Chapter 6: The Enemy at the Gates
The next morning.
As Qin Jue stepped out of the tent, many people, including Zhang Qi, were diligently training.
After all, they were bound for the battlefield. The more strength they gained now, the better their chances of survival later.
Qin Jue found an empty spot.
He wanted to see what changes would occur after reaching a minor breakthrough in the Iron Bone Skill.
Assuming the posture, he closed his eyes and focused.
Soon, he sensed the breath in his dantian—intense and surging!
As the breath flowed out from the dantian, it spread throughout his body...
He clearly felt a mighty force slowly gathering beneath his skin.
Like the tide of spring swelling, about to burst forth!
At that moment, a man nearby glanced over casually...
Suddenly, he noticed Qin Jue’s skin was slightly flushed, evidently due to the fullness of qi and blood!
This was typically only seen in warriors who had reached the level of Skin Refinement Gate.
The man was stunned, his eyes wide with shock.
He had become a warrior overnight?
Such rapid progress was unbelievable!
Feeling the change in his own strength, Qin Jue looked at Zhang Qi.
This time, there should be no gap between them, right?
He stepped forward toward him, eager to test.
Suddenly—boom boom boom—
A series of urgent war drums sounded, deafening in their roar!
Everyone present looked bewildered.
Soon, Liu Da hurried over, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Assemble! To the city gates!”
The crowd was shaken!
Before they could react, Liu Da pressed them to gather quickly and march toward the southern city gate.
At the same time...
The entire East River City—five main camps and over a thousand soldiers—all mobilized!
Along the way, many recruits looked pale and anxious.
They already knew: war was coming!
Most of these recruits had never seen battle and many were not even warriors...
Yet now they were heading to the frontline to fight!
It was akin to marching to their deaths!
Among the crowd, Qin Jue’s heartbeat quickened, his palms warm.
Though there was some nervousness about going to war, his blood burned with excitement!
After all, in battle, he would no longer lack the upper hand.
Compared to others, he held greater anticipation, even impatience!
Fifteen minutes later, Qin Jue and the others arrived beneath the towering city walls.
Looking up, they saw a dense sea of people.
East River Stronghold had five main forces: Vanguard, Swift March, Garrison, Artisan, and Sharpshooters.
Among them, the Sharpshooters camp was still in its infancy, barely formed, yet already considered a main force.
At this moment, the Vanguard and Swift March camps were already lined up.
The former held spears, the latter rode horses.
Their ranks formed neat lines with even spacing.
The soldiers stood tall and proud, faces solemn, radiating fierce killing intent!
Meanwhile, the Artisan and Garrison camps were busy distributing equipment and maintaining order.
These veterans moved with precision and discipline, showing no signs of panic despite the looming battle.
Qin Jue was quite surprised to see this.
These mountain bandits of East River Stronghold were far from typical brigands—they were even more disciplined than regular armies!
Before long, the burly man who had summoned Qin Jue arrived hurriedly.
He was broad-shouldered and sturdy, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a full beard.
His name was Wu Mi, a captain commanding a hundred men.
He was also Liu Da’s direct superior.
Though East River Stronghold was a bandit group, their military organization followed the formal army structure.
Captain, captain, lieutenant general, commander, general...
All ranks were present!
Wu Mi’s gaze was sharp as he slowly scanned the crowd, his voice booming like a bell.
“Brothers, grab your weapons. We’re heading up to the walls soon.”
“Anyone dares to dawdle will be dealt with by the baton!”
Though shaken, the crowd steeled themselves and stepped forward to collect their gear.
Shortly after, Qin Jue received his equipment.
A bow, twenty arrows, and a leather armor.
East River Stronghold was generous with their gear!
Equipped, Qin Jue and the others followed Liu Da to the city walls.
The walls of East River City were immense. Upon arrival, the Vanguard soldiers were already stationed at the front line.
The new recruits were arranged in the second row.
Seeing this, Qin Jue’s eyes flickered.
He had expected to be cannon fodder in the front line.
But it seemed East River Stronghold cared about its reputation and talent cultivation.
They intended to use this opportunity to train the new soldiers.
Realizing they wouldn’t be in the first line of battle, many relaxed somewhat.
At this moment, someone quietly asked Liu Da, “Captain, is the imperial court attacking us?”
After all, these bandits were familiar with being targeted by the court’s troops.
“Hmph, the imperial court?” Liu Da scoffed. “Is there even an imperial court in the northern border anymore?”
Then his face darkened fiercely. “It’s those bastards from Black Mountain Stronghold. Today, I’ll make sure none of them return alive!”
...
On the city tower, two men were gazing far into the distance.
One was tall and robust, with a long beard and stern eyes.
His name was Gao Yue, the leader of East River Stronghold and commander of the current East River Army.
He always led his troops into battle personally.
Although today they were defending, he was determined to fight fiercely when the enemy arrived.
Beside him stood a slender man with sharp features, wearing a pale moon-white robe that fluttered in the wind.
His hair was neatly tied back, and his eyes were narrow and profound.
This was Cui Ziyuan, the second-in-command of East River Stronghold.
He came from a noble family, just like the Qin family.
Well-read in military strategy since youth, he possessed deep knowledge of troop movements and warfare.
The discipline of the East River Army owed much to this strategist’s efforts.
“I didn’t expect Black Mountain Stronghold to have allied with several other camps!” Gao Yue said gravely, staring at the dense shadows across the distant plains.
The northern border of the Great Zhou was chaotic and lawless, with martial arts monopolized by noble clans.
To learn martial arts, one had to pay both tuition and taxes at the academies—not affordable for most.
Besides the academies, there were only the military and bandit camps.
Compared to the dangerous military route, the latter was more appealing.
Thus, many common folk took to the mountains, banding together for survival.
Just in the mountains west of East River City, there were over a dozen camps of various sizes...
Normally, they never provoked East River City.
Because this was the ancestral land of the Qin family!
Until East River Stronghold captured East River City...
Naturally, Black Mountain Stronghold, which had always looked down on East River Stronghold, was dissatisfied.
Not to mention that if East River Stronghold grew too strong, how could they survive?
And simply taking East River City meant currying favor with the Qin family—a benefit no one wanted to miss!
So this time, they gathered many forces to attack the city, intending to annihilate East River Stronghold and loot the wealthy families.
Of course, they dared not touch the Qin family or the academies.
“According to scouts at the front, Black Mountain Stronghold has nearly two thousand warriors this time,” Cui Ziyuan said with a deep gaze.
He added, “But rest assured, General, the Swift March camp has already sneaked out to ambush. When the time is right, they will strike hard and cripple the enemy.”
“Good!” Gao Yue nodded. “If we win this battle, even the prisoners we capture will strengthen East River Stronghold.”
He reminded, “Keep an eye on the new recruits. If there are any promising ones, don’t let them slip away.”
“Understood!” Cui Ziyuan saluted and then stepped back.
Boom boom—
Suddenly, the earth trembled as the shadowy mass in the distance gradually took shape.
Over two thousand warriors surged toward East River City with overwhelming momentum!
On the walls, the new recruits trembled slightly, swallowing nervously.
With so many warriors, could they really hold the defense?
Among the crowd, Qin Jue stared at the flood of troops with burning eyes.
Victory points are coming!