Chapter 737: What you say does make some sense

The guard lowered his head, looking at the icy glint of the spear tip at his own neck, gritted his teeth: "Someone! Move the sandbags, pry open the rolling stones!"

Zhou Jinhua withdrew his spear and asked, "How long will it take?"

The guard looked around; most of his men were still locked in fierce battle with the enemy: "Reporting to the Marquis, with our current manpower, it will take a little more than two hours."

"That long?" Zhou Jinhua frowned tightly; on the battlefield, circumstances change in an instant—there can be no delay!

Having already bet on Xiao Yuanhang's victory, we absolutely cannot allow any mistake!

He turned and waved at his own guards: 'You, together with them, quickly open the gate! Serve the nation!'

"Yes!"

On the city wall.

The guard, holding a great sword broken in two, stumbled to behind Prince Chen, voice trembling: "Your Highness! The weapons! The weapons are all cut!"

Prince Qing thrust his sword at Xiao Ningxun, then snapped his head and roared: "Just get another one!"

'Already changed!' The guard wiped blood from his face, 'and it broke again!'

"Your Highness, the brothers' swords are all like this—they break after a few blows—what are we to do?"

Prince Chen's face changed abruptly.

He suddenly realized most of the weapons were from the armory, all rusted twice over, unable to withstand prolonged chopping—this battle must be fought quickly and decisively!

The guard glanced at the battlement; more and more enemy troops leapt over the wall while our defenders dwindled: "Your Highness! We don't have enough men—we can't hold much longer!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Prince Chen's eyes as he bellowed: "Convey my order! Anyone who dares flee the battlefield will have his clan exterminated—!"

He swung a fierce chop at Xiao Ze, veins bulging on his forehead: "Signal with flags! Rush reinforcements from the west and north city garrisons!"

"Throw all the logs and stones down! Throw them all down—don't leave any!"

"Yes!" the guard shouted in reply, just about to leave.

Prince Chen turned and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

His eyes blazed: "Pass the order—those who slay enemies scaling the wall, I will promote them three ranks! Their elderly and young will be supported for life by the Imperial Court!"

"All commanders who hold the gate, reward a thousand gold! Enfeoff them as Marquis of a Thousand Households!"

The guard shuddered—this reward was too tempting! It would surely steady morale and lift the soldiers' spirits.

"Yes! Thank you, Your Highness!" He turned and ran.

Soon the signal flags unfurled, snapping and rolling in the beacon smoke.

The defenders who had begun to retreat, under the fear of "extermination of three clans" and the lure of becoming a Marquis of a Thousand Households, gritted their teeth, gripped their broken blades tightly, and surged back onto the battlements.

Logs and stones tumbled down from the city top, smashing into the siege towers, continually blasting the climbing soldiers into the air; their cries and the dull impacts blended into a cacophony.

The enemy's advance suddenly stalled; seeing this, the defenders' morale surged: "Kill!"

Inside the gate, Zhou Jinhua heard the shouts of killing rising from the wall, his grip on the reins slick with sweat.

"Faster! Even faster!"

"Yes!"

In the melee atop the wall, Prince Chen thrust his sword at Xiao Ningxun's wounded left leg.

That leg was still bleeding profusely, barely able to bear weight; Xiao Ze stepped forward to block for him.

Sweat dripped from Xiao Ningxun's forehead down his cheeks as he struggled to stay upright.

But Xiao Ze's right leg had also taken a sword blow early on; both men's breathing was ragged, their movements visibly disordered.

"Brother Prince!" Prince Qing's eyes blazed, his swordplay growing fiercer: "Kill them!"

Prince Chen glanced at him, then quickened the pace of his longsword.

One is Xiao Yuanhang's son, the other Xiao Jieyun's son—none can be spared!

Xiao Ningxun's legs gave way, and he dropped to one knee.

Prince Qing raised his sword and swung.

Xiao Ze raised his sword horizontally to block—with a clang, the longsword flew from his hand.

Prince Qing pressed the attack, his blade aiming straight for Xiao Ningxun's neck.

At the critical moment, a curved blade came slashing from the side.

The blade was broad, its cold light like the moon, striking heavily against Prince Qing's sword, sending sparks flying.

Prince Qing's tiger mouth shuddered violently; he retreated several steps before barely stabilizing his stance.

It was none other than the Kucha Kingdom's king, Bai Buluo!

He sheathed his blade, stood firmly before the two youths, and said: "You two, how old are you? Bullying two kids—what skill is that? If you want to fight, fight me!"

Prince Qing glanced askance, brows furrowed: "Who the hell are you?"

Prince Chen glanced at the curved blade in Bai Buluo's hand: "That's not a Central Plains weapon—are you from the Western Regions?"

Bai Buluo snorted, slung the curved blade onto his shoulder, grinned: "Who my mother is—you don't need to know."

"And you, you're using it wrong—according to your way, you should address me as Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty?" Prince Qing snorted, "The Western Regions probably have a hundred and eighty 'Your Majesties'—which one are you?"

Bai Buluo chuckled: "King of the Kucha Kingdom, Bai Buluo."

Prince Chen's pupils contracted slightly: "You are the king of Kucha?"

Prince Qing looked at the burly man before him, whose swordplay was fierce.

He had thought Xiao Yuanhang merely recruited some Western Region refugees, a rabble, but never expected it to be the Kucha Kingdom, the strongest military power in the Western Regions!

And yet the king of Kucha himself had come to the front lines!

He gritted his teeth: "My Lie Kingdom is in turmoil—why have you, Kucha, sent troops? What is this reasoning?"

"Reason?" Bai Buluo sneered, twisted his neck, turned the curved blade in his hand—the cold light along its edge shone straight onto Prince Qing's face.

The reasoning of your Lie Kingdom's people—I, the king, have no leisure to attend to.

"I came here, whether it's Lie Kingdom or not, doesn't really matter," he glanced back at Xiao Ze and Xiao Ningxun, "and it's certainly not to help them."

The Prince of Qing's anger surged: "Then why are you here? Did you bring tens of thousands of troops just to take a stroll?"

Bailuo raised his hand calmly, pointing his thumb at his own chest: "It's for my daughter, Princess Jiayou."

Chen Wang and Qing Wang exchanged a glance: "When did that little girl become the daughter of the King of Kucha?"

Bailuo turned to look at Xiao Ningxun: "You've been up here half a day, why are you just fighting? Have you found Tuan Tuan?"

Xiao Ningxun shook his head.

Chen Wang and Qing Wang turned pale: "Princess Jiayou is here?"

Their eyes instantly became wary, scanning around: "Where is she?"

"Where she is, what business is it of yours?" Bailuo rolled his eyes at them, "She calls me 'Dada', and I cannot allow her to suffer even the slightest injustice."

Chen Wang and Qing Wang were shocked and angry: If Princess Jiayou were truly on the city wall, the fiery oil turning to water must surely be her doing!

Bailuo took in their expressions, his smile growing even more gleeful.

He swung his saber sideways, directly chopping toward Qing Wang's head: "You still don't know, do you?"

Qing Wang dodged aside, Chen Wang thrust a sword at Bailuo's back; Bailuo blocked with his blade: "The reason all nine gates of Jingcheng exploded simultaneously..."

He lifted the blade's tip, aiming straight at Chen Wang's left shoulder: "It was my daughter who did it!"

He enjoyed watching Chen Wang and Qing Wang stare, their expressions frozen: "Your abilities," he clicked his tongue twice, "are not even as good as my five-year-old daughter!"

"What are you still fighting for here? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Qing Wang's face went from green to white, while Chen Wang's brows knotted into a lump.

No wonder there's a traitor in Jingcheng! It turns out that little girl did it too!

Bailuo fiercely slashed his saber at Qing Wang: "Right, and there's your little emperor too!"

Qing Wang was unprepared, hastily sidestepped, narrowly avoiding being cut.

"It was also my daughter who told him to have you put him on the wall, so today we get this splendid spectacle of the emperor committing suicide before battle!"

"What?" Chen Wang exploded in rage; his thrust went awry, not only letting Bailuo dodge easily but also striking the nearby city wall.

Bailuo shook his head: "Being played like this by a five-year-old, do you still have the nerve to call yourselves Regent Kings?"

The more Chen Wang and Qing Wang listened, the more astonished and furious they became: it turned out all of this was ruined by that damned little girl!

"Shut up!" Qing Wang, unable to contain his anger, raised his sword tip, pointing straight at Bailuo's face.

Xiao Ningxun leaned against the city wall to stand, Xiao Ze retrieved his long sword; the two finally had a chance to catch their breath, supporting each other as they withdrew to the side.

Chen Wang fixed his gaze on Bailuo; this King of Kucha is the biggest variable!

"Hold your fire!" he shouted loudly.

Qing Wang sheathed his long sword and looked at him: "Brother Wang?"

Chen Wang sheathed his sword, clasped his hands before Bailuo, and said: "Your Majesty, have you not considered that if you die here today, Kucha will be left without a leader?"

Bailuo also withdrew his saber, raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

Chen Wang, face full of sincerity: "I am thinking of the great king; surely you also do not wish to see that, after helping others, your own country falls into great chaos."

Bailuo stroked his chin: "What you say does have some merit."

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ze suddenly lifted their heads, looking at Bailuo, their hearts rising in their throats.