In this realistic war game, only I understand the course of the battle.

The second person to climb up behind Zheng Biao had already done so, and the third person followed.

Instead of immediately pushing to the sides, the group first formed a crescent formation close to Zhao Laoliu to gain a foothold.

One by one, people climbed over the roof of the battering ram, and with each additional person, the battle line expanded outwards by one circle.

The crescent formation slowly expanded into a semicircle, with each pair of shields connected to the next, forming an arc-shaped iron wall that firmly protected the crenellations behind it.

The spearmen finally arrived at that moment.

An inch longer, an inch stronger; the spear protruded from the gap between the shields and thrust outwards from above the shoulder of the first man.

The first shot knocked down the defenders who rushed forward, and the second shot forced the swordsmen and shieldmen who tried to flank from the side back three or five steps.

The defenders' counterattack was decisively thwarted by these two shots.

"Now! Change formation!" Zhao Laoliu roared.

This sound wasn't meant to urge someone forward, but to make them stop.

The spearmen moved towards the center, their spears pointing diagonally to both sides with the tips facing outwards.

Instead of dispersing, the other pioneers held up their group signs and moved closer together, protecting the edge of the barricade behind them.

The formation shrank from a semicircle to an ellipse, like a flattened tortoise shell placed on the top of the barricade.

It only took a few breaths from the moment the axes cleared the way to the moment the enemy closed in front of the ramparts. The spearmen and the climbing team worked closely together to force back the defenders who were trying to counterattack.

What remained for them was to wait for the army to continuously surge up the city walls through the breach they had created.

After the Shendu drill, a detailed review was conducted on the problems that arose, and the team was generally satisfied with today's training.

When the troops were just leaving the base of the wall, Zheng Biao had already lost the arrogance he once had as an elite soldier.

He glanced at Zhao Laoliu and saw him squatting on the ground picking up throwing axes, pulling them off the wooden stake one by one and wiping the mud off the blades with his sleeve.

Zheng Biao walked over, squatted down, picked up a throwing axe that he had missed while training, and handed it to Zhao Laoliu.

Zhao Laoliu took it, wiped the axe blade with his sleeve, and tucked it back into his waistband.

"That flip you made just now," Zheng Biao suddenly spoke up, "was the axe you swung on your left side half a breath faster than mine?"

Zhao Laoliu remained nonchalant: "I've practiced throwing axes before, you'll get the hang of it after a few more tries."

Zheng Biao nodded without saying anything more. But as he walked past Zhao Laoliu, he reached out and patted him hard on the shoulder, seemingly acknowledging the seemingly slick and oily old soldier.

At this moment, Liu Xiaoqi was pulling the throwing axe out from behind his waist, twirling it between his fingers, and then putting it back in, appearing quite skilled.

"Where have you used this set of equipment before?" Gu Zhang, who had seen everything, suddenly asked Shen Du.

Shen Du said with a serious expression, "This is the first time."

The silence at that moment was deafening.

Gu Zhang really wished he could take a pill to undo his mistake. He dared to risk so many lives on this battle tactic on its very first use.

Unless you know from the very beginning how many people, how much interest, and how many lives will be needed for each stage of the siege.

However, it was too late to say anything at this point, especially since he really had no clue about it.

Shen Du noticed Gu Zhang's worry; this man couldn't hide anything, it was all written on his face.

"There's still one day left. I'll trouble Commander Gu to lead the training. I need to take a few people to prepare some other important things."

Shen Du knew clearly that it was still far from the point of truly breaching the city.

The crenellations on the wall were too narrow, and the number of reinforcements that could be accommodated was ultimately limited.

The defenders on the city walls seemed to arrive in an endless stream.

Shen Du had already prepared a plan to break through the city, but even if he asked Gu Zhang, it wouldn't be of much use.

Gu Zhang was somewhat surprised, but after an afternoon of training, he inexplicably began to admire Shen Du. He abandoned his usual arrogance and spoke solemnly.

"Commander Li, the lives and health of these more than one hundred people are completely entrusted to you."

Shen Du did not refuse.

"Don't worry, Commander Gu, we're in this together. I'll climb the wall with you."

"If we're still alive when the city falls, let's celebrate together."

It was dusk when the drills were over.

Shen Du led his men to eat around the fire. The food at the cooking camp had been quite good these past few days, with meat, wine, and steaming hot meals. Each person received a large bowl.

The others squatted on the ground, holding bowls, eating heartily, their mouths covered in oil.

However, one thing had been weighing on Shen Du's mind for several days.

With a major battle imminent, Shen Du's biggest question now is whether there's anything beyond the realm of common sense in this game.

In his previous life, Shen Du was a staunch materialist who taught war history for half his life and never believed in any supernatural phenomena.

But Shen Du's current transmigration into this game has shattered all his original perceptions.

And will the player's involvement change the original timeline?

After finishing his meal, Shen Du returned to the barracks, found a quiet spot, and opened the world chat channel.

The channel was still very lively; the heat of the strong winds over Baigou River hadn't died down yet, and several groups of people were arguing at the same time.

【Smoke of War in the North】: "Let me tell you, the Prince of Yan's cavalry is the best in the world! Didn't you see the battle at Baigou River? Zhu Neng led three thousand iron cavalry to charge into Li Jinglong's central army, cutting through tofu like a knife! Dezhou? Dezhou is nothing! When the cavalry reaches the city walls, will the Ming army dare to come out? If they dare to come out, they will die!"

[Texas Boss]: "The person upstairs is talking nonsense! What kind of place is Dezhou? You haven't seen the twelve interconnected cities outside the city. No matter how powerful the Yan cavalry are, can they ride horses and climb city walls? I'm right here in Dezhou, let me tell you, the cannons on the city walls are already set up, and the moat has been deepened. No matter how many Yan cavalry come, they'll all die!"

【Boundless Romance】: "Cavalry? Heh. If you want to attack Dezhou, you'll have to see if Jinan will allow it. General Sheng Yong and Councilor Tie Tie have already made preparations in Jinan. I've personally inspected Dezhou's defenses; they're strong enough to hold out until our main force arrives. The twelve linked cities are mutually supportive; attack one, and the other eleven will flank you. The Yan rebels want to besiege the city? First, ask yourself if you have enough troops!"

【Kaifeng Yizhihua】: "Stop poisoning Dezhou's city defenses. I'm afraid of places with that useless Li Jinglong around. Before the Baigou River incident, you guys were also bragging that Li Jinglong's 600,000-strong army was invincible, but what happened?"

Shen Du watched the discussion without interjecting and continued scrolling down.

After flipping through a few pages, I found that people were still discussing the storm that hit the Baigou River.

[Survivor of Baigou River]: "Brothers, the more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel. That wind was too eerie. Do you think it could be some kind of special artifact? Like the kind that can summon wind and rain?"

【Boundless Romance】: "You're overthinking it. I've played three dungeons in this game before, and I've never seen anyone summon wind and rain. I've already said it's a war game, not a cultivation game, bro."

Suddenly, a pinned bounty message caught Shen Du's eye.

That's a built-in bounty feature; the poster can set the bounty.

The poster's ID for this bounty is "Lone Wolf," and the bounty is all of their reputation points.

All reputation points are wasted, which means you've worked for nothing in this instance. Who would be willing to pay that price?

Shen Du clicked on the bounty.