Chapter 728: Surprisingly Strong

The private soldiers of the aristocratic families were far inferior to Liu Bei's garrison troops, but they compensated for this with their stealth and unpredictability, ambushing and taking out quite a few garrison soldiers through accumulated small victories.

As for the core city management troops, they faced no such problems. Even when divided into teams of five, their well-maintained large shields were more than enough to handle the aristocratic soldiers armed only with simple sabers.

"You’re digging your own graves!" Man Chong suddenly appeared on the street, shouting angrily as he charged forward, sword in hand, dressed in a thick silk robe. With a single strike, he disemboweled one of the private soldiers, then kicked another in the chest.

"Get him! Kill this tyrant Man Chong!" one of the aristocratic youth shouted excitedly upon seeing Man Chong in action. "Tonight will be your last!"

"My last? You’ll be the one to die first!" Man Chong retorted, swiftly firing a three-arrow crossbow, killing the arrogant youth on the spot.

Meanwhile, on a high platform outside the Jingling Palace, Jia Xu observed Man Chong's fierce combat with a slight twitch in his eye. It was true that during the Han Dynasty, there were no pure civil officials—everyone could fight—but seeing Man Chong in action, even he was taken aback by how formidable the man was.

"This martial skill is better than most military officers," Xun Yue remarked, also stunned by the display. No wonder Man Chong had volunteered to play the fool earlier; it turned out he could fight remarkably well!

"Zhao Yue, Qin Qi, Lian Yue, He An, the four of you, each lead a hundred men. Show them that numbers aren’t everything!" Man Chong ordered after killing another armored Yuan Shao soldier with a crossbow bolt.

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Yue and the others saluted, their expressions impassive as they lowered their large shields and charged into the enemy ranks.

"Die!" Qin Qi roared, sweeping his spear in a wide arc, sending several enemies flying. A faint silver glow appeared on his body, the embodiment of the military spirit, despite their reduced numbers.

"Strike!" Lian Yue slashed diagonally, severing the arms of several opponents before thrusting his sword into another's chest.

"Kill!" He An, wielding twin blades, led his soldiers into the fray, slashing fiercely at the enemy. His comrades covered his flanks, blocking enemy attacks as he cut down foes with brutal efficiency. The four of them, leading their teams, carved through the central avenue, cutting down the opposition with surgical precision, unscathed despite the rain of arrows, swords, and spears.

Soon, more city management troops joined in, driving the Yuan Shao soldiers and rebellious private soldiers back toward North Street with relentless force.

"It has begun," Li You observed the flames in Fenggao from ten miles away. "Leave six hundred men here. The rest, move out. Kill all rebels without mercy!"

"Yes, sir!" The elite city management troops saluted and quickly disappeared into the night, weapons at the ready.

"Follow me. We’ll start raiding homes. Any family with well-guarded gates but no private soldiers is to be seized!" Li You commanded coldly, leading the remaining veterans toward Fenggao's eastern gate. The southeast housed the aristocratic shops, while the northeast was where the aristocrats lived.

"Simaling, what brings you to the Zhen family?" Madam Zhang sneered at Simaling.

"I’m here on behalf of my lord, Yuan Benchu. He requires your assistance," Simaling replied with a slight bow.

"Not interested. The Zhen family only deals in trade and does not involve itself in the struggles of lords," Madam Zhang said dismissively, her eyes narrowing as she refused Simaling outright.

"I'm afraid it's not up to you," Simaling replied, drawing his sword to seize her. But before he could move, a flash of red filled his vision, and then there was nothing.

"Hmph, after what happened with Zhao Zilong, did you think the Zhen family wouldn’t be cautious? How dare a mere brute threaten us," Madam Zhang scoffed, glancing at her maid, who had just slain Simaling. Though not at the level of an inner energy master, a fighter capable of reaching the Refinement Realm could certainly be hired if one had the wealth.

"Seal the gates. Kill anyone who dares to intrude tonight!" Madam Zhang ordered sternly. Despite being a woman in charge, she carried the authority needed to lead.

"Hmph, do you think a mere few hundred soldiers can stop my army?" Gongsun Du sneered, surprised that a mere handful of silver-armored troops were pushing back his much larger force.

"Everyone, it’s been a while since we’ve been in a real battle. How about we see who can take down that commander with the red-tasseled helmet first?" He An shouted, pointing his blade at Gongsun Du.

"That head is mine!" Qin Qi roared, spear in hand, charging toward Gongsun Du.

"Ridiculous! I’ll repay the general’s honor and rank with that head!" Lian Yue charged as well, and the soldiers behind them unleashed a fierce tiger-like aura. Shields and swords in hand, they mowed down the enemy ranks with ease, like tigers among sheep.

"As expected, my most elite troops!" Liu Bei watched with pride as his city management troops, vastly outnumbered, tore through the enemy ranks with the ferocity of a tiger surveying its territory.

"I’ll personally drum up support!" Liu Bei rolled up his sleeves, grabbing a drumstick and striking the drum hard. "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The deep sound of the drum echoed throughout Fenggao, answered by a surge of silver-white cloud energy that grew denser by the second. At the same time, an even larger cloud appeared in the north—reinforcements had arrived!

"Brothers, crush these traitors!" He An shouted, "The lord himself is cheering for us. Kill!"

The reinforcements surged forward, inspired by the drumbeats, their strength amplified. Swords and shields in hand, they cut through the enemy ranks like a hot knife through butter, quickly reaching Gongsun Du’s rear and killing him before he could react.

"How unlucky!" He An spat, his sword not long enough to land the killing blow before others took down Gongsun Du.

"There’s still a big fish left. Some of them are setting fires, hoping to scatter you. Let’s split into teams of ten; kill any arsonists on sight!" Man Chong ordered, unfazed by the spreading flames. Chen Xi had anticipated such scenarios when the city was built.

"Good, I haven’t had enough killing! Ten-man teams, led by their leaders—kill all arsonists!" He An ordered coldly.

Over the years, Taishan’s enforced veteran retirement policy ensured that those who stayed behind were ruthless veterans. Tonight, they finally demonstrated their terrifying power.

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