694 The sixth camp Part 1 (1/2)
The envoy group had three-thousand guards escorting it, but to ensure that Barde had peace of mind, Saleen also deployed the sixth camp. Since there was finally a reason for his army to enter Qin, Saleen would not give up such an opportunity.
Saleen never expected that his sixth camp would come in handy.
The deployment of a large army could not escape a mage's eyes. The army which came out from Cexing City was split into two sections, with the first section had more than ten-thousand people. This ten-thousand man army flanked the envoy group, spreading wide across the plains. There were sorcerers in the envoy group. When the enemy was ten miles away, the envoy group's army was already alerted.
The magic equipment donned by Phoenix's cavalry was not good. After the chaos created by the black magicians some powerful mages were disappointed at the Phoenix nobles. They decided to leave Phoenix and go to Qin. Thereafter, during the invasion by Qin, another group of mages fled. Phoenix's army was currently relying on its reserves.
A magic cavalryman would be blessed with magic during the charging phase, their equipment did not actually contain any skills. Since there were no grand mages available, the cavalrymen were only blessed with the low level Windspeed Skill. Even though this low level spell had a protracted duration, it was very demanding on the stamina of the warhorses and soldiers. The cavalrymen only got boosted when they were one mile from the envoy group.
The advancing speed of the envoy group was not very high either, there were many chariots. Phoenix's roads were not repaired in time while some roads were tapered, so the envoy group was elongated.
Even though the envoy group was prepared, it could not form an effective formation to retaliate.
The sixth camp had brought along more than one-hundred large chariots. In just two minutes, these large chariots had been lined up to form two lines of defense. The infantrymen disembarked from the horses and wielded heavy crossbows, then they hid behind the large chariots and made a weak defensive formation.
In the three-thousand man army of the envoy group, sixteen-hundred of them were from the imperial swordsman's camp and they only took orders from the two sorcerers. These sixteen-hundred people were genuine cavalrymen, the armor on their bodies was worth thousands of gold coins. Once Tiffany raised the alarm, these sixteen-hundred soldiers quickly left the main road, then assumed a triangular formation.
Of the fourteen-hundred troops protecting Barde, only four-hundred were infantrymen. These four-hundred infantrymen leaped off the warhorses and hid behind the large chariots, then they wielded heavy shields. The shields were placed at both sides to prevent the enemy's cavalrymen from going around the formation and using their bows.
The sixth camp possessed two emblem groups worth of cavalrymen. It was not easy for Saleen to obtain a few thousand warhorses, these two-thousand cavalrymen were Saleen's mightiest mobile units. Their response was to wear a metal mask before bending down and securing a miniature cavalry crossbow in front of the stirrup.
The range of a cavalry crossbow was far, while its accuracy was terrible. Usually, a cavalryman could only strike the enemy within ten yards based on their experience. This weapon would fire bursts of three arrows and did not need to be operated by hand. After the cavalrymen installed the cavalry crossbows, they then took out three steel pipes and joined them together, forming a cross spear.
The cavalrymen from the sixth camp retreated two-hundred yards. As their equipment was superior, they could accelerate to maximum velocity within two-hundred yards.
The over ten-thousand people swiftly altered their formation. They did not have the intention to only defend. The cavalrymen were ready to act anytime, they were eager to act even. The only person who was slightly unnerved was the envoy who was going to reside in Holy Rock City permanently; Viscount Piac.
Of course, the viscount did not feel that going to Holy Rock City was an easy task, but he never expected his life to be in danger before even entering Qin.
”What should we do? What should we do?!” Viscount Piac mumbled to himself, but a high grade swordmaster beside him pulled the reins, positioning him behind the second row of large chariots.
Piac had an upright posture atop the warhorse. If it was not for his inattentive gaze, his bearing would be pretty good.
”Viscount, if we cannot make it, you shall flee,” the high grade swordmaster beside him said sarcastically. This high grade swordmaster had just defected to Saleen, he only entered the sixth camp after passing the verification conducted by the mages. He was full of contempt looking at Piac's appearance.
”Nonsense!” Viscount Piac suddenly exploded, he wielded a longsword and waved it about forcefully, then yelled, ”What do you take me for? If I escape, the whole world will laugh at me!”
”Eh? Viscount, you are pretty brave. In that case, please go to the rear, and allow the soldiers to help you put on a set of fitting armor.”
This high grade swordmaster no longer mocked Piac, he gestured to ask the soldiers to drag the viscount away. He then returned to his position to command an emblem group of infantrymen.
Piac was not courageous at all, his son was in Saleen's hands and so was his future. If Piac fled, his position would decline drastically even if Saleen did not kill him. His assets would be confiscated even if he remained a noble. Piac would rather die than have that happen.
Piac was very agitated, he only calmed down after the soldiers dragged him away.
”Staying alive is the most important thing. Saleen has deployed ten-thousand people to protect the envoy group and Huoxing City isn't up ahead, I should be safe. I am not a powerless person, I still have good equestrianism. Once I wear armor and wield a weapon, I will not be less useful than a normal soldier. I can still do archery, my accuracy is still passable within fifty yards.”