Chapter 1991: Chapter 2092: Deploying the Next Stage of War

Xiang Yu wasn’t as optimistic as Tie Zhuzi. After all, the opposing side was made up of multiple international organizations, and at first, they might have been suspicious of each other, thus unwilling to exert their full strength.

But with time, aided by the inability to penetrate the siege, they would gradually increase their forces.

As Xiang Yu expected, the next day, even before dawn, the enemy launched a full-scale attack.

This time, the three-pronged attack was fierce, and the enemy used heavy weaponry, especially on the north and south sides where they had building cover, resulting in minimal casualties for them.

The western side remained the most brutal; the enemy charged forward recklessly, only to be mowed down.

The scene was gruesome and nauseating, but there was no choice; if they didn’t kill, they would be killed.

This state continued for three days. During these three days, the City Guard Army did not retreat a single step, and both the militia and the civilians fought with high morale.

Even so, some chaos still arose on the scene.

The civilians were not professionally trained. Initially, they had a fiery zeal and swore to defend their homeland.

But when they truly experienced the brutality of war and saw bodies blasted into the air, they became somewhat panicked.

To stabilize the situation, Xiang Yu gathered all the civilians and sent the timid ones back to Lieyun City.

Xi’er felt a bit embarrassed facing Xiang Yu, as these people were left at her request, yet now they couldn’t withstand the test.

But Xiang Yu did not blame her; this situation was anticipated from the start.

Xi’er, as a heroic woman, volunteered to pick up a rifle and head to the front line, and her combat capability was in no way inferior to the militia.

When the third night fell, Xiang Yu gathered all the mid-level leaders. His intuition told him that the fourth day would be a fierce battle.

Yet Tie Zhuzi was still very optimistic; these past few days he felt he had indulged in the thrill of war.

"Brother Yu, looks like we’ve almost battered them enough. How about we launch a counterattack tomorrow and catch them off guard," Tie Zhuzi said excitedly.

Others also supported Tie Zhuzi. The three days of defensive warfare had allowed them to understand the enemy’s strength.

When the war first started, they were doubtful about holding out for a day. Now it seemed they could not only hold out but also counterattack.

Some also supported defending the city, since it was their base, and behind them lay Lieyun City with ample logistical support.

The enemy had come from afar, with insufficient supply lines, so as long as they fought a war of attrition, the enemy would collapse without needing to be attacked.

"What do you think?" Xiang Yu turned to Xi’er.

Although Xi’er was a woman, the abilities she demonstrated over the past few days were strong, not inferior to men at all.

Xi’er, seeing everyone looking at her, blushed embarrassedly and said, "It’s my first war, I don’t know what to do either, but I feel we can pull out a part of our forces to circle behind them and attack them from both front and back."

Others nodded quietly in agreement; this indeed was a good strategy.

"Why bother with all that? I say we concentrate all our forces and break out in one direction; once we break through one line of defense, the other two will collapse on their own," Tie Zhuzi said excitedly.

Everyone expressed their opinions, then turned their focus back to Xiang Yu.

"What you all said makes sense, but it’s not a stable enough plan. The enemy’s attacks over the past three days have seemed fierce, but they haven’t used their full strength. I suspect they are deploying more troops," Xiang Yu said solemnly.

Xi’er looked at Xiang Yu, puzzled, and asked, "The fighting has reached this level, and they still haven’t used their full strength?"

Xiang Yu nodded, "Although I don’t know much about these large organizations, one thing is certain: each organization’s strength is definitely far stronger than ours."

Tie Zhuzi reluctantly stepped forward and said, "Brother Yu, don’t boost the morale of others while dampening our own. We’ve been training a lot lately, and we’ve got plenty of brothers; how can we not measure up to them?"

Xiang Yu smiled lightly and said, "Never underestimate your enemies. If we can develop to this extent in a short time, then they’ve been developing for much longer, which must mean their power is even greater."

"But..."

Tie Zhuzi wanted to say more, but Xiang Yu stopped him.

Xiang Yu stood upright at the front, looking sharply at everyone, and said, "Now I’ll begin to deploy the next phase of defense. Zhuzi, you stay with the City Guard Army brothers on the front line, but be sure to conserve ammunition, keep hidden, and don’t engage in head-on confrontations."

"Yes," Tie Zhuzi replied loudly.

"Xi’er, you lead the civilians in establishing an escape route. In case the front line can’t hold, you must ensure they can retreat."

"Me, can I do it?" Xi’er said, worried.

Xiang Yu stepped forward and patted her shoulder, "I have a feeling that in the next few days, the enemy will definitely launch a large-scale assault. Your safe passage is vital to everyone’s survival; don’t take it lightly."

Xi’er gritted her teeth and nodded, "Okay, leave it to me. I’ll establish the passage even if it costs me my life."

"Everyone else, prepare for an orderly retreat at any time, and don’t get caught up in the fight," Xiang Yu said seriously.

Many people were puzzled, not understanding why Xiang Yu said such things when the battle clearly seemed in their favor.

They believed that if they persisted for another week, the enemy would certainly not hold out and would then retreat.

After assigning tasks, Xiang Yu looked at everyone with great concern and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Once we get through this, I’ll treat you all to a feast."

"Brother Yu, stop worrying about others. You haven’t slept for three days; you should rest," Tie Zhuzi said with concern.

Others also voiced their desire for Xiang Yu to take a break; over three days, Xiang Yu had visibly lost weight.

"I’m fine. Compared to those of you on the front lines, I’m much safer," Xiang Yu said, then looked at the time and continued, "Go back and assign people to be on duty, and let the others rest as much as possible since rest is crucial for better combat."

Everyone nodded and quickly left.

This was a critical time in the battle; even a small mistake could lead to the whole battlefield’s collapse.

Xi’er didn’t leave but said with concern, "Leader, you must rest now, or your body will fall apart."

"Am I that fragile?" Xiang Yu said with a smile, "You should hurry back and rest; don’t worry about me."

"No way, I promised Long Wu I’d take good care of you, so now you must rest," Xi’er insisted firmly.

"It’s fine..."

Before Xiang Yu could finish, Xi’er pulled him towards the bed.

Xiang Yu felt a bit awkward and quickly said, "Alright, I’ll rest."

Xi’er then smiled and released Xiang Yu. This was a method Long Wu taught her, and it turned out to be effective on Xiang Yu...