CH 70

Thanks to his swift pacification of Hanzhong Region, the recruits had complete trust in his battle ability. They not once thought they’d lose with him leading them.

The army crossed Jigu Pass in glorious fashion, entering Wudu Region.

He no longer needed guile and deceit, not when he had 25,000 soldiers at his beck and call.

All his power was on display, and people fled from his army’s path.

Three days later, the army was arrived to Wudu Region’s first county, Ju County. The army stretched in one’s view for miles on end.

All the guards saw from the gates was an endless dragon made up of tiny ants. At the massive impact the size had, the county magistrate ordered immediate surrender.

The county city barely had 300 guards.

Defending it to the last man, out of loyalty for the court? It was the last thing on county magistrate’s mind.

Who was he kidding? He only got this job to skim from others, not waste his life away over something insipid as loyalty.

Not that county magistrate would be spared even with surrender.

Zhong Yu had enough men to rule the county city and even when he didn’t, he still killed all officials in previous cities. Now that he had enough fortune and soldiers, it made even less sense letting rotten bugs live.

Back in Hanzhong, he earned enough food to supply an army of 100,000 for a year and more than 10,000 full sets of armor and weapons.

If those clans had united, he’d be dethrone by now and his body bleeding in the mud.

His army swarmed the county city like wind scattered autumn leaves and rooted out the clans.

No one escaped, not with this horde blocking all exists.

The march went on after some were left behind to watch over county city’s defense. They went to Wudu Region’s second city, Hechi County.

This city was among the best of Wudu Region, with 2,000 people and 500 guards. 

Much good did they were against such a behemoth. The county magistrate opened the gates on the spot and he repeated Ju County’s conquest.

On the tenth day since he set off, he arrived at the regional city. He had no need of covering his tracks, not when there were thousands upon thousands of soldiers moving en mass.

It gave the city ample time to prepare. Wudu Region had seven counties under it and 80,000 population. Besided the two he lost, that still allowed it to get more abled men to fight him back.

Gathering all the guards and soldiers, by the time Zhong Yu was at the gates, the defenses were manned by 5,000 soldiers.

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Not that their training was up to par, lacking the experience of a war, and with many of them being peasants. 

Though their morale was at an all time low, they manned the walls, and made preparations to appear they were a mighty force.

But a cursory glance told anyone these men’s morale was lower than his. 

His men had the courage to go to war, while these yokels only dared to hide behind stone walls. 

From here the gap widened, adding to that his side’s better equipment.

The enemy only had simple clothing, with some so poor, it covered only their vital areas. 

Seeing the enemy lacking in every sense of the way, he showed no restraint, ordering the army to attack, with the recruits leading the way.

“Kill everyone in your path! First man on the wall will find himself 100 mu richer. Any step back will be met with death!” With his exchanged soldiers making the overseeing group, the first wave of 2,500 recruits rushed the walls.

The defense leader shouted for the bowmen to get ready and shoot arrows.

The thousand loose arrows made up for their shoddy aim, getting tens of enemies to die.

The loss made the fresh recruits falter in fear.

The supervisors came from behind and cut down a hundred of their heads.

“His Lord said to advance if you want to live! Any deserter will be killed!” The soldiers spoke with all the savagery they had in them as they slaughtered these meek lambs.

The recruits balked seeing their own leaders kill more of them than the enemy, and focused all their rage and resentment on the enemy.

The fear and anger boiling inside drove them forward, with the ladders as arrows and stones rained down on them. Every step they took, a dozen others fell.

Coming up the walls, they placed the ladders.

The hundreds of dead to make it here were the last thing on both sides’ minds. No one cared about the dead, not when their leaders only saw these men as nothing but cannon fodder.

A soldier did got on the wall at last and showed such fervent joy from the reward his lord would bestow upon him.

A shame he’d never live to enjoy it as the guards surrounded him with spears and pushed him off the walls.

The climbing of one was followed by many and soon there were waves of them on the walls, as they fought to win. 

The already thinned defenses were cut down to 1,000 men. Wounded as they were, these men were no doubt the best. 

Going through war gave them intuition in life and death moments, to escape danger.

Alas, such intuition was quite poor after just one day of fighting and Zhong Yu still had the last wave of 2,500 recruits.

As the 9th wave retreated from the heavy losses, the 10th wave joined the battle.

The last group was filled with fear and excitement the city would fall because of them. They could see it.

As they went up the walls, the guards collapsed at last, unable to hold on any longer. 

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Zhong Yu’s army entered a frenzy as it charged through the county city on a killing spree. Cruelty was enacted on every turn, in every way, ranging from senseless bloodshed to abusing the people.

The ugliness of humanity was on full display that day, with no one to stop it.