The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 594 Huang Zhong's Divine Archery
Zhang He then launched several fierce attacks, attempting to find weak points in the foothills to outflank them. However, Kebineng was clearly prepared for this, and all possible climbing routes were blocked or defended. The Tang army's offensive was like waves crashing against rocks; though fierce, the rocks remained unmoved.

After days of fierce fighting, the area in front of Baidao Pass was piled high with corpses, inevitably affecting the morale of the Tang army. The Xianbei army, relying on their advantageous terrain, grew more confident as they held their ground, and even began to provoke and incite unrest on the front lines.

Just as the stalemate was at its peak and a sense of unease was rising within the army, suddenly, drums and horns sounded from the direction of the central army, banners fluttered, and a massive ceremonial guard and elite imperial troops appeared on the high ground at the front, protecting the Holy Martial Emperor Qin Shou, who was clad in golden armor.

"Long live your Majesty!"

"The Holy Martial Emperor has personally arrived!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the army. The Tang soldiers, initially weary from the prolonged siege, erupted in a thunderous roar of cheers. The emperor's presence at the front lines signified unparalleled glory and a determination to fight to the death!
The soldiers' eyes burned with renewed fervor, their hearts blazing with battle lust. His Majesty was watching them; this battle could only be won, not lost!
Qin Shou stood beneath his banner, gazing calmly at the Baidao Pass, which resembled the jaws of a giant beast. He did not rush to issue new orders, but merely nodded slightly to the messenger standing beside him.

Soon, shouts of "Your Majesty is with the soldiers" and "Defeat the enemy today!" resounded across the battlefield, boosting the morale of the Tang army to its peak.

Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Zhang He, and other generals felt the overwhelming fighting spirit behind them, and their hearts were filled with pride.

Huang Zhong took a deep breath, knowing he had to break the deadlock. His eyes flashed like lightning as he stared intently at the wolf-headed banner fluttering high behind the Xianbei army formation, a banner representing Kebineng's royal authority and command of the central army.

That flag marked the command center of the Xianbei army and was a symbol of their morale.

"Bring me my bow!" Huang Zhong shouted in a deep voice.

His personal guards immediately brought over a huge iron bow. The bow was dark, gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster, and the bowstring was made of specially crafted ox sinew mixed with gold wire, requiring a force of a thousand pounds to draw. This was Huang Zhong's famous bow, named "Piercing Clouds".

The old general rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular, rock-solid arms. He slowly drew a specially made armor-piercing arrow and nocked it.

At that moment, the noisy battlefield seemed to fall silent instantly, and everyone's attention was unconsciously drawn to the old general with his hair and beard standing tall and imposing.

Huang Zhong took a deep breath, exerted force in his waist and abdomen, strained his arms, and exhaled loudly.

"open!"

The immensely powerful bow, which required several strong men to barely draw, was slowly pulled to its full length in his hands! The bowstring emitted a teeth-grinding "creak" due to the enormous force it was bearing.

The old general's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the wolf-head banner swaying in the wind about three hundred paces away.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The next moment, a dull bang was heard, like a thunderclap!

The armor-piercing arrow transformed into a black line almost invisible to the naked eye, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, traversing a long distance at an incredible speed, heading straight for its target!

With a crisp "snap," the arrow, imbued with Huang Zhong's lifelong skill, struck precisely at the top of the flagpole where the wolf-head banner was hanging!
The flagpole cracked with a snap, but did not fall immediately. The wolf-head banner, a symbol of Kebineng's authority, swayed violently in the air, causing a stir among the Xianbei troops.

"not enough!"

Huang Zhong's eyes were piercing, and his hair and beard stood on end. Without hesitation, he drew an arrow again and nocked it, his movements fluid and graceful, as if he were one with the bow in his hand.

"Open again!"

The second armor-piercing arrow flew from the bow, this time aiming straight for the middle of the flagpole. The arrow, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, embedded itself deeply into the wooden flagpole with a dull thud. A clear crack appeared where the flagpole had broken in the middle, and the angle of the banner's tilt became even more pronounced. Exclamations arose from the Xianbei ranks, and Kebineng's central army began to stir. Some generals hurriedly ordered their soldiers to move forward and stabilize the flagpole, but it was too late.

"Third arrow, cut!"

Huang Zhong's voice boomed like a bell, and the third arrow shot out like a meteor. He adjusted the angle of this arrow, aiming straight for the weakest point of the flagpole's break.

"boom--"

Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of people, the towering wolf-head banner, along with its thick flagpole, snapped in two and collapsed with a deafening roar, raising a cloud of dust.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still.

Immediately, a deafening cheer erupted from the Tang army ranks!
"The banner has fallen! Kebineng's banner has fallen!"

"General Huang is a master archer!"

"May Heaven bless the Great Tang!"

Conversely, the Xianbei army was thrown into panic and chaos.

In the era of cold weapons, the central military banner was not only the command center but also a symbol of the entire army's morale. The fall of the banner meant the commander-in-chief was in grave danger, and the gods were no longer protecting him!
The Xianbei garrison, which had been on high alert, was now in complete disarray. Many soldiers looked back in terror, unable to believe their eyes; some began searching for Kebineng, fearing their commander had met with misfortune; and some even began to quietly retreat, preparing to flee for their lives.

"The banner has fallen, and the enemy army is in chaos!" Xu Huang seized the opportunity, raised his long axe, and roared.

"Soldiers, follow me and charge!"

Zhang He, who had been closely observing the enemy's movements, had a glint in his eyes! He was waiting for the moment when the enemy's mind would be distracted and their command would fail!

"Left-wing elites, follow me!"

Zhang He roared, having prepared for a long time. He personally led 1,500 elite infantrymen, who were most skilled in mountain warfare, like tigers released from their cages. Instead of charging from the front, they suddenly pounced on the foothills on the left side of Baidao Pass, which was considered relatively steep and had weaker defenses.

These elite warriors, clad in light armor and carrying short blades, used both hands and feet to climb upwards like agile monkeys, struggling to ascend along the crevices of rocks and bushes.

The Xianbei defenders were still stunned by the broken royal flag and Huang Zhong's amazing arrow, and their reaction was a beat slow. By the time they discovered this outflanking force, Zhang He had already led dozens of vanguard men to leap up to the mountainside position without fear of death!

The Tang army, with its morale soaring, launched a general offensive against Baidao Pass like a flood bursting its banks. Meanwhile, the Xianbei army's morale collapsed after their banner fell, and cracks began to appear in their defenses.

Qin Shou, who was watching the battle from a high vantage point, nodded slightly and said to Xun You beside him.

"Han Sheng's three arrows can be worth ten thousand soldiers. He should be credited with the greatest merit after this battle."

At this moment, Kebineng, who was inside Baidao Pass, managed to dodge the arrows in time and was not injured. However, after witnessing the fall of the banner and hearing the deafening shouts of the Tang army and the chaos of his own troops, he knew that the situation was hopeless. He could only sigh and say, "Heaven is not on my side!" and ordered a retreat.

(End of this chapter)