Immortal Path Space

Chapter 22: Great Victory

The next day, perhaps sensing victory approaching, the Qin Army launched a fiercer attack. The Cloud Ladder alone increased by more than twenty compared to yesterday.

Wang Hong, using the same method as yesterday, first smashed the Cloud Ladder. This significantly reduced the defensive pressure on the city walls. It attracted envious glances from the other teams who were still struggling.

Wang Hong also casually smashed the Cloud Ladders on his left and right sides. If he could help a bit, why not? As for other areas, he could do nothing.

On this day, the Qin Army relentlessly attacked without a moment's rest, withdrawing only after nightfall.

In a valley behind the Qin Army, a continuous array of tents stood, surrounded by a line of barricades for horses. Behind the barricades, large carts were connected end to end, forming a wall. It was well-lit here, with soldiers patrolling the surroundings. This was the storage location for Qin Army's supplies, guarded by four thousand elite soldiers.

On one side of the camp, shadows moved in the mountains, harboring thousands of people, all eyes fixed on the camp below, like a tiger ready to pounce. The figures in the mountains lurked silently until deep into the night when the lights in the camp gradually extinguished.

"Hoot!"

With the cry of a bird, all the soldiers quietly descended towards the camp below.

Moments later, flames soared in the camp, and the sound of battle erupted. Many Qin Army soldiers were separated from their lives in their sleep. Some soldiers, awakening in confusion, were unable to organize a defense and were killed on the spot.

The next day, Wang Hong and his allies were already prepared to face the Qin Army's fierce attack.

However, before the Qin Army attacked the city, they received orders from Shangguan to carry three days' worth of rations and be ready to leave the city for battle at any time.

The soldiers were puzzled. They were in a disadvantageous position just yesterday, almost having the city walls breached. Why were they now ordered to leave the city for a counterattack?

Soon, news arrived that the Chu Army had raided the Qin Army's grain warehouse the previous night, setting it ablaze. Now, the Qin Army had at most one day's worth of supplies. If they held out for just one day, the Qin Army would have to retreat.

The news boosted the morale of the Chu Army, who had been suppressed by the Qin Army for days and were eager to strike back. Everyone was ready to give the Qin Army a hard beating.

On that day, the Qin Army launched its most frenzied attack since the beginning of the war. Arrows rained down on the city walls without stopping.

In addition to the siege ladders, the Qin Army carried makeshift wooden ladders and placed them directly on the city walls, climbing upward like ants, covering the entire wall.

The defending Chu Army dropped Rolling Logs and Stone Catapults from the walls, each impact crushing a large group of attackers, painting the ground red and white.

A large iron pot was placed on the wall, filled with boiling oil, which was poured down from the wall onto the Qin Army below. The Qin Army was drenched, their skin peeling off, revealing tender, red flesh on their faces and hands. Their clothes were stuck to their bodies with blood, and every movement caused excruciating pain.

After the hot oil, a few torches were thrown down, and a large fire erupted below the wall, quickly turning into a sea of flames. Inside, agonizing screams echoed.

The screams grew weaker, and thick black smoke rose from the fire, making it difficult for the Chu Army on the wall to open their eyes, their throats burning as if on fire.

Wang Hong dampened his clothes, covering his nose and mouth, leaning against the other side of the wall. The black smoke, accompanied by the stench of burning and the aroma of flesh, mixed together, making Wang Hong nauseous.

It seemed like the fire wouldn't stop anytime soon. Before it subsided, they received orders to leave the city and pursue the retreating Qin Army!

As they exited the city, the Qin Army had already dismantled their camp and was slowly retreating. It appeared that the Qin Army deemed the city assault hopeless and was preparing to withdraw.

Although the Qin Army retreated in defeat, their formation remained disciplined and orderly, forming a large-scale array with Sword and Shield Soldiers on the outer perimeter, Long Spear troops with spears pointing outward on the inner side, and Archers on the innermost layer, continuously firing arrows outward.

The Chu Army pursued in a wedge formation, with the main commander and central forces in the middle, and wings on both sides resembling the wings of geese, ready to advance and flank at any moment.

Wang Hong, positioned on the left wing, saw it as a perfect opportunity to achieve feats in beheading enemy commanders and capturing flags. Unfortunately, his Sixth Brigade, except for the wounded, had only a little over fifty soldiers able to join the battle outside the city.

The Qin Army advanced steadily, and the Chu Army followed at a moderate pace. After an hour, the Qin Army's feathered arrows were depleted, and no more were shot from their formation.

From this point on, whenever the opportunity arose, the Chu Army would attack, taking a bite out of the Qin Army. Two elite small units frequently executed flanking maneuvers from both sides, piercing the Qin Army formation like sharp blades, splitting a small piece from the Qin Army and quickly being engulfed by the larger forces from behind.

As they walked and fought, the results were abundant after a day, especially causing immense mental pressure on the Qin Army.

As night fell and marching became inconvenient, both sides coincidentally stopped and set up camp.

At this point, the Chu Army enjoyed their dry rations, while the Qin Army, stomachs growling, could only desperately drink water to alleviate hunger.

Of course, the night wasn't easy on the Qin Army either; the Chu Army sent out small units for several harassment attacks. Before dawn on the second day, the Chu Army launched another attack, and the Qin Army continued to fight while retreating.

After a long half-day, the Qin Army was exhausted and hungry. Spirits were low, and panic spread.

Suddenly, from the thorns on both sides of a small hill, an elite Chu Army force emerged. It was the same unit that had been sent to burn the Qin Army's supplies, already lying in ambush on the inevitable path of the Qin Army. Now, they surged forward, serving as the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The Chu Army in the rear also launched a fierce attack simultaneously, flanking swiftly to the left and right. They left the front open, allowing the retreating Qin Army to escape, following the strategy of surrounding three to conquer one and engaging the main force of the Qin Army.

The Chu Army fiercely attacked for less than two quarters of an hour before the Qin Army finally collapsed. Soldiers fled forward, abandoning any semblance of formation. Military Judge shouted angrily and swung his sword, beheading several individuals, but he was quickly overwhelmed by the chaotic tide of retreat. The saying "defeat is like a collapsing mountain" was truly apt.

Witnessing this, the Chu Army, organized by units, pursued the scattered Qin Army.

Wang Hong led his fifty soldiers from the Sixth Brigade and engaged in a relentless pursuit. Killing the Qin Army seemed as simple as cutting vegetables.

Even the most formidable opponents encountered were only peak Acquired martial artists, easily pierced through the throat by Wang Hong with a few strikes. He even managed to capture a camp flag in the process.

The harvest was abundant on this journey. Each of Wang Hong's fifty soldiers had contributed one or two severed heads. Wang Hong personally killed two School Captains, capturing two camp flagsenough for him to claim merit upon returning.

In this battle, the Chu Army achieved a great victory. Combined with the city defense, they slaughtered over fifty thousand Qin Army soldiers. News quickly spread across the entire battlefield, marking the first victory of the Chu Army over the Qin Army since the reinforcement. It greatly boosted the morale of the Chu Army.

In the following months, the Chu Army launched counterattacks against the Qin Army. With reinforcements arriving from various fronts, the Chu Army gradually reclaimed lost territories.

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