Chapter 262 - 258: Frenzied Siege Battle
Chapter 262: Chapter 258: Frenzied Siege Battle
Outside White Cloud, banners fluttered in the wind. On their surface, the word ’Ouyang’ was written with a bold and majestic flourish, exuding an air of dominance.
Inside the Central Army Camp, numerous high-ranking officers were gathered.
At the head of the room, Ouyang Xu, clad in a fire-red robe, sat on a wide grand tutor’s chair. His gaze swept over the generals in the tent as he said in a low voice, "The main city’s army of one hundred thousand is expected to arrive today. What suggestions do you have for storming the city?"
"Excellent! With the one-hundred-thousand-strong army arriving, White Cloud will fall any day now!"
"Yes, Grand General! What kind of siege tactics do we even need? We can just crush them head-on!"
"We can finally break through White Cloud’s defenses! Grand General, after the city falls, can we... hehe..."
The many officers in the tent chattered excitedly, their morale soaring.
"This tiny city of White Cloud has cost me over a thousand elite soldiers. How could I possibly let them off easy?" Ouyang Xu’s gaze was ice-cold. "After the city falls, the entire army will be given three days of ’recreation.’ You may plunder as you wish. Any wealth or women seized within the city will be yours to keep. Of course, the main prize is the treasure of over a Million Gold Coins. I am determined to have it, so don’t let that Lord White Cloud escape!"
"Also, more and more people of the martial world have been flocking to White Cloud Mountain recently, and they’re lingering around White Cloud. All of you, stay sharp. Don’t get tripped up and fail at the last second. Once the city falls, lock down the City Lord’s Mansion immediately. Anyone who dares try to snatch the prize will be killed on sight!"
"Haha, of course! Your subordinates will not disappoint you, Grand General!" The officers were all visibly thrilled and excited. Sacking a city had always been the best way for soldiers to get rich. Every time a city was sacked, their personal wealth would skyrocket. Nothing excited them more. After the city fell, each of them would become a ravenous wolf, indulging in slaughter, pleasure, and plunder, ravaging the city to their hearts’ content.
To these officers, sacking a city was a joyous and exhilarating event. However, such an act was also taboo. It would tarnish the army’s reputation and draw criticism and disgust from the outside world. Under normal circumstances, few armies would dare to carry out a full-scale sacking. The fact that Ouyang Xu was determined to do so showed just how much he loathed this city.
This damned, nameless little city was as prickly as a porcupine, a massive headache. Over the past two days, he had launched three or four assaults, yet not only had he failed to achieve any results, but the casualties among Ouyang Xu’s personal elite troops had reached three to four thousand. These ten thousand elites were all his private soldiers. Losing so many at once had Ouyang Xu grinding his teeth in hatred.
"Reporting to the Grand General! According to the latest intelligence, the one-hundred-thousand reinforcements led by General Zhou Yong have already passed Green River Town! They will reach White Cloud Mountain near Phoenix Town in two to three shichen at the latest!"
At that moment, a scout entered the tent, bowed, and delivered his report.
Upon hearing the scout’s report, the eyes of all the officers in the tent lit up. Their expressions grew fervent, as if they were looking at fat, juicy lambs, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of pouncing.
"Mm, understood. You are dismissed." Ouyang Xu nodded, his gaze exceptionally sharp. He looked through the tent’s flap toward the imposing silhouette of White Cloud in the distance and said coldly, "All of you, return to your posts and prepare the troops. The moment the reinforcements arrive, we attack the city!"
...
「At noon」 The scorching sun hung high in the sky, casting down golden rays of light.
Outside White Cloud, banners fluttered. At the four city gates, a hundred thousand soldiers stood in gleaming armor, their Weapons glinting with a soul-shaking cold light under the sun.
The entire city of White Cloud was surrounded so tightly that not even water could pass.
DONG! DONG DONG DONG!
DONG DONG DONG!
"CHARGE!"
The war drums thundered, their earth-shattering beats echoing between the mountains and rivers, creating a deafening roar.
Following the order from the central command camp, the entire army surged forward, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.
Soldiers charged toward the city walls—some carrying large banners, some shouldering siege ladders, some holding their Weapons, and others pushing battering rams.
Killing intent filled the air, and battle cries resounded across the land. The banners fluttering on the battlefield whipped in the wind with a sharp snap, like savage beasts baring their fangs and claws. Siege ladders and heavy battering rams advanced, their wheels rumbling as they rolled across the ground. Not far away, dozens of catapults stood ready to fire. The massive stones loaded in them were as large as a man’s embrace.
As the army attacked, soldiers quickly loaded the catapults. They heaved massive rocks into place, pulled the release rings, and with a burst of tension, the giant stones were launched.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!
The wind howled like thunder with terrifying force. Stone after stone traced long arcs through the sky, whistling toward the walls of White Cloud.
BOOM! BANG BANG BANG!
BANG BANG BANG!
The enormous stones smashed against the walls of White Cloud, splattering many defenders into clouds of gore. Amidst the screams, blood sprayed out, dyeing the ramparts red.
One hundred thousand troops assaulted all four sides of the city. White Cloud’s east, west, south, and north gates were each under frenzied attack by twenty to thirty thousand soldiers. The battle was exceptionally brutal.
This was completely different from the earlier skirmishes. Before, only ten thousand men had attacked the city. Although they were all elite soldiers, their numbers were simply not enough. Ten thousand men were clearly insufficient to assault all four walls. Ouyang Xu had merely concentrated his forces on a single gate, which the defenders inside White Cloud could guard with ease.
But now, the number of attackers had multiplied tenfold. With a hundred thousand soldiers frantically storming all four walls, the small city of White Cloud was like a lone boat in a raging tempest, on the verge of being capsized.
DONG! DONG DONG DONG!
The massive stones from the catapults slammed into the city walls with a series of dull thuds. Any defenders on the walls who couldn’t dodge in time were instantly smashed into pulp.
A rain of arrows whistled through the air as tens of thousands were loosed at once, piercing the sky. The volleys were launched high into the air, only to whistle down like a storm.
Though the hundred-thousand-strong army below attacked ferociously, the defenders on the walls, though few, were no pushovers. They hurled grenade after grenade down into the attackers. Explosions rang out one after another, and thick smoke mixed with shrill, miserable screams.
RAT-TAT-TAT! RAT-TAT-TAT!
In addition to the grenades, machine guns raked the field with crazed fire. Muzzles flashed as bullets screamed out, piercing the bodies of enemy soldiers one after another. Many soldiers had just started climbing the siege ladders when they were struck by bullets. Some were killed instantly. Others screamed as they fell from the ladders.
On the walls and below them, crimson stains spread everywhere. There was blood all over. Severed heads, mangled flesh, and dismembered limbs could be seen at every turn. Shrill screams and furious roars filled the air as both sides, their eyes red with bloodlust, fought in a frenzy. The war was constantly escalating.