Chapter 459: Chapter 459. Assault on the City Gate
Amon returned to the slum district and reunited with Xin Wuming, Yang Li, and Wu Di. He was glad that their mission had been successful.
"How are you?" He asked Yi Chaisan. Wounds were all over her body. Xin Wuming helped her apply a recovery salve and gave her a recovery potion.
"I am still alive," Yi Chaisan replied.
"Are you good enough to do your job? We will make a move on the city gate once morning cos."
"That early?" Wu Di asked. "I thought we could have a good rest after all that excitent not long ago."
"You can rest once we open the gate," Amon replied.
"I am good to go," Yi Chaisan inford. "I will do my job... Colonel, sorry to almost jeopardize this mission."
"Next ti, do as I tell you," Amon returned. "Everyone rests for now. You will need your energy again soon."
He moved away and took out a ssage talisman. This ssage talisman was paired with the one held by Prince Huang San. He wrote a ssage on it and activated it. It glowed before turning into dust.
*
Outside Fuxiang City, Huang San received the ssage. He scowled slightly after reading the ssage. Lao Zen was in the tent with him.
Lao Zen asked after seeing the prince’s scowl, "Is there a problem with the secret operation inside the city?"
"Not really. Amon told us they will go for the main gate at sunrise. He asks us to prepare," Huang San answered.
"That is good news, isn’t it?" Lao Zen said.
"It is. It’s about ti. We have waited too long. Everyone is uneasy."
"Then why the long face?"
Instead of answering, Huang San gave the ssage talisman to Lao Zen. Lao Zen accepted and read it.
"These instructions..."
"I have a speculation as to why he instructs us to do those," Huang San said. "If my speculation is correct, this won’t be a clean victory."
Lao Zen could guess Huang San’s thoughts after reading the ssage. The two went silent for a while. Lao Zen finally broke the silence, "Even if our fears are proven true, we don’t have a better option. Any other option will require ti that forces us to delay the assault. We can’t delay anymore. I heard talks from my associates in the palace that Crown Prince Huang Zi and First-Class General Jiang Tong were lobbying His Majesty and Pri Minister Zhu Yao to transfer the supre command of the army here to Major General Jiang Bo if we still don’t act soon."
"... Once that happens, Jiang Bo will mobilize the army to break the barrier with force and enter Fuxiang City," Huang San said.
Lao Zen nodded. "What we can do now is to do the best with the hands we are dealt."
"But is this the best we can do, though?" Huang San asked.
Lao Zen didn’t answer.
Huang San took a deep breath. He said, "Organize our scouts to check the surrounding woods for hidden rebel troops. Amon said these hidden troops are unlikely to exist, but it is better to not be negligent. After that, we will go talk with Jiang Bo."
*
Jiang Bo had just ended his cultivation session and was ready to rest when he heard the voice of his second-in-command, Senior Colonel Liu Xun, from outside his tent. Liu Xun announced that Prince Huang San had co to visit. He put back the robe he had just taken off. He sat on his chair and told Liu Xun to let the prince enter.
Liu Xun entered with Prince Huang San and Lao Zen. Jiang Bo asked his guests, "Your Highness, what urgent matter makes you visit at such a late hour?"
"The city gate will open tomorrow morning," Huang San inford.
"Oh? How can you be certain? Wait... Did you send operatives inside the city without my knowledge?" Jiang Bo asked. A clear displeasure was in his voice.
"I am the commander of this siege. Do I have to tell you everything I did?" Huang San asked back.
"No, but we are in this together. If you share important details with , I can lend you a hand to increase the success of this siege."
"Do not worry about that. The operation inside the city is going nicely. The city gate will open tomorrow, and we can finally enter the city to rout the rebels."
Jiang Bo nodded. "In that case, I will prepare my troops."
"There is one thing you need to pay attention to when we charge into the city," Huang San said.
"What are they?" Jiang Bo asked.
"Only send Martial Realm soldiers to the city hall to apprehend the rebel heads. Soldiers at the Human Realm are to remain near the city gate to deal with the enemies on the city walls and keep the city gate open."
"No need to speak so loudly, Your Highness. I can hear you just fine. However, why this command? If Your Highness is worried the chaos might kill innocent civilians, then Your Highness needs to wake up and face realities. I know Your Highness is new at this, but war is ugly. The innocents will always be swept up and be part of the casualties. There are no ways around it."
"Do not patronize , Major General. I have read enough histories to understand that point," Huang San replied. "Even so, we must do what we can to reduce the casualties."
"So, Your Highness plans to reduce the casualties of the civilians by increasing the risks to our soldiers entering the city? That is absurd. We might have more Martial Realm cultivators than them, but without support from Human Realm soldiers, we can’t win as decisively, and it will just prolong the conflict more than it needs to. A prolonged conflict ans an increase in the death toll."
"You can rest assured that we won’t be lacking in manpower," Huang San said. "My operatives inside the city have successfully turned six of the ten major clans supporting the rebellious mayor into our allies. You can identify these people because they wear red ribbons on their left arms. This ans the enemies will have fewer manpower while ours are bolstered. This will solve the support needed for our Martial Realm soldiers."
Jiang Bo pondered the instructions.
Since Jiang Bo didn’t make further argunts, Huang San said, "That is all I co to tell you. Let us get ready and end this siege before the next ti the sun sets again."
Huang San and Lao Zen left after that. Liu Xun remained inside the tent. He asked Jiang Bo, "Sir, do we comply with that order?"
"Hell, no," Jiang Bo uttered. "In terms of number of soldiers, we might have more than his ager force of three thousand. However, he has more Martial Realm cultivators thanks to his association with those ex-tutors of the Royal Academy. I bet he gave this order to give his side a better chance of capturing the rebellious mayor."
Liu Xun nodded. He said, "Whoever can kill or capture the mayor will be the one with the most rit. However, is it fine to disobey a direct order like that?"
"He is not our liege," Jiang Bo said. "Our liege is Prince Huang Zi. Appointing that inexperienced prince as the commander of this siege is already a joke. His stupid command will just cost our soldiers their lives. Once the gate opens, we will be the first to storm in with full power. We will run over anyone who dares to stand in our way and be the one to take down the rebellious mayor and his cronies."
Liu Xun nodded. "First-Class General Jiang Tong did tell us not to let the thirteenth prince hoard the glory."
Jiang Bo chuckled. "My uncle also told us that we don’t need to worry about disobeying the thirteenth prince during the decisive ti. He and Crown Prince Huang Zi will have our backs. When the gate opens, that will be the ti. We will be the ones who end this siege and win the glory for the crown prince."
*
Several hours later, the night gave way when the sun rose.
During this first trace of light, Amon and his four companions were on the roof of a house near the city wall. Amon looked back and saw so people peeking from many alleys between the houses. Those are the mbers of the six clans who had agreed to aid their mission. These people were hiding inside the alleyways.
Sunrise also marked the ti when the curfew was lifted. People started going out into the streets. Several large groups of people walked on the streets toward the city gate. All of them wore red ribbons on their left arms. It was uncommon to see such large proceedings when the city was under siege. Hence, it drew the attention of the captain above the city gate.
"Captain, should we sound the alarm?" The lieutenant beside him asked.
Before he could answer, he sensed sothing. "Look out!" He warned.
He was a Mystic Stage cultivator, but the soldiers beside him were only at the Transformation Stage. They didn’t notice the almost invisible needles heading toward them. These needles pierced into their heads and other fatal parts, killing them before they realized what was going on.
The captain swung his swords, parrying the needles as he retreated. "Who?!"
Amon and his companions flew from the roof they were hiding when Amon’s needles assaulted the soldiers. They landed on the battlent when the captain asked his question.
"I am the kind of nightmare your mother warned you about at night," Amon answered the captain.
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