Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Chapter 225. Mo City 2
Chapter 225: Chapter 225. Mo City 2
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Along the way, Su Qing and Ji Shuisheng saw many collapsed houses. Many of the courtyards were deserted. The big holes in the windows could no longer shelter them from the wind and rain. The sound of the doors opening and closing was ear-piercing. Looking at the darkness in the houses, it was even more sinister and terrifying.
“Sis, why is this city so desolate?”
Ji Xiaoying asked Su Qing in a low voice. Mo City was the most run-down city on the way here, and she felt that this city was lifeless.
Su Qing looked at the empty houses and said to Xiaoying,
“This place is located at the border and close to Tartan. 1 reckon that many armed robberies have scared the civilians away.”
“All, are there no soldiers at the border? Why aren’t they protecting the people?”
Ji Xiaoying asked Su Qing with a frown. She wondered if Jingshi Dao would be the same. They had come all the way here. Did they still have to live in fear?
” The people of Tartan are cruel and are good at sneak attacks. Right now, the soldiers of the Great Xia Kingdom are all good for nothing. They only want to plunder the people’s wealth and do not care about the people’s lives.”
Ji Shuisheng’s eyes turned cold. The black soil was filled with food, and the Tartans did not dare to harass them. Ordinary people could live and work peacefully and contentedly when his father was stationed at the border.
Now, things were the same, and people were different. Father was no longer around, and those Tartans had no concerns. They wantonly burned, killed, and plundered the people of the Great Xia Kingdom.
Xiaoying was so angry that she opened her mouth and cursed,
“Bullsh*t Emperor. Those who can’t protect their people should step down and be replaced with someone capable.”
Ji Shuisheng’s face darkened when he saw his sister insulting the Emperor on the street.
“Xiaoying, be careful with your words and actions.”
Ji Xiaoying only remembered that she had said something wrong after being reprimanded by her brother. She quickly covered her mouth and did not dare to curse anymore. However, she could not help but curse a few more times in her heart. Dog Emperor, dog Emperor…
Ji Shuisheng and Su Qing felt they should not stay in the city for long. They wanted to buy food and leave, but it was too late.
“The Tartans are coming; everyone run!”
Someone ran and shouted outside the city, and the sparsely populated streets were instantly deserted. Shops were hurriedly closing their doors, and pedestrians rushed home. In the blink of an eye, only Ji Shuisheng, the five of them, and three carriages were left on the street.
A troop of soldiers from the Great Xia Kingdom galloped past them on horseback and ran towards the city gate. The soldiers all had solemn expressions and gazes. They were determined to die.
“Sister Su Qing, what should we do?”
To avoid trouble, they did not bring any weapons into the city. The crossbows were all placed on the carriage! Jiang Yuyan asked Su Qing nervously.
“Let’s find a courtyard and look at the situation first.”
Since they were already here, they should take it as it was. Since they could no longer leave, they should find a place to stay.
Ji Shuisheng first went to scout the way and found a spacious courtyard. The courtyard door had already been torn down, and the windows and doors had also been smashed. It was even more tragic than the other empty houses.
However, the courtyard was big enough for the carriage to enter. The walls were also relatively high. The walls were made of sharp stones, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack. They only needed to guard the courtyard door.
“Su Qing, you stay here with them. 1’11 go to the city gate to check on the situation.”
This border was protected by his father when he was alive. Many of the soldiers here were his father’s old subordinates. If the Tartans attacked the city, the people would be in trouble.
Ji Shuisheng couldn’t watch them get killed by the enemy and do nothing.
“Be careful.”
Su Qing wanted to go with him, but she was worried that Xiaoying wouldn’t have anyone to protect her.
“Alright.”
Ji Shuisheng felt warm in his heart when he saw the concern in Su Qing’s eyes. He nodded and strode out of the courtyard.
“Big brother, 1’11 go with you.”
Zhong Yong loved to fight. His eyes lit up when he heard that there was a war to fight, and he followed Ji Shuisheng closely.
Ji Shuisheng wanted Zhong Yong to stay behind to protect Su Qing and the others, but Su Qing said,
“I don’t need anyone to protect me.”
Ji Shuisheng also knew her ability. At the critical moment, she could use poison and knockout powder. It was not a problem for her to protect herself.
After Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong left, Jiang Yuyan stood at the door and looked at their backs, her eyes filled with worry.
Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong rushed to the city gate and saw that the city gate was tightly shut. The gate was propped with a thick wooden stick to prevent the enemy from breaking through the city gate and running in.
The soldiers wore tattered clothes, and their military uniforms were patched. Although they wore ragged clothes, their morale was high, and they showed no fear. They stood on the city gate tower and raised their bows and arrows to shoot at the invaders.
Seeing Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong, the soldiers guarding the door pointed their spears at them and shouted,
“Step back.”
“General, my brother and 1 know martial arts. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
Ji Shuisheng feared making them nervous, so he pulled Zhong Yong back a dozen meters before speaking.
“No need. Stay away from the city gate.”
The officer did not trust Ji Shuisheng and Zhong Yong. These two people knew martial arts at a glance and were strong opponents. If they were in cahoots with the Tartans, it would be dangerous for them to work together from the inside and outside.
The soldiers guarding the city were courageous, but they did not have enough weapons. They had to listen to the order and come down from the city wall to prepare for a hand-to-hand fight with the Tartans. The arrows were quickly shot out, and they could only watch as the Tartans smashed the door.
The aura of a soldier unafraid of death made Ji Shuisheng seriously suspect that they were once his father’s subordinates.
“Excuse me, were you from the Xiao family’s army?”
Ji Shuisheng shouted at the soldiers.
The old general leading the army was about fifty years old. Although old, he was still spirited as he rode on his warhorse. He held a crescent blade in his hand. Judging from the weight of the blade, he was a fierce general.
The old general turned around and glanced at Ji Shuisheng, his eyes filled with nostalgia and pain. The words ‘Xiao Family Army’ were engraved in everyone’s bones, but now they had been changed by the imperial court and were just ordinary city guards.
“Who are you?”
The old general felt that Ji Shuisheng’s heroic spirit was familiar, so he shouted at him.
“Someone who wants to help you.”
Ji Shuisheng didn’t dare reveal his true identity before he was sure they were the Xiao Family Army. Wan Shengchang and Wan Yulin didn’t know that Xiao Heng’s descendants were still alive.
“No need. Little brother, quickly find a safe place to hide.”
The old general shook his head and refused. The Xiao Family Army was protecting the people, not letting the people defend them.
Today, the number of Tartan soldiers was several times more than the previous ones. It was likely that today would be a fierce battle. Perhaps they would be completely wiped out and their corpses wrapped in horse leather, but even if they died, they would not disgrace the title of the Xiao Family Army.
“Generals, listen up and kill.”
Seeing that the city gate had been broken open by the Tartans, the old general no longer had the time to talk to Ji Shuisheng. He raised the crescent blade, roared with killing intent, and took the lead to charge.
Ji Shuisheng saw the Tartan soldiers surge in like a tide, and their numbers were several times that of the city guards.
Their weapons were excellent, and they were brave and good at fighting. Soon, they fought with the city guards. The battle was extremely fierce. The city guards were one against three, and their weapons and equipment were inferior to the Tartans..