Chapter 18: Breaking the Gate Again

Watching the battle below.

Hala Zhang leapt anxiously on the city wall, shouting loudly, "Fire the arrows! Fire the arrows!"

Arrow Rain fell.

But Shiniu had already charged to within a Hundred Steps of the city gate.

He saw the gate that was closing, and also saw dozens of Yuan troops behind it frantically pushing the door.

He squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, the dark‑red horse let out a long neigh, and its speed increased.

Fifty steps.

Thirty steps.

At the gate, a Yuan army centurion saw the killing god rush forward, his soul fled in terror, and he shrieked, "Quick! Close the gate quickly!"

The gap in the gate was only a yard wide.

Ten steps.

Shiniu leapt from the horse's back.

He raised the Double Hammers above his head.

He was in the air, like a great roc spreading its wings.

Then… he smashed down.

Boom…

A thunderous roar shook the heavens.

Two massive golden hammers, like drum kettles, struck the gate simultaneously.

The Reinforced Iron wooden gate, as flimsy as paper, burst open from the middle.

Wood chips, iron nails, and shredded flesh mixed together, spraying into the gate.

The dozens of Yuan troops behind the gate didn't even have time to scream; the impact of that single hammer shook them so violently that blood spurted from all seven apertures, and they were flung backward.

The gate opened.

It was this simpleton who smashed it open directly, shattering the gate into fragments.

Shiniu landed in the gate opening, planting the Double Hammers into the ground, with broken wood and corpses beneath his feet.

He looked up, gazing toward the city interior.

On the Street, more Yuan troops surged forward.

He grinned, a foolish smile.

Combined with the fresh blood on his face, he looked like a demon crawling out of hell, causing those Yuan troops to tremble all over.

Shiniu hoisted the Double Hammers and walked further into the city.

When Chang Yuchun led his army through the gate, he saw a scene he would never forget in his lifetime.

On the Street, Shiniu alone, swinging the Double Hammers, was pressing forward.

In front of him were dense ranks of Yuan troops.

Behind him lay a road paved with corpses.

Each swing of those hammers sent three or five people flying.

A strike to the chest caused it to collapse.

A blow to the head made it burst like a watermelon.

A hit to the waist split a person in two.

No technique, no tricks—just smashing.

Yet each hammer landed precisely at the densest part of the crowd, striking the most critical point of the Formation.

The Yuan army tried to encircle him; spears, sabers, and arrows rained down on him like droplets.

But Shiniu paid them no mind.

Arrows struck him as if hitting a steel plate, "ding‑ding" ringing, snapping one after another.

Swords slashed him, leaving not even a white scar.

He kept advancing step by step, like a moving mountain.

Chang Yuchun's blood boiled as he watched, and he roared, "What are you still watching… Keep up!"

The Ming army surged through the gate, following the breach Shiniu had torn open, and rushed into the city.

The street fighting began.

But rather than a street fight, it was a one‑sided slaughter.

Shiniu led the way, unstoppable.

The Ming troops followed, mopping up the remnants.

An hour later, the battle was essentially over.

Hala Zhang was captured at the city garrison and brought before Chang Yuchun; the Northern Yuan Chancellor's face was ashen, muttering, "Monster… that's a monster…"

Chang Yuchun ignored him, looking at Shiniu beside him.

The youth stood in the middle of the Street, Double Hammers planted, his body splattered with blood, yet his eyes were clear as he stared at a stall selling grilled flatbreads.

The vendor had fled, but the flatbread was still on the stove, its charred aroma filling the air.

"Hungry?" Chang Yuchun walked over.

Shiniu nodded, "Hmm."

Chang Yuchun laughed loudly, shouting to the Imperial Troops, "Go, gather every cook in the city and cook for our Vanguard! Make sure they're full!"

He patted Shiniu's shoulder and said, "Simpleton, last time you used three hammers to break open Pingcheng Gate; now with a single hammer you shattered Helin City Gate, and your name already echoes across the world."

Shiniu scratched his head and asked, "General, can that flatbread… be eaten?"

"Eat! It's all yours!"

Shiniu walked over, picked up a baked bing from the stove, blew on it, and took a bite.

Crispy on the outside, tender inside, very fragrant.

Shiniu squatted by the street, concentrating on eating the bing.

Around them, the Ming army was cleaning the battlefield and counting prisoners.

Lan Yu walked over, looked at Shiniu, and after a while said, "I believe it now; some people… are born for the battlefield."

Wang Gui squatted beside Shiniu, whispered, "Simpleton, just now… were you scared?"

Shiniu chewed the bing, muttering, "Afraid of what?"

"So many people surrounding you…"

"The more people, the better; one hammer can smash several, it's convenient," Shiniu said seriously.

Wang Gui: "…"

Chang Yuchun, standing nearby, laughed heartily.

In the evening, the Helin City Guard Office was converted into a Temporary Command Office.

Chang Yuchun sat on the Main Seat, with the generals lined up on both sides.

The battle report had already been tallied.

In this battle, eight thousand were beheaded, twelve thousand captured, and countless grain, fodder, and armaments seized.

Most importantly, they captured the Northern Yuan Old Capital, Helin.

"Everyone, this cup is to Shiniu!" Chang Yuchun raised his wine bowl and said.

The generals raised their bowls together: "To Shiniu!"

Shiniu held the bowl, a little at a loss.

Wang Gui prodded him, "Drink up."

Shiniu tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp.

The wine was fiery; he frowned.

Chang Yuchun laughed loudly, "Good! Refreshing!"

He set the bowl down, spoke earnestly, "Shiniu's achievement today is enough to merit a marquisate; I have already drafted the report, and tomorrow will dispatch someone with Eight Hundred Li Urgent to the Imperial Court to request the honor from His Majesty!"

The generals all echoed in agreement.

Shiniu didn't quite understand what "marquisate" meant, but seeing everyone happy, he also smiled foolishly.

The banquet continued until late night.

Shiniu, having eaten his fill and drunk his fill, returned to the temporarily arranged lodging, a small courtyard beside the city guard office.

Wang Gui walked with him, still muttering on the way, "Shiniu, this time you're really going to make it… a marquis! Do you know how high a marquis rank is?"

Shiniu shook his head.

"Anyway, it's huge! From now on you'll be a marquis, and I'm the marquis's brother!" Wang Gui said excitedly.

Shiniu nodded, "Hmm, Brother Wang is forever my brother."

Wang Gui's eyes welled, and he tightly clasped his shoulder, saying, "Good brother!"

At night, Shiniu lay on the kang and fell asleep quickly.

He slept very deeply.

In his dream there was no battlefield, no blood.

Only the scent of baked bing.

The same night, at the Yingtian Office.

Zhu Yuanzhang, still awake, was reading the second battle report sent from the north.

The report had been dispatched from Kaiping a few days earlier, detailing the pursuit of the Yuan Emperor and the battlefield killing of Yesu.

He looked at those descriptions in the report:

"Shiniu, single‑handedly charged the formation, slaying seventeen riders in succession…"

"Killed Yesu in the formation…"

His hand trembled slightly.

It wasn't excitement; it was a… indescribable feeling.

Empress Ma gently walked in, saw he hadn't slept, and softly said, "Zhong Ba, it's time to rest."

Zhu Yuanzhang, hearing the voice, couldn't help but look up, handed the report to her and said, "Sister, take a look at this."

Empress Ma took it, then read it by candlelight, remaining silent for a long while.

"Fourteen‑year‑old Shiniu… is as big as our Yong Er…"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, walked to the window, and, with his back to her, said, "We know what you're thinking, but… the world has no such coincidences."

Empress Ma said nothing, only gripping the report tightly.