The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The mornings at Tiebiguan are awakened by the cold and also by the sound of bugles.

The mournful, low sound of the horn pierced through the lingering morning mist and biting wind, rolling in from the dark horizon beyond the pass, like the first roar of some ominous beast after awakening, shaking people's hearts and making the frost on the city walls seem to fall in a rustling sound.

On the city wall, the soldiers who had been guarding all night suddenly straightened their somewhat hunched bodies, gripped their cold spears or crossbows tightly, and stared intently in the direction from which the bugle call came.

Weariness, cold, and numbness were replaced at that moment by a more primal fear of death, which was then covered by a sense of determination born from the military orders that had been repeatedly emphasized over the past few days and the fortified town behind them that could barely be called "home".

Zhou Bo, fully armored and with his hand on his sword, stood before the main city tower, "Zhenbei Tower." His white beard was covered in frost, and his face appeared unusually stern in the dim morning light.

Behind him stood several important captains and colonels, all fully armored, but their eyes, besides being solemn, also revealed a hint of unconcealed unease.

Three days, just three days.

On the morning of the third day after Princess Jingguo arrived, the Northern Di scouts had already besieged the city.

"Report—!" A scout scrambled up the city wall, knelt on one knee, and his voice trembled. "Reporting to the Governor! Five miles outside the pass, in the direction of Black Wind Gorge, a large contingent of Northern Di cavalry has appeared! Their numbers... no less than three thousand! They are flying the Blue Wolf Banner; they are the vanguard of Luandi Maodun's 'Blood Wolf Cavalry'! They are heading towards the pass!"

"Blood Wolf Riders..." A captain gasped.

These were the elite troops directly under the Northern Di royal court, known for their fearlessness, cruelty, and bloodlust.

When Shuofeng City fell, this cavalry unit was credited with being the first to scale the walls.

Zhou Bo's jaw muscles tightened, and he shouted in a deep voice, "What's the panic! This is just the vanguard scouting! Order: Bows and crossbows cocked! Prepare logs and rolling stones! Douse with oil! Swordsmen and shieldmen, form ranks! Without my command, no one is allowed to fire an arrow or make a sound! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The order was quickly relayed.

The once somewhat agitated city walls gradually returned to deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing of the soldiers and the soft clanging of weapons against the walls.

The atmosphere was as heavy as a frozen surface of ice.

Just then, a series of unhurried footsteps came from the steps of the city tower. Everyone turned around and saw Princess Yun Jin of Jingguo, wearing a specially made, easy-to-move silver soft armor, covered by a black cloak, without a helmet, her long hair simply tied back, ascending the city tower accompanied by Qingdai and Yexiao.

Her face remained expressionless, her gaze calmly sweeping over the gradually clearing smoke and dust outside the city, and then looking at the soldiers on the city wall who were on high alert but could not hide their tension.

"Your Highness, why did you come up here? It's dangerous!" Zhou Bo hurriedly stepped forward, lowering his voice, "The Di vanguard has arrived, and arrows may fly without warning..."

"General Zhou need not worry. As the military inspector, I will naturally stand with the soldiers."

Yun Jin's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the surrounding generals. "Moreover, I also want to see what kind of Northern Di cavalry that brought death to the 30,000 defenders of Shuofeng City is like."

She walked to the top of the battlements, placed her hand on the cold bricks, and gazed into the distance.

As the morning mist gradually dissipated, a dark line of tide could be clearly seen rapidly spreading and approaching on the horizon.

The muffled thud of horses' hooves on the ground was like a deep thunderclap, growing clearer and heavier, striking the hearts of everyone present.

Soon, one could clearly see the knights' ferocious faces, the fluttering wolf banners, and the scimitars and spears that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Three thousand "Blood Wolf Riders" slowly came to a stop and formed ranks a short distance from the pass.

In the center of the column, beneath an exceptionally tall banner emblazoned with a grey wolf, a Di general of extraordinary burly stature, clad in a black wolf-skin cloak and with a face full of fierce features, rode out of the ranks, his scimitar pointing towards the city wall, and roared in his thick but booming Jiangqiong Mandarin:

"Listen up, you southerners on the city walls! I am Wuliangha, the vanguard commander of ten thousand under the Great Di Canglang King! Shuofeng City has fallen, and Yang Jiye's head is here! If you know what's good for you, surrender now! Offer up wealth and women, and perhaps your lives will be spared! If you dare to resist, after the city falls, not a single chicken or dog will be spared!"

As he spoke, a knight beside him suddenly raised a long pole, on which was prominently displayed a stiff, grimacing human head with bristling hair and beard and wide-open, angry eyes!

It was none other than Yang Jiye, the martyr-general of Shuofeng City, who died for his country!

"Yang Shuai!"

"You bastard! I'll curse your ancestors!"

An uncontrollable roar of anger and grief erupted from the city wall!

Many soldiers were filled with rage, especially the remnants who had escaped the bloody battle of Shuofeng City. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they almost disregarded orders and rushed down the city walls.

Zhou Bo was also trembling all over, gripping the sword hilt tightly, his nails digging into his palms.

"Quiet!" Yun Jin's voice suddenly rang out. It wasn't sharp, but it had a strange penetrating power that suppressed the angry clamor.

Her gaze was icy as she looked at the provocative Di general below the city and the glaring long pole with the human head on it. Her face was expressionless, as if she were looking at something insignificant, not a head.

"Commander Zhou," she turned her head, her voice calm and even, "are there any archers in the army? Or, who is the most accurate crossbowman?"

Zhou Bo was taken aback, not understanding what he meant, but subconsciously replied, "Yes! Han Lie, the captain of the Sharpshooter Battalion, can hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces!"

"Bring him up. Bring the best crossbow, the one with the longest range and the strongest power," Yun Jin instructed, then whispered a few words to Night Owl.

The owl nodded and quickly left.

Soon, a man in his thirties, with a dark complexion and eagle-like eyes, carrying a specially made crossbow almost as tall as himself, ascended the city wall under the guidance of Night Owl. He bowed to Zhou Bo and Yun Jin, saying, "This humble general, Han Lie, greets the Commander-in-Chief and Your Highness!"

"Commander Han," Yun Jin pointed to the arrogant Di general Wuliangha below the city wall, "this man is about 120 paces from the wall. Could you have hit him in the throat?"

Han Lie squinted and estimated for a moment, then said confidently, "Under normal circumstances, I would be 70% sure. But today the wind is strong, and he is wearing leather armor, which protects his vital points quite well. I... am only 50% sure I can kill him with one arrow."

"Fifty percent, that's enough." Yun Jin nodded, took a long, narrow wooden box from Night Owl, opened it, and inside were ten crossbow bolts with unique shapes, arrowheads that were triangular and pierced through armor, and shimmering with a dark blue metallic luster.

"Use this arrow, use your crossbow, and shoot him. Don't aim for a fatal shot; just hit any part of his upper body."

Han Lie took the arrow with a puzzled look. It felt heavy in his hand, neither iron nor copper. The arrowhead was icy cold, and there were faint dark patterns on the blade.

Although he didn't understand why, military orders were absolute, especially those personally given by the princess.

He skillfully pressed the peculiar arrow into the crossbow groove, adjusted his breathing, and slowly raised the crossbow behind the crenellations, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he locked onto the Uriyangkhai who were still cursing below the city.

Below the city walls, the Uriyangkhai, seeing no one respond from the city walls but only remain silent, grew even more smug, brandishing his sword and laughing loudly: "Southerners are indeed spineless cowards! Have they been scared silly by grandpa? Hahaha! Men, let's give these two-legged sheep a shout!"

Three thousand Blood Wolf Riders let out a strange howl in unison, their voices shaking the surrounding area, filled with contempt and a bloodlust.

It's now!

A glint flashed in Han Lie's eyes. He held his breath and pulled the trigger of the crossbow!

"Boom——!"

A resounding boom, far deeper and more powerful than the firing of an ordinary crossbow bolt!

The azure arrow transformed into an almost invisible phantom, tearing through the cold wind and heading straight for Wuliangha with a speed far exceeding that of ordinary crossbow bolts!

The Uriyangkhai were also seasoned warriors. The moment the crossbow strings rang, they were alert and instinctively turned to the side and swung their swords to block!

However, the arrow was too fast! He felt as if he had been hit hard by a battering ram on his left shoulder blade. An irresistible force came over him, and he was pulled backward, almost falling off his horse!

The leather armor on his shoulders was torn apart like paper, and the arrows were deeply embedded in his flesh!

"Ugh—!" Wuliangha let out a painful groan. Looking down, he saw that there wasn't much blood gushing out from the wound on his left shoulder, but an indescribable, icy, and bone-chilling pain instantly spread from the wound to his entire left arm and even half of his body!

The feeling was not like being shot by an arrow, but more like being bitten by a poisonous snake, or being frozen by ice!

"General!" The guards beside him were shocked and rushed forward.

"Retreat...retreat..." Wuliangha's face turned deathly pale instantly, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his left arm had completely lost all feeling. He felt his strength and body temperature rapidly draining away with the icy, excruciating pain.

He glanced at the city wall in fear, dared not linger any longer, and with his last breath roared, turned his horse and rode away.

The commander was suddenly hit by an arrow and looked to be seriously injured. The Blood Wolf Cavalry immediately stirred and their formation was slightly disrupted.

Under the shouts of several centurions, they barely managed to maintain their formation, crowding around the Wuliangha and retreating like a tide, even dropping the long pole carrying Yang Jiye's head.

A deathly silence fell upon the city walls, which was then filled with deafening cheers!