novel-bin Chapter 166 A bloody battle to the end
Chapter 166 A bloody battle to the end
Gu Jinyan pointed to several hidden passages on the map that were not blocked.
He said to the group, "Split up and use the alleys and secret passages between houses. Avoid direct confrontation."
Instead, they led the enemy deep into the city, gradually exhausting their strength and patience.
We must hold them off and buy time for the other survivors.
She selected several alert young soldiers and assigned them to various alley entrances to monitor the enemy's movements and relay information at any time.
She also sent people to inform the people in the city to close every usable door and window and avoid contact with the enemy as much as possible to prevent being affected or having their hiding places exposed.
When Urtu's soldiers advanced into a narrow alley in the south of the city, Gu Jinyan had already arranged for several elite soldiers to ambush them.
As soon as the enemy squad entered the alley, they heard several hurried footsteps behind them.
Urtu's men turned around alertly, only to see a few dark figures flash by and disappear into the night with light steps.
Urtu snorted coldly and ordered his men to split up and give chase.
However, the alleyways of Hersha were intricate and complex, and the enemy soldiers quickly became lost in the dimly lit alleys.
Taking advantage of the terrain, the soldiers of Gujinyan launched surprise attacks in the darkness from time to time, and each attack accurately struck the enemy's vitals.
Then they quickly retreated to a hidden place, leaving Urtu's soldiers with no way to deal with it.
Urtu's patience gradually wore thin, and he angrily drew his dagger.
He gritted his teeth and growled in a low voice, "No need to pursue them! Force them out! Seal off all the alleyways and trap them inside to die!"
He ordered his men to reinforce the roadblocks and commanded archers to aim at the alley entrances and shoot any Hersha soldiers who attempted to break out.
At the other end of the alley, Gu Jinyan heard the enemy's roars and knew that the enemy troops had become agitated.
She gave a cold laugh and whispered to the soldiers around her, "The enemy is starting to panic. Keep holding them off and let their anger become our weapon."
She led her soldiers to retreat gradually, always maintaining distance and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Occasionally, she would throw stones at the end of the alley to create noise and confuse the enemy's judgment.
As Urtu continued to advance, the street fighting in Hesha City became increasingly fierce, with the entire alleyway filled with shouts of battle and the clanging of metal.
Gu Jinyan stood deep in the alley, watching the enemy troops gradually approach, knowing that they had reached the last line of defense.
She took a deep breath and said to the few remaining soldiers around her, "If this is the last battle, we must make them remember that the warriors of Hersha City will never surrender easily."
Urtu's frantic blockade and mopping-up operations in the city failed to achieve immediate victory, and the resistance in Hesha City remained stubborn.
As night fell, Dawar led the elite troops of the Tiger Clan to launch a psychological offensive in the city.
His soldiers were scattered throughout the city's streets and alleys, setting fire to a few supply depots in Hesha.
Flames shot into the sky in the night, and the burning grain and water sources plunged the surrounding people into panic.
Dawar, his face grim, ordered his soldiers to post notices on the walls, declaring in cruel language that any civilians who sheltered the soldiers of Hesha would be severely punished.
The notice, written in bright red ink, proclaimed: "Anyone found providing shelter, food, or water to the soldiers of Hesha City will be executed without mercy! Their entire family will be exiled, and their property confiscated!"
Dawar ordered his soldiers to post these notices everywhere, especially in areas where people gathered and at important intersections.
Make sure everyone can see it.
He also ordered his men to patrol at all times, and to execute any civilians found secretly helping the remaining soldiers on the street.
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the atmosphere on the streets of Hersha was already heavy as iron.
A civilian was escorted to the center of the square by several soldiers of the Black Rock Alliance. His hands were tied behind his back, his clothes were tattered, and his face was covered with bruises from being beaten.
Although there was a hint of struggle in his eyes, it could not conceal the deep-seated fear.
He walked unsteadily toward the execution ground with his head bowed. A suppressed commotion arose behind him. The surrounding crowd gathered, their gazes complex, but no one dared to speak up to help.
Dawar stood on the high platform, wearing a black cloak, coldly looking down at the commoner without a trace of pity on his face.
He slowly raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to push the prisoner to the ground.
The surrounding people held their breath, the air thick with tension and fear.
Some young children, unaware of what was happening, were held tightly in their mothers' arms, their eyes covered, so they wouldn't witness this scene.
Davar's gaze was like iron, and his voice was low and cold as he declared: "This man dared to shelter the remaining soldiers of Hesha City and attempted to disrupt the order of the Black Rock Alliance. His crime is unforgivable."
He slowly lowered the battle flag in his hand, and the cold command pierced people's hearts like an invisible blade: "Behead them and display their heads as a warning to others!"
As Davar gave the order, the executioner mercilessly raised his gleaming longsword.
The prisoner struggled slightly, trying to look up at the onlookers, his eyes revealing a trace of guilt and helplessness, as if he were silently saying goodbye to them.
The moment the blade struck, blood gushed out, staining the gray earth in front of him red. The stench of blood quickly filled the air, making people nauseous.
In the square, some people trembled and retreated, some covered their faces and wept, some elderly people clasped their hands together and mourned in hushed tones, while many more silently lowered their heads, unable to bear to look at this cruel scene.
A deathly silence fell over the surroundings, with only Davar's cold gaze fixed on the crowd like the coldest winter.
He wanted everyone to remember his power and ruthlessness.
A heavy sense of oppression filled the air, and fear spread like a tide into everyone's hearts.
Dawar's ruthless methods were like a heavy shackle, binding the people of Hesha City firmly under an invisible shadow.
This gradually eroded their hearts with fear, making them dare not even think of resisting anymore.
On the other side, after learning of Dawar's horrific methods, Wen Jiang Lü Qian decided to immediately appease and encourage the people.
He evaded Dawar's patrols and moved among the people's gathering places.
He reassured us in a low but firm voice: "The Black Rock Alliance wants to scare us and make us distrust each other, but that's their trap."
They are afraid of our unity, so they resort to such despicable means.
Hersha is our home; we cannot betray our bloodline out of fear.
Lü Qian's encouragement resonated faintly with the people, although many still harbored fear.
But his words brought a glimmer of hope and determination to their eyes.
He distributed limited food in a secluded corner and told the people that as long as they were united and persevered, there would always be a way out.
Lü Qian also cited the example of the ancestors of Hesha City bravely resisting, recounting how the city endured hardships and still stood firm.
He told the people that Hersha City was not protected by its walls alone, but by the courage and faith of every Hersha City resident.
Many elderly people listened to Lü Qian's words, tears welling up in their eyes, and slowly nodded.
However, Dawar's cruel methods gradually took effect.
At midnight, the streets of Hersha City appeared particularly desolate under the moonlight.
Occasionally, the distant footsteps of Blackrock soldiers on patrol could be heard, sending chills down one's spine.
In a secluded alley, a man of about forty years old looked nervous. After glancing around to make sure no one was there, he hurried toward the camp where the Black Rock soldiers were stationed.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his lips were tightly pressed together, and his eyes flickered with complex emotions—guilt towards his neighbors and a longing for his family to survive.
As he approached the Blackrock soldier, he whispered a secret—a wounded soldier from Hesha City was being kept in his neighbor's house.
Upon hearing the report, Dawar smirked coldly.
He nodded slightly, waved to summon a squad of soldiers, and ordered them to quickly proceed to the target residence following the route indicated by the informant.
The soldiers moved swiftly through the alleyways like a group of shadows, their heavy, oppressive footsteps conveying an invisible threat.
The whistleblower followed timidly, feeling uneasy, but had no choice but to remain silent in order to save his life.
Soon, Dawar and his soldiers arrived at the location reported—a simple hut.
Without hesitation, Dawar signaled his soldiers to surround the house, cutting off all escape routes.
He waved his hand coldly, ordering the soldiers to kick open the gate.
As the wooden door crashed to the ground, Blackrock soldiers swarmed in and quickly took control of the Hersha City soldiers and the civilians who were sheltering them inside.
The captured soldiers of Hesha City were pale-faced and struggled to resist.
He was forcefully pinned to the ground by several soldiers, his hands tightly bound.
Davar coldly observed everything before him, and expressionlessly ordered, "Take them to the street and execute them in public."
His words were like a death sentence, sending chills down one's spine.
Soon, Dawar's soldiers took the arrested people to the streets for public display.
The people who reported the incident stood far away from the crowd, heads bowed, unable to look directly at the person.
Dawar's men publicly read out the charges against these people for "harboring criminals," and then subjected them to severe punishment in the street.
The captured soldiers of Hesha endured whippings under the sun, their blood oozing from their gaping wounds and staining the ground red.
The surrounding people remained silent in the face of this cruel punishment, their eyes filled with both fear and helplessness.
Davar's gaze was cold and cruel as he surveyed the oppressed people of Hesha City, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.
Such public punishment would instill more fear among the people, which was exactly the effect he desired.
These whistleblowers watched coldly, their eyes filled with complex emotions. Some were trying to survive, while others compromised out of fear of the Black Rock Alliance.
Under the cover of night, Lü Qian led a small group of loyal citizens of Hesha City and quietly gathered in an abandoned warehouse.
They discussed in hushed tones how to counter the oppression of the Black Rock Alliance.
The atmosphere inside the warehouse was oppressive; everyone wore a solemn expression, and the flickering torchlight cast turbulent shadows on their faces, highlighting their deep weariness and unease.
Suddenly, Lü Qian noticed something amiss.
He noticed that one of the people was looking around nervously, glancing furtively at the doorway from time to time, with cold sweat beading on his forehead and a very tense expression.
Lu Qian grew suspicious and quietly approached the man, lowering his voice to ask, "What are you worried about? Why are you so flustered?"
The man was startled by the sudden question, turned his head sharply, his eyes darting away, and he unconsciously took a step back.
Lu Qian instantly understood, his face darkened, and his gaze pierced through the other party's defenses like a sharp blade.
Just as the man was about to quietly retreat to the door, Lü Qian grabbed his shoulder.
He stopped him, his voice low but filled with anger: "Are you really willing to sell your home to save your own life? Have you forgotten that this is where you were born and raised?"
The commoner struggled for a moment, but could not break free from Lü Qian's grasp. Pain and shame flashed in his eyes, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth and said in a trembling voice, "I...I didn't mean to."
I just don't want my family to get involved... The Black Rock Alliance is too cruel; we simply can't fight them.
Seeing my neighbors being arrested and executed one by one every day... I really can't take it anymore.
As Lü Qian listened to these words, the anger in his eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a deep sorrow.