Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Su Tingmei's voice suddenly became clear, and she shouted, "Someone! Close the door!"

At his command, the command flag on the city tower was waved.

"Crunch—crunch—!!!"

A heavy, piercing sound, like the scraping of rust, came from inside the city gate!

The two massive iron-clad city gates, which appeared heavy and had previously seemed to have been in a "panic" state and failed to close in time, were suddenly pushed shut at an extraordinary speed by the combined efforts of the internal mechanisms of the city gate tower and the strong men who had been lying in ambush behind the gates!

The heavy bolts slammed down with a dull thud, completely cutting off any possibility of the cavalry charging directly into the city!

Only then did the bald-headed Hun and the scorpion cavalry who had charged close to the city gate realize with horror that it was far more solid than they had imagined, and that it closed much faster and more decisively than they had anticipated!

This was not a hasty response at all, but a well-prepared trap!

Meanwhile, the rain of arrows from the city walls did not stop just because the city gates were closed; instead, it became even more intense and targeted!

More archers poured out from the hidden troop caves and the ramparts on both sides, raining down arrows like a torrent, focusing on cavalry groups trying to get close to the city walls, looking for climbing points, or gathering near the city gates.

Logs and stones were also pushed onto the top of the stack, ready to be smashed down at any time.

"Bang bang bang!"

The cavalrymen who tried to approach the city gate were driven back by a hail of arrows.

"Boom!"

A small cavalry unit attempting to find an opportunity from the flank was struck squarely by crossbow bolts suddenly fired from a flank tower, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.

Bald Hun brandished his spiked club, deflecting several crossbow bolts aimed at him, but his mount was startled by a falling rock and reared up.

He looked around and saw his warriors huddled together in the narrow area below the city, exposed to a dense rain of arrows and the threat of defensive equipment. People were falling with screams, but they couldn't even touch the enemy.

A chilling sensation shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

Fell into a trap!

This is by no means a poorly defended state!

This is a death trap that has long been waiting for them to walk into it!

Su Tingmei had anticipated their surprise attack and had set up a large ambush there!

"Retreat! Get out of the arrow range first! Reorganize!"

Even though Tufa Hun was unwilling, he knew that continuing to be shot at from below the city would only lead to his death. He made a decisive decision and issued the order to retreat.

However, while a high-spirited charge is easy, an orderly retreat under heavy enemy fire is difficult.

On the city wall, Su Tingmei lightly waved her feather fan, gazing at the chaotic retreat of the Scorpion Clan cavalry below, and calmly instructed the general beside her:

"Order the cavalry to prepare, and wait until the enemy has retreated a little further away before going out of the city to pursue them, but not too far away, with the main purpose of dispersing and expanding their chaos."

Under the dense rain of arrows and the onslaught of rolling logs and stones from below the city, the Scorpion Clan cavalry were like an ant swarm doused with boiling water, instantly plunged into immense chaos and casualties.

The bald man's desperate retreat order was transmitted with great difficulty amidst screams, horse neighs, and the whistling of arrows.

The vanguard wanted to retreat, the central army was still charging forward due to inertia, and the rear guard was confused. The entire huge cavalry group was crowded together in this relatively narrow area northwest of Jicheng, and countless soldiers trampled each other.

On the city wall, Su Tingmei coldly looked down at the chaos below.

He did not show any joy at the initial victory, knowing that although the Scorpion Clan cavalry had suffered a blow, their main force was still intact. If they were allowed to withdraw from the battlefield safely and regroup, they would still be a huge threat.

The saying goes, "We should press on with our remaining strength to defeat the enemy," and now is the perfect opportunity to expand our gains and completely crush their morale.

He raised his feather fan again, pointing in a certain direction within the city, and said in a deep voice to the Youzhou cavalry general who had been standing by his side, unable to contain himself any longer:

"General Wang, the time has come! Open the south gate and lead your cavalry out to attack!"

"Remember, the priority is to disperse and amplify the chaos, and shoot down the fleeing soldiers. Keep your tail on the back, and there's no need for a deep and deadly pursuit. Just drive them out of the way for at least twenty miles!"

"The last general takes command!"

General Wang, who had been waiting impatiently, perked up upon hearing this, clasped his hands in agreement, and turned to rush down the city wall.

Soon, the south gate of Jicheng slowly opened amidst the low creaking of winches.

The thousands of elite cavalry from Youzhou, who had been gathered here for a long time and had been resting and preparing, roared out like tigers released from their cages, led by General Wang!

Instead of charging directly into the northwest battlefield, they quickly circled half of the city, slicing diagonally from the flank like a sharp scythe towards the tail of the Scorpion Clan army that was retreating in disarray!

These thousands of cavalrymen were part of the "Youzhou Cavalry" who had previously participated in the raid. They were already fierce and skilled in fighting the Scorpion Clan. Now, fueled by the anger of having their home base attacked, they were filled with murderous intent.

Each of them rode two horses and was lightly armed. Apart from the necessary leather armor and sabers, almost everyone was equipped with powerful bows and crossbows.

At this moment, the tail end of the scorpion army was in the most disarray.

Many soldiers had just turned their horses around, their formation loose and their minds unsettled. They never expected that the city's defenders not only had a tight defense, but also dared to take the initiative to pursue them despite being significantly outnumbered!

"Fire!" General Wang shouted, taking the lead.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

The hundreds of Youzhou cavalry at the forefront drew their bows and nocked arrows as they charged, and a dark rain of arrows was the first to fall on the Scorpion Clan's rear guard of cavalry who had their backs to them.

"Behind them! There are Chu dogs behind them too!"

"Run! Don't block the way!"

Caught off guard, the tail-end scorpion cavalry were shot down in droves.

Amidst screams, the already fragile evacuation order collapsed even further.

Many people, desperate to escape, whipped their warhorses and pushed aside their companions, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from the terrifying city walls and the relentless rain of deadly arrows that followed them.

The Youzhou cavalry fully utilized their mobility and archery advantages.

They did not engage the Scorpion Clan cavalry in a head-on collision, but rather, like maggots clinging to bones, they remained at a distance of about fifty to one hundred paces behind the fleeing Scorpion Clan soldiers.

They split into several groups, taking turns to advance and hurling arrows, specifically targeting those Scorpion Clan soldiers who were isolated, wounded, or trying to stop and organize resistance.

"Don't let them get involved! Split up and run! North! North!"

A centurion of the Scorpion Clan tried to rally his men, but his shouts quickly drew a barrage of crossbow bolts, turning both man and horse into pincushions.

Having lost unified command and an effective formation, the Scorpion Clan cavalry were now completely disorganized.

Fear spread like a plague.

They came with great momentum, intending to break into the city and plunder, but now they only regret that their parents didn't give them two more legs and their warhorses didn't have four more hooves.

The fleeing cavalry filled the wilderness, raising dust that blotted out the sun, but could not conceal the corpses and wailing wounded soldiers they had left behind.

The Youzhou cavalry became increasingly adept at the pursuit, like an experienced pack of wolves herding sheep, constantly flanking and squeezing from both sides.

They drove the routed soldiers with a rain of arrows toward the northern wilderness, while ruthlessly hunting down any stragglers.