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Chapter 886: The Decisive Battle Part 11
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 06:40:49 +0000 UTCLet’s rewind the time a bit. Shortly after Gao Lan’s forces appeared, Hua Xiong had already made it within 15 miles of the battlefield. The decisive battle between Liu Bei’s and Yuan Shao’s armies had suppressed the range of their scouts to within about 10 miles, making further reconnaissance pointless as no messages could be transmitted beyond that distance.
It was at this point that Hua Xiong received the last batch of weapons—a shipment of saddles and stirrups sent by Li You under the pretense of bridge-building materials, which were later transferred by Sun Qian. Chen Xi had produced a large number of these, though he had only used them for himself once, storing the rest as supplies.
After Hua Xiong returned to Yanzhou with the Xiliang cavalry, Li You believed that the timing was ripe to use this batch of supplies.
Equipping these new tools took Hua Xiong some time. As for weapons, Hua Xiong had chosen to use long weapons from the beginning. With the addition of saddles and stirrups, the Xiliang cavalry’s charge formation finally reached its full potential.
Without unnecessary movements, Hua Xiong leaped onto his warhorse, swung his cloak, and, with a wave of his long saber, a flame-like glow emanated from him. Six thousand cavalrymen followed, each soldier radiating a fiery red aura, and even the warhorses were shrouded in a glowing sheen.
Hua Xiong led the charge, and all the cavalry naturally formed into small wedge-shaped formations. As the military formation solidified, the speed of the Xiliang cavalry increased continuously until they reached a certain limit, transforming into a black shadow, as swift as thunder.
The 15-mile distance that normally took about a quarter of an hour was now covered in less than half that time due to Hua Xiong’s swift charge.
Because of this incredible speed, by the time Yuan Shao's and Liu Bei’s forces sensed the earth-shaking tremors and reacted, Hua Xiong was already less than a mile away from Yuan Shao's rear army. Hua Xiong could already see the panic in the eyes of Yuan Shao’s troops!
Seeing Tian Feng hastily organizing the rear defense, Hua Xiong’s lips curled into a cruel smile. In front of the Xiliang cavalry, all defenses were like ants. This was their confidence, especially now that they had long weapons, armor, saddles, and stirrups. Hua Xiong knew that no unit in the world could stop the charging Xiliang cavalry at full strength.
At a distance of about a hundred paces from Yuan Shao’s army, the Xiliang cavalry faced the first wave of arrows. However, none of the soldiers chose to evade. They gripped their spears tightly with both hands, using their arms to brace the rear of the long spears. This was a technique learned through the life-and-death experiences of the elite Xiliang cavalry!
Previously, this technique had been meaningless to most of the Xiliang cavalry because only a select few could execute such long-weapon charges without saddles and stirrups.
The high-speed use of long spears was deadly to the enemy, but it was also extremely dangerous for the cavalry themselves. Even the bravest Xiliang cavalry could not prevent themselves from being unseated during such intense combat.
However, with saddles and stirrups equipped, the Xiliang cavalry, already adept at charging, became even more formidable. Their most ferocious combat methods had been resurrected.
Bowing their heads slightly, not a single soldier fell during the first wave of arrows. The inherent defensive abilities of the Xiliang cavalry were already formidable, and with their upgraded equipment and the fact that Yuan Shao's troops were unprepared, they easily weathered the storm.
"Slash!" Hua Xiong was the first to pierce Yuan Shao’s troops with his spear. In the next moment, countless soldiers of Yuan Shao’s army were impaled by long spears, and the Xiliang cavalry broke through the first line of defense of Yuan Shao’s rear army without losing any momentum. They then smashed through Tian Feng’s carefully arranged second line of defense.
In no time, the unprepared rear defenses faced their greatest crisis. Hua Xiong’s army talent enhanced strength, and for cavalry using long weapons in a charge, strength was all they needed!
At the perfect time, with the best tactics, the most suitable commander, and the equipment that maximized their combat power, the ferocity of the Xiliang cavalry was displayed to its fullest!
Before Hua Xiong even realized it, the ten layers of defense Tian Feng had meticulously arranged were shattered by his cavalry. Of course, part of this was due to Tian Feng’s focus on internal defenses rather than external threats, and the sheer timing of Hua Xiong’s arrival catching them completely off guard.
Regardless, the ferocity of the Xiliang cavalry was undeniable. After piercing through the final defense line, Hua Xiong’s cavalry set their sights on Ju Yi’s elite vanguard, charging directly toward him!
Having shattered Yuan Shao’s rear army, the Xiliang cavalry’s morale was at an all-time high. As they charged toward the vanguard, the overwhelming momentum was suffocating. The cavalry advanced without slowing, their long spears aimed straight ahead, filled with absolute confidence.
When the two forces, both claiming to be the strongest soldiers, clashed, hundreds of cavalrymen fell. Perhaps even more had died during this charge than when they had broken through Yuan Shao’s rear forces!
Simultaneously, hundreds of the vanguard soldiers were trampled into the ground, turning into pulp. No matter how strong the power of their military spirit was in resisting death, falling in front of the charging cavalry meant certain death.
"No!" Ju Yi cried out in horror when he saw the massacre. He realized that his vanguard could not withstand such trampling. On this battlefield, where falling meant being crushed into pulp, the strongest aspect of his military spirit had been completely neutralized!
"Die, Ju Yi!" Hua Xiong had already charged over with his troops, his eyes blood-red. Seeing Ju Yi, Hua Xiong’s hatred flared. Ju Yi, too, knew full well who was leading the Xiliang cavalry. They were like mortal enemies, furious at the sight of each other!
"Hou Feng, Duan Wei, Hu Zhen, Li Meng, each of you take a thousand soldiers and completely crush Yuan Shao’s rear forces!" Hua Xiong shouted, his eyes bloodshot. Either he or Ju Yi had to fall today!
As Hua Xiong shattered Yuan Shao’s rear army, the entire battle shifted. Guan Yu, Gan Ning, and Xu Chu seized the opportunity to counterattack, breaking free from their final shackles. They immediately led their forces towards Han Ju's rear troops, targeting the large banner bearing Yuan Shao's name.
Hua Xiong and Ju Yi led their respective units into a brutal battle, but unlike the previous time when Hua Xiong suffered a bitter defeat, this time, the Xiliang cavalry clearly had the upper hand against the vanguard.
As both sides fought fiercely, Liu Bei’s army launched a full-scale counterattack. Yuan Shao’s forces began to retreat step by step, and some soldiers even started to flee. There was no longer anyone who could stop Liu Bei’s counteroffensive. Even Ju Yi, in his rage, realized it was time to retreat!
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