yumou pursed his lips. "If we can win just one battle to blunt their momentum, the soldiers will regain their morale, and the people in the city will calm down."

"How is that possible!" Zhou Tong’s eyes widened. "Even if we could fight them in the open, we don’t even have the strength to fight! It’s already a challenge to hold the city with fifty thousand soldiers. If we march out to face them, we’d be wiped out in no time!"

"And that's why"—Wen Yumou shook his head with a bitter smile—"this battle has no solution... The Northern Qiang’s strategy is ruthless. It appears to be a siege, but it’s really an attack on morale."

A grim silence fell over the wall. No one spoke.

"But the city must be defended..." Wen Yumou said softly, caressing the stones of the wall. It doesn't matter how long we are able to defend. What matters is that we cannot become the sinners of the Ruen Dynasty."

Zhou Tong nodded silently as he gazed at the countless cavalry outside the city. The vast army that covered the horizon had halted five miles from the city walls.

He remarked, "It seems they don't intend to attack yet, relying instead on their overwhelming presence... The Northern Qiang cavalry, famed as the best in the world, truly lives up to its reputation. Their discipline is astonishing..."

In the distance, the Northern Qiang cavalry, two-hundred-thousand strong, stretched like a massive maw poised to devour Liangzhou.

Despite the sheer number of men and horses, only the sound of hooves could be heard. No other noises spilled from the men or the horses, as if they were vengeful ghosts that emerged from the Underworld. Large raindrops struck their black armor, bursting into tiny splashes of darkness.

***

Inside Liangzhou City, everyone heard the thunderous sound of hooves. The townsfolk instinctively looked toward the direction of the noise but could only see the all-encompassing black clouds on the horizon, occasionally lit by flashes of lightning.

Tang Jinnian sat alone indoors, his gaze fixed on the fire in the hearth. He merely furrowed his brow slightly, seemingly annoyed at the growing disturbance.

Rao Shuang’s heart skipped a beat as she walked to the window and peered outside.

Fang Dingwu had been sitting at a table with a bowl of wine by his side to soothe his throat. Upon hearing the sound, his body trembled, and terror flashed in his eyes, as if he was haunted by his memories of the North Watching Pass. He murmured, "They’re... they're here..."

Little Xue Niang seized the moment to grab Fang Dingwu's wine bowl, sneaking a few mouthfuls for herself.

Baili Gucheng's eyes gleamed at the sound, and a fierce aura surfacing on his face. His emotions stirred, and the violent sword qi within him seemed on the verge of breaking free. The sword at his waist let out a crisp ring, trembling uneasily.

Chi Nanwei froze for a long moment after hearing the sound. Only when she heard what Fang Dingwu muttered did she realize what it was. She abruptly turned toward the window and murmured, "Dummy?"

Chi Nanwei suddenly raised her voice. "Where'd he go!?"

Everyone in the room turned to her, shaking their heads in confusion.

Chi Nanwei opened her mouth slightly. "Dummy, did he..."

Near the city walls, Ye Beizhi and Xue Qiming took in the soldiers running frantically atop the walls.

"Tsk, tsk..." Xue Qiming crossed his arms over his chest. "The battle hasn’t even started, and they’re already such a mess. How can they possibly win like this?"

"That’s why I brought you..." Ye Beizhi muttered, the words drifting from beneath his bamboo hat.

"What?" A crack of thunder drowned out Ye Beizhi's voice, and Xue Qiming tilted his head, asking, "What did you just say?"

Ye Beizhi shook his head and irrelevantly replied, "The Northern Qiang are as strong as you think."

"Hmm..." Xue Qiming rubbed his chin, recalling his escapade in Northern Qiang. He nodded earnestly. "Yeah, that may be true... but they were pretty enthusiastic. When I left, a lot of people came to see me off."

Ye Beizhi glanced at Xue Qiming, unsure what he was talking about, but nodded anyway. "I want to go for a walk outside the city."

Xue Qiming tilted his head, looking at Ye Beizhi with a half-smile. "So... are you inviting me to come along?"

Ye Beizhi didn't confirm or deny it. Instead, his gaze fell on the gourd hanging from Xue Qiming's waist as he asked, "Can you still swing that gourd?"

Xue Qiming grinned, his white teeth glinting ominously under the bamboo hat. "Why don’t we find out?"