Chapter 73: The Reinforcements Finally Arrive

The war raged on, the bloodshed unceasing. Soldiers fell one after another, only for more to surge forward in their place. So many had died or been wounded, yet the walls were still crowded.

“Kill…” an officer shouted loudly.

Within Iron Forest City, the civilians trembled in terror at the thunderous cries of battle. For two days now, they had lived in constant fear, but clearly, their nightmare was only beginning.

A Qin commander bellowed, “Brothers, put in more effort! The general says, once the city falls, no swords will be sheathed!”

“Victory!” The Qin soldiers’ morale soared.

No swords sheathed—what did that mean? Anything could be plundered, women could be taken at will! How could that not drive the Qin troops mad? But it would surely become the nightmare of the city’s inhabitants.

The Wei forces had been crushed into a tight formation, now even more so. Honestly, after so much slaughter, they were utterly exhausted, sustained only by sheer determination. If their resolve wavered, death would come instantly.

Wei Wuji was anxious—his own situation and that of his entire army were both perilous. If the tides turned just a little further, they would be doomed beyond redemption.

At this point, Wei Wuji could think of no solution. Driven to desperation, he seized his long sword and fought fiercely against the Qin soldiers. He was fortunate to have guards protecting him, and being on the edge of the battlefield allowed him to survive thus far. Had he been in the center, a novice like him would have been slain in moments.

“Die!”

Wei Wuji drove his sword deep into a Qin soldier’s chest; blood sprayed over him, drenching him completely. No trace of his usual elegant demeanor remained. Blood smeared his face, hands, and clothing. He was now a creature of blood, an embodiment of the inner demon he had always feared.

After pulling out his sword, he wiped his face with his sleeve, only smearing the blood further, making his appearance even more disarrayed. Even if the Marquis of Wei stood before him now, he would not recognize his own son, his own face.

“Kill…”

Wei Wuji found no word more fitting for himself than this.

After overcoming his initial terror and guilt, Wei Wuji discovered an unspeakable exhilaration in killing. Watching life after life fall by his hand, he felt a rush akin to gaining experience in a game—his body surged with that sensation.

Wei Wuji’s madness inspired the soldiers around him. If the noble son fought so desperately, how could those of lowly birth fear losing their lives? The guards protecting Wei Wuji became frenzied themselves.

The weak fear the strong, but the strong fear those who don’t value their own lives. The Wei soldiers’ wild fighting forced nearby Qin troops to retreat—they needed to keep themselves alive for the pleasures that awaited.

A miracle occurred: under Wei Wuji’s lead (if it could be called that), the surrounding Wei soldiers pushed the Qin troops back. It was almost inconceivable, especially since such a scene had rarely occurred the day before. Wei Wuji’s performance was outstanding—he was truly fighting with real swords and spears against the Qin.

From afar, Wang Xiu and the others noticed this unusual situation on Wei Wuji’s side. None of them expected their somewhat frail young master to be at the heart of it.

“What was I doing at sixteen or seventeen?” Liu Xuanba asked himself, realizing that apart from practicing with weapons, he had hardly killed even a chicken. Good heavens, at this age the young master slaughters men as easily as chickens! Liu Xuanba could not help but marvel.

This was a golden opportunity—why not capitalize on it to boost morale once more? Deciding swiftly, Liu Xuanba blocked incoming blades and shouted, “Brothers, even the young master is fighting in person! Are we to let the Qin force us into such cowardice?”

“Fight alongside the young master! Kill!”

“Kill!” The Wei soldiers roared in grief and rage.

When the lord is troubled, the vassals are shamed; when the lord is shamed, the vassals should die. With Wei Wuji as their lord, not only had they failed to protect him, they had forced him to fight personally. In their hearts, this was an unbearable torment, worse than losing their own lives.

People of this era were simple, single-minded even. Yet, such qualities were precisely what was needed now.

In their anguish, the Wei army’s fighting spirit rose again. Driven by frenzy, they steadied their formation and blocked the Qin advance.

“Damn it!” Zhai Quan plunged his sword into the ground, his face contorted with anger. He too had witnessed Wei Wuji’s actions and could not have imagined this sixteen-year-old youth would be so formidable.

“What is the enforcement squad doing?” Zhai Quan roared.

To see his own men retreat was intolerable. Retreat meant death—he had just issued that strict order.

“I’ll go up myself!” Zhai Quan grabbed his sword and led his guards toward the city wall.

“General, you mustn’t risk yourself!” Wei Xing urged anxiously.

Zhai Quan snorted. If Iron Forest City was not taken soon, even a subsequent victory would be a defeat. “If you’re afraid, stay with the troops!” With that, Zhai Quan strode toward the wall without looking back.

If the noble son of Wei was fighting hand-to-hand, what had he, a commoner, to fear?

Meanwhile, atop the wall, Wei and Qin forces remained locked in stalemate, but the Qin still held the advantage. They had confidence; if they faltered, plenty more waited behind them to take their place.

“The general is here!” The Qin soldiers cheered.

Suddenly the Wei defense tightened, pushed back a meter or two by the Qin assault.

Wei Wuji, who had begun to hope the ordeal might soon end, felt his resolve shattered once more by the renewed threat.

The Qin attacks intensified. In such confined space, courage and ferocity were tested even more.

“Aaaah…”

Cries of agony rang out, signifying lives lost in an instant. In moments, the Wei army lost another dozen men, their line forced steadily backward.

Such was the cruel nature of this tug-of-war—the Qin claimed more sections of the blood-stained wall. This time, the Wei had no strength left for a counterattack; they could only hold their current line and prevent further encroachment.

Wei Wuji was utterly despairing—more so than at the banks of Ling River. Then, he had a way out: a horse, a retinue, even if the Wei army lost, he might escape. Now, surrounded on all sides, escape was impossible.

“Brothers, our fate is decided here—kill!”

As he entered the fray, Zhai Quan for the first time rallied his troops.

The Qin pressed ever closer; the Wei army was on the brink of collapse, only a thread away.

Wei Wuji picked up his sword and joined the battle, refusing to wait for death.

But the Wei resistance was futile. The battle had raged from morning until now—its end was near.

Until, from the distant earth, clouds of dust began to rise.