Chapter 67: Surrounded on All Sides

Just as Luan Yi was inquiring about Li Zhuang's family, the commotion at the door prompted the Luan Miao couple, Cai Yan, Diao Chan, and their children to stride out to meet him.

Seeing Luan Yi return, his mother, Lady Luan Diao, hastened toward him, nearly running as she wrapped her arms tightly around her son, who was a head taller than she, and wept, "My son, you have finally come home. Your mother has been worried sick for you."

"Your unfilial child has caused you endless worry," Luan Yi replied, unable to hold back his own tears. From birth, he had never given his mother peace. As a youth, he was wild and unruly; later, his elder brother Luan Xun died unjustly, and Lady Luan Diao spent her days in sorrow and tears. Afterward, Luan Yi was rarely at home—either conducting business in other counties or away studying—leaving his mother in constant distress. She had only just reached her thirties, yet was already showing signs of age.

He glanced over his mother, ensuring she was unharmed, then looked past her to Cai Yan and Diao Chan, whose eyes glistened with tears. Cai Yan, as always, wore a simple, graceful gown, maintaining her dignified appearance; she seemed less like someone on a perilous battlefield and more like a poetess at a gathering by the Wei River.

Beside her, Diao Chan presented a striking contrast. Her figure was alluring, yet she wore no dazzling attire; instead, her hair was bound atop her head, dressed in the garb of a warrior, ready as if to enter combat at any moment.

Seeing both women safe, Luan Yi nodded to them, indicating he was unharmed as well. As he nodded, his gaze lingered unconsciously on Diao Chan for a moment longer.

In front of Cai Yan and Diao Chan stood Luan Miao, his father. He was now clad in military attire, armored, looking every bit the temporary commander of the church’s heartland. He strode up to Luan Yi, sized him up, and exclaimed in shock, "Yi’er, you’re hurt!"

Lady Luan Diao quickly released Luan Yi and examined him. She saw that he was covered in blood, with seven or eight wounds, five of which were arrow injuries. Fortunately, his armor had held firm, most wounds were superficial, and only one had penetrated deeply. Blood still seeped from the wound, staining his inner garments.

Only then did Luan Yi feel the pain, clutching his abdomen as he grimaced and knelt on one knee.

Seeing her son's blood, Lady Luan Diao trembled, tears streaming down as she was overcome with panic and confusion. "What are we to do? What are we to do..."

At that moment, Diao Chan was the most clear-headed. She spoke up, "Quick, help Lord Luan remove his armor. Xiao Cui, Xiao Cui, hurry and fetch the physician!"

"Oh... Right!" Xiao Cui darted off to the rear courtyard to find the church physician. The others hurriedly assisted in removing Luan Yi's armor.

Once the armor was off, the physician arrived.

Following the method Luan Yi had previously taught him for treating external wounds, the physician first disinfected Luan Yi’s injuries with high-proof Immortal Brew. The alcohol burned as it touched the wounds, causing Luan Yi to bite his lip and moan with pain.

While his wounds were being bandaged, Luan Yi questioned Luan Miao about the current situation.

Luan Miao admitted the situation was grim. The church, factory, and villa were surrounded by about eight hundred soldiers, while there were only two hundred defenders, far fewer than the enemy. They had to hold three strongholds, with five main gates. Though these posts were interconnected and could support each other, their manpower was insufficient. Support simply could not reach everywhere.

Thus, Luan Miao had made a decisive choice: abandon the villa and concentrate their forces on defending the more crucial church and factory. Though this meant losing some wealth, it reduced their gates by two. Thanks to this, they had held out so far; otherwise, they would have been captured long ago.

Luan Yi praised his father’s decision as wise.

Then Luan Miao continued, even so, the church could not hold out much longer. Without rescue, they could last no more than two days before succumbing to the enemy.

Luan Yi waved his hand. "Father, rest assured. I have made preparations; reinforcements will come. However, we must hold for three days. Only then will the relief arrive."

"What? Three days?" Luan Miao’s heart sank. "How can just two hundred men hold for three days?"

Indeed, with so few, how could they withstand three days? More importantly, Luan Miao had calculated for two days against eight hundred soldiers, but the reality was there were more than eight hundred. Over a thousand enemy troops from Licheng County were slowly approaching.

Two hundred defenders against eighteen hundred attackers... The very thought was despairing!

"Hold for one day at a time. If we can survive until the third day, we will be saved..."

As they spoke, two hundred steps from the church, Yang Mou arrived, leading pursuers. Seeing the soldiers idly guarding the church from afar, he angrily demanded, "Why aren’t you storming the gates? What are you all staring at?"

"Ah, Master Yang!" answered an officer. He added, "The Holy Mother just ran back into the church!"

"I was about to ask you! With so many men, how did you fail to stop Luan Ziqi?"

"He’s too fierce; we couldn’t hold him!" The officer looked aggrieved. "I also heard him say that Secretary Zhu was killed by him. Is it true?"

"Nonsense! Secretary Zhu is alive and well. The Holy Mother of Nuwa is dead, but Secretary Zhu is very much alive!"

"Ah?" The officer exclaimed, "So Lord Luan deceived us."

"Enough talk. Hurry up and attack the gates. If we don’t take this damned church by tonight, Secretary Zhu will punish you!"

"Understood!" The officer replied briskly, though he cursed Yang Mou silently: “A dog relying on its master’s power, thinking himself important. He’s just a subordinate of Zhu Ying! In the past, I’d sooner spit on him than talk, but now he’s playing the role of a fake priest for two days, acting all high and mighty!”

Despite his resentment, Yang Mou carried Zhu Ying’s seal. Zhu Ying was the Chief Secretary of the Jinan State, the local emperor, more powerful than even the king. Disobedience was not an option.

He pursed his lips and called to the soldiers behind him, "Did you all hear? If we don’t take this church tonight, I’ll be punished, and so will you lot." He swept his gaze over them. "Attack with all you’ve got!"

"Yes..." Hundreds of voices responded in unison, and together with the thirteen hundred men Yang Mou brought, they split into three forces to attack the three main gates of the church and factory, following the drumbeats.

On the north side, atop the church’s high wall, the sentries confirmed the enemy approaching from the east and immediately blew the warning horn. Its sound was deep and resonant. The defenders drew their bows, ready for battle.

After surveying the situation, Li Zhuang descended from the corner tower, sweating heavily, and reported to Luan Yi, "Master... Master! Many are coming... The church has two exits, and since you entered through this gate, they’ve concentrated their forces here—nearly a thousand at each gate, and several hundred at the factory. Should we... try to break out through the south gate of the factory?"

"Impossible..." Luan Yi shook his head. In his mind, there should be more than two thousand soldiers hidden in Licheng County; those besieging the church and factory would bring the total close to three thousand. Yet only about two thousand one hundred had appeared, so where were the remaining nine hundred?

The answer was clear. Zhu Ying was employing the "besiege two, leave one open" strategy: two thousand one hundred men surrounded the defenders, leaving an opening to the south, while part of the nine hundred lay in ambush in the southern mountains.

If they broke out southward, they would surely fall into the trap, with unimaginable consequences.

"We must continue to hold and await rescue." Ignoring the pain of his wounds, Luan Yi, bare-chested, took a pouch of iron discs from the back of his discarded armor and hefted a large hammer, ready to climb the wall.

His mother, Lady Luan Diao, tried to stop him. "My son, you’re wounded; don’t go into battle!"

Luan Yi was about to explain, but Diao Chan stepped forward to ease his mother’s worries, leading her aside. "Aunt, didn’t the physician say just now that Lord Luan’s injuries are not serious? Surely he can continue fighting. He is a man of iron and blood, possessed of heroic spirit. Since he wishes to protect us, we should support him quietly. Don’t worry, Aunt—I’ll be beneath the wall, and if Lord Luan falters, I’ll drag him down myself if I have to."

Luan Miao stepped in as well, saying, "Women need not concern themselves with men’s affairs. Besides, so many guards surround Luan Yi; nothing serious will happen." He then instructed the maids, including Xiao Cui, to escort Lady Luan Diao back indoors, urging them to care for her well.

Watching his mother's nearly collapsing figure as she left, Luan Yi gave Diao Chan a grateful smile, then followed Li Zhuang up the city wall.

By then, the enemy had launched their first assault. Luan Yi gauged the distance and ordered, "Fire the range-finding arrows!"

These arrows, though not invented by Luan Yi, had been used since the Warring States period, though somehow the method had disappeared from warfare after Emperor Wu of Han. Luan Yi had now brought it back.

Range-finding arrows looked no different from regular arrows, but had a red silk ribbon tied to the tail to make them more visible for the archers. Their purpose was to help the archers gauge maximum range and estimate effective range. The little flag at the tail also indicated wind strength and direction, affecting accuracy.

A volley of range-finding arrows soared skyward, followed by a volley of fire arrows for illumination. The range was measured: tonight’s maximum was one hundred and twenty paces, with an effective range of eighty paces; the wind was light from the southeast.

The enemy soldiers howled as they charged madly. Among their ranks were sixteen scaling ladders and more than twenty men pushing a wooden cart. The cart bore a massive log, wrapped in ox-hide.

Luan Yi recognized it as a battering ram, purpose-built for breaking gates—a tremendous threat to the defenders.