Liang Xiao stood at the center of the largest war chariot, protected by twenty Shadow Guards.
"Great Qian's Chariot and Cavalry General Liang Xiao, leading the Right Army today, soldiers, follow me to break the formation!!"
Amidst thousands of troops, Liang Xiao roared, drawing the Setting Sun Bow once more. The Dragon Tooth Arrow transformed into a streak of light, severing the tallest barbaric war banner in the distance.
The messengers and orderlies conveyed Liang Xiao's command to the entire army at maximum speed. Instantly, morale surged, and every soldier fought bravely, unwilling to lose face before the Marquis of An Guo!
Led by Yue Qingtian, the Qingtian Guard howled, their Mo blades cleaving horses, their long spears slaying men. Behind them, arrows and stones rained down upon the barbarian army like a storm!
More than three hours had passed since the Great Qian army launched its all-out assault from the camp.
The soldiers of Great Qian carried rations, had eaten heartily before marching, rested briefly along the way, and ate their fill. Their fighting spirit was high, with no sign of fatigue. The horns blared, and the sounds of battle were incessant!
The enmity between Great Qian and the barbarians, even after a thousand ages, would still be avenged. How much more so for the lands lost at Helan Mountain just eleven years ago!
The devastation of Yan Province last year, and the humiliation of the women of Helan Mountain the day before yesterday, were still vivid in their minds!
Over a hundred thousand soldiers transformed into asuras, their faces bloodthirsty, determined to annihilate the barbarians. Even the logistics soldiers had replaced their Shenbi crossbow masters, continuing their barrage!
Within the barbarian camp, fires raged everywhere due to the explosions.
Coupled with a strong easterly wind, the fire fed on the wind, and the wind fueled the fire. The morale of the barbarian army plummeted as they discovered their camp ablaze. They fought and retreated, utterly unable to resist the offensive led by the Qingtian Guard and the Great Qian Iron Guard!
The ground was strewn with corpses, and rivers of blood flowed!
The Right Wise King and the Left Wise King stood on a high platform, watching the barbarian army retreat steadily, their hearts pounding: "They can advance so quickly..."
The fighting spirit and combat power of the Great Qian soldiers far exceeded the barbarians' expectations.
The barbarians had already suffered at least sixty thousand casualties, while the Great Qian army had only lost one or two thousand, a disproportionate ratio.
Of course, the power of Great Qian's bows and crossbows was the primary reason, but the Qingtian Guard and the Great Qian Iron Guard had also slain over ten thousand!
Having lost their forward fortifications, the barbarian army found themselves unable to maneuver effectively against the predominantly infantry Great Qian army within the city walls. Many cavalrymen were shot off their horses, and riderless steeds, startled by the roars of the Great Qian soldiers, bolted back towards their own lines, disrupting the main formation.
The barbarian army had descended into utter chaos!
"Why hasn't the cavalry attacked the enemy's rear yet?" the Right Wise King exclaimed in alarm.
As the two armies clashed, the neighing of horses and shouts of battle echoed from the west. It turned out to be tens of thousands of barbarian cavalry, who had been escorting the barbarian logistics troops to fetch water, rushing to the scene!
"Reinforcements have arrived!!"
The Right Wise King, surprised and delighted, immediately gave the order: "The enemy is showing signs of fatigue, cavalry, charge!"
But the Right Wise King only spoke these words. In reality, the Great Qian army's offensive had not slackened, advancing like a tireless machine.
In contrast, these barbarian cavalry, who had rushed back and forth, were exhausted, both man and beast. To prevent the Great Qian army from advancing further, they could only charge headlong into the fray.
However, facing the heavily armored shield-bearers and war chariots of Great Qian standing firm at the front, their charge was utterly incapable of breaking through the Great Qian vanguard. They were blocked by the fully armed multi-branch coordinated defense, losing their mobility advantage, and were forced to retreat.
"The Deputy Marshal's order: Shoot the riders first!"
The captains commanding the Shenbi crossbows and longbows reminded their teams to adjust their aim, specifically targeting the barbarian cavalrymen on horseback.
A large number of barbarian cavalrymen fell from their horses, and the barbarian army trampled each other, suffering heavy casualties.
Lü Yi, commanding the army in the southeast, received news that the enemy's front line had collapsed and his own army was advancing steadily. In his joy, he ordered: "Transmit the order to shoot again, do not spare the arrows!!"
The arrows of the Great Qian archers and crossbowmen rained down like they were free, a vast blanket of projectiles. The barbarian cavalry were hit by numerous arrows, and as soon as they approached Great Qian's range, they were riddled with holes, unable to retaliate, and could only wait in place for the Great Qian army to approach.
"Our army is completely outmatched..." The Right Wise King could see the distant battle clearly, his voice trembling.
The cavalry's reinforcement had not crushed the Great Qian offensive; at most, it had temporarily stalled them at the front line.
These cavalrymen on horseback, and because the terrain was higher, they were more visible to the Great Qian archers, and were instead heavily shot down...
"Immediately order the cavalry to retreat!!" the Right Wise King urged.
"Marshal, we only have cavalry, archers, and logistics troops left! Come down quickly, those divine crossbows from the enemy are approaching, their range will reach here soon!"
The messenger anxiously reminded him. The Right Wise King, filled with rage and shock, immediately led his soldiers down from the platform, mounted his prized horse, and retreated towards the rear.
This greatly reduced the efficiency of communication, and for the already chaotic barbarian army, it was like adding insult to injury.
"Our army's cavalry on the flanks have returned!"
Cheers of joy from the barbarian soldiers echoed from the distance.
The barbarian generals' eyes lit up, and hope reignited in their hearts.
As long as the cavalry on the flanks were victorious, there was hope!
"Wait, why are they returning?" the Left Wise King suddenly realized.
The Right Wise King and the others were also shocked.
If their surprise attack had been successful, they should have thrown the Great Qian's rear into disarray and slaughtered the archers. Why were they running back?
Before anyone could react, the neighing of horses and the sounds of battle from the distance were earth-shattering!
Countless white-robed soldiers poured out from the Great Qian flanks, driving the Great Qian cavalry and pursuing the barbarian cavalry like a collapsing mountain!
A large number of defeated barbarian cavalry soldiers fled back to their main camp, bringing another wave of shock to the barbarian army. The barbarians, facing attacks from the front and both flanks, saw their casualties further escalate.
"Marshal! It is our cavalry that has been defeated and is being pursued by the enemy, suffering heavy casualties!!" The messengers wailed, some even coughing and spitting blood on the spot, clearly due to excessive emotion and urgency.
"It's over, the defeat is sealed..." The Right Wise King felt his world spin, almost falling off his horse.
They occupied the city walls, only to be forcefully broken through by the enemy, completely nullifying their cavalry advantage!
The rapid collapse of the cavalry on both flanks became the final straw that broke the camel's back. The barbarians were routed and scattered!
"The villain shall be captured!"
Lü Yi and Zhuo Ying each led an army, pursuing from both flanks. They were all enraged, their killing intent fierce, wantonly reaping the barbarian cavalry!
Over sixty thousand barbarian cavalry had launched a surprise attack on the Great Qian flanks, only to be swiftly defeated by the Great Qian's prepared longbowmen and cavalry. Less than twenty thousand survived!
The Right Wise King felt his chest about to explode. Suppressing his immense unwillingness, he trembled and said: "Retreat to Qilian Mountain!!"
Before the Right Wise King could issue the order, the barbarian army had already completely collapsed, fleeing in all directions, allowing themselves to be slaughtered by the Great Qian army.
The cleverer ones had already turned their horses west, hoping to escape and return to Qilian Mountain.
The barbarian generals, helpless, could only lead their personal guards to flee west.
The barbarian army of over two hundred thousand, facing the nearly two hundred thousand strong Great Qian army attacking their fortifications, was thoroughly defeated, abandoning countless corpses and fleeing west in disarray.
Liang Xiao, who was drawing his bow to shoot down enemies, received the news and exclaimed: "Pursue with all our forces, advance to Qilian Mountain! Capture the barbarian Left Wise King and Right Wise King, and avenge our humiliation!"