ꦼ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴏɴᴇ

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CHAPTER 31: Suddenly Surrounded Under The Starry Night

Drums of war like thunder, sounding horns urging on.

Wild roars deafens the ears as the sound wave hits, Lin Rui En's stretched straight body, towering like a mountain as he stands before the mountain slope, after seeing the enemy situation, sword-like brows deeply locks together, lips thin like blade. A burst of rustling trees sounds behind him, he turns around, to see the soldiers use heavily thick wood to solidly repair the horse stables as ordered, their actions lacking in their usual neatness, such low morale practically close to panic.

Lin Rui En takes big strides forward, removing his armour, rolling up his sleeves, as he helps himself to the wooden planks on the ground.

"General, such matters are better left for the rest of the brothers to do it." The lieutenant who has followed Lin Rui En for many years, hurries forward to advise him in slight alarm.

Lin Ru En's one hand secures the wooden plank to the water feeder area of the stable, his remaining hand occupied with a hammer, strongly beating the nails into place, answering without even turning his head: "Time is running out, everyone come repair the stables."

The lieutenant is dumbstruck for a moment, before immediately sprinting off to relay orders. The soldiers have only been trained for just over two months, facing such parade of a mighty force surrounding them, they are all absolutely terrified inside, but seeing General Lin so concentrated in repairing the stable, although they don't understand the reason for this, their hearts still eases down a little, learning from others to ignore the roars completely surrounding them on this mountain, they busy themselves with the task at hand.

"Have everyone gathered here, act swiftly." Seeing the soldiers complete their work, the stables already fortified with two additional layers, Lin Rui En puts on his armour, whilst loudly giving out orders, another round of thunderous howls sounds from below the slope, one wave louder than the other.

Eight thousand soldiers very quickly forms a square unit in rows, thick shields held in their hands, looking nervous. Lin Rui En's eyes slowly drifts across their faces, amongst them, there are even those in their teenage years, soldiers that can even be considered children, armours new and bright, as they stand in centre of the team, the rising of snow amongst the northern wind like ice blades slashing past their faces, causing their noses to be frozen red.

Above the mountain slope, the atmosphere is so solemn it leaves people terrified, only the cries rumbling like thunder are ringing in their eyes.

The armoury sound of tidal waves slowly eases up, Lin Rui En walks up towards the edge of the slope, looking at the mobilisation of the Nu Army below, a chilly air diffusing, he turns around, walking back into the square unit, holding up the iron shield, a raise of his hand, such blade-like posture bringing upon a breeze: "Raise the shields."

The thick shields sways the light of snow into hiding the black gloss, neat lines forming a protective layer above the heads of eight thousand soldiers, and upon Lin Rui En's gestured command, everyone stoops into squatting positions, looking like the face of a black wall of shields standing in the middle of the mountain slope.

With no light of sun nor moon, heaven and earth in dejection, shooting arrows falling more densely than that of rain showers, hitting the top of the shields, issuing the struggling sounds of heavy metal clashing, sharp, abrupt, like that of the devil dancing on top.

The soldiers hidden under the shield sounds grieving moans, but no one can hear it, under such attack like raging storm, everyone could only pray for survival. Arrows pierces through the gaps, and soldiers falling under the arrows, their blood splattering all over, yet those surrounding them can only adjust their positions immediately, completely filling up the gaps, the sound of raining arrows swallowing everything else up.

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