81 Wind Hails at an Impasse (1/2)
Tie Zheng turned to look. Thick smoke was rising while battle cries could be heard distinctly even from several dozen miles away. It was primed to be a grand battle.
Tie Zheng felt his heart pumping violently, his lips parched. “Send orders, signal semaphore! Ask what is going on.”
Before they could take action though, nine pillars of smoke, without traces of a spark, were already soaring into the sky.
“Those are our people!” Tie Zheng could feel his heart about to leap out from his chest. “Where did these reserve troops come from?”
Dongxuan’s Han Sanhe’s side had also realized the commotion in the southwest as ten thousand men were sent charging over like a flying arrow in a single command.
“Charge over!”
Tie Zheng decided immediately that this was their only chance of survival!
“Assemble there! To Tianxuan Cliff!”
Even if there were backup troops now, defeat was already imminent. The only thing he could do was to head over to Tianxuan Cliff and rebuild a defensive line using the geographical advantage, holding on as long as he could!
War erupted without any preamble.
Tie Zheng led the troops personally, leading all of them to penetrate the defense at southwest.
This was something Han Sanhe had never expected as much as Tie Zheng had never dared to wish for to attack from this direction!
Both sides were equally surprised. The brutality of the battle was even more unexpected.
“Yutang Steel Cavalry!” Tie Zheng roared, his mounted form on his steed leading the troops.
The thirty thousand-strong Steel Cavalry that he had kept aside throughout the war moved together, charging over as if they were a giant hammer.
At the same time, fifty thousand of the Dongxuan Shadow Cavalry counter-attacked!
The thirty thousand-strong Shadow Cavalry who had outflanked Yutang’s army and were attacking from the rear reacted a beat slower before they began charging in for the kill. Prior to this, no one could have expected that there would be such a loophole at the most unexpected of locations.
…
Yutang’s total of two hundred thousand men broke through collectively while Dongxuan concentrated their elites to block the charge with all their might.
Han Sanhe stayed on as a commander as he commissioned soldiers and appointed generals, giving out directions endlessly. Tie Zheng, on the other hand, was charging in a single direction with maddened eyes!
The goals of both parties were extremely clear.
If these two hundred thousand men could retreat all the way to the west of Tianxuan Cliff without damage, then the Empire of Yutang’s military force could still be retained; they could still fight. If these two hundred men were to be stifled here, the Empire of Yutang would definitely suffer in its military might!
Han Sanhe had strategized for so long to achieve this, how could he allow Tie Zheng to flee?
Tie Zheng led his troops, acting as an incredible shield as his two and a half foot spear split into shadows that burst through the air, piercing through the enemy soldiers.
Where he had passed,not a single person remained alive.
His steed was like a whirlwind as it led thirty thousand Steel Cavalry to charge forward with a resolute objective – they charged, knowing that they put their lives on the line.
Over on the other side, an unknown troop was charging towards them with all their might to receive Tie Zheng’s breakout. The determined might there was a perfect comparison to the spirit here!
The Yutang army’s brave spearheading roused the war to its climax!
Tie Zheng led the charge in fury, “Charge! Charge over!”
This was their only chance!
“Where did this troop come from?” Han Sanhe’s sunken face was full of doubt as well. He was well aware of the Empire of Yutang’s army organization like his own palm.
There was definitely no more reserves to backup Tie Zheng. How could such a troop pop up from nowhere?
Tie Zheng charged as his steed galloped through the several dozen miles of blood drenched soil. He was finally approaching the battlefield in front but his heart almost stopped the moment the battlefield greeted his eyes.
His eyes were rimmed red as hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Charge over!”
“Assemble with our brothers!”
On the opposite side, handicapped veterans dressed in old military uniforms and old armor! Whether it was the officer who was in command or the soldiers,they were all either blind with one eye left or handicapped with one arm remaining.
They cried in unison as they fought fiercely and charged.
“Undefeatable Yutang!”
“Unmatched Yutang!”
“I as Yutang’s man shall serve the country with my death!”
“Save Marshal Tie!”
“Brothers, it’s time to go all out!”
One by one, the handicapped veterans charged over like madmen; they were not avoiding the attacks at all, exchanging one life for another. A slash by the enemy was greeted with a similar slash to the enemy!
I am crippled, I can’t fight you. All I can do is to give my life in return for yours.
An old veteran charged, guffawing while facing two Dongxuan soldiers who were raising their sabers. He did not bother to avoid nor hide, his eyes glaringly wide as he growled, “We’re not here for war! We’re here to brave death!”
He welcomed the two sabers with his neck and chest as the saber in his hand landed harshly as well.
As blood spurted, three heads rolled off together!
Another handicapped veteran with only an eye left hopped off from a high spot throwing himself into a sea of sharp sabers and pointy spears; his body was pierced through but his saber had also chopped of a Dongxuan soldier’s head!
“Marshal Tie, over here!”
The handicapped veterans fought as they braved death, crying battle cries.
“Our lives are not worth much! Only death awaits us…” A handicapped veteran general hollered, “Marshal Tie! The Empire of Yutang cannot lose you!”
“We have no qualms dying in battle in front of the Nine Supremes sirs’ Tianxuan Cliff!”
“We have no regrets to leave following the nine sirs!”
Tie Zheng teared up. “Charge! Charge over! Do not let our brothers die in vain!”
He shouted madly before the valley. Suddenly, he hopped off his horse as his muscular build charged towards the enemy’s formation like a berserk tiger; his spear danced like pelting raindrops as chilling sparks formed an arc – hundreds of Dongxuan soldiers were killed with his spear!
A gap had been opened!
“Charge over!”
“I’ll cover you!”
Yutang Steel Cavalry gushed through this opening in a wild stampede.
Tie Zheng was crazed!
He had lost all sense of rationality when he saw these handicapped veterans! These old brothers of theirs were opening the ranks for the army with their own lives!
They did not have a sole authoritarian command. Although they were many in number, they lacked a uniform organization. They could only use such barbaric and brutal ways to realize their combat value!
“How could I, Tie Zheng, use my brothers’ lives in exchange for my own! Let me breach this gap with all of you!” Tie Zheng roared.
Once the spear of two and a half feet length spun, nothing within a hundred feet radius could penetrate it!
Their marshal was covering for them with his own hands, the army of Yutang knew they had to grasp the opportunity as they surged in swiftly, following the way. As each general saw their own battalion charging through, each of them returned immediately, with no exception, to cover for the army alongside Tie Zheng!
“I as the general, should cover for my brothers to our deaths!”
“I as the general cannot only use my brothers’ lives to accumulate meritorious awards!”
“I am the general!”
The generals by Tie Zheng’s side increased in number, each of their expressions stoic as they killed without mercy. They formed a wall of steel, blocking the hounding attacks of the Dongxuan army.
In the enemy’s battle array, a cold voice resounded. “Shadow Cavalry, charge over! Stampede through them!”
The enemy who were killing in berserk fury suddenly separated towards both sides. Behind them, countless rows of intimidating Shadow Cavalrymen were surging over as swiftly as devils materializing in the dark and as unstoppable as a collapsing mountain!
Fierce resolution flashed across Tie Zheng’s eyes.
“Marshal!”
Countless handicapped veterans charged against the incoming Shadow Cavalry. “Run, quick!”
“Shoot the arrows!”
A command came from the opposite side; the sky turned dark. Hundreds of thousands of arrows had shielded the sky completely.
“Leave!” The veterans in the valley ran with their all at the same time towards the Shadow Cavalry, towards the sky-shadowing arrows. “Tie Zheng! If you don’t leave, these brothers will never rest in peace!”
A piercing shout resonated.
Tie Zheng was drenched entirely in crimson blood as he growled hopelessly. Two assistant generals were pulling him along madly. “Marshal! Let us leave, quick!”
“We still have a chance once we have passed Tianxuan Cliff…”
The sockets of Tie Zheng’s eyes were already torn from glaring wide, fresh blood pouring out as it mixed with his hot tears. He finally roared brokenly, “Leave!”
“Leave!”
The despair in this agonized growl was similar to an injured beast’s roar in the wild.
“Han Sanhe!”
Tie Zheng’s voice was loud and echoed across the land. “As long as I, Tie Zheng, am alive, I shall kill you! I shall kill you!”
The army had retreated to the valley.
However, Han Sanhe’s Dongxuan troops pursued in a manic frenzy, as if giving their all as well, biting on the Yutang army’s tail relentlessly.
“Shadow Cavalry! Even if all of you die in pursuit, do not lose Tie Zheng’s troops!”