Chapter 71: Fierce Battle

In the night wind, Sun Wukong's staff gleamed with a cold, icy luster under the moonlight, as if condensing endless killing intent.

Behind him, the troops of this assault unit either leaned against the walls to sit or patrolled back and forth, staying constantly vigilant.

At the city gate, the Green Mountain County soldiers were either dead or had surrendered; before the county's counterattack arrived, they seized the time to recover their strength.

Suddenly, the hoofbeats sounded urgent like a violent wind and rain, breaking the night's silence.

From within Green Mountain County city came a sudden burst of hoofbeats, and they were gradually approaching the city gate.

Sun Wukong's eyes turned sharp; he knew the first counterattack of the Green Mountain County soldiers had arrived.

He took a deep breath, gripped his staff tightly, and prepared to meet the impending storm.

When the Green Mountain County soldiers approached the city gate, the assault unit led by that colonel of the Cangzhou Great Army had already seized the city wall and began launching a fierce attack at them.

Arrow after arrow rained down from the city tower like falling drops, striking the formation of the Green Mountain County city soldiers; several soldiers were hit, collapsing to the ground and groaning in pain.

At this moment, the situation of attack and defense has changed!

"General Sun, this counterattack of Green Mountain County was hastily assembled."

"I imagine their fighting strength and coordination aren't great; please, General Sun, lead the charge."

"To ease the pressure for the later defense!"

Seeing the obviously hastily assembled Green Mountain County soldiers opposite, the colonel leading this assault unit's eyes flashed, and he said to Sun Wukong at the city gate below the wall:

Immediately after, a small cavalry unit that had not participated in the siege from this assault unit also charged forward, their iron hooves thundering like thunder, shaking the earth.

Their target pointed straight at the Green Mountain County soldiers.

"Haha! Fine, fine!"

"You wait here; I, Old Sun, will go forth and charge!"

Sun Wukong, who had originally been preparing to defend, heard the colonel's words, his eyes lit up, and he looked up with approval at the colonel.

"Now that's more like it!"

"A true man should meet the enemy head‑on!"

At that moment, the Green Mountain County Lieutenant brandished his spear and led the soldiers in a desperate resistance.

Their offensive was fierce and decisive, as if they wanted to tear the enemy apart with sheer force.

But unfortunately, these assault troops were hand‑picked by Qin Qiong from tens of thousands of vanguard soldiers, their combat power extremely strong; they were well trained and coordinated, each attack surging forward like a great wave.

The battle raged intensely; the Green Mountain County soldiers gave their all, but were ultimately driven back.

The Green Mountain County Lieutenant led from the front, incredibly brave, but he was ultimately no hidden genius, lacking Sun Wukong's ability to turn the tide from desperation.

Finally, exhausted, he was knocked to the ground by a heavy punch from a squad leader of the assault unit.

A flicker of unwillingness and regret crossed his eyes, but more prominent was his resolve and determination.

"Hold the line, don't break!"

"The County Magistrate's main force will arrive any moment!"

He struggled to his feet, brandished his spear, and kept fighting.

Yet reality is cruel; the Green Mountain County Lieutenant's hastily gathered troops are too few, and the disparity in strength between the sides is too great.

Under the assault unit's fierce onslaught, the Green Mountain County soldiers kept retreating.

The County Magistrate stood in the rear, watching the battle at the city gate, his heart filled with anxiety.

But he knew they had no retreat; only by retaking the city gate could they have a slim chance of survival.

He turned and shouted to the nearby guards: "Immediately gather all the city‑defense soldiers and prepare for another attack!"

The guards sprang into action, sprinting through the county's complex passageways to relay the order to all the soldiers of the second batch.

Soon after, more county soldiers began to gather in front of the city gate, a dark, pressing mass.

Their numbers were several times greater than the hastily brought troops of the Green Mountain County Lieutenant earlier!

"Kill!"

The hoofbeats from within Green Mountain County city grew nearer, and then a large contingent of county soldiers surged out of the city, charging toward Sun Wukong and the others at the city gate.

In the moonlight, their iron armor flashed with a cold light, and their weapons traced silver arcs through the air.

Sun Wukong gave a cold smile, swung his staff, and led the assault unit forward to meet the enemy.

For a moment, the cries of slaughter echoed through the heavens.

This was the second, and also the final, counterattack of Green Mountain County city, and it had begun!

This offensive was even more fierce and resolute; the soldiers shouted as they charged toward the city gate.

Arrows, spears, and broadswords danced through the air, each clash emitting a piercing metallic ring.

Blood sprayed and bodies flew; the brutality of the battle was shocking.

Yet fate seemed not to favor them.

Sun Wukong's staff traced astonishing arcs in the night sky, at times like a violent wind and rain, at times like a thunderbolt of immense force.

Each swing was accompanied by the soldiers' anguished cries and the sound of weapons hitting the ground.

The assault unit behind him was no less impressive; they fought in tight coordination, taking on many with few, displaying extraordinary combat skill and indomitable spirit.

But the county soldiers' numbers ultimately gave them an absolute advantage; their offensive surged forward like an endless tide.

Sun Wukong and the assault unit, though incredibly brave, could not avoid suffering casualties.

Moreover, under the Green Mountain County soldiers' tactic of overwhelming numbers, the casualty count kept rising!

Blood gradually stained the ground red, and the air at the city gate reeked heavily of blood.

At this critical moment of life‑and‑death struggle, a sudden rumble of hoofbeats came from the deep forest far beyond Green Mountain County city.

In the distance, a massive silhouette gradually emerged against the night curtain.

As the hoofbeats grew nearer, a torrent of iron surged forward, breaking the night's silence.

They advanced like a steel Great Wall, neat and uniform, their armor flashing with a cold, icy luster in the moonlight.

Every soldier gripped their weapon tightly, eyes firm and sharp, as if they had already foreseen the impending battle.

In the deep night, the vanguard army's flag fluttered in the wind, like a beacon in the darkness, pointing the way to victory.

With the cavalry's charge, the war drums and horns intertwined, shaking the hearts of all.

The arrival of the vanguard army instantly changed the battlefield situation, bringing unprecedented pressure to everyone in Qingshan County.

Sun Wukong felt a surge of joy; Qin Qiong's vanguard army had finally arrived!

"Charge!"

With the arrival of the vanguard army's cavalry, the battle situation instantly reversed.

They surged into the enemy formation like a flood, unstoppable.

The county troops, under this tremendous impact, fled in disarray, their formation collapsing instantly.

"General Sun, next!"

As the vanguard army's cavalry swept past the assault team and charged straight at the Qingshan County troops on the battlefield,

A cavalryman stopped beside Sun Wukong, throwing his Golden Cudgel to him.

"Haha! Thank you, thank you!"

"Follow me, Old Sun, into the charge!"

Sun Wukong took the Golden Cudgel, waved it wildly in his hand, and shouted.

He led the remaining assault team behind the cavalry, charging into the enemy formation like a tiger descending the mountain, scattering the Qingshan County troops' lines into chaos.

At the same time, Qin Qiong's main force, the Cangzhou Army, also officially joined the battlefield.

They surged into the county seat like a flood, driving Qingshan County into desperation.

(End of chapter)