A grappling hook swept over the battlement, aiming directly for Zhou Ni’s chest. Zhou Ni was so startled she froze in place. I raised my gun and shot, severing the rope attached to the hook. Then, I grabbed Zhou Ni’s arm, shouting, “Everyone retreat! Girls, head to the safe zone below the wall. Dali Wan and Raiski, stay with me and fight the enemy!”

“I’m not leaving,” Linglong declared, drawing her military knife from her waist. Just then, another grappling hook embedded itself in the wall, its rope snapping taut—someone was definitely climbing up. Linglong swung her knife and slashed the rope free.

Someone had taken the lead, and Yun Yao, holding a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, seconded the sentiment: “I’m not leaving either. I want to fight side-by-side with you.”

In terms of physique, Cheng Susu couldn't compare to Yun Yao. Yun Yao often danced and practiced martial arts, and being a country girl, she was much stronger than Cheng Susu. Yet, Cheng Susu refused to be left behind by the younger girl. She drew her military knife and stood bravely at the edge of the wall, slicing through a rope with two sharp kacha sounds.

Cheng Susu’s silent action inspired Zhou Ni and Wahani; for a moment, none of them would leave. By now, over a hundred grappling hooks were lodged on the wall. The yamen runners’ blades were terribly dull, and the ropes attached to the hooks seemed to have been soaked in some oily substance, making them unnervingly soft yet sturdy. Usually, it took them seven or eight chops to cut a rope completely. With our military knives, a strong person could sever it in one stroke, and even someone weaker would take no more than two. Consequently, the group acted as a rapid response team. Whenever a horse bandit was about to scramble over, the yamen runners would yell for help, and the moment a military knife arrived, the pace of the assault would slow. Fortunately, the bandits stopped shooting arrows for fear of hitting their own men; otherwise, peering over the edge to cut ropes would have invited arrow wounds.

It was Zhang Wenbing’s bad luck. He was snagged by a hook on his clothing, and the vicious prong dragged him backward toward the corner of the wall. He was effectively pinned against the masonry, squirming and shouting in alarm, all thoughts of playing the great hero vanished.

Cheng Susu happened to pass by him. Biting her lip, she swung her knife and severed the rope of that grappling hook. Zhang Wenbing stumbled, attempting to lunge into Cheng Susu’s embrace, but she sidestepped lightly, her brow etched with disdain.

Zhang Wenbing cried out, “Cousin, thank you! You are so brave; I admire you deeply.”

Cheng Susu replied coolly, “Zhang Wenbing, I’ve refrained from turning hostile because you are my adoptive mother’s nephew. Now I tell you plainly: I have a husband. Please respect yourself from now on. And next time you act, don’t overestimate yourself. If you want to defend the city, first consider your own worth!”

Cheng Susu’s words left Zhang Wenbing deeply embarrassed. As the saying goes, a person needs a face, and a tree needs bark. He, Zhang Wenbing, was considered a dashing young gentleman in Flying Eagle Prefecture, mingling in high society; never before had anyone spoken to him like this. Yet, he found himself unable to refute Cheng Susu’s words.

“Cousin, I know you’ve been deceived. Believe me, I can surely save you from your misguided path,” Chen Wenbing still insisted stubbornly.

“Zhang Wenbing, give up the idea. If you want a girl to fall for you, you should show some manly capability! But what can you do besides reciting a few flowery poems? Can you protect my safety? Can you give me happiness? Don't tell me money equals happiness—happiness isn't something money can buy. Although I have amnesia, my feelings haven't gone. I know who is genuinely good to me, who truly cares for and cherishes me. You are completely unworthy! All you think about is possessing my body!”

With that, Cheng Susu stopped addressing Zhang Wenbing and turned back to rejoin the fray. Zhang Wenbing was left speechless by her tirade. After a long moment of reflection, he descended the tower, turning back three steps at a time. His Wuzhuangyuan (top scholar-warrior) robes were now tattered beyond recognition. He knew he had failed, and the newly formed Anti-Zhao alliance was useless now.

In times of crisis, a man's true heart is best tested. But Zhang Wenbing feared death; he dared not remain on the tower, his heart pounding with anxiety. Thus, he was willing to temporarily abandon the great beauty, his flying immortal cousin.

Feiyu County's walls weren't very high, and soon, bandits who couldn't have their ropes cut in time scrambled up. These bandits were ferocious, hacking wildly with their broad sabers. In moments, four or five yamen runners lay dead at their hands.

Constable Sun became frantic, wildly swinging his broadsword to subdue the attackers. Suddenly, a saber pierced him from behind, burying itself deep in his thigh. Constable Sun was a fierce man himself; he roared and hacked back with his sword, sending a head rolling to the ground with a clang.

The wound in his thigh had struck Constable Sun’s vital area. Not only did he bleed profusely, but his leg also became useless. After using all his strength to decapitate that bandit, he had no power left to fight the others. At that moment, two more bandits rushed him with their sabers, and it looked like Constable Sun’s ruddy face was about to be cleaved open.

Though far away, Linglong kept an eye on everything. Seeing Constable Sun in danger, she rushed to shout at me, “Master, save Constable Sun quickly!”

Saying that, Linglong fired a shot, killing one bandit who had his back to her. The other bandit, shielded by Constable Sun, couldn't be shot, and his saber continued to slash toward the constable. Hearing Linglong’s distress call, I quickly raised my gun and dispatched the remaining bandit. A hole through the head wasn't enough to stop him from dying; the gap in weaponry made them utterly defenseless.

Although Constable Sun couldn't move, his mind was clear. He leaned on his broadsword, struggling to support his body, and looked back at me, saying, “Thank you, Brother Zhao.”

“Shut up,” I retorted, hoisting him onto my back. “The house is on fire, and you’re talking like this? Thank me after you survive this!”

I carried Constable Sun down the tower to have his wound bandaged, then climbed back up to continue slaughtering the bandits with the laser gun. By then, the bandits’ assault had been repulsed, and they ceased sending reinforcements. After killing the hundred-plus bandits, silence finally returned to the ramparts, leaving behind pools of blood and scattered corpses—a chilling sight.

What made me immensely relieved was that the girls had formed a protective circle, covering each other's backs. Relying on the tremendous power of the laser guns, they hadn't suffered a single scratch, instead killing over forty bandits. Coupled with Dali Wan knocking out two dozen with his club, and the kills racked up by myself, Raiski, and Constable Sun, the yamen runners had contributed little beyond cheering.

County Magistrate An crawled out of a hiding spot, trembling. I didn't bother to lecture him now; thankfully, he was quick-witted enough to immediately command the yamen runners to tend to the wounded. Since the bandits had stopped firing flaming arrows, the fires inside the city had been extinguished by the citizens themselves. Now, many people climbed onto the wall to help the yamen runners treat the injured, and some brought water and bowls to support the soldiers—though they all understood that if the city fell, they, the ordinary people, would suffer the most.

Dali Wan and I each gulped down a large bowl of water and plopped down on the ground. Dali Wan cursed, “Damn it, these bandits really don’t fear death. If there were just a few more of them, we couldn't have held on.”

The few girls were also huddled together, gasping for breath, clearly frightened. I got up and walked over. “You absolutely cannot stay up here. If the bandits retreat after this setback, fine. But if they don't give up and attack again, the battle will surely be more brutal than this one. Go down now; it's time for you to rest.”

Linglong remained stubborn as ever: “I’m not going. I know archery and learned some martial arts from my mother. I must stay and kill bandits.”

Yun Yao chimed in, “I have the Anti-Gravity Boots. I’m the only one here who can fly. If the situation becomes critical, I can help. So, I’m not leaving either.”

Cheng Susu, being older and more steady-tempered, knew this wasn't the time for impulsive loyalty. The fighting strength of the three remaining girls was too low; keeping them here would only burden them. She gave me a meaningful look, which greatly lifted my spirits—receiving a beauty’s favor always felt extraordinary. She said, “I will take her [Zhou Ni] and Wahani down, but we’ll leave the laser guns with you. We have enough at home for self-defense anyway. If—and I only mean if—the bandits manage to breach the city, you must not linger in battle. Go home immediately, and we will figure out an escape plan.”

“Agreed. I’ll listen to you on everything. Go quickly; the bandits might attack at any moment. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here.”

Cheng Susu led the two other girls down the wall. They had barely sat down to catch their breath when County Magistrate An approached me. “Nephew Zhao, Constable Sun is wounded and can no longer command the fight. Could you advise me on how to proceed? Do we have a chance of winning? If we can’t hold the city, we should find a way to retreat. We can’t just watch the yamen runners die, can we? Those bandits are too fierce.”

Suddenly recalling the temporary commander Zhang Wenbing, I became inexplicably annoyed and blurted out, “Where is your Wuzhuangyuan nephew? Wasn't he supposed to be the chief staff officer for wartime appointments?”

County Magistrate An blinked. “Wuzhuangyuan nephew? Oh, you mean Wenbing. Don't even mention that boy. He only causes trouble. He’s probably scared silly and hiding somewhere right now. His posting of that proclamation was seen by many. How am I going to smooth this over for him? That brat has stirred up huge trouble.”

Feeling as if I were kicking him while he was down, I quickly changed my tone. “Magistrate An, actually, your nephew’s idea wasn't a total failure. If the city gate archway hadn't been blocked, the bandits might have already torn down the gate, and we would have lost.”

Magistrate An suddenly understood. “That’s true, that’s very true! Nephew Zhao, you truly are extraordinary. But tell me, Nephew Zhao, can you save the common people of Feiyu County from this crisis and thoroughly defeat the bandits?”

I hesitated. “This… your nephew dare not guarantee it, but if everyone cooperates diligently, there might be hope.”

Magistrate An was overjoyed. “If there’s hope, that means there is hope! Nephew Zhao, you are truly my savior! Cooperation won’t be an issue. I still have over twenty yamen runners fit to fight. I place all of them under your command. Anyone who dares disobey an order—execute them!”

The County Magistrate was quite imposing at this moment, but he was far inferior to Prefect Wu of Flying Eagle Prefecture. Although Prefect Wu cared deeply for official status and wealth, he was truly a brilliant general. This was evident from how he handled the bandit attack at Flying Eagle Prefecture. When the bandits struck suddenly, he wasn't afraid but instead became fiercely determined, and he was the first to shout the order to kill the men but spare the horses, resulting in the capture of eleven fine steeds. Otherwise, given the fear people had of bandits then, they would likely have slaughtered every living thing, man or beast, in sight.