Chapter 120: Ascending the Wall

"First to ascend the city wall is promoted to Long Family, and Long Family promoted to Post Commander! Reward of ten servants and two horses — anyone who retreats dies!"

A Post Commander from the Old Camp behind them bellowed encouragement, then swung his long blade and cut down a servant lagging at the rear. Clusters of Long Family and servants all surged toward Xiao Wazi's bamboo ladder.

Along the city wall, over a hundred bamboo ladders rose upright. Long Family and servants alike scrambled over one another to climb the ladders. Three or four people could fight their way up a single bamboo ladder, which bent downward under the weight, threatening to snap at any moment.

Below, many more Roving Bandits still waited. The ground beneath the wall was a chaos of voices, a dense mass of people. Those with shields held them high overhead. They could neither retreat nor scale the wall, and those bamboo ladders were the only passage.

Below Xiao Wazi's ladder, it was all comrades from the Upper Fifth Post. The Child Army he had brought was already cut off by the crowd. He hid beside a servant who carried a shield, using the man as cover, and from the shield's edge tilted his head back to look at the top of the wall. Seen from below now, the city wall loomed even taller. The battlements cut an uneven gray dividing line across the bright sky.

From that dividing line, stones and lime pots flew out at intervals, crashing wildly into the crowd. Three more stones shot out from the battlements on the left, and a chorus of shouts rose from below the wall. One stone came flying straight toward Xiao Wazi. Xiao Wazi shrank back, bracing his shoulder against the servant's waist in front of him to keep him from retreating. The servant howled, raising his shield with all his might.

A muffled bang sounded. The cowhide-covered shield split open with several cracks, but it stopped the stone. The servant stumbled back a step, still yelling "Ah—ah—" from his mouth.

Another dark shape flew out. Xiao Wazi recognized the cylindrical form at once.

A Fire Thunder trailed white smoke as it fell. Panicked cries erupted all around. The Roving Bandits scattered in every direction, the Fire Thunder at the center of the circle.

One servant let out a howl and charged at the Fire Thunder, snatching it up to hurl it back at the wall top. But as he raised his hand, he seemed to realize the Fire Thunder was too heavy — he probably could not throw it onto the city wall. He hurriedly stopped, meaning to throw it somewhere else, but people were packed all around him, and he hesitated again.

With a thunderous boom, the servant was swallowed by flame and white smoke. Severed fingers and shreds of clothing shot out with the white smoke. More agonized screams sounded nearby — even those who had fled were still struck by the flying iron nails.

A needle-like stab pierced Xiao Wazi's left arm, then pain set in. He raised his hand to look: an iron nail was embedded in the flesh. He quickly grabbed the tail end, drew a breath, and yanked it out with a fierce tug. A sharp agony flared from the wound. Xiao Wazi bared his teeth and let out a roar. A surge of fury rose in his heart, but for the moment he had nowhere to vent it.

An inhuman howl came from within the white smoke. He did not need to imagine how badly that man was wounded — he was certainly beyond saving. Yet he also found it a little strange: the man had held it in his hand and still not been blown to death. Clearly this Fire Thunder was not so formidable; it could hardly take a life outright. But somehow it still produced a great number of wounded, and the panic it created was intense. At the very least, Xiao Wazi already carried some psychological scars.

More stones rained down from above. The stones were numerous, but fortunately they were all fairly small — most of them the servant beside him managed to block. Otherwise the defending soldiers could not have thrown them over the top of the battlements. By now the arrow crenels were choked with climbers, and the inner side of the wall was lined with spear soldiers. Spear tips thrust in and out ceaselessly at the crenels, clashing with the men at the tops of the bamboo ladders. So the defenders could no longer hurl millstones down either — no one could lift a millstone over the battlements.

The force of the projectiles from the wall top had weakened considerably. The defending troops' stamina was likely heavily drained as well; the density was nothing like it had been at the start. At this point, Fire Thunders should have been more effective — light, easy to handle, and capable of inflicting mass casualties on a dense crowd — yet the number thrown had also greatly diminished. Xiao Wazi did not know the reason, but he was grateful for it.

After dodging two more Fire Thunders and several stones, Xiao Wazi's back was drenched in sweat. The ground was littered everywhere with stones. In this stretch, there was hardly a place to set foot. And those wounded men still writhed and howled on the ground, piled up beneath the wall with no one tending to them, trampled over and over. Below the wall was utter chaos. A few uninjured servants wept and shrieked madly, their mental spirit already shattered.

From what Xiao Wazi knew from experience, if the men on the ladders could not ascend the wall and pin down the defenders, then an assault like this could not last much longer — not even with the Old Camp driving them from behind.

Below the wall, they remained in a passive position, taking a beating the entire time. Every servant and Long Family taking part in the attack was both intensely tense and utterly exhausted, teetering on the brink of collapse at any moment. Xiao Wazi had not fired a single arrow or swung his blade once; he had only been ceaselessly dodging stones and Fire Thunders, and even now he felt his strength nearly spent.

Perhaps they were just one millstone away from collapse. If a millstone truly appeared at a crenel, Xiao Wazi had already resolved to flee regardless of everything. He would rather be hacked to death than crushed into a pulp of meat by a millstone.

He continued tilting his head back to watch the wall top. At the top of the bamboo ladder above him, only two men were now climbing. The servant in front was nearly spent. He had been struggling against the wall top for a long time and could no longer even lift his shield. He retreated a step downward. The red-clad Long Family behind him had long since lost patience. Seeing the servant dare to retreat, he roared in fury and swung his bone mace, striking the servant squarely in the side of the waist. With a wretched howl, the servant plunged headfirst toward the ground.

The Long Family stepped upward. In his left hand a round shield, in his right an iron bone mace. The moment his head reached the crenel, blades flashed inside — at least three long spears were attacking him. He hastily retreated a step, not daring to climb the last two rungs of the bamboo ladder. If he fully exposed his upper body at the crenel and the enemy thrust straight at him, he would have no leverage on the ladder and would be shoved right off.

He stopped at a position where only his head was exposed. This spot was a little farther from the battlements. If the defending soldiers wanted to strike him effectively, they would need to expose themselves at the crenel. The Long Family kept probing the defenders inside. One defending soldier wielding a long spear seemed to grow impatient. He appeared at the crenel and stabbed downward with all his might. The Long Family braced his shield to block. Under the spear soldier's fierce thrusts, the bamboo ladder creaked and groaned, shaking violently.

The spear soldier was just getting into the heat of the fight when over ten arrows whistled through the air. Two or three struck the spear soldier in the face. His head snapped back, and in an instant he vanished from the crenel.

The Old Camp overseers directing the battle from behind stood twenty paces back, shielded by door planks raised by servants, using blades and spears to block any retreat. Most of the Roving Bandits using bows had already loosed dozens of arrows in succession, and their strength had sharply declined — but even after such a long interval, picking off one defending soldier was still within their power.

"Get up there!" Xiao Wazi shouted.

The Long Family also recognized this as his chance. Not only was there one fewer defender now, but the arrow-struck soldier would also obstruct the defenders' angle of attack from the wall top. This was truly the best opportunity.

The Long Family scrambled up two steps. He peered into the city and let his bone mace fly from his hand. A scream sounded from within the wall. Xiao Wazi knew another defender was down. That meant of the three long spears at this crenel, only one man should remain. This was a critical moment.

The Long Family drew the Cloud Ladder Blade at his waist, thrust his shield forward, and with two quick steps mounted the crenel. With a furious roar, he leaped into the city wall.

A cheer erupted from below the wall.

"Quick, follow up!" Xiao Wazi drew his waist saber and shoved aside a servant blocking his way. He might not be the first to ascend the wall, but right now this bamboo ladder had everyone's eyes on it. As long as he climbed up and the master saw it, he would surely be remembered.

Thinking this, Xiao Wazi mounted the bamboo ladder.

A breach had opened in this section of the city wall. After the Long Family leaped inside, the defenders at the two adjacent bamboo ladders were also pinned down, and a breakthrough could quickly form. Once enough men ascended, they could seize this stretch of the wall. After accumulating a certain number, they could advance along the wall, capture the gate tower of the South Fragrance Gate, and mass troops there for the follow-up attack.

Cheers rose from below the wall. The big drum beneath the yellow banner thundered. The Roving Bandits' morale soared. Xiao Wazi sprang up nimbly, climbing swiftly up the swaying bamboo ladder. This was a special skill of his and his brother's — he was the fastest ladder climber in the Upper Fifth Post. He soon reached the top. Everyone watching roared in unison to urge him on.

Xiao Wazi stepped onto the last rung. Inside, the sounds of slaughter filled the air. The first thing he saw was a Grass Depot, with only a few straw bundles and fire pots left. After climbing onto the crenel, he glanced around briefly. Three defending soldiers lay on the ground — they looked like bailiffs and commoners. Two long spears lay on the ground.

Shouts like thunder rang out from both sides — fierce fighting was clearly still underway. Xiao Wazi drew a breath and leaped into the city wall, becoming the second person to ascend.

He looked left and right. Inside the battlement beside him stood a large, thick wooden frame, on top of which sat a cylinder. Below it was something like a windlass. Several thick ropes were attached to the cylinder. On the ground beneath the frame lay a vertical millstone. It seemed this device was used to hoist millstones onto the crenels.

Looking toward the City Tower, fierce fighting raged there. Three or four Community Soldiers blocked the way ahead. The way they held their spears made it obvious they lacked training; their thrusts seemed feeble. But none of them shrank back, shouting loudly as they jabbed wildly with their short spears.

That Long Family fought them with his Cloud Ladder Blade. Neither side dared press too close. The Long Family wore no armor at all, so even these short spears were quite intimidating. If one struck a vital spot, even if it did not kill him on the spot, it could very likely inflict a severe wound. So they all probed cautiously, looking for an opening.

Several Community Soldiers were rushing over from the left. Xiao Wazi picked up a short spear from the ground and was about to meet them when another companion leaped onto the wall top. Using a long blade, he drove the Community Soldiers back step after step. Then another man leaped in, and the two of them forced those Community Soldiers into retreat.

Comrades began leaping in from the two adjacent bamboo ladders. Below the wall, the drums roared like thunder, and the massed Roving Bandits' battle cries shook heaven and earth.

Xiao Wazi took a few panting breaths, then turned and headed toward the City Tower. By now, three men were already engaging the Community Soldiers. They all used waist sabers and Cloud Ladder Blades, which required a great deal of space to swing. The narrow city wall gave them no room to maneuver. The opposing long spears, on the other hand, were more densely packed and had sealed off the wall passage.

Those few Community Soldiers were intensely nervous, their attention wholly fixed on the several Roving Bandits in the front row. The blades and spears of both sides clashed against one another.

Xiao Wazi did not go to the front row. Instead, he hid in the rear on the left side. Right in front of him was the Long Family who had been first to ascend the wall. This man was also from the Upper Fifth Post. Xiao Wazi had known of this Long Family in daily life — a local bandit who had joined up in Shanxi and previously served in the Border Army. He never came out on the losing end in a fight. Just now, he had leaped alone into the city wall, pinning down all the nearby defenders so that those behind could ascend, and he himself had still not been wounded.

At this moment, that Long Family still held his shield. His footwork was quite agile. He kept stepping forward to probe; whenever the enemy thrust, he retreated a step, waiting for the Community Soldiers to expose an opening. He fought with patience and caution. He had already earned the first merit of ascending the wall — there was no need for him to risk his life.

He had just deflected a thrust from the side with his shield and immediately stepped forward, raising his blade to strike, when the Community Soldier opposite came howling at him. The Long Family was about to retreat again when suddenly someone slammed into him violently from behind. Not only did he fail to retreat, but the impact sent him lurching forward.

It happened too suddenly. He had no time at all to parry. The opposing long spear plunged into his abdomen with a wet thud. The Long Family let out a wretched shriek and dropped his shield, one hand instinctively clutching the spear shaft.

Seizing the moment while the enemy's long spear could not be withdrawn, Xiao Wazi darted out from beside him in one step, slipping inside the Community Soldier's spear shaft from the flank. His short spear shot out like lightning, the spearhead driving into the Community Soldier's right abdomen.

The Community Soldier screamed and doubled over, staggering backward. Xiao Wazi had already moved through the gap he left into the Community Soldiers' flank. He dropped his short spear, yanked out his waist saber, and hacked at another Community Soldier behind.

The blade slashed diagonally across the Community Soldier's cheek with a thwack — from the forehead across the bridge of the nose and the cheek. Blood gushed out.

Xiao Wazi pressed against the two wounded Community Soldiers, keeping the other short spears from swinging sideways. His waist saber hacked at the men in rapid succession. Several Community Soldiers were jammed together, their short spears utterly useless. Two or three other Roving Bandits charged over, stabbing wildly at the men with Cloud Ladder Blades and waist sabers.

The Community Soldiers were packed so tight they could not move. Under the frenzied hacking and slashing of several men, they became a heap of corpses. A group of Community Soldiers rushing over saw this and were terrified. They hastily halted, daring only to defend where they stood. From the City Tower ahead rang the urgent clang of gongs.

"Push forward!" Xiao Wazi's face was smeared with blood. He brandished his notched waist saber and roared. He needed to expand the stretch of wall they held as quickly as possible, to let more comrades surge up. By their usual experience in city assaults, once they seized a section of the wall, cities without government troops generally fell. Only in Luzhou had they encountered a monster and been driven back outright.

At that moment, three more companions came up from behind. The group charged forward together. Xiao Wazi ran a few steps, then fell behind and stopped. No one ahead noticed.

Xiao Wazi retreated to the spot where the fierce fighting had just occurred. On the ground, the wounded Long Family was still writhing. His right hand pressed against his abdomen, blood flowing ceaselessly. The pain had robbed him of speech. His eyes were wide and round. His left hand pointed at Xiao Wazi, and his throat emitted a strange, rasping sound.

The newly arrived companions were all charging toward both sides. No one paid any attention here. Xiao Wazi picked up a short spear and walked over to the Long Family. He planted one foot on the man's neck, the spear tip hanging downward. The Long Family's eyes were wide open, but he had no way to dodge.

Xiao Wazi bent his knee slightly. The spear tip slowly pierced into the Long Family's heart. In this moment, on this city wall, no one noticed this tiny motion at all.

The Long Family's mouth gaped wide. He felt the ice-cold spear tip slowly parting his skin and muscle, drawing closer and closer to his heart.