Chapter 2005: Retreat

There was a depression on the side of the city wall, originally an unrepaired collapse from years ago, but now it came in handy. Tushanfang snatched up two axes and swung them hard at the bell's suspension ropes:

"Everyone, come cut the ropes, quick!"

Seven or eight nearby guards received the order, ignoring the enemy, rushed over and began chopping the ropes.

But this rope was made of the toughest cable, its hardness comparable to ancient wood, and for a while it resisted being cut.

The situation below the city gate was dire, with guards desperately holding the small gate of Wengcheng, friend and foe locked in struggle in this tiny space. The only good news was that Wengcheng was so crowded inside that those few giant beasts couldn't enter or unleash their power.

But in the crowd, something seemed to be silently attacking, moving very fast, with the frontline guards falling one after another.

Although they fell one after another and others stepped forward, this was no solution.

Although the city guards fought bravely, they were no match for the strong enemy; the enemy troops surged in like a tide, pressing them back step by step.

In the blink of an eye, hundreds of enemy soldiers and dozens of demons rushed into the city, killing anyone they saw, excitedly heading for the government office. The city guards could only spare two small teams to pursue, while the rest had to hold Wengcheng.

The situation was critical, the city's fall was imminent.

Tushanfang on the city wall was anxious, sweat pouring down his face, one hand lighting the ropes with a torch, the other chopping while burning.

Fortunately, the wind tonight was especially strong, the flames on the rope burned brightly. Everyone exerted their full effort, even while dealing with attacking bandits, but in the end they severed the thick rope.

The great bell clanged and fell onto the city wall passageway, shaking the entire wall, then rolled along the ground depression toward the battlements.

Tushanfang had no time to worry about enemies lunging from the side; he exerted himself, lunged forward, and struck the inconspicuous square brick on the battlements, sinking it inward.

Then, this entire section of the battlement sank downward.

This was a small design added during the city wall's reinforcement, intended to add a blocking stone for Wengcheng.

Tushanfang still had time to lie on the edge, shouting down at those below:

"People down there, move aside, move aside!"

With the obstacle gone, the great bell rolled down from this gap.

Only a loud clang was heard as it precisely struck outside the Wengcheng gate, rolling several times.

Those who couldn't dodge in time were crushed into bloody pulp.

Finally, the great bell came to rest outside the small gate of Wengcheng, not sealing it completely, leaving a gap over three feet wide. But the guards of Miancheng already cheered—

The difficulty for enemies to enter Wengcheng had increased further.

This great bell was not cast with shoddy workmanship when forged; it can be called impervious to swords and spears, its girth is thick, and no one can attack the city guards behind it through it.

Everyone hurriedly brought over several large carts, overturned them to block the gap, then piled sandbags on top.

Tushanfang took a moment to glance westward.

In the quiet night, here explosions rang through the sky; the Black Armored Army not far away must have heard it, right?

Yes, he also knew the Black Armored Army was lurking nearby, waiting to act. In tonight's great battle, as long as Miancheng withstands the first few waves of attack, reinforcements will surely come!

But that recent fierce enemy assault also brought in many bandits; once inside the city, they ran amok everywhere. Some headed straight for the government office, some went to burn the granaries, some simply looted and killed civilians nearby, epitomizing lawless chaos.

With enemies attacking from inside and outside, the pressure on the city guards was too great. The deputy officer said to Tushanfang: "We can't hold much longer."

Here at the Wengcheng gate, it was only temporarily not breached.

Tushanfang jumped down from the wall, divided into several small teams, and rushed into the city alleys to exterminate the enemy troops.

The county office is not far from the city gate.

Fan Shuang climbed to the second floor of the county office to watch the battle for the city, his heart pounding with fear.

He could even hear a booming explosion, the city gate shattered.

This sound was just like a funeral bell tolling.

Immediately after, enemy troops surged in from Wengcheng, some human, some demonic.

Fan Shuang instantly saw darkness before his eyes: It's over.

Having escaped the killing disaster in Yaodu, he couldn't escape this great calamity here! Indeed, heaven wanted his life, and could take it anywhere.

At this moment, Mr. and Mrs. Fan were also in the government office, together with their son, anxious and fearful.

Father Fan came running and said: "Strange, the Huang County Guard is missing!"

Just now I still saw him and the Yu County Magistrate of Hao County leaving the prefecture. Fan Shuang knew things were bad, "We must quickly organize everyone to evacuate, our Wang County Magistrate is still commanding on the city wall."

"Evacuate to where?"

With over two hundred thousand people in the city, where could they evacuate to?

Perhaps Huang County Guard knows, but his whereabouts are unknown now.

The rear mountain mines! They should be the rear mountain mines. Fan Shuang had heard Tushanfang mention several times that the mine path leading to the rear mountain could pass through Dashan, directly to Porcelain Flower County, defensible and passable.

Perhaps that is where Miancheng's preset retreat route is.

"Alright, then let's hurry."

The county office was in chaos; Fan Shuang and his father shouted from a height, saying that Captain Tushan had ordered the evacuation.

The two were already familiar faces in the prefecture, also responsible for material dispatch, so the clerks had no suspicion, obeyed the order, and arranged for the people to evacuate from the two rear city gates.

Not long after, two messengers ran from the front to deliver the evacuation order, but upon entering the prefecture they found it empty.

Organizing the evacuation of over two hundred thousand people is no easy task; the government office couldn't go door to door mobilizing, so it could only clang clang clang along the streets with gongs, notifying everyone to flee immediately, and they had to take the main road to have dedicated escorts, otherwise congestion would be unavoidable.

The road to the western city gate was for a time bustling with crowds, filled with fleeing people.

Like other officials, Fan Shuang and his father stood at the street corner, doing guidance and疏导 work.

From afar, cries of misery often came, and fires broke out in places. Fan Shuang knew this was the enemy troops rioting after entering the city.

It seemed they were coming this way.

Lady Wang rushed over from behind, worried: "You father and son should also leave quickly, the pursuers are arriving!"

Before her words finished, a creature resembling a crocodile but not quite, with elongated limbs, suddenly emerged from the dark alley, bit a clerk and flung him aside, then lunged at Lady Wang.

Seeing that blood-filled maw, if Lady Wang were bitten, she would at least lose half her life.

Lady Wang instinctively screamed.

At the critical moment, a long sword from behind arrived first, stabbing fiercely into the monster's eye.

The monster let out a miserable howl and stumbled away in retreat.

An army came running from behind, its leader precisely Tushan Fang.

This flying knife was thrown by him.

Fan Shuang still remembered him saying that this accurate throwing skill was honed by practicing on passing merchants he had ambushed before; previously he threw flying stones and trip ropes, now it is a life-saving blade.

"Brother Tushan!" Seeing him, everyone clung to him like a lifeline.

Tushan Fang, however, asked them: "Where is the Huang County Magistrate?"

"No, I don't know. He hasn't shown his face at all."

"Who organized the civilians' retreat?" Very timely.

Fan Shuang whispered: "It was me, me. I used your name to deploy the evacuation drill. We've practiced retreats several times in Miancheng; officials and civilians all know what to do—I just shouted a couple of times."

"Well done!" Tushan Fang slapped his shoulder, "To the mine cave!"

"I know." Seeing Tushan Fang turn to leave, Fan Shuang hurriedly called out: "Brother Tushan, when will reinforcements arrive?"

"Soon, soon—holding on is victory!" Tushan Fang said with unusual firmness.