Chapter 71: The Final Flicker of a Spent Arrow

The next day's sun finally rose, yet within the walls of Tielin City, the soldiers remained utterly exhausted.

The previous day, the Qin army had launched five assaults in total, each one breaching the walls and causing grave threats and heavy casualties among the Wei defenders.

The Qin had adopted a strategy of rotating their troops, changing lines every four attacks, while the Wei could only rotate every two, so with each round, the disadvantage for Wei grew more pronounced.

During the final assault, the Qin even seized a full section of the wall—Tielin City was on the verge of falling.

Only by committing every reserve force in the rear were the Wei able to drive the Qin back once more. It had been the most perilous moment yet.

Though the night passed without further incident, the fresh morning air could not revive the soldiers; they were simply too weary, too spent.

Wei Wuji, departing from his usual habit of sleeping late, rose early without waiting for Zheng Dali to summon him.

Wandering among the wounded, Wei Wuji's face grew darker with worry, as if he could already see the moment Tielin City would fall.

He took off his cloak and draped it over a severely wounded Wei soldier.

Seeing the man struggle to rise, Wei Wuji gently pressed him down, saying, "Don't move. Rest well."

"Thank you, my lord," came the faint reply.

He probably doesn't have much longer, Wei Wuji thought to himself.

By now, both Qin and Wei had suffered their share of casualties. As defenders, the Wei had lost nearly two hundred—already a respectable number, given that the Qin had left seven or eight hundred corpses piled at the foot of the walls.

Yet this did nothing to change the widening gap between the two sides.

The Qin's units remained largely intact, but for the Wei, the situation was dire. They had already been mauled at the Linghe River, losing a thousand men—a command was meant to be two thousand strong, but most were now severely understrength.

And now, instead of being reinforced, they had been battered even further.

Lost in thought, Wei Wuji was startled by a distant shout: "My lord..."

His body tensed. Was the Qin attacking again?

It was Zheng Dali, whom Wei Wuji had not seen since the day before.

"What is it?" Wei Wuji asked.

Drawing close, Zheng Dali lowered his voice. "My lord, I've discovered something suspicious."

"What is it?" Wei Wuji pressed.

"Last night, there was movement within the city..." Zheng Dali's face was grim.

Damn it, Wei Wuji cursed inwardly, cursing the troublemakers under his breath.

As if being surrounded by deadly enemies wasn't enough, even the people within Tielin City were restless and plotting.

"It seems the heads of the Gu family weren't enough to instill fear," Wei Wuji said, his tone cold as ice.

Hand on his sword, Zheng Dali replied with righteous indignation, "My lord, I am here to request your permission to deploy troops and arrest them."

The city had to be purged; otherwise, hidden dangers would remain. Wei Wuji nodded, already calculating his options.

"I have no troops left to assign you. Take all the guards with you," Wei Wuji sighed heavily.

"That won't do. Who will protect you, my lord?" Zheng Dali refused outright.

"I'm among the soldiers—who could harm me?" Wei Wuji answered calmly. Keeping the guards here was a waste; better to put them to proper use.

After a moment's hesitation, Zheng Dali finally agreed, then called the guards and headed off into the city.

"My luck truly is wretched," Wei Wuji thought bitterly. Since arriving in this accursed place, he had known nothing but misfortune.

In the great war between Wei, Qin, and Chen, which force had suffered as wretchedly as his? His own men had been cut to nearly half their number.

After the Wei soldiers in the city ate their silent breakfast, the Qin camp on the other side began preparations for the next assault.

Truth be told, the previous day's attacks had cost them dearly as well.

The Qin had not expected that, with nearly four thousand troops, they would be unable to take a small city like Tielin.

"Today, we must take this city!"

In a simple tent, Zhai Quan slammed his fist onto the map.

They lacked proper siege equipment, it was true, but what was Tielin City, that it should require such a great effort?

The stubborn defense put up by the Wei soldiers forced Zhai Quan to admit his respect.

"Wei's reputation as the mightiest on the battlefield is not undeserved," he muttered.

He had been transferred temporarily from the Qin-Chu border and was fighting the Wei for the first time, never expecting them to be so tenacious.

Refusing to accept defeat, Zhai Quan shouted, "Pass my order—three quarters of an hour from now, we attack again!"

...

Once more, Wei Wuji climbed the city wall.

The corpses had been cleared away, leaving only the bloodstains that covered the stones.

"Greetings, my lord..."

Seeing Wei Wuji approach, the men under Liu Xuanba, who still held the wall, all rose to salute.

Wei Wuji offered words of encouragement to each in turn, urging them not to fear, assuring them that he stood with them, and that Great Wei stood behind them.

Even if they died, the Qin would not escape retribution—and reinforcements would soon arrive.

In this way, he managed to rekindle some of their will to survive.

As the distant horns sounded once more, the Qin launched their renewed assault.

This time, they mustered a thousand men, attacking in twenty columns.

"My lord, the battlefield is dangerous. Please, withdraw at once!" Liu Xuanba pushed through the soldiers to reach Wei Wuji’s side.

"No. I will remain with the men. We live or die together," Wei Wuji replied, his voice firm. He would not run—there was nowhere to run.

"Please, my lord, withdraw!" This time, it was not only Liu Xuanba; every soldier present knelt in unison, calling out together.

It was the will of them all, not a single one feigning it. To them, their lord had already done enough to earn their deepest gratitude.

Seeing their determination, Wei Wuji had no choice but to withdraw from the wall.

The battle erupted swiftly—scenes of carnage and brutality played out once more.

This time, the fighting was even fiercer. The Wei defenders could barely hold back the Qin, the struggle turning into a desperate tug-of-war upon the battlements.

As the Wei line was on the verge of breaking, Wei Wuji made a quick decision and sent the reserve soldiers waiting below up to reinforce the wall.

In this way, the Qin were pushed back yet again, but it was clear now that the Wei were nearing collapse.

At last, after a brutal back-and-forth, the Qin were repelled, leaving the wall littered with corpses.

The Wei soldiers on the wall gasped for breath, as though pulled from drowning.

Nearly every one of them was wounded, their faces smeared with blood and grime. Yet when they saw Wei Wuji return, they struggled to their feet, forcing smiles onto their battered faces.

Wei Wuji’s heart was heavy, mingled with guilt. Everyone fought and bled, yet he alone remained unscathed.

He could not even bring himself to utter empty words of “well done.” Instead, he simply went to each man, patting their shoulders, giving them a look of encouragement.

On the wall, among the battered armor, the blood, and the corpses, there was a solemnity and dignity that words could not describe.

...

In the Qin camp, Zhai Quan wore a broad smile. Judging by the reports from his officers, the Wei were now at the edge of collapse.

"Pass my order. I will lead the next attack myself and shatter the Wei in one blow." Zhai Quan donned his armor, took up his sword, and strode out of the tent.

This time, he was determined to succeed.

“That Wei lord within—after you cost so many of my men their lives, I will make you wish you were dead,” Zhai Quan muttered.

He dared not kill Wei Wuji outright—he had no wish to provoke a great power—but he was more than willing to make him suffer.