Chapter 703

Chapter 703

Despite having yet to take part in the battle itself, three days of constant Defiled aggression left Hongji mentally exhausted like never before.

Fighting was often the easiest part of a soldiers lot, because once swords were drawn and spears brandished, all that was left to do was swing your weapon and stay alive. The prelude to open combat was usually where ultimate victory or defeat was decided, so it was here where officers and commanders poured most of their efforts into, and Hongji was no different. Having been appointed to command the Bulwark, the Central Citadels last bastion of defence, he spent his days readying the inner fortress to take in as many wounded and civilians as possible, on top of reinforcing the already considerable fortifications. What pained him the most was knowing that there was no way the Bulwark could physically house every soldier and civilian currently living in the Citadel. Thus, if the Defiled were to breach the outer defences, he would have no choice but to close the gates to non-vital personnel and watch from behind his walls as they were slaughtered wholesale by the Enemy. The only way to avoid this was to hope the Citadel defences held firm, but with Commander General Shuai Jiao and Colonel General Ryo Dae Jung taking personal command of the outer defences, there was nothing the lowly Brigadier Chen Hongji could do to affect his own fate.

There was nothing he liked less than being powerless to act, but all he could do was hope for the best and prepare for the worst, the latter of which seemed all the likelier with each passing minute.

Today marked the fourth consecutive day of non-stop attacks, and while they were still three hours shy of noon, it felt like the early hours of the morning had stretched on for thrice as long as they should have. Having faced him across the battlefield once before, Bai Qi had already proven himself to be a canny and relentless commander, one who excelled at applying constant pressure across the line and seizing any and all opportunities which presented themselves. This was not a man who made a plan with contingencies, but rather one who understood the flow of battle and moved according to the situation. This wasnt to say Bai Qi had made no preparations, but rather that he had accounted for a vast array of variables beforehand and was now proceeding as necessity dictated. This was the mark of an experienced commander, one whod been through countless battles before, and while Commander General Shuai Jiao might well be one of the foremost strategists alive, it was clear from the offset that he was outmatched in terms of raw experience alone.

This disadvantage was most evident in the minor, almost imperceptible difference in speed of reaction, for every time Bai Qi moved in an unexpected manner, Commander General Shuai Jiao took just that much longer to respond, whereas Bai Qis strategic movements and tactical transitions arrived so quickly it seemed as if his prepared troops had been waiting in place for hours beforehand. A difference so minor it could be measured in seconds when it came to relaying orders, but as those orders were passed down the line, those precious seconds translated into real-world consequences such as lost initiative when orders arrived too late or countermanded however the on-site Officer had reacted. Most might not notice this watching the battle unfold in real time, and perhaps even a good number of historians might overlook this seemingly minor and inconsequential detail, but to Hongjis eyes, it felt as if Commander General Shuai Jiao had been on the back foot since Bai Qi arrived.

To be fair, even as the most active Colonel General of peaceful Central, Shuai Jiaos battle records paled in comparison to Bai Qis service in the West, a resource rich and food scarce province rife with rebellions and internecine conflicts on top of constant Defiled incursions and outbreaks. Before Bai Qis rise to prominence, famine and rebellion had been all but common place, and he made a career of breaking the backs of insurrections and uprisings with ruthless efficiency, many of which were led by local Magistrates who used their control over food and resources to become hegemons of their largely isolated cities. With more experience in siege warfare than any other man alive, it was obvious Bai Qi was a foe to be reckoned with, and Hongji couldnt imagine anyone faring as well as Commander General Shuai Jiao had over the previous three days, but now matters were coming to a head and the differences could no longer be ignored. Finally finished testing the Citadels defences, Bai Qi had launched an all-out offensive on the third day, utilizing everything hed learned thus far to assail the walls with the full force of his considerable army, and it was clear the Commander General was struggling to keep up. Already, both he and Colonel General Ryo Dae Jung had been forced to commit themselves to the fight, never a good sign when the Enemy Commander had yet to take the field himself. Between the Wraith assassins, Demon attacks, and coordinated groups of Peak Experts all aiming to take their heads, there was no way either of the highest ranking officers present were in top-condition, yet the formidable Bai Qi was fully rested and ready to fight.

And this time, there was no Lieutenant General Akanai of the Bekhai to keep him in check.

No man is an island. This was the thought Hongji used to reassure himself, but he knew full well that the highest ranking officers were the pillars holding up the roof which kept the Heavens from crashing down on the rank-and-file soldiers underneath. While no prominent Peak Experts had fallen in battle just yet, it was only a matter of time before word of some famed Warriors death arrived to shake the morale of every soldier present, which might well signal the beginning of the end for the Central Citadel, and in turn, the outer provinces themselves. It took five days for an army to travel from Citadel to Citadel, meaning they would have to hold out for the rest of today and all of tomorrow before there was even the slightest chance of reinforcements arriving to save the day. Bai Qi knew this as well as any, and it appeared hed committed to taking the Citadel before an army from North or South appeared on the horizon, a goal Hongji was not entirely sure they could keep him from achieving. Aside from the Bulwarks dedicated forces, the rest of the Citadels Peak Experts had already been committed to battle, but the Defiled still had plenty more in reserve, as several Officers had already noted based on the arrangement of Enemy forces. Not only were there Demons who had yet to join the battle proper, it was clear Bai Qi had at least a few thousand Warriors cloaked in Concealment, but whether they were true elites or merely a ruse to keep the Imperials on their toes, it was impossible to say until they moved out.

For this reason, Hongji kept a close eye on where the Concealed Enemy forces were stationed while Scrying upon the battle itself, and thus was among the first to notice when they revealed their presence. Having seen them once before, Hongji immediately Sent a warning directly to the Commander General, who was currently holding back a concentrated push along the centre alongside some of the most powerful Peak Experts Central had to offer. Bai Qis reserves are in play, Hongji Sent, desperately trying to keep the panic out of his voice. Armoured Demons as suspected, similar to the ones encountered in JiangHu. Caution advised, may possess advanced Aural attacks that bypass our known defences.

Acknowledged, the Commander General replied. I will hold the second wall, while overall command of the Citadel is yours.

And then there was no more time for Shuai Jiao to Send, for his foes were upon him.

An ear-splitting crash heralded the start of this epic contest of champions as Bai Qi made his grand entrance upon the battlefield here in the Citadel, but Hongji saw only the aftermath. Stood atop the crenellated walls, the Lord of Martial Peace held his signature Green Dragon Crescent Blade overhead and readied to strike, a sight which seemed almost comical when seen without context. The massive weapon measured in at just over three metres in height, with a full third of that taken up by the nine-ringed sabre blade up top. The weapon dwarfed the slender, willowy Bai Qis two-metre height, but there was not a Warrior alive who would dare look down upon the Prince of Barbarity, especially not after witnessing the power of his attacks. In contrast, the empty-handed and plainly dressed Shuai Jiao made for a sorry sight, even to those familiar with the ascetic Commander General. A Martial Warrior who stood at the Peak of Strength, he was famed for rising to such lofty heights without having ever bound a Spiritual Weapon, a feat which led many to wonder what he would be like with a weapon in hand. Now, for the first time in his storied history, it seemed as if his decision to do without would spell his doom.

A modest and unpretentious man, Shuai Jiaos plain brown robes were now stained with crimson blood, but the bright white bone jutting out was far more alarming a sight. Broken and made useless in a single exchange, he cradled his right arm with the left and gaze up at his foe with wary trepidation in his tired, half-lidded eyes, a sight which made Hongjis heart skip several beats before resuming its life-sustaining work once again. Flowing Sword Ishin Shingen, Steel Fury Yari Hagane, and Earthshaker Eccentric Gam moved to support the Commander General, but they in turn were intercepted by those strange, armoured Demons with their all-too-human eyes and indecipherable Aural attacks for which the Empire had no defence against. The survivors spoke of having been overcome with indescribable terror, which was hardly out of the ordinary when fighting powerful Demons, but also crippling despair, so poignant and overwhelming it threatened to break the very spirits of all who felt it. Hongji himself had not experienced it then, and he was too far removed from the battle to feel it now, but he could see the impact it had on these most powerful of Peak Experts, as well as the toll it took on the soldiers all around them.

Panic and desperation visibly spread down the lines, rippling outwards from the source as soldiers and officers alike threw down their weapons and fled for safety, but the Enemy was not so kind as to allow them safe retreat. One moment, the Imperial soldiers held firm atop the second walls, beating back the Defiled tide threatening to surge up onto the battlements, and the next, the floodgates broke open as the Enemy deluge surged through to overwhelm the terrified defenders. Wholesale slaughter ensued as dark-armoured forms swarmed the battlements and left none alive, not even those desperate souls who dared to leap off the walls in a frantic gambit to survive. Axes and javelins thrown by Defiled tribesmen flew true and pinned those poor unfortunates to the stone, their dying screams unheard over the cacophony of terror and bloodshed taking place overhead, the tides of battle flipping in an instant as the Enemy took root atop the centre of the second wall.

One bright note to keep in mind was that even though this Aural attack was formidable to the extreme, the range was strictly limited to a paltry handful of metres from the armoured Demons, unlike standard Aura which could cover dozens, if not hundreds of metres at a time. Thus, even though most of the centre fell almost immediately, the left and right flanks still held strong, if only for the time being. Having already anticipated this outcome, Hongji watched with bated breath as long seconds passed before he finally saw signs of Imperial soldiers moving in to reinforce, a timely delay which made him rethink his criticism of Commander General Shuai Jiaos lacking abilities. Worst of all, Hongji wasnt even sure if sending in reinforcements was the right call since he had no forces to match those formidable armoured Demons.

Or so he thought, right up until a friendly force emerged from Concealment to support the Commander General.

The next five seconds were an incomprehensible blur as Hongji struggled to make sense of what he witnessed, with hundreds of Peak Experts Cloud-Stepping onto the battlements and unleashing their devastating attacks in concert. Swords flashed, spears thrust, hammers swung, and more, but to put it so simply did not do the scene justice. A single blade scythed through an offending Demon and injured the three behind it. A spear lanced out to impale its target until the cross-guard sent it flying. A descending hammer pulped its target and directed the spray of Ichor out and away. Each and every attack contained countless vicissitudes of Chi manipulation, most of which were above and beyond Hongjis meagre understanding, attacks he would have previously expected from a Warrior on the level of a Major General at the very least. An Expert like that should have been instantly recognizable anywhere in the Empire, if not at least familiar to someone in Hongjis position, but he didnt recognize a single face in the crowd of unexpected reinforcements.

Which only made sense, as these were no common Peak Experts, but Warriors hailing from the Imperial Clan itself.

Clad in their distinctive and resplendent red and gold armour, the Royal Guardians made an unforgettable entrance upon the field of battle, their weapons raising sprays of blood and clouds of dust as they moved to support the Commander General. A single, dark-armoured form stood out amidst the crowd, one Hongji recognized as Legate Falling Rains Death Corps Guard Kuang Biao, the former Royal Guardian whod been reduced to a lowly slave. Even then, the mans prowess was undeniable as he fought with fury unmatched, his sword a blur as he fended off three Demons at a time. The mans presence also explained where these Royal Guardians had come from, dispatched here by the cunning Imperial Consort Zheng Luo to support the Commander General in secret. The girl was a brilliant politician, but lacking in tactical acumen, so Hongji could only imagine that these powerful Peak Experts had been requested by the Commander General in exchange for some sort of political concession, a move which might well prove pivotal in the defence of the Citadel.

Besides, the harsh truth of the matter was that if even Ryo Dae Jung could not kill Mataram YuGan, then Du Min Gyu would likely fare no better, and the Imperial Defenders could not afford to lose yet another Living Legend just yet.

Once the conflagration began to sputter out, Hongji moved onto the next step of his plan and mentally prepared for the ensuing bloodshed. All across the Citadel, his hidden catapults rolled out of their warehouses or had their coverings torn away, at which point Bai Qi was already moving to react, but not quickly enough. Having been drilled to perfection by the Imperial Scion Liu Xuande, the Irregulars unleashed their payloads in a concentrated barrage mere seconds after Hongji gave the order to reveal themselves, one-hundred and twenty-four engines of war here to deliver death from afar. Each catapult had been loaded with a pair of chained concrete spheres, weighted with leaden cores to make them even deadlier than their already considerable weight would allow. Having long since taken measure of their targets, their payloads flew true, rotating furiously about as the spheres separated as far as their bindings would allow before smashing into the second wall.

To say the second wall crumbled apart would be more than a minor exaggeration, but it wasnt too far from the truth. Though the outer walls were built to withstand repeated Defiled attacks, the inward facing sections were only there to keep the walls from falling over, and the heavy, leaden projectiles smashed through them with shocking ease. With so many bodies packed in and atop them, what remained was left teetering in place, with large sections simply collapsing under their own unsupported weight, killing hundreds, if not thousands of Defiled and wounding many more in the process. Rather than the Demonic Warriors, Bai Qi dispatched regular, run of the mill Demons to attack the catapults, knowing Hongji would have defenders waiting in place to protect them, and so began the race to see if the catapults could take down the entire second wall before the Demons destroyed every last one of them.

It didnt matter even if they did, for Hongjis statement had been made, and Bai Qi was sure to be listening. How many more catapults might be lurking in wait? What other tricks did he have up his sleeve? Though one Colonel General had fallen here today and their Commander General grievously injured, Hongji had bared his fangs and shown the traitor general that there were still Warriors to be wary of here in the Citadel, which was sure to slow Bai Qi in his tracks. Defiled died in droves as Demons and Peak Experts clashed in the streets, but Hongji had given express orders to err on the side of caution. It didnt matter if his catapults were destroyed, because his Peak Experts and Irregulars were more valuable than those inanimate engines of destruction, which had more or less already served their purpose and anything extra would just be a bonus. Even then, he managed to eke out several more volleys as his Irregulars targeted the largest crowds with frightening accuracy, having long since taken the measure of the Citadel and worked out the angles of attack. A few enterprising souls even launched several payloads at the Demonic Warriors, but they were easily able to move out of the way, at which point Hongji had to step in and order them to target the slower, more vulnerable Defiled instead.

One by one, the Demons hunted down his catapults until none remained, but not without losing a fair number of their own. Thirty-eight Demons in total would not live to fight another day, while not a single Demon Slayer died in the process, a result of Hongjis orders to cherish their lives and the advantage of knowing where their enemies would strike. Close to two-hundred Irregulars also lost their lives in the exchange, but over five-hundred escaped intact, and after factoring in the countless rank and file Enemy troops they killed along the way, it was a trade Hongji would make every day of the week. As the fires had finally died out, Bai Qi gave the orders to march out and his Chosen rushed over the rubble in a frenzied fervour to engage their foes and pay back what was owed, only for the entire charging army to falter and stop in place as crossbowmen revealed themselves from every window and opening along the entire third wall, whereupon they unleashed a volley of bolts that turned mid-day into midnight for the span of a second.

And then, less than two seconds later, they did so again, and again, and again as the Irregulars worked in coordinated teams to ensure the shooter always had a loaded crossbow in hand.

The screams of wounded and dying Defiled filled the air, music to Hongjis ears, especially with no Imperial voices intermingled within to mar his contentment. The Irregulars had enough bolts to kill every single last Defiled if given the opportunity, but Bai Qi was not so kind as to sit still and wait. Spurred on by their commanders, the Defiled infantry found their courage and charged headlong into the storm of bolts, stumbling over the corpses of their comrades in a desperate rush to take the third wall over. Only a few hundred metres separated the two inner walls, perhaps a fifteen second sprint for a Martial Warrior in full armour, but Hongji would wager his Irregulars managed to double the Defiled casualties taken during this battle in that short amount of time. He owed his successes to the element of surprise, since thus far, Commander General Shuai Jiao had yet to utilize catapults or crossbows at all, simply so they could inflict the maximum number of casualties upon an unprepared foe.

All of this had been built upon a groundwork laid in place by Hongji, Shuai Jiao, Liu Xuande, and several other brilliant tactical minds working together over a period of weeks, but now, he had no choice but to deviate from their initial plans. Originally, the third wall was only meant to delay the Enemy while the Imperial forces moved into the Bulwark, which was so well fortified that even if Bai Qi committed his Demonic Warriors into the fray, they would have to do so with minimal support due to the Bulwarks sectioned layout giving it an abundance of choke-points and killing grounds. With the Defiled cavalry assaulting the outer walls however, this was no longer an option, so Hongji did what no commander in their right mind would care to do; he readied to take the fight to the Enemy in the Citadel streets.

Legate Falling Rain once likened the Central Citadel to an indecipherable rats maze of back alleys and dead ends, and having been here for some time now, Hongji wholeheartedly agreed. No thought or reason had gone into the city planning, with nobles and peasants alike allowed to build however they pleased so long as access to the main thoroughfares were left clear and accessible. This resulted in a sprawling, mishmash of architecture that clashed jarringly in the skyline, dotted with the odd jumbled marketplace that was usually even more difficult to navigate. That being said, once he knew hed be stationed here in the Citadel, Hongji made it his mission to commit the Citadels entire layout to memory within his Natal Palace and planned accordingly should he ever have need to defend it. Just because they werent planning to fight in the Citadel streets did not mean this would never come to pass, so Hongji treated it as a thought exercise which he grew more and more obsessed with each passing day. Now his efforts might well pay off, for the Enemy was here in the Citadel and he was obligated to defend it to his dying breath, for as the commanding officer of the Citadel, he was responsible for safeguarding these walls, these streets, these buildings, and most importantly the lives of the soldiers within.

This was his Domain, where he held ultimate authority. Not authority granted by the Heavens, nor by the Emperor, or even commander Shuai Jiao, but authority he took on of his own free will.

And with this thought, something snapped into place in Hongjis mind and the comings and goings of the Citadel became clear as day. Every street, every corner, every rooftop, and balcony, he saw them in his minds eye as if Cloud Stepping from on high. A form of Scrying, but a working more detailed and comprehensive than anything hed ever managed before, with information flowing through his mind at an unprecedented rate. He knew where his soldiers were lying in wait, knew where the Enemy was moving, not just by merely seeing them from on high, but also feeling their boots upon the stones and hearing the sounds of their clanking armour. It wasnt limited to any one section either, for the entirety of the Citadel was laid bare before him, a thousand different threads of thought all coming together in a tapestry of information that told him everything he needed to know and more.

Though unsure how he managed such a feat, he was willing to act now and ask questions later. Sending his entire command cadre to the battlefield and leaving only Du Min Yans retinue in place to guard him, Hongji devoted himself wholly to Scrying and did the work of dozens of officers working in tandem. There was no need to wait on Sendings to report Enemy movements, for Hongji could see them himself and immediately knew who to pass orders to. Having stationed them in favourable positions himself, he used his troops to full advantage against Bai Qis advancing soldiers, guiding his troops to strike at the most vulnerable parts of the Enemy army while avoiding the powerhouses as often as he could. The main thrust moved along the various thoroughfares, but even those grand avenues didnt lead directly to the Bulwark, but rather were arranged in a roundabout manner some architect likely thought was aesthetically pleasing. To be fair, it was, but few would care to view it from a birds eye perspective as Hongji currently was, and in the end, it worked to his advantage.

For there were hundreds of routes that fed into the various thoroughfares, some large enough for six wagons abreast, while others too narrow for even a simple hand cart. A rats maze indeed, and Hongji utilized them to harass the Enemy and delay them wherever possible. Whenever a force was dispatched to meet him, he either arranged for an ambush or navigated his nearby soldiers safely away, where they would then strike at another unaware target. Defiled soldiers were lured into dead ends and left to find their way out, while less than fifty metres away Hongjis cavalry ran roughshod over another unit of Defiled before melting away into the winding side-streets. A mixed force of Irregulars and soldiers lay in wait as Defiled troops passed by, and when the time was ripe, he gave word to his waiting troops to launch their attack, cutting off a significant portion of Chosen from their reinforcements who were then peppered to oblivion by waiting Irregulars. Having only to hold a single direction along the thoroughfare, the Enemy advantage of numbers was not so pronounced, and Hongjis soldiers were able to hold the Enemy off and escape largely intact thanks to his guidance from above, leading them through the rats warren to lose their Enemy pursuers.

All across the Citadel, various retinues struck at vulnerable targets and killed without being killed, a widespread guerrilla effort that paid off in spades. Hongji didnt just target the rank-and-file either, for he arranged his Peak Experts to move in groups and directed them to pick off Demons, Peak Experts, and more with near impunity. Having recovered just enough to rejoin the battle, Shuai Jiao displayed the full extent of his strength with Hongjis assistance, slaughtering Defiled in droves time and time again with the help of his elite cadre of Peak Experts and slowing the Enemy advance more than even a thousand cavalry could. Most important of all was Hongjis ability to detect the Wraiths Bai Qi sent out to scout in force, resulting in a one-sided slaughter of the Defiled assassins as they sought out unsuspecting prey and found battle-readied soldiers awaiting their arrival. He even pulled a trick to target the traitor general himself, revealing the last three remaining catapults to deliver a payload of burning pitch and oil unerringly into Bai Qis newly erected command tent, mere seconds after the Enemy commander stepped foot inside. Hope flourished as he watched Bai Qi go up in flames, but the Prince of Barbarity emerged burned and injured, but alive thanks to the intervention of a Water-Blessed Demon, his charred, smoking figure a sight to behold as he glared at the offending war machines. Three Irregulars had stayed behind to launch the devastating attack while the others left well in advance, but it was to Hongjis great regret that he was unable to guide those heroes out safely before they were slaughtered and consumed by Demons. That being said, he watched them all die with smiles upon their faces, for they died knowing theyd almost killed Bai Qi, which was more than even Commander General Shuai Jiao could say.

Minute by minute and hour by hour, Hongji commanded his troops and sold their lives dearly while holding out for as long as he could, but neither bolt, blade, or flame could stop the Enemys relentless push. With so many Demons and Demonic Warriors at his beck and call, Bai Qi only needed to have them move out in force and Hongji could do nothing besides give ground and take the fight elsewhere. Eventually, he would run out of room to retreat however, but he saw the writing on the wall once the Defiled cavalry gave up on their assault on the outer walls and circled around to enter the Citadel from the already conquered western front, where the only obstacle were their allied troops blocking access into the thoroughfares.

At the very least, this provided Hongjis troops with a brief reprieve which he used to gather all forces inside the Bulwark before the inevitable, final assault, one that would cost the Enemy dearly, but would ultimately end in an Imperial defeat. Given this lull in the battle, he sat back with a sigh and released his Scrying, only to regret it as his throbbing temples signalled the onset of an oncoming migraine, a sign hed overexerted himself by using too much Chi. Glancing at the sun which sat high in the sky, he closed his eyes when he saw there were still several hours before it would set, doing his best to stifle his regret and wonder if he couldve done better. If he could have bought more time for Imperial reinforcements to arrive, then the Bulwark might well have stood a fighting chance, but alas, even if theyd moved with all haste, the reinforcing armies were at least twelve hours away, and twelve hours might as well be twelve years as far as the Central Citadel was concerned. The Imperial reinforcements would arrive to find the defenders slaughtered and the Citadel in Bai Qis hands, but at least the traitor general would not hold it for long.

No matter. Hongji waved away his internal regrets and prepared for the final battle ahead. Hed done his best and made the Enemy bleed today, but that was all he could do, so what came next was merely a matter of fate. Make no mistake. He would not surrender, would never give in, not until after he drew his last breath, for though he was but a mere mortal, he knew to persevere until the very end.

An end that would come sooner rather than later, but such is life.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2