92: Chapter 0092 The Affairs of Young People

Outside Baishui, at the farm where Zhu Ming and his wife were staying.

Dozens of Barbarian Army corpses lay outside the farm, already frozen stiff; they had been dead for some time.

Zhu Ming and Ding Cuihua brewed a pot of hot tea and sat by the doorway, watching the sky begin to turn a pale, fish-belly white.

"It's the Northern Barbarian Army bugle. It looks like... they are about to attack the city."

Zhu Ming draped a large padded coat over his shoulders and looked toward Baishui, his eyes deep and pensive.

"That child has had a difficult journey. I hope nothing happens to her," Ding Cuihua said with a hint of worry.

"What's this? Worried about the successor of your Sword Forest?" Zhu Ming asked with a smile.

"Are you talking about Bingyan? She is my sect leader junior brother's disciple; there's no need for me to worry about her," Ding Cuihua shook her head.

"Then you're worried about Su Wansha? Rest assured, someone as cautious as Junior Brother Su will definitely protect his daughter well," Zhu Ming said.

"Neither. I am worried about Lin Xiao's wife."

"Oh? I didn't notice. You old woman, you've only played mahjong a few times, and you've grown so fond of her?"

Zhu Ming shook his head slightly. "I don't really like Lin Xiao's main wife. Even when playing mahjong with us, she's still weighing gains and losses. She's a bit too scheming."

"She is a monarch of a fallen nation; naturally, she must be careful in everything and walk on thin ice. Could she have survived without a bit of schemes?"

Ding Cuihua rolled her eyes at the old man.

"What?"

Zhu Ming's expression changed. Suddenly, he associated it with something, his eyes narrowed, and he gasped!

"You mean she is..."

Ding Cuihua was speechless. "I think you've really gone senile to have just realized it now? It was in vain that I traveled the world with you for over a dozen years..."

"Surname Xiao, heterochromatic eyes, accompanied by General Leng Duo's daughter—is it that hard to guess?"

Zhu Ming's expression was solemn. "No wonder... I was wondering why this woman wasn't the least bit intimidated when she saw us, but instead carried herself with such poise."

"I wonder if that kid, Lin Xiao, knows her identity."

Ding Cuihua said dismissively, "What does identity matter? They have gone through life-and-death trials; as long as their feelings are real, that's all that matters."

"Besides, we are both getting on in years. We can't concern ourselves with the affairs of young people or the fate of the world!"

Zhu Ming laughed and nodded. "My wife is absolutely right. As long as they come to play mahjong with us, they are all good children! Hahaha..."

Meanwhile, the Northern Barbarian Army was already pressing forward in a grand, sweeping formation.

Behind the military formation, a towering four-horse chariot was wrapped in leather and covered with thick bear-fur cushions.

Marshal Suhe sat on the chariot. Over sixty years old, though his braided hair was streaked with gray, he remained spirited and alert, his gaze like a torch.

"Marshal, of the twenty thousand cavalry sent out last night, less than sixty percent have returned, and many are injured!"

Standing to the side, General Tumen of the Tiger Guards, with his dark, broad face, reported to Marshal Suhe with a serious expression.

"To actually deploy over ten thousand troops in a village; this kid, Lin Xiao, truly uses troops in unexpected ways."

Marshal Suhe sighed with emotion, then grinned. "However... this also means that the Zhenbei Army has not rested all night and is already exhausted."

"They have a total of thirty thousand troops. Now, at most half remain in the city. Lin Xiao and several main generals surely cannot make it back in time."

Marshal Suhe rose abruptly, standing with his hands behind his back. "Pass on my order: the first to scale the wall will be rewarded with the rank of Centurion, titled General of the Greedy Wolf Tribe, five thousand taels of silver, one thousand head of cattle and sheep, and one hundred women!"

"The first ten to scale the wall will be rewarded with one thousand taels of silver and the rank of Centurion!!"

"I want the gates of Baishui broken within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense!!"

The rewards for the first to scale a city wall have always been generous, but the height of this reward still greatly shocked the entire Northern Barbarian Army!

In truth, the soldiers understood that the reason Marshal Suhe dared to offer such rewards was because the Northern Barbarian Army had suffered too many losses at the hands of Lin Xiao!

From beginning to end, twenty to thirty thousand Barbarian Army soldiers and officers had died at the hands of Lin Xiao's Zhenbei Army.

The Greedy Wolf Tribe, in particular, had been unable to recover after losing their chieftain and two heirs.

The Golden Tent Khan had issued a strict order: this southward plundering campaign must reclaim the dignity of the Northern Barbarian Army.

For this goal, even if more people had to die and rewards were doubled, it was worth it!

Heavy rewards attract brave men!

The Barbarian Army was already fierce and unafraid of death; upon thinking of those generous rewards, they scrambled forward like madmen!

"Kill!!"

"Long live the Golden Tent Khan!!"

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!..." The ox-hide war drums beat with the sound of muffled thunder!

Barbarian Army infantry, carrying giant shields, protected a dozen siege ladder carts as they rushed toward the walls of Baishui!

On the city tower, Mu Wanying watched the Barbarian Army swarming like locusts, her heart racing.

Although she had grown up in the Mu Family Army and had followed her father to the battlefield several times, this was her first time facing such a siege battle alone!

"Archers, ready! — Fire!!"

Once they were within range, the first volley of arrows fell!

Facing the Barbarian Army soldiers holding shields and wearing helmets, the effect of the arrows was minimal.

Before long, numerous siege ladders had been set against the city wall, their hooks firmly attached.

"Fire oil!! Pour it down the siege ladders!!"

"Don't let the siege carts near the city gate!!"

Mu Wanying ran back and forth on the city wall, shouting commands.

The soldiers poured the fire oil collected within the city down along the siege ladders.

As torches and fire arrows fell, the siege ladders were quickly set ablaze.

The first batch of Barbarian Army soldiers who tried to rush up were set on fire, burning in agony, and fell to their deaths one after another.

But as more and more of the Barbarian Army arrived at the base of the city, the power of their archers gradually revealed itself.

Many of the soldiers responsible for defending the city had their skulls pierced as soon as they peeked their heads out!

The fierce Barbarian Army soldiers were like monsters who didn't fear death; some braved the flames and climbed onto the city tower!

"Ah! — I've made it up!!"

A Barbarian Army soldier, his body on fire, slashed a terrified defender to death.

A spear thrust fiercely, knocking that Barbarian Army soldier off.

Mu Wanying arrived in time and shouted, "Don't panic!! We are defending the city; we have the advantage!!"

"The Barbarian Army soldiers are only human; there is nothing to fear!!"

Under her reassurance, the soldiers nearby finally regained their confidence.

Fire oil and arrows were quickly exhausted.

The soldiers picked up stones and threw them down toward the base of the city.

"Crush them!!"

Mu Wanying and several lieutenants were responsible for mobile defense, rushing back and forth to plug gaps in the battlements where too many had died.

Before long, Mu Wanying had killed twenty or thirty Barbarian Army soldiers, her body stained with blood and her face covered in gore.

Just then, from below the city tower, came the sound of "clang, clang" impacting!?

"A battering ram!?"

Mu Wanying discovered that a large number of the Barbarian Army had gathered at the city gate!

A copper-plated iron-birch log was slamming against the city gate again and again!

"Mu Wanying! The brothers below cannot hold on much longer!!"

A lieutenant, covered in blood, shouted in anguish.

Mu Wanying watched as the stones were almost exhausted, and the city wall was covered in the corpses of her own men and the enemy; she couldn't help but tremble.

A thought emerged in her mind — would she, perhaps, never see her husband again?

Just at this moment, an unexpected figure leapt onto the city tower?