When Xia Ji arrived at the city gates, the morale all round had already dropped to the lowest point. Someone shouted out, "The Seventh Imperial Prince is here."
The people around started to make a commotion as each of them squeezed forward to get a better look.
They saw a formidable-looking Imperial Prince in black armor walk toward them on the stone path. Behind the Imperial Prince was a splendidly dressed Imperial Princess, followed by a thousand severe-looking guards.
The sight of the Imperial family making a personal appearance at the frontlines gave the soldiers guarding the city a boost of confidence, and morale among them started to build up gradually.
Xia Ji followed along the curving bluestone steps leading toward the top of the world. Eunuch Mei and the steward were waiting for him. The steward, who was sitting in a wheelchair, nodded at him with a sneer. He said nothing. Today was the day they would die. Whatever that needed to be said, could be said in the netherworld.
Regardless, the Imperial Emperor's prediction was about to come true. The only difference was that it would include sacrificing his own life as well.
Deng Jue was stunned when he saw the Seventh Imperial Prince's formidable-looking armor and weapon, but he quickly pulled himself together as he personally led the Imperial Prince and Princess into the only little tower on the city walls. The tower was filled with fine liquor. He asked, "Your Highness, does this place work for you?"
"It's very good."
"In that case, you may stay here… I'll be going."
After Deng Jue left, Xia Ji stood within the tower on the city gates as he looked down on the battlefield.
The snow gleamed white as bodies piled up. It was like witnessing hell. Close to millions of refugees outside the city had been captured by the Guifang army. The army killed some every day in an act of provocation, with what seemed to be at least a thousand victims every time.
Xia Xiaosu leaned on the window of the tower and cried as she watched. "Sob sob sob, sob sob sob…"
The crying got louder as the make-up on her face soon got blemished.
Xia Ji asked in astonishment, "What are you crying about?"
Xia Xiaosu, "It's so sad that so many people died."
Xia Ji reached out to pull his sister into his arms and gently rubbed her eyes. "Stop crying."
Xia Xiaosu fell silent obediently, but her tears continued flowing as she watched the mountains of bodies pile up amidst the bloody sea beneath the city with her messy face.
A slight change seemed to be happening to the Guifang army from afar. From within the drifting snow, dozens of giants, five or six meters tall, appeared. The skin of these giants was a slight mystical blue. Heavy drifting snow flew about around them. In their hands were spiked clubs twenty feet long. They wore skulls around their necks, some belonging to human beings while some were from wild beasts.
"Are those the Frost Giants? They're actually using skulls as accessories?"
"Ancient books explain that those are their proudest spoils of war. They use it to display their imposing power and prestige. Normally it would be made up of enemies who were in challenging battles with them, or powerful people from tribes and cities they have conquered. Only these people had the right to become their skull accessories. Like… You and me, for example," Xia Jie looked at his pale-faced younger sister as he laughed.
Xia Xiaosu trembled in fright as her tears stopped flowing. She did not want her head to be chopped off after death and later flayed and dried into an accessory.
The Frost Giants brought upon a fresh round of fierce battle. These Frost Giants lived up to their names as the snow and wind yielded to them. Neither sword nor spear could hurt them and they did not bother to hide as they walked directly toward the city gates.
Deng Jue's voice roared from the city's wall immediately, "Release the arrows!!"
Thousands of bows could be heard firing in that instant.
The Frost Giants paused for a moment as the arrows landed on them along with the snow. There were clear 'ding' sounds as the arrows struck. However, the arrows could do nothing more than momentarily stop the giants in their steps.
Once the rain of arrows stopped, they continued moving forward.
Did it wound them? Not at all. The arrows could not even pierce through the Icy Snow armor's defense, much less even touch the skins of the giants.
"Big brother, what are they planning to do?"
Xia Ji said, "They are, of course, planning to blast open the city gates with their spiked clubs. They have solid defense and brute strength, what need is there to do anything elaborate?"
Xia Xiaosu asked, "Why are there only a dozen or so giants? Didn't the frontlines report three thousand Frost Giants? Otherwise, the Heir Apparent and his huge army of a hundred thousand would not have been obliterated in just one night ambush."
Xia Jie gave it some thought and held his chin in his hand as he replied, "The ancient books said that these giants usually do not like to be too far away from their base. This would mean… It is possible that many of these giants returned to their base after sieging the Wolf Restraining Pass. Those who are here now are possibly giants who have a particularly adventurous spirit."
Xia Xiaosu could not help but rolled her eyes as she jeered, "What adventurous spirit?"
Xia Ji replied seriously, "Self-breakthrough, being a pioneer, to be enterprising and innovative."
Xia Xiaosu burst out laughing.
If Xia Ji could see through this situation, then so could Deng Jue. The army's strong shot crossbows now aimed for the giants below the city. Thick volleys of powerful arrows sliced through the wind and snow as a sharp sonic sound rang through the air, piercing across the sky as they shot toward the giants.
The Icy Snow armor shattered.
However, the power of the shots all but wore off upon meeting its target. There was not much force left when the arrows came into contact with the giants' skins, which rendered them useless.
A look of inevitable dread could be seen in the eyes of the soldiers guarding at the top of the city as they watched the Frost Giants closing in. All they could do was continue aiming at the giants as they let loose more arrows.
As for the young men who were helping to defend the city, they had long lost their initial courage and vigor.
"These monsters, how can we possibly win…"
"They aren't human at all!"
"It doesn't matter who goes up against them, there is no way these monsters can be killed."
As the Frost Giants got nearer, more panicking voices could be heard. Even Deng Jue had done everything he could. Besides that, there were many renowned families, and those from the brotherhood of martial artists who were helping to guard the city looked on with unrestrained terror as they watched the movements of the giants.
A swordsman suddenly said, "Sorrowful Divine Monk from Leiyin Temple has great power and he possesses a Buddhist instrument as well. Who can convince him to come here and defeat these giants?"
The steward, who was in the wheelchair, sneered in his heart. Leiyin Temple had long predicted that this would be a major catastrophe for the Imperial City. They had closed their doors during this period while many monks had claimed their desire to spread the word of Buddhism to the South, thus left along with the Imperial Emperor. How would it be possible for Sorrowful Divine Monk to get involved with such a destiny?
Another middle-aged man from a renowned family, who was holding onto an iron sword, said, "I heard that the great scholar of the Imperial Court, Lu Qi, cultivates in the Great Auspicious Aura and was bestowed the Divine Scholarly instrument of the Demon Slaying Whip. If he was here, he would surely be able to slay these giants…"
The steward gave a condescending smile when he heard this. Lu Qi would never 'do something he knows he could not do'. The 'Qi' in his name was derived from the Chinese saying of 'Emulate those with wisdom and self-reflect when meeting those without wisdom' [TN: The word 'Qi' in Chinese means to 'look toward' or 'emulate' in this phrase].
That was why when the news was received about the exotic tribes forcing their way in ruthlessly, he had suggested to the Imperial Emperor overnight, "Those who do something they know they could not do, are foolish. Those who do not do something they know they could not do, are wise. Your Highness, you are now in a position of grave danger, why not build a new capital in the South and build your army in the next year. Wait for the right time and place for us to exact our revenge."
The Imperial Emperor accepted the suggestion and Lu Qi was now at the Imperial Emperor's side, protected and surrounded by an army of fifty thousand. He must be thousands of miles away by now.
The rest of the people here did not escape because the news was either held back from them, their families and businesses here were too big to make the move, or the city gates were locked and they could not escape, which was why they had to stay on for the brutal fight.
The steward may look calm on the surface but he was sneering wickedly in his heart. The world under the heavens came merrily together because of beneficial gains, and the world under the heavens fell apart with disorder because of beneficial gains. He looked toward the tower afar and could vaguely spot two figures within.
Seventh Imperial Prince, death was awaiting him. It was only with his death that His Highness's mission would be considered complete and the steward could finally fulfill the grudge he held. He cocked his head toward Eunuch Mei and said, "Eunuch Mei, if the Seventh Imperial Prince dies, send me to the heavens with one stroke and make your escape."
On the other side, Deng Jue had sent out soldiers who were prepared to die. They had huge shields and long spears in their hands to defend the city gates and, at the same time, more siege weapons of war had been added onto the top of the city wall. Gigantic and powerful crossbows, catapults with flaming rocks had all made their appearances…
When Guifang saw the city gates open, thousands of vanguards riding on wolves rushed toward the direction of the refugees. There was no escape route for the refugees and they could only run toward the gate with all their might when they saw the city gates open.
A bloody battle started once again, much like a meat-grinding machine amidst the windy snow.