Immortal Path Space

Chapter 17: Tiger's Lair City

On the first day of their arrival, Wang Hong and his companions were assigned to the city walls. They were now officially part of the Tiger Might Army, with the Qing Yang Academy's reinforcements forming a separate battalion known as the Qing Yang Battalion. It still fell under the command of Instructor Feng Li, who had now ascended to the position of School Captain.

Wang Hong belonged to the sixth squad of the Qing Yang Battalion. Their responsibility was to defend a small section of the city wall. Due to the Qin Army's relentless attacks both day and night, the defending forces had to rotate in shifts, each batch holding the wall for four hours before being relieved.

Standing atop the city wall, Wang Hong marveled at Tiger's Lair City, living up to its reputation with towering peaks on both sides. The city was strategically positioned, nestled between treacherous mountain ranges that extended for over two hundred miles. Even monkeys would find it challenging to traverse, and Tiger's Lair City controlled the sole passage within this two-hundred-mile stretch.

Due to the steep mountain ranges on both sides, defending Tiger's Lair City required focusing on securing only one frontal direction. This strategic advantage made it difficult for the Qin Army, despite their numerical superiority, to breach the defenses.

The city, perched high above, had a slope extending over a mile beneath the city walls. To reach the walls, the Qin Army had to climb this slope, which was laden with traps set by the Chu Army. At the slope's summit, numerous rolling logs and stone catapults were strategically placed.

Particularly menacing were the rolling logs, covered in iron spikes that sent shivers down Wang Hong's spine. Climbing the slope alone demanded a heavy toll from the Qin Army, making their successful assaults on the city walls infrequent after a month of siege.

Since Wang Hong's arrival on the city walls, the Qin Army had been sending small units for harassing attacks. Whenever the rolling logs and stone catapults were deployed, the Qin forces would retreat. Some unfortunate soldiers were crushed, while the survivors returned to sabotage the machinery, cutting the ropes attached to them.

The rolling logs and stone catapults were equipped with ropes, allowing them to be retracted using pulleys for repeated use. This strategic use prevented the city from exhausting its resources by demolishing buildings daily.

The Qin Army's harassing tactics aimed to deplete the city's rolling logs and stone catapults and to test for traps. Until evening, laborers transported food to various positions, providing sustenance for the soldiers.

Wang Hong received a bowl of meat porridge and two large meat buns. Just as he took a bite, the sound of horns echoed from the Qin Army's position below the slope. Following the horns, a rhythmic drumbeat commenced as the Qin Army, a formidable black mass, advanced with disciplined steps toward Tiger's Lair City.

Despite their numerical advantage, the Qin Army moved deliberately, stopping every ten steps to maintain formation. Their synchronized steps resonated with thunderous shouts of "kill," making ears ring with each resounding step.

Many inexperienced soldiers, participating in their first battle, were intimidated by the Qin Army's imposing presence, their faces pale, and limbs trembling. The confidence they had before entering the battle had vanished.

Seeing the approaching force, Wang Hong hastily finished his meat buns, gripped his long spear, and, due to the exertion, his knuckles turned white.

At this moment, from the positions of the rolling logs and stone catapults beneath the city wall, a command was issued, and the soldiers hoisted flags downward. Countless rolling logs and stone catapults roared down the slope.

In response, the Qin Army's front line brought out structures resembling horse barriers but sturdier. These were a novel addition, and they seemed to be newly crafted. Composed of three large wooden stakes joined at one end to form a simple cone, with three legs underneath creating a stable triangular base.

These barriers were placed in front of the formation. When the rolling logs collided with the stakes, they were stopped dead in their tracks, unable to advance. Only a few projectiles managed to breach the defenses, causing limited casualties. Several rounds of rolling logs and stone catapults produced little effect.

A messenger arrived with orders for them to sally forth and engage the enemy. Having studied military tactics and strategy over the years, Wang Hong understood that defending the city did not solely entail passive resistance on the city walls. It also required the ability to engage in offensive actions outside the city, as prolonged defense without counterattacks would lead to eventual defeat.

Wang Hong and his companions swiftly moved to form up outside the city. Even those who had been on rest rotation were assembled beyond the city walls. They organized into small formations of a hundred men, led by a Hundred-Man Commander. The outermost row consisted of sword and shield soldiers, followed by three rows of long spear soldiers. Wang Hong found himself in the second row.

Dozens of these small formations constituted a larger formation, leaving a ten-foot-wide passage between every two small formations for flexible maneuvering.

If the enemy dared to enter these passages, they would face attacks from both sides, creating a perilous situation. Additionally, several cavalry units positioned themselves behind the large formation, with the commander in the center atop a raised platform for observation and command.

As Wang Hong and his comrades formed their battle formation, several squads of archers hurried to the front, waiting for the Qin Army to enter their range before unleashing a volley of arrows.

The Chu Army, with the advantage of elevation, dominated in archery duels. The rain of arrows descended upon the Qin Army formation. Though they quickly raised shields, not everyone could be protected, and numerous soldiers were struck.

In retaliation, the Qin Army archers attempted to return fire, but the Chu Army was well out of their reach, provoking laughter among the Chu forces.

Undeterred, the disciplined Qin Army continued their advance, enduring casualties from the Chu arrows. However, the Chu Army's intimidation was diminishing. As the Qin Army advanced, Chu Army archers skillfully retreated, always staying out of the Qin Army's effective range.

Thus, before the two forces directly clashed, the Qin Army had already suffered hundreds of casualties. While this might seem relatively minor for a force of over ten thousand, it dealt a significant blow to their morale.

On the Chu Army side, aside from one archer twisting an ankle during the retreat, casualties were nonexistent.

The Chu Army archers retreated into the large formation and continued firing arrows at an upward angle. Finally, the Qin Army's arrow rain descended upon the Chu Army's large formation.

At this moment, Wang Hong heard the war drums on his side pounding, igniting the fervor in everyone's blood. Fear and thoughts of death were forgotten as, in sync with the war drums, they advanced into the rain of arrows.

Although soldiers from both formations fell under the hail of arrows, it did not impede the determined progress of both sides. An arrow struck Wang Hong, but with his mastery of the seventh layer of "Henglian Liuhe Gong," it merely felt like an itch.

A crimson and black tide finally collided, splattering the battlefield with blood. The clash of metal, the piercing of blades into flesh, cries of agonyall drowned out by the thunderous noise of battle drums.

Under this overwhelming momentum, everyone's eyes glowed red, spirits heightened, focused solely on killing the enemy in front of them, heedless of their own lives.

Wang Hong thrust his spear through the heart of a Qin Army long spear soldier, blood spraying as the soldier, seemingly oblivious, continued to advance before slowly collapsing.

As one fallen soldier was quickly replaced by another for the fifth time, the newcomer, witnessing the previous four dispatched with a single move, hesitated, avoiding a direct confrontation.

Unconcerned, Wang Hong took advantage of the hesitation to consecutively pierce several Qin Army soldiers. Against a high-level expert like Wang Hong at the Innate Stage, these foot soldiers had no chance. Wang Hong felt like he was bullying children.

However, Wang Hong showed no mercy. With each additional opponent he eliminated, the pressure on his comrades lessened, increasing their chances of survival.

As the Qin Army filled the gaps in their formation for the fourth time, the Hundred-Man Commander noticed an opportunity and ordered a switch to a wedge formation.

Wang Hong led the charge, with the Hundred-Man Commander on the flank, forming an inverted "V" shape. Wang Hong spearheaded the assault, like a tiger among sheep, unstoppable.

Others protected the flanks, cutting through the enemy formation like a hot knife through butter.

Approaching the enemy formation, just as it seemed they would break through, a burly man with a face full of scars stood in the front. He wielded a mountain-splitting greataxe, wore half-body iron armor, and had a chest protector mirror.

Seeing Wang Hong approaching, the scar-faced man launched a powerful overhead strike. Wang Hong blocked with his spear, feeling a slight numbness in his hand. Wang Hong silently exclaimed, "Impressive strength!"

Typically, Acquired Stage martial artists possessed strength ranging from six hundred to nine hundred kilograms, while Innate Stage martial artists could surpass a thousand kilograms. Some, born with extraordinary strength or practicing special techniques, could break through a thousand kilograms during the Acquired Stage.

The "Henglian Liuhe Gong" that Wang Hong cultivated excelled in defense, not raw strength. Even now, his strength only exceeded a thousand kilograms by a small margin.

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