Chapter 426 Beyond Jiameng Pass – The Chase (1/2)
Chapter 426 – Beyond Jiameng Pass – The Chase
North of Zitong County
Han Sui's 55,000 cataphracts galloped in at their full speed, rushing back to Zitong.
One kilometer away east of Han Sui's rushing army, Zhang He's 20,000 knights were moving toward Zitong as well. However, his other 15,000 footmen were lagging behind, but they had not given up chasing after the knights.
Also,
*WHOOSH*
*WHOOSH*
14,000 light cavalries, armed with repeating crossbows, chased after Han Sui Army from behind and east flank, shooting arrows as they followed after the retreating troops.
The arrows did not harm Han Sui's men since cataphracts were immune to small projectiles because of their scale armors. However, a few arrows slipped through the gap of their defense and injured a handful of soldiers.
”Annoying pest! Rearguard battalions, turnabout! Wipe those chasers!”
10,000 heavy cavalries took a 180 turn, facing the pursuing horse archers.
Like the Xiongnu riders, 14,000 light cavalries also took a U-turn and ran away while they harassed the cataphracts with arrows.
”Right flank! Get rid of their horse archers!”
10,000 more cataphracts turned 45 degrees right, putting pressure on Zhang He's horse archers.
Again, the light cavalries utilized their superior mobility to keep a distance, but they did not stop shooting arrows at their soldiers.
As 20,000 men had detached from Han Sui's main force, 35,000 riders maintained their course, rushing toward Zitong County.
When they could see the wall of Zitong County from afar, a change occurred.
Zhang He's 20,000 knights took a sharp left turn and charged at Han Sui's right flank of 10,000 men. However, the 7,000 horse archers withdrew from the battle as they had used up their arrows.
The knights replaced the light cavalries and rushed toward the oncoming cataphracts head-on.
*BOOM*
They collided!
Although their armors were solid, one side came prepared.
*BOOM*
The knights did not use spears or halberds. Instead, they used maces and hammers.
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
As cataphracts used swords and lances, they ended up grazing the armors of the knights, unable to penetrate the armor plates.
However, one hit from a hammer was enough to send a fully-geared cataphract flying off their horse. It also stunned the victim, causing internal injuries.
From a bird's eye view, the group of silver knights slowly devoured the mobs of riders on the opposite side.
500 Cataphracts fell.
1,000 ...
1,500 ...
2,000 ...
10,000 cataphracts were slowly chipped down as two armies rushed through each other's battalions.
Han Sui already had reached Zitong by the time the two armies clashed. When he got on the top of Zitong's battlements to observe the battle, he was shocked.
His flank guards were being devoured by the wave of 20,000 heavy knights!
”Signals! Call the rearguards to support the flank army! Rescue them!”
*BWOOOOO*
Han Sui's men blew their signal horns and waved their signal color flags, relaying orders.
A minute later, the other 10,000 cataphracts, who were sent to chase away the pursuing horse archers, turned around, looking to assist the flank army.
At that moment, the 7,000 horse archers that they were chasing also turned around and charged at them.
Noticing their reaction and believing that these light cavalries would be no-match against their superior heavy armors, all cataphracts took out their swords, preparing to fight in close-ranged combat.
However, the 7,000 light horsemen did not plan to fight in melee combat. They switched out their primary weapon, the repeating crossbows, to something else!
Each of them pulled out a pistol!
They were the handguns that were created by the system skill, made by Medusa!
Moreover, they were not a standard gun like Tong's Glock. Medusa created something with stronger firepower, the Desert Eagle series.
All of them lined in rows, and the frontline pulled the triggers while the troops on the second row onward got into the position to switch rows.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
At 50 to 100 meters range, a volley of over 1,000 handguns was deadly against a group of mobs. Even the scale armor could not stop the bullets.
Scale armors were, after all, made of small pieces of iron plates sewing together. The armor could protect them from arrows, sword slash, spear thrust, but they were not designed to fight against firearms of the future era.
Small bullet holes appeared in the armors while the riders could feel something hot going inside their bodies, damaging their inner organs. Some resisted the impact and continued the charge against the light cavalries, but most of them fell from their horses.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
The light cavalries turned into cowboys or horse gunners as if they were from the Wild West Era.
All rearguards fell from their horses. Even the cataphracts, who had not turned around, were also shot.
Not all bullets found their targets. As the warhorses were galloping at their full speed, the soldiers could not handle the recoil and the aim properly.
As a result, each of them required more than one shot to put down a cataphract.
After each soldier had fired seven shots, the front row of 1,000 men ran out of bullets.
Qu Yi, the one leading the 7,000 light cavalries, shouted as he gave a new order.
”Second row to the front! First row, go back to the rear!”
The front horsemen slowed their horses and shrunk to the back of their formation. Another platoon of 1,000 men took over the front row as they aimed their pistol forward.
Qu Yi withheld his order as he gauged the distance between them and the fleeing cataphracts. The latter managed to gain a distance from them because of the previous shooting as the chasers had to avoid the obstacles, such as dead riders, fallen horses, and the stray horses.
Now, they were 300 meters away.
”Keep chasing! Don't shoot yet!”
.
Meanwhile, the 20,000 heavy knights were sweeping the cataphracts with their hammers and maces. However, one of the knights did not wield a blunt weapon like the others.
Gao Lan rode to the forefront and displayed his angel power by swinging his aura-reinforced glaive at the oncoming cataphracts.