Chapter 852 – Listen, the Sound of a Breaking Heart
The people on top of the wall, watching Liutou and Sparrow riding a donkey eastward along the bronze highway, couldn’t help but smile.
With the finished bronze highway and a donkey, the two of them would reach the main tribe by tomorrow morning and deliver the news to the witch and the chieftain.
The chieftain and the others would react quickly—within two and a half days, they should be able to arrive. By then, all of these people would beco slaves of their tribe!
Thinking of this, everyone in the Copper Mountain settlent couldn’t help but feel deep respect for the foresight of the Divine Child.
If the Divine Child hadn’t proposed building the bronze highway and actually carried it out, then in today’s situation, sending soone from here to the main tribe to deliver news and then having the main tribe’s people rush back would take at least ten days.
Ten days were enough to change a great many things.
At least, Shang thought he could hold out against these sudden invaders for four days at most. But ten days? That would be impossible…
Not long after, the early-rising won in the tribe carried food up to the wall.
The food was plentiful—sturdy millet dry rice, perfect for filling the stomach in the morning.
Shang even had a sheep slaughtered, boiled two big vats of mutton soup, and poured the soup over the millet rice to eat.
Fighting was exhausting work. Without eating one’s fill, there was no way to hold out.
While eating, Shang squinted his eyes at the enemy.
Those people were already stirring. In the millet fields far away, several trails of smoke were rising.
The invaders were scattered in twos and threes, so closer, so further, constantly moving around.
The sight made Shang itch to rush out and stab holes through each of them.
Those were his tribe’s fields—over half already plowed and planted with millet. Now they were being trampled and ruined.
Shang swore that once these people were caught, he would make them till the land for the tribe. If he didn’t work them until they wept from exhaustion, then he wasn’t Shang!
Though he had worked in the fields all day yesterday and only slept a short while last night, Shang still looked energetic, full of drive, though with a touch of bloodshot in his eyes.
Ti ticked by. The rising sun turned from red to gold, the morning fog scattered, and the situation beca clearer.
The people of Copper Mountain settlent had long since finished eating. But the invaders, led by the Blackstone tribe, were still noisily roasting food around campfires.
Not until the sun was high did the last group of tribes finish eating.
Yet they did not imdiately organize an attack. Instead, they spread out at a distance from Copper Mountain settlent.
So found a water source to set fish traps, others searched for stone slabs, or peeled thick bark off trees.
They intended to use these things to block the arrows of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Having learned a hard lesson yesterday, they no longer dared to charge recklessly at the Copper Mountain settlent.
They followed the orders of the Blackstone chieftain, searching for cover.
Stone slabs were scarce—this area had long been cleared by the diligent Green Sparrow tribe, who had taken the slabs years ago to pave the settlent.
So most resorted to prying large pieces of bark off trees, or else cutting down trunks, splitting them into rough planks with wedged, sharpened stakes.
The Blackstone chieftain distributed these planks to other tribes. Compared with bark, they were sturdier—arrows or even stones would not easily harm those behind them.
“#￥5RT!”
From afar, the Blackstone chieftain shouted curses toward the settlent.
He was frustrated: why were there so few trees around? To strip bark or cut wood, they had to run far. Without trees, they also couldn’t hide and were easily spotted.
“Look at them—haven’t even beco our slaves yet, and they’re already chopping wood for us.”
On the wall, a Green Sparrow tribesman joked. Laughter rippled along the wall.
Shang leaned against the wall, dozing. From the invaders’ behavior, it was clear they weren’t going to attack anyti soon.
With many eyes watching, and with the enemy far away, they’d have ti to react once an attack began.
So Shang let more than half the people rest indoors or feed livestock. No point exhausting everyone on the wall.
But he strictly ordered: no one was to remove their rattan armor, even while sleeping. At the sound of the warning gong, they had to rush to the wall imdiately.
If the enemy didn’t attack, all the better. Shang even hoped they would hold back until the main tribe’s warriors arrived.
“#￥5FG!”
The Blackstone chieftain stood on the bronze highway, peering east. The smooth, treeless road stretched far into the unseen distance.
He scratched his head, puzzled. What was this thing? What was it for?
It was the first ti he’d seen such a strange construction.
Shu Pi, standing with him, was also bewildered. He had lived in the Green Sparrow tribe for a while but had never seen this.
Cautiously, the Blackstone chieftain walked on it, then grew bolder, stomping, even jumping. The bronze road remained unmoved.
He beca smug. Walking here was easier, faster, with no obstacles. But he thought it useless—no prey would ever appear on such a barren strip.
In his mind, the Green Sparrow was foolish to waste so much effort building this.
But Shu Pi was filled with awe. Knowing the Divine Child, nothing he did was aningless. This road must have a great purpose.
On the wall, Green Sparrow tribesn laughed, watching the enemies stomp about like ignorant fools.
“Clang, clang, clang—”
The harsh gong resounded again. The sun was now slanting west.
Everyone in Copper Mountain settlent sprang to readiness. Archers drew bows, slaves held spears and stones, and those inside rushed to their posts without confusion.
But the invaders advanced slowly. Yesterday, they had rushed into chaos. Today, wary of that lesson, they moved more cautiously, with shields of bark and planks in front.
Yet even so, many felt dread—the Green Sparrow reacted too quickly, too efficiently. mories of yesterday’s slaughter lingered.
“#￥5WE!”
The Blackstone chieftain raised his longbow, shouting. Confidence returned to his warriors, and the allied tribes advanced again.
In front marched those bearing crude planks. Behind ca archers. Their task: shoot down the defenders atop the strange “cave” (the wall).
War and hardship sharpen intelligence. Unlike yesterday, today they coordinated—plank-bearers shielding, archers behind.
On the wall, Shang was surprised. He hadn’t expected them to adopt such tactics.
Bows were no longer unique to the Green Sparrow. Neighboring tribes had already begun using them, especially after witnessing their power in earlier battles.
Still, their crude imitations lacked the range and strength of Green Sparrow bows.
As the enemy reached the edge of yesterday’s battlefield, the Blackstone chieftain gave the order. Archers drew and loosed.
“#￥&*！”
He roared with excitent as arrows flew.
But to their shock, none reached the wall. The farthest fell short by a good distance.
The watching tribesn froze, eyes wide, unable to believe it.
The sound of breaking hearts filled the air.
“Hahahahaha…”
On the wall, Shang and his people burst out laughing. They had known it would end this way.
High ground ant a more extended range. And Green Sparrow bows, superior to all others, outshot the crude copies easily.
Shang ordered only part of the archers to return fire—just enough to sting, not enough to scare them away.
The enemy wavered as Green Sparrow arrows pierced bark, planks, and flesh.
So grew doubtful of their own bows—why could theirs not reach, while Green Sparrow arrows struck true?
The Blackstone chieftain shouted again, encouraging them—after all, fewer had fallen compared to yesterday. Their defenses were working.
With renewed confidence, they pressed forward again.
On the wall, Shang ordered rattan shields raised, with gaps left for archers. The rest crouched low, waiting.
If the enemy only shot arrows, they would wait them out. Only if they charged the gate would Shang unleash the whole defense.
Every mont delayed brought the main tribe closer.
Looking up at the strange, large shields and the defenders vanishing behind them, the invaders, who were preparing to shoot, were left bewildered.
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