Chapter 28: The Siege Within
The wind that swept over Hualin carried more than smoke.
It carried whispers.
Yu Zhen stood at the ridgeline, watching as the army of shadows surrounded the battered city. Towering siege engines groaned against the cliffs. Unnatural fires licked the sky. Even from a distance, the weight of despair hung heavy.
Kaiwen, wrapped in a thick cloak, whispered, "They've bound the city with a siphon circle. Look—those pylons along the outer wall."
Yu Zhen's eyes followed his hand. At each corner of the siege lines, black obelisks pulsed with sickly green light—feeding a swirling haze above the city.
"They're draining spirit and life both," Kaiwen said. "The city won't fall with force. It will wither."
Lan Yueran stepped forward. "Then we cut the pylons first."
Yu Zhen nodded. "But we need to get inside."
He turned to the others.
"Prepare to split. Two groups. One makes contact with the defenders. The other disables the siphon."
---
The plan formed quickly.
Yu Zhen would lead the entry team: Lan Yueran, Yu Hao, and two scouts. They would use an old aqueduct passage carved beneath the cliffs—a remnant of Hualin's imperial past. Rumor said it still opened beneath the central district.
Kaiwen, still weakened, would remain behind and coordinate the strike team—those tasked with sabotaging the pylons once the city signaled from within.
Yu Lian insisted on joining him.
"You'll need someone who can draw runes if you pass out."
Kaiwen didn't argue.
Before departure, Yu Zhen gathered everyone around.
"If we fail," he said, "do not come for us. Save the others. Retreat to the highlands."
Madam Yue snorted. "Then don't fail."
Lan Yueran grinned. "She means 'good luck'."
They parted in silence.
---
The aqueduct was darker than night.
Yu Zhen led the way with a dim lantern, wrapped in cloth to avoid detection. The air was thick with mildew and echoes of water long gone. Rusted grates hung from cracked stone. At intervals, old symbols etched into the walls shimmered—wards of protection, long faded.
Yu Hao whispered, "This place smells like forgotten things."
Lan Yueran replied, "That's because it is."
After nearly an hour, they reached the end: a narrow grate of rusted iron above them.
Yu Zhen pressed a hand to the stone.
"Stand back."
With a low breath, he pushed upward—and the grate lifted with a shudder.
Moonlight spilled through.
They emerged in a deserted courtyard behind what was once a bathhouse. The air smelled of blood and ash. In the distance, they heard shouting—muffled, desperate.
Yu Hao climbed up after them. "We're in."
Lan Yueran scanned the rooftops. "So where are the defenders?"
That's when the arrow landed at Yu Zhen's feet.
---
A shout rang out.
"Drop your weapons!"
From the shadows of the upper walls, half a dozen archers aimed down. Their armor was mismatched, but they held formation like trained soldiers.
Yu Zhen raised his hand slowly. "We come from Jingyang. We're here to help."
A pause.
Then a woman stepped into view.
Her armor was scorched, her face streaked with soot—but her eyes held iron.
"Prove it."
Yu Zhen reached into his tunic and pulled out the Rider's scroll. He held it high.
The woman's eyes widened.
She descended with two others and took the scroll with trembling fingers. After scanning the seal, she stepped back.
"I am Commander Li Suyin. You're late."
Yu Zhen bowed slightly. "But not too late."
She turned sharply. "Follow me."
---
The defenders' command post was housed inside an old temple of the Dawn Saints. Candles lit the edges, casting long shadows over maps and worn banners. The scent of blood was masked by incense, but only barely.
Li Suyin spoke as they walked. "We've lost three gates. South wall collapsed last night. We're down to six hundred fighters. And the streets are crawling with echo fiends."
"Echo fiends?" Yu Hao asked.
She grimaced. "They wear the faces of the people we lost. And they scream."
Lan Yueran's jaw tightened.
Yu Zhen said, "We can sever the siphon net. But we'll need cover at each pylon."
Li Suyin pointed at the map. "You cut the south and west pylons first. That'll break the triangle."
"We have allies outside," Yu Zhen added. "They're ready to strike once the field weakens."
Li Suyin looked at him a long moment. "Then you're either mad—or exactly who we needed."
---
Night fell heavy over Hualin.
Kaiwen and Yu Lian, stationed on the far ridge, waited for the signal: a burst of three red flares.
Yu Lian watched the city through a spyglass. "No movement yet."
Kaiwen wiped blood from his mouth. "Soon."
Then, like clockwork, three red sparks flared over the city walls.
Yu Lian stood. "It begins."
Kaiwen raised his hand—and the strike team moved.
---
Inside the city, the battle began in silence.
Yu Zhen's team moved through alleys and rubble-strewn roads. Echo fiends hissed from the shadows, but the defenders held them off. Blades flashed. Magic pulsed.
At the base of the western pylon, Yu Zhen found the anchor stone—an obelisk carved with writhing faces.
Lan Yueran covered his back as he drew a line of salt and ash, forming a severing seal.
"Ready?" she asked.
"No," he said. "But now or never."
He pressed his hand to the stone.
The pylon cracked.
A wave of green energy burst outward—then collapsed.
Far off, a scream—not human—rippled through the air.
Kaiwen, watching from the cliffs, flinched. "One down."
---
The southern pylon fell soon after.
Yu Hao's strike team drove back the defenders, and Yu Zhen shattered the second anchor with a mirrored sigil. As the siphon net weakened, the haze above Hualin began to dissipate.
Li Suyin stood atop the central tower, sword lifted. "NOW!"
The defenders surged.
Gates opened. Blades met flesh. Arrows rained from rooftops.
The shadows writhed—but they began to retreat.
Kaiwen opened a final portal behind the last pylon. His skin blistered from the strain, but Yu Lian helped him hold it open long enough for the team to detonate the final anchor.
With a blinding flash, the last pylon exploded.
The net collapsed.
And the sky cleared.
---
Yu Zhen stood in the central square, sword lowered.
The battle was not over—but the tide had turned.
Lan Yueran wiped blood from her cheek. "They're falling back."
Yu Hao panted beside her. "We actually did it."
Li Suyin approached, her blade dripping shadow-blood. "We're alive. That's something."
Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground.
Everyone froze.
From the far eastern gate—a blast of dark fire exploded into the sky.
From its center rose a figure—twice the height of a man, cloaked in living flame and smoke.
Kaiwen, watching from the ridge, dropped to his knees. "No... not him."
Yu Zhen looked toward the rising form.
"What is that?" Lan Yueran asked.
Yu Zhen's face was pale.
"A Herald," he whispered.
The shadows were not done.
---
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As the author of this novel, I declare that this novel will END in chapter 28.
The reason why this novel is FINISHED is because the novel did not pass the joint contract.
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