I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1044 Iron Cavalry VS Divine Beast
Three days later, on the south bank of the Amu Darya River, the Han army troops...

Ma Chao, Yan Xing, Zhao Yun, and others were marching in high spirits when a scout suddenly rushed in with news:
"Report——"

“Enemy troops were spotted forty miles to the south, seemingly bearing the banner of the Parthian king.”

"What?! It's actually Wang Qi?!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's eyes gleamed: "Excellent! I was just worried about not finding a big fish, and the King of Parthia has personally delivered himself to our doorstep!"

After saying this, Ma Chao wanted to personally lead his men to be the vanguard, to kill enemy generals and seize flags, and to make new contributions.

Yan Xing grabbed his arm: "Meng Qi, wait a minute, this matter is strange. How could the King of Parthia, who is so noble, so easily leave the royal court and take such a dangerous trip? There must be a trap."

After saying that, he turned to the scout and asked, "Can the scout determine the number of enemy troops? Are there any terrain features suitable for setting up an ambush?"

The scout clasped his hands and said, "There are about 20,000 men, all cavalry. The surrounding area is all plains, and we have not found any ambushes."

This is a characteristic of the Turan Plain region in Central Asia.

The Turan Plain is a vast land encompassing the Transoxiana region, the Khwarezmian region, and the northeastern plain of the Persian Khorasan region. Also known as the Turan Lowland, it extends from the Kazakh Hills in the north to the Tian Shan Mountains and the Pamir Plateau in the east, reaches the Kopet Dag Mountains in the northern part of the Iranian Plateau in the south, and borders the Caspian Sea in the west.

In Persian, Turan is the Persian name for Central Asia.

Just as the Mongolian Plateau gave rise to the Central Plains of China, this land northeast of Persia also gave birth to countless nomadic regimes on the steppes, which wave after wave attacked the defenses of the ancient Persian Empire.

Even the Parthian Empire itself originated in this land and was established by overthrowing the Seleucid dynasty, the successor to Alexander the Great.

This is a world of swords and horses, a battlefield where cavalry gallop freely.

"Will the King of Parthia personally lead only 20,000 cavalry?"

"After we just wiped out 30,000 of their men?"

Yan Xing didn't believe it: "Could it be a trap to lure the enemy, just like last time?"

"That's certainly possible."

Zhao Yun nodded in agreement and said, "Do you all remember that the General wrote to us before, warning us to be wary of the Parthian griffins, saying that these beasts are extremely ferocious, capable of soaring through the sky and diving into the earth, and are not something ordinary people can defeat?"

"After his crushing defeat, King Parthia suddenly appeared, and he may bring this beast to seek revenge."

"He's nothing but a beast."

Ma Chao's face darkened, and he paused after speaking:
"No matter what, we have no reason to back down when the enemy is fighting us."

“If you two generals are worried, I, Ma, will lead the vanguard. You can stay in the main camp to support me.”

Zhao Yun and Yan Xing exchanged a glance, knowing that Ma Chao's words made sense, and seeing his eagerness to make a contribution, they stopped trying to stop him.

Zhao Yun instructed, "Mengqi, be careful. If you encounter that griffin, do not linger in battle; retreat immediately."

Ma Chao laughed loudly: "These mere beasts are nothing to speak of!" After saying this, he led three thousand Xiliang cavalrymen straight towards the enemy camp.

Halfway there, they suddenly saw billowing dust ahead, and a troop of black-armored cavalry pressed in like a dark cloud. At the head of the troop was a black flag with gold trim fluttering in the wind, and beneath it stood a man clad in a purple-gold battle robe and wearing an eagle-winged crown—Vorocacis V, King of Parthia.

"The King of Parthia is here! Han generals, dismount immediately and surrender!" a general in the Parthian army shouted.

The man spoke Sogdian, which Ma Chao happened to understand a little of. He immediately sneered and pointed his silver spear straight at the enemy formation:

"You barbarian clown, how dare you call yourself a king? Today I will take your head!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Chao led his troops into battle.

Although there were only three thousand riders, they possessed an indomitable spirit, as if they would go against a million men.

Upon seeing this, the Parthian king immediately waved his hand, and his eight thousand elite cavalrymen charged out.

Of these 8,000 cavalry, 3,000 were Parthian heavy cavalry, and the other 5,000 were Parthian light archer cavalry.

They deployed their heavy cavalry in the center and their light cavalry on the flanks, forming an inverted triangular formation to meet the enemy.

Without a doubt, the Parthian cavalry were highly skilled.

The harassment by light cavalry on both flanks and the coordination of heavy cavalry in the center made them invincible on the battlefield in the past. No cavalry could match them. Even the Roman legions in the west had to rely on tortoise formations and phalanxes to counter their cavalry charges.

But now, they are facing the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, which has been strengthened by Su Yao!
Ma Chao led the charge, his three thousand iron cavalry piercing the enemy ranks like a sharp blade. The light cavalry on both flanks rained down arrows, but they could not penetrate the Xiliang army's iron armor and round shields. However, when the heavy cavalry in the center clashed with the Xiliang army, the difference in equipment immediately became apparent.

"kill!"

Ma Chao's silver spear moved like a dragon, and wherever he went, enemy cavalrymen fell from their horses.

The Xiliang army, with the stability of the stirrups, moved with ease on horseback, thrusting with spears and slashing with ring-pommel swords, each move deadly.

While the Parthian heavy cavalry were brave, their equipment was far inferior to that of the Han army.

Their armor was not as sturdy as the Han army's, their swords were not as sharp, and even their proud horsemanship was rendered insignificant by the Han army's stirrups.

"No!"

"asshole!"

"This is impossible!"

The Parthian cavalrymen cried out in alarm and fell from their horses one by one.

In just one charge, the Han army achieved an exchange ratio of more than five to one.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

The Parthian cavalry were terrified and turned their horses to flee. Ma Chao, seeing this, was overjoyed and brandished his spear:
"Chase him! Capture the Parthian King alive!"

"Sound the bugle and order the rear guard to attack!"

The Xiliang Iron Knights, full of vigor, pursued relentlessly.

This battle was won decisively. Now all we need to do is chase the enemy back to their own lines, and then we can enter the enjoyable pursuit phase.

This is the devastating impact of cavalry. However...
"Roar--!!!"

A deafening roar came from behind the Parthian army, so powerful that the ground trembled slightly. Ma Chao's warhorse was startled and reared up, nearly throwing him off.

"What is that?!" Ma Chao reined in his horse, looking towards the source of the sound with surprise and uncertainty.

Suddenly, a passage parted in the Parthian army formation, and a colossal creature slowly emerged. The monster had the head and wings of an eagle, the body and claws of a lion, and its entire body was covered in golden feathers that shimmered in the sunlight.

"A griffin?!" Ma Chao gasped. "Seriously, such a thing exists?!"

The griffin was over two zhang tall, with a wingspan exceeding five zhang, and its sharp, eagle-like eyes were fixed on Ma Chao.

It opened its huge beak, let out a piercing shriek, and then flapped its wings and took off, rushing straight at Ma Chao!

"Protect the general!" The guards rushed forward, but were swatted away by the griffin's claw. The powerful blow turned all three of them, along with their horses, into a blurry mass of flesh and blood.

"What kind of monster is this?!"

Seeing his personal guards fall in battle, Ma Chao's blood boiled, he gritted his teeth, raised his spear, and charged into battle. His silver spear flashed like lightning, piercing straight into the griffin's throat.

As a result, the beast nimbly dodged to the side and slapped Ma Chao's head with its claw.

"what?!"

"clang--!"

At the critical moment, Ma Chao parried with his spear, the clang of metal against metal deafening. He felt his arms go numb, his tiger's mouth split open, and then the silver spear snapped in two before his eyes.

"Damn it!"

Ma Chao was terrified. He hadn't expected that this beast could have such power without needing to gather strength. He quickly spread his hands, kicked off with his legs, and scrambled to dodge.

"it is good!"

"Kill them!"

"The sacred beast is mighty!"

The Parthian army, which had been filled with anxiety, suddenly erupted into a thunderous roar.

The griffin, having gained the upper hand, flapped its giant wings, creating a sudden gust of wind that sent sand and stones flying, blinding the Xiliang army.

Then, it took the opportunity to leap into the air, and then swooped down, its sharp claws carrying unparalleled force straight for Ma Chao's head!

"No!"

"General, be careful!"

Another guard rushed forward without regard for his own safety, using his body to shield Ma Chao.

With a "thud," the guard's armor was pierced through the chest by sharp claws, and blood gushed out. The griffin threw aside the corpse and charged at Ma Chao again.

"grass!"

"Retreat! The entire army retreats!"

Knowing he was outmatched, Ma Chao decisively ordered his men to mount their horses and flee.

Behind him, several more guards fought desperately, paying a bloody price.

Thus, the Xiliang army abandoned over a hundred corpses and retreated in panic. The griffins pursued indiscriminately, tearing and attacking those nearby, each swoop taking several lives.

The casualties continued to mount, and what was even more alarming was that the Parthian army was about to complete its reorganization, and their cavalry began to attack again, preparing to coordinate with the griffins' charge.

"asshole!"

Ma Chao's eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't expected the situation to reverse so quickly; he was about to lead his men to storm his own camp.

If that monster were to lead the enemy cavalry into our camp, then defeat in this battle would be inevitable.

Just as casualties were mounting and the rout seemed irreversible, suddenly—

Whoosh whoosh!Whoosh whoosh!
A dense rain of arrows came from the side, most of which were deflected by the griffin's feathers, but a few still hit its wings.

"Roar!"

Finally, for the first time, the Han soldiers saw the griffin show a pained expression.

It turns out that beneath its steel-like feathers, there are still weaknesses that cause it pain.

"General Zilong?!" Ma Chao looked toward the source of the arrow with surprise.

Zhao Yun led several thousand nomadic cavalrymen out from the flank, unleashing a hail of arrows.

These nomadic riders were highly skilled archers, specializing in shooting at the griffin's vulnerable points such as the wing joints and eyes.

"Mengqi, run!" Zhao Yun shouted. "I'll cover the rear!"

Faced with a barrage of thousands of arrows, the griffin flapped its wings a few times, creating gusts of wind, before taking to the air.

"A good opportunity!" Upon seeing this, Yan Xing immediately led another cavalry unit to flank from the other side and pounce on the Parthian army that was following closely behind.

Griffins circled in the sky, while Parthian and Han troops clashed on the ground.

The battlefield situation has reversed once again.

Although the griffin was fierce, its offensive was temporarily halted by Zhao Yun's tight defense tactics. It could only pounce a few times from time to time before being driven away by the rain of arrows.

However, these few leaps caused countless casualties. Moreover, when it went berserk, the raging winds and flames it spewed caused terrible trouble for the Han army.

"Retreat! Alternate cover!"

Seeing that casualties were mounting and his own forces were in danger of collapsing, Zhao Yun quickly ordered the army to retreat.

(End of this chapter)