Chapter 47: The Soul of the Qin Army! The Brutality of Siege Warfare!
Accompanied by an unending rain of arrows, the entire sky over Han's capital city was shrouded in a dense storm of projectiles, relentless and unyielding like a torrential downpour.
"Scatter!"
General Cao Yi shouted.
His guards immediately raised their shields, protecting him from the onslaught.
The next moment, countless arrows rained down on all parts of the city.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound of arrows piercing through armor and flesh reverberated throughout the city.
As the unrelenting storm of arrows descended, countless Han soldiers were killed instantly, their bodies piling up in pools of blood within the city.
Screams of pain echoed endlessly.
On the city walls.
In the streets.
Everywhere turned into a living hell.
Blood and corpses covered the gates and streets.
"Hide!"
"Quick, take cover!"
After just one round of arrows, chaos erupted in the capital city of Han. Han soldiers scrambled for cover, but it was to no avail.
And this was just the first wave.
The three thousand archers of Qin rotated seamlessly. As the front ranks fired, they retreated to reload, drawing fresh arrows from their quivers and firing again.
The storm of arrows continued without pause, inflicting unrelenting damage on the defenders.
At the same time, more than a hundred catapults were adjusted and aimed at Han's capital.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Fire-laden stones were launched from the catapults, hurtling toward the city walls and into the city itself.
When the stones struck, they exploded like cannonballs, scattering flames in all directions.
The deployment of the catapults only added to the screams of agony in the city. Countless Han soldiers were crushed into unrecognizable heaps of flesh and bone.
This is the brutality of war.
In the Qin formation, Zhao Feng nocked an arrow and fired repeatedly, joining the barrage.
Tens of thousands of archers firing simultaneously created a storm that blanketed the city walls. In such dense arrow fire, anyone caught in the open-faced certain death.
"Kill Han soldiers. Gained 5 Strength."
"Kill Han soldiers. Gained 5 Lifespan."
"Kill Han soldiers. Gained 5 Speed."
Though firing blindly into the chaos, Zhao Feng's luck allowed him to kill several Han soldiers and absorb their attributes.
"This rain of arrows is equivalent to modern saturation firepower," Zhao Feng thought to himself. "In terms of weaponry, Qin reigns supreme in this era."
"This proves the saying: 'To do good work, one must first sharpen their tools.'"
He fired as fast as he could, his arrows quickly dwindling.
This was a rare opportunity to rack up kills, and Zhao Feng wasn't about to waste it.
As the arrow storm and fiery stones continued to suppress the Han defenders, Qin's troops prepared for the next phase of the attack.
On his chariot, General Li Teng observed the situation. Once the enemy was sufficiently suppressed, he gave the order.
"The might of Qin's arrows has subdued the Han defenders!"
"Now is the time! Vanguard forces, advance!"
At the sound of his command, a tightly disciplined regiment of ten thousand soldiers stepped forward.
"Second Vanguard Regiment, this is our chance!"
"Today, we shall serve as the tip of Qin's spear!"
"The might of Qin shall break Han's capital!"
"Kill!"
With a roar, Commander Wu Hua waved his spear and led the charge.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
The soldiers roared back, their voices filled with resolve and determination. Shield bearers led the way, carrying battering rams, siege ladders, and other siege equipment as they charged toward the city.
Under the cover of Qin's arrow barrage, the vanguard quickly crossed the open ground, closing to within thirty paces of the city walls within range of Han's archers.
Realizing the danger, Cao Yi knew they could no longer afford to sit back.
"We must not let Qin breach the city!"
"All forces, hear my command!"
"Fight back!"
"Fire at will!"
"Anyone who retreats without orders will be executed by the rear guard!"
"Catapults, fire!"
"Kill!"
Cao Yi bellowed orders, rallying the defenders.
Under the threat of the rear guard's swords, Han soldiers began to organize and retaliate.
Arrows rained down from the city walls, while massive stones were hurled from Han's catapults toward the advancing Qin forces.
"Shields up!"
Wu Hua shouted, and the front ranks of Qin's vanguard raised their shields.
While many arrows were deflected, some found their mark, piercing through the gaps in the defenses and striking the soldiers behind.
Thud.
Thud.
Arrows punctured flesh, and soldiers fell to the ground, bleeding out.
Falling stones crushed others, adding to the casualties.
Yet none of this stopped the vanguard. They pressed on, closing the distance to the walls with relentless determination.
This was the harsh reality of siege warfare.
War was a meat grinder.
Each step forward was paid for in blood.
"This is the true brutality of siege warfare," Zhao Feng thought as he continued firing arrows.
"Victory comes at the cost of countless lives, filling the gap with flesh and blood until the walls fall."
Though not part of the vanguard, Zhao Feng could see the carnage unfolding clearly.
He also saw the unshakable resolve of the Qin soldiers.
When one soldier fell, another immediately stepped forward to fill the gap.
When an entire squad was crushed by stones, reinforcements quickly replaced them.
They moved forward without fear or hesitation.
"This... this is the soul of the Qin army."
"Unyielding."
"Fearless."
"Unwavering in the face of death."
Watching this, Zhao Feng felt a deep sense of pride in the army he belonged to.
Under the cover of Qin's archers, the vanguard finally reached the walls.
Ladders and siege towers were raised, and battering rams slammed against the gates.
"Keep the catapults firing!"
"Archers, advance thirty paces and continue firing!"
Li Teng commanded from the rear.
The long-range bombardment had achieved its purpose. Now the archers moved closer to maintain pressure on the defenders.
Meanwhile, inside the city, Zhang Ping issued his orders.
"Relay this to all units!"
"All troops are to be deployed!"
"If one man falls, another must take his place. If ten fall, ten more will replace them!"
"Hold the city at all costs!"
The orders were quickly passed on, and more Han soldiers rushed to the walls.
The siege had turned into a grueling battle of attrition.
The Qin vanguard pressed forward relentlessly, while Han soldiers clung desperately to the walls.
Arrows rained down like a storm, and with every breath, countless lives were lost.
The carnage was unimaginable.
"Although Han's forces have suffered heavy losses under Qin's arrow fire, they still have the advantage of defending a fortified position," Zhao Feng noted as he observed the battle.
"They've sealed the gates tight, and their numbers are still substantial."
"At this rate, breaking through won't be easy."
Watching his comrades fall one after another, Zhao Feng couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
But as a rear-line archer, all he could do was keep firing and watch the battle unfold.