Mayor Du walked along the concrete stairs to the city wall platform, looking for Lim Peizhi. Finally, he found Lim Peizhi, Lim Peizhi's forty archers, the group of hunters he had hired, and the law enforcement officers, all preparing for the onslaught.
"Peizhi, we fell into a trap!" Mayor Du shouted, his voice filled with despair. "All the ships were empty and filled with gunpowder! Many of my soldiers were killed and wounded!"
Lim Peizhi sighed, a grim understanding dawning on him. He looked at Mayor Du. "Because all his soldiers are here," he replied, gesturing towards the land-based pirate army.
Mayor Du looked down at the city wall. He saw Guo Baiyu standing alone near the city gate, painting some kind of symbol on the wall with his own blood, a chilling sight. Mayor Du asked, "What is he doing there alone?"
"He is calling for help," Lim Peizhi explained, his voice strained.
Xu Baohai, from his position among the pirates, stared at the city wall. He saw a lone man standing near the city gate, drawing something on the wall. Xu Baohai asked, "Who is alone at the gate of the city?"
"If my guess is correct," Qingyu said, a smirk on her face, "it will be one of the Guozhao Hunters."
"Guozhao Hunters," Xu Baohai grinned, a predatory gleam in his eyes. He jumped on his horse. "You stay here and wait for me."
Qingyu smiled at him, her voice seductive. "Kill them. When you are the king of the city, I will be your queen."
"Everyone, attack!" Xu Baohai shouted, unleashing his forces.
Viewed from above, Ping'an saw Guo Baiyu drawing the magic circle on the wall with his own blood, and thousands of enemy pirates directly charged at Guo Baiyu, a wave of fury pirates.
When the enemy pirates directly released hundreds of arrows at Guo Baiyu, they were three hundred yards away from him.
"Archers! Fire!" Lim Peizhi commanded. The released arrows intercepted some incoming arrows, reducing the barrage.
Zhao Renshu summoned two talismans and launched hundreds of icicle attacks on the pirates, creating a lethal barrier.
"Baiyu!" Zhao Renshu shouted from above the city gate, watching his friend. He quickly ran closer to where Guo Baiyu stood. He shouted again, his voice cracking with worry, "Baiyu! Get out of there!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at his Master, Guo Baiyu, who stood alone believing in his cause. He once asked his master how one could become a great hunter. His master told him that "hunter" is just a word, but to be a good person, we must ensure that everything we do is out of a clear conscience.
Guozhao Zhiqiang grabbed Ping'an's whip and, without hesitation, jumped off the city wall, landing lightly in front of Guo Baiyu. He immediately drew his sword and began to block the incoming arrows, shielding his master.
"Zhiqiang, what are you doing?" Guo Baiyu shouted, surprised by his disciple's presence. "Go back now!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang only stared at his master, his eyes resolute, and continued to block the incoming arrows. He had made up his mind. If he died today, it would be his honor to die alongside his Master.
Guo Baiyu closed his eyes, and he chanted, his voice a low hum. "The enchanted forest between the living and dead. I pray to you to open the gates of heaven and hell, and allow those whom I call to pass through." Guo Baiyu pressed hard onto the small shiny orb, which he had received earlier from Zhiqiang. The orb absorbed Guo Baiyu's life energy and lightened the enchantment circle, making it pulse with a brilliant glow.
Dust flew, like hundreds of whirlwind cyclones, converging towards Guo Baiyu and Guozhao Zhiqiang.
Everyone standing on top of the city wall witnessed their heroic actions, frozen in awe and fear. The group of people knew that it was too late to rescue the master and his disciple. Then, the ground began to shake violently under their feet, like a hungry earthquake, ready to engulf the entire city. The whole city wall glowed with an ethereal light. They saw hundreds of shiny armors emerging from the city wall, materializing from thin air. The Centaur soldiers, a mythical army, charged into the battlefield, their hooves thundering.
The Centaur soldiers roared like thunder and shouted, "Arrowhead!"
"He did it," Zhao Renshu murmured, a relieved smile spreading across his face. He smiled and held Ping'an's right hand tightly. "He really did it!"
From above the city wall, the defenders saw the Centaur soldiers dividing into many groups, each with fifty soldiers. They looked like arrows, rushing into the battlefield from above. They divided the enemies into smaller groups and then used massive shields to block the enemy's attacks while leaving a small gap between each shield. Then they stabbed the enemy and the enemy's horses with their spears, a coordinated, deadly attack.
More and more Centaur soldiers gushed out from the wall like lightning, striking into the battlefield. The second to last wave of Centaur soldiers lined up in front of the city wall, and they slammed their shields twice with their spears, a powerful, rhythmic sound. They thrust their spears and shields into the ground, forming a defensive line. They then grabbed their bows and arrows, preparing for a volley. The Centaur soldiers who had already fought the enemy all dropped, using their shields to create a protective box around themselves, shielding them inside. The pirates tried to break through the shielding box, but they were unable to break through the strong magical shield.
"Fire!" Siyuan, the leader of the Centaurs, commanded loudly.
The Centaur soldiers immediately let go of the arrows, and the citizens heard a roar that resounded through the early morning sky, like a roar of thunder. The arrows were aimed directly at the pirates.
When the arrows landed, the pirates were killed and injured left and right. The untrained pirates could not match the well-trained army of Horseman Land.
"Push!" Siyuan commanded.
The Centaur soldiers pulled their shields and spears from the ground, and they charged forward into battle, a unified, unstoppable force. They slammed their spears on their shields, a battle cry, and signaled their companion Centaur soldiers. The shielded Centaurs stood up, with a small gap between their shields, and continued to stab the pirates and their horses with their spears.
Xu Baohai noticed some of his pirates, and even the defected hunters, began to flee the battlefield, terrified by the overwhelming new force.
"Anyone who runs away will be killed!" Xu Baohai shouted, desperate to maintain control.
The pirates chatted hysterically, their voices filled with fear. "What are those monsters? They just came out of the wall!"
"Boss, we can't hold the line!" a lead pirate yelled. "These monsters are well-trained!"
Another pirate said, "They fight like an army ready for war!"
"Boss, if we continue, everyone will die!" the lead pirate pleaded.
Xu Baohai took a deep breath; his face contorted in a mix of fury and dawning defeat. He said, "Fall back to the shore!"
Qingyu crossed her arms and sighed, "Why are they here?" Qingyu stood on the bank and witnessed the battle, her earlier confidence replaced by resignation. She already knew the result of the battle. She smiled, a strange, knowing smile, and said, "Ha, it's great to play with everyone. Good luck, Tanlan." She giggled and then, with a shimmer, disappeared, abandoning Xu Baohai.
Guo Baiyu held his bleeding arm and made his way to Siyuan, the Centaur leader. He said, "Siyuan, they are trying to escape by boat."
Siyuan looked at Guo Baiyu and said, "No, they won't." He turned and ordered his soldiers. "Bring the ballista catapult and destroy those ships!"
Yuping came from behind, a handsome Centaur soldier, smiling. "Doctor Guozhao," he greeted Guo Baiyu. Guo Baiyu looked at the unfamiliar face, confused. Yuping smiled and asked, "How have you been?"
The handsome Centaur soldier stood with the twelve healers, all smiling at Guo Baiyu.
"You are?" Guo Baiyu asked, still trying to place him.
"It's me," Yuping replied.
"I'm sorry, I don't recognize you," Guo Baiyu admitted.
"You named me," Yuping reminded him gently.
"Yuping?" Guo Baiyu exclaimed, finally recognizing the Centaur he had healed and named long ago.
Yuping nodded. "Where are Brother Renshu and Sister Ping'an?"
"They are safe up there," Guo Baiyu gestured towards the city wall.
"Good," Yuping said. He stretched out his hand, offering help. "Come on, let's end it."
Guo Baiyu jumped on the back of Yuping, and Guozhao Zhiqiang, emboldened, jumped on the back of another Centaur. They watched as fifty huge hooks flew into the air and went straight to the pirate ships, tearing into their hulls. The Centaur soldiers, a relentless force, forced the remaining pirates to surrender at bay, bringing the battle to a decisive end.