bayedsolid Chapter 834 Iron-Willed Beauty Guards the Lonely City: Night Shadows Shed Blood in the Black Iron Ci
Chapter 834 Iron-Willed Beauty Guards the Lonely City: Night Shadows Shed Blood in the Black Iron Ci
A sudden flare of war; a lone city, like an egg on the ground.
The Great Zhou Dynasty had barely been established when border wars began to rage, and undercurrents were stirring within the interior. Black Iron City, a formidable stronghold on the northern frontier, guarded the vital passage to the borderlands and had always been a strategic location coveted by military strategists. In recent years, with the court's weakening control over local areas, Sun Kui, the deputy general stationed in Black Iron City, had secretly colluded with the barbarian tribes beyond the borders, stockpiling provisions, recruiting soldiers, and plotting rebellion.
On this day, the sky over Black Iron City was as overcast as a heavy block of lead, making it hard to breathe. The city's inhabitants, unaware of the impending catastrophe, continued their lives, working from sunrise to sunset. However, within the secret chamber of the Black Iron City garrison general's mansion, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
"Report! Something terrible has happened! Sun Kui, leading his personal guards and unidentified men in black, has suddenly launched a mutiny under the pretext of 'purging the emperor's inner circle'! The east and north gates have been occupied by the rebels, who are now fiercely attacking the general's mansion and the south gate!" A messenger covered in blood rushed into the secret room, his voice hoarse and filled with the fear of impending death.
Inside the secret room were the three Lin sisters: Lin Ping, calm and capable, leading the main force; Lin Xue, the second daughter, agile and decisive, captain of the "Night Shadow" women's special forces team; and Lin Xiaoyan, meticulous and skilled in intelligence and concealed weapons, vice-captain of "Night Shadow." At this moment, their faces were all grave.
"They've really rebelled!" Lin Ping slammed her hand on the table, causing the bronze candlestick to fall over. The flickering candlelight reflected the anger and heartache in her eyes. "That scoundrel Sun Kui! I've treated him well, yet he dares to collude with foreign enemies and betray the court!"
Lin Xue forced herself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "Sister, things have come to this point. The most urgent thing is to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements. I have ordered the 'Night Shadow' team members to disperse and deploy to defend all the key points of the General's Mansion. I have also sent people to break through and go to the nearest 'Night Owl Guard' station to ask for help."
"Night Shadows," the all-female special forces team created and trained by Lin Xue and Lin Xiaoyan, is Lin Ping's trump card. The team members are all elite girls selected from the Lin family and its affiliated families. After years of rigorous and even brutal training, each possesses unique skills, excelling in combat, assassination, reconnaissance, and infiltration. They are all martial arts masters at least at the Lesser Earth Realm, sharp blades in the darkness, and sparks of hope in despair.
Lin Xue's eyes were sharp as knives: "Don't worry, elder sister, with 'Night Shadow' here, the General's Mansion will not fall! It's just that the rebels are powerful, Sun Kui has thousands of elite soldiers under his command, as well as those unidentified men in black. Their strength should not be underestimated. We must prepare for the worst."
Lin Xiaoyan added, "According to the investigation, those men in black acted strangely, were ruthless, and used vicious techniques. They didn't seem like people from the military, but rather like some kind of assassin organization. Their target seemed very clear, pointing directly at 'Night Shadow' and us sisters."
"Hmph, you worthless chickens and dogs! Kill one if you come, kill two if you come!" Lin Ping drew the sword hanging on the wall, its blade unsheathed, emitting a clear, resonant dragon's roar. "Pass down the order: hold the line! The sons of the Lin family swear to live and die with Black Iron City!"
"Yes!" the three women replied in unison, their voices strong and clear.
Before the words were even finished, deafening shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the whistling of rockets filled the air. The rebel army surged towards the high walls of the general's mansion like a tidal wave, and Sun Kui's ferocious face seemed to be faintly visible in the firelight.
II. Fighting Bloody Battles, Deep Sisterhood
Inside the general's mansion, a battle erupted instantly.
Clad in tight-fitting attire, the "Night Shadow" team members, wielding short blades, longbows, or concealed darts, fought a desperate battle against a rebel force several times their number, utilizing the complex architectural structure of the mansion. They lacked the muscular physiques of men, but possessed greater agility and unwavering will. Like streaks of black lightning, they moved through the shadows, each strike precise and ruthless, each appearance accompanied by the screams and falls of their enemies.
Bai Mei, the archer of "Night Shadow," possessed exceptional archery skills. She was currently lying in ambush behind a rockery, her longbow firing in rapid succession, each arrow accurately piercing the throat or brow of a rebel soldier. Her eyes were calm and focused, as if the surrounding shouts and explosions were irrelevant to her; she had only one thought in her mind: to hold this place and buy time for her sisters.
Zhou Mi, with a fiery personality and skilled in dual swords, was currently locked in combat with several rebel soldiers. Her swords moved with impenetrable precision, their flashes creating a whistling sound with every strike, forcing her enemies to retreat repeatedly. But the rebels were simply too numerous; one wave would push back only to be met with another. Her arms were already slashed, blood staining her sleeves, but she remained oblivious, continuing her fierce battle.
Lin Xiaowan, though young, was the team's "miracle doctor," proficient in both medicine and poisons. While dodging stray arrows, she moved among the wounded, quickly bandaging the wounds of injured team members and personal guards, and administering medicine. Her face was covered in dust and blood, but her eyes were filled with anxiety and unwavering determination.
Lin Xuan was in charge of the central command, directing operations and calmly analyzing the battlefield situation, constantly adjusting deployments. Although she didn't fight on the front lines like her sisters, the pressure on her shoulders was no less. Every time news of an outpost being in danger arrived, her heart tightened a little more.
Lin Xue and Lin Xiaoyan were like two sharpest swords, active in the most intense battlegrounds. Lin Xue, wielding a pair of short daggers, moved with swift, agile movements, specializing in hunting down rebel leaders and the most threatening men in black; Lin Xiaoyan, on the other hand, carried a soft whip, its whip flashing like a snake, capable of striking vital points and entangled enemy weapons, creating opportunities for her teammates. The two sisters worked in perfect harmony, invincible, striking fear into the hearts of the rebels.
However, the rebels were simply too numerous, seemingly endless. Sun Kui was clearly determined to capture the General's Mansion as quickly as possible. He personally supervised the battle, ordering a full-scale assault at all costs, even deploying battering rams and catapults.
With a deafening roar, the side gate of the general's mansion collapsed under the impact of the battering ram, and the rebel soldiers poured in like a flood bursting its banks.
"Hold the breach! Don't let them in!" a Nightshade member roared, raising her shield to block the oncoming longsword, only to be pierced through the chest by a rebel spear from behind. Blood gushed from her mouth as she slowly collapsed, her eyes still shining with unyielding spirit.
"Little Red!" Bai Mei's eyes widened in fury as she shot an arrow through the spearman's eye, but more rebels had already rushed in.
A gap has been torn in the defense line!
In the chaos, several assassins dressed in black night clothes and with their faces covered by black cloths burst in like ghosts. Their target was the temporary wounded soldiers' camp where Lin Xiaowan was located. These assassins were the "Shadow Assassins" hired by Sun Kui.
"Protect Lin Xiaowan!" Zhou Mi roared upon seeing this, charging forward with her twin swords, forcefully blocking the attacks of two "Shadow Assassins." The clash of blades against short swords produced a piercing sound, sparks flying. Although Zhou Mi was brave, the "Shadow Assassins" were far stronger than ordinary rebels, their moves ruthless and deadly. She quickly found herself on the defensive, sustaining several more wounds, covered in blood, and at her last gasp.
Lin Xiaowan was terrified and instinctively backed away, but a "Shadow Assassin" seized the opportunity and slashed at her head with a knife.
Watch out! In that heart-stopping, life-or-death moment, Bai Mei didn't hesitate to abandon the longbow she was holding, quickly drew the sharp short blade from her waist, and pounced on Lin Xiaowan like a nimble cat, bravely using her delicate body to block the fatal attack.
With a muffled thud, as if an incredibly sharp dagger had mercilessly pierced the air, heading straight for the heart and lungs. The gleaming blade penetrated Bai Mei's skin without resistance, embedding itself deeply into her...navel!
It's important to understand that this area is not only extremely sensitive but also relatively vulnerable to injury. In an instant, a searing pain, like a raging tide, overwhelmed Bai Mei, engulfing her completely. Her delicate body trembled violently, stiffening as if electrocuted. Her once rosy and healthy complexion turned deathly pale in the blink of an eye, devoid of any color. Her right hand, gripping the short blade, gave way, and with a crisp sound, the blade silently slipped to the cold, hard ground.
Bai Mei's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief and astonishment. She slowly lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the short knife cruelly plunged into her abdomen. She saw bright red blood gushing out of the gruesome wound, quickly staining the hem of her clothes, creating a shocking scene.
"Sister Bai Mei!" Lin Xiaowan, witnessing the horrific scene before her, was instantly terrified, her face drained of color and her heart breaking. She screamed and rushed forward, desperately embracing the limp and powerless Bai Mei, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam. But Zhou Mi, her eyes red, had already charged forward, her twin blades carrying an unstoppable momentum, forcing back the "Shadow Assassin Guard." However, more "Shadow Assassins" surrounded them, the leader of whom was tall and had a chilling aura; he was the leader of the "Shadow Assassins," and also the head of the assassin organization hired by Sun Kui at great expense.
The man's gaze swept over the dying Bai Mei, then turned to Zhou Mi, who was covered in blood and at her last gasp, and Lin Xiaowan, who was trembling with fear but still clinging tightly to Bai Mei. A cruel sneer curled at the corner of his mouth: "The little brats of the Lin family, and these girls, none of them will live!"
Zhou Mi shielded Lin Xiaowan and Bai Mei behind her, gripping her twin swords tightly. Although she was covered in wounds and exhausted, her eyes remained fierce: "If you want to touch them, you'll have to get past me first!"
"You're courting death!" The leader of the Shadow Assassins sneered, and with a wave of his hand, several assassins pounced on him like hungry wolves.
Zhou Mi gritted her teeth and fought back desperately, but she was ultimately outnumbered. A short blade sliced through her thigh, and she staggered, falling to her knees. Seeing the enemy's blade about to fall, Zhou Mi closed her eyes in despair.
Is "Night Shadow" destined to perish here today? Is Black Iron City truly going to fall into the hands of the rebels? Lin Xiaowan held Bai Mei, whose breath was growing weaker and weaker, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face, her heart filled with helplessness and despair.
Chapter Three: Night Shadows Arrive to the Rescue, Turning the Tide.
Just when Lin Xuan, Zhou Mi, Lin Xiaowan and others were in dire straits and Bai Mei's life was hanging by a thread, a sudden change occurred!
"kill--!"
"Night Shadow is here, traitor beheaded!"
"Sisters, charge with me!"
A clear yet powerful female voice boomed like thunder through the chaotic general's mansion. This was followed by a barrage of whistling sounds, screams, and the terrified cries of the rebel soldiers.
Suddenly, a huge breach was blasted open in the western wall of the general's mansion, and countless agile black figures surged in like a black torrent. They moved swiftly and in perfect coordination, their weapons gleaming with a deadly cold light in the firelight. Wherever they passed, rebel soldiers fell like wheat being harvested.
The two leading figures were none other than the captain and vice-captain of "Night Shadow"—Lin Xue and Lin Xiaoyan!
It turned out that after learning that the main force of the rebels was launching a fierce attack on the General's Mansion, Lin Xue and Lin Xiaoyan knew that the mansion was short-handed and the situation was critical. They made a decisive decision: they left some of their team members to assist Lin Xuan in defending the city, while they themselves led the remaining forty-two elite members of "Night Shadow" out of the General's Mansion through a secret passage, circled around to the rear of the rebels, found the weak point in the rebels' defenses, and launched a surprise attack!
They descended like divine warriors, catching the rebels completely off guard!
The forty-two "Night Shadow" team members, plus Lin Xue and Lin Xiaoyan, made a total of forty-four, yet they displayed the momentum of a thousand troops. They had a clear division of labor: some were responsible for clearing out the outer rebels and opening up passages; some formed an arrowhead formation and charged into the depths of the general's mansion; and some were like ghosts in the night, specifically targeting the rebel archers and minor leaders.
Lin Xue took the lead, her twin daggers flashing like streaks of light, each swing claiming a life. Her eyes were icy, her mind focused on only one thought: Faster! Faster! To support her sister, to save Bai Mei and the others! She had already learned of the devastation inside the mansion from the team members who had broken through and returned seeking reinforcements, and the perilous situation facing Bai Mei, Zhou Mi, Lin Xiaowan, and the others.