Chapter 99: Operation to Reclaim Chang'an (1)

Having successfully entered the Guanzhong Plains without shedding a single drop of blood, the Hanzhong army headed straight for Chang’an. The soldiers gaped in awe at the massive walls rising before them.

It was a metropolis of staggering proportions, once the proud capital of the Tang Dynasty. The walls surrounding the city were as grand and majestic as colossal stone cliffs, further protected by a moat that spanned thirty-six feet in width.

“Why is it so high?”

“Don’t tell me we have to climb that thing?”

“The commanders must have a plan. The General wouldn’t send us to our deaths.”

Although the soldiers were tense, none of them trembled with fear. They placed absolute trust in their commanders.

The army set up camp opposite the South Gate of Chang’an. Even at this very moment, the suffering citizens were desperately waiting. Having reached their destination, there was no reason to delay.

“Prepare the Whirlwind Catapults!”

At Jang-yang’s command, fifty wagons emerged from the rear. Portable catapults were mounted on top of them.

The early version of this catapult had a structure where fifty fine ropes were attached to a lever, which dozens of men pulled simultaneously. The Hanzhong version, customized to the martial arts level of the soldiers, featured a larger lever and only twenty ropes.

Rumble!

The Whirlwind Catapults formed a line and advanced until the walls were within their firing range. Watching from the command post, Officer Kwak Cheol spoke.

“There is a significant number of archers on the walls.”

At a glance, nearly ten thousand enemy soldiers were stationed along the walls. Including the reserve forces, the intelligence that their total strength approached twenty thousand was undoubtedly correct. In contrast, our army numbered only fourteen thousand.

“Despite this being a siege, we must face an enemy that outnumbers us. Still, compared to our past battles, this is a very favorable situation, is it not?”

Jang-yang spoke half-jokingly, but it was a situation where the officers did not know whether to laugh. Even with the high quality of their soldiers, it was a disparity that could not be easily overcome through ordinary means.

Officer Kwak Cheol chuckled and replied, “Haha. Indeed. If we were to scale those walls, we might be wiped out.”

“That won’t happen. I trust the Wolf Fang Squad will succeed.”

“Undoubtedly. The elite squad of our Hanzhong has never failed a mission.”

Jang-yang stared at the walls and said, “And look closely at the enemy soldiers.”

Although their faces were not clearly visible, their rigid postures suggested they were extremely tense. Despite their advantageous position, they were clearly terrified of our army.

“They certainly present a stark contrast to our soldiers.”

“Ten terrified soldiers are no match for a single brave one.”

Just then, Officer Jin Lip approached and reported, “General, the Whirlwind Catapults are loaded. As you commanded, the target is the archers on the walls.”

“There is no reason to hesitate. Begin immediately.”

At Officer Jin Lip’s signal, an officer waved a signaling flag.

“Fire!”

Fifty Whirlwind Catapults moved in unison, launching stones.

Thump! Thump!

The stones crashed against the upper sections of the walls with thunderous roars.

Boom! Boom!

The walls shook, and dust rose into the air. Since there were no casualties, the defending archers let out sighs of relief.

However, the first salvo was merely a test shot to adjust their aim. The second salvo was the real beginning.

Although the Whirlwind Catapult could not load stones even a tenth of the weight of a grand catapult, it possessed the advantage of a rapid rate of fire.

A moment later, the catapult officer waved the signaling flag once more. A thousand soldiers grabbed the ropes and pulled with all their might.

Creak!

“Fire!”

Thump! Thump!

Another fifty stones soared into the air. This time, about half of them landed accurately on the top of the walls.

Boom! Clash!

“Aaargh!”

“Agh!”

Although the stones were smaller than an adult’s head, their power was immense, capable of gouging out over a foot of the stone wall. The soldiers who were hit fell instantly, and the flying stone fragments injured those around them.

However, how many enemies could they kill with small stones alone? The purpose of the Whirlwind Catapults was not mass slaughter. Jang-yang asked Officer Jin Lip, “How many stones do we have left?”

“If we regulate the pace of fire, we can maintain the assault until sunrise tomorrow.”

“Good. We must draw the enemy’s attention to this South Gate as much as possible so the Wolf Fang Squad can move. Rotate the soldiers and maintain the bombardment without pause.”

“Yes, General.”

“Tell the rest of the troops to rest well. Make sure everyone is in peak condition by dawn.”

***

A group of warriors was moving secretly and rapidly beyond the western ridges of the Qinling Mountains. There were about a hundred warriors clad in black armor. Their silent steps exuded an extraordinary presence.

A man wearing a helmet adorned with red tassels raised his right hand at the front of the column.

“Wait here.”

At So-mu’s command, the squad halted in unison. Standing right behind him, Cheong-hae whispered, “We must wait until it gets dark, right?”

“Yes. There is no cover from this point on. The area around the walls is wide open, making an ambush difficult… We have no choice but to wait until the archers’ visibility decreases.”

“But can we really scale those walls by ourselves? I heard they are incomparably higher than Hanzhong’s.”

“Don’t worry. With our main force putting on a show at the South Gate, there won’t be many defenders at the West Gate.”

Hearing the commander speak so casually, Cheong-hae let out a wry laugh.

“Haha. Easier said than done. If we get hit by a trigger crossbow bolt while climbing, it’s instant death.”

Trigger crossbows. These massive, foot-loaded crossbows were extremely powerful, and the modified versions could even fire in rapid succession. The force of a trigger crossbow bolt was enough to pierce even a martial artist’s defensive barrier, a power that even So-mu could not afford to ignore.

According to the information provided by the Beggars’ Sect, a large number of trigger crossbowmen had been deployed in Chang’an.

“Of course, we won’t survive if we just climb. I will draw the defenders’ attention, so use that opportunity to scale the wall first.”

Watching closely, Hyeon-jeong asked with a worried expression, “Will you be alright alone…?”

Even if the enemy’s forces were concentrated at the South Gate, there would still be at least hundreds, if not a thousand, defenders here. He would have to dodge a rain of arrows all by himself.

Il-gwang waved his hand at Hyeon-jeong and replied instead, “The commander isn’t someone who would die from a few arrows. Worry about yourselves.”

“I suppose… you’re right.”

“Of course.”

A faint smile appeared on So-mu’s face.

“You guys are too much.”

The members sat cross-legged in various spots, waiting for darkness to fall. Once the visibility decreased, So-mu stood up and dusted himself off.

“Let’s move.”

The Wolf Fang Squad darted across the plains once more. As the massive walls loomed ahead, So-mu signaled the squad. While the members moved to the flanks, he charged straight toward the gate.

About a thousand soldiers were visible along the walls. Most of them were distracted or off-guard.

The black armor of the Wolf Fang Squad was specially designed for stealth and night raids. The black wolves darted through the darkness in silence.

When So-mu made his presence known right in front of the gate, a few defenders noticed and sounded the alarm.

“Enemy attack!”

“An enemy is at the gate!”

The sudden commotion startled the off-guard defenders. Since identifying friend from foe at night was difficult, sieges rarely took place after dark. Confused, they assessed the situation.

There was only a single enemy. He was walking calmly toward the gate.

“Identify yourself!”

“Who goes there?!”

Standing before the gate, So-mu silently raised his hands. A moment later, his palms, enveloped in dark red qi, struck the gate ruthlessly.

Boom!

The gate shuddered violently, and the area struck was deeply dented. The tremendous force sent vibrations all the way to the top of the walls, as if a battering ram had struck it.

The defenders cursed in disbelief.

“W-What is that guy?”

“Crazy!”

“Aim at him!”

Before they knew it, So-mu’s palms struck the gate once more.

Boom!

It was as if he intended to shatter the gate all by himself—and the gate of Chang’an, renowned for its immense thickness, at that.

The officer on the wall ordered the attack in disbelief.

“Fire!”

Archers and trigger crossbowmen began to rain arrows and bolts down on the gate.

Thwack! Thwack!

Arrows darkened the sky as they fell. Before they could reach him, So-mu had already shifted his footwork.

His figure glided backward like a sliding shadow.

Thud! Thud!

Hundreds of arrows pierced deep into the ground where So-mu had stood. The defenders grew tense at his extraordinary movement.

Just as they prepared to reload, So-mu charged toward the gate like lightning once more. His palms struck the gate again.

Boom!

Anxiety crept over the defenders that the gate might actually be breached at this rate.

“What kind of madness is this?!”

“Get everyone over here!”

The defenders rushed to reinforce the gate, desperately trying to keep it secure.

Meanwhile, about a hundred feet away in the darkness, the members of the Wolf Fang Squad watched with flashing eyes, waiting for their moment.

With a coil of rope slung over his shoulder, Il-gwang signaled the members.

“Let’s go. Before our commander turns into a pincushion.”

Forming groups of four, the members dashed toward the wall in sequence. Although a thirty-six-foot-wide moat lay ahead, crossing it by gliding across the water was no challenge for them.

The first two groups crossed the water, kicking off the surface.

Leap! Leap!

Reaching the wall, the eight men faced each other and grabbed each other’s shoulders.

A breath later, the third group approached. Leaping lightly, they stepped onto the shoulders of the members below. The fourth group followed, leaping to form another tier above them.

Stacking themselves to form a human ladder, the members of the Wolf Fang Squad quickly built a six-tier structure, and the remaining members began their charge.

The members forming the ladder grew tense as the massive Il-gwang charged forward at the front. Although supporting Il-gwang’s weight was not difficult, his sheer momentum was intimidating.

“Whoa!”

“Oh no!”

His massive body, weighing over two hundred pounds, soared into the air like a bird.

As he landed on the middle tier, the entire structure shook. The members serving as the supports complained in low voices.

“Senior, shouldn’t you be at the bottom supporting us?”

“Why on earth…”

Il-gwang climbed to the top of the ladder and replied, “There’s no one here who matches my shoulder height.”

A moment later, the massive bear leaped from the top toward the crest of the wall.

Leap!

That was the trigger. In groups of three or four, the members continuously leaped onto the wall.

A moment later, the movements of the Wolf Fang Squad were finally spotted by the defenders.

“W-What are those guys?!”

“Quick, throw them off!”

Startled, the defenders drew their swords and charged. However, more than half of the squad had already scaled the wall.

Throwing the rope down, Il-gwang yelled to his left and right, “What are you waiting for? Go tear them apart!”