kvmb Chapter 838 A Lonely Lamp Illuminates the Cold Armor in the Long Night, A Loyal Soul Weeps in the St
Chapter 838 A Lonely Lamp Illuminates the Cold Armor in the Long Night, A Loyal Soul Weeps in the St
The howling wind atop the city walls seemed to carry with it a nauseating stench of blood. Beneath the pitch-black, impenetrable darkness, a breathtaking, bloody battle—a battle that would determine the very future and destiny of the entire city—was raging fiercely and intensely. At the heart of this tumultuous vortex, the woman—Lin Ping—beared an immense burden and immense pressure. She knew that any misstep in her decisions could cost tens of thousands of innocent lives. Therefore, she absolutely could not afford to panic or lose her composure, nor could she afford the slightest negligence or carelessness. Only by fighting with everything she had, with her back to the wall, could she possibly achieve victory!
I. A lonely city in turmoil on a stormy night
"Boom——!"
The deafening impact nearly caused the entire city wall of "Wangbei City" to collapse. Lin Ping wore black iron fish-scale armor, over which was a scarlet cloak, the edges of which were torn in several places by stray arrows and fluttered in the night wind. One hand was pressed against the cold crenellation, her fingertips slightly white from the pressure, while the other hand gripped the tiger-headed golden spear that had accompanied her father in many battles. The spear tip pointed diagonally at the ground, where a drop of viscous blood was slowly gathering, reflecting an eerie dark red in the dim light of the oil lamp.
Wangbei City, this formidable pass that has stood on the northern frontier of the empire for three hundred years, is now like a small boat in a raging sea, on the verge of capsizing at any moment. Outside the city, the barbarian coalition, known as the "Indestructible Iron Cavalry," numbers a full 150,000, led by "Black Stone," the most ambitious leader in barbarian history. They have been attacking relentlessly for three days and three nights, like a black tide.
Beneath the city walls, the mountains of corpses were a gruesome sight, and crimson blood flowed like a burst dam, forming a horrifying river. These barbarian soldiers seemed utterly fearless of death, climbing upwards over the bodies of their fallen comrades, their scimitars gleaming coldly and murderously in the darkness.
On the city walls, chaos and clamor reigned. The defending army's rousing battle cries echoed through the sky; the clanging of swords, spears, halberds, and other weapons produced a series of clear, melodious yet deafening sounds; the groans and cries of the wounded and fallen filled the air; and the earth-shattering roar of catapults launching massive stones reverberated throughout the battlefield—all these elements combined to weave a symphony of war filled with endless despair and unparalleled tragedy.
Just then, a messenger covered in the blood of the enemy staggered in. His voice was hoarse and low from extreme fatigue and tension, and his once handsome and resolute face was now covered with hideous black scars from the gunpowder explosion.
Lin Ping's eyes sharpened, but without turning around, her voice was as steady as a rock: "Send the order to have the Divine Arm Archer Battalion immediately reinforce the northwest corner and blow up the siege ladders! Tell Captain Zhang to throw one down, and I'll cut off his head!"
"Yes!" The messenger clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and rushed back into the fighting crowd.
Lin Ping took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping across the battlefield. She was only twenty-five years old, an age when she should be enjoying a quiet life in her chambers, but three months ago, her father—the former garrison commander Lin Xiaotian—was killed in an ambush while inspecting the border. She was thrust into this heavy responsibility. Initially, there were doubts within the army, with many believing a woman couldn't shoulder such a burden. But after three days of bloody battle, her leadership and decisive command had earned her the respect of all her soldiers.
She knew very well that the garrison inside Wangbei City numbered only about 30,000, most of whom were wounded soldiers and inexperienced recruits. Meanwhile, the barbarian coalition outside the city not only had overwhelming numerical superiority but also possessed sophisticated siege equipment smuggled from the Western Regions and ample supplies. A direct confrontation would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
"General! You haven't closed your eyes for three whole days! Please drink this water to moisten your throat." The personal maid, Qinghe, trembled as she presented a cracked, tattered water pouch to the man before her, urging him softly. This woman named Qinghe was of lowly status—merely a maidservant attending to her mistress, Lin Ping—yet at this moment, she wore a leather bodice and armor, a sharp, short sword hanging at her waist, and her face displayed a resolute and courageous expression far beyond her years.
Lin Ping took the water pouch, took a small sip, and felt a slight moisture on her parched lips. She looked towards the city, where tens of thousands of unarmed civilians lay—the homeland she had to protect with her life. Her father's dying words still echoed in her ears: "Ping'er, as long as Wangbei City stands, the northern frontier is safe; if Wangbei falls, the empire is in danger. I have dedicated my life to protecting this city, and now, I entrust it to you..."
She could not retreat, nor could she retreat to any other option. Behind her lay the vast land of the empire and its hundreds of millions of ordinary people.
"Qinghe, do you think we can hold out?" Lin Ping suddenly asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness. For the past three days, she had been forcing herself to stay alert, not daring to relax for a moment, her nerves already stretched to the limit.
Qinghe was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously, tears glistening in her eyes: "General, rest assured, with you here, we will definitely be able to hold the city! The soldiers all say that you are a goddess descended from heaven, and with you in charge, Wangbei City will not fall!"
A bitter smile appeared on Lin Ping's lips. A Valkyrie? She was just an ordinary person of flesh and blood. However, this responsibility allowed her no weakness.
Just then, an even more intense battle cry came from directly ahead. Within the barbarian allied forces, a large black banner with a wolf's head slowly moved forward. Beneath it, a troop of barbarian soldiers, clad in heavy black armor and wielding heavy spiked clubs, advanced towards the city gate like a mobile fortress.
"It's the 'Black Armor Death Squad'! Black Stone has finally used his trump card!" Vice General Zhao Yong's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in shock.
Lin Ping's pupils constricted sharply. The Black-Armored Assassins were the barbarian's most elite force, said to number in the thousands, sometimes exceeding ten thousand. They were not only incredibly fierce, but also covered in heavy armor, impenetrable by ordinary bows and crossbows.
"Zhao Yong!" Lin Ping shouted sternly.
"The general is here!"
"You immediately take five hundred personal guards and defend the city gate to the death! If the city gate is breached, you and I will both behead the late Emperor!"
"Your subordinate obeys! I swear to live and die with the city gates!" Zhao Yong clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around and roared, "Imperial Guard Battalion, follow me!"
Watching Zhao Yong lead his troops down from the city wall, Lin Ping's heart sank. She knew the real test was just beginning. Black Stone was concentrating its superior forces to achieve its goal in one decisive battle.
She looked up at the dark night sky, thick with clouds, not a single star in sight. This long night seemed like it would never end.
II. A Glimmer of Light in Desperate Circumstances
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The heavy thuds of the battering rams reverberated like drumbeats against the city gate, each impact causing the entire wall to tremble slightly and striking the hearts of every defender. The black-armored assassins, like tireless beasts, relentlessly pounded the gate with their specially made battering rams. The iron plating on the gate was dented and deformed, with sawdust seeping from the cracks.
On the city wall, Lin Ping gripped the tiger-headed golden spear tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. She could clearly hear the creaking sound coming from the joint of the city gate, as if it were about to break at any moment.
"General, the Divine Arm Bow Battalion is out of arrows! And their gunpowder is almost gone too!" Another messenger brought bad news.
Lin Ping's heart sank lower and lower. The provisions could last for half a month, but arrows and gunpowder were dwindling rapidly. Imperial reinforcements were nowhere to be seen. The three waves of messengers she had sent had vanished without a trace. She even began to suspect that the court had already abandoned Wangbei City.
"General, look!" Qinghe suddenly pointed in the direction outside the city, her voice filled with a hint of surprise.
Lin Ping looked in the direction she was pointing and saw several faint lights flickering behind the barbarian coalition, like fireflies in the darkness. At first, she thought they were barbarian campfires, but soon she realized something was wrong. The lights were moving very fast and were approaching the barbarian camp.
"What is that?" Lin Ping frowned, her mind filled with doubt.
Just then, the barbarian coalition's offensive suddenly became somewhat chaotic. The barbarian soldiers, who had been surging towards the city walls like a tide, seemed to be disturbed from behind, and their offensive noticeably slowed down.
"General! It seems there's chaos in the barbarian rear!" Zhao Yong sent word, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Lin Ping's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that reinforcements had arrived? Impossible! The Empire's garrison in the northern frontier totaled no more than 100,000 men; it was impossible for them to assemble and reach Wangbei City in such a short time. Moreover, if it were a large-scale attack, there wouldn't be only a few flickering lights.
"Investigate again! Find out exactly what happened!" Lin Ping ordered.
Time ticked by, the pounding on the city gates continued, but the shouts of the barbarian soldiers noticeably subsided. The defenders on the city walls also noticed this change, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in their previously despairing eyes.
An incense stick later, the scout reported back, his voice trembling with excitement: "General! It's...it's 'Night Owl'! It's the Night Owl organization! They're attacking the barbarian camp!"
"Night Owl?" Lin Ping was stunned.
Night Owls, a mysterious underworld organization, operates in secrecy, blurring the lines between good and evil. No one knows who their leader is, nor how many members they have. They operate throughout the empire, sometimes robbing the rich to help the poor, sometimes assassinating corrupt officials, and sometimes aiding the government in fighting bandits. Lin Ping never expected that in this critical moment of survival, it would be them who would lend a helping hand.
Although the Night Owls were few in number and posed no real threat to the 150,000-strong barbarian coalition, their presence undoubtedly created chaos in the barbarian rear at a crucial moment, slowing their offensive. It was like adding fuel to a dying fire.
"General, this is a golden opportunity! Shouldn't we seize this chance..." Zhao Yong's voice carried a hint of excitement.
Lin Ping quickly calmed down and shook her head: "No. The Night Owl's harassment is only temporary; the barbarians will react soon enough. We don't have enough troops and can't leave the city easily. Send the order down: while the barbarian offensive slows down, seize the time to repair the defenses, treat the wounded, and replenish arrows!"
"Yes!"
Sure enough, the fires at the barbarian camp outside the city soon died down, clearly indicating that the Night Owl's sneak attack had been suppressed. However, the barbarians' siege momentum had noticeably weakened. Blackstone seemed to have become suspicious due to this sudden disturbance and dared not launch a full-scale attack anymore.
Taking advantage of this rare respite, Lin Ping immediately organized people to reinforce the city defenses and clear the battlefield. Busy figures were everywhere on the city walls. Wounded soldiers were carried down for treatment, and corpses were dragged aside and piled up for cremation to prevent the spread of plague. The surviving soldiers seized every opportunity to eat a few bites of dry rations and drink some water, making the most of every second to rest.
Lin Ping dragged her weary body as she surveyed the city wall. She saw a young soldier, no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, his face still bearing the innocence of childhood, leaning against the crenellations, munching on a dry, hard wheat cake, tears silently streaming down his face. His arm was wrapped in thick strips of cloth, the gauze soaked with blood.
Lin Ping walked over and gently patted his shoulder.
The soldier was startled and quickly stood up to salute, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.
"What's your name?" Lin Ping asked softly.
"Reporting to the general, my name is Gousheng," the soldier replied somewhat shyly.
"Gousheng? What a good name. A humble name makes a child easier to raise." Lin Ping smiled, took out a piece of dried meat wrapped in oil paper from her bosom, and handed it over. "Eat it, it'll give you some strength."
Gou Sheng was stunned. He looked at the jerky in Lin Ping's hand, then at Lin Ping's bloodshot but still bright eyes, and shook his head vigorously: "General, please eat, I'm not hungry."