hiss!
Looking at Xiao Po, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment of the Po Lu Army, who had risen from the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, Chang Chenghu, the deputy general of the Yun Hui Army, and a group of Yun Hui Army soldiers who had climbed the western city wall of Longcheng were filled with astonishment and couldn't help but gasp.
He thought to himself, "Who the hell is this general? He's so brave!"
Chang Chenghu was even more puzzled. He racked his brains but could not recall when Xiao Po had ever appeared in the Po Lu Army.
But soon, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment of the Broken Army, who seemed to be possessed by a god of war, began to announce his own number:
"Xiao Po of Shuobei, recruited soldiers in the seventeenth year of Zhenwu of Daxin, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment of the Polu Army, with eighty-seven enemy heads in his military tent, and more than ninety enemy soldiers killed in the Battle of Longcheng!"
"As long as Xiao Po is here, the flag will stand!"
"As long as the flag stands, the city stands!"
The flag bearer, Xiao Po, who was already bloodthirsty, faced more than a hundred bandits alone without fear.
He threw the ring-pommel sword, its tip still dripping blood, to the ground, then pulled an infantry spear from the corpse of a fallen bandit and held it in his hand.
Treading over the corpses of their comrades and enemy soldiers on the West Gate city wall, they charged towards Chang Chenghu and his men without hesitation.
Behind them was the battle flag of the Eighth Regiment of the Po Lu Army, which still fluttered on the western city wall of Longcheng. A lifelike four-clawed yellow dragon was depicted on the scarlet flag, fluttering in the wind.
Upon seeing this, the Yunhui Army's leaping squad, which had accompanied Vice General Chang Chenghu to the city wall, immediately swarmed forward without orders, brandishing their spears and short swords and unleashing a fierce barrage of attacks on Xiao Po.
The two sides had fought fiercely to this point, and there were no bayonet fighting techniques or routines to speak of. They relied entirely on their survival instincts on the battlefield and their absolute numerical advantage to launch sudden attacks, each move deadly.
Xiao Po wielded his infantry spear to parry and defend, holding his own against ten opponents.
The infantry spear in his hand was actually a long-handled spear. The spear and the lance were similar in appearance, but the difference was that the shaft of the lance was stiffer and less flexible, making it less suitable for maneuvering.
However, the advantages of the spear are also very obvious: the shaft is made of hard material that cannot be cut by swords, and the force of swinging and chopping is also greater.
With a thrust of his spear, Xiao Po instantly felled a Yunhui Army soldier, who was wearing light armor and charging at the forefront.
Then the spear tip swept across a wide area, forcing back the enemy swordsmen and shieldmen who rushed forward.
Immediately afterwards, the spear tip pierced the enemy soldier who had been knocked down with lightning speed. The extremely sharp spear tip easily pierced the enemy soldier's light armor, killing another person in the blink of an eye.
"Xiao Po, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment, has killed ninety-one enemy soldiers!"
With a roar, Xiao Po pulled his infantry spear from the body of the recently dead bandit soldier.
With another forward slash, the sturdy spear shaft struck the enemy axeman on the right, who was unable to dodge and was knocked down by Xiao Po's spear.
Immediately afterwards, he used the same trick again, sweeping the spear tip horizontally with great force, first forcing back the remaining enemy soldiers before slashing and killing the axeman.
Unexpectedly, one of the bandits' longsword soldiers anticipated Xiao Po's move. As he swung his spear tip to kill the axe-wielder, the bandit's longsword soldier also unleashed a powerful horizontal slash towards Xiao Po's unprotected armpit.
"Xiao Po, the standard-bearer of the Eighth Regiment, has killed ninety-two enemy soldiers—"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Po felt a chill under his ribs. As the sharp blade sliced open the flesh under his armpit, he was also tripped backward by the momentum of the long-handled sword sweeping across him.
Fortunately, Xiao Po reacted quickly enough. He first flipped over to stabilize himself, and then with a single strike, he pierced through the unarmored bandit captain with his spear and killed him on the spot.
"Xiao Po, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment, has killed ninety-three enemy soldiers!"
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Po killed three enemy soldiers.
The remaining Yunhui soldiers who had gathered around were immediately frightened by the murderous aura that Xiao Po could no longer conceal and dared not step forward easily.
It wasn't that these Cloud Banner Army's leaping soldiers were afraid of death, but rather that their weapons were simply unable to penetrate Xiao Po's heavy armor, while Xiao Po's infantry spear could easily pierce through their light armor.
At this time, Chang Chenghu, the deputy general of the Yunhui Army who was redeeming himself through meritorious service, also discovered the key to the fact that this flag bearer named Xiao Po possessed the courage of ten thousand men.
It was only because he possessed both innate brute strength and a suit of heavy armor that he was able to rise from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood several times and continue to block the advance of the Yunhui army on the West Gate city wall.
Chang Chenghu, who was also clad in heavy armor, naturally couldn't just stand by and watch this nobody named Xiao Po become a stumbling block on his path to redemption.
He immediately charged forward, brandishing his ring-pommel sword, shouting, "Get out of the way, let this general handle this!"
As they were talking, Chang Chenghu drew his sword and stepped forward to face Xiao Po directly.
He first delivered a powerful slash with his sword, striking the spear shaft in Xiao Po's hand. Then, he swept his sword across Xiao Po's neck with a backhand motion. In just two moves, he forced Xiao Po to retreat and dodge his attacks.
Although Chang Chenghu couldn't last a single round against Chen Huai'an and was easily defeated, as the deputy general of the Yunhui Army, he still had some skill when facing ordinary military generals.
Moreover, Xiao Po had been fighting the attacking enemy on the West Gate city wall for three whole hours, killing ninety-three enemy soldiers. His mental and physical strength had reached their limit, and it was truly remarkable that he had been able to persist until now.
He bravely parried Chang Chenghu's two consecutive strikes, his steps already somewhat unsteady, and he was forced back to the flagpole of the Eighth Regiment of the Po Lu Army.
Xiao Po threw away the infantry spear in his hand and picked up the ring-pommel sword that he had thrown away a few minutes earlier.
Then, holding a knife in one hand and gripping the hard, cold flagpole with the other, he looked at Chang Chenghu and the bandit soldiers who were closing in on him with a firm and resolute gaze, and roared to the sky:
"The Eighth Regiment, flag bearer Xiao Po is here!"
"As long as the flag stands, the city stands!"
Chang Chenghu snorted coldly, brandished his ring-pommel sword, and roared:
"Go! Don't use swords or blades; they can't break through heavy armor. Use hammers and pecks to smash him and break through his heavy armor!"
"kill!"
A group of bloodthirsty Yunhui soldiers roared and swung their hammers and pecked at Xiao Po, their crazed expressions suggesting they wanted nothing more than to devour his flesh and drink his blood.
Let's look at it from both sides.
While Xiao Po, the flag bearer of the Eighth Regiment of the Po Lu Army, single-handedly protected the battle flag and ensured the safety of the West Gate city wall, the entire Longcheng city wall was engulfed in a chaotic battle.
Countless Yunhui Army soldiers climbed the city walls using ladders and fought fiercely with the defending Polu Army soldiers.
For a time, within the narrow space of the long city wall of Longcheng, which stretched for several miles, soldiers from both sides engaged in a fierce close-quarters combat.
The stench of blood and gunpowder filled the air, and the metallic clang of swords and spears clashing violently, along with the screams and shouts of soldiers, echoed throughout and around Dragon City.
By this point in the battle, only the small area of the city gate tower remained unconquered by the rebel army on the entire Dragon City wall.
The valiant General Pang Xianchu, alone with his sword, guarded the only way to the city gate tower, embodying the spirit of "one man guarding the pass against ten thousand." The steps beneath his feet were already piled high with the corpses of enemy soldiers.
On the city gate tower, Consort Xu Ruoyun finally put down her drumsticks and stopped beating the drum. All the family members of the royal family also put down their various musical instruments and waited for Xu Ruoyun's final command.
With tears in her eyes, Xu Ruoyun watched as the figures of the Po Lu Army soldiers, who were still fighting fiercely against the enemy on the city wall, became fewer and fewer, smaller and smaller.
Finally, she spoke calmly to Pang Xianchu, who was silently guarding her with his sword drawn, "General Pang, you may have to work hard later!"
Pang Xianchu silently turned around and saw that the faces of the Dowager Consort Xu Ruoyun and the family members of the Prince's Mansion were already streaked with tears, and they were in unbearable pain.
Xu Ruoyun continued, "General Pang, I am the late King's consort and the mother of the Prince of Jin. The royal family members behind me are all close relatives of the Prince of Jin."
"The Prince of Jin's recent military campaign in Longcheng to quell the rebellion is an act of eliminating treacherous officials for the sake of the nation, securing peace and stability, and fulfilling Emperor Gaozu's dying wish to cleanse the court of corrupt ministers and strengthen the foundation of the state. It is a righteous act!"
"Therefore, the city may fall, but I and all the family members of the royal family must not fall into the hands of the enemy!"
"General Pang, thank you for your trouble!"
As she spoke, Xu Ruoyun bowed slightly to Pang Xianchu to express her gratitude.
"General Pang, thank you for your trouble!"
Seeing this, the other members of the royal family also bowed and paid their respects to Pang Xianchu.
In this situation, even Pang Xianchu, the valiant general of the Po Lu Army who was known for his ruthless killing and unwavering resolve, couldn't help but burst into tears, choking back sobs as he said:
"Your Highness, this humble general... this humble general can still fight on the front lines! This humble general... this humble general will definitely fight his way out and escort Your Highness and the family of the Prince's Mansion out of the enemy's encirclement!"
"Your Highness, please, please believe in this humble general, you must believe in this humble general!"
Xu Ruoyun simply smiled serenely and shook her head at Pang Xianchu.
"Whoever captures the flag will be granted a fief of a thousand households and a reward of ten thousand gold pieces!"
"Capture the Princess Consort of Jin alive, divide her equally among the women of the Prince's residence, and kill them all!"
Suddenly, a furious roar with a sinister smile came from the city wall from Zhou Wuyang, the deputy general of the Yunhui Army. His personal guards, led by him, also climbed up the wall one after another.
After this well-equipped and well-trained Yuhou Army was deployed into the battle, the originally chaotic situation instantly turned into a one-sided battle. The remaining Polu Army soldiers on the Longcheng city wall were quickly submerged in the dark mass of attacking rebel troops.
After such a fierce battle, the Polu army, which was holding Longcheng, had no way to turn the tide.
Standing proudly atop the city gate tower, Pang Xianchu cried out in anguish and despair, "Your Highness, Prince Jin, this humble general is utterly incompetent. This city has, in the end, fallen to the enemy!"
"Your Highness, if there is an afterlife, I, Pang Xianchu, will serve you like a slave again to repay your kindness!"
After saying this, Pang Xianchu turned around with his sword drawn, looking at Consort Xu Ruoyun and the group of trembling women of the royal palace with great pain. Finally, he raised the Longquan sword that the late King Chen Polu had bestowed upon him.
Xu Ruoyun nodded calmly to him, then silently closed her eyes.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
At this critical moment, Pang Xianchu's ears suddenly twitched, and he seemed to hear the sound of warhorses' hooves striking the ground.
At first, Pang Xianchu thought he was hallucinating.
But as the sound of horses' hooves grew closer and closer, he finally couldn't help but turn around and look towards Longshan.
A thick cloud of yellow smoke billowed from Longshan towards Longcheng, and the thunderous sound of horses' hooves gradually echoed through the mountains and fields.
Even Pang Xianchu could vaguely feel the city wall beneath his feet trembling slightly.
Immediately afterwards, the roars of countless soldiers soared into the sky, echoing across the heavens:
"Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin is here! You traitors, why don't you quickly accept your death!"
"Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin is here! You traitors, why don't you quickly accept your death!"
"Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin is here! You traitors, why don't you quickly accept your death!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com