My lord, spare his life!

"A sudden change? How could that be—"

Upon hearing these words, the unfamiliar military general's face turned ashen.

In that instant, he felt like a duck stripped naked and roasted over a fire, completely bare. The city gate, ajar, had transformed into the gaping maw of a ferocious beast; if he took another step forward, certain death awaited him!

He dared not turn to look at Guan Si, dared not guess what the other's expression was, and dared not draw his sword to launch a sneak attack—because this upheaval made him unwilling to gamble on whether the person behind the city gate was friend or foe. If the person behind the city gate was an enemy, then Guan Si would become his way out.

Guan Si seemed unaware of his unusual behavior.

"Why does the general stop here?"

"This...this humble servant..."

The unfamiliar general stammered, beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. His warhorse, seemingly able to hear the frantic pounding of its master's heart, hesitated and paused. That brief moment felt as long as half a lifetime.

Guan Si exclaimed, "It's really lively here in the city."

The unfamiliar military general: "..."

He had a premonition that murderous intent was already baring its fangs at his neck.

"...It seems the plan has been leaked. I will go and investigate." The unfamiliar general's mouth was dry, and his survival instinct made him react quickly. Without waiting for Guan Si's reply, he spurred his horse and galloped towards the city gate.

Before the warhorse had run a few steps, it suddenly felt light on its back.

That familiar figure had already fallen to the ground.

Another unfamiliar dark figure darted past from the side.

The biting wind it generated was right up to their eyebrows.

puff--

Guan Si raised his hand, pulling the spear from the back of the fallen general. His vast and powerful stellar energy surged through his arm, flowing entirely into the spear. With a slight flick of his wrist, he casually tossed it, and the spear shot through the air like a meteor, hurtling towards its target!

Du—

The spear thrust steadily diagonally into the gate, blocking it from closing.

The right vice commander tacitly threw a weapon to Guan Si.

"General, catch!"

In the blink of an eye, another sharp shot was fired.

The nail pierced through the thick slab of the suspension bridge and easily disappeared into the ground.

The suspension bridge, which was about to be retracted, was forced to stop.

The gun barrel continued to tremble, and Guan Si's warhorse had already stepped onto the thick plank of the drawbridge, with the elite Hundred Ghost Guards following closely behind.

Guan Si said calmly, "Kill."

The military officers on the city gate were dumbfounded.

He didn't know why things were developing this way outside the city, nor did he know what was going on with the group of commoners inside the city who ignored the ambush and tried to break through the pass. Weren't they quiet during the day? The ambush men's attempts to intimidate these commoners with force had little effect. Not only did they fail to scare them back, but they also caused a bigger commotion. This commotion alerted the bandits outside the city who were about to enter the ambush.

The commotion grew increasingly louder. After soldiers drew their swords and killed someone, the common people completely lost control. They were like uncontrollable, frightened birds, pushing and shoving their way towards the city gate even with gleaming blades pointed at them. Worse still, a large group of people poured out from the inner city, recklessly trying to escape. The defending general broke out in a cold sweat, utterly disregarding everything else.

"Raise the suspension bridge!"

"No, the suspension bridge is stuck—"

The Hundred Ghosts Guards gave them no time to react. Left Deputy watched Guan Si cross the drawbridge, then coldly drew his sword and severed the ropes. The iron chains plunged into the moat, splashing water high into the air.

"Close the city gates!"

The city gate was also blocked by a spear and could not be closed.

The gun was positioned in a tricky spot, almost touching the top of the door.

Someone reacted with lightning speed, using the wall as leverage to leap up and try to cut the gun barrel in two. However, no matter how fast they were, they couldn't catch up with Guan Si who was charging towards them. When they landed, their bodies were already split in two.

The garrison commander, his face ashen, gave the order.

"Ignore the common people, kill them."

The orders received by the Hundred Ghosts Guard were different.

Do not wear armor or carry weapons, do not kill, but kill the rest.

The commotion near the city gate grew louder and louder.

Zhang Yang easily crossed the city gate aboard Zhang Da Gu's back and put the small binoculars back into his gaming backpack. Zhe Meng, who was also beside him, rested his hand on his brow and looked down. He gasped when he saw the "lines" of people clearly visible on the city gate side.

"These common people can't be intimidated?"

Such riots were not uncommon, but they always occurred under extremely dire circumstances. The situation today was far from warranting the common people's willingness to risk their lives and defy threats. Zhe Meng was utterly perplexed, and those who knew the answer offered vague explanations. She didn't understand what it meant for "rumors to be a skill."

Players have a game skill called "Rumors are more ferocious than tigers".

The skill's effect is self-evident from its name.

Unable to learn the skill herself, Zhang Yang had to find another way. Through careful observation, she discovered that NPC portraits affected by player-applied skills would all display the "Intimidate" debuff.

[Intimidation]: The target is in a state of panic and fear.

The higher the stacks of this negative status effect, the higher the probability of making NPCs believe the rumors spread by players. With a bit of luck, it usually only takes 5-10 stacks to successfully spread the rumor. Zhang Yang couldn't learn such a useful skill, but she had her own advantages. Players could only stack a maximum of 10 layers of the [Intimidation] status effect on NPCs, but Zhang Yang discovered that her limit was 100 layers. No matter how bad Zhang Yang's eloquence was, as long as she stacked [Intimidation] to 100 layers, spreading rumors would be 100% successful. The only drawback was that it was time-consuming, unlike players who could spread rumors every few seconds.

The panicked common people

【Intimidation (100)】: The target is emotionally out of control and needs to be comforted and not stimulated. This state can be reduced by rest.

Zhang Yang took out a golden cane from his game backpack.

"Fly a little further in, closer to those people in the inner city."

As the flight altitude decreased, the ground crew quickly spotted the star beast eagle that had appeared out of nowhere, and dozens of arrows rained down on Zhang Dagu without mercy. Zhang Dagu could only adjust its flight posture to dodge the arrows. The nearest arrow almost grazed its feathers. Zhang Dagu tried to land several times but failed, and angrily flapped its wings, making a gurgling sound.

"Fine, just put me down here."

Zhe Meng looked down at the archers who had gathered below.

He hurriedly said, "My lord, no! It's dangerous!"

Now we should go to the barbican to meet up with Guan Si and the others.

Zhang Yang landed here, surrounded by either rioting civilians or well-prepared ambushes. The nearest of his own men was over a hundred paces away. If Guan Si were to be bogged down in the barbican and unable to escape, and the main city gate couldn't be opened, wouldn't Zhang Yang be trapped in the inner city?

That's a trap to kill.

Zhang Yang said calmly, "It's alright, I know what I'm doing."

She made this choice after careful consideration, mainly to clean up the mess she had unintentionally created.

She was the one who spread the rumors, and she was also the one who directly caused the common people to believe the rumors and rush through the pass to escape for their lives. Therefore, she was also indirectly responsible for the lives of those who fell victim to the ambush and slaughter while rushing through the pass. As the soon-to-be ruler of Zongren County, she had a duty to stop these evil deeds.

Of course, there is another reason.

The red names on the Wengcheng side aren't as concentrated as here.

Ignoring Zhe Meng's obstruction, Zhang Yang grabbed the golden cane and leaped off Zhang Da Gu's back, passing through the dense rain of arrows. With a twist of her golden cane, she transformed it into a golden bow, drew the bowstring to its fullest extent, and shot a golden "dotted line" towards the dividing line of the crowd on the ground.

Puff puff puff puff—

The golden arrows are arranged evenly.

The gaps between each long arrow were just enough to catch an adult's shoulders, preventing them from passing through. As she landed, a sudden gust of wind arose, golden light tearing through the sand and dust, heading straight for the heavily armed ambush troops. Her golden bow suddenly stretched and lengthened, transforming into a heavy, powerful spear. She wielded the spear with one hand, sweeping it in all directions, golden light surging forth.

In front of her were countless red-named ambush soldiers.

Behind her were countless ordinary citizens with red names.

However, that's not important.

The next second, someone else fell from the sky.

Zhe Meng aimed precisely at the landing point, but it still missed slightly.

She seized the hidden weapons, then grabbed one of the attackers by the face with one hand, using the momentum to leap into the air. She controlled her height perfectly—too high and she'd be vulnerable to a barrage of archers; slightly lower, and she could use the surrounding enemies as a human shield, deflecting several volleys of blades. Even so, the hidden soldiers' long blades still came at her, a forest of thrusts. Zhe Meng trampled them all underfoot, using the momentum to twist and turn.

She shouted, "Me too!"

For Zhang Yang's safety, they did not reveal the other party's identity.

If someone were to suddenly shout "My Lord!", the enemy soldiers on the other side of the barbican would probably be called over to kill Zhang Yang right there.

Zhang Yang caught a glimpse of Zhe Meng out of the corner of his eye.

Sixteen years of fighting in the arena had ingrained her habits into her very bones, so that she could instantly take a step back, giving up an extra body length so that Zhe Meng could be back to back with her, shoulder to shoulder, each guarding half of the area, leaving no blind spot for the ambush.

Zhang Yang was used to this tactic.

The arena isn't cooperating, so I can't climb the ranks.

It's not that Zhang Yang can't take on multiple opponents, but rather that her actions exceeding normal stats are likely to be reported by other players. Once reported, her NPC identity would be exposed. She deals damage exactly what her stats show. To improve your arena rank, teammates need to cooperate. In the game's arena, teammates with green names are absolutely trustworthy!

This habit has remained to this day; I do it subconsciously.

Little did she know the profound impact her act of entrusting her back had on Zhe Meng. Zhe Meng was now a newly surrendered military officer, wounded and without any visible merit; she was someone who could betray Zhang Yang at any moment! Even though Lü Yuan held Zhe Meng's family in her hands, it couldn't guarantee her complete loyalty—

Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of people who kill their companions to gain a generalship.

As long as you are alive, anything is possible.

Zhe Meng had assumed Zhang Yang wouldn't trust her, and that she needed to do more to earn his trust. This thought shattered the moment their armor clashed, producing a metallic clang. She clearly realized that Zhang Yang trusted her completely at that moment.

Trust a newly surrendered general who has only been in office for a few days.

Zhe Meng: "..."

Damn it, how could this be the adoptive mother of Lü Bafeng?

Zhang Yang's voice reached her ears.

"Be careful with rabies, don't push yourself too hard."

Zhe Meng was low on health at the moment, but she still insisted on coming down to fight. Zhang Yang couldn't just send her back, so he could only tell her to be careful.

Thinking about this, Zhang Yang also felt a little depressed.

This isn't an arena, and there won't be any red-named players who can be reported to the game officials at any time. This means that even if Zhang Yang kills a lot, she won't be considered a bug and removed. She can completely carry Zhe Meng. But unfortunately, Zhe Meng doesn't trust her.

Still daydreaming!

A sharp whistle came from the sky above the inner city.

A tiny shadow stretched rapidly in the sky!

Zhang Dagu flapped its wings, its body rapidly elongating, and the area of ​​its massive shadow expanding exponentially. The shriek emanating from its mouth seemed to pierce the very soul. Zhang Yang, with sharp eyes, noticed a new negative status effect appearing beneath the red-named ambush soldier's icon, one that hadn't been there before.

[Zhang Dagu's shriek]: The sound is chilling.

This debuff can also stack.

At lower levels, the debuff can calm people down, and its effect can even offset the morale of red-named soldiers. When soldiers' morale drops to a certain level, they will become cowardly, abandon their armor, and desert.

Although it failed to deter the ambush troops, it did restore some rationality to the common people rushing through the pass—especially now that Zhang Yang and Zhe Meng were drawing blood with every move, and the smell of blood in the air was getting stronger. The common people's fear of war gradually overwhelmed other emotions.

"How's the news?"

After letting Zhe Meng go, the elder brother-in-law returned home.

He ordered everyone in the household to keep the doors tightly shut and guard them to the death.

He anxiously awaited the dawn, the time when the city gates would open and the ambush would be set up. He arranged for men to observe the situation and report back as soon as anything happened. At his instruction, his family members also prepared their belongings in advance, ready to evacuate the county seat under the escort of his personal guards should anything turn out amiss.

This tense atmosphere was contagious to everyone in the family; even the infant seemed to sense the danger and didn't cry.

After a long while, he opened his eyes.

"Something's up—"

He heard a slight noise coming from the direction of the city gate.

It's unclear whether this commotion is good or bad for me.

"Parents, parents, there's a fire near the city gate!"

"Fighting has broken out towards the city gate!"

The outcome of the battle remains to be seen.

Not long after, news came that the barbican had been forcibly opened by the bandits, and most of the main city gate had been breached. Nearly half of the ambush troops were tied down, and the archers stationed on the barbican gate were being harassed by the feathers flying from the star beasts. The enemy cavalry were practically unopposed.

Because the distance was too short, the ambush troops that were arranged could not be deployed effectively.

The situation is now one of being caught in a dilemma.

The elder brother-in-law gasped and slowly sat back down.

"How did the barbican fall so quickly?"

"Wait, how was the barbican breached?"

Wasn't their plan to lure the enemy soldiers into the city?

Why use the word "broken" when describing a barbican?

Unfortunately, even the messenger couldn't provide many details, and the answer would only be known after the battle was over. He had a feeling that the outcome would be clear after daybreak. What was the difference between a failed ambush and letting the enemy in? The main city gates had been breached; how could they expect these people to fight the bandits in street battles using the inner city buildings?

The elder brother-in-law lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment.

"Keep the gates tightly shut and don't let anyone in."

Thinking that he had let Zhe Meng go and then sent his confidant to him under the guise of escorting Zhe Meng—his confidant was not surprised by Zhe Meng's whereabouts, which was an implication that he knew Zhe Meng was an enemy, but he did not expose him. He even showed goodwill and helped cover for him a few times. In this way, after the county changed hands, the enemy would have no reason to settle scores with him. Instead, they would give him credit.

Thinking of this, he sighed deeply.

"I just hope this is the right choice."

Che Si County had conducted numerous transactions with Zongzheng County, Zongren County, and Bodu County over the years, and these three counties had paid considerable tolls when using the trade routes. Therefore, he naturally knew Lü Yuan. He had heard many rumors about Lü Yuan's romantic escapades and had even heard colleagues criticize her for being heartless and ungrateful, but his dealings with Lü Yuan were always official business. Honestly, she was quite proper in matters of official business and hadn't acted recklessly.

If you were under her command, you wouldn't be too upset.

? ?(?w?)

Zhang Yang: Team battles emphasize teamwork.

Zhe Meng: My lord trusts me!