Chapter 1138: Hanging by a Thread! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Everyone, get ready!”
Zhang Shouzhi stood behind the high steel walls, wearing a look of unprecedented tension, his beard and hair being blown about by the wind.
The Great Tang had been defeated and had sustained terrible losses. At this moment, there were not many soldiers left in Talas. They were the only ones left on this foreign battlefield that could preserve the embers of the Great Tang, and allow these heroes to escape the grasp of the elite Arab and Tibetan cavalry so that they could return to the Western Regions.
Five hundred feet, three hundred feet, two hundred feet… the distance was shrinking. The Arabs and Tibetans were so focused on the Divine Martial Army, Divine Prison Army, Dragon Stallion Army, and other Tang armies that they barely noticed the Tang craftsmen that had appeared behind the steel walls. These craftsmen that had originally been repairing the steel walls and weapons were now on the steel walls, their hands gripping the switches for the beehives.
”Release!”
With Zhang Shouzhi's order, the Tang craftsmen pulled. The sky instantly began to howl as hundreds of thousands of arrows poured out of the beehives, descending upon the Arab and Tibetan soldiers.
Neeeigh! All was chaos as the surprised Arabs and Tibetans were cut down by the storm of arrows. No one had expected these weak craftsmen to take control over the beehives and launch this fierce assault.
”Bastards! Kill them!”
The Arab and Tibetan officers were infuriated. Craftsmen couldn't even be considered soldiers, possessing no fighting power whatsoever, so it was a great humiliation to be ambushed by them. The cavalry quickly began to change their directions, charging at the Tang craftsmen stationed on the walls.
”Kill them! Don't leave one alive!”
The stampeding hooves thundered against the ground as several thousand Arab cavalry charged forward.
”Release!”
”Release again!”
Zhang Shouzhi's hair was blowing in the wind, an abnormal resolve in his eyes. Most of the craftsmen were just ordinary people, but Zhang Shouzhi had participated with Wang Chong in so many large-scale battles, experiencing countless perilous situations, that he had gained an impressive mentality.
Even though so many cavalry were charging at them, certain to kill them all if they broke through the defense line, Zhang Shouzhi was not panicked in the slightest.
Boom! The levers were pulled once more, and the beehives thundered as they fired off countless arrows.
Plushplushplush! Arrows plunged into flesh, immediately cutting down numerous Arab horsemen.
”Release again!”
”Release again!”
Zhang Shouzhi solemnly swung his arm down again and again, and in the face of these fierce volleys, the tens of thousands of Arab and Tibetan horsemen finally began to slow down. The assault of the beehives brought all the Tang soldiers a little space to breathe, a chance at survival.
”Retreat! Everyone, retreat!”
Li Siye, Xue Qianjun, Kong Zi-an, and Zhang Que were all anxiously calling out. The army had never been in more dire circumstances. The Arabs were doggedly pursuing them while the Tang army didn't even have thirty thousand soldiers left. And if one excluded Su Hanshan's ballista army, the soldiers truly capable of fighting a battle were only ten-thousand-some. As for the Great Generals, everyone except Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi was heavily injured. For the first time in this battle, the Great Tang army was at risk of being completely wiped out.
”Kill! Don't let them escape!”
Seeing that the entire Tang army was on the verge of retreating behind the defense line, Qutaybah's number one deputy Mansur turned savage, his body seething with killing intent as he pulled out his sword and led the remnants of the Revelation Army in pursuit.
The soldiers of the northern war zone had lost far too many men in this battle, with even the Revelation Army having suffered heavy losses. Mansur treasured this army even more than Qutaybah, and these heavy losses had made his heart bleed.
”You bastards! None of you should even think about getting back alive!”
Mansur's eyes exploded with killing intent as he led his finest soldiers charging forward. But they had barely charged out when a vicious Sword Qi shot out and struck the soldiers behind Mansur. In an explosion of dust, innumerable Arab horsemen were pulverized. At this moment, it was Wang Chong who had lashed out.
His eyes were sharply observing everything on the battlefield. The moment Mansur had begun to move out, Wang Chong had unleashed an attack to intercept him.
”Brat, you're seeking death!”