66. Failure

The Bai Family army moved under the cover of darkness, their preparations complete. The city gates of White Lotus City stood before them, now a shadow of its former grandeur. The mercenaries had fortified it with hastily erected barricades and ragtag defenses, but Commander Bai had carefully orchestrated his plan to catch them off-guard. The messengers had delivered his false peace offer and now they waited for the mercenaries to let their guard down, just long enough for the Bai Family to strike.

The tension in the air was palpable. Commander Bai, atop his warhorse, surveyed the streets of the city through the shadows, eyes cold and calculating. His forces were in position, ready to launch their assault. The plan had been set into motion, and they would retake White Lotus City. This time, they wouldn't fail.

But as dawn broke, an unexpected twist occurred. The mercenaries didn't fold as planned. Instead, they doubled down on their defenses, reinforcing every entry point with even more precision. Commander Bai's messengers had returned with disturbing reports: the mercenaries had anticipated betrayal, and they were ready. In a way, the mercenaries had turned the tables on them.

The first clash broke out with brutal intensity. The Bai family's forces clashed with the mercenaries in the city's narrow alleys and streets, but the mercenaries were well-prepared and well-equipped. They fought with a ferocity that the Bai Family had underestimated. Even worse, reinforcements had arrived. Several new mercenary groups had come in from nearby cities, bolstering their numbers.

The battle stretched on for hours, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage. Bai's forces had already lost a significant portion of their men, and the supply lines, the very thing they had depended on, had been severed by the mercenaries. Commander Bai's face grew taut with frustration as he watched his men struggle. It was becoming clear: the merchants and alliances they had relied on had betrayed them, too.

Finally, after hours of failed attempts to push through the mercenary defenses, the tide of battle shifted. The Bai Family was being pushed back. Their retreat from White Lotus City became inevitable.

Inside their temporary camp, Commander Bai stormed in, his eyes blazing with anger. His generals and officers were gathered around a map, ready for their next move, but the atmosphere was thick with defeat.

One of his senior generals stepped forward, his voice calm but grim. "Commander Bai, we've failed. The mercenaries have fortified the city, and their reinforcements have arrived in greater numbers than we anticipated. It's no longer a matter of simply retaking the city, we need to withdraw."

Commander Bai clenched his fists, his jaw tight. "This isn't over. We can't afford to retreat like this."

Another officer spoke up, his voice low and strategic. "Perhaps it's time to reconsider our approach. The Ironwood City defenses are still intact, and the allied forces there are in a disarray after the battle with the mercenaries. The Jian and Zheng Families are not in any position to defend Ironwood if we strike them while they are weak."

The room grew quiet as the suggestion echoed in the air. The Bai Family had lost their momentum in White Lotus City, but striking Ironwood City now, when the Allied army was distracted and still recovering, could turn the tide of the war in their favor.

Commander Bai's gaze turned to the map, and the decision settled in his mind like cold iron. Ironwood City was far more strategic in the long run, and with the Allied forces still in disarray, it might be their best chance to recover from their losses.

He turned to his officers, his eyes narrowed. "Prepare the forces. We leave for Ironwood City at once. The Allied armies are fragmented and vulnerable. If we strike now, we'll catch them off-guard."

One of his most trusted generals spoke, a glint of eagerness in his eyes. "We'll send the word to the other cities to back us up, yes?"

"No," Commander Bai replied firmly, his voice cold. "We act quickly and without delay. The mercenaries have shown us their strength, but it is still fractured. Ironwood City is our next target. We will hit them while they are weakest. Let the others think we've been defeated by the mercenaries. We strike Ironwood and we will bring the Allied army to its knees."

The officers exchanged looks of silent agreement. While the decision to abandon White Lotus City stung, the direction was clear. The Allied forces, along with the Jing, Jian and Zheng Families, had no time to regroup.

Commander Bai turned toward the door, his tone unwavering. "Get moving. Ironwood City will be ours before the day is done."

As the officers dispersed to rally their forces, Commander Bai stood alone for a moment, watching the map before him. He clenched his fist in determination. This was not over. This was just the beginning of the next phase of the battle. The Bai Family would rise again, and they would crush anyone who dared stand in their way.

---

(At the Same time, in front of Ironwood City)

The Allied Army, a coalition of the Zheng, Jian, and Jing Families, marched toward Ironwood City in the early morning light, their ranks weary but resolute. The war had taken its toll on them, but their mission was clear: reclaim Ironwood City and secure their remaining foothold in the region. They had already lost too much territory, and the sight of Ironwood, a key stronghold, was their last hope for turning the tide.

But as they approached the city's towering walls, the sight before them was nothing like they had expected. Instead of a quiet, besieged city awaiting their relief, they found a chaotic battlefield unfolding at the gates. The Ironwood City walls, usually a symbol of defense, were lined with smoldering wreckage, and the streets below were a swirl of clashing forces.

The mercenaries, ragtag but brutal, had already made their move. They were besieging the city from all sides. They fought fiercely, their weapons flashing in the dim light as they clashed with the governor's forces, who were desperately trying to hold their ground. Arrows flew overhead, and the sound of steel on steel echoed through the air, creating a symphony of violence.

One of the Allied commanders, a seasoned officer with a weathered face, narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the scene. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, tension rippling through his body as the situation became clearer. It was no ordinary raid. This was a full-scale siege, and the governor's forces were outnumbered and overwhelmed.

"Mercenaries," he muttered under his breath, recognizing the unmistakable signs of hired blades. "How could they have gotten this far without our knowledge?"

Another officer, standing beside him, spat on the ground. "It's a damn ambush. They've taken Ironwood from the inside out. This will not be an easy battle." His voice trembled with frustration and fear. They had expected a city ripe for recapture, but instead, they had stumbled upon a city torn apart by mercenary raids, already halfway lost.

City Lord Zheng, the senior leader of the Allied forces, spurred his horse forward, his face grim. His voice rang out, a mixture of disbelief and resolve. "We have no choice but to fight our way in. If we don't move quickly, Ironwood will slip from our grasp. Ready the troops!"

But as his soldiers began to organize and move into position, the sound of a distant war horn echoed from the gates of Ironwood, and more mercenaries spilled out from the shadows, cutting off their approach. The governor's forces, worn thin by the mercenary assault, seemed no more able to hold back the tide.

The mercenaries, organized and ruthless, had gained a foothold so deep within Ironwood that there was no longer a clear front. The Allied Army was caught in the midst of a battle between two already-tired factions, both of which could be just as dangerous to them.

"We can't afford to wait any longer," Zheng Patriarch Zheng Xi growled, his gaze fixed on the smoke rising from the city's heart. "We push forward! we take this city or we die trying."

The officers nodded, but the weight of the situation was not lost on any of them. Ironwood City, which had once stood as the defining stronghold of the Allied Families, was now in the midst of a violent conflict, its fate uncertain. The mercenaries, with their surprising strength and numbers, had turned it into a battleground, and the Allied Army was just another piece of the puzzle.

But there was no turning back. They had to take the city or the region would slip entirely from their grasp. Ironwood was now their last hope.