I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1046 Unrivaled, Just Do It (4K5)

"Instead of putting out fires everywhere, we should first clench our fist and cripple the enemy's arm!"

This was Su Yao's strategy after learning of the Parthian army's three-pronged eastward expedition.

Now that he knew the enemy might have supernatural beings assisting them, he couldn't let his guard down and continue to slack off in the rear.

So, after getting a basic understanding of the enemy's situation, Su Yao temporarily set aside the north and south routes, leaving them to be held back by friendly forces, while focusing his attention directly on the central route where the enemy's strength was greatest.

Once the enemy's central route is breached, the Parthians' three-pronged attack will become a dangerous situation with their flanks suspended in mid-air, making it much easier to defeat them one by one.

So, in early December, as soon as the war broke out, Su Yao set off from Fulousha, galloping across the Khyber Pass and heading straight for Gaofu, the old capital of the Kushan Empire.

"Holy Lord, please think twice!"

The newly appointed governor, Palvas, was greatly alarmed upon hearing this:

"I heard that the Parthians have dispatched the renowned general Bahram to the central route, with an enemy force of 50,000, including 8,000 heavy cavalry—a true main force!"

Bahram was born into the Suren family, one of the seven great Parthian families. He was a distinguished military strategist and an expert in cavalry tactics. He had defeated the Roman legions several times in border conflicts and captured an eagle banner. He was known as the "Lion of Armenia".

On the other hand, the holy ruler in front of him had no more than three thousand soldiers and no more than two generals. After inquiring about the situation, he clamored about going north to intercept them, taking the initiative to attack, and defending against the enemy from the outside, which left him dumbfounded.

Su Yao laughed upon hearing this and patted Parvaz on the shoulder: "Governor, you are overthinking it. A mere fifty thousand men are nothing to worry about."

"Since you're worried, then give me all the light cavalry in the city. That will boost our prestige."

Parvaz, sweating profusely, said, "Your Majesty, Bahram is no ordinary man. His heavy cavalry, known as the 'Immortals,' are all clad in iron armor and are invincible in battle. Moreover, his military strategy is divine; he once defeated a Roman legion with a smaller force."

“The Roman legions?” Su Yao raised an eyebrow. “That’s perfect. Let me meet this ‘lion’.”

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Su Yao, Parvaz had no choice but to turn to Tipo, who was accompanying him: "Grand Preceptor, please quickly persuade the Holy Lord."

Tibo laughed heartily: "Governor, rest assured, the Holy Lord knows what he's doing."

That evening, Su Yao led another three thousand light cavalry out of the city and left Gaofu, galloping northward.

Before leaving, Parvaz was still muttering that if he was going to defend, why didn't he bring more infantry?

Three days later, Su Yao led his army to Balkh. This once important northern city of the Kushan Empire was now desolate, and the people in the city fled south in droves upon hearing that the Parthian army was coming.

"My Lord, a scout reports that Bahram's army has crossed the Amu Darya River and is only three days' journey from here," Zhang Liao hurriedly reported.

Su Yao stood on the city wall, gazing northwards, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Perfect timing. Issue the order for the entire army to rest and prepare to march out of the city tomorrow to meet the enemy."

Zhang Liao suggested, "Your Majesty, the enemy has 50,000 troops and is coming on strong, while our army is lightly armed and not easy to fight head-on. Should we defend the city first and wear them down?"

"The best defense is a good offense!"

Su Yao laughed heartily and pointed to the vast plains to the north:
"The terrain here is open, perfect for cavalry to roam. Don't they boast about their cavalry's prowess? Well, I'll go head-to-head with my cavalry and crush them in the very thing they're most proud of."

Two days later, in Bahram's army.

"What? You're saying the Han army has marched out of the city and formed ranks?"

General Bahram raised an eyebrow, put down the parchment map in his hand, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "How many people?"

The scout knelt on one knee and reported, "Approximately six thousand cavalry, apart from one thousand in red armor, the rest are light cavalry."

"Arrogant! A mere six thousand light cavalry dare to block my fifty thousand troops?"

As soon as the scout finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the tent.

"Those Qin people don't seem like they don't know how to fight. Could they be planning something to lure us deep into their territory?"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion when the scout suddenly hesitated before speaking again, saying, "Whether there's a trick or not, we don't know yet, but I've noticed that some people say the pattern on the red flag is the symbol of the Han Kingdom. The person who came might be that demon from the East."

"Oh? Their king himself went into battle?"

Bahram narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze becoming somewhat serious.

The scout said nervously, "Yes, General. I've heard that the Han Chinese have some strange methods. They once single-handedly captured the capital of the Kushans, and even Vasudeva died at their hands."

As soon as he finished speaking, the noise in the tent suddenly quieted down.

The reason is simple: the rumors about the Eastern Demon King OR Holy Lord have spread so far that even outsiders like them know about them.

Whether it was the Kushan nobles who came to them, the various caravans they encountered on the road, or the honest herdsmen they captured and questioned, they all mentioned the man's name without exception.

However, what's outrageous is that the stories circulating among different populations are completely different.

Some say he was a god descended from heaven, able to summon thunder; others say he was the incarnation of a demon, bloodthirsty by nature; still others say he was just lucky, taking advantage of the Kushan civil war; and some even say he was an evil succubus who seduced Princess Samira and murdered his own brother, and so on.
As a result, this person's image ranges from an all-powerful demon with three heads and six arms to a treacherous and cunning scoundrel with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks.

Regardless of the circumstances, all the rumors suggest that this person was indeed the commander-in-chief of the Han army.

"Hmph, whatever it is, my 50,000 troops will surely defeat it with force."

"If it is indeed the King of Han who has come in person, we can capture him in one battle and make an unparalleled contribution to His Majesty!"

The next morning, the two armies finally met on the plains north of Balkh.

Su Yao's six thousand cavalrymen stood in formation, their crimson banners bearing the character "Su" fluttering in the wind.

He himself sat high atop a giant elephant, clad in a red robe, holding the Wrath of Indra, standing at the front of the battle, his eyes blazing as he gazed at the Parthian army billowing in the distance.

"Your Highness, the enemy army has arrived, numbering approximately 50,000, of which at least 8,000 are heavy cavalry," Zhang Liao reported in a deep voice as he rode up.

Su Yao nodded slightly: "Very good, just what I wanted."

He turned to his soldiers behind him and proclaimed, "Today's battle is the first direct confrontation between our Great Han and Parthia. You, the sons of Han who have followed me on this westward expedition, now is the time to make your mark! Do you have the confidence to defeat the enemy with me?"

"I am willing to follow the General to defeat the enemy!"

"Your Highness is mighty!"

"Long live the Holy Lord!"

The three thousand Han cavalrymen erupted in an astonishing roar, and the rest of the Kushan cavalrymen immediately joined in the commotion, creating a deafening sound that shook the heavens.

"Is that the legendary King of Han?" Bahram squinted.

The lieutenant nodded: "That should be right. The scout said that the red robe was his mark, and he was riding such a big elephant, so it couldn't be anyone else."

Bahram sneered, "Fine! Since he's come to his death, let's grant him his wish. Let him know that my Parthian Iron Army is not a coward like the Kushans."

At Bahram's command, the Parthian army began its slow advance. Eight thousand heavy cavalry were in the center, flanked by ten thousand light cavalry on each side, with twenty thousand infantry bringing up the rear. The entire formation resembled a soaring eagle, its imposing presence awe-inspiring.

"Good, they do have some strategy."

Faced with such a display of force, the Han army remained surprisingly quiet, and even Su Yao, sitting atop an elephant, had the leisure to offer his comments.

"Look, they have a lot of people and they don't seem to be holding back at all."

"The central army first deployed 8,000 heavy cavalry, which was intended to crush our main force in one fell swoop."

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit—you must never forget this when you lead your own troops in the future."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Seeing his brother-in-law's nonchalant demeanor, Yufuluo hurriedly said, "My goodness, General, they've already attacked! What should we do?"

"Should we send our light cavalry to harass them first, or..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Yao chuckled:
"Of course, we should just charge in with you and fucking fucking kill them!"

Forget all that, I'm going all out, I'll just go straight for F2A and be done with it.

Having said that, Su Yao raised the golden Indra's Wrath in his hand and shouted:
"Charge the entire army!"

"Follow me and kill!"

"Kill!!!" With Su Yao's command, six thousand cavalrymen charged towards the Parthian army like arrows released from a bow. Su Yao, at the forefront, spurred his giant elephant, leading the charge straight into the enemy ranks.

"They're insane! They're insane!" Bahram's lieutenant exclaimed, his eyes wide. "A mere six thousand cavalry dares to charge our main force head-on?!"

"Are they here to die?!"

Bahram instinctively sensed something was wrong.

Despite having ten times the troop strength, they dared to charge like this; they weren't some unarmored rebellious slaves.

Either the other person is insane and looking for death, or they have extreme confidence.

"Pass down the order: launch a full-scale attack on the Han King riding on the elephant."

"Whoever is the first to capture and kill him will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold and ten thousand tents!"

Bahram decided to remain unchanged and concentrate his superior forces to take down the enemy's commander who was leading the charge.

However, what happened next left all the Parthian soldiers speechless.
Before Su Yao's war elephants could reach the Parthian army's formation, he raised the golden pestle in his hand, which suddenly emitted a dazzling light.

"Thunderbolt—A Mighty Force!"

A dazzling white light flashed from the golden pestle, moving like a dragon as it pierced straight at the vanguard of the Parthian army.

"what?!"

"Yeah!"

"lightning?!!!"

Amidst a series of crackling sounds, the Parthian heavy cavalrymen in the charge cried out in agony.

Especially the first ten or so riders who charged ahead didn't even have time to react before they were killed by the electric shock.

Their prized armor became an excellent conductor, instantly electrocuting them until they convulsed, foamed at the mouth, and collapsed to the ground dead along with their warhorses.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Bahram's eyes widened; he never expected to actually see the legendary thunder.

The lieutenant's teeth chattered, and he stammered, "Could it be... could it really be their so-called celestial being descended to earth??"

This supernatural power appeared directly before their eyes, instantly shaking the morale of the Parthian army.

Su Yao did not let this opportunity slip by.

After unleashing the lightning, he didn't waste his stored energy. He leaped from his war elephant and charged into the enemy ranks.

Compared to the flashy long-range electric shocks, these bone-crushing blows are the truly terrifying killing power.

DUANG!

Su Yao swung his sword down from mid-air, Indra's Wrath crackling with lightning, and the blow slammed into the enemy's arrowhead formation.

Just a second ago, Su Yao could clearly see the panicked faces of the cavalrymen beneath him.

The next second, with a deafening roar, Su Yao's golden pestle crashed to the ground like a meteorite. Five or six Parthian heavy cavalrymen in a cone-shaped area in front of him were smashed to pieces along with their horses. The shockwave caused a blast of air that knocked over a group of cavalrymen who followed, and their formation was instantly thrown into chaos.

"A demon! What kind of demon is this?!"

The surviving Parthian knights screamed in terror, gripping the reins tightly amidst the neighing of their horses, and tried to flee by a sudden stop.

"Die, you piece of trash!"

Swah——

Upon landing, Su Yao immediately swept his weapon horizontally, the golden pestle drawing a dazzling arc of light, striking the waist of more than ten riders in a fan-shaped area in front of him.

With this attack, the heavy cavalry's armor was twisted and shattered like paper, resulting in a scene of flying blood and flesh.

Next, Su Yao moved forward as if he were in an empty field, striding forward, each strike sending a group of people flying and shattering.

The people in front of me have all gone mad.

The people behind them were also dumbfounded.

Although they weren't fortunate enough to witness the sheer power of each attack like the vanguard knights, they could still see from a distance that wave after wave of people, horse and all, were being sent flying into the air, then flying back, screaming and howling incessantly.

This shock brought their morale to the brink of collapse in the blink of an eye.

However, what's even more frightening is that this is just the beginning.

Following closely behind Su Yao, the second wave that arrived was not even the iron cavalry of the Han Dynasty, but the war elephants he rode.

Baruch the Elephant King, the mount that Su Yao tamed through his beast-taming skills, has a subtle spiritual connection with him. They can communicate to a certain extent without speaking.

Even though Su Yao wasn't riding on its back, the heavily armored elephant king charged forward with its trunk sticking out, rampaging through the Parthian army's ranks.

Baruch let out a deafening neigh, its six-ton ​​body crushing into the enemy ranks like a chariot. The Parthian heavy cavalry, which was so proud of itself, were like toys before it—its iron armor was pierced by ivory, its warhorses were trampled by its hooves, and a single charge plowed a bloody path thirty paces in its wake.

With each swing of his long nose, Baruch would lift up a cavalryman, then sweep across half a circle like a hammer, smashing over a group of warhorses.

Su Yao and Baruch, one human and one beast, became the most terrifying reaping machines on the battlefield.

Every time they made a move, they caused terrifying area-of-effect damage.

That's the charm of area-of-effect attacks.

With their breakthrough, Su Yao's Red Cloud Cavalry's subsequent incursion was as smooth as flowing water.

This personal guard of knights, who grew up alongside Su Yao on the battlefields of the Central Plains, were all clad in armor, riding white horses and wearing red robes, like a crimson cloud spreading out.

The Parthian cavalry was rapidly crumbling under this relentless onslaught.
"Fire arrows! Fire arrows now!"

In the tension, even the famous general Bahram's roar changed tone.

On both flanks, the Parthian horse archers finally rushed to their aid, but the rain of arrows either failed to penetrate the aura surrounding Su Yao or only managed to create scattered sparks on the armor of the cavalry and war elephants.

This volley of arrows caused far more damage to our own side than it posed a threat.

"Zhang Wenyuan has arrived!"

At the same moment, Zhang Liao's wolf cavalry also cut into the flank at just the right time.

Amidst the cold glint of the spears thrusting forward, the Parthian light cavalry that had been closing in to harass them fell like waves of wheat, utterly no match for these Bingzhou wolf cavalry.

Immediately afterward, Yufuluo arrived, blowing his bone whistle. His Xiongnu riders followed the Red Cloud Cavalry in their attack, throwing out lassos to trip the horses' legs—the Parthian heavy cavalry, having lost speed, instantly became sitting ducks.

"Hold your ground! Use your spears, form a battle line!"

A centurion's order came to an abrupt halt. Su Yao's golden pestle cleaved down from above his head, the shockwave causing several of his personal guards to bleed from their seven orifices, instantly extinguishing the enemy's struggle.

The Parthian army's central force finally collapsed. Under the overwhelming pressure and unstoppable offensive, the surviving cavalry turned tail and fled, disrupting their own infantry formation.

Bahram watched helplessly as his own banners fell one by one in the chaos of battle, and finally understood those terrible rumors—this red-robed devil should never exist on the battlefield!
"Withdraw! Withdraw immediately!"

"The whole army retreats!"

Bahram flicked his sleeves and decided to leave first.

The commander's flag flying rapidly away from the battlefield was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Seeing that their own commander had run away, the main force of the central cavalry, the light cavalry roaming and harassing on both flanks, and even the infantry supporting from the rear, all fled in a panic, taking off as fast as they could.

On the vast plains, the Parthian army collapsed like a tidal wave, abandoning their armor and fleeing in disarray, instantly entering the chase phase that Su Yao loved most.

"Chase!"

"Leave no scraps of armor behind!"

(End of this chapter)