Chapter 338: The Day the Great Army Attacks the City

When a major event occurs, many people consider it abrupt and unexpected, but only a few know that every result is a chain reaction that comes to fruition when conditions are ripe.

The day before the event, smoke rising for dozens of miles appeared outside the city, drawing the attention of those within.

The smoke was like mountains, like a curtain, like a jungle; it rolled and surged, like ink spilled and refusing to settle.

"A fire has started; the rebels are setting large-scale fires."

Zhou You, on this section of the city wall, also saw such massive smoke; the air was filled with black particles, saturated with a mixture of oil and carbon.

The pungent odor drifting with the wind made everyone unable to help but cover their noses.

"This is cooking smoke!"

Zuo Shier identified it at a glance; although the smoke was thick and chaotic, it was mixed with grease and water vapor, the unique smoky scent of cooking meals.

Could it be that there was a joyous occasion among the rebels, requiring them to go all out and set up a banquet to treat everyone?

Zhou You did not speak; this was clearly a collective meal before a large-scale operation—they were going to war.

It is well known that when large organizations eat, to reduce the load, they usually cook in batches and at different times.

In this way, manpower, firewood, and stoves are barely sufficient and do not become overloaded.

Only when holding some large-scale activity that requires the entire force to move out together would they prepare food on such a massive scale.

Any war is physical labor; while one usually eats to maintain life, one must eat and drink well before a battle to replenish strength.

Furthermore, going into battle is a death-defying act; how could there not be a sumptuous final meal? Therefore, from this detail, Zhou You concluded that the day of the siege was right at hand.

Sure enough...

Trouble happened the very next day! At the start of dawn, the city gate tunnel was bustling and very lively, crowded with people entering and leaving the city.

The martial artists guarding the gate maintained order, from time to time dragging out a few who were cutting in line, beating them until they vomited blood, and tossing them to the side as a warning.

People these days traveled with big bags and small bundles, even carrying iron pots on their backs, and some even held piglets or clutched roosters; the ground was covered in feces and spit, extremely chaotic.

The irritability of adults, the crying of children, plus the noisy exchange of livestock, made the temperature in the gate tunnel rise by several degrees.

Today was the first time Yuan Hang and Hu Bandong were on duty, responsible for guarding the city gate.

They led some martial artists with internal strength, guarding the pivot of the city gate; this was the most critical place.

The pivot controlled the closing and opening of the city gate; once destroyed, the gate could not be closed, and with the tunnel opened, the city would completely lose its defensive capability.

No matter how crowded the residents entering and leaving the city were, they were absolutely forbidden from approaching the gate's pivot by even half a step.

"The world is in chaos, yet the number of people entering and leaving every day is still so high?"

Yuan Hang looked at the flow of people coming and going, sighing endlessly.

Beside him, Hu Bandong stroked his beard and said in a leisurely manner, "There is no one left outside; they are all running into the city."

In reality, with the spread of war, famine, and the Plague, the population of villages and towns in the countryside had fled, all gathering inside the city protected by the city walls.

Therefore, while the outside world was a barren land for a thousand miles, the interior of the city was more prosperous and lively than usual.

"Make way in front, this is stone and timber being sent into the city, the masters need it urgently."

Not far away, a pack horse team approached the gate tunnel accompanied by shouts.

Yuan Hang and Hu Bandong heard this and stood up with great tacit understanding, as if they had heard some signal.

This horse team was packed with various mules and draft horses; on the wooden carts they pulled, the bundled logs and stones were piled high, a full four or five people tall, and only the city gate could accommodate their passage.

In this way, they monopolized this period of passage, and others waiting to enter the city had to move to the two sides.

Judging by the length of the horse team, it would take at least a good hour to pass; there was a long wait ahead.

Now, whether entering or leaving the city, people began to wail and complain, some begging to be allowed to pass first.

"The city needs to repair the walls and urgently needs materials; you must consider the big picture." Yuan Hang spread his arms to block the crowd, persuading them earnestly.

The commotion in the gate tunnel soon reached Zhou You's ears, and he had Zuo Shier, Qian Shimeng, and others keep a constant watch.

The two martial artists with high blood energy rushed down the steps, while the rest remained on the city wall in battle readiness.

Zhou You exhaled, leaning on the rough crenel to look out; outside the city, sand and dust filled the sky, and not a trace of green could be seen.

A gust of wind swept across the dry ground, and in the gray, hazy field of vision, nothing could be seen.

"My family needs to leave the city; we have already cleared this beforehand, open the gate quickly."

Before long, a convoy from inside the city also arrived at the gate, shouting at the gate guards.

Qian Shimeng saw this convoy, and his expression became polite, "Isn't this Master XX?"

It turned out this was also a wealthy family in the city; one could tell from the scale of the convoy that they were extremely rich, and their lineup was in no way inferior to the timber and stone transport convoy.

Under normal circumstances, if either of the two convoys wanted to pass through the city gate, it would have to be delayed for the better part of a day.

It was a coincidence today that the two convoys collided head-on, and because their size was massive and turning was difficult, they both stopped at the gate at the same time.

Should you yield to me, or should I yield to you?

The two convoys were deadlocked, the crowd of people waiting around became even more irritable, and the cursing was endless.

Some even attempted to break through the obstruction of the martial artists, trying to lower the city gate completely to provide more space.

Order had already descended into absolute chaos, yet another incident added fuel to the fire.

For some reason, the ropes binding one of the timber and stone transport carts suddenly snapped.

Several tons of square stone blocks crashed down with a boom, and the round logs rolled along the ground after landing, like wheels that would not stop.

"Oh no, oh no!"

Those who could not dodge in time were crushed with broken bones and torn flesh, and some even had half their bodies crushed, their internal organs exposed.

The heavy wood and stones happened to block the gate tunnel, causing the city gate to be unable to close.

The convoy that was originally leaving the city also had an accident...

Two figures rushed into the wealthy family's convoy like a whirlwind; they did not attack the people, but their fists and palms flew, carrying the force of a thousand jun.

It was Yuan Hang and Hu Bandong! The two of them had clear targets: one palm snapped an axle, one punch killed a steed.

Only then did the crowd realize that these two were causing trouble; the axles were broken, the horses were dead, and this convoy had fallen into paralysis, completely stalled, blocking the traffic arteries converging on the gate tunnel.

"You two villains."

Qian Shimeng realized that something was about to happen.

Why were they blocking the city gate? They must be letting people in; they were spies! A shrill sound of gongs and drums came from the top of the city wall, the beats rapid and continuous without end; it was an unprecedented warning.

On the city wall, all the members of the Defense who were looking into the distance were left dumbfounded.

On the loess flatland outside the city, waves surged forward in alternating successions, slow and steady; although there were occasional chaotic "splashes," they would jump a few times at most before finally falling back into the main body.

The rebel army composed of mobs had mobilized; looking out, they were boundless, at least tens of thousands in scale.

Close the city gate! Almost everyone's subconscious thought was to close the city gate and rely on the city wall for Defense.

But in the previous chaos, the city gate tunnel had been blocked, and countless chaotic crowds were pushing and shoving each other, turning into a complete mess; those who wanted to enter could not, and those who wanted to leave could not either.

The city gate tunnel on this side of the wall, which Zhou You was responsible for, was wide open, completely becoming an undefended area.

(End of chapter)