Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The army marched forward, their thunderous footsteps awe-inspiring, the dust they raised obscuring the banners behind them.

Under the large banner bearing the character "Song" in the central army, Zhang Shuye rode his warhorse, watching several small black dots galloping towards him. Then, his own scouts went to meet them, but soon turned back, accompanied by the cavalry that had been the black dots. The news that reached his ears was that the vanguard had been attacked.

"They've withdrawn..."

As he pondered, Zhang Shuye frowned, his horse's back rising and falling with each step. There were many soldiers and horses around him, and the occasional soft clanging of metal against metal gathered together. The commander on horseback turned his head slightly and said, "Order the troops on the left and right flanks to advance and converge. The northern bandits attacked the vanguard but failed, and they may organize a large force to attack again."

He paused slightly, then said, "Order Li Jingliang, the commander of the rear army, to lead troops to reinforce the central army."

"Order the cavalry to form ranks and advance in front of the central army."

As he issued orders, the massive army began to move and change formation. Twenty thousand troops on each of the left and right flanks moved forward to converge, while the rear army accelerated to join the central army.

In an instant, they split into two large formations and continued forward.

The dust kicked up greatly reduced visibility, and even though the air was filled with the roar of the troops marching by, a series of muffled thunderclaps could still be heard approaching.

"That's the sound of horses' hooves! A large number of cavalry! The northern bandits are attacking!"

As Zhang Shuye spoke, his warhorse neighed uneasily, its gait becoming somewhat unsteady. He tightened the reins, watching as his own riders galloped towards them from the front, shouting even before they got close: "The Qi army is launching a large-scale flanking attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Enemy attack?

Having clearly heard the shout, Zhang Shuye shifted his gaze to the northeast and subconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist.

Although the daylight had moved past the zenith, it was still bright. At the horizon where heaven and earth met, a dark line stretched out and surged. Countless cavalrymen appeared on the plains three or four miles away, like the waters of the Qiantang River flowing towards this side.

Three thousand elite cavalry and five thousand wolf riders led the way, trotting across the grasslands and gentle slopes under the huge banner bearing the character "吕" (Lü). They gradually began to accelerate, with banners bearing the characters "姚" (Yao), "王" (Wang), "完颜" (Wanyan), "史" (Shi), and "杨" (Yang) fluttering in the dust behind them.

On the fiery red warhorse, indifferent eyes surveyed the Song army changing formation ahead. The hand gripping the halberd tightened slightly, raising the golden dragon-patterned halberd high into the air. At the same time, a commanding voice boomed through the ranks: "Prepare—"

Hua Hua Hua——

The powerful bow was taken into hand, the quiver at the waist trembled, and an arrow was drawn. No one spoke loudly. The warhorse, urged on by the riders' shouts of "Giddy up!" and "Hah!", grew faster and faster, and countless hooves shook the plains in an instant.

Among the Song army, the flags announcing the enemy attack were raised. Zhang Shuye didn't care whether the left and right flanks in front of him were closing in and running parallel. He just stared intently at the cavalry group that was sweeping in like a wave, feeling a little confused, yet instinctively feeling that it was just the way things were.

"They've come around..."

Dust billowed into the air from beneath countless churning iron hooves.

The cavalry advanced like surging waves. The bright sunlight pierced through the billowing yellow sand and the rolling tide. In the first row, Lu Bu, wearing a golden beast-face armor and a bright red cloak, galloped ahead. Red Hare puffed out hot air, its black eyes gleaming with excitement, but it still kept its speed low and did not reach its peak.

Thousands upon thousands of Song soldiers were running rapidly across the plains, their ranks being determined by the shouts of their commanders.

The outermost shield bearers plunged the tips of their shields into the ground and lowered their supports. Behind them, strong and sturdy soldiers pressed against the backs of their comrades in front, the soldiers crowding together, their iron spears with red tassels extended outwards, the shafts pressed firmly against the ground. In the gaps that appeared were the positions of crossbowmen, and further back were the powerful archers, who drew their arrows amidst shouts.

However, this was only a small portion of the troops closer to the Qi army that were setting up defensive positions. Some of the Song soldiers who were further away were shouting as they moved towards another army, while others were defending themselves on the spot, and chaos ensued.

Behind them, Zhang Shuye gripped his riding whip and pointed it forward, roaring amidst the thunder of tens of thousands of hooves: "What are the left-wing troops doing? Order them to quickly deploy their formation! What are they dawdling about for!"

He then pulled over another guard: "Take a hundred cavalrymen and go around to the front. Order the vanguard to defend the position and not to return to reinforce, so as to avoid being taken advantage of by the main Qi cavalry!"

He then raised his whip and pointed forward: "Form ranks and advance to block the northern bandits' flank! Cavalry, prepare—"

The messengers in the army kept issuing orders, and the soldiers assembled.

On the plains, his gaze swept across the horse's back. Lü Bu slightly rose from Red Hare, his eyes scanning the distant banners. A glint flashed in his tiger-like eyes. He held his halberd high above his head, spun it three times, and then swung it to the side.

Waaah, waaah—

The horns of the army sounded rhythmically as the mighty army surged forward, trampling the ground as it approached the Song army's well-prepared ranks.

The violent shaking of his vision caused Song Jun in the front row to tense up.

"put--"

A roar came from within the formation.

Arrows rained down from the sky.

The dry, crisp air was filled with the whooshing sound of air being cut through.

Countless arrows rained down, and the warhorses turned and galloped. One arrow pierced the horse's rump and embedded itself in the ground where its hooves had just trod. Occasionally, there were screams of pain, and the deaths of men and horses were few and far between. More often, there were the thuds of arrows piercing the earth.

The opposing force of ten thousand men was arranged in layers, forming concentric circles. When the cavalry rained down arrows, many soldiers on the outer perimeter were wounded or killed.

The generals leading the troops roared and shouted orders to advance and reinforce the enemy. They had watched helplessly as the arrow rain fell without causing any damage to the Qi army, but now the enemy cavalry charging towards their flanks were being pulled away.

The warhorses galloped and turned, raising clouds of dust. Amidst the yellow earth, dark figures continued their charge. "Prepare your bows and arrows, quick!" had just been shouted from a Song general when a heavily armored cavalry unit, gleaming with metallic sheen, suddenly came into view.

More than 500 men, their warhorses linked by iron chains, were hidden behind the guards and wolf riders. As they slowly approached, they began to change their clothes before charging with the main force.

"Stay calm...stay calm!"

A trembling shout rang out from the crowd, the ground trembled violently, and the armored cavalry charging ahead increased their speed, the chains between the horses rattling as they crushed into the entire army formation.

The black armor was like an iron wall, and the air that rushed towards you seemed to carry a metallic chill, making your blood almost freeze.

At the front of the Song army, directly facing the armored cavalry, rows of soldiers behind large shields trembled, feeling as if the strength that had just been able to withstand the charge of warhorses had completely vanished, leaving them limp and weak.

Boom boom boom——

The galloping warhorses grew clearer, the patterns on their armor almost visible. Behind them, rows of spears extended like hedgehogs. Someone loosened their grip, turned, and opened their mouth wide, letting out a scream: "Help! Aaaaaahhhhhh—"

"I don't want to fight anymore!"

"Run!"

Half of the gunfire vanished in an instant, and the soldiers in red turned and fled, causing the army formation to begin to deform and scatter.

At a distance of five zhang, the chain-armored cavalry approached. The two lone riders at the head of the group were both burly, one wielding an iron spear and the other an iron club. They slowly raised them in front of them, gazing at the chaotic formation ahead. Behind the iron mask, Yao Gang grinned menacingly: "Running now... is truly courting death!"

The next instant, the spear pierced the shield, and the iron cavalry charged into the fray.

Snap——

The impact sounded like waves crashing against broken planks.

The horses' hooves tumbled and rolled, their massive bodies crashing through the wooden shields in front of them, trampling over the frantically struggling bodies. The high-speed charging armored riders turned men into mincemeat. Occasionally, an iron spear would pierce the armor with a creaking sound and a "crack," breaking off the armor. The body would then be pulled to the ground by the iron chains. As the rider got up, an iron spear would pierce through him, and he would die with a scream.

A series of agonizing cries erupted from the Song army's ranks. Shields twisted and shattered in the impact, and those who did not escape behind the shields disappeared under the trampling iron hooves.

Blood smeared the black iron armor, and the silently advancing armored cavalrymen would occasionally thrust out their spears, adding to the death toll.

"Charge in! Charge in! Kill!"

The chain-armored cavalry opened the breach, and the cavalry following behind the heavy cavalry cheered. Wanyan Loushi raised his long sword and pressed it forward, and the Jurchen cavalry howled as they followed him and charged through. Troops carrying the banners of "King" and "Shi" swarmed in through the breach.

……

The cavalry that had turned ahead pulled away to the north, and Lü Bu changed direction again with his halberd. The vanguard, composed of the Imperial Guards and the Wolf Riders, began to accelerate and charge toward the left flank of the former Song army to the west.

Warhorses thundered past, and flags were raised one after another in the Song army formation. Some flags represented bloody battles, some represented encounters with the enemy, and some were warnings to other troops to be careful. The sounds of war drums and horns rang out in chaos, and the hoarse voices of the messengers running around could almost penetrate the sound of the horses' hooves.

Lu Bu coldly watched the approaching army formation from his horse. He had noticed the chaotic banners when he stood up earlier, indicating that the army had not yet formed a defensive formation and was in disarray. He saw panicked faces on the other side and gently raised his halberd: "Follow me to break the formation!"

"kill--"

Arrows rained down from the cavalry ranks. With practiced ease, a second arrow was fired, followed by a longsword. With a shout, the soldier charged into the chaotic army formation with the fiery red figure in front.

With a swing of his halberd, the flashing cold light swept away the forest of spears that had appeared ahead. Red Hare crashed into the shield, shattering the wooden shield. As Red Hare flew through the air, Lü Bu casually flicked it to the side.

bang——

The figure, stunned and unable to flee, had its head smashed open, leaving a trail of red and white matter on the ground.

The guards, clad in fine armor, charged forward, slashing and hacking. Further on the flanks, Shi Bao and Wang Yin, leading their wolf riders, plunged into the formation like sharp swords, the stench of blood filling the air.

Amidst countless shouts and cries of battle, the cavalry rampaged through the enemy lines, completely disrupting the Song army's formation. Countless flags were raised and fell haphazardly, and those leading the charge relentlessly charged, beheading generals and seizing flags. Cries of agony and the urge to flee echoed across the plains.

Lu Bu, charging at the forefront, was in high spirits. He swung his halberd, cleaving the body of an unknown number of people in two. His tiger-like eyes were bloodshot, and his blood-stained face looked south: "Drive these sheep south!"

"Completely crush their ranks—"

The horn played rhythms of varying lengths amidst the voices.

Lu Bu swung his halberd down again, sending a man's head and half his body flying into the air. Blood, along with his internal organs, filled the eyes of countless people. The cavalry charged and slaughtered like a tide, carving out several pools of blood on the north and west sides of the crowd, constantly driving people southward.

Occasionally, officers with bloodshot eyes would try to rally the fleeing soldiers, but before they could gather a sufficient number, cavalrymen in black armor, led by fierce generals, would charge over, and more and more people would flee south.

Meanwhile, to the west, the speed of the chain-armored cavalry had slowed down, and the light cavalry that had charged into the formation behind them began to protect the heroes who had broken through the battle lines. Taking advantage of the chaos in which the Song army was unable to restore its battle formation, the fierce generals in the army drove their men to retreat.

The troops on the south side advanced in formation, the sounds of fighting and shouting reaching their ears, and falling flags and fleeing figures coming into view.

Zhang Shuye, mounted on his horse, shouted: "Halt! Defend the position! Tell the routed soldiers in front not to charge our own lines, but to escape from both sides!"

"Order the cavalry to turn back and prepare to attack the Qi army from the flank."

A messenger rushed forward to issue an order, and dozens of people shouted, "No charging..." The sound echoed across the front lines.

Zhang Shuye's eyes held a hint of sadness. The speed at which the more than 30,000 men in front of him were collapsing was astonishing. However, he still had to brace himself and not show any panic. He had to stabilize the morale of his troops.

The surrounding soldiers also assumed defensive stances, staring intently at the battlefield ahead, which was collapsing like a tide.

Sweat soaked the handle of the riding whip in his palms. Zhang Shuye gritted his teeth. He had seen the Qi army's cavalry before and knew some of their achievements in the former Liao Dynasty. However, he never expected to encounter such a troublesome opponent. The court did not provide him with warhorses, and now his army's cavalry was only a fraction of the enemy's.

The horse farms in the northwest of the capital region have likely fallen into the hands of the northern bandits.

I wonder how Fen'er and Xiong'er are doing ahead. I hope they don't turn back.

With the northern bandits here, will things be a little easier for Bianliang?

Various thoughts swirled in his mind, Zhang Shuye's eyes were bloodshot, and his hands tightened as he vented his emotions.

Having been stationed here for half a month and seen many troops from various places, I thought I could hold off these northern bandit cavalry for a while. But to my surprise, they broke through with a single charge. It was like a dream.

However, these are not the worst of all.

The capital is in chaos, the court's will to fight is wavering, and the emperor is constantly swaying between opposing sides. If he suffers another defeat, the pressure on Li Gang, who is defending the city, will be even greater, and the morale of the army may even worsen. If this leads to a breach in the defense of Bianliang...

Panic slowly crept into my heart, and cold sweat seeped down my back.

The thunder of hooves echoed as the chaotic crowd expanded, the sounds of slaughter and screams filling the air. Zhang Shuye shook his head slightly to clear his mind, then looked up at the dark mass of soldiers charging towards him and swallowed hard: "Prepare the bows and arrows..." (End of Chapter)