Chapter 465: The Last Moment!

"By the looks of it, we will have, at most, another three days."

Fu Baoguo shut his eyes tight as he felt all of his energy seep out of his body; if he had not been holding himself erect, he would have collapsed into a mindless heap.

Hundreds of thousands of lives had already been lost here. Were they not enough to hold the fort? Fu Baoguo had initially estimated that the Fortress of Resilience could still last another twenty days under his command!

He had thought that unless he was faced with the despair of insufficient manpower, he would never lose the Fortress of Resilience. No matter how mighty Han Sanhe claimed to be, he could only try his level best to gain control of the fortress here.

To further bolster his confidence, the constant stream of relief troops filtering in after the war had gone on for a while. With the arrival of the western troops, Fu Baoguo had been even more assured. This was sweetened by the news that Old Marshal Qiu Jianhan was also leading a troop here and they would reach the fort in, at most, another day.

These events brightened the spark of hope in Fu Baoguo. He was confident that he would surely be able to last until Old Marshal Qiu arrived. They would reassemble the army and fight Han Sanhe together; then, the Yutang army would only need to hold out until the Nine Supremes Lords came to their rescue. The eastern defense line would then be secured.

Perhaps, they could also plow on tenaciously, continue to drain their resources and grind away at the millions of Dongxuan soldiers until both countries had no more manpower to continue the battle. The war would naturally come to an end.

Even when Dongxuan had invaded with the entire nation's military strength, the Fortress of Resilience had the eastern line army, the western elites, and Old Marshal Qiu's relief troop; they were not in any way weak, especially when they also had the Fortress of Resilience, the indestructible bastion, to depend on. A war like this would always favor the defending army, so if they continued to persevere and try to keep their own casualties to a minimum, Dongxuan would be on the losing end.

Yutang's chance of winning had risen; from the initial tenth of a chance to a thirtieth of a chance. The war was finally taking a favorable turn!

However...

Fu Baoguo realized that his judgment was but his own thinking. Han Sanhe was indeed Tianxuan's acknowledged peerless general; he wondered if he had been plotting for this since the very beginning. If this was the case, then he was a petrifying foe to face indeed.

The unexpected weakness in the Fortress of Resilience's wall had extinguished all the hope that Fu Baoguo harbored!

The old marshal was about to arrive with his army and the war would take a turn due to it, yet a loophole had appeared at such a critical moment - the fort wall posed a problem. Furthermore, it was in such a position that even to repair it was impossible.

"Is this heaven's wish to end me? Is this God's wish to end Yutang?"

Fu Baoguo heaved a long sigh.

...

"Chance!"

The opportunity that Han Sanhe had been waiting for for a while now had finally appeared!

"Go all out! The Fortress of Resilience must fall in the following twenty-four hours!"

Han Sanhe commanded, "Even if all three hundred thousand fighters in this war are to die, the Resilience Fortress must be conquered, regardless of price and casualties!"

Faced with Han Sanhe's almost insane command, all the Dongxuan soldiers were bewildered. Not understanding it was one thing, yet they had still carried out the order obediently.

Everyone went out to prepare themselves, resolute in fighting this battle to their deaths.

Zhan Ge watched his teacher, asking, "Teacher, what we're happiest to see has appeared. The enemy's fort wall has a large weak spot and it's expected that the Fortress of Resilience will be ours to pocket. But when their defense is at its strongest, attacking with our all now will only incur a huge loss for us..."

There was absolutely no need to pay such a hefty price of immense casualties at this point in time!

Zhan Ge was confused.

"The military prizes speed. We must take the Fortress of Resilience before Qiu Jianhan arrives. Otherwise, we will never have such a chance ever again!" Han Sanhe sighed softly.

"It can at least be dragged for as long as a month later... although there are pros and cons to this."

"The current situation favors us. Even when that old man Qiu Jianhan comes, can he change the outcome?" Zhan Ge still did not understand.

"Zhan Ge, you are well versed in warfare. Have you really not figured out our current situation? If the enemy's fort wall wasn't flawed at such a delicate moment in this war, the state of war would have been entirely swapped; victory would no longer tilt to where we stand!" said Han Sanhe grimly.

Zhan Ge was taken aback and said earnestly, "Teacher, our side obviously has the advantage now. Even without the wall's flaw, it's only a matter of time before we take the Fortress of Resilience. Have things changed so drastically?"

Han Sanhe shook his head and paused before he said, "All of Dongxuan's military strength is concentrated in this war. It sounds majestic and aggressive, but we have our share of problems as well. If it weren't for the agreement between the four countries to besiege Yutang in the beginning, I'd never have suggested such an extreme measure. Initially, if Ziyou could annihilate Supreme Cloud, or at least remove him from the picture, things would have turned out differently. As long as they trapped him there and all four countries were to attack at the same time, Yutang would have been subjugated in short order."

"However, not only has Supreme Cloud slaughtered his way out of the battle in Zilong City, he has thoroughly intimidated Ziyou's higher authorities, while the Emperor of Ziyou has realized his inadequacies in that battle, drawing back the Ziyou army despite their recent departure. As such, Yutang's west border is basically free for now."

"There's also the south border. After Supreme Cloud left Zilong City, he unexpectedly headed south and joined in the war aggressively. The southern line defeated Dayuan and while the Empire of Dayuan didn't suffer too much damage, their military morale has hit rock bottom - they can't fight anymore! The north saw Tie Zheng taking the reins personally and is safe and secure. Therefore, from the so-called siege from four countries, the only one left to attack Yutang is us, the east."

"Still, Fu Baoguo's capability far exceeds my expectations. His guerilla tactics have caused significant disruption to our supply lines and the western troops who have just arrived also secured the swaying Fortress of Resilience once again. If we wait for Qiu Jianhan's relief troop, I can tell that even if Supreme Cloud doesn't join in and as we expend each other's resources, Dongxuan will collapse even as Yutang falls! Now, do you still think the situation is to our advantage?"

Zhan Ge kept quiet as he slowly realized the gravity of the situation.

"If we move upon the Fortress of Resilience in the most extreme war maneuver, a lot of people will have to die, but it will also buy us time. If we truly wait for Qiu Jianhan's arrival only to attack the Fortress of Resilience, we might have to pay the price of four hundred thousand men or more, as well as losing time."

"Why? The bane is already in existence, and can't be changed!" Zhan Ge was still clueless.

Could Qiu Jianhan repair that wall when he came?

Han Sanhe did not answer but sighed loudly.

The snow fell in heavy sheets again.

It was amidst such a snowstorm that the war drum was played deafeningly in Dongxuan's base. Countless men from the enemy lines charged over like tidal waves. The flood of attacking troops made it look like a forest of trees had picked itself up and was running to fight.

"Han Sanhe has found out our weak spot, he's already beginning to attack by targeting this point!"

Fu Baoguo hollered, "Mobilize our brothers, whether from the east or west, to our defense!"

"So many people? Is it necessary?" Sun Zihu was shocked.

"Han Sanhe will go all out in his attack this time; it will be a heavy hammer blow!" Fu Baoguo closed his eyes and said, "We have to face them with all we have. Otherwise... before the Old Marshal comes, we would have already lost the Fortress of Resilience! If this is the case, Yutang will truly be in danger!"

This war was destined to be an earth-shatteringly devastating one.

It was the twenty-second day of the twelfth month, a day both nations would remember after many years had passed since this war erupted.

This day had become a special occasion for both the countries.

In Dongxuan, it was called "Warriors Day"; in Yutang, it was called "Lionhearts Day".

Each time this day came around, the Empire of Dongxuan paid silent tribute and ceased imperial assemblies for a day, while the people from the Empire of Yutang donned mourning dresses and lit candles.

The devastation of the war was apparent; the latter part of the battle was fought with sobs and wails by the elite veterans who had been through hundreds of wars and jaded men who had seen past life and death from both Yutang and Dongxuan.

It was a crushingly horrendous battle!

The ramparts of the Fortress of Resilience almost shook with frenzied warfare - no, not almost, it was continuously surging from the bouts of heavy fighting.

Plenty of Yutang soldiers who had been pushing themselves despite their exhaustion used the last bit of their strength to charge over the moment the enemy came up to the top of the wall; they hugged the enemy in their embrace before jumping off the hundred and fifty-foot tall wall, crushing both of them together.

This was their last tactic, to die with the enemy. At the very end, they refused to be a lost cause!

People were falling off the city walls like dumplings being dropped into boiling water; battle cries intersected each other, echoing and unending.

The steam that rose actually melted the falling snow in midair, causing them to fall as droplets of rain. Even when it rained then, it could not wash away the coursing streams of blood on the ground.

On such wintery days, there were innumerable fighters that were fighting almost maniacally with their torsos exposed and hair unkempt, baring the crisscrossed scars that they boasted on their battle-hardened bodies.

The scars of a militant had always been their pride and glory; they were bared before everyone else at this moment. Both sides were all fighting in a pitched frenzy.

The drums deafened the heavens - Fu Baoguo's hoarse voice ordered loudly, "Steel Cavalry! To battle!"

To reduce the pressure on the fort walls, the Steel Cavalry had to join the fray now. Once they were called to the frontline, it was a fight to their deaths.

"For our Yutang!"

"For our parents!"

"For our brothers!"

"Kill!"

The tightly shut city gate was opened abruptly as Yutang's Steel Cavalry charged out like a maddened dragon, colliding into and flinging away Dongxuan's soldiers who were attacking the fort with unstoppable momentum.

However, the Steel Cavalry was surrounded by Dongxuan's troops almost immediately. There was simply too many of them. Even with the Steel Cavalry's momentum, they could not dispel, charge through nor move them aside!

The arrows showered upon them like a storm, and when they landed, the rain and snow were blocked from sight by the shower of quivers.

The Steel Cavalry slithered back and forth, killing mercilessly like a raging dragon among the enemy. They tried their best to disrupt the rhythm of the attacker's relief troops.

Han Sanhe's base on the other end of the field reacted to it promptly; the Shadow Cavalry, Steel Cavalry's nemesis, was already ready and had been waiting for the arrival of Yutang's cavalry.

Throughout the entire time, Yutang's Steel Cavalry had been hogging the limelight and the Shadow Cavalry had been clenching their teeth in animosity. Now that the Steel Cavalry had entered the battlefield, it was the cue for them to make their grand appearance. The curtains for the most extreme bout of slaughter from both sides had been pulled.

A giant of a man from the Steel Cavalry had been separated from his squad by the nemesis, alongside his three brothers. He was unstoppable as he killed the men of the Shadow Cavalry that charged at him; at least twenty to thirty bodies fell with only a snap of his fingers, yet his three brothers fell as well, becoming slabs of flesh alongside the enemy dead.

Seeing that the big man from the Steel Cavalry was alone again, the enemy, maddened from the slaughter, bolted forward to surround him with the intention to dismember him. Suddenly, the man raised his saber to the sky and roared, "Stop!"

The Shadow Cavalry around him faltered, shocked to hear his sudden cry.

Even when the Steel Cavalry and Shadow Cavalry loathed each other so much, even as they were hell-bent on killing each other, there was still a degree of admiration for the enemy.

The Steel Cavalry lived up to their reputation of being unsurpassed on the battlefield, while the Shadow Cavalry lived up to their reputation as unrivaled warriors!

Hearing the cry to stop at the last moment by their only nemesis of this lifetime, the Shadow Cavalrymen retracted their sabers and spears that they had just been wildly slashing away with.

The big man sat straight on his horse as he laughed and said, "The Shadow Cavalry are elites, worthy to fight us Steel Cavalry in this lifetime! Your father regards you all even higher, simply by the fact that you can restrain your bloodlust and lower your weapons!"

His saber was tilted as he said faintly, "The three brothers who stood beside me were my three biological brothers. Now that they've left, I, as the eldest brother, can't have them unrecognizable by our parents when they reach the underworld, can I?"

"Hence, allow me to clean them up a little."

He hopped off his horse without a care after speaking, walking forward among the horde of Shadow Cavalry with wide strides to search for his three brothers' bodies and drag them out, one by one.

In an empty space on the battlefield, he wrung out his war gown that was drenched in blood and spat on it to wipe at his brothers' faces. The more he wiped, the redder it was and the more stained the three faces became.

"Catch!"

A Shadow Cavalry general yelled as he pulled a white towel from around his neck and tossed it, while another Shadow Cavalry soldier untied his waterskin and lobbed it over as well.

"Thank you! Your father owes you for this..." The big man dabbed the towel with some water and cleaned his brothers' faces. Then, he stood up quietly and said aloud, "When you fellows get there, remember to tell mother and father that we came together to fight for the country and to guard Yutang. It is something to be proud of, to die in the line of duty!"

"We did not embarrass our parents! The only thing we regret is that none of us four brothers left any bloodline for our Qiao Family!"

"As the eldest, this is all my fault! Go take care of our parents, I won't be going to meet them. To have made such a serious mistake, I'll only embarrass them if I were to face them!"

He then chortled, showing his pearly white teeth; there was blood seeping from his torso, but he was oblivious to it.

With a flip, he mounted his horse again. The saber in his hands pointed forward coldly as he said, "Warriors of Shadow Cavalry, thank you for your towel and waterskin! However, as an invader and defender, how many of you would like to join me, Eldest Qiao, on the other side?"

The Shadow Cavalry general maintained his composure with an inexplicable gleam in his eyes as he yelled, "You, Eldest Qiao, are a great man, but the Shadow Cavalry brothers aren't cowards! We are in the midst of a war between two armies, and we are not so foolish as to engage in a duel with you! Arrows!"

With that command, the Shadow Cavalry fitted their arrows and aimed their bows at Eldest Qiao.

Just like the general had said, the Shadow Cavalry were not cowards, but knowing that the enemy would die anyway, they would not risk losing another life to go with him - they were not idiots.

Amidst Eldest Qiao's guffaw, the arrows pelted down upon him like a storm. Eldest Qiao's laughter was still resonating in their ears while the saber in his hand slashed forward like a strike of lightning. At the same time, he and his warhorse turned into a black porcupine, a porcupine of steel.

The saber threw off electricity as it passed through the heads of the surrounding Shadow Cavalry and chopped a Shadow Cavalryman standing a hundred feet away into two.

The last battle before his death fulfilled his desire to kill another man in the company; he already knew that death was waiting for him, but he would make it worthwhile.

"Salute!"

The Shadow Cavalry general commanded; the surrounding Shadow Cavalry raised their hands at the same time, saluting their brave enemy.

At the very last moment of his life, he had still chosen to let them go because they had given him time as well as the towel and waterskin. The last strike of his saber was unstoppable; those that saw the weapon were sure that they would not be able to block it. Yet Eldest Qiao had opted to toss his saber out at the very last moment, killing an enemy soldier that stood far away, but not those around him.

It was his last gesture of reciprocated respect!

Eldest Qiao, who now resembled a human porcupine, was left with one last breath. Standing quietly with his horse, his muscular body remained mounted on his loyal companion, his back straight as a ramrod. With blood dripping everywhere, he used the last of his strength to turn his head, as if he wished to turn back and gaze at the Fortress of Resilience that was still in the midst of mayhem. However, his last movement, his last wish, was not completed.

He ceased moving entirely.

The Shadow Cavalry general urged his horse forward and bowed soundlessly, speaking with a low voice, "Do not worry. At the moment of your death, as you gave your life in the call of duty, the Fortress of Resilience has not fallen yet!"

With a loud crash, both Eldest Qiao and his horse collapsed onto the ground, as if his last wish had finally been granted and he could rest in peace.

...

There was only one mission left for the Steel Cavalry who was fighting tonight - charge the enemy at the risk of their own lives and reduce the pressure on the wall as much as they could.

A total of five thousand Steel Cavalry rushed into the enemy's formation; not a single one of them flinched or tried to turn around as they crashed into the sea of steel. Each and every one of them fought to their very last breath!

The leader general who had the highest cultivation base and highest combat power among the five thousand Steel Cavalry bolted left and right fearlessly through Dongxuan's formation. In the end, he fought alone; everywhere he passed, his spear and sword struck like storm and thunder that danced in unison.

The enemy was all around him, wounds were added to him incessantly but he paid no attention to them. When there was a slight reprieve, he realized that the Shadow Cavalry had reassembled into their original formation while his comrades were no longer to be seen as he looked around.

He roared, suddenly reining his horse around and roared, "Han Sanhe! It is time to hand over your life!"

Man and horse were like a single arrow, shooting towards the tent that Han Sanhe occupied. The brave warrior was charging straight toward the marshal's main tent, alone among millions of enemy soldiers!

Despite the absurdity of his actions, no one dared to ridicule such an unwise move. They only listened to the galloping horse that sounded like thunder while his spear danced the dance of lightning. No one could stop him as he sped forward as swiftly as the wind.

In his mad charge, he managed to put down over seventy Shadow Cavalrymen that stood in his way!

"Arrows!"

Loud hollers came from afar almost at the same time as millions of arrows flew in from every direction. It was a non-discriminatory attack, which meant that the Shadow Cavalry who were milling around the Steel Cavalry general were caught in the deadly shower as well.

It could not be helped. Even though the madman would not have been able to traverse the distance he needed to actually threaten Han Sanhe's life, Dongxuan's higher authority could not allow the Steel Cavalry general to ride unhindered. Even if they had to sacrifice a portion of the Shadow Cavalry to stop him, they had no regrets.

Seeing the shower of arrows that was about to fall upon him, the Steel Cavalry general did nothing to avoid it. He raised his spear as he roared for the very last time in his life, "The Steel Cavalry is here! Who dares to invade our territory?"

The raging storm of arrows then turned the Steel Cavalry general into a monument right in the middle of his path.

Even as life slipped away from them, the warhorse remained in its charging position while the cavalryman mounted on it remained tall and proud, gripping the spear tightly in his hand. His eyes, filled with unadulterated hate, were still trained in the direction where Han Sanhe's marshal flag fluttered. His mouth was slightly ajar as if he still wished to roar thunderously again, "The Steel Cavalry is here! Who dares invade our territory?"

"The Steel Cavalry is here! Who dares invade our territory?"

A Shadow Cavalry general suddenly shuddered for no perceptible reason.

"Who is this? He took down over four hundred of our brothers in his advance attacks! I would have loved to kill him with my own bare hands!"

No one answered.

"Give him a burial with full honors!"

A Shadow Cavalryman moved forward slowly to lift the Steel Cavalry general off his horse, but his spear glimmered icily in his hands; no matter how much effort was exerted by the Shadow Cavalry, they could not get remove it. There was also a sword in his other hand that he clutched tightly; nothing could loosen his grip, even in death.

It was the very expression of his mantra- no matter whether I am dead or alive, I will fight to the end!

"Man and horse, saber and sword, bury them all together!"

The Shadow Cavalry general could not hold in his tears. How could one not respect such an enemy!

...

The cries of battle and slaughter suddenly increased in intensity.

On the wall of the fort, the drums were beaten loudly.

Amidst the rain of arrows, the main marshal of Yutang's Fortress of Resilience, Fu Baoguo, appeared at the highest point of the wall, his muscular build easy to identify.

"I am Fu Baoguo!"

Fu Baoguo's thunderous shout resonated in the cold air. Not a single person in the entire battlefield could miss his words.

"I am here!"

"I am here, be it dead or alive!"

"Fight!"

They were only short lines. Not many words had been uttered, but Yutang's soldiers felt as if a veil of energy had fallen over them.

Their main marshal was present on the battlefield!

He was standing at the most dangerous spot in the vicinity to watch them fight; what reason was there to hesitate?

Fight! They would fight with everything they had, to their deaths, to the very end!

"Fight to the very end!"

"Protect my homeland!"

"For my comrades!"

"For my parents!"

The soldiers roared like thunder; those who had been sluggish due to fatigue suddenly turned agile, while their combat power hiked as if they had received a helping hand from God.

From Dongxuan's ranks, a sharp cry could be heard.

"Deicide Bows! Give all that you've got and take down Fu Baoguo!"

Countless Deicide arrows merged to form a ferocious stream as they drew a black trail across the sky, streaking straight towards Fu Baoguo.