"Monster, he's a monster."

"He wields his sword to kill from afar."

"This isn't human strength! He's a demon, a monster!"

"He's not human…"

The surrounding Zhao soldiers all cried out in terror.

But amid their horror, their lifeblood had already been drained. Sword Qi surged, piercing bodies and sealing throats.

Martial Arts. True Qi. This was the greatest secret known only to Zhao Feng's most trusted confidants.

Across the world, as far as Zhao Feng could see, only he and his men understood Martial Arts. Outsiders who witnessed this power beyond the mortal realm were met with only one fate: death. On this battlefield, Zhao Feng could unleash his True Qi freely because everyone who had seen his Martial Arts was already dead.

"The General has breached the city gate!"

"Kill!"

Watching Zhao Feng break through the city defenses, Tu Sui felt not the slightest surprise. This was, after all, the strength of his lord. Under all of heaven, only his lord possessed the power to breach a fortified gate single-handedly.

Immediately, Tu Sui ordered a full-scale assault. Hundreds of ladders and siege towers pressed against the city walls. He then personally led the shield troops in a charge into the city.

As the army poured through the gates, the real slaughter began.

"Reporting to General Zhao!"

"The Qin Army has breached the city gate and is fighting its way inside!" a terrified Zhao officer yelled, running to find Zhao Cong within the city.

"What?!" Zhao Cong's first reaction was disbelief. "That's impossible! Even if the Qin Army is formidable, they can't have breached the gates so easily."

His reaction was just like Gongsun Xin's that day, finding the feat utterly unbelievable.

After all, in siege warfare, the defenders hold the advantage. How could the gate be breached so easily, even under a human-wave attack?

"General, it's true," the officer said helplessly. "The Qin Army is currently battling our soldiers at the city gate. Their advance is unstoppable, and they are attacking furiously. Please, General, make a decision!"

"I have failed Commander Pang. I have failed the Great King," Zhao Cong lamented, a trace of shame on his face. "The Qin Army attacked three gates, and I never thought it would be the West Gate, under my command, that would fall first."

"General, the Qin Army has only just breached the gate; nothing is settled yet! You must not lose heart," his Deputy General immediately advised.

Hearing this, Zhao Cong gradually collected himself, his eyes regaining their firmness. "That's right. The city gate has merely been breached. Nothing is settled yet."

"Issue my order! Starting with the first Wanjiang battalion, you will supervise the battle in rotations. If the first Wanjiang battalion is annihilated, the second will take its place. If the second falls, the third will advance."

"We must drive the Qin Army out of the city! If it comes down to the last Wanjiang battalion, I will lead the charge myself."

"Go!" Zhao Cong commanded coldly.

"Your subordinate complies," the Deputy General replied, immediately taking his leave.

"Qin Army…" Zhao Cong said coldly, his voice a low vow. "I will not lose this city."

「Meanwhile.」

Zhao Feng carved a path through the battlefield. His shield and sword were stained blood-red, and his entire body was drenched in gore. Behind him, Tu Sui led the Sharp Warriors, their coordinated attacks cutting down all in their path. The defensive line, staunchly held by the Zhao Army, was brutally torn open by Zhao Feng. As the breach widened, more Qin soldiers poured into the city, engaging in a bloody melee.

「To the rear of the Qin Army.」

"Shangjiangjun, the honor of the first breakthrough has been secured by General Zhao Feng," the Personal Guard Commander reported to Wang Jian. "The West Gate has been breached by General Zhao Feng leading his Sharp Warriors. They have now entered the city and are engaged in a bloody battle with the Zhao Army."

"What?" Wang Jian was startled, clearly not expecting this. "The gate was breached so quickly?"

"It is indeed true. General Zhao Feng was the first to charge into the city. By now, he has almost completely taken the gate tower," the Personal Guard Commander reported with joy.

"He charged in front again?" Wang Jian frowned.

"Yes," the Personal Guard Commander nodded.

"That young man never learns," Wang Jian said with dissatisfaction. "I've told him before that a general must not indulge in the reckless courage of a common soldier. A general is responsible for his entire army. Why won't he listen?"

Wang Jian had long heard of Zhao Feng's exploits. In every major battle, Zhao Feng would lead from the front, fighting in the vanguard. Wang Jian had warned him against it, reminding him that he was a general, not a common soldier. Zhao Feng had always readily agreed, yet he never changed his ways.

This left Wang Jian feeling helpless, exasperated, and, of course, worried. After all, Zhao Feng wasn't just his Main General; he was also his son-in-law and the father of his two grandsons.

"Shangjiangjun, General Zhao is still very young. It's only natural that he yearns to fight on the front lines," the Personal Guard Commander said with a smile. "Besides, the general's valor is known throughout the army. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Knows what he's doing, my ass," Wang Jian retorted angrily. "He's brave, yes, but this is the chaos of battle! How can one man's courage possibly compare to thousands upon thousands of soldiers? After this battle is over, I will give him a stern talking-to."

The Personal Guard Commander just smiled, not daring to say more.

"Go tell Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe," Wang Jian commanded gravely. "Zhao Feng has broken through the gate. Tell them to put in more effort."

"Yes, Shangjiangjun." The Personal Guard Commander immediately departed to carry out the order.

Looking toward the gates where Wang Ben and Yang Duanhe were attacking, the situation was far more difficult. Despite the suppressing fire from the Qin archers, the Zhao Army's defense was extremely tight. The Qin Army attacked relentlessly. The Siege Hammer pounded against the gate while Sharp Warriors scaled the ladders. However, the Zhao defenders on the ramparts held firm. Every so often, a Sharp Warrior could be seen falling from a ladder, struck down by a volley of arrows.

This was the true face of siege warfare: cruel and bloody.

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