The roads leading to the south gate were packed with terrified townspeople: the old, the weak, the women, the children.

They trembled like birds that had heard a bowstring!

Behind them stood Nanyue soldiers with arrows nocked, every one of them aimed at the people.

That was Kang Luo's plan.

A Nanyue officer, looking very pleased with himself, shouted, "Great Xuan soldiers! Take one more step and don't blame us when we loose every arrow we've got and kill these people right in front of you!"

The Great Xuan soldiers didn't dare advance. All they could do was stop and glare at the Nanyue troops in fury.

Yuan Long immediately sent men to see whether there was another way through.

But after a long wait, the answer came back: every road to the south gate was full of Great Xuan townspeople.

For the moment, Yuan Long and the others were at a loss.

Along the widest avenue in the city, Kang Luo came riding up with his men, armored and armed.

Lei An shouted in anger, "Kang Luo! The crown prince of Nanyue, and you stoop this low? You can't beat us on the battlefield, so you resort to cheap little tricks like this!"

Kang Luo narrowed his eyes at him. "And who are you?"

"Lei An!"

Kang Luo said, "Oh, I've heard of you. One of Ning Chen's top generals... Too bad you're not worthy of speaking to this crown prince. Bring me Ning Chen. This crown prince is leaving, and I have to say goodbye to him!"

Lei An had no choice but to send someone for Ning Chen.

Only now had the last of Ning Chen's hundred and ten thousand men made it in through the gate.

Ning Chen himself was ambling into the city with Pan Yucheng and the others.

He'd meant to climb the gate tower for a look at the fighting inside the city, but a scout came galloping up to him.

The scout reined in and swung down from his horse.

"My lord prince, Nanyue is holding the townspeople hostage to block our…