novelAbuy Chapter 147 Cavalry Defeated
Chapter 147 Cavalry Defeated
The riverbank of Moon Bay had been transformed into a boiling millstone of flesh and blood. The main force of the Hu cavalry, numbering over four thousand, was like a beast trapped in a swamp, struggling frantically in the death trap meticulously constructed by Starfire Fortress, only to sink deeper and deeper, wasting their flesh and blood and morale in vain.
Front, the arc-shaped wagon formation stood firm as a rock. After two volleys, the sixty crossbowmen didn't stop, but switched to free-for-all sniping mode. The crossbowmen calmly selected their targets—small leaders attempting to organize a resistance, groups of routed soldiers, and even distant reinforcements slowing their pace in shock. Each dull thud claimed at least one, or even several, lives. Meanwhile, the ordinary archers rained down arrows relentlessly, suppressing any Hu cavalry attempting to regroup or climb the wagon formation.
On the left flank, Dian Xiong led three hundred heavily armored warriors, like a red-hot hammer, carving a horrifying path of flesh and blood through the chaotic Hu cavalry. They completely ignored the scattered soldiers on both sides; their triangular assault formation was aimed directly at the golden wolf-head banner! Although Wuzhu's personal guard was elite, they were unable to form an effective defensive formation in time. Faced with Dian Xiong, this humanoid beast, and three hundred impenetrable, incredibly strong iron cans, they were forced into a relentless retreat, suffering heavy casualties. Dian Xiong's armor-piercing spear was now stained beyond recognition with blood; each swing created a storm of carnage. He himself was like a demon pulled from a pool of blood, roaring as he advanced, less than a hundred paces from Wuzhu's central army!
At this moment, it was the Murong Mingyue cavalry on the right flank that truly dealt the fatal blow to the Hu cavalry and completely destroyed their last will to resist!
After a long period of rest and recuperation, the 1,500 Xinghuo Fortress cavalry, under Murong Mingyue's precise command, did not directly charge the thickest part of the Hu cavalry's front. Instead, like a nimble and sharp dagger, they precisely stabbed towards the flank and rear of the Hu cavalry's central banner. There, a gap was exposed because Wuzhu had dispatched his personal guards to block Dian Xiong, and a large number of Hu cavalry follow-up troops who were trying to push forward but could not advance or retreat due to the blockage in front of them had gathered.
"Release the arrows!" Murong Mingyue shouted, pointing her long sword forward.
The charging cavalrymen drew their bows and nocked arrows, and a dense volley of arrows preemptively covered the target area, causing another wave of chaos and falls.
"Charge!" As soon as the arrow rain fell, the cavalrymen put away their bows and arrows, leveled their spears or drew their gleaming ring-pommel swords, and pushed their speed to the limit, crashing into the rear ranks of the barbarian cavalry, which were now even more chaotic due to the arrow rain!
"boom--!"
The clash of steel and flesh was once again on display. The Starfire Fortress cavalry were well-equipped, their horses strong, their training excellent, and they were well-rested and in high spirits. Their opponents, on the other hand, were the Hu cavalry, still reeling from the shock, their organization chaotic, their ranks crumbling, and their morale on the verge of collapse.
The results speak for themselves.
Like a hot knife through solidified grease, Murong Mingyue's cavalry vanguard easily tore open the loose flanks of the Hu cavalry. Spears pierced bodies, sabers severed heads, and iron hooves trampled the wounded on the ground. The Hu cavalry tried to resist, but could not organize an effective formation. Often, just as a few men managed to gather, they were scattered and crushed by the charging cavalry squads. Panic spread rapidly like a plague through the Hu cavalry's central army and its follow-up troops.
"We've lost! We've lost!"
"Cavalry is attacking from the flank!"
"Run! We can't stop them!"
Cries, wails, and desperate screams drowned out the battle cries. Many Hu cavalrymen, no longer caring about military orders or the dignity of their chieftains, began to turn their horses around and flee desperately towards the route they had come from or the open spaces on either side. They collided with their own comrades who were still pushing forward, making the entire Hu cavalry formation even more chaotic, and the casualties caused by trampling began to exceed those of the enemy.
Ahead, Wuzhu's personal guard, locked in a fierce battle with Dian Xiong, heard the desperate cries and the ever-increasing sounds of fighting behind them, and their morale collapsed. Many turned back in terror to see that their flanks and rear had been breached by enemy cavalry, and their comrades were fleeing across the hillsides. Their last shred of fighting spirit crumbled instantly.
"Hold on! No retreat! Those who retreat will die!" Wuzhu roared, his eyes bloodshot, as he slashed down two of his personal guards who tried to escape. But at that moment, his orders seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the overwhelming tide of collapse. Even his most trusted generals showed despair and fear on their faces.
And in that moment when the entire front was in turmoil, Norio seized the opportunity!
"Hu Chief! Prepare to die!" A roar like thunder from the heavens drowned out all the noise on the battlefield! Dian Xiong suddenly exerted his strength, knocking away the two Hu generals and their horses blocking his way. His burly, towering body suddenly accelerated, like a cannonball, charging alone towards Wuzhu!
The last dozen or so loyal guards around Wuzhu rushed forward with red eyes, trying to block him with their bodies.
"Get out of my way!" Dian Xiong roared, swinging his armor-piercing spear in a wide arc! The spear shaft whistled through the air, instantly shattering the bones and sending three guards flying backward, coughing up blood! His momentum didn't wane, and he knocked down two more! With unstoppable brute force, he hacked through the last layer of guards and reached Wuzhu's horse!
Wuzhu was both shocked and furious. He was also a man of extraordinary strength. Seeing Dian Xiong's fierce attack, he did not retreat but advanced instead, roaring as he swung his heavy, curved longsword down at Dian Xiong's head! The wind from the blade howled, and the force was immense, clearly a full-force strike fueled by rage!
"clang--!!!"
A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out! Dian Xiong neither dodged nor evaded, gripping his armor-piercing spear horizontally with both hands, forcefully blocking the immense force of the strike! Sparks flew everywhere! Both men's mounts neighed simultaneously, each taking a half-step back.
Wuzhu felt a violent tremor in his arms and his tiger's mouth go numb. He was horrified: This person's strength is terrifying!
Dian Xiong merely grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth, his eyes flashing with ferocity: "Is that all the strength you have? Not even enough to tickle me!" Before he finished speaking, his arm muscles bulged, and he suddenly parried with his curved sword, his armor-piercing spear shooting out like a venomous snake, aiming straight for Wu Shu's chest!
Wuzhu hurriedly dodged to the side, simultaneously swinging his sword to parry. However, Dianxiong's thrust, though seemingly simple, actually contained the power-generating techniques taught by Chen Xing, as fast as lightning and as heavy as a mountain!
"Pfft!"
Despite Wuzhu's best efforts to dodge, the spear still grazed his ribs, tearing his sturdy iron-plated leather armor like paper, leaving a trail of blood! The intense pain caused Wuzhu to scream and nearly fall off his horse.
"Protect the Great Chief!" The remaining guards rushed forward with their lives on the line.
At this moment, three hundred heavily armored warriors broke through the blockade and rushed forward, surrounding Wuzhu and his remaining personal guards. Meanwhile, Murong Mingyue's cavalry swept past from the flanks and rear like a comb, completely severing the connection between Wuzhu's central army and the routed troops behind him, and began to divide and annihilate the small groups of Hu cavalry that were still putting up a stubborn resistance.
Wuzhu looked around. All he could see were his fleeing troops, the heavily armored enemy soldiers surrounding him, and the ever-approaching, increasingly glaring crimson banner with the character "Chen" in gold. Defeat was inevitable!
A chilling despair instantly overwhelmed this arrogant and overbearing steppe warlord. He knew he was finished, and the main force of the Golden Horde was finished too.
"The descendants of the Azure Wolves... defeated here..." Blood gushed from Wuzhu's mouth, whether from his injuries or from overwhelming anger, it was unclear. He suddenly looked at the figure standing on the high platform not far away, his eyes filled with endless resentment and unwillingness, but in the end, it turned into utter defeat.
Without further hesitation, he yanked the reins and, with the last few guards desperately covering him, turned his horse around and fled for his life toward a gap on the edge of the battlefield that had not yet been completely sealed off! He didn't even care about the golden wolf-head banner that symbolized authority.
With their commander fleeing, the last vestiges of resistance from the Hu cavalry vanished completely.
"The chief has run away!"
"Run!"
The army collapsed like a house of cards!
Thousands of Hu cavalrymen completely collapsed, turning into countless panicked fleeing soldiers, who fled desperately across the mountains and plains towards the northern grasslands. They discarded their weapons and shed their cumbersome leather armor, wishing only that their parents had given them two more legs, and even more so that their warhorses could not sprout wings.
On the Starfire Fortress position, the sound of war drums changed again, from rousing to a heavy and oppressive rhythm of pursuit.
"All troops, pursue! Chase them down! Disperse them, but do not go too deep!" Chen Xing's order echoed across the battlefield.
The chariot paths were all opened, and the Xinghuobao infantry, who were already prepared, charged out with shouts, beginning their pursuit of the fleeing enemy. Dian Xiong wanted to lead the Trapped Camp to chase Wuzhu, but Chen Wei sent someone to stop him—the Trapped Camp's heavy armor made them unsuitable for long-distance pursuit. The main force of the pursuit consisted of Murong Mingyue's cavalry and lightly armed infantry.
A pursuit battle unfolded on the edge of the grasslands north of Moon Bay. The Xinghuobao cavalry, like hunting dogs herding sheep, relentlessly scattered, cut down, or forced the lagging Hu cavalry to their knees in surrender. The infantry were responsible for collecting weapons, guarding prisoners, and clearing the battlefield.
As the afterglow of the setting sun once again painted the river and mudflats of Moon Bay red, the deafening battlefield gradually fell silent. But within this silence lingered an overwhelming stench of blood, and a horrific scene of corpses, tattered flags, and discarded armor scattered everywhere.
Eight thousand invading Golden Horde cavalry suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Xinghuo Fortress's combined infantry, crossbowmen, and cavalry in front of the Crescent Moon Formation. Initial counts revealed over three thousand killed in action, nearly two thousand captured, and the remainder scattered and fled into the grasslands, posing no further threat for the time being. Xinghuo Fortress's own casualties were primarily concentrated among its infantry during the initial defensive phase, totaling less than eight hundred, making it a resounding victory.
The cavalry were routed, and the Hu chieftain fled. The greatest border threat in the north was quelled in a single battle. The military might of Xinghuo Fortress, for forged in this conflict, will undoubtedly awe the entire northern lands and even the grasslands. Chen Xing's civil and military officers, tempered in this bloody crucible, have also become more mature and confident.
However, Murong Mingyue, who had given chase, had not yet returned, and deep within the grasslands, there seemed to be still unpredictable events...