bookrandom Chapter 2009: Prepared
Chapter 2009: Prepared
Ma Chao immediately raised his arm and shouted sternly, "All troops, listen up! Slow down and spread out in battle formation! Archers, prepare!"
Just as the Chu army had adjusted its formation and was ready for battle, a strange howling sound, like the howling of wolves, suddenly rang out from behind Luoyan Slope in front of them!
Immediately afterwards, like a flood bursting its banks, countless Scorpion Clan cavalrymen, wielding scimitars, surged out from behind the slope!
The leading general was exceptionally tall and strong, wearing a multicolored fur cloak; he was none other than Huyan Ying, the leader of the Blood Eagle tribe!
Seeing that the Chu army was indeed pursuing them and that their numbers seemed small, Huyan Ying was overjoyed, thinking that Gao Xianzhi's plan had succeeded and that Ma Chao had fallen into the trap.
He laughed wildly, brandishing his massive scimitar, and charged ahead of the Chu army's front line, roaring in broken Chinese:
"Chu dog! Leave your life behind!"
He planned to use the powerful charge of the Blood Eagle cavalry to crush the reckless vanguard of the Chu army in one fell swoop, killing them one by one, and venting his anger over the disastrous defeat at Luoxia Mountain.
However, he was unaware that his every move, along with that of his cavalry, had already been clearly observed by the Chu army's scouts, whose keen eyesight was like that of falcons, and had been reported to Ma Chao immediately.
Ma Chao looked at the Scorpion Clan cavalry charging like mad bulls, but instead of showing fear, he revealed a sinister smile of triumph.
He slowly raised the spear in his hand. Behind him, tens of thousands of powerful bows and crossbows were already aimed at the surging tide of death.
"Archers—ready!"
Ma Chao's voice sounded particularly cold in the wind: "On my command, fire three rounds simultaneously! Let them taste what it means to be struck head-on!"
The biting north wind whipped up remnants of snow and dust, making the desolate landscape along the Canglang River appear even more bleak.
When Huyan Ying led his ferocious Blood Eagle cavalry, roaring as they surged out from behind Luoyan Slope...
Instead of the expected hasty Chu army blades, they were met with a sudden, rising cloud of death—a dense swarm of arrows, like locusts, cutting through the wind!
"Whoosh whoosh—!"
In the Chu army formation, the archers, who had been waiting in ambush, calmly pulled the triggers and released the bowstrings at Ma Chao's command.
The arrow reserves, which Han Xing had specifically instructed to strengthen, played a crucial role at this moment.
The first volley of arrows, like a sudden storm, rained down black arrows with a piercing shriek, instantly covering the front half of the Blood Eagle cavalry charge.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
The dull thud of blades piercing flesh and the dying neighs of warhorses instantly replaced the shouts of the charge.
The Scorpion Clan cavalry at the forefront had no time to react, and before they could even raise their leather shields to block, they were riddled with arrows and turned into hedgehogs.
The men and horses were all clad in simple armor made of iron plates and animal hides, and they appeared utterly vulnerable in the face of powerful bows and crossbows at such close range.
The knight screamed and fell from his horse. The startled horse reared up, throwing its rider off its back, and was then shot down by a follow-up arrow.
The once fierce charging formation seemed to have crashed into an invisible steel wall, instantly turning into chaos and halting the momentum of the charge.
"Asshole!!"
Huyan Ying brandished his scimitar, deflecting several arrows aimed at him. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the fallen warriors of his tribe beside him, a surge of evil fire rising to his head.
He thought it was a perfect ambush and a kill, but he didn't expect the other side to be prepared, which caused him to suffer a great loss instead.
"Don't stop! Charge through them! Crush them!"
He roared hoarsely, trying to reorganize the chaotic troops and, with the speed and ferocity of the cavalry, forcefully break through the Chu army's long-range lines.
However, Ma Chao gave his opponent no chance to regroup.
Seeing that the first volley of arrows was highly effective and the enemy was thrown into chaos, he did not linger and immediately issued a second order:
"Rear ranks become front ranks, archers provide alternating cover, retreat!"
The command was executed swiftly.
The Chu cavalry demonstrated excellent training and did not turn tail and run away in a chaotic manner.
Instead, the light cavalry with shields in the front row quickly moved forward to block any possible gaps in the counterattack, while the archers in the center fired a second volley of deflecting arrows before quickly turning their horses around. Meanwhile, the cavalry in the rear row had already changed direction and began to retreat in an orderly manner.
The entire retreat, though rushed, was orderly and well-organized.
When the Blood Eagle cavalry, spurred on by Huyan Ying's roars and urging, finally managed to regain some order from the hail of arrows and launch another attack, the Chu army had already distanced themselves from them.
"Chase them! Don't let a single one escape! Use their skulls to make wine bowls!"
Completely consumed by rage, Hu Yanying, his eyes bloodshot, took the lead and gave chase.
The scorpion cavalry behind him roared angrily, urging their horses to bite the tails of the Chu army.
However, they soon discovered that the chase had turned into a painful ordeal.
The Chu army never engaged them in close combat, but maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, using the stamina of their warhorses and their skillful riding to always stay one arrow's length ahead of the Blood Eagle tribe.
What infuriated Huyan Ying even more was that during the Chu army's "escape," the archers were able to use the stability of the stirrups to turn around and fire arrows while on galloping horses!
Although the accuracy and power of mounted archery are not as good as when stationary, such close-range volley fire is still extremely threatening.
Blood Eagle cavalrymen were constantly being hit by stray arrows during the pursuit, falling from their horses with screams, only to be trampled into mincemeat by the swarming warhorses of their comrades behind them.
The Chu army was like a slippery eel, or a venomous scorpion that kept turning around to sting, making every step forward for the Blood Eagle troops who were pursuing them cost them blood.
A peculiar chase unfolds in the wilderness.
The 10,000 Chu soldiers in front fled in disarray, yet their formation remained intact, and arrows continued to rain down upon them.
The Blood Eagles pursued fiercely, their battle cries deafening, but it was like punching cotton; not only did they fail to capture many Chu soldiers, their own casualties continued to rise.
The cold air was filled with an increasingly strong stench of blood and the desperate roars of the Scorpion Clan soldiers.
Huyan Ying was initially driven by the rage of revenge and pursued relentlessly.
But as time went on, more and more warriors fell around him, and the heavy breathing and the weary neighing of his warhorses reminded him that the pursuit had lasted for nearly 35 minutes.
The Chu army was clearly doing this intentionally; their horses were in better condition, and their arrows seemed endless.
A chill gradually overwhelmed his anger and rushed to Huyan Ying's head.
He abruptly reined in his horse, raised his scimitar, and let out a roar filled with resentment and rage:
"Stop! All of you, stop right now!"
"Everyone, cease the pursuit immediately!"