Chapter 681
Chapter 681
“Halt!”
At Mulan’s command, the three thousand soldiers of the Second Nirvana Army ceased their charge and formed ranks where they stood. Their movements were so perfectly synchronized they might have been a single person.
“Set down your quivers!”
The three thousand men orderly placed their quivers before them, setting them upright. Each soldier had nine quivers in front and one on their back, with each quiver holding fifty arrows. They held their greatbows, inspecting the strings and mechanisms to ensure there were no issues.
“Take aim!”
The three thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army nocked their arrows, drew their bowstrings, and took aim at the enemy forces atop the walls of Nangu City. Mulan gazed at the woman on the ramparts.
*Is that Prince Gong’s wife? How can she be so beautiful? I’d better keep my scumbag husband from seeing her, or he might get ideas again. But that’s unlikely. She seems to be quite fond of Prince Gong.*
Atop the wall, Saman was also taken aback when she saw Mulan.
*A mere woman came to lead a surprise attack? Who is she? Is that Shen Lang’s wife, Jin Mulan? I never thought she’d be so beautiful. And what a figure. Why is it that all the wives of that scumbag are so stunning? But is she insane? To attack Nangu City with only three thousand men. Wait… the territory of the Nangu Kingdom is surrounded by dense jungles filled with poisonous insects and wild beasts. No one but the warriors of the Saman tribe can cross it. How did Jin Mulan’s army manage to get through?*
Then, she saw Mulan’s army nocking arrows and drawing their bows.
*They’re going to shoot from this distance? And from a low position to a high one?*
But Queen Saman did not let her guard down. She had read Nangong Ao’s secret letter and knew that Jin Mulan’s company of master archers was formidable. They were said to be able to shoot at the enemy from over three hundred paces away.
“Raise shields!”
At Saman’s command, the defenders on the wall raised their shields.
“Fire!”
At Mulan’s order, the first volley of three thousand arrows from the Second Nirvana Army was loosed with ferocious power.
*Swoosh.*
Three thousand arrows arced through the air from two hundred meters away, soaring toward the city wall.
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Blood splattered as dozens of Saman defenders fell to the ground, their lives extinguished. However, the vast majority of the arrows either missed or were blocked by the shields. The Saman tribe’s shields were woven from rattan, but they were no less sturdy than wooden ones. From a distance of two hundred meters, the arrows could not pierce them at all. Mulan’s bloodline transformation had greatly enhanced her vision, allowing her to see clearly even from afar. Watching the scene, she furrowed her brow, dissatisfied with the results of the first assault.
“First rank, advance fifty paces!”
One thousand men advanced fifty paces with orderly steps. The two thousand behind them, carrying all the quivers, followed, also advancing fifty paces. The distance to the city wall was now about one hundred and sixty meters, which brought them within the range of the Saman warriors’ bows.
“Ready, fire!”
At Queen Saman’s command, thousands of Saman warriors loosed their arrows into the air.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
A volley of several thousand arrows rained down on the Second Nirvana Army. They were indeed very accurate. Half of the volley landed within the army’s formation, and about one in twenty arrows found its mark. However, the bows used by the Saman warriors were fundamentally one-dan bows, and at a distance of one hundred and sixty meters, their killing power was extremely weak. The Second Nirvana Army was clad head to toe in armor, so they were completely unscathed. The arrows merely clanged against their armor, sending sparks flying.
“Fire!”
At Mulan’s command, the Second Nirvana Army loosed another volley of arrows.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
Dozens more fell, but the casualties were thirty percent higher than the first time. Queen Saman was astonished.
*Shen Lang’s army of master archers is too incredible! To hit the top of the wall so accurately from such a distance!*
Mulan was still not satisfied.
“Advance another fifty paces!”
She was searching for a tipping point—a distance where the Second Nirvana Army could inflict heavy casualties on the enemy while their armor could still withstand the Saman tribe’s volleys. The three thousand Nirvana soldiers advanced another fifty paces. Now, the distance to Nangu City was only about one hundred and twenty meters.
“Fire, fire!”
The defenders on the wall fired their arrows frantically.
“Fan out!”
At Mulan’s command, the three thousand Nirvana soldiers quickly spread out into a fan-shaped formation.
“Prepare the catapults!”
Queen Saman gave the order. The capital of the Nangu Kingdom originally had dozens of catapults, but they had all been destroyed in the last battle. The only ones that remained were small, mobile catapults. These had a lethal range of over a hundred meters, and eight of them were left.
“Fire!”
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
The eight catapults launched, and stone projectiles weighing tens of catties hurtled fiercely through the air. The accuracy of the catapults was still abysmal. However, the astonishing force with which the stones were thrown was enough to instill great fear in the enemy and serve as a tool to break their morale. But the three thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army did not even flinch; they didn’t so much as glance at the incoming projectiles.
*CRASH.*
A stone landed less than a foot away from them. The Nirvana soldier’s hand trembled slightly, but his body did not move at all. He took a deep breath, continued to aim, and carried on firing.
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
A distance of one hundred and twenty meters was nearly perfect for the Second Nirvana Army. In their fan-shaped formation, they fired relentlessly, volley after volley of arrows raining down on the city wall.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack.*
The two-dan composite bows, with their incredible killing power and astonishing accuracy, found their marks. Even with shields, the defenders of the Saman tribe and Nangu Kingdom could only slightly reduce their casualties, and soldiers struck by arrows fell to the ground one after another.
Soon, a strange scene unfolded on the battlefield. Even as the eight catapults frantically hurled stones, the Second Nirvana Army did not flinch. Those who were unlucky enough to be hit by a stone died instantly, but the soldiers next to them remained completely still, their formation unbroken. The defenders atop Nangu City also barely wavered in their lines. The two armies, separated by one hundred and twenty meters, continued to attack each other madly.
But the result was a one-sided slaughter. The defenders of Nangu City were cut down like a downpour on a barley field, while the Second Nirvana Army suffered almost no casualties. Bright red blood splattered everywhere in a silent, soundless massacre. This battle was just as glorious and grand as any melee. Queen Saman trembled with fear. She knew they could not hold out for more than two hours; at this rate, her army would soon be annihilated.
In this situation, what could Queen Saman do to avoid such heavy casualties? Hide behind the crenellations? That would reduce casualties, but not eliminate them entirely, because they were firing bows, not crossbows. A crossbow’s bolt travels in a relatively straight line, but an arrow follows a parabolic arc. Moreover, a master archer could hit their target with great accuracy even with an arcing shot. To avoid further casualties, they would have to hide behind the wall and aim, but while other armies might do so, it was an absolutely impossible feat for the warriors of the Saman tribe.
*Even in death, I will stand and face you to shoot my arrow. Crouching is shameful enough, let alone fleeing behind a wall to hide and shoot?*
Besides, at a distance of over a hundred meters, if they hid behind the wall, the Second Nirvana Army would simply climb up. The Saman warriors would never be outmatched in spirit; they would truly rather die on their feet than live on their knees.
* * *
Crown Prince Ying Yi and Zhu Rong, who were under house arrest in the main residence of Nangu, heard the sounds of battle outside. Ying Yi’s expression was a mixture of surprise and joy.
“It sounds like someone is attacking Nangu City. Who do you think it is? Has someone come to rescue us?”
Zhu Rong glanced at Ying Yi. He was not a prisoner but an envoy and could have left at any time. He had only stayed this long to rescue the prince.
“Could it be Ying Han from the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion?”
“Impossible.”
The Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion maintained its prestige by rarely intervening directly. They would only deploy their martial legion when faced with an issue that concerned the entire Eastern world.
“Then who could it be?”
“It’s most likely Shen Lang.”
Hearing this, the color drained from Ying Yi’s face.
*It can’t be Shen Lang. It absolutely cannot be him.*
In Prince Gong’s hands, Ying Yi’s life and dignity were preserved. Although he had lost an arm, he was not tormented further. Prince Gong was magnanimous. But Shen Lang… that bastard was as narrow-minded as the eye of a needle. If he fell into his hands, he wouldn’t be killed, but he would be tormented to the point where death would be a mercy.
“Shen Lang can’t win. He absolutely must not win!”
* * *
Nangong Xie shouted loudly.
“Your Majesty, the Queen! If we keep fighting like this, all our warriors will die! The enemy’s archer corps is too formidable.”
Saman replied.
“Then what do you suggest we do? Should we all crouch down and not fight back until they’re climbing the walls? That might reduce casualties, but it would crush the courage of our Saman warriors. If we crouch today, we will be on our knees tomorrow.”
Nangong Xie was speechless.
*Is that really necessary? It’s normal for an army to crouch and dodge arrows. Why would that crush their courage?*
“But even when we shoot, their armor is too strong. We can’t penetrate it.”
To Nangong Xie’s words, Queen Saman replied.
“It’s still better than passively taking a beating without fighting back!”
This strange battle continued. Two armies stood facing each other, firing arrows without flinching, a battle where no one dodged.
*CRASH, CRASH, CRASH.*
Another catapult struck the Second Nirvana Army. This time, the impact was so fierce that four Nirvana soldiers were crushed to death instantly by the stone. But the formation did not break, and the warriors around the point of impact did not hide or flee; they remained in their places and continued to fire. The number of defenders on the walls of Nangu City dwindled, and more and more warriors died from arrow wounds until less than half remained.
Queen Saman trembled inwardly and said to herself.
“My husband, are you still not here? If you don’t come soon, we will all truly die.”
Then, she drew her own super-greatbow, aimed at Mulan, and prepared to shoot. But after a moment’s hesitation, she lowered the bow again. It was like a tacit agreement. Mulan would not shoot her, and she would not shoot Mulan.