“That’s true.” Lu Xuan and Lieutenant Li spoke casually, seemingly not taking the Turks seriously. The atmosphere among the surrounding Tang soldiers also became more relaxed.
However, rest is a luxury in war. Before everyone could catch their breath, the Turkic attack horns sounded once again. But this attack was different.
"Sir, look." A soldier pointed into the distance for Lieutenant Li to see. Lu Xuan and the others looked and saw the Turks carrying a huge wooden stake, like a battering ram, surrounded by swordsmen and shieldmen, slowly advancing.
"Where did they get that thing?" At this point, even Captain Li was starting to get nervous.
The city gate hadn't received much attention before because, although dilapidated, it was still made of hardwood covered with iron. Without heavy machinery, manpower alone was practically useless against it. But now, the Turks had somehow managed to create a battering ram!
"No, it's not real. It's just a fake." Captain Li had a sharp eye and noticed the problem after a while.
That enormous 'battering ram' wasn't actually made from real giant logs. Instead, it was pieced together from numerous tree trunks bound together. It appears the Turks collected dead tree trunks from the surrounding Gobi Desert and hastily cobbled together a 'battering ram'.
"Don't be too happy yet. Don't forget, the city gate of Little Lonely City is nothing special. I reckon that thing is enough to break the gate open." Lu Xuan decisively poured a bowl of cold fruit down on him.
“If the city gates are breached, this battle is over. We need to reinforce them.” After a moment’s thought, Lieutenant Li immediately offered a solution. “Throw down all the remaining boulders and move them behind the city gates. Find whatever you can find—rubbish, bricks, anything—and pile it up at the gates. The more the better. Even if the gates are breached, we must still hold off the Turkic cavalry. That way, we still have a chance.”
The method was simple and direct, but it was indeed the most effective one at the moment. Lu Xuan immediately took four men and searched everywhere for all sorts of debris. From discarded tables and chairs to rolling stones and logs, even the corpses of soldiers and dying warhorses, they piled everything up behind the city gate with all their might. By the time the Turks started banging on the gate, they had already piled up a half-person-high pile of debris behind it.
"Drink...drink..." The orderly chants, coupled with the repeated banging on the door, turned the faces of the four soldiers following Lu Xuan somewhat ashen.
Lu Xuan reached out and pressed the hand of a young soldier to his left. To be precise, this soldier was practically a child, about a year or two older than Xiao Si. In later times, someone his age would still be in school or playing games. But in this era, he had already been stationed here for over a year. In other words, when he was the same age as Xiao Si, he had already come to this remote border region, thousands of miles from the center of the Tang Dynasty, to serve as a soldier.
Lu Xuan didn't say anything; he wasn't very good at comforting people in this situation. However, his actions seemed to give the boy some confidence. The boy's trembling hands noticeably lessened.
Just then, the old man and Xiao Si came running over from a distance, panting heavily.
"Master, put this on quickly." What the two men brought was a suit of armor. It was the kind of heavy armor worn by the Turkic wolf guards. However, it had a distinctly eclectic style. Some parts seemed incomplete, having been replaced with Tang dynasty armor components. This made the armor look rather mismatched. But it was still undeniably heavy armor.
Lu Xuan's original light armor was now tattered and worn. He had never really liked heavy armor, feeling it would restrict his movements. But the previous battles had made him understand why heavy armor was necessary on the battlefield. Because no matter what, you couldn't cover every angle. And now, that light armor was so badly damaged that it was completely unsuitable for the upcoming battle.
The old man and Xiao Si hurriedly helped Lu Xuan put on the heavy armor. Then they took their crossbows and retreated to the back. They had cooperated with Lu Xuan many times before and knew that their presence would only be a hindrance, so they stayed at a distance to provide support with crossbows.
With a loud crash, the city gate made a distinct cracking sound. However, because it was partially encased in sheet metal, it didn't completely break. But then came another loud bang, and in the same spot, a hole the size of a face appeared. The entire city gate shook violently. The gate's arms creaked under the weight.
A Turkic soldier shot an arrow through the broken doorway. A fierce glint flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes, and he casually picked up a short spear beside him and threw it. A sharp whistling sound followed in a flash. The spear flew out of the hole, accurately piercing the soldier's head, and seemingly also hitting another one.
The sound of impact rang out again.
Crack... The arm finally snapped. The wooden stakes supporting it also collapsed under the violent tremors. No one dared to go and lift the stakes, just as the Turks dared not shoot arrows from the cave entrance.
The large amount of debris behind the city gate still served its purpose. Although the railing was broken, the city gate was still blocked by the mess and could not be truly opened.
With a loud crash, the city gate was forced open a crack by the violent impact. A Turkic soldier squeezed through. But before he could even assess the situation, he was struck in the forehead by a crossbow bolt fired by the old man. The old man was specially trained; he could hit exactly where he wanted from a distance of over ten meters.
The crack in the door widened, and another soldier squeezed in. This time, however, he first raised his shield before trying to squeeze in. But as soon as the shield appeared, Lu Xuan sprang out. With a powerful cleaving motion, his broadsword cleaved through the air, splitting the shield and the soldier's arm in two.
Ah... the inhuman scream actually relieved the Tang soldiers considerably. After all, the enemy's pain was their advantage. Lu Xuan deliberately didn't kill the guy. Severing his arm meant completely crippling his fighting ability. If the Turks were law-abiding, they would send someone to take the wounded back. If they weren't, they would simply ignore him or even kill him outright. Either way, it was better than Lu Xuan killing him directly.
However, such petty tricks could only provide a temporary respite from the battle and could not achieve any fundamental effect. The city gate was eventually breached wide enough for the Turkic soldiers to pass through quickly.
"Ready..." Lu Xuan took a few steps back and shouted, and the Tang soldiers behind him also raised their swords and spears.
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Chapter Twenty: Cui Qi of Longyou
A violent whooshing sound came from beside him. It was a heavy spiked club smashing down on his head.
Lu Xuan tilted his head to one side, and the spiked club swung past his head. The iron spikes directly ripped off his helmet. Lu Xuan twisted his body, and with a swift upward slash of his longsword, he severed the Turkic soldier's right hand. The heavy spiked club, along with the armored arm, flew into the air.
However, the tall Turkic soldier, under these circumstances, revealed a fierce glint in his eyes. With his remaining left hand, he suddenly grabbed Lu Xuan by the neck, attempting to use his weight to push him down. At the same time, the scimitars of two other Turkic soldiers around him also slashed towards Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan twisted his body, using his heavy armor to take the two blows head-on. Amidst the sparks flying, his left hand also grabbed his opponent's left hand.
A fierce glint flashed across the Turkic wolf guard's face. He was confident in his strength. But the next second, that confidence turned into astonishment. Because Lu Xuan's left hand unleashed astonishing power. His five fingers came together, even leaving shallow marks on the armor on his arm. At the same time, he twisted outwards sharply, and his only remaining left arm snapped off.
Then, a headbutt slammed heavily onto the man's nose. Lu Xuan didn't even look at the result, turning to face two more Turkic soldiers charging at him. With a whoosh, a crossbow bolt flew past, accurately striking one soldier in the neck. It was Xiao Si, who had come to his aid from nearby. Lu Xuan casually slashed down another with his sword. Nodding to him, more Turkic soldiers rushed forward behind him.
The pile of debris did work; the Turkic cavalry couldn't break through. This allowed Lu Xuan to unleash his full power in that small area around the city gate.
While the thrill of unleashing power was exhilarating, this was ultimately not a game. Lu Xuan began to feel tired.
Earlier, he had intercepted the surprise attack from the rear. Lu Xuan had forcefully killed more than thirty people, sustaining nine knife wounds. Although the wounds weren't deep, the blood loss was real. After repeated bloody battles and heavy blood loss, even Lu Xuan, with his strong physique, finally felt exhausted. The spiked club had grazed his face, taking a piece of flesh. But he hadn't even felt it.
With a loud bang, another deafening crash echoed. The crack in the city gate widened further. The pile of debris was forcefully pushed aside, creating a passage. A knight clad in black armor rushed in. Lu Xuan's expression changed slightly. He reached for a spear on the ground and hurled it with all his might.
The knight in black armor was clearly a wolf guard. He wielded a heavy battle axe. At the last moment, he actually raised his hand to block it. The spear, carrying immense force, rammed into the axe. However, it still deviated from its course, and the knight turned his head in time. Ultimately, it ripped off the wolf guard's helmet, flying past his face. The enormous impact tore half of his face apart, revealing his white teeth.
The wolf guard roared in pain, charging forward despite his mangled face. Using the momentum of his horse, he swung his giant axe towards Lu Xuan's chest.
With a loud thud, Lu Xuan's body was sent flying by the immense impact. This was the first time he had been knocked down in a normal battle. The heavy battle axe, combined with the warhorse, had overwhelmed his strength for the first time. Before Lu Xuan could stand up, the wolf guards had already charged forward, urging their horses to trample on Lu Xuan's body.
Lu Xuan suddenly curled up, hugging himself tightly, and nestled between the horse's four hooves. Then, with a powerful push of his legs, the warhorse and rider lost their balance and lurched forward, crashing to the ground.
The wolf guard roared, wielding his battle axe, and stood up, aiming a blow at Lu Xuan. But just as he raised the axe, he saw a blur before his eyes, and Lu Xuan had already crashed into his arms. A headbutt slammed heavily into his face, and Lu Xuan's right hand, claw-like, pierced through his torn cheek and penetrated deep into his skull.
"Drink!" With Lu Xuan's roar, blood and yellowish-white substances splattered as the wolf guard's corpse slowly fell to the ground.
With a thud, a Turkic soldier who was about to charge forward at a distance was so terrified by what Lu Xuan had just witnessed that he shuddered. His feet tripped over the tangled corpses, and he fell headfirst at Lu Xuan's feet. Without even glancing at him, Lu Xuan stomped out with his right foot, crushing the soldier's head.
The battle did not cease due to Lu Xuan's bloody slaughter; on the contrary, it became even more intense and brutal. Even with Lu Xuan's unparalleled fighting prowess, the gaps in the city gates widened, and more Turkic soldiers rushed in. He alone could no longer protect them all. The overwhelming number of Turkic soldiers forced his troops back, and their numbers continued to grow.
Those heavily armored cavalry posed a significant threat to Lu Xuan. Using various heavy weapons and the momentum of their cavalry charges, they relentlessly forced Lu Xuan back, pushing his defensive line further and further. It wasn't until the Turks formed a shield wall behind the city gates that Lu Xuan finally lost his advantage.
Despite his continued prowess, he cut down the first few heavily armored cavalrymen who charged in. However, nearly twenty Turkic soldiers formed a shield formation and pressed forward.
If he were at his peak physical condition, he was confident he could break through the formation with his immense strength. But this time, he was actually bounced back by the shield formation and even nearly struck by the scimitar. He was, after all, only human, and his physical abilities had limits.