Chapter 5

Luoshixin had been saving the lime powder for just this moment.

Of course, the time-traveling Luoshixin was far from being as wise as Zhuge Liang, and he couldn't have predicted that the Haneast army would launch an attack with three thousand troops. He just felt that good weapons should be used for good battles. The lime powder was his secret weapon, and if he used it right away, what would he do next?

Their combat-capable soldiers numbered less than a hundred, and defending against a thousand determined attackers was already extremely dangerous. Now, the enemy had added another two thousand troops. Even if Luoshixin knew nothing about military strategy, he could guess that the enemy intended to overwhelm them with sheer numbers and take over Ming Water City with overwhelming force.

If not now, when would he use it?

Luoshixin stared intently at the Haneast army's determined attackers as they pressed forward, muttering, "A little closer, a little closer."

All the soldiers around him put down their bows and crossbows, each holding a bag or bucket filled with a mixture of sand and lime powder. They watched the approaching Haneast army cautiously. Collecting nearly forty bags of lime powder from a small city was already unexpected, but even so, Luoshixin still thought it was too little. On a whim, he mixed the lime powder with sand in a 7:3 ratio, which increased the quantity without significantly reducing its effectiveness. It was clear that to defend Ming Water City and save their lives, Luoshixin had racked his brains and used every possible means.

"General, they are quite close now," a bodyguard swallowed hard, looking nervous.

"Not close enough! Not close enough!" Luoshixin was also a bit nervous. He remembered a military principle, though he couldn't recall the exact words, which stated that the key to defending a city was to maximize the damage to the enemy. The closer the enemy, the greater the damage.

When the Haneast army was less than twenty steps away from Ming Water City, Luoshixin raised his hand and swung it down forcefully, shouting, "Pour it down! Let the Haneast army taste my artificial lime sandstorm."

The soldiers around him poured the lime sand mixture over the city walls.

Bag after bag, bucket after bucket, the lime sand mixture rained down. At that moment, a southern wind was blowing, carrying the sand and lime powder directly towards the Haneast army. The strong southern wind, mixed with the thick lime powder, struck the Haneast army mercilessly.

The raging sandstorm, like a rolling white dragon, roared and swept through, enveloping the three thousand determined attackers. Under the assault of the sandstorm, not a single Haneast soldier could keep their eyes open.

The Haneast army's soldiers were shouting and killing, but their eyes, noses, and mouths were filled with lime sand.

The sand's main effect was to blind, which was not very useful. The lime, however, was different. Inhaling it might cause minor burns, but if it got into the eyes, the tears would mix with the lime powder, causing a strong chemical reaction and generating significant heat. Without timely treatment, it could blind a person.

The Haneast army's attack stopped the moment the lime powder was released. Not a single combat-capable soldier remained below the walls of Ming Water City.

All three thousand determined attackers were hit...

Some lay on the ground, wailing and rolling...

Others discarded their shields and swords, rubbing their eyes until blood streamed from them...

Some ran around aimlessly: unable to see, they collided with each other, trampled each other, fell into the water, and even crashed into the city walls...

The determined attackers were like ants in a hot pot, in complete chaos.

The effect of the lime sandstorm was unexpectedly good! Even Luoshixin, the mastermind, couldn't have imagined it. The reason for this was precisely because the Haneast army's determined attackers were too well-trained.

Because they had trained for city assaults, they all held their wooden shields high to protect their upper bodies from arrows, leaving only a small space below the shields visible. They couldn't see the lime sandstorm coming, and by the time it reached them, it was too late to close their eyes.

The lime in their eyes caused intense pain, stimulating tears. The tears mixed with the lime, causing a chemical reaction that quickly rendered a determined attacker combat-ineffective...

"Open the city gates, charge out!" Luoshixin inexplicably raised his arm and shouted.

The Tang soldiers were already fierce, and those led by Luoshixin had inherited their commander's bravery. When Luoshixin gave the order, the fifty combat-capable soldiers ran down the city walls.

"General, your spear!"

Two heavily wounded soldiers handed Luoshixin his long spear.

"Damn!" Luoshixin was so frustrated he wanted to slap himself. He didn't know why he had shouted that, but a strong feeling in his mind told him that this was a heaven-sent opportunity, and only by charging out and fighting fiercely could they hope to defend Ming Water City.

This thought dominated his mind, and he shouted it out instinctively.

Leading from the front was Luoshixin's style. When the spear was handed to him, he knew he couldn't avoid this battle. Retreat at this moment would crush the morale of his troops.

Thinking that he was no longer the same as before, he gritted his teeth, gripped the spear with one hand, and ran down the city tower, shouting, "Brothers, follow me and kill them!"

Since there was no avoiding it, they would fight with all their might.

Luoshixin, influenced by the previous battle, felt his original bravery surge within him. When the city gate opened just a crack, he charged out first. The remaining soldiers, seeing their commander's bravery, were greatly encouraged and followed closely behind.

This battle of fifty against three thousand was far easier than expected.

Fifty elite soldiers fighting three thousand blinded men was a crushing advantage.

Luoshixin charged into the crowd, using his spear like a club. One swing knocked down six men, who flew into the air and knocked over a dozen more behind them, causing chaos. The Tang soldiers, like tigers among sheep, stabbed and cut, killing like chickens.

Of course, even three thousand chickens might be hard for fifty men to kill. But chickens only flee and don't resist, while humans are different.

The determined attackers, with their eyes injured, could barely see anything but a blur. Surrounded by moving figures and the sounds of battle and wailing, they couldn't distinguish friend from foe. Driven by fear, their only choice was to kill anyone nearby who posed a threat, regardless of who they were.

Luoshixin and the fifty Tang soldiers only needed to disrupt the Haneast army's formation, ignite their will to survive, and stir their fear. This battle was already won.

PS: The lime in the story is pure lime, so its power is much greater than ordinary lime.

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