Chapter 907
Shield Formation!
Over the next few days, the fortifications became increasingly stringent. The moat was completely dug, and three stone bridges were built across it. Arrow towers, riddled with arrow slits, were erected at the bridgeheads. Bamboo spikes were stuck into the moat like hedgehogs, their venomous tips gleaming blue in the sunlight. Inside the city walls, rows of makeshift crenellations were erected, behind which were piles of stone projectiles and oil drums filled with refined kerosene, enough to burn three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high.
Zheng Yi patrolled the area daily, sometimes on the city wall, sometimes by the river, and sometimes at the drill ground. Once, during a test launch of the catapult, a stone projectile missed its target and struck a house near a field. The house was inhabited by newly arrived refugees, and the entire family screamed in terror. Zheng Yi flashed forward, his golden flames transforming into a giant hand that caught the stone projectile mid-air and gently placed it back into the pit.
"Adjust the arm angle by two points," he told the craftsman. "Clear the area before the next test firing."
The refugee family knelt down to express their gratitude, but Zheng Yi simply waved his hand and said, "Get up. If the house is damaged, ask Guo Tianyou to rebuild it. If you live here, you have to take good care of it."
On another occasion, when Master Kulian was setting up the array on the wall, the array flags suddenly malfunctioned, and a burst of fire backfired, almost burning Master Kulian's beard. Zheng Yi arrived in time and used his Purple-Gold Sword Intent to suppress the array's core, instantly extinguishing the fire. He inspected the array flags and discovered that the flagpoles were made of inferior bamboo, infested with worms.
"Replace the black iron rod." He said calmly, "Array formations are not child's play. The slightest mistake will lead to the fall of the city and the death of its inhabitants."
Master Kulian wiped his sweat and thanked him repeatedly. His disciples quickly replaced the poles, and the array patterns lit up again, this time as stable as a rock.
The children at the orphanage weren't idle either. Xiao Liu and Xiao Shitou, along with a group of little ones, carried a cart every day to transport sandbags, piling them up inside the city wall to form temporary shelters. Xiao Liu, covered in sweat, still shouted, "Sir, we carried fifty bags today! Enough to shield us from arrows!"
As Zheng Yi passed by, he patted his head and said, "That's enough. But don't push yourself. Take a break when you're tired. Protecting the city isn't a one-person job."
Little Stone polished the shield, making it shine brighter and brighter: "Sir, we also made small shields for our younger siblings to play with. During the drills, they pushed them quite well."
The atmosphere in the city grew more tense each day, yet also more unified. Innkeepers and restaurant owners brought hot meals, women sewed quivers through the night, and elders taught new recruits how to bandage their wounds. Zheng Yi occasionally rested in a side room, where the sound of hammering continued outside the window, and the flames of the charcoal brazier flickered, as if responding to something.
One night, an urgent report came from the mine that the lower iron vein had suddenly burst into flames, burning more than a dozen craftsmen. Zheng Yi rushed there overnight, extinguished the fire with golden flames, and then set up an ice-sealing array on the fire vein, instantly suppressing the flames. The foreman knelt down: "Sir, you saved our lives."
Zheng Yi helped him up: "Your life is your own. Before you dig in the future, check the fire vein first. If you do a good job, the city will be stable."
The workers were even more motivated, and stones were continuously transported back. The city wall was raised by half a foot, and all the catapults were assembled. The arms of the machines looked like the bared fangs of a giant beast under the moonlight.
Along the moat, barbed wire and bamboo spikes were laid out. Zhao Sanhuai led his men to test the traps, and a wild boar stumbled in and was instantly riddled with spikes. He returned and reported, "Sir, the traps are working! When the beast tide comes, the first to fall will be caught."
Zheng Yi nodded: "Add two more tripwires, with bells hanging on them. One ring will sound an alarm."
The troubles gradually subsided, while the fortifications became increasingly complete. Arrow towers were built, with wind chimes hanging atop them, their tinkling sounds like whispered warnings. In the basement, the children slept soundly, the scent of mugwort filling the room. On the city walls, sentries changed shifts every two hours, their eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
Zheng Yi stood at the highest point, the night wind howling, making the red silk flutter. He looked towards the Blackwater River; the purple light was still flashing, but the city was now as solid as an iron fortress. Guo Tianyou, Zhao Sanhuai, Iron One-Eyed, Han Wuhen, and Kulian Zhenren came up one after another and stood behind him.
"Sir, the construction is almost complete," Guo Tianyou said in a low voice.
Zhao Sanhuai clenched his fist: "We're just waiting for the beast tide."
Iron One-Eyed spat out the grass stalk: "My men are ready to go anytime."
Han Wuhen smiled but was serious: "The Han family's granaries are full."
Master Kulian stroked his beard: "The elixirs are enough for three months."
Zheng Yi didn't turn around, but just looked at the night: "Then let's continue. No matter how solid the wall, how strong the formation, or how complete the team, if trouble comes again, we'll continue to solve it."
At four in the morning, the air in Hongyun City was as cold as frozen iron, stinging the face. The torches on the city wall were blown sideways by the wind, their flames flickering listlessly. Zheng Yi stood on the watchtower in the center of the north city wall, his old fox fur coat draped over his gray cotton robe, his hands resting on the cold, black rock crenellations. In the distance, the black pine forest resembled an impenetrable mass of ink, from which occasionally a broken wolf howl could be heard.
"Sir, have some hot water." Zhao Sanhuai came up carrying a steaming copper kettle, his boots creaking as they stepped onto the newly laid non-slip mat. He poured a bowl of ginger soup and handed it to Zheng Yi, his hands still trembling slightly. "The scouts on the Blackwater River just sent a signal, and Ziguang went down, but the water level has risen by half a foot. It's strange, and it hasn't rained yet."
Zheng Yi took the bowl, his fingertips touching the warmth of the rough porcelain rim, his gaze still fixed on the edge of the forest: "The rising water is the Spiny-backed Dragon breathing. They are testing our Water Mirror Talisman and Water Stabilizing Talisman. Sanhuai, go and double the amount of charcoal in the braziers under the city wall, so that the brothers guarding the city don't get their hands frozen. If their hands are frozen, they won't be able to pull the crossbow."
"I'm going right now. Boss Tie was just cursing, saying that even birds are freezing to death in this awful weather, so what's the point of fighting a beast tide?" Zhao Sanhuai chuckled and turned to run towards the horse track.
A short while later, Guo Tianyou also came up, followed by several men carrying large baskets. The baskets were filled with freshly steamed white flour buns, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the cold wind made the surrounding soldiers unconsciously swallow.
"Sir, still no movement?" Guo Tianyou put his hands in his sleeves and looked around. "I have a really bad feeling about this. Last night, those little brats at the orphanage were making a huge fuss. Xiao Liu insisted that he heard a big bug crawling on the ground."
Zheng Yi took a sip of ginger soup, the spicy taste going down his throat and bringing a warm feeling: "Xiao Liu's intuition is right. That's the earth's veins moving. Tianyou, have your men check those spare winches at the base of the city wall again. If there are too many monsters hitting the wall later, the rock-solidifying nails need to be driven in at any time."
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on things myself in a bit.” As Guo Tianyou was speaking, the black pine forest in the distance suddenly erupted as if a pot had been boiled over, with large swaths of snow being shaken off the treetops, creating a white expanse that rose up in the morning light.
"Clang—clang—clang—"
The alarm bell on the city wall suddenly rang out, three short blasts—the signal for an enemy attack. Soldiers who had been dozing against the battlements were jolted awake, the crisp sound of clashing armor echoing across the city wall.
"Here they come!" Iron One-Eye shouted at the top of his lungs, leaping up from the horse track, a black iron rod in his hand. "You little bastards, open your eyes wide! Look carefully before you shoot, and anyone who wastes an arrow will get a good beating when I get back!"
A series of gray shadows darted out of the forest, moving with incredible speed and leaving long tracks in the snow. They were Green-backed wolves, third-tier demonic beasts. The lead silver-backed wolf was as big as a small donkey, its eyes glowing green.
"Sir, this first wave doesn't look too tough, just a few hundred wolves." Guo Tianyou squinted as he looked at the catapult, his hand already on the trigger.
Zheng Yi shook his head: "This is for reconnaissance. Tell the catapults not to move yet; they're for hitting big guys. Tell the archers to let them get close before firing, and to use regular arrows for the first wave, not spirit arrows."
Zhao Sanhuai stood on the wall and suddenly waved down a red flag: "Ready—fire!"
Arrows rained down from the city walls with a buzzing sound, like a swarm of black bees. The first few dozen blue-backed wolves were instantly riddled with arrows, their howls shattering the silence of dawn. But the pack behind them did not slow down at all, continuing their frenzied charge over the corpses of their own kind.
"Bang!" The first wolf crashed into the edge of the first pit outside the moat. A thin layer of dry grass covered the pit, and with a push from its paw, the entire layer of soil collapsed instantly. More than a dozen wolves fell into the pit, which was ten feet deep, and the dense array of poisoned bamboo spikes below pierced their bellies in an instant.
"Hey, that's spot on!" Iron One-Eye laughed from the top of the wall. "This trap was worth it! Let's dig a few more, jump over here!"
The wolf pack's advance slowed slightly after being momentarily halted by the pitfall. But then, a deep roar echoed from the forest, the sound shaking the dust and grime off the city walls. The wolves, as if possessed, began to pile up in twos and threes, trying to carve out a path.
"Sir, they want to cross the river!" Zhao Sanhuai said urgently.
"Have Iron One-Eyed lead a team to throw the oil barrels down," Zheng Yi calmly ordered. "Don't light them. Wait until they jump into the river."
Iron One-Eyed had been itching to act. With a wave of his hand, several burly men lifted the black oil drums and slammed them down against the city wall. The drums shattered upon impact with the black rocks, and the pungent black oil flowed down the wall into the moat, spreading a thin film of oil on the water's surface.
The wolf pack had already reached the moat. Several burly blue-backed wolves leaped, trying to jump across the river. But the riverbed was full of caltrops, and as soon as they landed, they let out a scream and became stuck in the mud, unable to move.
"Ignite it!" Zheng Yi ordered.
Several flaming meteor arrows streaked across the sky and landed in the moat with a "plop".
"boom!"
Dark red flames shot into the sky, spreading like a fire dragon along the river. The smell of burning food instantly filled the air, and the burning green-backed wolves darted around in all directions, their screams sending chills down one's spine.
“Sir, this kerosene is really potent,” Guo Tianyou exclaimed. “What did that old man, Master Kulian, add to it? This reddish-brown color is abnormal.”
"They added saltpeter and cinnabar." Zheng Yi looked at the sea of fire below. "It can burn through the hide of a third-tier demon beast."
Just as the battle began below the city walls, commotion arose from the Blackwater River. Suddenly, huge swells appeared on the previously calm surface of the water, and with a splash, several enormous, spiky-backed dragons with barbs on their backs emerged. They spewed purple poisonous mist from their mouths, which spread along the current towards the city walls.
"The Water Mirror Talisman has taken effect!" On the east side of the city wall, Master Kulian shouted in a hoarse voice. The jade plate in his hand shot out a beam of azure light, which erected a thin water curtain at the base of the city wall, blocking the purple mist outside.
"Real man, can you hold on?" Zheng Yi flashed and was already on the east wall.
Master Kulian was covered in sweat, clutching several mid-grade spirit stones in his hand, and kept stuffing them into the array's eye: "Sir, these thorny dragons are spewing poison, and their spiritual energy is being depleted quickly! They're trying to corrode the foundation stones of the city wall!"
Zheng Yi looked down and saw several thorny dragons violently slapping the water with their thick tails, stirring up waves several feet high. The waves crashed against the city wall with muffled "bang" sounds.
"Zhao Sanhuai, bring the water-fixing crossbow over here!" Zheng Yi shouted.
Two heavy crossbows were pushed to the edge of the ramparts. The shafts of the crossbows were as thick as an arm, and the tips were engraved with spiral blue patterns.
"Aim at that one with horns!" Zheng Yi pointed to an exceptionally large spiny-backed dragon in the water. "Shoot!"
"Whoosh—Bang!"
Two water-fixing crossbows shot through the air, leaving a trail of azure blue. The arrows were incredibly powerful, piercing through the waves and embedding themselves firmly in the back of a thorny-backed dragon. The beast struggled violently, its purple blood instantly staining the river red.
"Good! We hit it!" the soldiers cheered.
But before the cheers could subside, the sky suddenly darkened. A piercing scream came from the direction of Broken Sword Valley, and a large, dark mass of shadows was rapidly moving towards Hongyun City.
"It's the Rock Eagle and the Fire Raven!" Guo Tianyou's expression changed. "How come these beasts came out on the first day?"
Zheng Yi looked up and saw that there were at least a thousand flying beasts, and the sound of their wings flapping was like muffled thunder.
"Shield formation! Raise your shields!" Zheng Yi's voice pierced through the clamor.
The new recruits training in the drill ground quickly ran up the city wall, each pair carrying a huge wooden shield with freshly polished copper plating on the surface.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Countless fire crows swooped down, crashing into the shields and exploding into tiny sparks. A recruit stumbled from the impact, his shield tilting slightly, and a rock eagle seized the opportunity to swoop down, its sharp talons about to grab his shoulder.
"Get out of my way!" Iron One-Eye suddenly appeared, his iron rod sweeping across the area and smashing the rock eagle into pieces. "You little brat, hold on tight! That's your life!"
Looking at the birds flying all over the sky, Zheng Yi said to Zhao Sanhuai, "Change the catapults to loose ammunition, and mix quicklime and fire extinguishing talismans into the projectiles."
"Order!"
Six catapults behind the city wall simultaneously sprang into action, their arms snapping upwards. Dozens of stone balls wrapped in talismans flew into the air, exploding with a deafening roar at their highest point. Large amounts of quicklime dispersed like white mist, mixing with the icy spiritual energy of the fire-extinguishing talismans, instantly extinguishing the flames on the fire crows, which then fell to the ground like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
"This method is brilliant!" Han Wuhen exclaimed, slapping his thigh as he watched from the side of the horse track. "Sir, this quicklime is from my family's warehouse. I never thought it could be used like this."
"Anything can be used as long as it can hold them off." Zheng Yi turned to look at Guo Tianyou. "How's the gathering of refugees from the south going?"
"They've all moved into the dormitory building. The elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled are in the basement, while the able-bodied men are all in the logistics team transporting stones," Guo Tianyou replied. "The batch of grain that the Liu family sent has also been distributed, and everyone's mood is relatively stable."
The battle raged from dawn until noon. The Green-backed Wolves beneath the city walls, leaving behind hundreds of corpses, finally began to slowly retreat. Several of the Thorn-backed Dragons in the Blackwater River were wounded by the water-fixing crossbows and dived into the deep water, never to resurface. The birds of prey suffered even greater losses; the remaining few hundred circled in the distance, too afraid to approach. (End of Chapter)