The arrow pierced through the thunder.
Countless electric arcs burst and scattered in all directions.
The source of the arrow was a ballista with a silvery sheen.
This ballista, formed from the soldiers' morale, was enormous and incredibly destructive. The bowstring hummed, emitting a roar powerful enough to pierce through a dozen men. Several soldiers surrounded the ballista on either side; two operated the axle in perfect coordination, four drew their bows and loaded arrows, while two others intently watched the dark sky to adjust their firing direction. The remaining soldiers were responsible for protecting the ballista and ensuring it was not destroyed by the enemy.
With Fang Yan leaving the field, the situation began to stabilize.
He multitasked, using his words to help Chao Lian achieve peak combat condition while simultaneously issuing orders to boost morale in the city and conjuring ballistae to deal with the relentless lightning strikes.
These lightning bolts looked terrifying, but their power was still lacking compared to the one from back then. Fang Yan didn't believe they were endless. As long as he could accurately shatter each bolt and ensure the barrier wasn't severely damaged, the hidden enemies would eventually become restless.
What is it that wants to sit back and relax in front of him?
The power and range of the ballista are related to morale.
The arrows they use also deplete morale.
The war has just begun, and morale needs to be used sparingly.
Fang Yan constantly estimated the morale needed to shatter these lightning bolts, calculated their falling frequency, and ordered his men to conjure enough crossbows. Charging a crossbow bolt takes time, and considering the time required to crank the axle and draw the bow, gaps could easily be exploited.
No matter how you calculate it, there will always be blind spots in the defense.
At this point, the ballistae need to be fired alternately, taking turns.
The remaining lightning strikes can be dealt with by Chao Lian.
Despite having been away for many years, many of the garrison soldiers in Shangnan Commandery were veterans from back then, and they trusted Fang Yan implicitly. Fang Yan was adept at using them, and with the garrison commander eager to atone for his mistakes, the entire process proceeded smoothly, without any errors or delays in issuing orders. As bolts of lightning exploded in mid-air, the loud bangs resembled a dazzling fireworks display.
The fearful commoners cautiously peeked out.
Many people stared in surprise.
"Mother, look, it's a flower."
The young child was held in the woman's arms, the two huddled together in a corner. The child pointed to the sky, her eyes blank. She was not yet five years old, and had grown up in a relatively stable environment since birth, so she didn't understand the nightmares her elders talked about, nor did she understand why the adults were trembling with fear at the sight of flowers blooming in the sky. Her parents had taken her to the lantern festival before, and there were beautiful flowers like this there, but not like this.
Her hand was pressed down by her mother as soon as she reached out.
Mother said, "Don't look, don't be afraid."
Looking around, she saw the chaotic streets quiet down, leaving only a mess. Without hesitation, she grabbed her child and ran home. The fear from years ago surged to her head, her legs went weak, and each step felt like walking on a thick pile of straw. But her resolve was unwavering, and she overcame her fear. The child, nestled on her shoulder, looked up at the countless blooming flowers in the sky—flowers of such color she'd never seen before. She murmured, "So beautiful."
The lightning struck a high point, visible to many in the city. Many commoners, who had been hiding and fleeing, stared in stunned silence, their wildly beating hearts inexplicably calming. They silently prayed to the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, begging that the lightning wouldn't strike them!
"ah--"
A scream suddenly erupted from a corner.
One fish that slipped through the net slashed straight down into the city.
Lightning ripped through the darkness, casting a ghastly purple hue upon people's faces.
Boom—
A terrifying clap of thunder exploded overhead.
The lightning bolt missed the city's inner barrier, but instead injured the arriving general. For a martial artist of such ferocity, this power wasn't fatal, but it was enough to cause serious injury. The residual current coursed through his limbs and bones, causing a surge of internal energy and a boiling, reversed flow of blood.
The general in mid-air lost her balance and was forced to land on the roof of the market to pause. The next moment, she took flight again.
These lightning strikes are manipulated.
Their power and falling frequency are not fixed at all!
After getting a general idea of the defensive layout on the south side, she resolutely increased the coverage and number of lightning strikes. However, in an instant, more than a dozen stragglers escaped the barrage. This valiant martial artist chose to strike the closest one. Her attack was not fully prepared, and her strength was not particularly high. If she forced herself to take a second hit, she would at least be seriously injured, or at worst, her foundation would be damaged, making it difficult to continue her martial arts progress.
It's not that I don't understand this principle.
But it makes it even clearer that without a way to survive, there is no future.
Fang Yan softly recited the power of words.
"...the bow is made, the feathered spear is made into arrows, and the trigger is drawn to release them..."
A short while later, a messenger arrived with a report.
"Strategist, we don't have enough ballistae!"
Not only were there not enough ballistae, but there were also not enough infantrymen to support them.
The lightning bolts weren't powerful enough to penetrate the barrier, but they were steadily depleting its defensive capabilities. At this rate, before they could even grasp the enemy's strength, their limits were being tested. Yet, they had reached this point without even seeing a glimpse of the enemy. The enemy hadn't arrived, but the deterrent effect was already at its peak!
Having fought in wars for half my life, this is the first time I've ever seen such a scene.
If those elite guards hadn't been tricked away...
They shouldn't be in such dire straits.
With insufficient garrison troops, morale is naturally low.
Fang Yan pondered how to deal with the situation, feeling a pang of regret.
He regretted that he had only managed to borrow private soldiers from various families. Had he known this would happen, he should have forced them to provide hostages; with important hostages in hand, they would have no choice but to cooperate in defending the city. Each family could still muster a group of scholars and warriors, though their strength would vary, it was better than nothing. Then, the lieutenant saw Fang Yan's lips twitch, as if he were muttering something.
"...It's not too late now."
Is there enough time?
What's still possible?
The lieutenant had this question in his mind.
Little did they know, at this very moment, someone had already revealed a look of terror, their face almost contorted, abandoning the demeanor of a noble gentleman in an extremely rare manner, and uttering very foul language: "Fang Laoliu, are you even human? You believe me, I'll fuck Gu Ziyi!"
The first house Fang Yan visited.
The old friend stared in horror at the corner of his own wall.
A servant just reported that a large patch of brightly colored, eerie mushrooms had suddenly sprouted in the corner of the wall. The mushrooms alone wouldn't have alarmed the head of the household, but there were also insects lying around them, clearly poisonous, and the mushrooms were connected by thin, thread-like strands—they were obviously no good mushrooms. My old friend rushed over, his legs went weak, and after processing what he saw, he began to curse loudly.
Why greet Gu Ren but not Fang Yan's ancestors?
Naturally, they'll target whichever has the greatest destructive power.
Insulting Fang Yan's ancestors was far less likely to enrage him than insulting Gu Ren, completely forgetting that Gu Ren was also his former master. The old friend, now furious, clutched his chest, gasping for breath: "Fang Laoliu, Fang Laoliu, I'll never forgive you in this lifetime!"
Fang Yan has really gone too far.
First, they brought a large force to his door threatening to borrow him; then, they poisoned his house as a form of blackmail. Although they left no words, just looking at these mushrooms, one could understand what Fang Yan was trying to say—
Want the antidote?
Come and get it.
Yes, these mushrooms were poisoned by Fang Yan.
He used the same method to poison his enemy's entire family years ago, and at the time, the authorities couldn't find any clues about his crimes. After taking his revenge, Fang Yan decisively fled his ancestral home, and through a series of encounters, he finally met Gu Ren.
This old friend of mine entered officialdom through family recommendation, and not long after taking office, he was assigned to assist in handling this family annihilation case. I still remember the sight of the corpse covered in mushrooms when the coroner examined it.
He learned from Fang Yan that he was the murderer in the massacre. At that time, considering that the imperial court was gone, the two families were already locked in a feud, and Fang Yan had submitted to Gu Ren, he couldn't fight against the powerful, so the matter was left unresolved.
I never expected this—
Fang Yan would be shameless to this extent.
The steward of the household served cautiously from the side: "Master?"
The old friend covered his mouth and nose, his face dark, and ordered people to leave the poisonous mushrooms, neither pulling them out nor burning them: "Summon the able-bodied men of the manor, seventy percent of them should take up arms and go to defend the Three City! The remaining thirty percent should stay to take care of the elderly and weak in the manor, and let the backyard start cleaning up."
Once this city falls—
Young children and elderly or weak female relatives took advantage of the chaos to escape first.
May our ancestors bless us, and may we preserve even a tiny spark of hope.
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.
He also sent messengers to inform the other families, telling them of Fang Yan's sinister intentions—that he was clearly trying to drag them all down with him. Those who didn't want to die should defend the city to the death. Otherwise, if Fang Yan died, everyone who had been poisoned would be buried with him!
Regardless of the outcome of this battle, this feud has been formed.
As his old friend led his men over, he continued to hurl even more offensive insults.
He was also a scholar with a literary mind.
Dissatisfied with the slow pace, he entrusted the people in his residence to his cousin and rushed to the front lines. During this time, the amount of lightning that could not be stopped visibly doubled. The thickness and color of the barrier also visibly thinned, while the thunderclouds showed a tendency to thicken.
My friend could tell at a glance that the situation was unfavorable for the defending side.
"Fang Laoliu, you're dead, so be it. You could be going to see Gu Ziyi, why did you have to drag me along?" Seeing Fang Yan, the anger he had barely suppressed flared up again. Despite his cursing, he resignedly cast an amplifying spell on him, saying helplessly, "Shen Youli is much more conspicuous than Gu Ziyi was back then. Do you know how many people secretly wish for her to die a horrible death?"
Does he know?
He had no idea.
Not only did they not know, they were also willing to risk their lives.
Fang Yan calmly exposed his old friend's thoughts: "I know, how could I not know? I'm afraid you're also the kind of person who wants to see her die."
The old friend didn't mince words and readily admitted, "No family with any standing doesn't wish for her death."
Shen Youli has affected the interests of too many people, and these people only compromised back then because they chose the lesser of two evils. This doesn't mean they're willing to be suppressed by Shen Youli indefinitely. If given the chance to gamble big, they wouldn't mind changing the world!
Fang Yan said, "Too greedy."
All ambition stems from greed.
My old friend scoffed at this assessment.
In this world, no one is immune to greed. Those so-called virtuous and upright individuals are mostly hypocrites, two-faced and deceitful. Their satisfaction stems only from the absence of temptations strong enough to sway them, or from insufficient rewards to make them relinquish the empty titles bestowed upon them by the outside world. Fang Yan's assessment is too simplistic, and his pursuits are far too contrary to human nature.
Fang Yan simply sneered without any emotion.
He said, "Words are not our weapon; true skill is revealed in action."
The outcome is still uncertain.
The old friend knew that Fang Yan couldn't possibly produce the antidote, and he also knew that if he tried to coerce Fang Yan now, he would be hacked to pieces. He could only sigh and accept his fate. He really owed Fang Yan something. Back then, it was because of the massacre that Fang Yan orchestrated that he was made to take the blame for his superior's incompetence, which caused his career to falter, and he resigned and returned home in anger after only two years.
Now they're trying to screw him over again, and they're going to kill him right away.
Their birth charts definitely clash!
The old friend wanted to make a few more sarcastic remarks, such as saying that their lair had been destroyed by the enemy, but the next moment he saw Fang Yan's expression change. It wasn't that it became worse, but rather that a look of joy appeared on his face.
Amidst a dazzling display of "thunderous light," three beams of light of different colors struck Chao Lian almost simultaneously. Then, three figures rapidly approached and ascended the city wall.
Fortunately, Fang Yan reacted quickly and changed the instructions.
Otherwise, at least two crossbow bolts would have been fired at them.
Upon seeing who it was, Fang Yan was overjoyed.
"Please, Zhongshu!"
Qi Shan was the first to climb the city wall.
He spotted Fang Yan, who was in command, at a glance.
The second person to approach was a familiar face, someone he hadn't seen in over a decade. If this person hadn't come with Qi Shan, Fang Yan would have drawn his sword and attacked. He forcibly suppressed the urge to subdue the man: "What, it's you?"
He Xin did not appear embarrassed.
He said, "I'll explain after this battle."
Seeing that Fang Yan was still wary, He Xin had no choice but to point to Qi Shan to vouch for himself: "Qi Yuanliang can testify that we are friends, not enemies, today."
Fang Yan sneered, pointing to the sky: "Me, believe that?"
"Even teeth can clash, let alone brothers?"
He and He Shu are not on the same page for the time being.
Qi Yuanliang can vouch for this.
Fang Yan had no choice but to give up for the time being.
Before long, a third figure also climbed onto the city wall.
The group exchanged simple greetings. Upon seeing the man's appearance, Fang Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. As one of the most trusted and relied-upon ministers of the emperor, Luan Gongyi and Qi Yuanliang's appearance meant that reinforcements were on their way, and Shangnan would surely be able to turn the tide this time.
Choi Sun-hyo, who was ignored her whole life: "..."
No, isn't he a person?
You may have grievances, but this is not the time to complain.
Cui Shanxiao coughed heavily, as if he had a mouthful of ancient phlegm stuck in his throat, which none of them could ignore. When Fang Yan cast a confused and shocked look at him, he twirled his sword fan with a flourish, his movements elegant and swift, and said calmly, "Don't panic, let me handle it."
He stood tall and composed, the center of attention.
Qi Shan felt a slight ache in her teeth: "Don't you need help?"
Cui Xiaodao: "I need it. Lend me your literary energy."
Qi Yuanliang was a master of literature, and he squandered his literary talent like it was nothing, his carefree attitude making the old man's eyes red with envy.
Qi Shan readily agreed.
Despite their contradictions, they were both highly skilled, and their teamwork naturally flowed seamlessly together. Cui Xiao looked up at the raging thunderclouds in the sky and chuckled inwardly. He twirled the fan handle in his hand, softly chanting, "If you cannot see me, then I will not see you."
Without a target, let's see how you chop!
(￣︶￣)
Wow, there are over a hundred valid posts with fan titles in just one day.
P.S.: There will be more next month, no rush.
P.S.: The Yueqing Tax Bureau is so efficient! The tax refund was completed on the 6th, and a bunch of my friends on WeChat Moments are still waiting. I'm secretly laughing.
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