Chapter 732

"If this Kou Zhong is fake, does that mean the task to guard the array's core is also fake?"

Meng Chixing shook his head and said,

"Their actions certainly prove they're not from the Qinglong Society."

"But as for this task… it's hard to say…"

In fact, Meng Chixing and Bi Xuan had already guessed from last night's battle that this task might be fake.

But it was only a possibility!

After all, Yi Tianxing had truly appeared.

He had taken away Sikong Yuchi Zhen.

If this task were declared fake, Bolhu would likely send either Meng Chixing or Bi Xuan to destroy the array's core.

What if they encountered Yi Tianxing inside the official compound?

Life or death was uncertain, but their faces would be utterly lost!

Therefore, whether or not this task was fake, neither Meng Chixing nor Bi Xuan dared say it was.

Bolhu had not yet realized it, but upon hearing Meng Chixing's words and seeing his expression,

he instantly understood.

"If so, then continue the assault on the city!

From what I see, Wang Xiaojie grew careless after yesterday's minor victory.

Facing our night attack, he sent out all of Mancheng's defenders.

After a night of fierce fighting, the Tang Army is exhausted.

As long as we drag it out another day or two, denying them rest, we'll win this battle."

He said this, but inside he added silently: provided Yi Tianxing or the Qinglong Society don't interfere.

The brutal siege continued.

Perhaps Wang Xiaojie had sensed something amiss in time.

At dawn, he withdrew half the Tang Army back into the city to rest.

He hoped to hold back the Yuanjunzhe Society's frenzied assault with only half the Tang forces.

But now the Yuanjunzhe Society knew they had no retreat.

From top to bottom, they had been drilled with this truth.

Thus, the Yuanjunzhe soldiers had gone mad.

If they delayed, the Tang Army would encircle them—and death was certain.

But if they succeeded in breaking through Yanmen Pass, they might still have a glimmer of hope.

So the Yuanjunzhe Society's battle spirit was now vastly different from before.

The Tang Army left only half its men to defend the walls—roughly three thousand total.

Spread across three sections of wall, each stretch held just over a thousand men.

Though aided by defensive arrays and siege-crossbow artillery,

once the Yuanjunzhe soldiers committed to dying, the Tang Army faced crisis along nearly the entire front.

Wang Xiaojie ran frantically between sections, leading reserve troops to plug breaches.

By midday, a Yuanjunzhe force finally secured a foothold on a stretch of the eastern wall.

As Wang Xiaojie realized the urgency and prepared to lead his reserves there,

Coincidentally, a dozen Yuanjunzhe elites had also scaled that same section of wall, aiding the assault.

He knew: if he left with his reserves, this section would fall.

Just as he was agonizing, a roar rang out from the other side:

"General Wang, don't worry—I'm here!"

Wang Xiaojie turned and saw it was Captain Chen—he had ordered Chen to rest, worn out from exhaustion.

Yet at this critical moment, Chen had led a squad of resting Tang soldiers straight up the wall.

With Captain Chen's arrival, more and more Tang soldiers who should have been resting returned to the walls.

Their reinforcement finally halted the Yuanjunzhe advance—for now.

"Old Chen, don't you know this is the enemy's tactic to tire us out?"

After handling the emergency, Wang Xiaojie found Captain Chen. His tone carried mild reprimand—but mostly relief.

Had Chen not arrived just in time, things might have turned dangerous.

Besides, yesterday, to assist Sikong Yuchi Zhen, Chen had nearly died fighting.

His body bore countless arrow wounds—he was already injured.

"Hah! Of course I know!"

Captain Chen skewered a Yuanjunzhe soldier who poked his head up, then turned to Wang Xiaojie with a carefree grin,

"General Wang, let's hold on a little longer. When the Yuanjunzhe commit their full force—that's when their end comes!"

"Huh?"

Wang Xiaojie didn't understand, but the Yuanjunzhe's frenzied assault surged again—he could only raise his great blade and fight shoulder to shoulder with Chen.

As the Yuanjunzhe assault grew fiercer, more desperate,

every Tang soldier who had been resting picked up weapons and climbed onto the walls.

No orders. No demands.

They all returned to their units on their own, once they learned the situation.

Then, under the command of their officers, they clashed fiercely with the Yuanjunzhe.

Wang Xiaojie, Captain Chen, and all other commanders could no longer remain at the rear to direct; they had to join the brutal battle themselves.

At every moment, Tang Army soldiers kept falling on the walls of Yanmen Pass.

Yet for every one of them who fell, they took at least one Yuan soldier's life in exchange.

Many more were countless!

But the Yuan army, including laborers, still numbered eighty thousand.

Again, they surged forward in waves, heedless of life or death.

Had Yanmen Pass not been fortified by defensive arrays, it would surely have fallen long ago to such frenzied assaults.

"Excellent! Wang Xiaojie, that Chen captain, even those two impostors have joined the fight."

It seems the Tang Army has been squeezed dry of its last reserves."

On the observation command platform, Bolhu saw Wang Xiaojie, Captain Chen, Pei Xingjian, and Seeing Ba Fenghan all appear on the battlefield.

He could not help but rejoice, feeling victory was already assured.

"Since the tactic of exhausting the enemy has succeeded, why did the General summon me back?"

Watching Bi Xuan had just been directing all the Wu Lin aoshou, blending into the Yuan ranks to attack Yanmen Pass.

Without these Wu Lin aoshou, not a single Yuan soldier could have reached the walls.

Yet just now, Bolhu ordered him recalled.

Bolhu smiled and said,

"I overestimated Yanmen Pass, and Wang Xiaojie."

They fight with all their might, and yes, they can hold.

But in doing so, they are draining the Tang Army's final ounce of strength.

When their strength is utterly spent, that is when we launch our final assault.

I originally thought this final assault would require at least two or three days.

But now…"

Bolhu smiled confidently, pointing at Yanmen Pass,

"At this rate, I predict the Tang Army's strength will be utterly spent within a single day.

Then, the Demon Master and Wu Zun will strike together, hurling themselves against Dongmen.

Yanmen Pass will fall!"

"This…"

Watching Bi Xuan froze, staring at Bolhu's confident expression; he felt something was wrong, and asked,