Led by Night Owl, the "Night Owl Squad" approached Jianmen Pass silently, like ghosts in the night.
Each team member gripped their weapon tightly, their eyes sharp, ready to pounce.
Meanwhile, at Jianmen Pass.
Li Kui was leading a small team, crouching low and lying in ambush at the foot of the city wall.
They carried heavy bundles filled with Lu Yan's specially made "Thunderclap Bombs".
Their clothes were soaked with sweat, but no one made a sound.
Everyone held their breath, as if they had become one with the night.
"Damn, this thing is really heavy!"
Li Kui muttered to himself, feeling like his back was about to break.
A teammate next to him also whispered in agreement:
"Brother Kui, do you think this 'Thunderclap' is really as powerful as the adults say?"
Li Kui grinned, revealing a set of big white teeth:
"Of course! Don't you think this is something our elders put together? How could it be bad?"
"Just you wait and see, I guarantee these bastards from Beixiang Kingdom will be blown to bits!"
As dawn broke in the east, the sky began to lighten with a pale, fish-belly white.
Just then, Night Owl gave the order.
The Night Owl Squad dropped "Thunderbolts" one by one from the hot air balloon.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A deafening explosion instantly echoed through the valley, flames shot into the sky, and chaos erupted at Jianmen Pass.
The garrison soldiers were awakened from their sleep.
Before they could even react to what was happening, they were thrown off balance by the sudden explosion.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
Terrified screams rose and fell as the defenders fled in panic, like headless flies.
Just then, a loud bang came from below Jianmen Pass.
Li Kui detonated the gunpowder buried under the city gate, shattering the heavy gate and sending wood chips and stones flying everywhere.
"Kill them!"
Lu Yan led the main force, surging into Jianmen Pass like a tidal wave.
The battle cries were deafening, and the soldiers of Shannan County were like tigers descending the mountain, unstoppable.
The general guarding the Northern Xiang Kingdom was awakened from his sleep by the sound of the explosion.
He rushed out of the tent, disheveled, and was stunned by the chaotic scene before him.
"What happened? What's going on?"
He roared, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the deafening shouts of battle.
Lu Yan rode a tall horse, holding a long spear, and charged into battle.
He was like a god of death; wherever he went, the soldiers of Beixiang fell one after another.
"Fire! Fire!"
At Lu Yan's command, the cannons and catapults that had been prepared beforehand began to unleash their power.
Cannonballs and boulders roared out, crashing into the defenders of Beixiang Kingdom, instantly sending flesh and blood flying.
"Ah! My leg!"
"Help!"
Screams filled the air as the defenders of Beixiang suffered heavy casualties and were routed.
"Ah! My leg!"
A soldier from the Northern Xiang Kingdom was writhing on the ground, howling in agony, clutching his bloodied thigh.
The sounds of explosions, screams, and shouts of killing mingled together, creating a scene resembling a living hell.
Zhang Xun took the lead, his long sword flashing up and down.
Like a bloodthirsty dragon, it rampaged through the enemy ranks.
He cleaved open the chest of a Beixiang soldier with a single stroke.
Blood splattered on his face, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying.
"Damn it! You scum from Beixiang Kingdom, I'll send you all to the Western Paradise!"
Zhang Xun roared and swung his sword at another enemy.
Lu Fei, on the other hand, was like a fierce cheetah, agile and nimble, moving freely among the enemy troops.
The musket in his hand moved like a viper's tongue, each strike accurately piercing the enemy's vitals.
He sneered as he watched his enemies fall one by one, his eyes devoid of any pity.
Kill! Leave no one alive!
Han Sheng, on the other hand, fought steadily and skillfully, wielding his broadsword with great force.
Each swing of the sword brought forth a storm of blood and gore.
He stood like a majestic mountain, firmly protecting the soldiers behind him and repelling the enemy's frenzied attacks.
"Brothers, hold on! Victory is just around the corner!"
The three men were like three sharp knives, piercing deep into the camp of the Northern Xiang Kingdom's defenders and tearing their defenses to shreds.
The soldiers in Shannan County were in high spirits, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
They charged madly at the enemy, slaughtering them as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
The general guarding the Northern Xiang Kingdom stood disheveled in the center of the chaotic battlefield.
Looking at his routed soldiers, his face was as pale as paper.
He never expected that the army in Shannan County would be so brave and launch such a rapid offensive.
He had thought Jianmen Pass was impregnable, but he never expected it to be so easily defeated.
"Useless! You're all a bunch of useless trash!"
He screamed hysterically, but to no avail.
Fear surged through him like a tidal wave. He realized that all was lost and turned to run away.
However, before he could run a few steps, a sharp arrow came flying through the air and struck him precisely in the back.
He screamed and collapsed to the ground, never to rise again.
The figure of the owl slowly emerged from the darkness.
He glanced coldly at the fallen general of Beixiang, then turned and disappeared into the night.
The fierce battle lasted for an hour.
Ultimately, the Shannan County army emerged victorious and successfully captured Jianmen Pass.
The smoke of battle at Jianmen Pass had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with a strong stench of blood.
The corpses scattered everywhere and the broken weapons all testified to the cruelty of the fierce battle that had just taken place.
The wails and cries rose and fell, like the howls of ghosts and wolves, sending chills down one's spine.
The military families, dressed in tattered clothes, gathered at the edge of the battlefield.
Their rough skin was like cracked earth, their faces were sallow and thin, and their eyes were filled with despair.
The child in her arms clung tightly to her mother, not daring to make a sound, like a frightened little animal.
As Lu Yan rode on his horse, looking at the hellish scene before him, he felt a mix of emotions.
He took a deep breath and said loudly:
"Greetings to all soldiers guarding the frontier! Once you enter the territory of my Shannan Prefecture, you will not have to pay taxes or grain. The land will be divided equally among everyone!"
"Everyone has food to eat, and everyone has a new house to live in!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield like a thunderclap, resounding in everyone's ears.
The crying gradually subsided, and everyone was stunned, staring at Lu Yan in disbelief.
Lu Yan continued:
"You soldiers serving in Beixiang Kingdom, your ancestors have guarded the border for generations, what benefits has the imperial court ever given you?"
"When the world is in chaos, you are cannon fodder; when the world is at peace, you live worse than dogs! Why?!"
"If you join my Shannan Prefecture, your children will also have to study! And if they study, they will have a future!"
Lu Yan's voice grew louder and louder, filled with anger and resentment:
"A bunch of cowards! Are you destined to be inferior to others your whole lives? How long are you going to remain numb like dead dogs?"
"Think of your wives, children, and elderly parents! How long has it been since you wore new clothes?"
"Think about yourselves! How long has it been since you've eaten meat or drunk alcohol?"
"Your military pay has been embezzled for so long, and you still dare not utter a word?"
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