Eight thousand troops had marched to the gates, and yet when the young prince of Tian Sheng gave the order to attack with fierce momentum, only a hundred men emerged.
What trickery was this now?
The sudden and unorthodox maneuver from Tian Sheng left not only the Pugan army but also the hidden spies from various nations utterly stunned.
Though the Kedan commander sensed something amiss and promptly ordered his archers to fire, the hundred or so soldiers huddled tightly together, shields overlapping with perfect discipline.
The rain of arrows fell in waves, but not a single shaft found its mark. Their formation was ironclad, a wall of shields impervious to ordinary strikes.
"This will not do," said the deputy general of Kedan, frowning as he stared at the strange, fast-approaching "iron shell" below the walls.
"Tian Sheng would not act without purpose. We cannot allow them to draw near. It's barely a hundred men. Why not throw open the gates, charge forth, and slaughter them all before—"
"Absolutely not!" the commander snapped without hesitation.
"What if this is precisely what Tian Sheng intends? A ploy to lure us into opening the gates? The main army is stationed not far behind. Once the gates are open, closing them again will be no easy feat."
"But—"
"No more discussion!"
Watching coldly as the iron shell crept closer and closer to the gate, the commander barked an order.
"Switch to boulders. Smash them to pieces!"
"Yes, General!"
The archers stationed atop the walls immediately dropped their longbows and began lifting massive stones.
Far across the field, General Wei Yuan, having anticipated this very development, swiftly commanded his own archers to advance. Arrow after arrow flew in a thunderous barrage, aiming to divert the pressure from the hundred men beneath the iron shell.
At that moment, the soldiers under the shell began to scatter after reaching the wall's base. They darted toward the gate, staying beyond the reach of the crashing boulders.
Yun Chuhuan had been standing proudly behind the archers. Yet as the scene unfolded, his nerves betrayed him. His heart clenched for those hundred soldiers, and in that lapse, he lost all sense of caution.
At some point, his short-legged pony had wandered right into the formation of archers.
Only when a sharpened arrow skimmed past his cheek did Yun Chuhuan snap back to his senses. Realizing where he had ended up, he let out a piercing wail.
"Fifth Sister, save—"
Clang. Clang. Clang.
A flurry of arrows rained toward him, but every one was deflected by a sword that appeared seemingly out of thin air.
Before Yun Chuhuan could even register what had happened, someone seized the collar of his robes from behind.
In a blur of wind and motion, he found himself unceremoniously flung onto Yun Shu's horse by a member of the Dragon Shadow Guard.
Yun Chuhuan: "…"
Yun Shu: "."
Their eyes met. Yun Chuhuan scrambled upright, clasped his hands over his head, and confessed immediately.
"Fifth Sister, I swear I didn't do it on purpose! I have no idea how I ended up there!"
"Hah."
Seeing that he was already shielding his most important part — his head — and dressed head to toe in stiff armor, Yun Shu decided it wasn't worth bruising her own hands over.
She merely let out a cold laugh.
"This matter, I shall report to Father Emperor and Noble Consort Liu exactly as it happened. Any explanations you have, save them for when we return."
"No, wait!"
Yun Chuhuan wailed, dropping his hands and thrusting his head forward like an offering.
"Fifth Sister, why don't you just hit me to vent your anger? If Father Emperor and Consort Mother find out, I'll get a beating for sure. But worse, I might lose all my allowance for the next ten years!"
"Why would I hit you?"
Yun Shu gave him a sharp, sarcastic smile.
"It was I, this foolish Fifth Sister, who naively believed your nonsense and let you run off into danger. The blame is mine as well. If I keep this from Father Emperor and Noble Consort Liu, wouldn't that be shirking responsibility?"
"Please no!!"
Yun Chuhuan's heart broke on the spot.
He had wanted to make a grand show today — return in glory, boast before everyone, and once Cen Yiyi returned, finally win a bit of admiration.
Instead, his attempt at gallantry ended with him screaming for help, yanked away like a sack of grain, and thrown face-up by the Dragon Shadow Guard for all to see.
Not only had he become a laughingstock, but now even his future pocket money hung by a thread.
He wore a long face, ready to plead once more, but Yun Shu's expression suddenly shifted. Her gaze turned toward the city gate, her lips curling into a faint smile.
"It's done."
Done?
Yun Chuhuan immediately twisted around, craning his neck to see.
Sure enough, the hundred soldiers who had earlier charged with shield and explosive in hand had already retreated under cover of the archers. Those who could escape had done so. Those who could not… had collapsed just a few paces from the gate, their arms still clutching the explosive packs.
Every single pack — over a hundred — now lay concentrated around the city gate.
On the Tian Sheng side, the archers swiftly stowed their bows. Not one lingered. In a smooth and disciplined motion, they began a full retreat.
Hidden spies watching from the shadows frowned deeply.
What was this? Was Tian Sheng retreating just like that?
Then what, exactly, had those hundred men carried to the gate?
Could it be…?
"Did you not say you wished to witness how This Princess would level your Kedan City?"
As if to confirm their darkest suspicion, Yun Shu placed one hand firmly on Yun Chuhuan's shoulder to stop his flailing.
She smiled coolly.
"Then open your eyes and watch closely."
She raised her voice.
"Archers — fire!"
Fire?
Had the archers not just retreated?
Who was left to fire the arrow?
The Kedan commander's heart leapt. He could not yet grasp what sort of arrow she meant, when he saw it — a shadow in black, the very same figure who had rescued Tian Sheng's Sixth Prince, appearing once again like a phantom.
This time, he carried a bow.
The string was drawn to its fullest, and at the tip of the arrow, flames licked and danced.
No.
The commander's pupils contracted sharply. He roared with all his might.
"Stop him! Stop him now!"
But it was already too late.
The flaming arrow tore through the air, searing toward its target with unstoppable force. It struck the heap of explosives dead-on.
In an instant, over a hundred charges erupted at once. Fire roared skyward. The earth heaved beneath them.
To the spies hidden in the distance, it felt as if the heavens themselves had split open.
Many were nearly thrown from their hiding places. Gripping rocks and trees for support, they stared, wide-eyed, as the battlefield transformed.
The inferno rose like a raging dragon, devouring everything in its path.
And when the smoke cleared, the once-proud city wall of Kedan had crumbled into rubble.
Not a trace of the Pugan soldiers remained atop its ruins.
The spies wasted no time.
They must return and report this at once.
Tian Sheng's new weapon was far too terrifying — a force no army of men could hope to withstand.
This war must not go on.
Should it continue, the Seven Kingdoms would fall.
All of them.