148 Profit from Disorder Rough Draf (1/2)

”Sir!... Baron Kui has taken the knee, he unconditionally surrendered his property and troops to us after a brief skirmish.”

”We are still battling with Sir Shang in the flat lands though, they are attempting to hold out behind their walls, we expect victory within the hour, their walls cannot withstand the blast of your black orbs, their soldiers are shaking like leaves after every explosion.”

Almost on cue, numerous booming explosions rang out, followed by muffled screams and shouting in the distance ahead.

A slim middle-aged noble dressed in white fluffy furs had just given his report to Fu Qian, his name was Jin Xamei and he was the head of a minor noble house in the area.

He was a man who had grown increasingly bitter and disenfranchised with the capital's politics, he was left to languish in obscurity on a piece of unprofitable land because he wasn't a high born noble.

This reshuffle after the king's ascension was his chance to change his fortune, a chance to gain prosperity by capitalising on the rampant disorder in the region.

A chance to bring glory and pride to his long maligned noble house.

”Lets head over there then.” Fu Qian said turning his horse west.

A long line of horses trotted across the snow side by side, Jin Xamei was leading Fu Qian and his troops through the rugged and icy terrain towards a heavily fortified stronghold.

The silhouette of the structure up ahead was getting clearer and clearer. Fu Qian pulled to a stop and the rest of the troops followed suit.

”Shao Law, Fu Jianu, take squad ten and follow Xamei, work together to take down any xiantians who refuse to surrender. Spare those who take the knee.

Qin Li is already there, he will back you up if you run into any problems and our elites will clean up the rest. If worst comes to worst, Hartley and Zhi Ruo will make an appearance, but let's hope it doesn't come to that.”

Fu Qian issued orders to his captains, who then sent runners to inform the troops of the plans.

The forces of the western hills, backed by the troops of several local nobles, closed in on the last pocket of resistance in the west.

Shao Law and Fu Jianu acknowledged their orders silently, galloping off on horseback behind Jin Xamei, with a squad of mounted soldiers closely following.

Pattering hoofs dug up clumps of mud from the snow laden earth, flinging out specks of dirt as the herd of advancing horses left deep prints in the frozen ground.

The mounted group raced across the open white wilderness, producing a noise akin to rumbling thunder, trampling over the sparse and dying foliage directly in their path.

Minutes later they arrived to the sight of a massive gate with high walls on each side.

There was a rocky cliff with a steep drop to the west. While the white icy wilderness stretched to the east as far as one could see.

Qin Li and the four newly converted xantians were already on the scene, protecting the elites of the western hills from the volleys of arrows raining down from the walls of the stronghold.

When the falling arrows were close, a spectacular array of elemental power broke free from the new xiantians of the western hills.

Qin Li was training the three males and one female, their robes flapped majestically as they unleashed their strength, blasting the swarms of arrows aside, the impact with the fletched projectiles, produced a kaleidoscope of colourful sparks in the world of white as the arrows disintegrated.

The elite infantry troops armed with Alrick's black orbs, pressed the button on the weapon, bringing forth that familiar sizzling sound that signified the volatile liquids within were mixing..

Using this opportunity, they ran within range and tossed the black orbs atop the eight meter-high walls.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One by one the explosions sent tremors trembling through the earth, a cluster of archers were blown clean off the wall, dug out from their position behind the thick battlements by an unexpected explosion.

Unfortunately for them, there was no safety to be found even behind their concrete shield.

Chips of masonry and shattered stones went flying out like bullets. Leaving deep gouges on the snow-coated wall.

Tumbling clouds of dust billowed out as panicked cries came from the wall.

A red blotch was left in the archers former position, pieces of body parts were scattered in every direction, this brought the smell of blood floating through the cold air.

The miserable screams of the shell shocked defender's lingered on longer with every new explosion.

Body parts and pieces of armour were flying off the wall, landing in the snow below with regularity.

In the eyes of those stationed to defend the walls, this was destruction and slaughter of apocalyptic proportions.

None had seen anything like this before.

Thick black smoke rose up with every detonation that rattled the wall, impeding the defenders vision and draining away their will to fight. Some scrambled down the walls trying to surrender, others fled into the frozen wilderness from pure fright.

A third layer xiantian expert appeared on the wall trying to rally the troops, he resorted to threatening them when the scattering troops paid him no heed.

As far as the frightened men were concerned, their lives were more important than protecting that old noble.

Before the expert could lose his temper, a glowing yellow arrow came pinging at him.

He moved left between the battlements, the arrow slammed into the wall with a yellow flash.

A couple meters of the wall shattered and sprayed out like sand, shaking the entire structure with a massive boom.

Whiz!

Another glowing arrow was spat from Fu Jianu's bow before the expert could adjust, landing two meters to the left of the first shot.

Boom!

There was another flash of yellow, and another boom. An impressive hole was punched through the thick wall, sending debris raining down on the other side.

More black orbs quickly landed in the area causing a pandemonium of explosions.

The bedraggled third layer xiantian expert was seen escaping down the wall faster than everyone. Disoriented as his ears continued to ring from his close proximity to the blasts.

A revolution was taking place in the west, only a few stubborn old nobles were still putting up some futile resistance, the last of the bunch was about to be overrun...

***

The wind chill was like a knife cutting through the air, everywhere was dyed white, drooping icicles clung to the branches of the naked trees lining the street.

Scattered debris were being cleared by an assortment of soldiers on patrol, the remnants of the capital's power struggle was evident, those who fought a losing campaign paid the price with their lives.

The dead were frozen stiff, piled to the side, awaiting to be burned or buried.