A Pawn’s Passage

Kobe Castle was the gateway to North Ise and the Ise-jingu.

The Daoist army had already arrived at its gates.

But unlike the traditional method of scaling the walls, the Daoist positions were set further back from the walls. All that could be seen were rows of cannons already in position. Their barrels stood like a forest, their muzzles aimed at Kobe Castle's walls, ready to destroy the city.

The spring wind howled, whipping banners so they snapped and fluttered. The soldiers on the city walls gripped their muskets, with only a handful of cannons in support, yet despair weighed heavily upon them.

That was because beneath the walls were not catapults, but heavy artillery. Could cannon shells even be compared to rocks?

Their own cannons were the traditional solid shot, mere lumps of iron. However, the Daoist cannons fired explosive shells that exploded with devastating force.

Moreover, the Donghai Fleet was closing in from the sea, the range of its naval cannons capable of covering nearly half of Kobe Castle.

Yet none of this brought them such despair, since the city walls still offered some cover.

Kobe Castle was not like Hisai Castle. Hisai Castle was little more than a jin'ya, with crude fortified walls that were easily reduced to rubble. However, Kobe Castle was a grand city, fortified and maintained by the Tenmon Sect for many years.

One only had to look at the depth of the gatehouse to gauge the thickness of its walls. They were not like courtyard walls made of a single layer of thin bricks. The top of the ramparts was about 12 meters wide on average, enough for six horses to ride next to each other without crowding. Only such walls could support the placement of cannons, ballistae, and other defensive weapons. Their core was rammed earth encased in brick. Blasting off the outer brick was easy enough, but piercing through 12 meters of rammed earth would not be a simple task in a short time.

What truly crushed morale was the sky above. This time, the Daoist Order had deployed its flying ships, capable of soaring directly over the city walls and striking within the city.

The colossal Yinglong Warship cruised over Kobe's skies, casting a massive shadow on the ground, bringing about an oppressive aura, as though every heart was smothered beneath a dark cloud.

A host of Crane Crafts accompanied the Yinglong Warships, like stars surrounding the moon, their shadows rippling across the city like a shoal of fish.

This was truly a scene of black clouds pressing down upon the city.

Considering the various consequences, the Daoists did not employ the immensely destructive Phoenix Eye Bomb capable of obliterating the Cuowenbu manufacturing plant. Instead, they unleashed a volley of incendiary rockets.

These rockets were not just flaming arrows. They were more akin to large fireworks, though far deadlier. They fell from the sky like a storm of fiery rain.

With most of the city's buildings made of wood, flames spread instantly into infernos. The Daoists were deliberate in their aim, focusing the barrage upon the noblemen's residences, igniting their grand mansions until they blazed like towering pyres.

From both the perspective of winning hearts and the pragmatics of warfare, targeting the noblemen's residences was the optimal choice. Only by instilling terror in them could Kobe be compelled to surrender. Otherwise, no matter how many commoners perished, the nobles would regard their deaths as nothing more than numbers.

As the rockets fell, copper gongs sounded across the streets, mingling with a cacophony of chaos. Some fled in panic, while others scrambled to extinguish the flames.

Among them were richly dressed nobles, escorted by their servants and guards as they abandoned their burning homes and fled for safety.

The fire raining from the heavens brought the nobles a newfound terror they had never known. In the past, as long as they sheltered behind the thick walls, no matter the carnage outside, it never reached them. But now, the seemingly impregnable walls could not stop Daoist rockets. Death could fall upon their heads at any moment.

Before the war, many samurai nobles had clamored to fight until no land was left unscorched. Yet when the rockets fell upon their very heads, threatening not only themselves but also their families, their bravado vanished instantly.

Cries of despair filled the air.

The fiery rain continued for a long time. It seemed determined to reduce the entire noble district to ashes before relenting.

As soon as the rocket barrage from the flying ships ceased, the heavy cannons outside the city walls roared to life.

Shell after shell slammed into the thick city walls, shaking stretches of ramparts. Dust spewed from their cracks as the explosions gouged massive craters in the brickwork, exposing the rammed earth beneath.

Their antiquated defense cannons had not even fired before they were destroyed by the precise Daoist bombardment. The soldiers fared far worse. Their bodies were obliterated into clouds of blood mist, which were then consumed by flames.

Some shells flew over the walls, detonating within the city itself.

The unrelenting barrage shook the ground like an earthquake.

The rolling thunder of cannons roared without pause.

Soon, the entire city was engulfed in fire.

At the same time, the Donghai Fleet began bombarding Kobe from the sea.

The firepower of naval artillery far surpassed that of land-based cannons.

Kobe Castle had become silent after the first bombardment.

The three thousand Black Robes Heavy Cavalry had yet to charge into the city, as they were still biding their time.

At the very least, they would wait until a sufficiently large breach was blasted into the walls before sending in the main forces.

Spirit Guard Jia Shen and Spirit Guard Jia Chen stood side by side on a hill outside the city, peering through their telescope to monitor the unfolding battle.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen lowered his telescope and turned toward Spirit Guard Jia Shen, asking, "Are we really just going to simmer them over a low fire?"

Spirit Guard Jia Shen, still holding his telescope, replied in a flat voice, "We have no choice. If we want to win hearts, we can't fight with unrestrained force. The field command has ordered us to hold back repeatedly, so we can only follow orders."

"Then let this pot of stew simmer. Though in the end, all the spoils will go to the Fenglin Daoist Mansion," Spirit Guard Jia Chen remarked.

After a moment, Spirit Guard Jia Shen commented, "I think it's about time to add some seasoning."

Spirit Guard Jia Chen took out the Dragonfly Cutter and rested it casually on his shoulder. "I knew you had an ulterior motive in giving me this spear. You were waiting for this moment, weren't you? Well, so be it—I owe you a favor anyway."

"Thanks," Spirit Guard Jia Shen simply replied.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen said nothing more and turned to leave.

Soon, more flying ships appeared above Kobe.

This time, they did not drop rockets or Phoenix Eye Bombs. Instead, one dark figure after another fell from the sky.

These figures were clad in armor from head to toe, with hardly a gap visible. Behind them, metallic discs resembling the Eight Trigrams rotated and unfolded mid-descent, unfurling wings forged of divine power.

At least several hundred of such figures filled the sky densely.

These were the high-ranking Spirit Guards of the Daoist Order.

At their head was Spirit Guard Jia Chen, wielding his newly attained spear, the Dragonfly Cutter.

The samurai on the ground surged forth like a tide. But with one sweep of Spirit Guard Jia Chen's spear, dozens of them were sliced clean in half. He pushed back the tide with his lone power, creating a circular no-man's land around him.

At the same time, the Yinglong Warship shifted its position and aimed its cannons at the front city wall. Though it was not loaded with Grade-A Series Two Dragon Eye Bombs, the thunderous blast still tore open a massive breach in the 12-meter-thick wall.

Since the old method of scaling walls with ladders had already become obsolete, it was only a matter of time before city walls withdrew from the stage of history.

Spirit Guard Jia Shen finally issued the order to attack.

The Black Robes Calvary began their advance. Unlike ordinary cavalry, these riders were like steel behemoths, not only possessing immense mobility but also terrifying, almost indestructible defenses. Behind them followed various infantry troops.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu also took part in this battle. However, they were not on the ground but aboard the Yinglong Warship.

Overlooking the battlefield from the skies gave a completely different perspective.

When the Yinglong Warship fired earlier, Qi Xuansu personally joined in. If cannons could be likened to giant guns, then the Yinglong Warship's were the largest mobile guns in the world.

Qi Xuansu had always liked firearms, so this time, his dream came true.

Under the overwhelming might of the Yinglong Warship, not a single Heavenly Being in Kobe dared engage in aerial battle. In fact, all forms of duels ceased, whether in air, at sea, or on land.

This battle was a one-sided bombardment, a completely lopsided war. From beginning to end, Kobe Castle only endured whatever was thrown at it.

Ise Province had two port cities. Tsu Castle surrendered without bloodshed, but Kobe Castle's fate remained uncertain.

When the thunder of cannons subsided, it was replaced by the sharp, rapid fire of rifles, pouring down bullets like rain in an unending volley.

The Donghai Fleet drew closer to shore, and the Black Robes began to disembark.

During the council at Mount Suzuka, Sage Qingwei had made it clear that out of concern for civilian casualties, they would fight as though shackled. Yet considering the Daoist Order's strength, he still believed the Daoists could end the battle within 12 hours and capture Kobe Castle.

The attack would begin at dawn and end before nightfall.

Order within Kobe was collapsing visibly by the moment as fires spread rapidly.

The defending samurai were steadily forced back.

At this time, Sage Qingwei was neither at the frontlines nor on Mount Suzuka.

In fact, after the council at Mount Suzuka ended, Sage Qingwei immediately left Ise Province and returned to the Xiujing encampment.

That was because Sage Qingwei had an even more important matter to attend to.

News had arrived from the Qizhou headquarters that the Imperial Preceptor's flagship had already departed.

Although Sage Qingwei held the title of Sage Commander in this Fenglin Campaign, he was clearly ranked below the three Deputy Grand Masters. In truth, since the position of Grand Master had remained vacant, the three Deputy Grand Masters had taken over much of the Grand Master's authority, wielding more power than any Deputy Grand Master in past generations.

Few had expected that the so-called "rumor" would turn out to be true.

The Imperial Preceptor was really coming to Fenglin in person.

From this, the Taiping Sect and the Li family's determination for success in the Fenglin campaign became evident. They would not allow even the slightest chance of failure.

The siege of Kobe was merely an appetizer. The assault on Ise-jingu would be the true feast.