"The Khitans!"
"It's the Khitans!"
With the shouts from the city walls, the city of Sochiya couldn't help but tremble with fear.
Although Governor Mohai wanted to keep it secret, the problem was that nowadays there was hardly any sense of secrecy, but rather a strong inclination towards rumors and exaggeration.
Soldiers who had escaped death claimed there were two hundred Khitans, but once the news left the governor's residence, the number swelled to thirty thousand.
And the entire city of Sochiya didn't even have thirty thousand people altogether.
So the entire city fell into a state of panic.
"How many are there?" Governor Mohai, clad in military attire, ascended the weathered city wall, questioning his personal captain.
"About seventy or eighty riders," reported the captain. "They're probably just the vanguard reconnaissance unit."
"Governor, should I lead a force—"
The captain's implication was to lead a few hundred men to test the waters. If they could defeat or eliminate the seventy or eighty riders, it would greatly boost morale within the city.
"No," Governor Mohai vetoed the captain's proposal. "What if there's an ambush outside the city?"
"We have only this many people. Before we understand the Khitans' strength, we must not act rashly."
"Governor's orders," the captain nodded, finding the governor's reasoning sound.
In his view, with troops being depleted everywhere these days, it indicated the presence of a considerable enemy force nearby. It couldn't possibly be a phantom-like army of only a few dozen, attacking day and night and annihilating all enemy forces in each battle.
"And who knows, perhaps just with those outposts alone, we can make those Khitans regret their actions—wait, what are those Khitans planning to do!?"
In disbelief, Governor Mohai watched as what initially seemed like Khitan scouts roaming about suddenly charged towards the outposts outside the city!
Not only Governor Mohai but also the soldiers stationed at the outposts were dumbfounded.
These outposts, though made of wood and mud, were equally sturdy. With defensive measures like trenches, battlements, and watchtowers, each was comparable to a small castle. And with dozens of Esmann soldiers stationed inside, they were more than capable of repelling thousands of invaders.
And yet, these Khitans charged directly at the outposts without any equipment?
Were they insane?
However, these were the thoughts of the Esmann soldiers. But for Shu Yichao, it was a different story altogether.
In fact, after scouting Sochiya, Shu Yichao was ecstatic.
"I thought we'd have to skirmish in the grass valley for a while longer, but I didn't expect the castle defenses to be this ..."
"How can these short wooden fences hold anyone?"
"The outposts are so far apart from each other, and their speed is so slow, they probably won't make it in fifteen minutes—I could have slaughtered them three times over by then."
"And each outpost is manned by dozens of soldiers—how considerate."
"Let's go!" Shu Yichao raised his curved blade high. "Brothers, it's time to open the treasure chests!"
"Ooh-ooh-ooh!!" The nomadic riders responded with ape-like cries.
In a cloud of dust, Shu Yichao led the nomadic riders like a whirlwind towards one of the outposts.
In a swift motion, Shu Yichao drew his bow and shot an arrow at one of the Esmann soldiers on the outpost.
"The arrow strikes, and the wings are hard to escape!"
Before the Esmann soldier could even react, he fell to the ground.
The others nearby widened their eyes in shock.
Within a hundred paces, an immediate draw of the bow, and a shot piercing the heart—was this really human?
No one answered their internal questions because the harbinger of death had already arrived!
"Thud, thud, thud!" Without pause, Shu Yichao quickly exhausted all the arrows in his quiver.
In an instant, there were few soldiers left standing on the outpost.
And those remaining seemed to have blank minds, only able to scream endlessly in their hearts.
How was this possible?
How was this possible!?
"Charge!" At this moment, Shu Yichao had already arrived at the outpost.
In a sudden leap from his horse, Shu Yichao jumped into the air.
At the same time, two nomadic riders beside him raised their arms.
To the astonishment of everyone on the city wall, to the bewilderment of Governor Mohai, to the confusion of the soldiers on the outpost—Shu Yichao stepped on the arms of the nomadic riders, as if adding two stepping stones in mid-air.
"Hah!"
A leap into the breach!
The blade glinted like stars!
Until heads flew, the Esmann soldiers on the outpost still wore expressions of disbelief—had the Khitans flown up?
"Ah!"
"Indeed, even with the mod done so well, the underlying code remains the same."
"Thanks to our excellent physics engine from Worlds Ablaze!"
Shu Yichao joyfully cleansed the outpost like a whirlwind.
Shu Yichao slaughtered, and the other nomadic riders were not to be outdone.
They threw out ropes, looped them over the battlements of the city wall, and then climbed up like climbing stairs, joining Shu Yichao in swinging their curved blades.
Cries, wails, pleas for mercy, briefly sounded and quickly ended.
A seemingly sturdy outpost fell into Shu Yichao's hands in less than five minutes.
The city of Sochiya fell into silence.
"Crash!" The gates of the other outposts were opened, and the Esmann soldiers inside rushed towards the city of Sochiya as if in a frenzy.
Run!
Run as fast as you can!
Run regardless of everything!
In this situation, the so-called outposts were nothing but coffins!
But their attempt to escape couldn't escape Shu Yichao's eyes.
"Trying to flee?" Seeing the dots on the screen moving, Shu Yichao quickly rebuked the nomadic riders beside him.
"Don't rush."
"Let's go slaughter those guys first before coming back to loot."
"Quick, open the city gates, quick!"
As the dust billowed, all the Esmann soldiers intending to flee into the city could already predict their fate in despair.
From afar, they shouted loudly, hoping for some reinforcements from within the city.
However, there was no response from the city walls.
"Surrender!"
"We surrender!"
As the terrifying whirlwind approached, the soldiers, devoid of any will to resist, dropped their swords and raised their hands.
However...
"What use are prisoners who can't be sold?"
"Cut them all down."
The death hurricane came quickly and departed even quicker.
Leaving behind a city filled with desolation and sorrow.
"If just a small squad of Khitan warriors is this powerful."
After a long time, Governor Mohai finally spoke, his voice hoarse as if he had aged ten years. "How long can we resist when their main force arrives?"
The captain was currently feeling dizzy and dizzy, propping himself up against the battlements to keep from falling.
Upon hearing his superior's words, he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only moved his throat and couldn't say anything.
"Send someone disguised to leave the city." Finally, Governor Mohai made a decision. "Seek help from the Sultan."
"We must hold out for at least, no, half a month."
"Huh? Can the unit be upgraded?" At the same time, Shu Yichao clicked on his personal interface.