The setting sun bathed the earth in hues of red, transforming the world into an eerie, otherworldly landscape.
A burly Tibetan general stood at the front of the army, holding several round, severed heads in his left hand and a bloodied execution blade in his right. He patrolled in front of the assembled troops.
"Listen up, you Nan Zhao deserters! Thanks to the mercy of Prince Mou Di Ru, you have not been reduced to slaves.
Now, your chance to prove your loyalty to the Tibetan Empire has arrived! Take Shule Town, and Prince Mou Di Ru will reward you accordingly!
But if there are any cowards or deserters among you, this will be your fate!" Tu Li shouted, throwing the severed heads to the ground.
The Nan Zhao soldiers before him trembled in fear, while the mounted Tibetan soldiers behind them jeered and laughed.
Over the course of the day, the Nan Zhao soldiers had hastily constructed a dozen siege ladders and two battering rams.
