Chapter 42: Harnessing the Power of Water and Fire

Inside the fortress, a pillar of thick smoke billowed into the air like a black dragon, soaring straight up to the heavens.

"What?!"

The men turned back in astonishment, staring at this sudden and bizarre phenomenon.

"Could the squad leader have succeeded? I told you, the squad leader is extraordinary, practically a heavenly deity descended to earth. How could he possibly fail?" Luo Datong was overjoyed, grinning like a gambler who had hit the jackpot.

"This... How is this possible? It defies all reason!" Sun Liu stood dumbfounded, wearing the expression of someone who had just seen a ghost.

On the ramparts of the checkpoint, half of the garrison troops who had previously been standing at strict attention were now gone, scattering like a disturbed colony of ants, presumably diverted to fight the fire.

"Quick, wake the others! Brothers, grab your weapons! The squad leader has pulled it off, and it's our turn now!"

Luo Datong raised his arms and shouted, acting like a victorious general issuing tactical commands.

At his command, the men stirred into motion, restless and buzzing like a pack of awakened beasts.

Compared to the ecstatic joy of Luo Datong and his men, Sun Liu, who had stubbornly insisted on retreating just moments before, looked utterly humiliated. His face flushed red and he stubbornly retorted, "What is there to panic about? It's just a fire, likely nothing more than an accident. Even if that punk really got inside, do you seriously think he could open the gates?"

"That's right! Without siege ladders, are we supposed to scale the walls with our bare hands? That's sheer delusion!" another soldier chimed in, a trace of mockery in his tone.

At that moment, Sun Liu's emotions were a tangled mess, and his face burned as if scalded by fire.

"If we cannot open the gates, then we are completely useless. That is the great gate of Gaoque Pass, not some backyard wicket; how could a single man ever open it?" Sun Liu's voice dropped into a gloomy murmur.

"Open the main gates? Wishful thinking!" Tu Dakong said coldly.

This was no exaggeration; the sheer weight of the Gaoque Pass gates and the complexity of their mechanical locks were far beyond what any single individual could operate.

One needed not only to trigger the specialized mechanisms inside the gatehouse but also to lift the heavy interior crossbars. Even with superhuman strength, without anyone inside to respond from the other side, an outsider could only stand and sigh in despair before the barrier.

This was the very reason Sun Liu had insisted on retreating. He had not been speaking without foundation; rather, he knew deeply that even if Zhao Ergou had successfully sniped his way in, he could never open the gates. A forced frontal assault under such conditions would be tantamount to suicide!

However, before Tu Dakong's words had even faded, the scene unfolding before their eyes struck them all with inexplicable terror.

"The gates! The gates are opening! Brothers, the gates are opening! The squad leader did it! He actually opened the gates!" Luo Datong's piercing cry slashed through the air like a sharp blade.

"This... This is impossible!" Sun Liu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Could the Rongdi themselves have opened the gates? Have they lost their minds?" Tu Dakong was equally dumbfounded, a blank stare frozen on his face.

Sure enough, the massive gates slowly swung inward, and dozens of Rongdi soldiers poured out like enraged demons.

Tu Dakong felt his cheeks burn with heat, and he whispered in sheer disbelief, "Could... Could Squad Leader Zhao possess some kind of dark sorcery? This is utterly unimaginable!"

"Ha! Old Tu, your mouth really is prophetic! Say a few more words, the lads love to hear it! Go on, make another prediction and let's see if we can take this Gaoque Pass today!"

Luo Datong laughed heartily, brandishing his weapon as he roared, "Brothers, prepare to charge! Follow closely in the squad leader's footsteps!"

Although they had no idea what had actually transpired inside the fortress, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity could not be missed.

The gates would only remain open for so long, and they had to race against the clock to cross this deadly pathway.

Indeed, a deadly pathway.

This road, illuminated by the blazing fires to the brightness of day, was still fraught with mortal peril for them. Every single step felt like walking on thin ice.

"In one breath, charge across!" Luo Datong's voice rang out once more, carrying the desperate resolve of a commander burning his boats behind him.

The gates were wide open, and the defenders on the walls had mostly retreated.

Yet, for the Qin soldiers clad only in crude leather armor and carrying no shields, every arrow raining down from the ramparts remained a death warrant, fully capable of claiming a vibrant life.

This roadway, lit as bright as day by the braziers, would undoubtedly swallow the bones of countless loyal and brave warriors.

Even so, urged on by their officers, the Qin soldiers surged forward with lightning speed, pouncing upon the enemy positions like a pack of starved wolves.

The previous arguments had long since vanished into thin air, replaced by the blazing fires burning in the eyes of every man—a fierce hunger for victory and the yearning to achieve immortal glory.

They knew no fear; they charged forward.

The Qin troops advanced, rolling in like a tidal wave.

"For the Great Qin!"

Someone shouted, the cry brimming with heroic spirit.

"For Yinshan Fort!"

Another yelled, his voice laced with deep affection for his homeland.

"For the Squad Leader!"

This was a testament to their unwavering loyalty and reverence for Zhao Ergou.

"Charge—!"

The battle cries shook the heavens, echoing far up into the firmament.

Atop the palisade of the main camp, Zhao Ergou—who had long since changed into Rongdi attire, complete with a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver at his back—watched his men break out from the darkness like fierce tigers, his eyes suddenly lighting up with triumph.

He abruptly straightened his posture, a surge of heroic pride bursting from his chest!

"Well done, my brothers! That's how it's done!"

Zhao Ergou pitched his voice to the highest pitch, shouting even louder than the charging soldiers below. "I certainly didn't misjudge you lot! You're all true-blooded, iron-willed men!"

He waved his arms excitedly, itching to leap down right then and there and fight shoulder to shoulder with them.

The more Zhao Ergou spoke, the more impassioned he became, his spittle practically flying down toward the men below. "Listen up and don't you forget it! When two armies meet in a narrow pass, the braver one prevails! Whoever cowards out is a bastard's grandson!"

At that moment, he wanted to give every single one of them a thumbs-up. These rascals had given him more face than he could have ever dreamed of!

Originally, Zhao Ergou's plan had been for the ambush force to lurk quietly in the shadows like ghosts, waiting for the enemy to draw near before unleashing a coordinated slaughter, striking with the fatal precision of a venomous viper.

Attacking the enemy's heart was paramount; attacking their fortress was secondary. He had intended to trade the minimal cost for the ultimate victory.

Yet, none of these finer points had been properly communicated to them, let alone strictly ordered to the rank-and-file soldiers or individual squads.

He had feared this would all go terribly wrong and turn into a complete disaster.

But true soldiers roll with the punches; when water comes, you build an earthen dam!

Sure enough, this reckless maneuver instantly alerted the Rongdi troops both inside and outside the walls. It was like stirring up a hornet's nest, instantly sending the whole place into a boiling uproar.

Up on the gatehouse, Tugebu—whose nerves were already stretched to the absolute breaking point—slammed his fists against the battlements, leaping up like a cat with its tail stepped on. "Damn it, it's a trap! Shut the gates quickly, loose arrows and shoot them all dead! Leave none alive!"

He roared at the top of his lungs, his voice dripping with panic and fury.

Why did Tugebu claim it was a trap?

And why had he voluntarily opened the gates to lead troops out of the camp only to instantly regret it?

That required tracing back to Zhao Ergou's earlier stratagem.

Realizing that he needed to let his men utilize their remaining momentum, Zhao Ergou had been forced to confront the daunting problem of how to open the heavy gates.

He possessed neither superhuman strength nor any mechanical expertise; entirely on his own, there was simply no way he could force the gates open.

The only feasible method was to borrow the enemy's own hands—to use the gates to destroy the enemy.

Fortunately, he quickly hit upon a solution: harnessing the power of water and fire, employing the timeless wisdom of his ancestors.