Chapter Eighteen: The Defense of Xiajin

  Brothers, before reading this chapter, be sure to go back and review Chapter 17 again. I made some changes and added over a thousand words. Also, please give me more support, votes, and bookmarks!

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  Xu Wei heard this and shook his head in disagreement: "How far is Xiajin County from Daming Prefecture?"

  Zhang Qing's face changed, no matter if Xu Sige had sent a message to the Daming government in advance, but the government army had not been seen so far. Even if they would arrive, with the character of those soldiers, it would be at least until dawn tomorrow. Could Xiajin County hold on for this night? Moreover, these bandits did not aim to occupy the city, but only sought to plunder and loot. If Xiajin City were broken tonight, what meaning would there be in waiting for the government army to arrive tomorrow?

  Slowly, Xu Wei asked like this, could it be that he wanted...

  Thinking of that possibility, Zhang Qing couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine: "Brother, have you gone mad? We can't even gather a hundred men, and yet we're going to resist hundreds of bandits. That's already a huge risk! And it's not just a few hundred people in Xiajin County, it's two or three thousand! Even if we fill up our ranks, the outcome is still predetermined!" There was another layer of meaning that he didn't express. This group of bandits was cruel and ruthless by nature, and even the government army wasn't their match. Although they had won tonight in Xujiayuan, to be honest, it was because the enemy had underestimated them, and secondly, they had taken advantage of the familiar terrain of the village to fight a battle of encirclement and capture. But if they were to go to the county seat, that would be a completely open and flat area, with no place to rely on.

  "What if our men and horses were not just a few dozen?" Xu Wei muttered to himself.

  Not just dozens of people? What does that mean? There are over 90 of us, and more than 20 were injured. That leaves only 70 of us. Seventy against two or three thousand, even if we each had six arms and the protection of the gods, what could we possibly do?

  The two of them were conferring with each other when a voice suddenly rang out beside them: "You two brothers, go for it! Kill your way to Xiajin!"

  Two men looked around, only to see a youth throwing corpses, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a tiger-like head and a naive expression, carrying a wooden knife on his back. He had just finished speaking when another youth of similar age and appearance chimed in: "That's right! If we can lift the siege of Xiajin again, our merit will be great! At that time..."

  "Shut up!" Zhang Qing interrupted in one breath. These little things, all stirred up by Xu Wei to be hot-blooded and eager for action, now if you told them to poke the sky, these little fools would probably also carry ladders and shout as they rush upwards!

  Those two young men were no longer speaking, but the expressions on their faces were clearly unwilling. Xu Wei found that they were the two who had crossed the river with Zhang Qing to gather information.

  A low rumble of thunder came from the sky, and when I looked up, the moon was no longer visible in the sky. It seems like it's going to rain.

  "What did you mean just now when you said if our men were not limited to a few dozen?" Zhang Qing asked.

  "How many people are there in our Xu family village? At least over a thousand, right?" Xu Wei's sudden question left everyone perplexed.

  Zhang Qing furrowed his brow: "So, what's the use of that? The old are old, the young are young... unless it's a woman's way..." He didn't continue speaking because he sensed the meaning behind Xu Wei's words.

  Xiatian County Town

  If it were in the past, at this time of day, the only people who would be out on the streets of the county town would be the night watchmen and the drunkards who had collapsed on the ground. But today, almost all the citizens of Xiajin County have been mobilized. Thousands of bandits appeared suddenly outside the city walls, launching a fierce attack. Fortunately, Xu Si from Xujiazhuang was appointed by his superiors to garrison Xiajin and led about 700-800 militiamen recruited from various villages to resist the enemy.

  At this time, the defense of Xiajin City was already precarious. Although the city gate had been reinforced, it left the enemy with nothing to do for a while. However, the city wall was originally low and had been neglected for many years, and the bandits swarmed in, setting up wooden ladders to climb up one after another. Those temporarily recruited rural soldiers lost their courage before the battle even started, and when they saw that the enemy was numerous and powerful, they became fearful. The city wall fell several times, but if Xu Sheng hadn't led the 200 rural soldiers from Xujiayuan Village to provide support everywhere, the county seat would have fallen long ago.

  He repelled the attack once again, and Xu Sheng, dressed in armor, sat on the stairs of the city wall with his sword in hand, taking a short rest. Around him were gathered the elders and brothers of Xu's village. Looking at them, Xu Sheng couldn't help but feel a burning sensation in his heart. He had not expected that the bandits from Qian Niu Mountain would attack Xiajin after plundering Wu Cheng County without even reorganizing their troops! And he had already sent a horse to ask for reinforcements from Da Ming Fu yesterday after learning about the situation, but until now, not a single soldier or officer has arrived.

  What made him even more furious was that Liang Heng didn't even discuss with the county magistrate, and took away 200 of the over 300 militia organized by Xujiayuan! This means that there are only over a hundred soldiers left in Xujiayuan who can fight! At this time, the bandits have already arrived at Xiajin, and Xujiayuan is likely to be doomed.

  Thinking of his elderly father, his hardworking stepmother, and his mischievous younger brother, Xu Sheng's heart ached like a knife twisting inside! He hoped that good people would naturally have good fortune, and they could escape early. Considering his father's temperament and Ninth Brother's personality...

  "Listen up, people of the city! Open the gate early and spare your life! Otherwise, Xujiacun will be an example for you!" Just as everyone was worried, the bandits outside the city shouted loudly.

  This sentence was like a thunderclap on a clear day! The more than 100 remaining militia in Xujiazhuang village, upon hearing this, were thrown into chaos! Everyone was grief-stricken and indignant, each person wailing in sorrow! Many people burst out crying loudly! Some even knelt down on the ground facing the direction of Xujiazhuang village, shouting "Grandfather! Grandmother!"

  Xu Sheng's teeth were almost crushed, tightly grasping the hilt of his sword, slowly getting up. His own father, his wife since childhood, his biological brothers, this deep-seated hatred and resentment, if not avenged, what difference is there between Xu Sheng and a beast!

  "Fourth brother! Let's break out of the city and fight to the death with these beasts! For Xu Jia Zhuang's parents, let's avenge them!" A man shouted hysterically, tears streaming down his face. His words immediately ignited over a hundred militia, who clamored to take up arms and go out to fight to the death, determined to burn everything to ashes!

  In a pair of tiger eyes, filled with male tears. Xu Sheng looked towards the direction of Xu's village, and secretly said, "Father, mother, Ninth Brother, I, Xu Sheng, have devoted myself to the army, always priding myself on loyalty to the country. But now, my family has been brutally slaughtered, and I am powerless! You all go first, I will follow soon!"

  "Uncles, brothers, nephews! Xu family village has suffered this unprovoked disaster. As a son, as a husband, as an older brother, if I don't go out of the city to fight to the death and avenge, what face do I have to stand in this world?! But you all don't need to, the reinforcements from the governor's mansion will arrive at any moment, no need for this meaningless sacrifice! Now, those who are willing to go out with me, follow!" Xu Sheng said, striding towards his warhorse.

  The soldiers of Xujiazhuang village, united in their hatred for the enemy, who would dare to fall behind? Everyone had a firm determination to die in their hearts, and they closely followed Xu Sheng.

  At the same time, the bandits outside the city were not doing well either. Since they had taken Wu Cheng County, these bandit troops were overconfident, thinking that Xiajin County would definitely surrender without a fight, but unexpectedly they kicked an iron plate and encountered such strong resistance. After fighting for so long, hundreds of people were injured or killed, and yet Xiajin County still held on.

  That thieving bandit leader, the Great Camp Master of Thousand Ox Mountain, is getting anxious to the point of bursting with rage. The Second Camp Master still hasn't arrived, and Xiajin County has been under siege for a long time without being taken, it's really infuriating! Another attack was repelled, alas, if only the Second Camp Master were here, he would definitely come up with a strategy to break into the city. This poor fool, what's so great about a broken-down village? He must have gone to take a look, perhaps he's found some women again? This old lecher!

  While concentrating his meager intelligence on thinking of a strategy to break into the city, several bandits came rushing over, shouting and yelling. He felt a surge of anger in his chest, raised his long spear and thrust it straight at them: "Damn your mother's ghost!"

  Fortunately, these people all knew that the master of Dazhai was a ruthless man who would stop at nothing, and they had been on their guard against him. They dodged to one side and hastily cried out: "Your Majesty, you must go take a look at the river, something's happened!"

  Less than a hundred paces away from the county town, by the riverbank, dozens of bandits were in disarray. The leader of the bandits led his men over, kicked aside the obstructing underlings, and walked forward to take a look.

  This look, straight look made his heart jump, eyes also jump, what the...? Is this...?

  On the riverbank, a dozen or so corpses were scattered about in disarray. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that they were all from their own mountain stronghold! What was going on?

  "Ah!" A shout of surprise came, and the thieves who were salvaging corpses by the river were shocked and retreated in a hurry! The leader of the bandits rushed forward to take a look, and his heart was also racing with fear! It was a corpse that had been burned beyond recognition! It was simply a piece of charcoal!

  What's even more chilling is yet to come. On the river surface, corpses are floating in one after another, truly a shocking sight!

  "No good! It's the Second Village Master!" A bandit soldier pointed at a corpse floating in front of him and cried out in a shrill voice.

  What's going on? Didn't Xujiashan Village evacuate early? The second chief has always been cunning and cautious, and with 300 men and horses, how could they have drowned in the river? If he's gone, what about the other brothers... His heart was racing, and now that Xiajin County hasn't fallen yet, the second chief has lost his entire army. Could it be a trap?

  Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly heard a loud shout behind him! Turning back, he saw a group of cavalrymen rushing out of the county town, charging and killing in all directions, as if they were in a deserted land! Especially the one who charged to the front, riding on a tall horse, holding a crescent-shaped knife, was invincible. Wherever the knife fell, blood and flesh flew, and those who blocked it were defeated!

  "Damn it! Let's go and kill them!" The Big Chieftain suddenly became furious, forgetting his previous worries, snatched the long spear, mounted his war horse, led a group of bandits, and charged forward.

  In the chaos of the battle, Xu Sheng's sword rose and fell, cutting down several people! A pair of eyes, red with killing intent, suddenly darted out from a slanting stab, a long spear aimed straight at his waist!

  At this time, he had already lost his mind, all his loved ones were killed, and hatred filled his chest. Seeing the long spear stabbing him, he didn't dodge or parry, and swept the Moon Concealing Great Knife horizontally!

  That spear stabbed him in the waist, and the opponent succeeded in one move. Before he could withdraw his weapon, Xu Sheng's big knife came whizzing! Under great shock, the bandit leader dropped his weapon and quickly pressed his head against the saddle!

  Too late, Xusheng's knife came with the vengeance of killing his father, wife and brother. It was swift and ruthless, and as the blade passed by, the bandit leader's half head flew into the air!

  According to this mob, after seeing their leader being killed, they should have scattered like a flock of birds. But first, these bandits are strong and numerous, with many horses and men, now that the city gate is wide open, shouldn't they be charging in, looting, burning, killing, and avenging their master? Where's the logic in retreating? Second, even if the leader was killed, can't we, several thousand people, defeat this hundred or so people? Once we take over Xiajin County, it will be a great achievement. When we return to Qianniushan, San Dangjia will become the king, and each of us will be promoted one level, won't that be wonderful? Even if we don't return to Qianniushan, with the prestige of taking Xiajin County, how can we not establish our own mountain stronghold?

  With this in mind, the bandits, especially the big and small leaders, were so desperate that they fought to the death! Even the imperial court officials and soldiers who saw this "fearless" momentum would be ashamed.

  More than a hundred village soldiers from Xujiazhuang, although each of them had martial arts skills, were untrained and harbored hatred in their hearts, fighting on their own. They were gradually compressed to the city gate by the gangsters, and Xu Sheng was also blinded by hatred, forgetting to command! Alone and surrounded, the situation was critical!

  At this critical moment, a man on the city wall shouted loudly: "Close the city gate! Close the city gate quickly!" It was County Lieutenant Liang Heng. If he closes the city gate, Xu Sheng and his men will be blocked from retreating and will surely die.

  On the city wall, Liang Heng gazed at Xu Sheng who was fighting alone below, and a hint of a sneer appeared on his lips. You dare to offend me? This time, I'll make sure that every single one of you Xu family members dies!

  Just as they were about to succeed, a comrade-in-arms nearby shouted excitedly: "Look! Reinforcements have arrived!" Liang Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up to see a fire dragon rapidly approaching from the direction of Xujiashan Village.