Chapter 222 - Kindred Souls Beneath the Moonlight
As the sun dipped low and the sky darkened, the walls of Liangzhou Prefecture were gradually lit with torchlight.
Illuminated by the flickering light, the soldiers atop the city wall tossed the piled bodies of Northern Qiang troops off the parapet and gathered the corpses of their own fallen comrades, preparing to burn them together in a large blaze. In such dire times, they were forced to forego other burial rites.
Below the city wall, groups of Northern Qiang soldiers were busy collecting corpses. They moved in small groups under the moonlight, carrying makeshift stretchers to transport the bodies back to their camp.
It was truly ironic that two warring nations could only maintain the peace when dealing with the bodies of their dead.
Northern Qiang forces had attacked three times in the last two days. The defenders inside the city knew full well that none of them would survive should the city fall. Driven by this grim reality, they fought with their lives on the line to defend the city. The defenses held... for now.
Zhou Tong stood atop the city wall, gazing intently at the brightly lit Northern Qiang camp in the distance. Jiang Chao stood behind him and let out a deep sigh after a long silence.
"What troubles you, General?" Zhou Tong asked slowly without turning around.
"Far too many things," Jiang Chao replied with a bitter smile. "My lord, you should understand better than I. Three battles in two days may look like victories for our army, and our morale seems intact, but our troops are utterly exhausted.
"Moreover, the Northern Qiang attacks over these two days have depleted our stock of defensive equipment. We’ve even had to rely on the townsfolk dismantling the beams of their own homes to replenish our stores. Faced with such a situation... how could I not be troubled?"
"If this was all there was, we might be able to hold out a few more days," Jiang Chao continued. "But Northern Qiang won't wait. After today, their main forces will likely arrive in no time. When that happens... the real battle will begin."
"What is it?" Zhou Tong turned to look at Jiang Chao. "Don't you believe in Lord Qi?"