Outside Yun Jing City.

To the east, the Great Yan army stood in strict formation. Yan generals on horseback at the front ordered that no one light torches. Under the cover of darkness, black-armored soldiers stood in the distance like hungry wolves lurking in the shadows, staring intently at Yun Jing City’s east gate, hung high with lanterns.

They would be the first to breach the east gate, making Yun Jing their prize.

To the north, Bai Jinxiu’s warhorse pawed the ground restlessly, already impatient to be the first to charge out, snorting heavy white mist from its nostrils.

Under the black banners with white pythons fluttering in the night, Bai Qingqi in silver armor gripped his long spear, his gaze sharp as torches. Leading his Bai family brothers and sisters and Great Zhou soldiers, they were ready to strike like a massive beast crouching in the darkness.

They would spare no effort to destroy Xi Liang for the unification of the realm, and they would rescue their Bai family’s Fifth Young Master!

To the west, behind Generals Shen Kunyang and Xie Xun were Yan and Great Zhou armies. The combined forces of both nations attacking the west gate was to disperse Xi Liang’s troops for the Great Zhou army attacking the north gate and Yan army attacking the east gate respectively, so they had to fight with all their might.

Soldiers of both nations, wearing different armor, moved in perfect unison like the twin edges of a precious sword, their blades gleaming sharp.

To the south, Bai Jinzhi planted her long spear in the ground and forcefully tied the red ribbon atop her head. Here she would stand like an iron wall to block Li Tianjiao’s escape route from Yun Jing! She would personally behead enemy general Cui Shanzhong as her eldest sister had done when destroying Shu, avenging Fifth Brother’s humiliation!

The Great Zhou and Yan surrounded the city from all four sides, leaving Xi Liang no retreat.

Whether it was a harbinger of the coming storm, the night was deathly silent, without a sound around the great armies.

Soon, Xi Liang soldiers defending Yun Jing City suddenly fell into chaos. Fire blazed skyward from the direction of the east gate, thick smoke billowing, followed immediately by red fireworks rising into the sky.

The fireworks were the signal – open the city gates!

To the east.

The Yan general looked up as the fireworks rose, drew his sword from his waist, and shouted hoarsely: “Great Yan soldiers! The time has come! The destruction of Xi Liang depends on this one battle! All of us Yan soldiers… will be recorded in history! We are all heroes who destroyed Xi Liang! Kill!”

To the south.

As the fireworks burst forth, he grimly pulled the reins to turn his horse around, his armor gleaming coldly, his bearing noble and proud: “Great Zhou soldiers! Standing here today are the Bai family troops… Great Zhou armies! Comrades who once fought alongside the Bai family sons, who in the southern border battle protected tens of thousands of Great Zhou people… brothers who survived against all odds! Hot-blooded warriors who joined the army to protect the nation and pacify the realm! This battle is the most important for unifying the realm! It is also the Great Zhou’s battle of revenge! Xi Liang… can only be destroyed by the Great Zhou!”

“Soldiers!” Bai Qingqi shouted hoarsely, his fine horse rearing and neighing beneath him. He raised his spear high, his voice splitting the clouds: “Kill!”

“Sound the war drums! Kill!” Bai Jinxiu’s heart surged uncontrollably. She turned her horse around, drew her sword, and led the charge.

The vanguard led by Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jinzhao charged toward Yun Jing’s north gate…

Following close behind them were heavy shield troops and catapults arranged in a line stretching as far as the eye could see, rumbling like rolling thunder as they pressed toward Yun Jing.

Instantly, war drums and horns sounded together. Around all four sides of Yun Jing City, soldiers’ battle cries shook the heavens.

Old General Cui Shanzhong, racing on horseback from the palace toward the north gate, could see from afar that inside the north gate, Bai family troops were fighting desperately with their Xi Liang soldiers. The gate’s winch was being turned by several Bai family soldiers riddled with arrows, and the great gate was slowly opening – it had already opened wide enough for two people to pass through…

“Sound the drums! Why haven’t our soldiers arrived yet!” In the chaos, Xi Liang officers shouted loudly.

At this hour, soldiers should naturally be sleeping soundly, but with such commotion at all four city gates and still no Xi Liang reinforcements arriving, this was very strange indeed.

At this time in the Xi Liang camp, soldiers who barely managed to wake up, hearing the sounds, quickly splashed cold water on their comrades to wake them, shouting that enemy troops were attacking.

The groggy Xi Liang soldiers hurriedly put on their clothes. When they went outside, they saw Xi Liang troops everywhere outside the latrines, clutching their waists and crossing their legs, urging those inside to hurry up.

“Quickly, quickly, quickly! Enemy troops are attacking the city! Come back to relieve yourselves later! Move!” Some generals shouted while hopping to put on their boots.

At the city gate, Xi Liang soldiers engaged in combat suffered severe abdominal cramps and couldn’t withstand the assault. Some had already soiled themselves uncontrollably, sweat beading on their foreheads from the pain.

Old General Cui Shanzhong, blocked by his soldiers in the distance and unable to approach the gate, anxiously pulled his reins and shouted with wide eyes: “Quickly stop them!”

But Old General Cui Shanzhong’s voice was completely drowned out by the deafening battle cries.

The Bai family troops that Cui Shanzhong had captured alive and brought back to Yun Jing had now become the key to Yun Jing’s defeat!

Once the city gates opened and Bai family troops poured in wave after wave, breaching the palace would only be a matter of time.

Outside the north gate, Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jinzhao had already led the vanguard cavalry in on swift horses. Wherever the cold gleam of their long swords reached, blood sprayed and screams echoed…

Great Zhou soldiers pressed against the gate with their bodies, pushing inward with all their strength to widen the gate opening.

Those Bai family troops that Cui Shanzhong had personally captured and brought back to the city all wore Xi Liang military armor. To distinguish themselves from Xi Liang troops, they all had white cloth strips wrapped around their arms. Seemingly fearless of death, they continuously threw themselves toward the winch area where Xi Liang reinforcements kept surging, desperately turning the winch. When one fell, another would take his place, howling as they turned the winch, then dying under arrows… or blades!

Bai Jinxiu had already noticed this situation. She pulled her reins, and her fine horse reared up with a long neigh before leaping forward, charging straight toward the winch.

The cavalry followed closely behind Bai Jinxiu, rushing first toward the winch to escort their soldiers, allowing them to turn the winch safely.

“Bai Jinzhao! Lead men to storm the city wall, seize the high ground, and plant our Bai family’s black banner with white python atop the city wall! Boost our army’s morale!” Bai Jinxiu commanded loudly, her eyes cold and severe, her blue-edged long sword pointing straight toward the city wall.

“Bai Jinzhao accepts the order!” Bai Jinzhao had long been eager and ready. She led the soldiers in a fierce charge up the city wall.

The gate opened wider and wider, more and more Great Zhou soldiers poured in, while outside the city more soldiers attacked. The Xi Liang defenders atop the walls had to guard against both Bai Jinzhao’s Great Zhou elite troops and the attacking Great Zhou army below, clearly unable to handle both fronts.

Xi Liang’s troops were dispersed – some to fight fires, while all four gates, east, west, south, and north, were under siege, completely scattering Xi Liang’s forces in four directions. Yan and Great Zhou’s sudden attack, combined with inside support, were all reasons why Xi Liang’s army couldn’t quickly assemble a strong, unified force to resist the enemy.