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墨書 Inktalez
A Lieutenant walked in holding a letter, and Wu Ta took the letter and opened it. "Damn it, where did these bandits come from?"
The other Generals looked at Wu Ta in confusion. His senior disciple asked, "Commander, what has made you so angry?"
Wu Ta threw the letter onto the table. "A letter from the capital says that several groups of bandits have suddenly appeared within our Hua Xing territory today. They are robbing villages and merchants everywhere. Each time they strike, their numbers are not large, so I didn't pay much attention to it and only arranged a few sorties to drive them away. But now these bandits have become increasingly brazen; just a few days ago, they even robbed our military supplies."
"Military supplies were stolen? These bandits have some nerve!" the military officers discussed among themselves.
"Commander, aren't our military supplies escorted by troops? How could they be robbed?"
"Our supply transports usually consist of only about a thousand men, but this time several groups of bandits teamed up. They constantly harassed our troops along the way, exhausting the soldiers. In the end, they managed to seize a large amount of supplies."
"Commander, can we find out where their hideout is?"
"I can't find it. When I sent troops to drive them away initially, they didn't return to their hideout; they just kept running around with the soldiers, and in the end, our soldiers let them escape. Each of these bandits has a Mount."
"Commander, do you think it could be the Starfall Kingdom behind this?"
"It shouldn't be. In my view, these bandits are definitely elite among elites. If I were their commander, I would keep such a group of soldiers within my camp rather than let them infiltrate the empire and take risks."
"Commander, what should we do? If they come again to rob our supplies, our soldiers will have nothing to eat."
"Childish Talk, Jin Lie, you two each lead ten thousand men to eliminate the bandits while escorting the supplies along the way. Grain Officer, starting today, reduce all soldiers' rations by ten percent and reduce General rations by thirty percent. This way we can hold on for a few more days. As long as the next batch of supplies arrives or we can break through Starlight Village with all our might."
Grain Officer clasped his fists and said, "This subordinate accepts the order."
"Divine Envoy, the war has reached its final stage. To prevent the enemy from becoming desperate, I implore you to strictly guard the camp while I deploy our troops."
"Grand Marshal, rest assured. With Old Man here, you can feel at ease. Do you know how many Divine Knights the enemy has?"
"From my observations over the past few days, their Commander, Liu Guanlei, seems to be a strong Divine Knight. The others, while highly skilled, are at most peak Advanced Knights. Especially that one named Cui Zhongyi, who is exceptionally powerful. Even I would need a long time to defeat him."
"Oh? Is that so? Should I come and support you? If necessary, I can lend a hand."
Actually, Wu Ta had wanted to invite Jiang Xingshi to go out with him earlier but felt embarrassed to say so. He instead suggested that Jiang Xingshi guard the camp's safety. Now that Jiang Xingshi had offered his help, Wu Ta was very pleased. Through the siege battles over the past few days, he realized that aside from Liu Guanlei, this was the only person he felt uncertain about. Many of their attacks had been thwarted by him alone.
Moreover, there were seven or eight commanders who had been defeated by him, all of whom were Advanced Knights. Among them, three were peak Advanced Knights, some even fought in teams but were still defeated by him. If he truly teamed up with Liu Guanlei, Wu Ta would have no guarantee of victory.
Thus, Wu Ta nodded and said, "That would be best. Thank you, Divine Envoy."
"No need for thanks. I also hope for a swift end to the chaos so I can return to my Wohu Mountain."
At this moment in the tent of Starlight Village, Liu Guanlei sat upright in his chair. "Generals, the army of Huaxing Kingdom has reached our front at Starlight Village. Behind us lies the imperial capital. We cannot allow them to step any further."
"We vow to defend the imperial capital with our lives!"
"To confuse the enemy, I have decided that within three days, our defensive force will consist of only eight Ten Thousand People. No other soldiers are allowed to engage in combat. Do you understand what this means?"
When Liu Guanlei's words were spoken, everyone gasped in shock. Only eight Ten Thousand People for defense? That meant everyone had to give their all.
One of the generals was confused: "Commander, our army's numbers should be about the same as Hua Xing's. Why are we using so few people for defense this time? What if we are breached?"
"I know our current numbers are similar to Hua Xing's, but this time we are not here to defeat them; we need to keep all of Hua Xing's soldiers here with us. Whether Starlight Village can withstand the attack depends on you generals. However, let me make it clear: if Starlight Village falls, I will immediately arrange for the remaining soldiers to enter the Imperial Capital. So do not hold onto any false hopes."
"Commander, if that is the case, wouldn't our Imperial Capital be exposed to the enemy? Please think carefully, Commander."
"I am the Commander here. If you believe my strategy is flawed, you can report to His Majesty after the battle. As long as I am here, you must obey my orders. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Hong Qiang and Wang Tao, you two guard the East Gate; Liu Ming and Liu Liang, you brothers guard the South Gate; Zu Jun and Sui Guang, you two are responsible for the West Gate; Jia Xing and Wang Da, you guard the North Gate. Each city wall will have fifteen thousand people on watch. I will keep two Ten Thousand People at Central Command Tent to support you at any time. Remember, you must hold the gates firmly. Whoever fails will face consequences."
"Understood."
As they left the Tent, all the generals began preparing their defenses for their respective sections of the city wall. Liu Guanfeng also organized his tent: Cui Zhongyi was in charge of the West Gate, Copper Bull at the South Gate, Iron Bull at the North Gate, and Bao Rui at the East Gate. He assigned his three thousand Special Forces soldiers five hundred each to assist in defense.
The next day, Wu Ta personally led an attack on Starlight Village. Since Liu Guanlei had issued a death order, all soldiers on the walls fought desperately against Hua Xing's assault.
Wu Ta was also eager to capture Starlight Village, so Hua Xing's attacks were extremely fierce. Fortunately, the defending soldiers had ample crossbow bolts and sturdy armor. However, even so, their casualties continued to rise.
The siege lasted three days, and even Liu Guanlei's reserve troops had been dispatched several times. Nearly ten thousand of the eighty thousand defending soldiers had already sacrificed their lives.
Hua Xing has lost over ten thousand men in just three days, and the army still numbers over two hundred thousand. Just as Wu Ta was contemplating how to fight tomorrow, a voice from outside the door called out, “Report to Commander, there is an urgent document.”
After the Lieutenant handed the letter to Wu Ta, he glanced at it and slammed it down on the Table, which shattered upon impact.
The generals below looked at Commander in fear, and Wu Ta's eldest disciple stepped forward, asking, “Commander, what has happened?”
“Useless, all useless. Our supplies have been raided again.”
“Commander, didn’t you already send troops to eliminate the bandits and escort the supplies? How could this happen?”
“Jin Lie was ambushed while escorting the supplies and was killed on the spot. Due to our large numbers, they didn’t manage to take the food, but they still set it on fire. These bandits saw they couldn’t take the supplies and just burned them instead.”
“Commander, what should we do now?”
“Xiao Zhi. This time I will send you. Remember, these bandits are not simple; you must be careful. Do not get entangled in negotiations. If you encounter bandits, let your soldiers shoot arrows or engage in melee combat. Never repeat what happened with Jin Lie, fighting alone. Keep that in mind.”
“Master, rest assured, Disciple will definitely eliminate the bandits.”
“Good, I will give you two Ten Thousand People horses. Go prepare now.”
“Master, please take care.” Wu Ta's disciple left the Tent.
A general asked, “Commander, what should we do next? The rations in the camp are running low.”
Wu Ta calmed his mind and said, "Everyone, there is no need to panic. Although our supplies are insufficient, the enemy's numbers are not very large. Moreover, after three days of intense attacks from us, they should be quite exhausted by now. Let us take this opportunity to capture Starlight Village. Once we do, we can rest here and wait for our supplies. Once Starlight Village is conquered, we will find a way to secure food."
"Commander, do you mean we are launching a full-scale attack?"
"That's right, Na Kuang, Zhong Yi."
"I am here."
"You two volunteered last time, so I am appointing you as the leaders of the assault team. You must lead the Shield Soldiers to capture the enemy's walls and establish a foothold."
"I accept the order."
"All other commanders will march with me tomorrow. All soldiers will be mobilized except for Firehead Camp. I intend to capture Starlight Village tomorrow."
In contrast, there was no sense of tension within Starlight Village. The three days of defending had exhausted all the generals, but they knew that once these three days passed, reinforcements would arrive, significantly easing their pressure.
Liu Guanlei looked at his generals and said, "I know everyone has worked hard these past few days, but I have no choice. If I am not mistaken, Wu Ta will surely launch a major attack tomorrow."
"Commander, why are you so certain?"
"There are two reasons: First, they feel that our defense is becoming increasingly difficult, which means our number of soldiers is severely lacking. Second, they are currently facing a shortage of supplies in their camp."
"That can't be right, Commander. How could they be short on supplies? The Huaxing Kingdom is a major power; their resources must be more abundant than ours. Commander, do not believe in rumors."
"Rumors? According to reliable sources, there has been a surge of bandits within the Huaxing Kingdom. They are robbing everywhere and have even reached for military supplies, having looted them twice. This means that two shipments of military rations have not been delivered. With so many people going without food for two times, how much food can they possibly have left?"
"How did you come by this information, Commander?"
"I have my own methods. To present a grand gift to the Huaxing Kingdom tomorrow, all reserve troops should prepare. Bring out General Liu's treasures from the city walls; there's no need to keep them anymore. Increase the number of defenders on each city wall to thirty thousand, while the rest will follow me inside the city and wait to march out for battle."
"Understood." All the military officers left the Tent in high spirits. When they arrived at their respective city walls, they found many items covered with canvas. The curious generals gently lifted the canvas and were all smiles upon seeing what was underneath. Everyone was eagerly anticipating the arrival of tomorrow, excited to witness the astonished expressions of the Huaxing Kingdom.
At the same time, all the soldiers' crossbows underwent changes; some had additional grooves on their bolts, while others had an extra quiver.
Moreover, following Liu Guanlei's instructions, some soldiers changed out of their previous defensive uniforms and smeared dust on their faces, making them appear as if they had endured several days of battle and looked extremely fatigued.
The next day, just after breakfast, the soldiers from the Huaxing Kingdom, led by Grand Marshal Wu Ta and Divine Envoy Jiang Xingshi, stood spiritedly about five hundred meters away from Starlight Village. Wu Ta looked at the city gate with a sneer.
The soldiers on the city wall were also eager to engage as they watched the Huaxing Kingdom soldiers across from them. Although this was not their first encounter with Huaxing Kingdom's troops, this time was different; they were not just defending but preparing to launch a counterattack.
Wu Ta raised his sword: "Archers and Shield Soldiers form the first wave; Siege Engineers will be the second wave; Shield Soldiers and Breaching Troops will be the third wave. Prepare."
As part of the first wave, the Archers and Shield Soldiers stepped forward simultaneously. The Shield Soldiers raised their tall shields, standing protectively in front of the Archers.
"Brothers, charge!" Wu Ta pointed his sword towards Starlight Village. The Shield Soldiers protected the Archers as they began to advance slowly. A fierce siege battle was about to unfold, marking the beginning of Starfall Kingdom's counteroffensive.
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