"Charge!"
Zhou Fugui, commander of the White Tiger Battalion, clad in full iron armor over his Sky Silkworm Golden Armor, held a large shield in his left hand and a heavy, sharp saber in his right. He barked the order in a low voice to the two hundred warriors, including Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, and Suo Dacheng.
The Hanmen of Guangling Commandery was engaged in a fierce battle. However, the White Tiger Battalion and the two thousand elite cavalry under Hala Ba were merely a feint, drawing the attention of the Xia army on the city walls.
Zhou Fugui's true strike was these two hundred meticulously chosen warriors, their target the Water Gate of Guangling Commandery.
"An army's strength lies in its quality, not its quantity. A general's victory lies in strategy, not mere bravery."
The Water Gate entrance was narrow; what use would a larger force be? Moreover, denser formations meant greater casualties.
With that, Zhou Fugui leaped into the shallow water, splashing, and stealthily approached the Water Gate of Guangling Commandery.
Leading from the front, inspiring all. If the commander of a battalion did not risk his life, how could his subordinates willingly die for him? Thus, despite the dissuasion, Zhou Fugui insisted on personally leading the two hundred warriors to attack the Water Gate of Guangling Commandery.
Dian Meng, Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, and the other two hundred warriors, all encased in heavy armor, followed Zhou Fugui into the water.
The shallow river water made "pattering" sounds, splashing countless drops. No matter how careful or light-footed Zhou Fugui and his warriors were, they made a considerable noise. However, the thunderous roars from the Hanmen area masked the commotion Zhou Fugui and his warriors created, making it less conspicuous.
"The Hu barbarians are attacking the Water Gate! The Hu barbarians are attacking the Water Gate!"
"Quick, quick, report! Send more troops!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
"Kill them fiercely! Do not let them get close!"
"Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians!"
When Zhou Fugui and his two hundred warriors were about a hundred paces from the Water Gate, they were finally discovered by the Xia army on the city walls. The Xia soldiers panicked, shouting loudly, beating gongs to warn of the attack, and pelting Zhou Fugui and his men with arrows, crossbow bolts, and stones.
"Return fire with bows and crossbows! Watch out for the stones! Charge, damn it! Charge!"
Since they had been discovered by the Xia army, Zhou Fugui no longer concealed their advance. Holding his shield and saber, he roared orders for the two hundred warriors to charge towards the Water Gate.
Arrows rained down from the city walls, posing little threat to the heavily armored Zhou Fugui and his warriors. Stones, however, were another matter. Particularly large boulders, when they fell, could crush even Zhou Fugui, clad in ten layers of Sky Silkworm Golden Armor, into a paste.
Thus, the two hundred warriors of the White Tiger Battalion charged towards the Water Gate under a hail of arrows and stones, returning fire with their bows and crossbows, while holding their shields high. The rain of projectiles splashed into the water, creating countless sprays, and struck their iron armor and shields with "thuds." Even with their heavy armor and iron shields, several warriors were knocked down into the water by stones, and two were crushed into meat paste by rolling boulders.
Blood stained the river water near the Water Gate. The moment the two hundred warriors of the White Tiger Battalion began their assault, the battle immediately became exceptionally fierce and tragic.
"Charge!" The warriors ran desperately. They were only twenty paces from the Water Gate. Zhou Fugui brandished his saber, pointing at the Water Gate, and roared, "Perish if we don't advance, live if we do! Charge!"
At this point, it was as Zhou Fugui had declared. Advancing might lead to survival, but retreating now, even if they avoided the arrows and stones, would result in their heads being severed by the Yan army.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The warriors shouted in unison. Though their heavy armor hindered their speed, they exerted all their strength and ran with all their might. Every man understood: the faster they ran, the less likely they were to be hit by projectiles, and the sooner they could storm the Water Gate and open the city gates for the thousands of Yan cavalry outside, the greater their chance of survival.
"Commander, be careful!"
When the warriors were about five or six paces from the Water Gate, a dark object, whistling ominously, descended upon Zhou Fugui. Flag Officer Liu Changshun cried out in alarm.
This was a Wolf-toothed Mallet. It fell from the sky, smashing towards Zhou Fugui at the Water Gate.
A Wolf-toothed Mallet was made of heavy wood, five feet long and wide, and about three inches thick. All four sides were fitted with sharp blades. The underside was studded with hundreds of wolf teeth iron spikes. It could instantly shatter swords and spears upon impact, and crush a person into a bloody pulp. It was truly ferociously deadly.
Even Zhou Fugui, clad in heavy armor and Sky Silkworm Golden Armor, would not be able to withstand it; he would be severely wounded, if not killed.
Wolf-toothed Mallets could be used repeatedly; if one strike missed, it could be pulled up and used again.
At that moment, Zhou Fugui's focus was on the Water Gate. By the time he reacted, the mallet was directly overhead, and there was no time to jump aside and evade.
Zhou Fugui could only look up at the descending mallet, his mind a blank, unable to think of anything.
Liu Changshun, standing beside Zhou Fugui, roared and shoved Zhou Fugui into the water with all his might, while desperately trying to dodge the terrifying mallet himself.
With a loud "crack!", the Wolf-toothed Mallet smashed into the water, missing Zhou Fugui. However, one of its sharp blades sliced through Liu Changshun's helmet and the iron armor on his side.
The blade pierced the armor, gouged through the helmet, and severed Liu Changshun's head from his body. Liu Changshun bled from his nose and mouth, his eyes wide open, and he collapsed in a pool of blood, with blood and brains spilling from his helmet.
"Changshun! Changshun!" Zhou Fugui's eyes blazed with fury and grief as he clutched Liu Changshun, desperately trying to put his head back together, but to no avail.
Although Liu Changshun was from the same hometown as Zhou Fugui, they were not particularly close. Yet, at the critical moment of life and death, Liu Changshun had sacrificed himself to save Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui's heart was filled with anger, sorrow, and regret. Tears welled up and flowed down his cheeks.
"Brother Fugui..." Xu Mancang called out.
Zhou Fugui nodded, understanding that this was not the time for grief. He wiped away his tears, covered Liu Changshun's head with his iron shield, and then, brandishing his saber, roared, "Light it! Charge in and kill them all!"
At this moment, Zhou Fugui's eyes were bloodshot, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
The warriors of the White Tiger Battalion had now reached the Water Gate of Guangling Commandery. The Water Gate was heavily obstructed by sand, rocks, sunken ships, and trees. Several warriors rushed forward with barrels of lamp oil, while Zhou Fugui and the others formed a shield wall with their iron shields, to block the arrows, rolling logs, and stones that rained down from above.
During the dry season, the water level had dropped. To support the sand, rocks, and other debris, the Xia army had driven numerous wooden stakes into the Water Gate. This presented an opportunity for Zhou Fugui. If the stakes and sunken ships could be ignited and burned, the sand and rocks would collapse, perhaps clearing a path into the city.
The warriors carrying lamp oil were struck down before the Water Gate. The remaining warriors reached the front of the Water Gate and began to splash lamp oil everywhere.
"Fire arrows!" Zhou Fugui commanded before the oil-splashing warriors had returned.
Twenty archers lit their arrows and drew their bows, firing them towards the Water Gate. After igniting the stakes and sunken ships, they then shot fire arrows at the two-story, three-bay city gate tower with a歇山式 roof.
The lamp oil ignited, erupting into a fierce blaze that quickly spread, burning the stakes and sunken ships with loud crackling sounds. The city gate tower with the 歇山式 roof also soon caught fire and quickly collapsed. The Xia soldiers inside screamed, turning into human torches as they fell from above.
"Done? Not done!" Pan Jiangui, a flag officer of the White Tiger Battalion, shouted.
The raging fire quickly consumed the sunken ships and stakes at the Water Gate. The sand, bricks, and stones collapsed with a loud clatter, revealing an arched opening. The wooden doors of the archway were also burnt, seemingly clearing a path into the city. However, the exposed opening was only half a person's height, and wide enough for only two people to pass through.
There was no other option but to press on. Zhou Fugui leaped up and shouted, "Dian Meng, Suo Dacheng, you two will be the vanguards! Crawl through the Water Gate and die within the city if you must!"
As Zhou Fugui spoke, he thought of the tragic deaths of Liu Changshun and his other townsmen, his heart twisting with pain.
In this brutal war, how many more brothers would fall?
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Dian Meng and Suo Dacheng, two fierce generals, responded in unison. Then, carrying their sabers, shields, and axes, they charged towards the Water Gate and, upon reaching it, hunched over and crawled into the opening.
"Mancang, come with me." Zhou Fugui placed himself in the second wave.
"Commander, let your subordinate go," Pan Jiangui advised.
Zhou Fugui shook his head in refusal and then, with Xu Mancang, charged towards the Water Gate.
This type of siege, like crawling through a dog hole, required the first waves to be strong, robust, and skilled fighters to withstand the Xia army's counterattacks. The longer they held out, the more reinforcements would arrive. Furthermore, they could not die within the Water Gate, or they would block the passage that Zhou Fugui and the others had painstakingly opened.
"Kill! Kill the Hu barbarians!"
"The Hu barbarians have entered the city! Quickly, kill them!"
Dian Meng and Suo Dacheng crawled out of the Water Gate side by side. Several long spears thrust towards them. Both Dian Meng and Suo Dacheng rolled sideways simultaneously, the spears embedding themselves into the ground, mere inches from their bodies or heads.
"Kill!" Dian Meng roared, slashing off several pairs of legs in front of him. He then rose, gripping his iron shield with one hand, and charged forward, smashing into several advancing Xia soldiers.
Dian Meng's weight combined with the force of his shield sent the Xia soldiers in front of him tumbling to the ground.
Suo Dacheng also scrambled to his feet. After chopping down several Xia soldiers with his axe, he stood back-to-back with Dian Meng, holding his shield and axe, defending against the surrounding Xia army.
A Xia warrior, spotting an opportunity, suddenly swung his saber at Dian Meng's back. But before he could raise his weapon, a sharp blade sliced diagonally, severing his right shoulder and head.
Zhou Fugui and Xu Mancang had emerged from the Water Gate.
"White Tiger Battalion! Form ranks!"
More and more warriors of the White Tiger Battalion crawled through the Water Gate. Zhou Fugui, shield raised and saber drawn, shouted loudly.
A fierce fire blazed near the Water Gate of Guangling Commandery, its flames reddening half the sky. This fire served as a signal.