"Boom!"
Several rough, hard blue bricks fell from the watchtower, and thick smoke and dust filled the air, looking like snow falling on the sheep and horse wall under the setting sun.
The five-story watchtower is now unrecognizable. The arrow slits that once served as lookouts and for attacking the enemy are now shattered by artillery fire, and no one would dare to hide behind them anymore.
Fifteen minutes ago, everyone above the second floor of the watchtower had already moved down the stairs, because if they didn't leave, they would surely die in the shelling as the building was gradually destroyed.
On the sheep and horse trail, Xiao Hu, still hiding under the wooden curtain, was pale and covered in sweat.
Despite having the city wall behind him and the large, heavy wooden canopy overhead, the small but sturdy space gave him a great sense of security. However, the relentless bombardment since the start of the war only intensified his anxiety and unease.
"It's already late afternoon... and they're still firing shells at us. It's been an hour already, why aren't they charging yet?"
He muttered to himself, knowing that if the enemy charged, he would have to stand up and fight back against the artillery fire, even though he might lose his life in the process.
But the constant bombardment gradually eroded his courage to stand up. He watched helplessly as the towering watchtower crumbled and crumbled, now standing only half its original height.
Moreover, the deep and shallow dents on the outer walls of the remaining two-story building are even more frightening, with cracks gradually spreading, like a poisonous spider weaving an ever-growing web.
"Stay calm."
"It's already late afternoon. They've been bombarding us for an hour. They should... be deploying their attacking forces soon."
Xiao Hu turned to look at Brother Zhang, who was eight years older than him. The dust on Brother Zhang's face was stuck together with sweat, like a martial arts actor with powder on stage. At this moment, no expression could be seen, but his posture was no longer as relaxed as before. Xiao Hu could see that his back was very tense.
Xiao Hu lowered his head and let out a hoarse voice from his dry throat:
"How many shells did they bring? If they keep bombarding like this..."
"snort."
Brother Zhang snorted heavily, exhaling two puffs of smoke from his nostrils. He rubbed his nose and said in a muffled voice:
"Who knows? Nanze is our last line of defense. Now the entire Dagan is almost in the hands of the rebels. They will definitely attack this last city with all their might."
At this point, Brother Zhang raised his face and looked out from the edge of the wooden plank. The sun was gradually setting in the west, and the crimson light was reflected on the sheep and horse wall. He blinked, and as his gaze gradually fell, he saw that a striking deep red had been splashed on the battlements opposite.
That was blood splattered from the bodies of fallen comrades who had been grazed by stray bullets.
The shells were still flying through the air, and the vibrations behind them never stopped. The sentry on lookout at the arrow slit had retreated to the back. Although the arrow slit was not large, there was still a chance of being hit by a stray bullet.
The lessons learned from the deaths serve as a wake-up call, and the relentless bombing over the past hour has left everyone feeling dejected.
"Only a little over an hour? Why does it feel like they've been shooting for ages? My ears are about to go deaf." Xiao Hu's mouth was slightly open, his eyes staring blankly at the battlements opposite him. He felt as if time was dragging on forever.
Brother Zhang turned his head and glanced at him, smacking his lips as he said:
"Just bear with it a little longer."
"In about half an hour, the sun will set, and they should be launching their attack before nightfall."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Hu moved his lips and murmured, "Half an hour, huh?"
Thinking that he would have to get up and fight back in half an hour, the glimmer of expectation he had felt earlier slowly dissipated. After all, he had seen the horrific sight of people being hit by artillery shells several times. From a dozen meters away, Xiao Hu had seen the dead bodies of people hit by stray bullets.
Thinking of that terrifying sight, he gripped the bow and arrows in his hand tightly, the bow arm already warm from his grip, but not a single arrow had been fired from the quiver on his back.
"Brother Zhang, I'd like to ask, aren't the matchlock guns those guys from the Divine Machine Battalion much better than our bows and arrows?" Xiao Hu asked casually, as if only talking more could dispel the fear in his heart.
"I don't think so. That thing doesn't have a long range and isn't very accurate. But the biggest problem is that they have to reload after firing a shot, which takes too much time."
"We can't expect the enemy to just stand there obediently and wait for us to shoot them, can we?" Brother Zhang chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"Didn't you see? The reason we didn't station musketeers on these ramparts is because they're ineffective. They're much better suited to the inner and outer barbicans and the main city walls. If..."
He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "If the enemy forces break through the sheep and horse wall and enter the city, those musketeers will be able to play their role."
"However, the sheep and horse wall...they can't break through it..."
The words had barely left his mouth.
A loud crash!
Xiao Hu's pupils contracted, and his body jolted violently. He hurriedly looked up and saw the wooden curtain, supported by thick wooden stakes, shaking violently!
It's unclear whether it was a cannonball or a brick from the battlements that hit it.
“Zhang…Brother Zhang…” Xiao Hu’s jaw clenched.
"It's okay, I can hold on." Brother Zhang held his breath, then turned his head and shouted loudly to the left:
"Qian Zheng, have they launched their attack?"
"No!!" the sentry hiding behind the arrow slit shouted back. The sound of the cannonballs was so loud that it was impossible to hear unless one shouted.
"Boom!"
Another loud bang rang out, and Brother Zhang's expression changed. He turned his head sharply to look to his right, where the second floor of the watchtower closest to him collapsed with a crash. At the same time, screams and roars filled the air.
Then he saw a large group of people running out from the first floor of the watchtower, all of them looking panicked, and several of them carrying heavy cannons.
He finally couldn't resist tiptoeing slightly, trying to get himself under the wooden curtain so he could see as far as possible.
"Brother Zhang, don't stand up!" Xiao Hu nervously reached out and tugged at his clothes.
"It's alright, I know what I'm doing." Brother Zhang replied in a low voice, glanced quickly outside, and then hurriedly squatted down, but his face turned completely white in an instant.
"Wh...how is it?" Looking at his face, Xiao Hu stammered.
Brother Zhang remained silent, only pursing his pale lips and shaking his head.
What I saw in that fleeting glance was that several watchtowers had been damaged to varying degrees, and at least it seemed that they could no longer be used. The arrow towers in sight were almost completely destroyed.
Upon hearing the cannon fire again, he finally realized that something was different.
The bombardment from outside the city not only continued but intensified.
They seem to have added more artillery fire!
Looking up at the trembling wooden curtain, Brother Zhang finally managed to utter a few words through clenched teeth:
"Xiao Hu, stay close to the wall. I'm afraid Yangma City might not be able to hold out."
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