Chapter 50: Dark Clouds Pressing Down on the City

  Hancheng is a major city on the western side of Huoyun Empire, also known as the Western Great Gate. The city is situated in a valley between two mountains, blocking the path for the beastmen to enter the empire's interior and only one side of the city wall can be climbed and attacked, making it extremely treacherous. Due to this reason, the beastmen have been merely skirmishing on the border of the empire for many years, never daring to launch a full-scale attack on Huoyun Empire.

  However, at this time, outside the city of Han, tens of thousands of barbarian troops gathered, with banners and flags fluttering, and the sound of killing shook the sky. The entire city of Han was plunged into a sea of flames of war.

  "Give me a charge, take down this city, there's plenty of fine wine and food inside!" A lion man stood under the cold city, waving his wolf-toothed club and roaring loudly.

  "Whoever climbs the city wall first will be rewarded with ten taels of gold and two beautiful beastwomen!" A werewolf drew out a long knife, pointing at the walls of City of Cold, shouting loudly.

  A team of beastmen, under the command of their officers, climbed up the cloud ladder to the walls of the Cold City. As they approached the top, boulders as large as millstones were thrown down from the city wall, causing blood flowers to bloom. Many beastmen fell and became part of the thick pile of corpses at the foot of the wall, while those behind trampled over them to rush forward. Those who occasionally managed to climb up onto the wall were quickly hacked to pieces by the defending soldiers and scattered down from the wall in fragments, never again able to enjoy their officers' rewards.

  The intense smell of fresh blood stirred the beastmen's ferocity, making their attacks increasingly fierce. The defenders on the city walls also sensed the threat of death from the smell of blood and fought with reckless abandon, staking their lives against each other.

  Wave after wave of beastmen charged forward, and then retreated. The defenders on the city walls suffered heavy casualties under the beastmen's desperate attacks.

  When the sun sets in the west, the beast-like tide of attacks finally stopped. Under the city wall, the beast soldiers were busy transporting corpses, and the defenders on the city wall seemed too lazy to pay attention, taking advantage of the interval between battles to recover their strength as soon as possible. On the battlefield, it suddenly became quiet, with only occasional cries of pain from the wounded, reminding people that a brutal war had taken place here.

  The commander of the third legion, Lie Hu, stood outside his tent, his eyes fixed tightly on the city of Han. In the great army of the beastmen, he was known for his bravery in battle, so the king of the beastmen had entrusted him with the task of attacking the city of Han.

  The weakness of the defense forces in the cold city was extremely unexpected for Lie Hu.

  At that time, Lie Hu was just sighing with emotion. The Fire Cloud Empire's old tiger, after a long period of peace, finally dozed off, giving him an opportunity to take advantage of.

  But he did not expect that on the second day, they encountered strong resistance and were unable to capture it even after five days of fighting, suffering nearly 20,000 casualties.

  "Alas, perhaps this time it's a loss after all!" Lie Hu sighed and shook his head, "But, Han Cheng, tomorrow everything of yours will belong to the Beastmen!"

  Thinking of the vast and fertile land behind the cold city, with an abundance of grain, Lie Hu's mood seemed to improve somewhat.

  On the city wall of the cold city, a female general wearing armor was inspecting the casualties and consumption of defensive materials among the soldiers.

  "Your Highness, we only have these stones and gold left. If the beastmen attack again tomorrow, Cold City may fall! So, you must leave today!" General Rolin, the thirty-year-old commander of Cold City's garrison, hastily caught up to Naya and whispered urgently in her ear.

  "I am the Imperial Princess, at a time of danger, how can I abandon my soldiers and escape alone? This matter will not be mentioned again!" Naya turned around, saying angrily.

  "General Luo Lin, if this city falls, let's die for the country together!" Looking at Luo Lin who was covered in wounds and exhausted, Naya's heart softened, and she said softly, her tone still firm and resolute.

  "Princess, you're leading me into disloyalty!" Luo Lin choked out.

  The sudden attack of the beastmen was something he had not anticipated. According to convention, every year in autumn, the beastmen would make a show of force at the empire's borders, but they never launched a large-scale invasion. Although Cold City was the gateway to the western part of the empire, due to the long period of peace and the city's dangerous terrain, with only one side of the city wall that could be attacked, there were only 20,000 troops defending the city.

  Luolin did not expect that when the beastmen suddenly attacked, the whole city was in a panic and the people were fleeing, the emperor's most beloved Princess Naya would suddenly appear in Hancheng and personally come to the front line to command the battle.

  "General Luo Lin, I am the princess of our country. Behind me are our lands and people. Are you asking me to abandon them? If I leave, it would be a betrayal to the empire and to my people!" Naya sighed softly.

  Although she had exceptional talent, in the harsh terrain of Cold City which was more suitable for defense than offense, facing the powerful beastman army, apart from holding out and waiting for reinforcements, there was nothing else she could do.

  The weakness of the defense forces in Cold City was extremely unexpected and infuriating to her. The arrows were insufficient, the defensive equipment was insufficient, the food reserves were insufficient, and even the soldiers' weapons were not enough. For this reason, on the first day of the war, she ordered the execution of the military officer in charge of supplies in Cold City, a close relative of an imperial noble.

  Facing all this, Luo Lin felt ashamed, and Naya didn't pursue the matter further because she understood that in the imperial capital's official circles, a general stationed outside wouldn't dare to offend those in power. At the same time, Luo Lin's performance over the past few days had also made her feel very pleased - she hadn't expected that such a timid person would think of perishing together with the city at the moment of life and death, rather than fleeing.

  Looking at the migrant workers transporting stone blocks on the city wall, Naya said desolately: "General Luo Lin, look at these subjects of the empire. They could have escaped, but they gave up voluntarily. They even dismantled their own houses and sent over these stone blocks. What are they doing this for? Just to defend this city and have the opportunity to rebuild their homes on this land. Do you think it's worth dying for them?"

  "But, Your Highness, defending the city is our responsibility, you just happened to pass by. You can leave tonight. We will wait for reinforcements to arrive and swear to live or die with this cold city!"

  "Never mind, I've made up my mind," Naya said calmly. "When will the recent reinforcements arrive?"

  "Five days. Our provisions will last, but I fear the soldiers won't hold out," said Luo Lin.

  "Why did the beastmen attack Frost City this time? This is not like their usual style, are they going to go all out war with the empire?" Naya felt confused, looking at the dense beastman camp outside the city, and shook her head involuntarily.

  "Rolin, gather the soldiers." Naya said softly.

  Soon, large troops of soldiers gathered on and inside the city walls.

  Standing at the highest point of the city wall, Naya's crisp voice spread throughout the entire city wall.

  "Soldiers, I am Imperial Princess Naya. Today, the beastmen have brazenly invaded our territory, attacked our cities, and plundered our people. The Empire will not tolerate this! You may know that the enemy we face is very strong, but I am determined to stand with all of you, to defend Cold City to the death, and not yield an inch! Behind Cold City are our parents, brothers, and our rich land, which must not be trampled by the beastmen's iron hooves! Are you willing to fight alongside me, to die defending Cold City?"

  "I wish to die in battle with our lord!" All the officers and soldiers responded thunderously, even some of the wounded struggled to get up from the ground.

  "Good, you are all good sons of the Empire! The Empire will not forget you!" Having said that, Naya's eyes welled up with tears as she walked down from the city wall.

  "Will the Empire really never forget them?" a voice asked in Naya's heart.

  Naya recalled what Liuyun had once said. After experiencing the cruelty of war, she felt especially deeply the lovability and respectability of these soldiers.

  "Rolin, go and bring all the nobles of Hansheng to me on the city wall." Naya said coldly.

  Soon, Luo Lin led his men to bring all the nobles who had not escaped from Hansheng onto the city wall. These nobles were mostly frightened and panicked, their faces pale with anxiety.

  "I am Imperial Princess Naya, honored to meet you all. You are all nobles of the empire, and in this time of national crisis, I hope you will all be loyal to the country. From today on, you will stay here to participate in the resistance against the enemy. As long as the Cold City stands, you stand; if the Cold City falls, then you will follow me into the nation's calamity together." Naya said coldly.

  "Ah!" Several nobles exclaimed in surprise and fainted on the spot. Naya turned around and left, not giving these nobles another glance.

  Naya then organized 10,000 of the remaining 12,000 troops in Cold City into five battalions, with Luo Lin in charge of rotating shifts to guard the city. She personally led 2,000 people as a suicide squad, responsible for retaking the fallen city wall.

  Night fell, finally shrouding the cold city. The thick night color was like a black cloud pressing down on the city, making Naya's heart feel bewildered.

  "Tomorrow, what kind of fate will await me, and the warriors of this cold city?"