Chapter 112

Outside Yangzhou City

Suddenly, a mournful horn blast tore through the peace! The sound was sharp as a steel knife slicing air, shooting straight from the distant camp into the clouds, instantly ripping the gentleness of the morning mist.

Immediately after, the second and third horn blasts sounded in succession, layer upon layer, echoing across the open plain, startling the roosting birds in the woods into flapping their wings and flying wildly toward the horizon.

no.

The heavy war drumbeat, like the steps of death, began to throb.

Later Liang Army at Yangzhou City

Liang infantry on the Yangzhou city wall

no.

no.

Liang Army commanders

On Yangzhou's city wall

Except for a few sentries on observation duty, there was hardly any sign of the Wang Family garrison on the walls; they neither shot arrows back nor threw down rolling logs and stones.

Liang soldiers

"What's going on? Is there no one up on the wall?"

"Never mind that! Charge up—whoever is the first to mount the wall gets a hundred gold and a promotion of three ranks!"

Under such generous rewards, brave men appear. The Liang army soldiers suppressed their fear and quickened their pace.

Morning mist on the city wall and an iron-plated cloud ladder

Iron-made hook on the battlements

"Charge! Take Yangzhou City and you'll be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver!" the officer at the front brandished his long saber and roared.

The Liang soldiers' eyes lit up instantly; each gripped their spears and short blades, stepping on the crossbeams of the siege ladders they scrambled up in a rush, the crisp clatter of armor and their heavy breathing mingling together.

Wang Yanzhang and Kang Yanxiao

Below the watchtower, Wang Yanzhang held the reins, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the carvings on the saddle, his brows knotted into a frown.

Beside him, Kang Yanxiao widened his eyes, his grip on the whip loosening a bit; after a moment he couldn't help but click his tongue: "Just this?"

Yangzhou City guarded by the Wang family

The Wang family's accumulated wealth over generations

Not even a single volley of arrows or a rolling stone had fallen? This "smoothness" was too abnormal, making his unease swell like a tide, pressing uncomfortably against his chest.

no.

no.

Atop Yangzhou City

On the city wall, the Wang Family Workshop's divine strength crossbow and bed crossbow

On these bed-mounted crossbows, the ammunition was not ordinary bolts but huge "rockets" several meters long, as thick as a child's arm, with oilcloth and powder packets bound to their tips!

no.

An order rang out from the city top

Dozens of these "rockets" were ignited, trailing long tails of flame and emitting a piercing whistle as they shot forth instantly!

In the rear of the Liang Army, an archer formation

no.

The Liang archers stared in terror at the "fire dragons" falling from the sky, not yet having time to react.

no.

A series of violent explosions boomed loudly amid the crowd!

The massive shockwave and countless fragments from the exploding powder packets instantly cleared a large area; soldiers directly hit were blown apart on the spot, flesh and blood flying, while those nearby were flung to the ground by the blast, set aflame, and let out shrill screams.

Archer formation

Liang soldiers on the city wall

Behind the battlements, rolling logs and stones

Liang Army commanders

The leading officer suddenly drew his sidearm and bellowed at the chaotic troops: "Hold steady! Keep your formation!"

His voice trembled from shock, yet he forced himself to raise his blade toward the wall: "It's just some logs—what's there to fear? Keep charging! Whoever retreats is a deserter and will be punished by military law!"

The deputy commander beside him also broke into a cold sweat from anxiety, waving for the soldiers behind to fill the gaps while shouting at the disordered ranks: "Form up! Form up! Shield bearers, get on top and protect the ladders! Don't break formation—if you do, we're all done!"

But before his words faded, another dense volley of arrows rained down from the wall, the shields going "puff-puff" as several shield-bearers dropped where they stood; the formation that had just steadied wavered again, and the commanders' shouts grew increasingly tinged with despair.

Once fear spreads, it cannot be contained.

And this was merely the beginning.

At the very moment the Liang rear descended into chaos, another change occurred atop the wall.

Shooting holes in the city wall

The Wang Family's newly developed first-generation bronze cannon

no.

no.

A deafening roar, like thunder bursting from flat ground, made the whole earth tremble!

Dozens of red-hot solid Iron Control shots, trailing death's tracks, screamed and slammed into the Liang infantry formation that was carrying the siege ladders and preparing to launch a second wave of attack.

The scene was nothing short of a bloody bowling game.

Where the Iron Control shots passed, men and horses were overturned, flesh and blood blurred. The sturdy wooden shields, before them, were as fragile as paper. Soldiers' bodies were easily torn apart and flung away.

Blood-and-flesh hutongs, within the Liang army's formation, were ruthlessly plowed out.

Demonic sorcery! This is demonic sorcery!

The heavenly deity is furious!

The Liang army's soldiers collapsed completely.

They had fought all their lives, seen blades and arrows, but they had never witnessed such a terrifying sight.

This is absolutely not a force that mortals can resist!

They dropped their weapons, wailed, and turned to flee.

"No retreat! Those who retreat shall be cut down!"

The supervisor detachment in the rear waved their butcher knives, slaying the fleeing soldiers, but they could not possibly stop this mountain‑collapsing, tsunami‑like rout.

Wang Yanzhang stood on the high slope, watching his proud elite troops, and in less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, they were beaten to discard helmets and armor, fleeing in disarray; he himself stood stunned, as if struck by lightning.

His lips trembled as he muttered, "What… what on earth is this…"

He finally understood how those who opposed the Wang family had been defeated.

He finally understood how foolish and arrogant he had been.

This was by no means an evenly matched war; it was a dimensional strike!

"Retreat! Sound the recall!" he bellowed with all his strength.

However, it was already too late.

Wang Po (Wang Xiu) stood on the city tower, looking coldly at all this through a telescope.

His face showed no expression.

"Order the navy." He said calmly, "Launch an attack. Smash their pontoon bridges and warships on the river."

"Also, inform the Divine Machine Battalion."

"The appetizer is over; now for the main course."

As his orders were issued,

The gate of Yangzhou City, tightly shut, slowly opened.

Rows of Divine Machine Battalion soldiers in black plate armor, holding firearms, marched out of the gate in neat three‑rank formations, with steady steps.

They gave no shout, launched no charge.

They simply advanced step by step.

That silent oppression was more suffocating than any battle cry.

The fleeing Liang army saw the Wang family army actually sortie from the city; some officers still wanted to rally troops for a counterattack.

"They've come out! They're few! Surround them!"

But what greeted them was the Divine Machine Battalion's icy, dark muzzles.

"Ready!"

"Fire!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The gunfire, as dense and crisp as frying beans, echoed across the entire battlefield.

White smoke puffed from the muzzles in successive lines.

The hundreds of Liang soldiers at the front fell like harvested wheat, all at once.

Blood blossomed on their chests.

Everyone was utterly stunned by this unheard‑of attack.

"Load!"

"Ready!"

"Fire!"

Another volley rang out.

Another line of Liang soldiers collapsed into pools of blood.

Panic spread wildly through the Liang army.

No one dared to resist; everyone fled in madness.

Yet the Divine Machine Battalion soldiers kept marching with the same steady pace, advancing step by step, harvesting lives with volley after volley.

This siege ultimately turned into a one‑sided massacre.

Zhu Youzhen, in his splendid central command tent, heard battle report after ever more absurd report from the front, and was left dumbfounded.

"What? Over ten thousand casualties in an hour, the whole line collapsed!"

"What? Fire‑spitting crossbow bolts? Copper tubes that can shoot iron balls?"

"What? Sorcery that kills without bowstrings?"

"What about Wang Yanzhang! Kang Yanxiao! What are they good for!"

He raved madly, smashing everything in the tent to pieces.

He refused to believe! He absolutely refused to believe!

"Prepare my horse! I will go see the front myself!" he roared, "I want to see with my own eyes what sorcery the Wang family has used!"