Chapter 908
Heating the Wine
"They've retreated? They've retreated just like that?" Iron One-Eye leaned on his iron rod, wiping the blood from his face—it was splattered wolf blood. He spat, "I haven't had my fill of fighting yet. This beast tide isn't as fierce as the rumors say."
"Don't be careless." Zheng Yi withdrew his purple-gold sword intent, his expression slightly solemn. "This is only the first wave, and also the weakest. They are testing the strength of our fortifications. Take a look at the base of the city wall."
Iron One-Eyed peered down and gasped. The once smooth base of the Black Rock City Wall was riddled with shallow pits from the venom of the Thorn-Backed Dragon, and the soil along the moat was a complete mess.
"Guo Tianyou, take some men down to inspect the foundation stones," Zheng Yi instructed. "Refill the damaged areas with glutinous rice mortar mixed with black rock powder, and then apply another coat of anti-corrosion paint."
"Alright, I'll take the men down right away." Guo Tianyou called to the craftsmen as they slid down the suspended basket.
The soldiers on the city wall breathed a sigh of relief, some of them collapsing to the ground, panting heavily.
"Zhao Sanhuai, tally the casualties." Zheng Yi walked through the crowd, looking at the young faces.
Zhao Sanhuai ran around with a notebook and returned to report: "Sir, there are forty-three minor injuries, mostly from having their hair singed by fire crows or being cut by shrapnel from stone projectiles. There are two serious injuries, who broke their ribs when the shield formation lost its footing. No one died."
"Send the wounded to the temporary clinic at the side gate of the welfare home, and have Master Kulian distribute the Rejuvenation Pills." Zheng Yi nodded. "Also, have the kitchen cook two pots of ginger and mutton soup for the brothers on the city wall, with plenty of pepper to dispel the cold."
"Great! We've won this battle, even the mutton tastes delicious!" The soldiers cheered softly.
Zheng Yi walked to a corner of the city wall and saw that Xiao Liu and Xiao Shitou had run up there at some point, and the two of them were struggling to carry a box of arrows.
"Didn't I tell you to stay in the basement?" Zheng Yi squatted down, looking at Xiao Liu, whose face was covered in dust.
Xiao Liu puffed out his little chest, clutching a bloodstained rock eagle feather in his hand: "Sir, we want to help. I can help Uncle Zhao clean his arrow shafts really fast!"
Little Stone nodded vigorously beside him: "I even helped carry the stretcher, and that uncle said I was a little hero."
Zheng Yi looked at the two children, remained silent for a moment, then reached out and patted their heads: "Even heroes need to fill their stomachs first. Follow Zhao Sanhuai to get mutton, one bowl each, and don't leave any."
"Aww—time for mutton!" The two little ones cheered and ran towards the kitchen.
The afternoon sun was not warm, casting a bleak light on the smoke-filled battlefield. Han Wuhen walked over with his hands behind his back, looked at the still deep black pine forest in the distance, and asked worriedly, "Sir, is the first day over already? According to past practice, this isn't even an appetizer, is it?"
Zheng Yi leaned against the city wall, watching the withered lotus cultivator repairing the array patterns: "This is just the beginning. Once they realize our city walls are high and our array is strong, they might not charge in so forcefully tomorrow. The Flame Lions over at Broken Sword Valley haven't moved yet, and there are definitely higher-level creatures watching from the depths of the Black Pine Forest."
"So what's our next step?" Iron One-Eye asked, leaning closer. "Just keep guarding like this?"
“We need to adapt even when we’re defending.” Zheng Yi pointed to the pit outside the city. “The oil is all gone. Tomorrow, set those thorn bushes on fire. Sanhuai, take some men to check the upper reaches of the Blackwater River. I have a feeling that the crack is still widening. If the Thornback Dragon really wants to break through the city, it won’t be as simple as just spewing some poisonous mist.”
Zhao Sanhuai nodded: "I'll take some men and go by small boat right now. This time I'll bring the Water Mirror Talisman."
"Be careful, don't fight head-on," Zheng Yi cautioned.
By dusk, the cleanup work under the city wall was basically complete. The dead wolf's carcass was skinned, the meat was stored in the ice cellar as food, and the wolf's teeth and claws were sent to the blacksmith's shop to be melted down and made into new arrowheads. Master Kulian was so exhausted that he could hardly straighten his back. He slumped on a bamboo chair at the entrance of the alchemy room, shaking an empty medicine bottle in his hand.
"Sir, the Rejuvenation Pills are being used up faster than I expected." The Master smiled wryly. "Those greenhorns cry out in pain as soon as they get scratched by the fire crows, so I have to give each of them one."
Zheng Yi handed him a small bag of mid-grade spirit stones: "You've worked hard. Tomorrow might be even more strenuous. Have your disciples refine more Mind-Clearing Talismans, as I'm worried there might be illusion-type demonic beasts later on."
"I know. The Liu family sent another batch of herbs, and they look quite good. I started the furnace overnight." Master Kulian forced himself to stand up.
As night fell, lights began to twinkle in Hongyun City. Compared to its usual bustling atmosphere, the city was unusually quiet tonight. Low voices drifted from the dormitory buildings, while in the basement of the orphanage, children gradually drifted off to sleep, lulled by the aroma of calming incense.
Zheng Yi remained standing atop the north city wall, the moonlight casting an extremely long shadow over him.
"Sir, aren't you going to rest?" Guo Tianyou walked over wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and handed Zheng Yi a hot roasted sweet potato. "It's hot, I just dug it out of the stove."
Zheng Yi peeled open a sweet potato, steaming hot inside: "Can't sleep. Tianyou, where do you think they'll mainly attack tomorrow?"
Guo Tianyou took a bite of sweet potato and mumbled, "If it were me, I would go around to the west side of the Black Pine Forest. The terrain there is flat and there is no moat. But we buried three thousand iron caltrops there. If they dare to come, their feet will be pierced to pieces."
"I'm afraid they won't stay in the local area." Zheng Yi looked at the Blackwater River in the distance, where a faint purple light had reappeared, and it was even brighter than yesterday. "Look over there, the Thornbacked Dragon is gathering its strength."
"Then should I move those two catapults to the east side tomorrow?" Guo Tianyou asked.
"Don't move yet. The main gate is to the north, and Yan Shi is most likely to charge from there," Zheng Yi instructed. "Have Iron One-Eye lead a team down the city wall tomorrow and set up a counter-attack formation behind the first moat. If we keep guarding the wall, our soldiers will become weak."
“Great, the railway boss must be overjoyed. He’s been looking for a place to practice his skills.”
As the two were talking, a muffled explosion suddenly came from the other side of the Blackwater River, as if something had exploded underwater.
"Sir! Look!" Zhao Sanhuai leaned out from the watchtower and pointed upstream.
A purplish-red beam of light shot into the sky, illuminating most of the riverbed for only a moment. The river water churned as if it were boiling, and countless dead fish floated belly-up on the ground.
“That’s the Thornback Dragon performing a blood sacrifice.” Zheng Yi’s eyes turned cold. “It seems the Blackwater River will be the main battlefield tomorrow. Sanhuai, pass down the order: the entire city is on high alert. Have Elder Liu lead people to activate the defensive formations in the west city as well. Don’t be stingy with spirit stones.”
"Yes!"
That night, no one in Hongyun City slept soundly. Torches on the city walls were replaced time and again, and the hammers of the craftsmen pounded until the wee hours. Zheng Yi patrolled back and forth on the horse track, gently waking every dozing soldier.
"Wake up, brother. If you fall asleep, you might not wake up again." Zheng Yi's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable force.
The new recruit, Xiao Liu, huddled behind his shield, rubbing his eyes. "Sir, will there be more monsters tomorrow than today?"
Zheng Yi looked at the new recruit who shared the same name as Xiao Liu from the orphanage and smiled: "More, but our shields are thicker now, aren't they? You did a good job pushing the shield today." Xiao Liu chuckled and hugged the shield tightly in his hand: "My mom's in the basement, I definitely won't let those beasts break in."
Dawn quietly descended once more, and the fog in the black pine forest grew even thicker, so thick that even the light of torches could not penetrate it. A suffocating silence permeated the air, broken only occasionally by the cracking sound of the remaining wood in the moat.
"They're here," Zheng Yi muttered to himself.
This time, there were no wolf howls, no screams. Only dense, heavy footsteps slowly pressed in from all directions. In the black mist, pairs of scarlet eyes shone like stars.
"Sir, underground..." Guo Tianyou suddenly lay down on the ground, his ear pressed against the bluestone slab, his face pale, "There's a huge noise underground, like thousands of snakes crawling!"
Zheng Yi slammed his right hand down on the purple-gold sword sheath, and a dazzling purple light shot into the sky, directly dispelling the fog that stretched for hundreds of feet in front of the city wall.
As the black mist dissipated, countless black earth dragons burst forth from the ground. Each one was as thick as an adult's waist, and their bodies were covered in hard stone scales. Behind these earth dragons, dozens of fire lions, each over ten feet tall at the shoulder, were approaching step by step, riding on flames.
"This is what a beast tide should be like." Iron One-Eye licked his lips, his palms sweaty. "Awesome, fucking awesome!"
"Catapults, load them all! Soak the stones in fire oil and add explosive talismans!" Zheng Yi waved his hand sharply. "Iron One-Eyed, take your shield formation down the city wall! Engage the enemy at the trench!"
"Let's go! Brothers, let's show these beasts the men of Hongyun City!" Iron One-Eye roared as he dismounted, followed by hundreds of men wielding heavy shields and axes.
The city gates creaked open, and a group of people rushed out against the morning light.
The first day's defense was relatively easy, but that was based on thorough preparation and Zheng Yi's precise command. The real brutality was just beginning.
The water level of the Blackwater River rose sharply again, almost submerging the first defensive platform. The withered lotus immortal frantically formed hand seals on the wall; the blue light of the jade disc had turned deep blue and was trembling slightly.
"Stop the water!" Zheng Yi leaped up, hovering in mid-air, and pointed a finger at the river surface.
Golden flames surged like a dragon plunging into the water, instantly calming the boiling river. At the same time, six catapults behind the city wall roared in unison, sending flaming projectiles trailing long contrails through the air before slamming into the advancing group of fire lions.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Flames erupted instantly, accompanied by the roars of monstrous beasts. Earth dragons burrowed, fire lions roared, and soldiers shouted.
"Sir, there's movement in the west of the city too!" Zhao Sanhuai shouted from the top of the wall.
Zheng Yi didn't even turn his head: "Have Elder Liu's men hold the line! Enough arrows, enough spirit stones! Tell everyone, if we hold the line today, we'll get double the meat tonight!"
The fierce battle erupted again, and this time, the stench of blood in the air was ten times stronger than yesterday. Guo Tianyou directed the craftsmen to continuously reinforce the damaged cracks with rock nails, sweat mixed with dust obscuring his eyes.
"Quick! Here! The earthworm has drilled an opening!" he roared, swinging his hammer and smashing it down.
Xiao Liu, who was transporting supplies from the rear, saw Zheng Yi's back suspended in the air and clenched her little hands tightly.
"Sir, you can do it," he whispered to himself, then picked up a bundle of arrows and ran desperately toward the top of the east wall.
The roar of the beast tide grew louder and louder, but every brick, every shield, and every person in Hongyun City was like an iron nail embedded in the ground, firmly nailed to the spot no matter how strong the wind and waves were.
"We held out on the first day, and the second day was no different!" Iron One-Eye cleaved the head of a ground dragon in front of the trench with an axe, laughing with his face covered in blood.
Zheng Yi gazed at the hordes of monsters covering the mountains, his eyes remaining as calm as still water. He knew this was only the beginning, but the city behind him was no longer the desolate place it once was, a place at the mercy of others.
"Continue engaging the enemy." He gave the order calmly, and golden flames bloomed again in his palm, illuminating the dawn of the entire battlefield.
The battle raged on, with monsters falling and soldiers wounded every second. But the defense system, like a precise machine, operated flawlessly under Zheng Yi's control. The food supplies brought by Han Wuhen were transformed into hot meals at the rear, and the elixirs of the withered lotus immortal brought life back to the wounded.
"Sir, the eastern foundation stone is stable!" Guo Tianyou ran up to report with a beaming smile.
"The earth dragons in the north have retreated!" Zhao Sanhuai shouted.
Zheng Yi nodded, his gaze fixed on the deepest part of the black pine forest. There, a pair of even larger, purple eyes were slowly opening.
"Come on," he murmured, the purple-gold sword intent humming slightly, as if responding to its master's fighting spirit.
The battle raged until late into the night, with Hongyun City standing firm amidst the flames and roars. The first, second, and third probing attacks were all smashed to pieces beneath the city walls. When the last Flame Lion, covered in wounds, retreated back into the mist, the entire city erupted in a deafening cheer.
"We held on! We held on again!"
Zheng Yi descended the city wall, his boots caked with thick layers of blood and mud. He looked at the cheering soldiers, at the exhausted but excited Guo Tianyou and Iron One-Eyed, but felt no relief. He knew this was only the first day of the beast tide; a much stronger storm was yet to come. But at least for now, the city's lights had been preserved.
"Go and warm up some wine for the brothers," Zheng Yi said to Zhao Sanhuai. "One bowl for each person, and no one is allowed to drink too much. We'll have to keep fighting as soon as it's light tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!"
The lights flickered in the wind, and the fortifications of Hongyun City appeared particularly heavy in the night, like a sleeping steel behemoth, waiting for the next dawn.
At dawn, before the smoke of battle had even cleared, Zheng Yi stood atop the city wall once more. The distant black pine forest remained deep and secluded, but at this moment, he knew that this city had gained a soul.
"Keep reinforcing it, don't stop," he said softly, looking at Xiao Liu who was repairing the shield.
This protracted battle has only just begun.
Below the city walls, Iron One-Eyed was leading men to skin a lion, preparing to procure fire-resistant vests for each member of the city's defense force. Guo Tianyou was directing men to replace the damaged catapult parts. Inside the alchemist's room, the aroma of medicinal herbs grew even stronger. (End of Chapter)