Huainan County indeed deserves to be a major stronghold.

The city walls tower nearly five zhang high, constructed with giant stone blocks and iron chains. Numerous arrow towers and watchtowers are scattered over the walls, where the defending soldiers vigilantly observe the surroundings, ready to shoot arrows at any sign of trouble. The tightly closed rear city gate is decorated with massive iron rings used to hoist sturdy beams, preventing the gate from being forced open by the enemy. Behind the gate is the thick Thousand-Pound Gate.

Chen Mo wears the armor of a Huai Army soldier, disguised as Zhao Liang's personal soldier, standing behind Zhao Liang. Behind him are the Personal Guard Battalion and the Divine Brave Guard, masquerading as Huai Army troops.

Chen Mo softly issues orders, instructing the personal soldiers to keep an eye on these watchtowers and arrow towers, ready to act at any moment.

Under the scorching afternoon sun, Chen Mo looks at the Huai Army soldiers on the city wall, vigilant and ready, and murmurs, "Are you hiding something from me? You come as reinforcements; why won't they open the city gate for you? Such negligence..."

Zhao Liang responds in a low voice, "Huainan County is a major stronghold, and the entire city is under lockdown now. Even reinforcements must first be communicated. Xiao Yan is the elder brother of the Princess Consort, with noble status and extreme caution."

"Brother of Prince Huai? I heard she had one brother who was killed by Lu Sheng," Chen Mo is taken aback.

"Xiao Yan is the Princess Consort's half-brother, ranked third in the family, and born of a concubine," Zhao Liang explains.

"Then isn't there a second brother?" Chen Mo curiously asks.

"It was a second sister, who passed away from illness years ago," Zhao Liang says truthfully.

As they speak in hushed tones, a general appears on the city wall of the rear gate, bowing to Zhao Liang, "It's actually General Zhao personally leading the troops."

"Vice General Peng." Zhao Liang bows in return and then says, "My unit is ordered by General Wei to lead five thousand troops to aid Huainan. May Vice General Peng quickly open the city gate. There's not even a shady spot outside, and it's truly scorching."

"General Zhao, hold on."

"???"

"Apologies, General Zhao, duty-bound, please state the password," the general requests.

"Heaven protects Great Song, all people prosper," Zhao Liang declares.

Seeing the password is correct, Vice General Peng gestures broadly, saying in a heavy voice, "Open—the gate."

"Creak, creak..."

The heavy gate opens from the inside out, making a deep sound.

"Enter the city," Zhao Liang waves, as the Huai Army masquerading as Chen Mo's Personal Guard Battalion enters the city first, with Chen Mo following behind Zhao Liang, saying, "Don't play tricks, or I assure you that you'll be the first to die."

Zhao Liang swallows nervously and nods.

The first batch of personal soldiers has entered the city, and all warriors grip their weapons in unison, while soldiers touch the accompanying carts.

Vice General Peng descends from the city wall to greet Zhao Liang, but as soon as he starts talking, he hears a sudden shout, "Attack."

Chen Mo draws the Tang Blade and rushes forward, Zhao Liang barely sees Chen Mo's movements, only perceiving Vice General Peng's eyes widen as his hands lift to clutch his own neck, then he collapses with a thud, life extinguished.

Zhao Liang is stunned. Vice General Peng, like him, is a Fifth-Grade Martial Artist and a Household General of the Xiao Family, possessing cultivation techniques and martial arts more powerful than his own, yet his throat was slashed in an instant.

"Luo Yong, signal our main force."

After Chen Mo swiftly kills Vice General Peng, he roars with a voice like a thunderbolt, overpowering the momentary noise and reaching everyone's ears. Then, he stomps his foot fiercely and leaps up, tapping twice on the wall, and instantly ascends the city wall, sweeping out an arrow tower with his saber.

At the same time, the Personal Guard Battalion also acts instantly, quickly eliminating the Huai Army soldiers inside the gate who have yet to react.

The Divine Brave Guard at the rear unveils the black cloth on the cart, revealing the Divine Arm Crossbows loaded with crossbow arrows, ready to shoot.

After firing a volley of arrows, the whole army switches to the Horizontal Saber, rapidly forming the Yanyue Array.

Luo Yong takes out an object resembling a flint from his pocket, igniting the fuse, and a flame tongue rushes into the sky, blooming in the sky.

With Pottery Bombs researched, this firework-like "Skyrocket" is even simpler.

"Kill—"

"Kill—"

Once the entire army has entered the city, the Personal Guard Battalion detaches from the Yanyue Array, ascends the city wall via staircases on the left and right sides, charging the Huai Army on the wall to prevent them from shooting from above.

Hundreds of Divine Brave Guards, riding defectors' seized warhorses, charge into the Huai Army crowd in the city at full speed.

The Huai Army inside, shocked by the momentum of Chen Mo's group and further disordered by Vice General Peng's death, faces sudden chaos due to the abruptness of the situation.

Yet, being regular troops, a captain steps out to order the Huai Army to form ranks in defense, but in the next moment, he is cleaved in half by Chen Mo's blade.

Chen Mo, holding the Tang Blade like a Purgatory Killing God, leaves limbs sprawling wherever he passes, not a corpse whole.

He specializes in targeting those with red numbers marked on their foreheads, and these people are often middle to lower-ranking generals.

Once the capable few middle to lower-ranking generals are killed, there remains no one to organize a defense.

Once someone starts to flee, the entire rear gate's garrison follows suit, retreating in total collapse, leaving armor and helmets strewn across the ground.

Zhao Liang is stunned, from entering the city up to now, how little time has passed, and yet Chen Mo has captured the rear gate like this.

Zhao Liang watches Chen Mo charging ahead and recalls the storybook tales from Linzhou, with Zhao Zilong entering and exiting seven times.

Chen Mo and the army surge towards the front gate, oblivious to Zhao Liang.

Logically, this moment is the ideal time to flee.

But Zhao Liang doesn't dare; he led Chen Mo's group into Huainan County, and even if he escapes Chen Mo's control, he's bound to be held accountable by Prince Huai afterward, facing certain death.

At this moment, there's no way out for him.

Zhao Liang shakes his head, picks up a handy weapon from the ground, and heads towards the front gate to join the fight.

...

Elsewhere, Xiao Yan oversees the battle at the front gate. He is a Fourth-Grade Military General. Seeing the drumbeats in the distance, he senses something unusual.

The Chen Army is planning a full-scale siege?

"Bang!"

Suddenly, an explosion sounds from behind.

"What's happening?" Xiao Yan is startled. Though unsure of the situation, his cautious nature prompts him to immediately send personal soldiers to investigate.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Meanwhile, the battle drums just outside the city grow more resonant, conveying enthusiasm.

On the central army's war wagon, Cui Shuang, Sun Meng, Lv Tong, and others simultaneously give the order: "Besiege the city!"

"Charge."

"Kill."

"Xian Deng, I'm coming..."

The siege battle is typically extremely fierce, with those leading the charge essentially as fodder, yet the soldiers are not only unafraid but also filled with excitement and fervor.

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