Mo Li: We could not fight fifty thousand troops, but we could intimidate them
As soon as the arrow was released, Mo Li realized something was amiss.
This arrow ultimately could not withstand an overly strong internal force; even if it barely reached its destination, it would slightly deviate from the target due to overall collapse.
So be it, once the goal of disrupting the central army was achieved, it would suffice.
Mo Li slowly relaxed his grip, and the bow body also fractured into dozens of nail-sized pieces, rolling down from between his fingers.
The soldiers beside him were dumbfounded. Because the city wall was relatively high, they could instead see the chaos triggered in the rebel army by that arrow, while the rebel vanguard still shouted without ceasing, unaware of what had happened behind them.
The interruption of orders meant there would be no command to modify formation; the Holy Lotus Sect followers drove the rebel army, which consisted of displaced commoners, forward with all their might, and bursts of firelight struck against the city gate.
Those on the city wall clearly felt the shaking and trembling beneath their feet.
Everyone turned pale; after all, there was a shortage of defenders. If there had been three hundred archers suppressing the rebels with volleys, the enemy would not have dared to use siege engines so recklessly. This was not good; at this rate, the city gate would not hold for even a quarter of an hour.
Rolling stones and logs were about to be depleted as well. Once the rebels got close to the city wall and set up ladders, one could imagine how much time the fewer than a hundred soldiers on the wall could stall.
Mo Li discarded the shattered bow, picked up a long spear by his foot, and aimed at those four siege catapults constantly hurling thunder-fire bombs.
This time, the momentum was far less than that arrow’s earlier display, for the targets were obvious and the distance was closer.
“Boom!”
The main beam of one catapult snapped, then toppled to the side, crushing and injuring several Holy Lotus Sect followers who had no time to dodge.
Among the Grand Army of the Tianshou King, Zheng Tu had kept his eyes on Hua County’s walls ever since that arrow was loosed, mentally running through all the southern experts, his expression showing no panic. After all, the one who died was merely a protector of the Holy Lotus Sect, not one of his trusted subordinates.
Most of the rebel army was a motley crew, so they had few capable individuals. Losing even one was a setback.
The unlucky fellow whom Mo Li had targeted but who happened to survive truly had skills. Even amidst the surrounding chaos, he still managed to climb to his feet quickly. Then, upon seeing that flying spear destroy the siege catapult, his expression changed drastically as he shouted sternly, “Advance from both flanks, have the supply corps withdraw the catapults!”
Yet though he remained clear-headed, the people around him who relayed orders were either dead or wounded from that arrow from above, and those who could still move had been frightened senseless, too slow to respond.
Following a deafening explosion, the thunder-fire bombs beside the wooden catapult, upon impact, went off in a chain of blasts.
In an instant, limbs were flung into the air by the shock wave, and great sprays of blood splattered over the rebels’ heads and faces.
Some people glared with bloodshot eyes, becoming wild bulls scorched at the tail, roaring as they charged forward. More were forcibly “doused” awake, looks of fear appearing on their faces; their bodies shrank back involuntarily, and no one dared approach the catapults anymore, causing the formation to descend into chaos.
The Holy Lotus Sect followers were also swept up in the turmoil. The banner previously used to give commands was jostled awry, and they could not issue orders to the army, let alone coordinate among themselves.
“Was this all?”
Zheng Tu waited a long time but saw no other activity, pondering in secret.
He did not know whether the opponent was extremely patient and had laid a trap, or simply lacked the manpower and could only buy time.
Zheng Tu kept his composure, but the other generals of the Tianshou King’s forces were all furious, immediately reining in their own troops.
These were not all Zheng Tu’s direct subordinates. Some even did not consider themselves under him, yet to have reached their current positions under his watch, they certainly were no fools. Therefore, the elite troops quickly settled down, and those in the rear who could not see the battle were unaffected. Only the three thousand soldiers at the front remained in disarray.
After all, it was an army of tens of thousands, while Mo Li was just one person.
“Send out scouts to bypass Hua County and investigate Nanjing Prefecture to the south.” Zheng Tu soon decided.
The territory under King Ning ought to be in total turmoil, unable to help itself. King Wu’s troops could not arrive so quickly, and Jingzhou stood alone, making an ambush at Hua County unlikely.
“Hm? What is going on with Lord Luo?” Zheng Tu noticed a disturbance among the followers of the Holy Lotus Sect.
Soon, someone came to report: “Lord Luo said a hidden assassin impersonated the Saintess and infiltrated our army.”
The Saintess? Zheng Tu was momentarily taken aback. That killer had real patience. One must know that wherever the Saintess went, followers and soldiers alike would gather around her to pray for blessings. If the assassin lacked patience, he would have been exposed long ago.
Then again, a killer able to perch in a tree and literally make himself look like a coiled branch, clinging there for so long, would not be surprising to have that skill.
A killer like that must have been carefully trained. Could it be the work of the Piaoping Pavilion?
Zheng Tu wore a somber expression as he turned his horse toward the carriage where the “Tianshou King” was.
Naturally, the Tianshou King sat inside. When he looked up and saw Zheng Tu, a trace of anxiety showed in his eyes beneath the purple-gold mask.
“What did you wish to discuss, General Zheng?”
He failed to control his volume for the first two words, sounding somewhat shrill.
The Tianshou King’s carriage was even more ornate than Lord Luo’s. Along with guards, there was also a young and beautiful woman attending him.
Yet when he saw Zheng Tu’s unusual behavior, neither the guards nor the maid showed any reaction.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, there was a martial expert in the city ahead who resisted stubbornly. In order to prevent excessive casualties among the soldiers, we asked Your Majesty to issue an order, requesting the Holy Lotus Sect’s Saintesses to assist.”
“Yes… yes, that is necessary. Someone come!” the Tianshou King hurriedly said, “Invite the Saintesses to the front line.”
Zheng Tu withdrew with satisfaction. Over there, when Lord Luo heard this order, he raised an eyebrow, about to become enraged, then suddenly realized this was a good idea.
With the Saintesses present, those soldiers would certainly fight for their lives.
An army of tens of thousands was immense. Even if the current Saintesses were all authentic, what about a moment later? Who knew if that assassin would use the same trick to sneak in? Even if the Saintesses were temporarily forbidden to wear veils, there were so many of them—could everyone in the army recognize their faces? What if that assassin was born with rosy lips and white teeth, making it effortless to disguise himself as a woman?
“Since it was the order of the Tianshou King, why not hurry up?” Lord Luo said sternly.
The Saintesses wore varied expressions, showing faint resistance.
They were not foolish—blades and spears showed no mercy, and wearing white was like becoming a living target. They were not top-tier experts who could claim to be fearless.
Yet none of them could afford to disobey orders. Without even mentioning the Tianshou King, Lord Luo alone could take their lives. The Saintesses had no choice but to toughen their resolve, holding their respective ritual implements and weapons. Accompanied by the Holy Lotus Sect followers who protected them, they shrank behind shields and headed toward the forward troops.
“The Saintesses are here!”
The chaos at the front paused briefly. At that moment, dozens of people had already lain dead beneath the city wall.
Though their attacks were disorganized and as frenzied as raging tigers, they still caused considerable trouble for the defending soldiers.
“A battering ram?”
On Hua County’s city wall, the old soldier’s eyelid twitched at the sight of a siege engine slowly being pushed forward.
This was not a simple, lightweight structure like a catapult. The battering ram carried tremendous force, with wheels underneath, so pushing it did not take much effort.
Yet Hua County happened to have no moat. Even though the city gate sat atop a gentle slope, requiring the ram to climb first, which severely reduced speed and impact, the rebel soldiers protecting the ram just held shields over their heads and charged blindly forward, and it looked like there would be no stopping them.
Misfortunes rarely arrived alone. With the Saintesses’ appearance, the Holy Lotus Sect followers dressed in coarse robes brought eight siege ladders in one go, and they were not of crude make. There was a triangular base a meter high at the bottom, so the rebels could climb not only the front side of the ladder but also an auxiliary ladder at the back.
By the time they got close, they could flip onto the front side; if they were lucky, they could mount the wall in one go. Meanwhile, the auxiliary ladder sat in the wall’s blind spot, making it extremely difficult for defenders to shoot.
Mo Li cast a glance at the battering ram and decisively abandoned that side.
The city gate was blocked securely, so it would hold for a while. But the ladders were different.
If the Holy Lotus Sect followers climbed onto the wall, he alone could not defend the entire stretch.
“Bang.”
The first ladder was propped against the city wall.
The rebels swarmed forth, leaving the defenders no time to shoot arrows.
Mo Li hastily pushed with his hands, yet could not shake the ladder at all. His heart sank immediately, realizing this was bad.
This was not an ordinary makeshift siege device. The Tianshou King had indeed come prepared. If he could not push it, it was likely because aside from the ladder’s solid wood weight, there was also a fixed wooden frame at the bottom fitted deep into the ground. If the craftsmanship was clever, three or five strong men could not easily move it.
It was certainly a formidable siege tool, and what they lacked most was manpower. They could not have ten men crowded around each ladder to push. Even if they did push it away, the wheels below would just charge forward and lean it back onto the wall.
Mo Li spared no strength, channeling his inner power as he struck the ladder.
The solid wooden frame, able to hold around twenty men, vibrated oddly. The first few rebels who climbed up lost their grip on the rungs and fell off in succession.
Mo Li struck a second palm. The ladder, filled with hidden force, instantly shook off to the side, crashing down onto the second ladder that had just been placed against the wall.
Mo Li applied the same method, moving with lightning speed along the wall, toppling all eight ladders. In the blink of an eye, the area beneath the city wall was cleared. That was not all. When the Holy Lotus Sect followers rushed forward again to reset the ladders, they discovered that none of the bases remained intact—each one had some damage here or there. Even if they forced them against the wall, they swayed left and right. With three people standing on a ladder, there had to be more than a dozen holding it from below.
If their footing was already unsteady, how could they endure the frantic jabs and stabs from the defenders’ long spears and pikes?
One of the Saintesses saw that the situation was dire and instantly called upon the Ziwei Emperor’s virtue to immediately dispatch divine guardians to protect the faithful.
The other Saintesses realized this, too, and voiced their agreement in unison.
Morale rallied, so the generals behind the Tianshou King could no longer stand idle. Since the Saintesses claimed there were divine generals helping in battle, there had to be such an appearance. Otherwise, how could they maintain credibility? Thus, Lord Luo scowled and ordered five experts from the cult to join the fight.
All five were white-bearded elders, fellow disciples notorious in the martial world as the Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend. Later, beset by enemies and advanced age, they simply pledged themselves to the Holy Lotus Sect, relying on the power of this wicked cult to continue their tyranny.
Now that Lord Luo had given the order, they prided themselves on a unique combination formation. Even the elders or heads of great sects would not frighten them, so they did not refuse.
The Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend possessed superior agility and did not fear the few arrows raining down from the city head. In the blink of an eye, they arrived beneath the wall and, upon seeing the half-ruined ladders, were overjoyed. They exchanged glances, thinking that even if there was an internal-arts expert on the wall, someone who had first shot an arrow, then used several spears to destroy the catapults and thunder-fire bombs, and finally forcibly demolished the ladders, his internal power must have been almost spent by now.
They kicked or hurled aside the ladders, using them to gain leverage, and in an instant, they were atop the city wall.
Right then, they faced a blade’s flash as white as snow.
——Mo Li did not have a handy bow or enough weapons, and he did not even dare to throw many long spears. From a distance, when he glimpsed those five men’s footwork, he knew their skill was not weak, and a mere thrown spear would likely be dodged by them. It was better to seize the moment they had just stepped onto the wall, when their old strength was spent and new strength had yet to emerge, and launch a surprise attack.
Even though the Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend had readied themselves for resistance, they were still caught off guard by this sudden strike.
For this was not just a single move but twelve blade slashes unleashed in an instant.
In a flash atop the city wall, two dazzling spheres of white light burst forth, one on the left and one on the right, forcing a person off the wall on each side.
The three who had not received the “attention” of the blade light and had found stable footing on the wall looked at the nearly empty battlements. They felt a rush of relief before chills crept up their backs. They twisted around in a hurry, holding weapons horizontally to parry and evade. Even so, hair and beards were severed—one went bald, while another lost half his beard, looking rather ridiculous.
“How dare you…”
Before this shout faded away, an arc of light appeared once more.
The remaining three of the Five Elders immediately spread out, waiting for the other two to climb back up onto the wall. Yet the blade’s gust followed them like a shadow. No matter how far apart they stood, despite using all their light-foot techniques to the limit, they still beheld one flashing blade after another passing horizontally before their eyes. Any slight misstep meant a severed head.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. In just two breaths, the Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend went from certain victory to cold sweat pouring down.
Although they had guessed there might be more than one expert on the wall, they thought such experts could not be too powerful, or else why not just jump down and charge into the army? Now, it appeared there was only one master in Hua County. He could not easily leave, and whoever stepped onto the wall was entering a death zone marked by blade light.
The Five Elders felt fearful yet did not dare to retreat.
With so many eyes watching, if they withdrew without a fight, they could never again remain in the Holy Lotus Sect.
Just as they gritted their teeth and prepared to launch a desperate struggle, they suddenly found themselves forced to the edge of the wall, footing unsteady.
At that moment, the two who had fallen earlier climbed back up again.
Mo Li paid them no heed, continuing to advance a step. The curtain-like blade light pressed down so hard that it forced the Five Elders to descend. Without giving them time to regroup and form a combined attack, Mo Li voluntarily leaped off the wall, bounding and weaving across the bomb-scarred city wall, allowing the Five Elders not a moment to catch their breath. Even until then, they had not gotten a look at their foe’s face.
Thus, the battlefield shifted from the top of the wall to encompass the entire wall.
And it was still a vertical wall.
Light and shadows flashed in and out unpredictably.
It seemed the city wall had turned into a surreal barrier from a celestial realm, revealing techniques beyond mortal imagination.
This commotion was huge, visible even from far away. Out of the tens of thousands in the Tianshou King’s army, almost no one who had eyes missed it.
The rebel troops and Holy Lotus Sect followers who followed the Saintesses, shouting like mad, widened their eyes. They wanted to assist the “divine generals,” but instinctively sensed they could not interfere. Unconsciously, they all withdrew.
The Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend appeared to be stabilizing the situation, forming a ring around the swirling blade glow, yet the stalemate seemed endless.
“The Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend are no match,” Lord Luo said through gritted teeth, “This man is dragging things out.”
Rather than rush in himself, he felt more astonished at where this supreme expert had come from and why he served these useless people of Jingzhou.
A terrible cry pierced the air, blood mist drifted about, and the blade’s aura turned crimson.
In the blink of an eye, blade light whirled across the ground, and in a flash of speed that defied reaction, it returned to the top of the wall.
“Pa, pa…”
Five heavy thumps in succession sounded like five tattered sacks hitting the ground. None of them moved.
“The Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend have died.” The nearest Saintess blanched, nearly turning to flee.
Everyone instinctively looked up and only saw a figure standing atop the wall. Then that figure appeared to step back a few paces, and they could no longer see anything.
The top of the wall fell silent, no arrows, no shouts.
Zheng Tu frowned and ordered his guards, “Sound the horn!”
The low, droning call finally awakened the vanguard as if from a dream, but no one dared to advance. Fortunately, more than a dozen Holy Lotus Sect experts who had originally been sent to support the Five Elders of the Bloody Fiend now arrived. Wary, they opted to take up the battering ram together, exerted full force, and toppled the city gate with a thunderous crash.
They rapidly cleared away the stones and timber blocking the entrance, still fearing traps, so they did not rush in carelessly. Delaying like this, they finally entered the city, only to discover it empty. Nor was there anyone on the wall now.
Author’s note:
This was a big-screen IMAX display of blade technique →_→
