212: Chapter 213 The Third Scout Squad of Huacheng, dispatched to provide reinforcements!!!

City Lord Fengye watched as the summoned beasts blocked the last gap, and the anger that had been pent up by the destruction of his banner finally found an outlet.

He straightened up on the war chariot, pointed at City Lord Qin Fang, who was still fighting a bloody battle ahead, and laughed loudly:

"City Lord Qin Fang! Didn't you want to charge?"

"Didn't you claim you could cut down my Maple Leaf banner?"

"Come!"

"I want to see if you can still make it to us!"

On the battlefield, City Lord Fengye's taunts were piercingly harsh.

However, the blood-soaked City Lord Qin Fang did not respond.

He stopped, glanced at the three rock barriers that had just risen, and then at the summoned beasts and shield bearers piling up thicker and thicker in front of the barriers.

Enough.

The Four-City Allied Forces had protected their center army.

And they had also thinned out the path on the side.

City Lord Qin Fang's gaze swept across the surroundings.

The Heyang Army flag was still on Sha Chenghu's back, its surface half-obscured by blood.

Many familiar faces were missing from the spearmen unit responsible for pinning down the Heavy Cavalry on the left flank.

A young soldier had his leg crushed by a warhorse, yet he still clung to the horse's leg, refusing to let go, until his comrade squeezed past him, and he slowly slumped into the bloody mud.

City Lord Qin Fang's fingertips curled.

The enemy thought they had victory in the bag.

But little did they know, their current response was exactly what he wanted.

He let them pin down the Heavy Cavalry just to seize this split second.

He truly wanted to help Flower City, but he had never intended to lose all the men of the Heyang Army here.

He turned his head abruptly and roared at Sha Chenghu not far away:

"Old Sha!"

"Now!"

"Understood!"

Sha Chenghu had been waiting for this shout.

He planted the Heyang Army flag on his back, and a dazzling blood-red light erupted from his entire body.

Berserker advanced skill, Blood-Bath Charge!

"Mage Corps! Archer battalion!"

Sha Chenghu's voice was so hoarse it almost cracked.

"Unleash all the fire you've been holding back!"

The next moment, the Heyang Army front line, which had been charging straight at the center, suddenly veered toward the side.

All the Heyang Army soldiers followed the military flag and changed direction simultaneously.

The mages and Archers, who had been protected in the center of the formation, squeezed out their final round of firepower.

Hundreds of explosive fireballs and armor-piercing arrows trailing cyan Qi flew over the front line and smashed into the enemy's side position, which had just thinned out due to the reallocation of troops.

"Boom!"

Amidst the violent explosions, that fragile defensive line was instantly torn apart.

Sha Chenghu led the elite Assault Battalion, thrusting hard into the gap, and forcibly tore a bloody path through the encirclement of hundreds of thousands of troops.

On the war chariots, the expressions of the four City Lords changed simultaneously.

The token in the hand of the Lord of Qinghe City froze in mid-air.

"They aren't charging the center army anymore?"

The smile on City Lord Fengye's face also stiffened.

The Lord of Nanchang City's eyes darkened, and he immediately looked at City Lord Liefeng.

City Lord Liefeng did not speak.

His gaze followed the direction of the Heyang Army's breakout, falling toward the hidden valley entrance on the side of the old road.

In that direction, there was a valley.

The old road wound around the mountain, and the valley entrance was hidden between two stone walls; usually, it could only accommodate small squads. If one hadn't repeatedly examined this terrain before the march, it would be easy to mistake it for an inconspicuous mountain crevice.

Yet, City Lord Qin Fang was heading right there.

In City Lord Liefeng's mind, all the previous actions connected instantly.

City Lord Qin Fang didn't intend to die charging the center army.

He never planned to lose the entire Heyang Army here from the very beginning.

Cutting down the Maple Leaf flag, charging the command post, hitting the joint formation nodes—it was all to force The Four Cities to fall back.

He wanted to shatter the morale of the Four-City Allied Forces.

Now that his goal was achieved.

He wanted to retreat!

A cold chill suddenly welled up in the depths of City Lord Liefeng's eyes.

Come as you please.

And leave as you please?

It's not that easy!

"Seal the entrance!"

He drew the sword from his waist, his voice cutting across the battlefield.

"Left and right armies, cut across!"

"Heavy Cavalry, turn around!"

"All troops in front of the valley entrance, form a formation immediately!"

"We must not let City Lord Qin Fang escape!"

The other three City Lords also realized what was happening.

City Lord Qin Fang had cut down their flags in this battle, exhausted their scrolls, and forced them to retreat to the center army in full view of everyone.

If he were allowed to leave right in front of the Four-City Allied Forces, even if they eventually fought their way to Flower City, this battle would first become a joke for The Four Cities themselves.

"Pursue!"

"A reward of one hundred gold to whoever takes City Lord Qin Fang's head!"

The orders were passed out one after another.

The formation of the Four-City Allied Forces shifted violently.

The troops they had just personally called back had to be scattered toward the side again.

The center army was piled with summoned beasts, shield bearers were pressing against shield bearers, and the Mage Corps was still maintaining the rock barriers; when the messengers squeezed through the human wall, even the warhorses couldn't run.

But City Lord Liefeng had reacted too quickly.

There was already a detachment responsible for sealing the flank in front of the valley entrance.

After receiving the order, that detachment didn't pursue City Lord Qin Fang but instead directly pressed across, pulling up a shield wall outside the valley entrance.

Subsequent cavalry, spearmen, and the Mage Corps also quickly reinforced that position.

By the time City Lord Qin Fang led the remaining Heyang troops to the valley entrance, an iron wall had already appeared in front of them.

Shield bearers in the front.

Spearmen in the back.

Heavy Cavalry on both sides were closing in.

The tips of the Mage Corps' staves lit up, illuminating the last stretch of road before the valley entrance with a pale glow.

Sha Chenghu's expression changed.

"City Lord!"

City Lord Qin Fang saw it too.

City Lord Liefeng was faster than he had anticipated.

In this moment, he truly hadn't expected that City Lord Liefeng could see through his objective in such a short time and utilize that detachment in front of the valley entrance so accurately.

But he couldn't stop now.

If they stopped, the pursuing troops behind and the Heavy Cavalry on both sides would completely close in.

City Lord Qin Fang gripped his sword hilt, his voice dropping suddenly.

"Keep charging!"

Sha Chenghu gritted his teeth.

"Assault Battalion!"

"Follow me and smash through!"

They charged forward again.

But the Four-City Allied Forces had already pressed up.

The shield formation in front of the valley entrance was layered upon layers, the pursuing troops behind surged like a tide, and the cavalry on both flanks pressed down from the hillside.

Seen from above, the remaining Heyang troops were like a lonely island in the middle of a vast ocean.

People everywhere.

Blades everywhere.

City Lord Liefeng stood on his war chariot, watching the Heyang Army that had been intercepted again, and finally let out a cold laugh.

"Charge?"

His laughter grew louder.

"City Lord Qin Fang, where else do you want to charge to?"

"Just obediently leave your life here!"

The hatred in City Lord Fengye's eyes was almost burning out.

"Press them!"

The Lord of Qinghe City also shouted sharply: "Kill him!!"

The Lord of Nanchang City waved his command flag down.

"Encircle and kill them!"

Layer after layer of troops enveloped the Heyang Army.

Sha Chenghu was charging at the very front, his blade nearly chipped.

He hacked open a shield bearer, only to be held back by three shields from behind.

A spear thrust out from between the shields, grazing his waist armor and drawing a line of blood.

He backhanded and snapped the spear shaft, about to charge again, when magic light smashed down in front of him.

Boom!

Earth and stone exploded.

Several Heyang soldiers were flipped away.

Less than half of City Lord Qin Fang's personal guards remained.

They were still moving forward.

But every step forward felt like stepping on the edge of a blade.

Just as the encirclement of the Four-City Allied Forces was about to close completely, a loud shout suddenly came from outside the ocean of enemies.

"Where is City Lord Qin Fang?!"

This voice was very far away at first.

So far that it was almost swallowed by the sounds of slaughter on the battlefield.

City Lord Qin Fang didn't turn back immediately.

The soldiers of The Four Cities didn't react either.

The next breath, the voice rang out again.

"Where is City Lord Qin Fang?!"

"Flower City's 3rd Scout Squad, reporting for reinforcements!!!"

This time, the voice was much clearer.

Immediately after, came the third shout.

The fourth shout.

Each one closer than the last.

"Where is City Lord Qin Fang?!"

"Flower City's 3rd Scout Squad, reporting for reinforcements!!!"

The outer layer of the Four-City Allied Forces suddenly rippled like a wave of people.

Not retreating.

But being forcibly split open.

A warrior who looked like a squad leader charged at the front.

The light armor on his body was covered by a gray cloak, and not until his blade flashed did the wind blow the cloak away, revealing a small Flower City emblem on his chest armor.

Bronze Rank Qi exploded from his body.

In his hand, that long saber didn't look like a scout's blade; it looked more like a mountain-splitting axe.

"Death to those who block me!"

He slashed down.

Boom!

Bronze Rank Qi exploded against the ground.

Three shield bearers from The Four Cities were sent flying, shields and all, smashing into the army formation behind, causing a chorus of screams.

Behind him, mages, Archers, and assassins moved simultaneously.

Fireballs didn't chase people; they only smashed into the sides of the messengers.

Arrows didn't fly aimlessly; they only nailed the officers holding flags and the nodes of the Mage Corps.

Several assassins slid through the gaps in the crowd like gray shadows, their blades flashing for only an instant at the most critical locations.

A deputy general of The Four Cities had just wanted to order troops to block the gap when a line of blood appeared across his throat.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Flower City's 3rd Scout Squad was not large in number.

At most, it was only a hundred people.

But these hundred people were all Bronze Rank elites.

They didn't linger in battle, and their goal was clear.

They were here only for rescue this time.

Whoever blocked the path would be cut down!

The outer layer of the Four-City Allied Forces instantly fell into chaos.

The Lord of Qinghe City was the first to notice the abnormality, his face changing.

"Flower City people?"

The Lord of Nanchang City stared fixedly at the squad tearing a path through the sea of people.

"How could they be here?"

City Lord Fengye's eyes sharpened.

"There are only a hundred of them!"

"Wipe them out!"

The order was quickly passed down.

Soldiers from The Four Cities surged toward the scout squad from all directions.

But the more people who surged over, the more chaotic the outer layer became.

The Flower City scout squad didn't entangle with them at all.

They were like a nail, driving straight into the rear flank of the Four-City Allied Forces.

Every time the squad leader in front swung his blade, a row of soldiers was knocked backward.

The Archers in the rear specifically suppressed the officers attempting to encircle them.

The mages laid out brief walls of fire and Wind Blades at their sides, while the assassins cut the communication lines piece by piece.

The Four City Lords had shouted until their throats were almost hoarse.

Yet that squad was still approaching City Lord Qin Fang.

When City Lord Qin Fang heard the words "Flower City," his chest felt as if it had been heavily struck by something.

He hadn't notified Flower City in advance.

And he considered this operation secret enough.

From marching out of Heyang, to setting the ambush on the old road, to blocking The Four Cities head-on, he hadn't waited for a reply from Flower City.

Because he knew the normal reporting chain was too long.

Scouts discover an anomaly, report back to Flower City, Zhou Yun convenes a meeting, and then orders reinforcements.

By the time this whole chain was completed, the battle at the Wuyang Valley entrance would have long been over.

Yet the people from Flower City still came.

And they arrived just in time.

There was only one possibility.

Zhou Yun had long ago issued similar orders.

If Heyang was found in danger, or if friendly forces were implicated in military disaster because of Flower City, the outer scouts could move first without waiting for orders from the City Lord's office.

City Lord Qin Fang's throat suddenly felt a bit tight.

He watched the Flower City scout squad tearing a bloody path through the Four-City army formation, his grip on his sword tightening.

Touched as he was.

He knew even more clearly that every bit of combat power Flower City had now was precious.

It was unknown what trump cards the Liefeng side still had.

If Flower City's precious Bronze Rank elites were wasted here, everything he had done with the Heyang Army would lose its meaning.

City Lord Qin Fang took a deep breath and roared toward the outside: "Brothers of Flower City!"

"Don't worry about us!"

"We have our own way!"

That Flower City squad leader heard his voice and turned his head abruptly.

The next moment, not only did he not stop, but he led his men to kill toward City Lord Qin Fang's direction even faster.

He hacked open a shield bearer blocking his path, his voice carrying over the layers of battle cries.

"City Lord Qin Fang!"

"Hold on! Wait for us!"

As these words fell, the suppressed emotion in the depths of City Lord Qin Fang's eyes finally stirred.

Sha Chenghu bared his bloody mouth and let out a low roar.

"Did you hear that!"

"The brothers from Flower City have come to pick us up!"

In the remaining Heyang troops, the already hoarse shouts erupted again.

"Kill through!"

"Link up with the brothers from Flower City!"

City Lord Qin Fang didn't try to persuade them anymore.

He knew that since the Flower City scouts dared to come, they wouldn't retreat because of a word from him.

The best choice now was to link up as quickly as possible and leave as quickly as possible.

"Old Sha!"

"Here!"

City Lord Qin Fang pressed his sword edge outward.

"Charge in the direction of the Flower City brothers!"

The remaining Heyang troops suddenly changed direction.

On the outside, Flower City's 3rd Scout Squad was also chiseling inward.

The two forces, separated by layers of Four-City soldiers, were like two blades stabbing in simultaneously from inside and out.

The Lord of Qinghe City watched this scene, his eyes nearly splitting.

"Block them!"

"Block them for me!"

"Don't let them link up!"

But as soon as his order reached the outside, the messenger had his throat cut by a Flower City assassin.

Another messenger wanted to step in, but just as he raised the command flag, an arrow nailed through his wrist.

The command flag fell to the ground.

The Flower City squad leader had already arrived nearby.

He saw City Lord Qin Fang, said no nonsense, and just lifted his blade to point toward the outside of the valley entrance.

"City Lord Qin Fang, head this way first!"

"Head to the Red Maple Slope formation point!"

He looked back at the relentless Four-City Allied Forces, his voice suddenly deepening.

"We will cover the retreat!"

City Lord Qin Fang, however, did not look toward the Red Maple Slope direction.

His gaze fell toward another closer valley on the other side.

"No."

The Flower City squad leader was stunned.

City Lord Qin Fang took that array stone from his bosom and shook it at him.

"Go this way."

The Flower City squad leader's gaze fell on the array stone, his pupils shrinking suddenly.

He understood immediately.

In City Lord Qin Fang's hand, it wasn't just an ordinary Rainbow Dao passage token.

It was an activation array stone capable of awakening an array point.

The Red Maple Slope array point was the support route in the scout's contingency plan.

But City Lord Qin Fang possessed a closer hidden node.

Joy instantly welled up on the Flower City squad leader's face.

"Listen to City Lord Qin Fang!"

He turned his head abruptly and shouted to the scouts behind him: "Follow City Lord Qin Fang!"

City Lord Qin Fang didn't stop again.

The remaining Heyang troops and the Flower City scout squad merged into one, forcibly tearing a gap out of the iron wall outside the valley entrance.

Sha Chenghu charged at the front, and the Flower City squad leader stuck to his side and rear.

One used brute force to smash shields.

The other focused on cutting down officers and communication nodes.

Though it was their first time working together, it was as if they had long known what the other would do.

The Four-City army formation sealing the valley entrance was finally torn open.

City Lord Qin Fang led the surviving soldiers and charged into the bottom of the valley.

In the center of the valley floor, there was an inconspicuous blue stone.

City Lord Qin Fang took out the array stone he had just shaken, knelt on one knee, and pressed the array stone heavily into the groove of the blue stone.

Deep within the stone wall, dark patterns began to light up in circles.

"Hum!"

In an instant, a brilliant rainbow light shot into the sky.