The reason this force had not been deployed before was because it was a mixed group comprising various factions. Although individually weaker, together they could hold the city.
But if they rebelled, things would be different. Internal turmoil often proved more deadly than external attacks. So they had not dared to use these troops before. But now, with the city about to fall, they had no choice but to send them, to buy a breath of respite.
In the South Land main camp:
“Report. The enemy has deployed the reserves formed from the various factions in the city.”
This news delighted everyone. Because the spies they had planted, along with the pieces the Harding family had inserted, could finally be utilized.
“General Myers, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. We should immediately launch an all-out assault,” an advisor suggested.
“Yes. Our people and the Harding family’s people need only rise up at once. Then Mountland will collapse from within. Taking it will be easy as flipping a hand,” another agreed.
“General Myers, we implore an all-out attack!” many officers petitioned.
“And Dylan Harding? Have we contacted Dylan Harding?” Walton Myers frowned.
“Yes. He’s in the city and has made all the arrangements for both our people and theirs. He also said the Harding family has an important mole highly ranked under Master Lewis who can play a major role,” the Iron Eagle Commander reported.
Contact with Dylan Harding had been established. As this was the critical juncture, all their planted agents had been handed over to him for unified command, to coordinate the joint South Land and Harding family forces for a simultaneous uprising at the designated time.
That time had come.
Howls and war cries sounded as the South Land army’s grand assault kicked off.
“Kill! General Myers said we can loot and pillage for three days if we take the walls. Brothers, kill!”
This sentence fired up every man. If they could reach the walls…
Women. Power. Riches. All would be theirs, especially the women. The ladies of Kisia were more alluring than South Land women, fuller and more supple. They had already freely indulged during the taking of South Province.
Now, these words inflamed the South Land soldiers’ desires.
Kill!
The men stormed upwards frenziedly.
“Want our Kisia women, you little bastards? Dream on! I’m twenty-three and haven’t touched a woman. You want ours? Go die!” one burly man roared.
“I’m twenty-four and also haven’t!”
“Twenty-six for me, born single!”
“I’m twenty with a one-year-old kid already,” another shouted. At that, someone nearly exploded until the last one bellowed furiously, “So I definitely won’t let you beasts up here! Never let you near my kid and wife! Never!”
It was a maddened melee. These were all men. They may have wives and children, or not yet, but they had loved ones. They would absolutely never let anyone up. Absolutely never!
Below the city, next to the main camp, 100, 000 cavalry representing all of South Land’s mounted forces had gathered under Benson Laydon’s command as the Destruction Cavalry.
Bian Shengrong sat stoically on his horse, gazing emotionlessly at the walls. In truth, he felt very conflicted. But now was not the time for extra expressions or feelings. He just had to remember that once the city fell, they were to slaughter their way into Mountland, then northward, slaughtering all the way until Kisia’s surrender.
That was their mission. Like living executioners. They had no choice but to do so.
“Brothers, prepare yourselves. It’s starting,” Benson Laydon called out as he tightened his reins.
They were going to charge in. But just then, as the South Land troops at the westernmost end were about to summit the walls, boulders came crashing down, crushing men left and right. Then came waves of flaming oil, eliciting shrieks of agony.
It was as if it had all been premeditated. Great forces had gathered there in secret. The west end suffered catastrophic losses.
Benson Laydon’s brows furrowed deeply. “How did they find out?”
The grand assault they had carefully orchestrated was crumbling. Benson glanced at the sky. Nearly four hours had passed and Mountland still stood. And there was a traitor amongst them. But he had no time to deal with that now.
His task was to stand guard here. If not today, then another day. Mountland could not hold out much longer.
In the South Land main camp, everyone wore grim expressions. They had feigned an attack on the east side, waiting for the western forces to scale the walls. But it turned out preparations had been made in advance.
Their losses were dire.
“There’s a traitor! Not one of ours, must be the Harding family’s,” an officer raged.
“I suspect Dylan Harding. Who else could wield such influence?”
“I’m going to make the Harding family pay for this!”
Many generals seethed with fury. The Harding family was definitely problematic.
“I will relay this matter to them. But for now, our task is to take the city. Men, press the attack! We’re running out of time,” Walton Myers commanded.
Just a minute ago, massive enemy forces had been spotted heading for the southern border. Kisia Primus intended to take the South Lands and invade. Their goals aligned. It was a race against time now.
“Yes, sir!” his officers departed to carry out the orders.
Wave after wave of ever more ferocious assaults battered the already frail walls. Even with Master Lewis’ reinforcements and the earlier ambushers, the endless enemy hordes could not be stopped.
Truly endless, it seemed. A man could only kill so many before his arms grew weary and strength left him. And this phenomenon became more pronounced the longer they fought on.
Lee Berger watched over the bloodshot-eyed soldiers still battling on the walls.
“Five hours!”
“Six hours!”
“Can’t hold on much longer!”