Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3347 Qin Chu Back Then

Don't be fooled by the swordsmen stacking up their shields and moving slowly, looking like old men. But when these swordsmen whistle and start charging, they are like a steel gale, sweeping across the remaining distance of the stone bridge and rushing into the Cao army's formation!

  It happened to be stuck in the gap when Wen Pin issued the command to switch the array!

Wen Pin gave the order to have his archers suppress Huang Zhong's archers and then retreat to the second line.

There is nothing wrong with this command.

The problem is that the rigid Cao army soldiers can't keep up with Huang Zhong's flexible and changeable troops!

If the normal process is followed, the Cao army's archers will shoot and retreat at the same time, exchanging positions with the Cao army's sword and shield soldiers behind them. This is basically the normal operation of the battle formation, and this tactic is the most basic and is almost engraved in the minds of every soldier.

According to thousands of trainings, the sword and shield soldiers slightly sideways to make way for the passage. At this time, the archers were about to pass through the passage and then regroup behind the sword and shield soldiers.

But Huang Zhong's swordsman rushed out!

Huang Zhong's swordmen did not wait for Huang Zhong's order, but directly seized the opportunity of Cao's army changing its formation!

Faced with the sudden change of the swordsman, the archers of the Cao army on the opposite side were inevitably affected, triggering a domino effect.

Originally, Huang Zhong's swordmen moved very slowly. Of course, the main purpose was not to deceive Cao's army, but to seek stability and reduce the probability of casualties. Therefore, during the first half of the stone bridge, it was inevitable that the soldiers of Cao's army formation would be left with the impression that these swordmen could not move fast, or it was difficult for them to move fast...

However, at this moment, the school swordsmen suddenly accelerated, which naturally caught the Cao army archers off guard. Most of these archers were still responding at the speed of the school swordsmen, and the speed of changing formations was also slower. Seeing the school swordsmen rushing forward, the Cao army archers who were still behind were inevitably afraid, and their movements became distorted.

Some people started to speed up, trying to get back to the safer second line before Huang Zhong's knifemen arrived. Some people were at a loss, and some tried to turn around and shoot at the knifemen who were rushing towards them...

  Although the swordsmen rushed forward and indeed entered the range where the archers had greater power, because the Cao army archers were changing their formation, many of them were not ready to shoot, and some of the arrows were still in their quivers, with only an empty bow in their hands!

Even if Cao's archers took out their arrows in time, they were in a hurry and didn't have much accuracy. Not all archers are sharpshooters, especially when dealing with moving targets. It's like a hunter shooting prey. If there is only one prey, then the accuracy rate will probably increase. But if there are a group of prey flying around, the inexperienced hunters will often miss. Because the eyes are aiming at one, and the hands may be aiming at another.

In this case, even if the school knifeman was shot, it would not be a critical part.

Several school swordmen were hit in the chest by arrows, but the arrows could not penetrate their fine iron breastplates.

Several others were shot with arrows in their arms and legs and could no longer continue fighting, so they retreated under the care of their comrades.

After Cao's archers finished a round of panicked shooting, the swordsmen were about to rush in front of them!

  Some of Cao's archers wanted to continue shooting, but they were attacked by archers from Huang Zhong's side!

The swordsmen gave up their positions on the stone bridge, and soon more archers from Huang Zhong's side filled in. Under the terrified gazes of the opposing Cao army, the archers from Huang Zhong's side in the second row raised their longbows and began to fire at a large area.

"Strong wind!"

"Strong wind!"

  The archers on Huang Zhong's side repeated the command, and a large number of arrows whizzed out, rushing towards the sky, and then turned around and fell towards Cao's army!

Cao's swordsmen and archers were crowded together, leaving no room for escape!

"Puff!"

"Ahhhhh..."

Screams sounded one after another.

  The sword and shield soldiers of Cao's army were fine. They just lowered their heads and used shields and armor to block the falling arrows. But the archers of Cao's army were unlucky because most of them were wearing armor. How could they feel no pain if they were stabbed anywhere?

"Strong wind!"

A loud shout was heard, followed by the sound of arrows whizzing into the sky.

As the rain of arrows fell, Cao's soldiers rolled on the ground wailing.

The mountain path was not wide to begin with, with a cross-section of only about 40 to 50 steps, and at most 60 to 70 steps wide, so the distance between the two sides was not far. In this case, the arrows shot from the overhead shot could already cause relatively large damage to unarmored or thinly armored units.

Even though the arrow did not hit the vital point, it still splashed a lot of blood.

"Strong wind! Strong wind!"

After the archers on Huang Zhong's side had finished shooting their arrows, they quickly retreated and retreated behind their own spearmen. The subsequent archers took over the previous archers' positions and poured arrows on the heads of Cao's soldiers.

The bowstrings were like frying beans, banging continuously, arrows rose into the sky, and then bit into the Cao army formation, creating waves of blood mist. The Cao army archers in thin armor suffered terrible injuries, and a large number of Cao army soldiers who were shot by arrows, even if they did not scream and roll on the ground on the spot, those who covered their wounds could not continue to participate in the subsequent battles.

Under such circumstances, Cao's army was bound to be in great chaos.

On the one hand, Cao's army's sword and shield soldiers could not move forward as they were blocked by their own archers. On the other hand, the passage they had cleared could not be closed as it was also blocked by their own archers!

This state of being beaten but unable to fight back is really too frustrating, especially watching comrades fall one by one and being unable to do anything, the psychological pressure is too great. Moreover, Cao's army's will to fight is not that strong. The front ranks are already mixed with the remaining troops of Wen Pin and can only be pulled together. This approach can only maintain temporarily, but it will eventually cause problems.

After disrupting the Cao army's formation, Huang Zhong's archers moved to the sides, revealing the heavily armored spearmen in the middle. The dense layers of spears and halberds turned up, shining brightly in the sun. Waves of heavily armored spearmen shouted and rushed forward with their spears, as if they wanted to mix with the school swordmen to completely defeat the Cao army formation and break it!

Compared to the swords and shields of the school swordmen, the gleaming spears and halberds, with their sharp tips and sharp edges, stood up in groups, emitting a dazzling light. These people were all wearing thick armor and had stout bodies. They rushed forward without regard for their lives, and seemed to have an unstoppable momentum. Even the Cao army soldiers who did not join the battle to meet the enemy were frightened.

"kill! 』

Huang Zhong's spearmen joined the battlefield.

Although Huang Zhong's swordmen could also kill through and defeat Cao's troops, relying solely on swordmen would undoubtedly be greatly restricted and easily restrained by the enemy. Therefore, adding some heavily armored spearmen is like injecting lubricating oil into this killing machine, which significantly improves its operating efficiency.

As Huang Zhong's men charged towards Cao's front line, the chaotic Cao's formation became increasingly unable to hold up.

The sounds of knives stabbing and guns stabbing into flesh continued, as well as the sounds of muffled groans and screams.

After Huang Zhong's clever deployment, Cao's soldiers were naturally going to pay a greater price for their failure to cope with the situation. In the front line of the Cao army, nearly half of them were killed or wounded in a blink of an eye, and many of the remaining Cao soldiers were also injured. Their originally dense and dense military formation had long been out of formation.

In particular, the courage and bravery that Cao's soldiers had finally managed to muster had been almost completely eroded.

Even if the remaining Cao army soldiers burst into a frantic struggle, how could they be a match for the experienced and thick-skinned school swordsman? The shield withstood the bursts, and then took advantage of the opponent's shortness of breath to stab him with a knife, and that was it. It took a little more effort and a little longer time than other Cao army soldiers.

Huang Zhong's heavy-armored spearmen were even simpler. They had swordmen in front to hold off Cao's soldiers, and Huang Zhong's archers in the back to support them. This meant that these few heavy-armored spearmen did not need to consider their own risks and only needed to focus on attacking. Their sharp spears and halberds specifically sought flesh and blood among the people. As long as there was a slight flaw in the formation of Cao's soldiers, these spears and halberds would arrive and take away a burst of blood. Every assassination was harvesting the lives of Cao's soldiers.

In this narrow and cramped mountain road, soldiers on both sides shouted at each other unconsciously in the fierce battle, shedding sweat and blood.

Human struggles are always a manifestation of primitive power and impulse.

When their lives were in the greatest danger, the soldiers on both sides bit, struggled, and killed each other instinctively. They poured all their courage and fear into their shouts, trying to encourage themselves and intimidate the enemy in this way.

Weapons rise and fall one after another, just like the cycle of every day and the beginning and end of every dynasty.

It began in iron and blood, and it perished in iron and blood.

Each swing was filled with power and desperation.

They hacked and stabbed opponents who had the same skin color and spoke the same language as them, and who in peacetime might have been their friends, neighbors, or even relatives.

They would even meet at the same fair, say hello to each other, and trade their output and harvest, but now in the torrent of war, everything has been distorted, and human nature has been stripped away in extreme circumstances, leaving only the instinct for survival.

The soldiers who were chopped and stabbed reacted differently to the fatal injuries.

Some soldiers felt aggrieved at the last moment of their lives. They may have unfinished fields, unfinished roof tiles, unfulfilled filial piety, and lost love, but as the blood gushed out, everything turned into smoke in the sky and dust on the ground. Some soldiers fell silently, sighing helplessly for the last time. They may have been accustomed to life and death, and had a premonition of such an ending, but they were powerless to change it and could only accept it silently.

Hot blood flowed from their bodies, staining the mountain path.

Wuguan Road, which had tasted enough blood during the conflict between Qin and Chu in the past, is now welcoming fresh blood and fresh meat again and again.

The brutal and bloody battle did not last long. Cao's soldiers soon could not hold on any longer and began to collapse and retreat, without even waiting for Wen Pin to send out reinforcements or issue orders...

In the eyes of Cao's soldiers, their own comrades were getting fewer and fewer, while the enemies seemed to be increasing. Many people could no longer suppress their inner fear and screamed and ran away.

"Cao's army was defeated."

Huang Zhong muttered.

Through the confusing blood mist and smoke, one can see that many of Cao's soldiers have been stunned. Some of them are running around with their heads in their hands, some are throwing away their weapons and running back screaming, and the rest are dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

"This is already very good..." Huang Zhong praised half-heartedly, and then issued an order, "Form a formation! Advance!"

"Wait... wait a minute..." Pang Shanmin hurriedly stepped forward and said, "General Huang, this... you have forgotten the trap you just mentioned..."

"How could I forget?" Huang Zhong smiled, raised his chin slightly, and his long beard fluttered in the wind. "The rockets are ready... Now it depends on how Wen Zhongye chooses..."

"How does Wen Zhongye choose?" Pang Shanmin was a little confused.

Huang Zhong seemed to be talking about the present, but also seemed to be talking about the future.

Pang Shanmin stood behind Huang Zhong, looking at the battlefield on the mountain road, and suddenly he understood something.

  There were many intermarriages between Qin and Chu back then!

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, although the various vassal states often used marriage as a political means to make friends with each other in order to strengthen ties and mutual support, the marriage between Qin and Chu was more special than that between any other vassal states from the very beginning.

Because Qin and Chu were both barbarians to the several vassal states in the Central Plains.

The original purpose of the marriage between Qin and Chu was also to fight against the powerful rival of the Central Plains at that time, the State of Jin. Under such common interests, there were seven marriages between Qin and Chu that were recorded in history, not including cases that may not have been recorded. Moreover, these marriages were all of high level, such as King Gong of Chu marrying Qin Ying, King Ping of Chu marrying Bo Ying, and Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin, Mi Bazi, who was the daughter of the royal family of Chu. Such marriages not only helped the two countries to support each other politically, but also promoted cultural exchanges and integration between Qin and Chu.

So Liuli and Liubaili, from a certain perspective, are a kind of trust between "relatives".

But in the end, this "trust" was exchanged for benefits.

Qin and Chu were originally friends, relatives, and friendly forces, but they still could not escape the fate of fighting each other on the Wuguan Road.

If the State of Chu could have crossed Lantian during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, perhaps history would have been different.

The Qin State failed to invade Jingxiang, and the Chu State might still be using birds and flowers as characters...

Now, Pang Shanmin suddenly realized that it was actually very similar to history.

  They were Qin and Chu back then, and they are still Qin and Chu now.

When the drumbeats of the central army sounded, Huang Zhong's soldiers responded in unison. In an instant, their prestige was greatly boosted, and they rolled through the mountain road like muffled thunder.

The school swordmen regrouped and marched forward like a wall. However, the Cao army soldiers in front of them retreated one after another, and no one dared to step forward to fight.

Cao's army has lost its courage!

This is like a diarrheal outbreak. Not everyone can hold it tightly and endure it...

Wen Pin looked at the Cao army soldiers who were already showing signs of defeat, opened his mouth as if he wanted to issue some orders, but fell silent after a moment.

In such a situation, even if he charged forward with his remaining troops, he might not be able to change anything.

  Is it possible to change the entire situation of a battle with the power of one person?

Indeed, there are, but it often requires the right time, place and people, and none of them can be missing.

It's like Guan Yu killing Yan Liang.

Mr. Luo just said that Yan Liang thought Guan Yu came to surrender, Guan Yu's horse was fast, Yan Liang was careless, and then he was chopped to death with a single sword. But in fact, in history, Guan Yu killed Yan Liang, which was really fierce. Even novels dare not write it like that.

In history, Guan Yu did not launch a surprise attack or a sneak attack, but charged into the battle line and killed people openly.

Because the Three Kingdoms describes "Uzen climbed up, defeated, and killed Ryou."

"Qian Deng" means rushing to the front, and "jipo" means breaking through the enemy's formation.

Therefore, Yan Liang was definitely not killed without any defense. It can only be said that he tried to defend himself, but failed...

It is highly risky for a general to personally fight in the battlefield, and generally speaking, few people would do so.

Wen Pin clenched the long sword in his hand, veins bulging, but his feet did not move.

After a moment, Wen Pin gave the order, "Sound the horn! Retreat!"

The guards beside Wen Pin were stunned for a moment, "General, are we going to retreat like this? Then, what about those chevaux de frise traps?"

A chevaux de frise equipped with flammable objects.

Indeed, if we rely on these traps, we can delay the enemy for a while, and even kill some of Huang Zhong's soldiers.

But in this case...

Wen Pin looked up at the formation of Huang Zhong's troops in the distance, his eyes moved slightly, and finally he shook his head and said: "Strategies should not be exhausted."

These traps are no longer necessary.

  On the one hand, Wen Pin believed that Huang Zhong had probably seen through these traps, and the fire pots in the distance were a warning to Wen Pin. If Wen Pin still wanted to resist and lure around the traps, then what might be waiting for him was not Huang Zhong's soldiers, but rockets falling from the sky!

On the other hand...

"Sound the horn and withdraw the troops!" Wen Pin repeated.

Since Wen Pin reiterated it, his guards felt it was a pity to abandon the trap and retreat in vain, but they still carried out the order.

When the sharp sound of the horn rang out, the soldiers of Cao's army retreated hastily as if they had been granted amnesty.

Huang Zhong, upon seeing this, also ordered his troops to withdraw.

After all, jumping through those traps to hunt down Wen Pin was not a smart or rational choice.

In war, it is right to use the remaining courage to pursue the enemy, but it is also right not to pursue the enemy.

And most importantly, Wen Pin seemed to have shown a rather interesting attitude by giving up the last resort here...