The walls, however, were much sturdier than the battlements above. The sixth floor where we were located was internally connected. Several spots had been hit, showing damage and emitting smoke and ash, but the stone projectiles had not penetrated the building.
"Do they have anything more powerful for long-range attacks?" I asked Jiang Jun.
"And this isn't powerful?" Jiang Jun retorted.
"Answer my question," I said, taking a drag from my cigarette and frowning. "This is a battlefield, why aren't you taking it seriously!"
Jiang Jun snapped to attention. "Reporting, sir. There is also a type of fire oil bomb, but this is a stone city, they wouldn't use it!"
This soldier indeed had a keen strategic sense. I had observed earlier that this city, built on a sheer rock face, was truly a "stone city" in name and in deed. The buildings within appeared to be constructed entirely from stone quarried from the mountain. Aside from slight variations in roof colors, the walls, steps, and city walls were all made of the same type and color of stone.
Ordinary cities in plains regions have more wooden materials, making them susceptible to fire attacks. With appropriate tactics, a full-scale conflagration could be ignited, threatening the city's food supplies and provisions, leading to victory without a fight. However, attacking a stone city like this required a head-on confrontation with catapults and projectiles causing casualties.
"Then that's fine. I think this sixth floor is quite sturdy, let's fight from here... And you guys are strange, why insist on defending from the top?" I pointed to the seventh floor above, its roof already shattered.
"Uh... Isn't that how we always defend? When the enemy approaches the city walls," Jiang Jun pulled a rope by the window. *Clang*, a thick stone slab descended from above, sealing the window. "All floor windows are closed to prevent enemy entry. Enemies can only climb the city walls, and the battle will commence on the top floor!"
I waved my hand. "They absolutely won't reach that point. Open the window, it's too dark."
Jiang Jun attempted to move the stone slab from the inside, but after several tries, he found it immovable. The slab was firmly set in a perfectly fitted groove.
"Uh... Sir, let's try a different window. This stone slab is too heavy," Jiang Jun said sheepishly.
I nodded and moved to the adjacent window, continuing to observe the battle.
After about fifteen minutes of stone-throwing, the catapults ceased their attack. From the yellow mist in the rear, a troop clad in black armor emerged. They advanced in neat formation, clearly well-trained. Within the ranks, they pushed some wooden contraptions resembling siege ladders, used for storming the city.
I used a few large trees on the battlefield to gauge the distance and instructed Bing Bing to have everyone fire simultaneously when the enemy reached the third large tree. That was approximately four hundred meters from the city gate. The opposing side had archers, but I doubted their range. All types of our rifles had a range of over 400 meters, not to mention the advantage of firing from above, with a flat trajectory, making aiming easier.
Being on a battlefield for the first time, especially after nearly being hit by a projectile upstairs, I was still somewhat tense. The enemy's large troop moved slowly to maintain their formation. I lit a cigarette and surveyed the floor, offering encouragement to everyone and answering questions from the soldiers operating the firearms. I primarily emphasized the importance of bracing against the shoulder when firing to avoid injury from the recoil, recalling how the massive recoil from testing the autocannon had nearly sent me to the ground.
These specter soldiers were from various dynasties. Some were from more recent times and had experience with similar weapons. One was a veteran of the Anti-Moon War, a Sea Lord. I asked him if he had operated anti-aircraft machine guns on ships, which were essentially autocannons. The veteran confirmed he had. I quickly escorted him to a central position to operate the autocannon. It was best to let professionals handle professional tasks; I would be responsible for the command.
We stood ready. After two cigarettes, the enemy finally reached the designated position.
Bing Bing immediately issued the order. Instantly, the gunfire erupted like popping beans. Although it was single-shot bursts, because they were all automatic weapons, the firing rate was very fast. The floor quickly became filled with smoke. However, since we had no need to breathe, we couldn't smell the scent of firecrackers.
It was a bit of a pity; I rather liked that smell.