369: Chapter 369 Peng Yue Surrenders

"Prepare for bombardment!"

With a command from the commander of the Artillerymen, the Artillerymen immediately sprang into action.

They skillfully operated the mortars, adjusting the angle of the muzzles, firmly locking their aim on the Water Fortress.

"Fire!"

At the Artillerymen commander's order, a deafening roar instantly resounded.

Each mortar let out a roar simultaneously.

Streaks of fire erupted from the muzzles; shells streaked across the sky like meteors, whistling toward the Water Fortress with destructive power.

The Water Bandits in the stronghold looked up to see fiery red shells, like falling stars, plunging toward them.

At this moment, they had not yet realized the gravity of the situation.

It wasn't until the first shell exploded with a boom inside the stronghold that they realized the horror of this heavenly fire.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Shells landed in every corner of the Water Fortress, instantly triggering a series of explosions.

The massive impact instantly destroyed the stronghold's buildings; stones and wood splinters flew everywhere like lethal hidden weapons.

"Run, run!"

The Water Bandits shouted in panic, fleeing in all directions as they fell into total chaos.

Shells fell like heavenly fire, and the entire Water Fortress was plunged into a sea of flames.

"Aaaah..."

"Aaaah!"

Those who have never experienced an artillery bombardment simply cannot comprehend the horror of it.

Before some Water Bandits could even react, they were sent flying by the blast's shockwave, slamming heavily onto the ground, their fates unknown.

Other Water Bandits were struck by flying stones, letting out screams of agony.

The once orderly Water Fortress was instantly blasted into a complete mess.

The watchtowers were blown to pieces, collapsing with a roar.

The supply warehouses were hit, and the stored provisions were ignited. The fire grew larger and larger, raging flames soaring into the sky and swallowing everything in their vicinity.

The thatched huts where the Water Bandits lived were not spared either, turning into ruins under the onslaught of the shells.

A thick smell of gunpowder filled the stronghold, resembling a massive fireworks display, choking people until they couldn't breathe.

Wounded Water Bandits struggled amidst the ruins, calling out the names of their companions, but they were met only by the sound of exploding shells and the roar of flames.

Blood stained the ground red, intertwining with the burning flames to form a tragic scene.

On the steam ironship, the Artillerymen continued their bombardment in an orderly fashion.

Bombarding this group of Water Bandits who harmed the common people carried no psychological burden for them.

As the bombardment continued, the Water Bandits' morale completely collapsed; they lost all will to fight, thinking only of finding shelter to escape this terrifying heavenly fire bombardment.

Peng Yue, who had originally looked fierce and intent on revenge, suddenly saw things with startling clarity.

Every shell explosion was like an earthquake, causing the ground to shake violently.

"This is too terrifying!"

Not a single thought of resistance could arise in Peng Yue's heart.

"This is the heavenly fire!"

This was also the first time Zhang Liang had felt the power of artillery at such close range. Watching the massive number of Water Bandits die under the bombardment, Zhang Liang's eyelids twitched; he felt the ruthlessness of the cannon fire.

He gritted his teeth.

In the hands of Tyrannical Qin, such weapons were truly helping a tyrant do evil!

"We surrender!"

"Stop firing!"

Peng Yue's expression was somber, his eyes filled with exhaustion and despair.

The bombardment from the steam ironship was too intense; they had no way to fight back. Continuing to resist would only lead to pointless sacrifice.

He had men wave white flags continuously, hoping that Great Qin would stop attacking them with the heavenly fire.

Zhang Liang stood quietly not far away, watching the waving white flags with a complex expression.

His eyes contained both helplessness toward the current situation and confusion about the future.

Peng Yue's decision to surrender was within his expectations, but when the moment actually arrived, a sense of loss still welled up in his heart.

He knew he had to leave, or else he wouldn't be able to leave at all.

Zhang Liang found the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

"It's time to break out, or we really won't be able to leave!"

The Six-Fingered Black Knight nodded slightly.

Zhang Liang continued, "Let's break out separately. This way, the targets will be smaller, and the chance of success will be higher."

He knew well that a concentrated breakout would likely be wiped out by the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers; only by acting separately could they increase their chances of escape.