Chapter 333
There were only one thousand of the seven thousand Xiliang Cavalry. The remaining six thousand were still with Hu Che Er on top of the hills which they noticed while they were leaving. From atop the hill, they would be able to see everything that happens below. Hu Che Er was most afraid of an ambush as he had been traumatized. He had almost been killed the last time and was now extremely prudent.
From atop the hill, Hu Che Er could clearly see the battle below. He could see that Liu Mang was using the Tortoise Formation. It sounded amazing but it was simply a bunch of people gathering up and forming a tortoise like shell. Unless they charged at full force, this formation would not be broken.
Liu Mang learnt this formation from Gao Shun's Formation Breaker. Last time, several hundred of the Formation Breaker used this formation to fight against Chen Deng's fifteen thousand Guangling Army. If it was not because this had been a misdirection tactic, Chen Deng would have needed to waste lives to break the shell.
"General! Let us charge forward! There is nothing to look at. The Fake King is simply courting death. There is no ambush here. He even gave us such a favourable location." From their location, they would be able to charge downwards, maximizing their strength as they needed to rely on momentum to fight. With a stronger force of impact, they would be able to break through an enemy's defensive line. This would turn the battle into a massacre. "Since he thinks that way, we should have him to accomplish this!" Another Han 1000-man commander added. This man had been good friends with the one that was just killed by Huang Zhong. Watching his friend die in front of him was not only sorrowful but also shameful. So, he looked at the Urban Army with killing intent. He wanted to lead his troops down and kill all of Liu Mang's men.
"Hm?" Hu Che Er furrowed his brows. The reason why he had managed to survive this long in the past was because he was cautious.
The Tortoise Formation was powerful. If Liu Mang did this with his five thousand Urban Army or Black Flag Army, Hu Che Er would not have any way to deal with this even if he attacked with his eight thousand Xiliang Cavalry. At the end, both sides would suffer heavy casualties. However, the current situation was different. Liu Mang only had two thousand five hundred men using the Tortoise Formation. Hu Che Er may have left one thousand troops behind at Guangzhou but he still had seven thousand men. Liu Mang's troops were heavily outnumbered. In such a situation, Liu Mang's Army could only be completely routed.
Hu Che Er did not believe that the King of Shu did not know this. If Liu Mang had been such an idiot, Lu Bu would not have let him manage Yangzhou. On top of that, Liu Mang was also the person that had defeated the Little Conqueror Sun Ce.
The Han 1000-man commander could see Hu Che Er's worries and knew that his general was being cautious. This had helped them to avoid death many times. Liao Hua and Liu Pi's ambush had not been Hu Che Er's fault as he had already ordered them to look out for an ambush. Hu Che Er was not incapable but Liao Hua had been too good and was also lucky. During Liao Hua's time with the Yellow Turbans, he had already suffered from the Xiliang Cavalry, making him even calmer.
"General. This boy, Liu Mang, may have defeated the Sun Ce. However, you must not forget that he was only defending the city and was not attacking. He had to rely on the defences of his walls. But now, he has no walls and he is going against us, the Xiliang Cavalry! This is the plains! Those grass are only half a feet tall. There is nowhere to hide anyone!" The entire place had been uninhabited after Yuan Shu proclaim himself Emperor. However, the grass also did not grow taller. This could all be seen from the hills.
"Is this truly the case?" Hu Che Er truly hoped that the words of his men was true. In that case, there was no need for him to be so distressed.
"General! Let us attack! If you still do not act, it would not only be the matter of our feelings but the morale of the troops may also fall!" The other 1000-man commanders began to persuade Hu Che Er. It was a fact that these people on the hills all hated Liu Mang's Army. Not only were they insulted but even one of their own had been killed. If Hu Che Er still refused to act, the Xiliang Cavalry would fall apart as the men would not want to follow a person that just receives such insult. They were soldiers meant to fight and die on the battlefield, drinking wine and eating meat. If they do not fight, they might as well commit suicide.
People kill when they get angry. They aim for vengeance and would not think of advancing their career. The ruthless ones would not even be finished after ten years.
"Hm?" Hu Che Er was still unable to make a decision. He did not believe that Liu Mang would want to fight a decisive battle against him. If this was the case, the target would have been Liu Bei at Shouchun. They may have ambushed the Wolf Cavalry but Liu Bei had also participated in that. On top of that, the entire strategy had been made by Liu Bei's Army. They should be hated more.
"General. If you do not act, you would need to explain this to Milord!" One man finally said. This was Hu Che Er's weakness. The reason why he could be promoted to the Deputy General of the Xiliang Cavalry was not only because he was strong and knew military tactics. Zhang Xiu may not have many of such people but Hu Che Er was also not the only one. The reason he was chosen was because he implemented Zhang Xiu's commands regardless of what it was. This was why Zhang Xiu trusted in him. If Hu Che Er violates Zhang Xiu's commands, he would be set aside. He would not be called to trial but he would definitely be dismissed from his position as the Deputy General of the Xiliang Cavalry. At most, he would become a 10,000-man commander.
"I don't care anymore!" Hu Che Er gritted his teeth. During his time at Qiang, he did not need to think at all. However, the cunning Hans had plotted too much forcing him to be cautious. Now, Hu Che Er still had not obtained any information from the one thousand troops he left at Guangzhou. This meant that the troops inside Guangzhou had not move at all. In that case, there was nothing to be afraid of. Hu Che Er was also a fierce person. He was simply a cautious man.
"General is wise!" The 1000-man commanders gave their support and cheered. "Kill them! Kill them all! I want to decorate my horse with their heads!"
"I want to tear off their armor and wear it!" The Xiliang Cavalry felt very jealous and wanted the heavy armors as they gave good protection and were also very light. It was better than their weapons. The armors also glistened in the light. The Hans may not care about women but they cared about their appearances. Nobody does not like being even a little bit more handsome.
"Brothers! Follow me to attack our enemies! Cut off their heads! Take their armors!" Hu Che Er took the lead and suddenly charged down the hill. His eyes sparkled. His killing intent released unrestrained. He clearly remembered the Liu Mang's insult towards him and also the death of his subordinate. Although he did not have a very good impression of this Han 1000-man commander, killing his subordinates right in front of him was like a slap to his face. On top of that, his own mother had been insulted. He was angry enough to have charged in front had he not restrain himself. Now, he no longer cared and let everything out.
"Haha. They are coming!" Liu Mang finally sensed the strength of the approaching cavalry. He had fought against heavy cavalries before but they were the Tiger Cavalry and the Yuzhou Cavalry. Those had not even reached two thousand in number. On the other hand, the Xiliang Cavalry had seven thousand men and was descending the hill like a powerful current. It was like a flood threatening to drown you and prevent your bones from being found.
"Urban Army!" Liu Mang roared loudly as he wielded his bloodied sword.
"We die together! We die together!" The Urban Army roared.
"First row shields!" Liu Mang ordered. The soldiers then slowly but rhythmically raise their shields. This was the Liu Mang's Army's first wall that would stop the Xiliang Cavalry.
"Kill! Kill that Fake King!" One of Hu Che Er's ferocious generals rushed forward like a fierce tiger. "Kill!" The Xiliang Cavalry behind him was also not inferior to him in any aspect and followed. They may not be as good as the Wolf Cavalry but they were still amongst the best in the world.
It was to be expected. Dong Zhuo had been the one that used the Xiliang Cavalry to subdue the entire Xiliang. It caused the Xiliang Cavalry to become like dogs amongst Dong Zhuo's Army. Even the Qiangs call Dong Zhuo a demon. Dong Zhuo may have caused turmoil in the Han dynasty but he still had to be credited for turning Xiliang into a paradise.
Had the Han dynasty been managed well, it would have been a heroic generation because of people like Lu Bu, Gongsun Zan, Sun Ce and others. With their presence, the peace and security of the Han dynasty would be secure. These people would not have become infamous many years later. Lu Bu becoming the Slave of Three Surnames, Gongsun Zan being known as an ignorant person, Dong Zhuo being known as a crafty person. All of these could not be blamed on them but to bad luck
Chapter 334
"Kill!" The Xiliang Cavalry shouted with a voice that would have startled the average troops as they charged forward. It was not something a person could easily endure. Even Liu Mang was sweating. Liu Mang told himself that he had assurance. Although he did not have much, it was the only thing he could do.
Hu Che Er's had been forced to take these actions by Liu Mang and Liu Ye. Similarly, Liu Mang was also forced to do this as Zhang Xiu, Liu Bei and Sun Ce had allied with each other. In this world, one would be killed if he does not kill others.
Hu Che Er slowed down and fell behind his men. He was not cowardly but in the end, he was only a general. His martial prowess was nowhere near Lu Bu's level so it was better for him to remain behind giving commands as opposed to charging in front where he could be killed t any time. Taking the lead at the start was simply to act as a role model. This is to raise their morale.
Liu Mang became even more afraid when he saw Hu Che Er's actions. This is because Hu Che Er was as good at leading a charge compared to his Father-in-law. He did not have fighting skills like Lu Bu but brute force had always been more suitable for Lu Bu.
Zhang Liao did not have Lu Bu's level of skills but could lead the Wolf Cavalry just as well as Lu Bu. He was in charge because people like Chen Gong and Liu Mang had to deal with other methods. Zhang Liao was extremely talented and Liu Mang could even entrust Yangzhou to Zhang Liao with a peace of mind. Liu Mang had simply been afraid that Hu Che Er was also such a person.
"They are here!" Liu Mang steeled himself. Xiliang Cavalry had already started to approach. Initially, they were over a thousand paces away but this distance could easily be covered.
"Spear units!" Liu Mang ordered as he brandished his sword. They were not only holding shields. Behind the first row of shields were men holding spears.
The first row of the Xiliang Cavalry and the first row of the Urban Army collided. The Xiliang Cavalry started their charge from the hills and had astonishing power. Their momentum along with their total weight were heavily hammered onto the shield soldiers.
Even though the Urban Army had shields and armor to protect them, the powerful force was difficult to endure. They received internal injuries and their faces turn pale. After receiving the damage, some of the troops spat out blood and internal organs. Still, they all persevered as they clenched their jaws with pale faces. They swallowed back the blood they spat out. The ones that spat out internal organs were going to die anyway so, they worked even harder.
The Urban Army suffered from this but so did the Xiliang Cavalry. Although the Xiliang Cavalry had caused damage to the first row of the Tortoise Formation, they also suffered because they did not manage to break through the formation and felt the rebounding force. Some were trampled or were pierced by spears of the others charging from behind. The pitiful one still lived even after turning into kebab and could only wail in anguish.
The Xiliang Cavalry continued to attack. Even though their first group was met with disaster, they were not afraid as numbers would be the deciding factor. Their repeated attacks caused the shields to crack. Some of the shield troops were no longer able to persevere. They spat out blood and fell onto the ground.
"Move up!" Liu Mang roared. The Tortoise Formation is circular like a tortoise's shell. If the shell is broken, death would not be far away.
The Urban Army troops from the back quickly moved to the front to receive the blows. They Urban Army continued to persevere like this until hundreds of the Xiliang Cavalry had perished. A small crack could then be seen at the formation. Although this Urban Army soldier did his best and sacrificed his life, he was still unable to stop the Xiliang Cavalry. A single vacant spot in the formation was only like a small crack but the Xiliang Cavalry reacted as though they were sharks that smelled blood and quickly attacked.
"Haha. King of Shu! I already said that I will take your head!" Hu Che Er saw the gap and knew that the Xiliang Cavalry would be able to win if they were to tear that gap open.
"Move! Move!" The soldiers at the back quickly tried to fill the gap. Some used shields, some used spears and some threw their bodies in front to block the way. However, it would not be so easy as the Xiliang Cavalry would not allow it to happen.
"Han Sheng! Let us go out as well!" Liu Mang was no longer on a horse. He also threw away his sword and raised his shields as he charged forward.
"Milord!" Huang Zhong did not hesitate. He would go wherever Liu Mang went. Liu Mang held the shield in front while Huang Zhong shot arrows from the back.
"Die!" One soldier from the Xiliang Cavalry had just only cut off the head of an Urban Army soldier, splashing blood everywhere. Before he had the chance to feel excited for his newly acquired trophy, Liu Mang smashed his head with his bladed shield. The gap was resealed after killing off a few more men. However, with Liu Mang guarding this spot, other spots would be in peril.
They were severely outnumbered. At average, one Urban Army soldier would need to fight against three enemies. The Urban Army may be Liu Mang's elites but they were only evenly matched against the Xiliang Cavalry. Outnumbered three to one, the Urban Army remain helpless even when they are in formation.
"Han Sheng! Go over there!" Liu Mang was unable to leave his current location as he needed to help the Urban Army re-establish the defensive line. The only one that could help him deal with the problems elsewhere was Huang Zhong.
"Milord. What about you?" Huang Zhong did not dare to leave Liu Mang. He had been instructed by Lu Bu and Chen Gong to ensure Liu Mang's safety even if he had to throw away Yangzhou. Huang Zhong also vowed to protect Liu Mang with his life.
"Don't worry about me! They would not be able to take me as long as the Tortoise Formation still stands!" Liu Mang explained to Huang Zhong. After a while, he became angry when he saw that Huang Zhong still had not acted. He roared. "We are running out of time! Go! Are you going to disobey my orders now?"
"Yes! I understand!" Huang Zhong nodded. He was truly a fierce warrior and already readied his bow before he even arrived. The Xiliang Cavalry was about to swing their blades down at the head of the Urban Army soldiers in an attempt to break the Tortoise Formation. However, they lost their lives before they could even do so. Huang Zhong was the man that had almost harmed Lu Bu with his archery. Although he shot these arrows in a hurry, it was still powerful enough to kill both the rider and his horse. This gave Huang Zhong even more time as the corpse of the horse in front blocked the enemies coming from behind.
Huang Zhong was skilled in both archery and in his swordsmanship. He killed with every swing of his sword, covering himself with blood. Sharks would go after the smell of blood but if they were to confront against an even more powerful opponent, they would only end up as shark's fin.
New gaps appear in the Tortoise Formation each time another was sealed off. Huang Zhong and Liu Mang would then rush over and deal with it.
Liu Mang had already reached his limit while Huang ZHong had also consumed a lot of his own energy to strengthen the formation, allowing it to last longer.
"Ziyang. Why have you not appeared yet?" Liu Mang laughed bitterly. He had underestimated the Xiliang Cavalry and Hu Che Er. The consequences of this was the cavalry be able to charge at full power. Liu Mang had no choice but use the Tortoise Formation as he had too little people. He received as many of the Xiliang Cavalry as he could handle but now he could only passively take a beating.
"Haha! Did you think you can stop my Xiliang Cavalry with just that? What a joke!" Hu Che Er now felt relieved and sneered. He had been afraid of tricks but now, no ambushes had appeared even though the Urban Army was facing a crisis. Hu Che Er no longer took any precautions. All he needed to do now was to order the rest of his army for a charge and tear apart the tortoise. "King of Shu? Haha. Your fate will be decided by me!"
Liu Mang's horse sped along. It was no longer within the army but at the front. At that moment the Urban Army was no longer using spears. All of the spears were either embedded in the corpses of the enemies, became crooked from the enemy's charge, or its user had already been killed. As a result, the one that could cause the biggest harm to the XIliang Cavalry was gone. Hu Che Er no longer had anything to be afraid of. "Liu Mang. I admire your courage to fight a decisive battle with only two thousand and five hundred men! You are the most courageous and arrogant person I have ever met! However, the price for your arrogance is your life!"
With the Tortoise Formation at the verge of breaking, the remaining Xiliang Cavalry launched a united attack.
"Damn!" The first wave of the Xiliang Cavalry tore open the gap that Liu Mang and Huang Zhong tried to seal. The first layer of protection had completely been destroyed. "Fall back! Front row shields fall back! Back row provide support!" Liu Mang rapidly gave orders.
The Tortoise Formation was circular. The outermost ring of soldiers were shield units. The second ring held spears. The third ring were shields again. This arrangement made the formation more effective. However, the Xiliang Cavvalry's charge did not only cause heavy damage to the front row. They had also caused casualties at the reserve soldiers at the back. The Xiliang Cavalry refused to give the Urban Army any time for a breather. The back row of Liu Mang's Army was also unable to respond in time, allowing the Xiliang Cavalry to rush forward.
"Kill!" Liu Mang took the lead and charged forward. He no longer cared about the Xiliang Cavalry's charge. Liu Mang was no longer a weakling like in the past. Although he was not able to achieve a refined soul like the others1, he was still able to refine his body. Lu Bu had also helped Liu Mang by giving him a lot of soup made from herbs and tiger bones2. It could be said that Liu Mang had almost reached the peak of his body refinement.
Liu Mang was not as strong as a tiger but he was still half as strong as one. He rammed with his shield. At the moment of the collision, Liu Mang tasted blood in his mouth and almost spat it out. On the other hand, the soldier from the Xiliang Cavalry felt an impact beneath him. He did not die but his horse's head had been smashed, spilling out its brains.
"Milord!" Huang Zhong hurried forward to assist Liu Mang. How could Liu Mang block the attack to save the Urban Army?
"Tortoise Formation, rotate!" Huang Zhong ordered in place of Liu Mang before Liu Mang could recover. Although he stayed as Liu Mang's guard, he was more well versed in battle formations compared to Liu Mang. After all, he had been fighting in wars for years and was only in his current position to repay a debt. Naturally, he would be proficient in formations.
"Yes!" The Tortoise Formation only a stationary formation. It was able to spin. The shields and the spears moved, acting like a meat grinder. They would also share the pressure received from the Xiliang Cavalry. It would be less likely for the formation to break as a result of the enemy focusing on a single spot.
"Haha. It is simply a final struggle!" Hu Che Er sneered at the spinning Tortoise Formation. A thousand of his Xiliang Cavalry had already been killed but at the same time, the Urban Army had also suffered heavy casualties. That being said, the Urban Army has less troops. The Xiliang Cavalry could afford to lose three thousand men as long as they capture Liu Mang. On the other hand, Liu Mang could not even afford to lose half of his troops or his life would quickly approach its end. "Move up! Finish them off!"
"It is time!" A cold voice then came from beneath the ground.
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炼神 Rare Candies for you! Rare Candies for me! Random Rare Candies everywhere!Chapter 335
A feeling of unease spread over Hu Che Er's heart. It was a general's sixth sense. His feeling of unease made him immediately leaned down onto his horse. He then heard the sounds of large arrows. There were five arrows heading towards his direction.
Two arrows had originally went towards him but missed as Hu Che Er had leaned down. Of the remaining three arrows, the first one struck the Arabian horse in the head. The horse died immediately and the inertia from its movements threw Hu Che Er off. Hu Che Er that fell off became at risk of being trampled by his own men. Even if he was the Deputy General, it would not have been easy to stop the incoming cavalry.However, this also saved Hu Che Er's life as the remaining two arrows would have hit him had this not happen.
"General!" A Qiang warrior immediately grabbed Hu Che Er. Hu Che Er was also very skilled and was able to mount the man's horse with the help of a single hand. The two of them would definitely give that horse a lot of pressure. Fortunately, a horse whose rider had been killed, suddenly appeared. Hu Che Er immediately jumped over to the other horse.
"What a pity!" Liu Ye stood at a distance and shook his head. Earlier he had attacked Hu Che Er with five shots but failed to kill him. Liu Mang was afraid of Hu Che Er. Liu Ye had also been influenced by Liu Mang and wanted Hu Che Er dead. This is why he had aimed five shots against Hu Che Er. If the Xiliang Cavalry saw their leader get killed, they would become too afraid to fight.
Although Liu Ye regretted not being able to decide the outcome of the battle immediately, he did not stop and continued to order the firing of the ballista. Fifty ballista fired, bringing along the smell of death.
"Ballista! Ballista!" The Xiliang Cavalry have already seen the might of the ballista. At Shouchun, Xu Shu used twelve ballista to kill more than a thousand of them. Now, there was a total of fifty ballista. Fifty large arrows flew out from each volley. It had powerful penetrating ability that could pierce through ships at three hundred paces away. Now, the Xiliang Cavalry had gathered together at around one hundred paces away.
If both armies were to fight until the end, the Xiliang Cavalry would be extinguished here.
"Phew." Liu Mang and Huang Zhong breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Ye had truly appeared at the last second and not a moment earlier. He only appeared after seeing that Liu Mang and Huang Zhong were unable to hold out much longer. However, it was worth it as the first volley became very effective.
"Steady the formation!" Liu Mang did not relax. Although the ballista were powerful, they were long range weapons and were extremely fragile in close combat. After all, it was only made from wood. It was just like how Zhang Fei managed to destroy them in a single strike. At close distance, the ballista was no longer powerful and had even less purpose than firewood. This was why Liu Mang wanted to take advantage of the Xiliang Cavalry's confusion to regroup the troops and reform the Tortoise Formation. Liu Mang also felt his heart ache when he saw the Urban Army troops lying down on the ground. In this short moment, he had already lost half of his troops. Countless of them lay dead on the ground. However, he had no time to feel sad and could only stimulate those that were still alive. The Tortoise Formation now became smaller. However, because of its thickness, it now had better defence. The eyes of his men were filled with rage. Their enemies were before them, their friends lay dead at their feet and the battle had not yet ended. As Liu Ye had saved them, their morale did not drop. On the contrary, it continued to rise.
"Shit! Where did the ballista come from?" Hu Che Er roared as he gnashed his teeth with anger evident in his eyes. He was about to tear apart Liu Mang's Tortoise Formation but ballista had suddenly appeared. Hu Che Er saw the ground tear open. He never expected fifty ballista to be hiding underground.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Hu Che Er was a calm headed general. He knew that he was in a bad situation as the ballista was shooting endlessly. The heavy armors were useless against the ballista. The ballista was originally only able to intimidate the heavy cavalries but now, Liu Mang's ballista showed even greater power and were the Xiliang Cavalry's mortal enemies.
"You want to leave? Impossible!" Liu Ye had placed his own Lord in danger to wait for this moment. Naturally, there was a reason for this. He wanted Hu Che Er to believe that he was winning and go all in like a gambler. Hu Che Er would not only be able to kill Liu Mang but also obtain thousands of the Urban Army's armor. However, Hu Che Er would not be able to escape so easily after going all in.
The vanguards of the Xiliang Cavalry was now trapped fighting Liu Mang's Urban Army and was not able to escape. Both Liu Mang and Liu Ye understood that they needed to attract the Xiliang Cavalry and prevent them from leaving.
If Hu Che Er wanted to leave, he would need to leave behind five thousand men which would also be Liu Mang's victory. Hu Che Er gritted his teeth. He could not afford to lose. He would also be unable to escape if he were to return to Zhang Xiu after losing five thousand of his Xiliang Cavalry. So, Hu Che Er could only continue to fight desperately.
"All units, charge! Kill these Southern barbarians!" Hu Che Er was no longer able to avoid confrontation and decided that he needed to destroy the Tortoise Formation. He and the Xiliang Cavalry would be able to live as long as he could destroy the ballista. There would be no problems as long as they could charge forward. There was nothing left to consider.
"Are you desperate now?" Liu Ye sneered at Hu Che Er. The Xiliang Cavalry was now trapped. Had Hu Che Er chose to retreat, he would lose half of his troops but he would be able to retain some of his troops. However, as he could not afford to lose, he had opened up the possibility of being completely destroyed.
"Milord. The rest is up to you!" Liu Ye would be able to destroy Xiliang Cavalry but he needed time. The only one that could buy him time was Liu Mang and the half annihilated Urban Army. Right now, the Urban Army was acting as the ballista's city walls and moats. These were what gave them their strength.
"Kill! Kill! Brothers, we are no longer able to retreat! If we can fight our way through, we will live! Otherwise, we die together!" Hu Che Er's eyes were now red. He was a Qiang. A bloodthirsty existence existed within him. It had been hidden as he had spent a long time in the Han society. Now, this existence had burst out. Hu Che Er firmly held his sword as his horse sped along.
"Kill the Southern barbarians! Protect the General!" It could be said that a general was the fighting soul of the army. Hu Che Er's commands also caused his subordinates to burst out. They were the Xiliang Cavalry, an existence that had defeated the Wolf Cavalry. They were the largest heavy cavalry in the world.
"Hold out! Hold out!" Liu Mang roared. Hu Che Er was not the only desperate one. Even Liu Mang had been shouting until his voice became hoarse. His eyes had also turned red and was like a cornered rat1. In such a situation, if Liu Mang were to fail, his Urban Army, Liu Ye, and the rest of Yangzhou would be finished. The destruction of the Lu Bu's Army would also not be far away.
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Cornered rat was phrased slightly differently in the raws. To be precise, it had the same meaning but was 4 sentences longer.Chapter 336
Half the Xiliang Cavalry engaged against the Urban Army in battle. Hu Che Er then led his remaining men to join the battle. A bloodbath happened all over the battlefield. Liu Mang only have about one thousand men left. The rest have all perished. However, the Xiliang Cavalry was not faring any better. More than two thousand of the Xiliang Cavalry have also perished. The ones that were too injured to continue fighting was around one thousand in number. If this was truly a decisive battle, the victor would be Liu Mang.
Although the Urban Army has less than a thousand people, their Tortoise Formation had become stronger. This is because there would be less to defend and the soldiers would be able to use their strengths together. Besides that, the corpses of their companions also continued to defend the line by slowing down the Xiliang Cavalry.
"Rear guards! Follow me!" Hu Che Er knew that he would not be able to capture the battlefield in front of him anymore. Even if he were to win, the casualties would be too heavy. Since the front would not work, then he should simply attack from the sides. It would be a waste if he does not make use of the mobility of the cavalries. His vanguard and his middle guard unit had already engaged the enemy but he still had his rear guards with him. He wanted to bypass the Tortoise Formation and attack the ballista while the vanguard and the middle guard could simply keep the Tortoise Formation occupied.
The Xiliang Cavalry was formidable. The rearguard had immediately turned the moment Hu Che Er shouted. Their movements were extremely smooth as expected from elites.
"Where are they going?" Liu Ye stood by the ballista as he watched Hu Che Er's movements. The rear guards had about two thousand men which made him feel suspect. He had paid attention to these Xiliang Cavalry as even just two hundred of them would be enough to take him and the ballista out.
"Military Advisor. Are they planning to escape?" An Urban Army 1000-man commander asked. He had worked with Liu Ye for many times already. The development of the ballista at Shouchun had been done by these soldiers of the Urban Army.
"Escape? Impossible!" Liu Ye shook his head. It was impossible for Hu Che Er to escape as he would die if he tried. Liu Mang had sent the Xiliang Cavalry a challenge and claimed that they would not have been able to win against the Wolf Cavalry if it was not because of the ambush. In other words, he had belittled the Xiliang Cavalry. This was still alright if the Xiliang Cavalry won but if they had lost, the statement would become a fact. A prideful person like Zhang Xiu would definitely kill Hu Che Er if this happened. Besides that, most of the Xiliang Cavalry was already here. He could not leave them behind. If Hu Che Er decides to continue the battle, they would still have a chance to live. This is because as long as Hu Che Er wins the battle, he would be able to explain himself to Zhang Xiu for the casualties in the Xiliang Cavalry. They would also be able to obtain Liu Mang's head.
Liu Mang's head was priceless and could even make Liu Bei die from happiness if it was given to him. Without Liu Mang, Shouchun is already won and Lujiang would be half won. The second important thing was the Urban Army's armor. There were a total of two thousand five hundred armors to be outfitted to his elite Xiliang Cavalry while Liu Mang's head could be exchanged for horses. The Xiliang Cavalry was not like the White Horses or the Wolf Cavalry. They do not care whether their troops were Qiang or Han. So, all the Xiliang Cavalry needs was training.
The third important thing was the ballista. Hu Che Er fully understood the might of the ballista. Each time it appeared, the Xiliang Cavalry suffered heavy casualties. If he could take it and learn how to manufacture it, Zhang Xiu's Army could become even more powerful. The ones that Liu Mang sold to Sun Ce was tens of thousands of gold. Cao Cao could not even buy this with money. On top of that, this was the old ballista. The current ballista was even more powerful. If he could obtain this, he no longer needed to be afraid that Zhang Xiu would rebuke him.
"Flank them!" Hu Che Er brandished his sword. The two thousand Xiliang Cavalry turned towards their objective. The Urban Army was occupied dealing with the other five thousand Xiliang Cavalry. This two thousand Xiliang Cavalry took the chance to avoid the Urban Army and attack the ballista before the Urban Army could give a response.1
"Not good!" Liu Ye was startled. Hu Che Er truly could not be underestimated. He was willing to use most of his army to hold back the Urban Army so that he could attack his main objective. With the Urban Army occupied, they became unable to protect the ballista. On the other hand, the cavalry had good mobility. By the time the Urban Army could react to this, the ballista would already be destroyed.
"Military Advisor. Do not worry." Just as soon as Liu Ye wanted to order a retreat, an Urban Army 1000-man commander said, "Milord had already expected this to happen!" Liu Mang had taken note of this when he looked at the terrain. He knew that his Urban Army were elites and could execute the Tortoise Formation flawlessly. However, he also realized that he was severely outnumbered. He needed to fight against the Xiliang Cavalry which was four times their number. Even if Liu Mang was formidable, he could only hold out five thousand soldiers at most. The remaining three thousand would become a headache for him. Right now, Hu Che Er still had two thousand soldiers that could not be ignored. After making considerations, Liu Mang spread out the positioning of the ballista and created a crossfire.
"Hm?" Liu Ye finally understood the reason Liu Mang split up the ballista into three groups. The first group of ballista at the centre is to prevent the enemies from breaking past the defensive lines. The remaining two groups of ballista at both sides was to prevent the enemies from flanking.
There was no need for the ballista to change directions. The ballista on one side simply needed to change their targets to the enemies charging towards them.
"Aim and fire!" A few 1000-man commanders shouted. Twenty ballista roared out. Pressure had reduced on the vanguard and the middle guard. However, Hu Che Er's rear guards were faced with misfortune.
The three thousand Xiliang Cavalry at the frontlines bore the brunt of the attacked and were killed on the spot. The others behind them were also unfortunate. With the corpses in front of them, they could not help but slow down and get themselves shot as well.
"Damn it!" Hu Che Er did not suffer any injuries thanks to the protection from his guards but he could not endure such grievances.
"Move back the defensive line!" Liu Mang noticed the situation and had the soldiers advance towards the ballista. Hu Che Er lost five hundred soldiers before realizing that he had lost his opportunity. Besides that, his attempt to flank ended up getting his army stuck in a battle against the Urban Army. Now, his entire army of seven thousand was fighting the Urban Army. Escape was no longer possible.
"Well played! One of us will die here!" Hu Che Er's fearsomeness was displayed. Although he had suffered heavy losses, he still had thousands of Xiliang Cavalry. On the other hand, Liu Mang only had around eight hundred soldiers that could still fight. If he could eliminate the Urban Army, it would still be worth exchanging five Xiliang Cavalry soldiers for one Urban Army soldier.
"Kill! Brothers! We no longer have a way out! Kill the Fake King Liu Mang. Three ranks of promotion and one thousand gold for those who kill Liu Mang and another hundred for every enemy soldier killed!"
As the Xiliang Cavalry acted violently, Liu Ye coldly looked at their horses. He knew that his Lord wanted to form a cavalry. They were able to find the riders but not horses. It was hard to buy horses at the Central Plains. At that time, the only places they could buy horses at was Hebei and Liaodong. Hebei was about to change ownership but Cao Cao would be even more against selling horses compared to Yuan Shao. Liu Mang also did not go out to the sea and could not buy from Liaodong. Besides that, Liu Mang was also too poor to buy horses. There were five thousand horses here and it would be worth five hundred thousand gold if they could obtain them all.
The horses that Liu Mang wants were now here. Although many of the Xiliang Cavalry's horses had been killed by the ballista, there were still many horses left behind. After defeating the Xiliang Cavalry, there should still be a few thousand horses remaining. Liu Ye's eyes burned brightly but tried resisting his urge as it was too risky. This is because the Xiliang Cavalry had become desperate. A single mistake may cause the situation to reverse.
Liu Ye still gritted his teeth when he thought about the importance of a heavy cavalry in the future. If Yangzhou had a group of soldiers like the Wolf Cavalry, the battle would not have ended up like this. There would be more flexibility. Liu Bei would also not be able to carry off the provisions at Ruyin. With a cavalry of five thousand, Xu Shu would be able to order Zhao Yun to patrol outside the walls of Shouchun. If Liu Bei attacked Zhao Yun's cavalry, Xu Shu would be able to attack Liu Bei's rear. On the other hand, Liu Bei would be too afraid to leave a cavalry of five thousand roaming around freely to attack the city.
"Let's gamble!" Liu Ye then gave the order. "All ballista, aim high! Aim the riders!" Liu Ye chose to have the ballista shoot the riders and not the horses. This was difficult to do as the horses were a bigger target. Before this, the ballista could cause heavy casualties. By shooting the horse, the rider would fall off and get trampled. Now, it was less powerful because they were targeting the riders.2
"Military advisor?" The Urban Army 1000-man commander was confused. Right now, their priority was to wipe out the Xiliang Cavalry instead of obtaining horses. The Urban Army could not last much longer and their Lord would be in danger.
"Milord would understand my decision!" Liu Ye gradually replied. In a chaotic world, one could not only see the things in front of them. They must also look at the future. They were going to need horses regardless of whether Liu Mang wanted them. Even the Wolf Cavalry needed horses to make a comeback but horses were not easy to buy.
"Wei Yan!" Liu Ye suddenly called out to the 1000-man commander beside him.
"This general is present!" Wei Yan replied as he cupped his fist to Liu Ye. Liu Mang had wanted to polish Wei Yan instead of blindly sending Wei Yan to his death. After receiving merits for capturing Sun Qian and taking the empty city, he was promoted to a 1000-man commander.
"Wei Yan. I order you to leave a hundred soldiers behind to be responsible for the ballista. Take the remaining four hundred soldiers up and assist Milord!" Liu Ye said to Wei Yan. The hundred soldiers left behind was meant for controlling the ballista. There were more soldiers around simply to help turn, reload and protect the ballista. However, Liu Ye wanted the horses and so, one clip of ammunition was enough. The remaining troops were dispatched.
"Military Advisor?" Wei Yan was not willing to accept this command. This is because Liu Mang had ordered Wei Yan to protect Liu Ye and the ballista. In fact, Liu Ye had to be protected even at the cost of all the ballista and his own life. If Wei Yan were to leave, he would be disobeying orders.
"Are you afraid of Milord and not afraid of me?" Liu Ye coldly looked at Wei Yan.
"This is…" Wei Yan was now put in a difficult situation. Disobeying Liu Mang meant disobeying military commands. Liu Ye was the Military Advisor and Liu Mang had stated that Liu Ye had the authority to interfere with military orders. Liu Ye's words were Liu Mang's words. This meant that Liu Ye's words were military orders. Wei Yan was confused as to what he was supposed to do. Violating orders was a capital offense. Wei Yan clearly remembered Liu Mang's killing intent and believed that Liu Mang would not hesitate to have him executed. However, disobeying Liu Ye would also lead to a dead end.
"Go! I will explain things to Milord!" Liu Ye looked at Wei Yan and understood the man's troubles. Wei Yan had finally obtained this position with such difficulty. He was not yet ready to throw away his position and his life.
"I…" Wei Yan wanted to say more. However, Liu Ye's next words forced him to accept this order. "If you do not go, you will not be able to escape even if we win this battle!" Wei Yan could only nod. He knew about Liu Ye's position in Liu Mang's army. Liu Ye does not only share the same ancestor as Liu Mang3. His stratagems had also made Wei Yan feel inferior and embarrassed. Liu Ye was of very high position, on par with Xu Shu. On top of that, he was the one in charge of the ballista. In other words, Liu Ye was more important than himself in the army. Liu Ye also had the right to have Wei Yan killed.
"Brothers! The chance to obtain merits is in front of you! Follow me to protect Milord!" Wei Yan gritted his teeth. He knew that he was low in rank but he was not discouraged and was determined to reach Liu Ye in rank. He wanted to become someone important to Liu Mang and not be someone that has his life in someone else's hands.
"Kill! Kill!" The four hundred Urban Army soldiers roared out. The other Urban Army soldiers that forming the Tortoise Formation were their friends. How could these people not become angry when they see their friends dying right in front of them? They wanted to rush out and kill their enemies but could only watch because of Liu Ye and the ballista. They became like fierce tigers the moment Liu Ye dispatched them. Under Wei Yan's lead, they become like a blade plunging itself into the Xiliang Cavalry.
"What are you doing getting distracted? Keep firing!" Liu Ye admired Wei Yan. Although the man was a bit of a schemer, he had excellent in martial arts. On top of that, Wei Yan was ambitious. An ambitious person was not frightening unless that person was unable to control his ambitions. Liu Ye believed that Liu Mang was able to control him.
As Liu Ye ordered for the ballista to target the riders of the Xiliang Cavalry, the pressure on the Urban Army increased again.
"Ziyang?" Liu Mang naturally felt the pressure increase and saw that the attacks from the ballista had decreased. Liu Man furrowed his eyebrows and laughed bitterly. "You overestimate me too much!" He could tell that Liu Ye wanted the horses. Liu Mang also wanted those horses but he first needed to secure victory. The enemies were several times their number. One small mistake and the entire army would be routed. However, Liu Ye had already given this roder. Liu Mang was unable to change it and could only hold out.
"Do you have enough lives to trade for my horse?" Hu Che Er gnashed his teeth in anger. He had thought that this would have been certain victory. He had been afraid of an ambush and watched the battle go on for a long time, disregarding Liu Mang's provocation. However, Liu Mang's current actions were as though Hu Che Er was being insulted. However, this insult was also an opportunity. His attacks became even more powerful and Liu Mang was not able to endure much more.
It was not surprising that Liu Mang only had three guards left with him. The others had either been killed or were separated from the battle such as Huang Zhong who was within the Tortoise Formation on the other side. Although the Xiliang Cavalry experienced heavy casualties, they still had many soldiers. With over ten guards with him, Hu Che Er rushed and struck at Liu Mang.
"What great strength!" Hu Che Er had struck Liu Mang's shield with a hammer and was shocked by the pretty boy's strength. On the other hand, Liu Mang was shocked by the power behind the blow. Hu Che Er was extremely strong. Not only was he one of the top generals in Zhang Xiu's Army. He was even praised and received gold from Cao Cao. He was the one that defeated Dian Wei although Dian Wei was drunk at the time.
"Die! Fake King!" Hu Che Er may have been shocked but he did not relax. He would win as long as he managed to take Liu Mang's head.
"You are the one that should die!" Liu Mang coldly replied as he greeted his opponent. Although Hu Che Er was strong, the current Liu Mang was no weaker compared to Cheng Yu. He improved so quickly that even Lu Bu was shocked. Hu Che Er wielded two iron hammers, a combination Liu Mang had experienced before, from Dong Xi. However, Dong Xi had enough natural strength to flatten people with the hammer. The hammers could only smash and could not inconvenience Liu Mang from using his shield.
However, Liu Mang's guards had to fight against several enemies on their own. After killing a few of Hu Che Er's guards, they had also perished in battle. In the end, Liu Mang had to fight off a group of enemies and Hu Che Er on his own.
"Kill!" A few of the Xiliang Cavalry soldiers charged at Liu Mang. Liu Mang used his shields to block their attacks and then killed them. After killing the two soldiers, he staggered and never noticed Hu Che Er approaching him.
"Fast!" By the time Liu Mang realized that the hammers were approaching him, it was already too late to dodge.
Liu Mang was sent flying by Hu Che Er and rolled a few times. His stomach had shrunken from the blow. Fortunately, his Aries armor was sturdy enough and countermeasures to such attacks had even be placed inside it. This was how Liu Mang survived. Even then, he continued to vomit out blood. His face turned extremely pale.
"Haha! Die, Fake King!" Hu Che Er's killing intent increased. As it was hard to move around on a horse with the Tortoise Formation in place, he abandoned his horse and rushed towards Liu Mang.
"How could this be?" Liu Mang's eyes widened in disbelief. The strength and speed that Hu Che Er had displayed was much higher than before. Hu Che Er had been hiding his true strength.
Without a doubt, Hu Che Er had been hiding his strength. Liu Mang may have been strong but he was only a second class general at most. On the other hand, Hu Che Er had already reached refinement stage. Otherwise, he would not have been given such a high position by Zhang Xiu.
He had hid his strength because he was afraid that Liu Mang would have ran away from him. He wanted Liu Mang to think that he defend against the attack. Liu Mang certainly had that misconception and faced Hu Che Er head on. Hu Che Er then killed Liu Mang's guards and blocked his escape route. Now that Liu Mang could not run, Hu Che Er showed his true strength.
"Detestable!" Liu Mang could not believe that he had been tricked by that foreigner. Who was the one that said all of the foreigners were idiotic barbarians with no brains? Standing in front of him was the unconventional one. Liu Mang wanted Hu Che Er dead but he was powerless. He was not even able to defend himself. He wanted to pick up his shield but it had already been knocked away by Hu Che Er.
"Who dares to harm Milord?" Just as Liu Mang was about to stand up, he heard a shout coming from behind him. A man with a reddish face killed his way towards Hu Che Er.
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1. So basically, the ballista remains 'far away' from the group of soldiers 'defending' them. Or rather, they have no defenders at all.
Pretty sure if you miss Rider A you would likely hit Horse B, or worse, Ally A. Both are surnamed Liu. Naturally, Wei Yan didn't know that Liu Ye might literally be Liu Mang's ancestor. I also wonder what would happen if one of the Liu's died. Maybe Liu Mang would just fade away. Would be a very unique way to axe a series if it ever happened (it didn't don't worry)