Reality didn’t grant the ninjas a second for mental respite. Almost the instant the bells rang, shouts erupted from atop the wall.
“Quick, quick, quick! The bells are ringing—something’s happening below! Raise the torches, shout for reinforcements!”
That first cry was swiftly echoed by several others. “Hurry, someone’s down there!”
Then, torches flared to life above. A guard leaned out, holding a torch to illuminate the darkness below.
His position was directly above the ninja who’d struck the bell.
“Baka!”
A pirate below cursed under his breath, flicking his wrist. A hidden sleeve dart sprang forth, a steel needle whistling through the air and striking the guard square in the forehead.
“Ah…!”
The guard let out a scream, tumbling off the wall.
As he fell, the torch in his hand lit his descent, crashing to the ground and revealing the ninja on the wall and the string of pirates below him like grasshoppers on a vine.
They were fully exposed to the other guards’ eyes.
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Pirates are climbing the wall!” The guards above shouted in alarm upon spotting the line of intruders.
Reinforcements rushed over, hurling arrows and stones at the now-visible pirates.
Their aim wasn’t precise, but sheer volume compensated—stones and arrows rained down in a torrent.
The ninjas lived up to their reputation, their agility unmatched. Clinging to the wall, they shifted side to side, dodging arrows and stones. But numbers overwhelmed skill. After evading several lethal strikes, one ninja was struck by a large stone, enduring it briefly before a second and third smashed into him. With a scream, he plummeted, reduced to a pulp on the ground.
The pirates below him had already met their end—crushed or pierced by the barrage before his fall. A few tried leaping off to escape, but the height was unforgiving. They landed half-dead, only to be finished by the relentless hail of stones and arrows.
Only the bottom two pirates, a mere five meters from the ground, survived. Seeing the tide turn, they slid down the ropes, hands bloodied and shredded, narrowly escaping with their lives.
The warning bell atop the wall clanged furiously, its “gong-gong-gong” echoing into the sky.
Zhu Ping’an and Prefect Shang had bolted toward this section the moment they heard the cries of “enemy attack.” The three-hundred-meter distance was short; Zhu Ping’an sprinted, arriving swiftly.
Prefect Shang, older and less nimble, lagged behind, panting as he struggled to keep up.
“Report, sir! A band of pirates tried to scale the wall for a night raid. They hit the bells we hung, exposing themselves. Zhang Er leaned out with a torch to check and was killed by a pirate’s hidden weapon. We avenged him—these wall-climbers are dead, save for two who fled. The rest we smashed or shot!”
Upon Zhu Ping’an’s arrival, the guards clamored to report the situation.
“Quick, throw a torch down every three meters around this area. Pirates climbing for a night raid wouldn’t limit themselves to one spot.”
“Ready the bows, muskets, stones, and logs. The moment you spot them, strike!”
Zhu Ping’an issued orders without hesitation. A night raid wouldn’t hinge on a single breach.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Torches were flung downward, their flames tracing fiery arcs as they fell.
In an instant, the other four pirate climbing teams were laid bare under the torchlight, their cover shattered.
The moment they were seen, a deluge of stones, arrows, musket balls, and even handfuls of ash rained down from above.
Caught mid-climb, the pirates were trapped—unable to advance or retreat, defenseless against the onslaught. Amid the chaos of ash, stones, arrows, and bullets, they fell screaming, splattering into gore below.
Only the topmost ninjas held on briefly, their hand and foot claws giving them leverage to dodge a few strikes. One, particularly fierce, weaved through deadly blows, then lunged diagonally toward Zhu Ping’an, aiming to take the leader.
But he overestimated himself. Halfway there, Liu Dadao’s spear—thrown with every ounce of strength—pierced him through. The force carried the ninja off the wall, skewering a hapless pirate below as well, pinning them to the ground like candied fruit on a stick.
Like the first team, these four groups saw only their lowest climbers survive—those close enough to the ground to slide down, hands mangled, limping into the night under its fleeting cover.
But their escape was temporary. Xu Hai and his men awaited them, blades sharpened.
The moment the wall lit up with torches and shouts, Xu Hai knew the raid had failed.
A failed raid needed scapegoats…
Cowards who fled in fear—how could they dodge blame for this fiasco? Their heads would do nicely!
By the time Prefect Shang arrived, breathless, the skirmish had settled.
Burning torches still littered the ground below, dimly illuminating a sprawl of pirate corpses.
It hit Shang hard—they’d really fought.
“Zihou, it’s over? Will the pirates come back?!”
Panting, Shang surveyed the bodies and turned to Zhu Ping’an.
“Lord Shang, the pirates’ night raid is done. About three hundred tried climbing at five points along this wall. Thankfully, our setup worked—they triggered the bells, gave themselves away. Our men fought hard, wiped them out. Only ten or so escaped.”
Zhu Ping’an gave a concise rundown.
“After this failure, they won’t try again. If I’m right, they’ll retreat tomorrow. Still, to be safe, we keep the evening preparations in place. Patrols and night watches can’t slack off.”
He stressed the need to maintain vigilance, no room for error.
“Yes, yes, Zihou’s absolutely right. You all heard him—follow Lord Zhu’s orders to the letter!”
Shang relayed the command to his officials and soldiers.
“Yes, sir!”
Having witnessed today’s events, the officials and troops were utterly convinced of Zhu Ping’an’s prowess.
