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Chapter 100: A Series of Connected Strategies

"What's too easy?" the Su family ancestor asked, while other martial masters also turned their attention to Su Lianxian.

"The siege is too easy. The city is about to fall? This doesn't fit Zhongshan's style; he couldn't be this incompetent," Su Lianxian expressed his distress.

"Easy? We've lost fifty thousand lives for this siege. How can you call it easy?" a nearby martial master couldn't believe it.

"Zhongshan couldn't be this incompetent. There should be more casualties, at least eighty thousand. It's not right, not right," Su Lianxian shook his head, his face tense with worry.

Hearing Su Lianxian suggest eighty thousand casualties, the others were shocked. How could that be possible? Fifty thousand losses were already excessive; how could Su Lianxian make it sound easy?

"Lianxian, perhaps you're overthinking it. Zhongshan might not be as formidable as you think," the Su family ancestor tried to reassure.

"No, don't underestimate Zhongshan. We must not underestimate Zhongshan," Su Lianxian emphasized.

"Let's wait and see. The city gate is about to fall. Once it does, killing Zhongshan will be enough," the Su family ancestor consoled.

"Let's hope so," Su Lianxian nodded. But his furrowed brow didn't ease.

On the city wall, most of the ladders had been burned, leaving only a few struggling amidst the flames. The arrows had been mostly replenished, awaiting the completion of their load for the third wave.

Zhongshan stood atop the city tower, taking a deep breath. A glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "Yinglan, initiate the second phase of the plan."

"Yes," Yinglan immediately responded, producing a purple flag and swiftly waving it.

Soon after, a large number of soldiers on the city wall quickly retreated, abandoning their defensive positions. Zhongshan lightly tapped the railing of the tower before turning and descending with Yinglan. Following their lead, the defenders also began to fall back.

Zhongshan retreated? Zhongshan retreated?

Sitting astride his horse on the opposite bank, Su Lianxian furrowed his brow as he watched the scene unfold. Did Zhongshan sense defeat? But why withdraw the defenders from all around the city wall? Why withdraw?

"Haha, Zhongshan knows he's beaten. Is he fleeing?" exclaimed an excited martial master.

As the few remaining ladders slowly ascended the city wall, their occupants ready to sacrifice themselves for their country, they were met with an empty battlement. "Boom!" The third volley of arrows from the eight-ox crossbows struck the city gate, and with a resounding crash, the gate finally gave way, blasted open by the immense force.

The city was breached?

This should have been a moment of jubilation, but no one could muster a cheer. With over fifty thousand casualties out of a force of two hundred and fifty thousand, and the enemy suffering less than a thousand casualties, with at most a hundred dead, it was a staggering cost. How many years had they fought wars, only for this to be the most humiliating defeat?

The army surged forward into the city.

But even in this humiliating battle, Su Lianxian couldn't shake the feeling that it was too easy, too unbelievable. Something was wrong.

"Marshal, the Xuan City defenders have retreated to the opposite bank of the inner city river, and they've destroyed the bridge behind them," a soldier reported hastily.

"Not good. Zhongshan plans to escape from another city gate," Su Lianxian exclaimed, suddenly alarmed.

Dismounting quickly, he headed towards the opposite bank. Clearly, their forces had already taken control of the opposite side, ensuring their safety from the arrows of the Xuan City defenders.

The martial masters also dismounted swiftly, following Su Lianxian onto the makeshift rafts.

Once across the river, Su Lianxian spoke up, "Half of the rafts, dismantle them and use the wood to fill the river inside the city."

"Yes," the accompanying soldiers immediately nodded in agreement.

Su Lianxian, accompanied by nine martial masters, swiftly charged into the city gate amidst the sea of corpses, crossing through the breached gate and rushing into the inner city.

The army quickly began dismantling the rafts to follow suit. However, at the moment of dismantling, they noticed something peculiar. The once slightly murky moat suddenly turned black, growing darker by the moment.

As Su Lianxian reached the inner river, he found the army halted by the mighty river. They couldn't proceed.

"Swim across," Su Lianxian bellowed.

At that moment, not far from the opposite bank, Zhongshan's figure appeared once again.

With calm composure, Zhongshan was followed by Zhong Tian, Zhong Zheng, and Yinglan, while the army slowly emerged from nearby buildings, all directing their gaze towards the martial masters on the opposite bank.

"Zhongshan!" Su Lianxian shouted.

"We've been waiting for you to come out for half a day," Zhongshan suddenly retorted coldly.

With that, he took out a match, and in a situation incomprehensible to those across the river, he tossed the match into the river before them.

"Boom!"

To the bewilderment of everyone, the river burst into flames, the towering inferno rising into the sky. The roaring flames instantly extinguished the flames of war burning in the hearts of countless soldiers.

Before, under Su Lianxian's command, a few had managed to swim across the river. But now, with the raging fire, each one emitted a wretched scream.

"Ah!"

... The cries echoed as if they were resonating in the hearts of all the soldiers.

"Not good, retreat!" Su Lianxian exclaimed anxiously.

However, in the instant of turning back, they were horrified to find that the moat outside the city gate was also engulfed in towering flames.

The first sixty thousand troops that had charged in were now trapped.

Fear gripped everyone. What to do?

A bitter smile appeared on Su Lianxian's face. Zhongshan, Zhongshan! Defeated again, defeated again!

"Soldiers, listen up! These ten are the culprits for the attack on our Xuan City. As long as these ten are dead, I will overlook the past. The Su family is no longer fit to rule the Great Kun Nation. Anyone who kills these ten will be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins," Zhongshan solemnly declared.

His words were like a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of the soldiers. Some of the more sinister-minded soldiers had already turned their gaze towards Su Lianxian and the others.

"Haha, Zhongshan, trying to incite mutiny within my army? As long as my Su family emperor still sits on the throne, you will never command the Great Kun Nation's army," Su Lianxian shouted across the inferno.

"Is that so?" Zhongshan sneered.

Just then, outside the city gate, beyond the moat, a chorus of wails suddenly echoed, capturing everyone's attention.

Turning their heads, they saw Wei Taizhong, a eunuch, seated atop a large horse, holding up a severed head. The head belonged to none other than the Emperor of the Great Kun Nation, Su Zhengde.

"My son!" Su Lianxian roared with eyes blazing red.

"Archers, ready!" A general's command rang out not far from Su Lianxian.

With that command, a multitude of archers raised their bows and aimed them all at the ten martial masters.

As the bows were drawn, tensions rose on both sides of the river. Some guarded Su Lianxian and the others, while others began to align with the general, ready to rebel. If even Emperor Yanyan had died, did they have to follow suit?

Satisfied with the obedient general, Zhongshan knew that he had the right person leading the charge.

"Elder, there are surely many archers on the opposite bank of the moat. We're at a disadvantage now. The only way is to kill Zhongshan. Once Zhongshan is dead, we can turn the tide. It's up to you now, Elder," Su Lianxian shouted.

"Alright," Su's elder readily agreed, feeling the gravity of the moment.

The bloodline of the Su family now rested solely on Su Lianxian's shoulders.

"Release the arrows!" the general suddenly commanded.

At his order, a deluge of arrows rained down towards the martial masters. With the conflict fully escalated, the soldiers no longer held back. Of course, many soldiers positioned themselves in front of the important figures, shielding them from the arrow storm.

But how long could they hold out?

Despite the raging inferno on the river, the martial masters remained unperturbed. They were just reluctant to take the lead. Now, pushed to their limits, they had no choice but to take the lead.

The ten martial masters, one by one, leapt towards the opposite bank. Midway through their journey, they landed in the river, using their feet to push off the blazing surface, propelling themselves to the other side. Though their feet left oily streaks that ignited fires beneath them, a release of true energy extinguished them instantly.

However, Zhongshan had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

As the ten martial masters approached, Zhongshan gave the command without hesitation.

"Release the arrows," Yinglan suddenly ordered.

"Whoosh!"

The arrows flew, a deadly volley aimed at their approaching adversaries.

Even so, the imprecise volley of arrows caused five of the ten martial masters, including four from the major families, to be struck and fall into the fiery lake below.

The intense heat left these early-stage martial masters powerless, their agonizing screams piercing the air as they met their horrific demise.

It was a scene of unparalleled brutality.

The five martial masters who managed to cross the river continued their furious charge towards Zhongshan. But before they could reach him, the second volley of arrows, now accompanied by the powerful bolts from the eight-ox crossbows, rained down upon them.

The large arrows directly targeted Su's elder, but his strength seemed to surpass even that of the elders from the four major families. He was only pierced through the left shoulder by dozens of arrows. As for the remaining four martial masters on the opposite side, three were killed by the second volley of arrows, including Su Lianxian, who had been orchestrating the operation.

Su Lianxian could never have imagined that his death would be so anticlimactic. Despite his initial concerns and precautions against arrow attacks, he ultimately fell victim to them.

Pierced by fifteen arrows in total, he met his end.