The sky at the foot of the mountain suddenly darkened. The rapidly approaching enemy troops clearly paused for a moment, then raised countless shields covered with cowhide. In the blink of an eye, the surface of the foremost shields was bristling with dense arrows, like a wheat field freshly harvested in midsummer. Immediately after, wails erupted from both sides of the shields, blood splattered, and more than a dozen lives fell into the dust.

The shooting was only moderately effective, but the Black Crow Army’s attack rhythm was clearly disrupted. Soon, a deep bullhorn sounded from behind the shields. Instantly, the entire formation widened and thinned. More shields were raised overhead, quickly forming a black wall of shields at the front. Behind the shield wall, over a thousand horn bows were swiftly drawn.

“Swish swish swish swish swish swish…”

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…”

Another volley of arrows and bolts flew from the hillside toward the foot of the mountain, battering the pitch-black shield wall until it wavered. “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” Several large crossbows set up halfway up the mountain also began to unleash their power, shooting giant bolts over two zhang long and as thick as a bowl’s mouth at the enemy.

Most of the giant bolts veered off course, uselessly skimming over the enemy’s heads and drawing startled cries. Only two or three struck the shield wall directly, skewering the dark green shields and the soldiers behind them together, continuing to fly backward. One, two, three—until all the stored force was absorbed by flesh, and only then did they crash to the ground, leaving a bloody gash along their path.

More arrows followed the gap, felling more soldiers. But in just two or three breaths, the soldiers in black armor regrouped and sealed the breach in their ranks. Before the crossbows on the hillside could be reloaded, the infantry commander at the front decisively gave the order to counterattack: “Eighty paces ahead, prepare—fire!”

“Whoosh—!” Like a devil exhaling, a fierce gust swept across the entire hilltop. Black-feathered arrows poured up from the foot of the mountain, shattering the Chen Prefecture battalion as they prepared for their third volley.

“Ah—!” Dozens of archers fell into pools of blood, writhing and wailing. Crimson blood spurted like a spring through their thin leather armor.

The surrounding comrades, shocked by the sudden blow, were at a loss, not knowing whether to rescue their own or continue shooting at the enemy. Those officers and leaders, full of ambition for merit and glory, turned pale, their eyes glazed, and their legs trembling uncontrollably as if seized by cramps…

“Whoosh—!” Another devil’s breath sounded from the foot of the mountain. More black-feathered arrows soared into the air, then plummeted down. Nearly a third of the Chen Prefecture soldiers fell into pools of blood. The rest didn’t need any prompting—they screamed and turned to flee!

“Disciplinary squad, clear the front, enforce strict military discipline!” Walter King’s face showed not a trace of discouragement. He looked toward the front of the formation and shouted loudly.

Two hundred handpicked sword-and-shield soldiers quickly formed ranks and advanced, cutting down any panicked deserters in their path.

“Ah—!” “Yah—!” “Spare me—!” The screams were endless. Dozens of soldiers who had survived the enemy’s arrows became victims of the disciplinary squad’s blades in an instant.

Only now did the shouts for discipline ring out behind the disciplinary squad—cold and hard, devoid of any human feeling: “Clear the front, withdraw to camp. Anyone who shouts or charges about will be executed without mercy!”

“Brothers, over here, over here! Don’t, don’t kill, don’t kill! I beg you, don’t, don’t kill, don’t charge the main camp!” The Chen Prefecture commander Carl Evans rode up to the side of the disciplinary squad, crying and shouting.

He dared not complain about Walter King’s ruthlessness—every state has its laws, every family its rules, and even in a bandit camp, deserters meet a grim fate. But in this round, those who died were all brothers he had painstakingly gathered over the years, including two chieftains who were his sworn brothers. They had hoped to seek fortune together, but in the blink of an eye, they were separated by life and death.

“Weicheng Battalion, Bailu Battalion, Lingqiu Battalion, all advance and pin down the enemy with arrows! Yanjin Battalion, Jizhou Battalion, raise shields and protect the main camp!” The Wuying Army’s overall commander Walter King ignored the cries, skillfully raising a series of brand-new command flags.

The named battalion leaders quickly advanced, some raising wooden shields taller than a man to block the black arrows flying up from below, others drawing horn bows, bamboo bows, and various single-handed crossbows to shoot arrows of vengeance at the enemy.

“Swish swish swish swish swish swish…”

“Whoosh—!”

“Swish swish swish swish swish swish…”

“Whoosh—!”

Both sides exchanged volleys, neither yielding. The sky overhead alternated between light and dark.

In the mottled light and shadow, row after row of foot soldiers fell like stalks of wheat in a rainstorm, blood quickly pooling into streams that flowed down the slope.

In the mottled light and shadow, cluster after cluster of black-clad soldiers crouched low like reeds swept by a gale. Crimson mist swirled upward, carried by the mountain’s moisture, staining the morning sky red.