Xie Yushu was too exhausted to answer Qu Xiaodie's question, and she wasn't sure if it was Xiao Yi's reinforcements. However, as long as it was people from Daqi, that was fine. At least Tianshui City wouldn't be lost, and there wouldn't be a large-scale massacre of civilians later.
Just before Xie Yushu was about to lose consciousness, a person dressed in crimson brocade robes appeared in her sight, struggling to move towards her while fighting, his eyes and mouth filled with anxiety.
"Xie Yushu!"
I will not allow you to die!
Did you hear that?!
I'm here! Sister! Please don't let anything happen to you!
It turned out that Xuanyuan Che had returned after leaving.
"You still won't listen to me!"
This was Xie Yushu's last thought.
Nan Xing was also unconscious at this moment, only Qu Xiaodie remained conscious, gritting her teeth, until Xuan Yuanche arrived, at which point she weakly said
"Eighteenth Master, how many men did you bring?"
Have the reinforcements arrived yet?
Xuan Yuanche looked at Xie Yushu's pale face, her body covered in knife wounds, sword wounds, and penetrating wounds that were constantly bleeding. He wanted to hug her but dared not do so. He was anxious and afraid, and asked Qu Xiaodie in a trembling voice.
What's wrong with her?
She won't die, right?
Qu Xiaodie's breath was as light as silk.
"If a large number of reinforcements arrive and control the situation, perhaps she can be saved."
"I didn't know about the reinforcements. My sister knocked me unconscious and sent me away. When I woke up, we were almost at Tai'an Prefecture. I was afraid that if I left, I would never see her again, so I came back."
"I have sixty Divine Eagle Guards on my side, plus Liu Qiang and Xie Tianqi with about a hundred of their underworld associates."
Upon hearing this, Qu Xiaodie sighed silently. Two hundred or so people might be able to hold out for a little longer, but they still couldn't resolve the crisis. Could it be that Tianshui City really couldn't be defended?
What went wrong that made the reinforcements arrive half a day late? Could it be that the city at Yixiantian has also fallen?
The Great Qi is in grave danger!
Although Qu Xiaodie felt deeply saddened, she was powerless to do anything. They had done all they could, and they had done their duty to the people of Daqi and to their own conscience. They left it to fate.
People who were already physically exhausted also passed out without realizing it.
Xuanyuan Che and his Divine Eagle Guards formed a protective circle in front of Xie Yushu and the others, fighting desperately.
Han Zhongyu's side was not having an easy time either. Sukhbaatar truly lived up to his reputation as the tiger of the grasslands. Not only was his marksmanship powerful and fierce, but even his personal guards were extremely tough.
Not only were Han Zhongyu and Suhebalu's fight so intense that their moves were impossible to discern, but even their respective subordinates had already exchanged several blows in the blink of an eye.
Everyone had to be highly focused to avoid being killed by the opponent in one blow.
Even though Qingfeng's Divine Eagle Guards and Lanting's Dark Guards were both top-notch experts, even a tiger can't withstand a pack of wolves. Besides, they had been guarding the city the whole time, while Suhebalu and his group, relying on their numbers, had been using a war of attrition, which had exhausted most of Lanting's strength. So, before long, they gradually showed signs of defeat.
Xie Yushu led the group to the next street. They weren't unaware of what was happening, but each of them was facing five or even ten opponents, and they were completely surrounded, making it impossible for them to move forward.
Han Zhongyu was extremely anxious. He was distracted for a moment and almost had his heart pierced by Suhebalu. Xie Yushu had deliberately gone to the alley next door to help him concentrate.
After all, he was the backbone of the group, and if he died in battle, it would be a huge blow to Lanting and the others.
Lanting and Qingfeng also sensed the delicate situation, so when they couldn't break through on their own, they took the initiative to divide up some of the enemies from Zhao Hu's side and worked together to open a path for Zhao Hu and his group, allowing those of Zhao Hu's group who were closer to Xie Yushu and the others to follow.
Although they didn't know if any of them would make it back alive, they all hoped that Xie Yushu and the other women would survive, even if only one or two had a chance.
Gradually, both Han Zhongyu and Sukhbalu suffered injuries. Sukhbalu wanted to finish the battle quickly, so he used every move to kill.
Han Zhongyu sacrificed his left shoulder to withstand Sukhbaatar's spear, then used his halberd to stab Sukhbaatar in the abdomen, twisting it halfway to create a bloody hole.
Han Zhongyu's own shoulder armor was pierced by Sukhbaatar's spear.
Although it was a case of inflicting heavy losses on both sides, it ultimately stopped Sukhbaatar's offensive, and the pace of the fight noticeably slowed down.
Although this alone cannot completely reverse the course of the war, in order to have a glimmer of hope, Han Zhongyu had no choice but to prolong the war at all costs.
As Han Zhongyu had hoped, just as Lanting Qingfeng and his men had suffered heavy losses and were preparing for a desperate fight, Liu Qiang led his men in.
Although the hundred-odd people who rushed into the battlefield of tens of thousands were almost a drop in the ocean, every additional force that poured in brought a glimmer of hope. It was with this hope that these people finally waited for Pei Jie's army before being completely annihilated.
Perhaps only they know how excited they were when they heard the war drums and bugle calls sounding from the south of the city.
Sure enough, in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, a white-robed general with a resolute face rode up. Seeing Han Zhongyu and his companions fighting alone, he abandoned his horse, leaped into the air, stepped over the heads of several Tatars, and landed beside Han Zhongyu. He then raised his cold spear and smashed it down on Sukhbaatar with the force of thunder.
The shot sent Sukhbaatar staggering back several steps.
He directly replaced Han Zhongyu.
"Brother Han, I'm late. Leave the rest to me. You take the brothers down to rest. With me here, Tianshui will be safe!"
Previously, the two were merely nodding acquaintances and not particularly friendly. However, upon meeting on the battlefield, Pei Jie watched as Han Zhongyu, a civil official, led a mere few thousand soldiers who could hardly be considered soldiers, to withstand a Tatar army of 100,000 for five days and four nights. They nearly wiped out the enemy but did not lose an inch of land. Pei Jie felt admiration and moved, and couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with him.
Han Zhongyu had long heard of Pei Jie; the Pei family's spear technique was among the best in the Great Qi. With him around, he didn't need to be arrogant. So he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Therefore, I, Han, will take my leave."
After saying that, he whistled at Lanting Qingfeng and Liu Qiang, and then rushed to the next alley.
Here, only about twenty of the Divine Eagle Guards that Xuanyuan Che brought with him remained, and their protective perimeter was compressed into just a small corner.
Xuan Yuanche carried Xie Yushu on his back, Zhao Hu supported Qu Xiaodie with one hand and dragged Nan Xing with the other, while Mu Li covered his abdomen with one hand and used his knife to prop himself up.
They were all waiting for the final moment.
Han Zhongyu rushed over and saw Xie Yushu lying on Xuan Yuanche's back, pale and lifeless. His heart skipped a beat, his vision went black, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
Lanting helped them up, and they regained their composure. Then they picked up their weapons and started fighting again.
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