Upon the city walls, the war drums thundered.
Not the rousing rhythm of a charge,
but a heavy, repeated beat—
a demand for an answer.
At the center of the battlements stood Fu Jian, Lord of the City.
His iron helm remained fastened, his cloak whipped violently by the wind.
He did not raise his arm nor shout commands—
he simply stared into the black tide rolling toward the walls.
Orc soldiers.
A mass so dense it seemed capable of devouring everything in its path.
No formation.
No banners.
Only howls, collisions,
and an instinctive, suicidal surge forward.
The deputy officer beside him was deathly pale.
"Lord… the trebuchets are ready. Their numbers are at least three times ours."
Fu Jian nodded, showing no surprise, as if he had long expected this.
"Archers to the walls.
Boiling oil prepared.
Reinforce the west gate—do not let them reach the walls."
Orders were issued one by one.
Calm.
Unhurried.
City of White Horse was never meant to be a fortress.
Its walls were not high.
Its soldiers were not elite.
But here—
there was no retreat.
The first wave of orcs entered firing range.
"Release!"
Bowstrings sang in unison.
A storm of arrows poured down.
Orcs fell in swaths, only to be trampled by those behind them.
Blood mixed with mud, spreading across the ground.
They did not even glance at their fallen kin.
"Battering rams!" the deputy cried out.
Three crude but massive rams were shoved forward.
The orcs roared, driving the huge logs into the gate—
Boom!
The gate shuddered.
Wood splintered.
From deep within the city came the muffled sobbing of civilians—
not screams, but a sound like a dull blade carving into the heart.
Fu Jian's hand tightened slowly.
"Fire arrows!"
Flaming shafts arced into the orc ranks.
Fire erupted.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Orcs screamed—
yet still surged forward like the mad.
"They don't fear death!" the deputy's voice trembled.
Fu Jian did not turn.
His gaze was fixed on the widening cracks in the gate.
Boom!
The second impact widened the breach.
Fu Jian drew a deep breath.
Steel rang as he drew his sword.
"Prepare for close combat!"
The soldiers atop the walls were pale—
but none retreated.
They all knew what lay behind them:
the southern route to the Holy City.
If City of White Horse fell,
there would be no barrier left.
BOOM!!
The third strike shattered the gate.
Orcish roars flooded into the city like a black tide.
"Hold the line!" Fu Jian bellowed, charging down the stairs first.
Steel flashed.
Blood splattered the stone steps.
City of White Horse plunged into brutal melee.
Far in the distance, dust coiled like a dragon.
A force was racing toward the battlefield, its banners not yet unfurled.
Then—
A horn blast tore through the chaos.
Not the orcs' savage howling—
but a clear, sharp call,
forged of iron and will.
All eyes lifted.
From the smoke and dust, a black-armored warhorse burst through the ruins.
Its rider wore thunder-marked heavy armor, cloak shredded by battle—
Hong Lei.
He did not shout slogans.
He simply raised his battle axe and brought it down hard.
"The Holy City's reinforcements have arrived!"
The words struck like thunder.
Behind him, Kari led his troops straight into the fray.
Shield formations snapped into place,
spears angled forward,
movements precise—almost cold—
a stark contrast to the orcs' madness.
This was not superiority of numbers.
It was the crushing weight of order over chaos.
For a heartbeat, the defenders of City of White Horse froze—
then erupted in deafening cheers.
"General Hong Lei!"
"Hold fast—reinforcements are here!"
A defense on the verge of collapse was suddenly flooded with life.
Fu Jian, forced back by two orcs, saw a battle axe cleave down from the side—
Crack!
An orc's head flew skyward.
He turned.
Hong Lei stood in a pool of blood.
Their eyes met—
no greetings,
no pleasantries.
"Three streets inside the gate—enemy forces everywhere," Fu Jian said grimly.
Hong Lei nodded.
"Kari!"
"Here!"
"Shield wall advance. Clear the streets!"
The order was given.
No hesitation.
The shield wall rolled forward like an iron tide.
Orcs were driven back step by step—
their frenzy, for the first time, breaking before disciplined ranks.
On the walls, fallen soldiers rose again.
Some picked up dropped weapons.
Others raised their arms and shouted—
"City of White Horse still stands!"
Morale spread like wildfire.
Streets once abandoned were reclaimed inch by inch.
Hong Lei led from the front.
Each swing of his axe carried thunder.
Kari anchored the formation behind him—
every advance flawless.
This was the doctrine of the Holy City's iron legions.
The orcs still howled—
but for the first time, they began to retreat.
Outside the walls, their command dissolved into chaos.
With its gates shattered and doom at hand—
City of White Horse stood firm.
白马城.
城墙之上,战鼓咚咚作响不是激昂的冲锋调,是反复敲打,催着人给出回应的沉闷节奏.
城主傅坚立在城楼正中,铁盔还扣在头上,披风被狂风扯得猎猎翻飞.他没有振臂高呼,只是静静凝视着城外那片翻涌的黑色洪流.
兽兵.
密得像能吞噬一切的移动阴影,没有阵型,没有旗帜,只剩吼叫,撞击,以及不顾一切向前冲的本能.
副官站在身侧,脸色煞白"城主,投石车已就位...对方兵力至少是我们的三倍."
傅坚点头,神情没有半点惊讶,仿佛早有预料"弓手上墙.滚油备齐.西门加固,绝不能让他们贴墙!"
命令一条条下达,不急,也不乱.
白马城本不是要塞,城墙不算高,兵力也非精锐.但这里,没有退路可退.
第一波兽兵已冲进射程.
"放箭!"
弓弦齐鸣,箭雨如骤雨倾泻.兽兵倒下一片,却立刻被身后的潮水踩过,血混着泥污漫开,他们连同伴的尸体都不曾多看一眼.
"攻城锤!"副官失声惊呼.
三具粗制却硕大的攻城锤被推到阵前,兽兵们嘶吼着,将巨木狠狠撞向城门
轰!
城门震颤,木屑飞溅,远处传来百姓压抑的啜泣,不是尖叫,却像一把钝刀割在人心上.
傅坚的手缓缓攥紧"火箭!"
火矢离弦,落入兽群.火焰腾起,焦臭弥漫,兽兵发出惨嚎,却仍疯了般往前涌.
"城主...他们根本不怕死!"副官声音发颤.
傅坚没有回头,目光死死锁着裂开缝隙的城门.
轰!
第二次撞击落下,缝隙又大了几分.
傅坚深吸一口气,锵然拔出腰间长剑"近战准备!"
城墙上的士兵脸色苍白,却没有一人后退他们都清楚,城后就是通往圣城的南线,白马城一破,便再无屏障.
轰!!
第三次撞击,城门轰然崩裂,兽兵的咆哮如洪水般灌入城中.
"守住!"傅坚怒喝一声,率先冲下城楼.刀光闪过,血溅石阶,白马城彻底陷入肉搏混战.
而在更远的地方,尘土翻卷如龙,一支队伍正疾行而来,战旗还未及展开.
就在此刻,一声号角陡然刺破喧嚣不是兽兵杂乱的嚎叫,是清晰,短促,带着铁血意志的军号!
所有人下意识抬头,烟尘之中,一匹黑甲战马踏碎残垣冲进来.马背上的人,雷纹重甲覆身,披风破得丝丝缕缕,正是洪雷!
他没有喊什么激昂口号,只是高举战斧,狠狠劈下"圣城援军已到!"
声音如惊雷炸响.
紧随其后,卡里率队突入,盾阵齐齐展开,长枪斜指前方,动作整齐得近乎冷酷,与兽兵的疯狂形成刺眼对比.
这不是人数的碾压,是秩序对混乱的碾压.
白马城的士兵愣了一瞬,随即爆发出震天呼喊"是洪雷将军!撑住!援军来了!"
原本濒临崩溃的防线,像被猛地注入了血气.
傅坚正被两名兽兵逼得步步后退,一柄战斧突然从侧方劈来,咔! 兽兵头颅冲天飞起.他转身,就见洪雷立在血泊里,两人目光短暂交汇,没有寒暄,没有客套.
"城门内侧,三条街全是敌兵."傅坚沉声说.
洪雷点头"卡里!"
"在!"
"盾阵推进,清街!"
命令下达,没有半分迟疑.盾墙如铁壁压上,兽兵被步步逼退,他们的狂暴,第一次在密集阵型前显出了无力.
城墙上,倒下的士兵重新站起,有人捡起掉落的武器,有人振臂高呼"白马城还没倒!"
士气如火燎原,原本退守的街道,开始一寸寸往回推进.
洪雷冲在最前,战斧每一次落下都带着雷霆之势卡里在后方稳扎阵线,每一步推进都毫无破绽这是圣城铁军的章法.
兽兵仍在嘶吼,却第一次开始退缩.城外,他们的号令也变得混乱不堪.
白马城,在城门洞开的绝境下,竟重新站稳了脚跟!