Chapter 124: Bandits Attack the City

Now armed with intelligence from He Renlong, and driven by an urgent desire to retake the money and grain at Longmen Town, the rebel leaders resolved to launch an assault upon it.

At noon that very day, Miao Mei ordered the main force of veteran bandits to eat their fill, while the peasant recruits were given only half a meal. He then commanded the various chieftains to drive their men in an attack on Longmen Town.

The beating of gongs and thumping of drums for the rebel siege began. The garrison troops took their designated positions along the city walls, and Li Yi arrived at the South Gate.

Looking out into the distance, dense throngs of disorderly rebels scattered across the entire imperial highway, advancing slowly from afar, cut a truly formidable and terrifying sight.

Some among them carried scaling ladders and long wooden poles, evidently preparing to storm the fortifications.

A powerfully built rebel clad in iron armor burst out from the ranks, strode right up to the base of the wall, and roared at the top of his lungs, "The government oppresses and harms the common people, drowning in corruption and committing every conceivable evil. The righteous army has completely surrounded all of you. Surrender the city now, and you shall be handsomely rewarded. Should you stubbornly resist, you will find yourselves without even a burial place!"

The soldiers gazed at the distant enemy, whose numbers vastly exceeded their own, and nervously tightened their grips on their weapons.

Li Yi glanced at his pale-faced subordinates, drew his golden bow from its quiver, nocked an arrow, and loosed a single shot.

Empowered by immense physical strength, the arrow flew like a ballista bolt straight into the rebel's chest. The ferocious momentum effortlessly pierced his body, pinning him firmly to the ground.

Seeing the boastful rebel slain on the spot, the soldiers atop the city walls let out a massive cheer.

Yet this only served to enrage the insurgents. Amidst the rolling beats of the drums, the distant rebel host slowly advanced toward the wall.

Further back, seeing the bandits launch their attack on Li Yi, He Renlong wore a smile of smug satisfaction as his wicked scheme succeeded.

With three thousand rebel troops pressing the siege, he wanted to see precisely how Li Yi, with a mere three hundred men, could possibly hold the place.

As the rebel ranks gradually closed into archer range, their veteran bandit bowmen massed together, breaking away from the main formation to take the vanguard position.

Li Yi perceived their intent: the rebels sought to use archery to suppress the defenders on the wall and cover the ensuing assault.

He immediately issued an order: "Everyone take cover behind the arrow-deflecting shields! The moment the enemy enters range, loose your arrows at once. Then, wait until the rebels finish their first volley before launching a counterattack."

Following his command, the archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

Li Yi watched the leading thousand rebels slowly approach the ramparts. Although he knew most of these men were ordinary peasants driven to the brink of survival, the cruelty of war afforded him not a shred of sympathy.

"Prepare to loose!"

At the cry, a hundred archers stepped out from behind the protective shields, drawing their bows.

The distant rebel formation was already chaotic, and seeing the defenders preparing to shoot threw them into even greater disarray.

Many of the fainthearted peasant recruits were frightened out of their wits and turned to flee, triggering a broader panic among those around them.

The veteran bandits trailing immediately behind rushed forward, drawing their waist sabers to hack down the fleeing peasants.

A rebel chieftain roared at the top of his lungs, "No retreating! No one is allowed to retreat! Anyone who falls back again, I'll cleave in two!"

The veteran bandits echoed his threats with fierce intimidation. Faced with the twitching corpses on the ground and the ferocious expressions of the seasoned thugs, the terrified peasants gritted their teeth and forced themselves forward toward the city walls.

"Loose arrows!"

At the command, a rain of missiles poured down from the battlements.

Lacking any armor for defense and packed tightly together, the rebels were instantly engulfed in the deadly downpour.

Piteous shrieks rose one after another. In the blink of an eye, dozens of rebels were struck and tumbled to the ground, clutching their wounds and crying out in terror for help.

"Loose arrows again!"

Seeing that most of the enemy lacked armor and were suffering heavy casualties, Li Yi immediately ordered another volley.

Cries of agony echoed endlessly beneath the wall. Many insurgents stared up in terror at the battlements, clutching their crude weapons, unable to advance yet unable to retreat.

At that moment, squads of veteran bandits clad in padded cloth armor rushed forward, bearing scaling ladders and long wooden poles.

Arrows whistled through the air, their sharp heads striking the armor only to bounce off harmlessly; even those that found flesh inflicted nothing more than superficial wounds.

The rebel archers surged forward as well, drawing and loosing their bows.

Li Yi shouted instantly, "The enemy volley is coming! Take cover!"

The garrison troops swiftly ducked behind the wooden shields.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The next instant, a barrage of arrows thudded relentlessly into the shields.

The veteran bandits carrying the siege equipment accelerated their charge. Several men hauled on ropes, hoisting the front ends of the scaling ladders aloft, and quickly wedged them against the city wall.

"The defenders are few! Break through, and the great chieftain will shower rewards upon you!"

With a mighty roar, the veteran bandits raised their weapons and began swarming up the scaling ladders.

The long wooden poles were likewise planted against the wall, fitted with transverse wooden steps which the peasant recruits now used to scramble upward.

Arrows rained down from the ramparts without pause. Periodically, a rebel was struck and plummeted from the ladders with a shriek.

Buyan drew his bow and released an arrow, the razor-sharp tip mercilessly piercing a veteran bandit's throat.

Gifted with superb archery skills, he deliberately targeted the unprotected necks of the veterans, quickly dispatching five men in succession.

This struck terror into the hearts of the climbing veterans, who could only grit their teeth and claw their way upward with desperate fury.

Li Yi had too few archers; although they had slain numerous peasant recruits, they could not stem the tide of the armored veterans.

Before long, a dozen veteran bandits vaulted over the parapet onto the wall.

Upon seeing the enemy breach the ramparts, the Gold-Shattering Troops surged forward, and the two sides clashed in fierce hand-to-hand combat within the narrow confines.

Observing this from the rear, Miao Mei wore a satisfied smile.

Clearly, He Renlong had not deceived him—the defending force was indeed paltry.

With a subtle wave of his hand, a deep, rhythmic drumbeat sounded, and another thousand rebels began slowly advancing toward the wall.

Standing atop the gate tower and gazing at the endless stream of insurgents swarming up the fortifications, Li Yi turned his head toward Flying Mountain Tiger.

Flying Mountain Tiger gripped a long-handled saber, his gaze complex as he stared at those who were yesterday his comrades and today his enemies.

Given a choice, he truly wished to avoid fighting these men.

Yet circumstances dictated otherwise. If he refused to remain a bandit forever, he had no choice but to strike.

Li Yi had employed both benevolence and severity, and now the moment had come for him to prove his loyalty.

"My lord, give the order," Flying Mountain Tiger said, having made up his mind.

Li Yi nodded, speaking in a deep voice to the three hundred men under Flying Mountain Tiger's command: "Remember this: you are government soldiers now. Provided you beat back the rebels, you will earn merit, reap rewards, and carve out a future for yourselves. If you show misplaced mercy and die at the hands of the bandits, no one will pity you."