Chapter Seventy-Five: A Fight to the Death

No one had foreseen what happened next.

Whether it was a sudden mountain flood near Tongguan or simply too much rain, the ravine was inundated. The surging torrent grew ever fiercer, eventually destroying several “bridges” made of corpses within the ravine, swept away by the overwhelming force. It was as if a dam had burst, and with the collapse of the uppermost “corpse dam,” the raging waters rapidly destroyed the downstream bridges. Amid the rebels’ cries of alarm, the flood carried immense power, sweeping along countless bodies and soldiers, rushing toward the Yellow River in a terrifying cascade.

Most of the rebel soldiers charging across the corpse bridges during the collapse were swept directly into the Yellow River by the floodwaters. Only those lucky enough to be caught by rocks or snagged by branches survived, and a handful were tossed ashore by the torrent, snatching back their lives, though even these survivors were shaken to the core.

It was estimated that one or two thousand soldiers were swept directly into the Yellow River, most from the north and unable to swim. Dragged by the current into the turbulent river, few could hope to survive.

In truth, such an outcome was inevitable.

Mount Hua’s soil was scant, unable to retain water, so the rainwater flowed away almost immediately. The ravine, naturally formed between mountains, was a drainage channel for rainwater to reach the Yellow River during storms. Once the rain began, water quickly accumulated in the ravine. The piles of corpses blocked the flow, causing water to gather and making drainage impossible. As the rain intensified and lasted longer, the water between the mountains accumulated further. Bodies were shifted by the struggling current, and terrain forced them into new dams, creating a series of impromptu lakes within the ravine.

The increasing water overflowed the dams and spread chaotically along the eastern edge of the ravine, exerting tremendous pressure on the corpse bridges. As the torrent grew more violent, the makeshift dams finally gave way under the immense force of the water. Collapse began at the uppermost dam, triggering a chain reaction as the flood destroyed the subsequent dams. The rushing waters not only swept away most of the bodies and thousands of rebel soldiers into the Yellow River, but also wiped out the rebels’ path of attack along the western edge of the ravine.

Even after all the dams were destroyed, the ravine still held a rushing torrent. For the rebel soldiers to cross this raging channel and launch an assault on Tongguan City, the difficulty had increased many times over. The ravine, once more a natural barrier, had regained its original defensive function—indeed, its power to resist enemies was now far greater. The swift current posed an almost insurmountable challenge for any rebel hoping to continue the attack.

Understanding this, Yang Xi could not help but cry out in joyful surprise when he saw the flood sweep the ravine clean of corpses.

Heaven helps me—truly, it does.

When Yang Xi had advised Geshu Han on clearing the ravine of corpses, he suggested two methods: burning them, or flushing them out with a flood. The fire failed to incinerate all the bodies, but a rainstorm brought a flood that swept them away in one fell swoop. Surely this was divine favor—the ravine’s natural defense was restored, and now even more formidable than before. The rebels could not hope to breach the city so easily again.

Yet, despite Heaven’s intervention, there were still many rebels amassed outside the western edge of the ravine near the southern gate—at least seven or eight thousand. These soldiers were stunned by the ravine’s rampaging flood; many, unable to keep their footing beneath the city walls, fell into the ravine and were swept away. Those thrown from the scaling ladders ended up in the torrent, swimming like fish, only to be carried to the Yellow River. Still, the number lost this way was small; most remained under the walls, ready to continue the assault, though the shock of the sudden disaster slowed their actions.

"Brothers, charge onto the city walls, or we’ll all be killed by the Tang army!"

A commanding adjutant brandished his sword and roared at the soldiers around him.

Given the current situation, those beneath the city walls had no way back; reinforcements could not possibly arrive in time. They stood alone. Their only options: storm the walls and seize them, or be slaughtered by the Tang defenders above—or turn and flee, attempting the near-impossible task of crossing the raging ravine to retreat. But that would simply lead to being swept into the Yellow River.

Even if one managed to cross the ravine, they'd be executed as a deserter. The rebels below the wall had no choice but to risk everything in their assault.

Seizing the city walls and the southern gate was their only hope for survival.

With the adjutant’s furious command and his own example, other officers and adjutants quickly followed, raising their swords and ordering their men to attack at any cost.

With the commanders’ orders, the rebel soldiers, fully aware of their desperate position, scrambled to scale the city, paying no heed to how the defenders might respond. This was a do-or-die charge—the rebels hoped to storm the walls while the rain fell, hampering the Tang army’s archers and obscuring their vision.

The rebels’ assault became frenzied, far fiercer than before, and for a moment, the defenders struggled to hold their own.

Whether shaken by the ravine’s earlier flood or simply unable to withstand the rebels’ reckless attack, some Tang soldiers hesitated, refusing to fight, allowing more than a hundred rebels to climb the ladders and gain the walls.

Yang Xi had never expected such a turn.

Heaven favored him: the flood had cleansed the ravine, carried off thousands of attackers, and cut off the rebels’ lines of advance. Yet the defenders’ hesitation allowed the enemy to storm the walls, and danger returned.

Yang Xi knew well: if the rebels established themselves atop the walls, reinforcements would follow, and the southern gate might fall. The rebels had no retreat now; only a life-and-death struggle gave them hope. Nearly ten thousand would throw everything into the attack, with no thought of withdrawal. It was infuriating that, just as the tide turned in his favor, the defenders faltered, letting the enemy gain the walls and leaving him livid with rage.