Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 206 Wudang Flying Army
Holding a serpent spear, Tian Jun unleashed a burst of blue light, and successively knocked three long-armed cavalrymen off their horses.

Her eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and through the thick fog, she focused precisely on Gao Yan, determined to take his head.

The government troops and knights, fearing Tian Jun's sharp edge, scattered like waves breaking apart.

Tian Jun's horse sensed its master's determination and suddenly galloped away, carrying Tian Jun over several large rocks and directly behind Gao Yan.

Gao Yan was hit in the leg by a crossbow bolt, the flesh of his thigh was pierced, and he lost all strength. He barely managed to hold his spear and fight Tian Jun for a few rounds, but he felt the pain spread to his arm and his hand went weak. He was about to be stabbed off his horse by Tian Jun.

Amidst the thick fog, a volley of arrows shot out.

Tian Jun spurred his horse and retreated hastily.

A middle-aged man with an iron face and a gray beard rode a tall horse and charged out with a heavy sword in his hand, protecting Gao Yan behind him.

It was none other than Tie Mole, the leader of Kunlun, who had previously served under Yan Shuai Zhen Ranyu and followed Wang Jian to intercept and kill the bandits south of the Dabie Mountains.

"The Kunlun Sword draws blood from the vast ocean, a thousand-mile march across the Yellow River!"

Temole's face was solemn as he uttered a long, powerful chant.

However, he was visibly missing a finger on his right hand, which had been cut off by Meng Kai's axe during the Battle of Dabie Mountain South.

"You old scoundrel, you only dare to put on airs like this when Meng Juehai isn't here!" Tian Jun spat.

As the leader of a major sect, Tie Mole's skill was far superior to that of a young man like Tian Jun, but his horsemanship was mediocre.

If it were only Tie Mole alone, Tian Jun would not be afraid at all.

But the presence of Temole here means that the elite Uyghur warriors he recruited at great expense have also come along.

In the thick fog, facing these skilled nomadic cavalrymen, relying solely on brute force to charge forward would not yield any good results.

Seeing that Dong Hou and Ge Congzhou had also arrived with their knights, Tian Jun whistled, signaling the riders to follow her back down the slope.

Upon seeing Tian Jun return, Zhu Zhen said with delight, "General Tian was quite astute this time. The enemy is likely lying in ambush deep in the fog..."

The impression that Tian Jun was a reckless and foolish person was deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Although Zhu Zhen was praising her, she was actually implying that Tian Jun had been impulsive and reckless in the past.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Zhen felt it was a bit inappropriate. General Tian might become Zhu Wen's wife in the future, and it wouldn't be good to let her get too attached to it.

But the words have already been spoken, and there's no way to back them up now.

Fortunately, Tian Jun remained cheerful and didn't notice Zhu Zhen's offense at all.

"That little thief Gao Yan was wounded and demoralized by us right from the start. The government troops are practically delivering themselves to our doorstep; they're likely to suffer a crushing defeat with countless deaths!"

"Tian Jun said excitedly."

Zhu Zhen lowered her eyelids slightly: "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"The quality of our army cannot be broken by a single surprise attack by the enemy in the thick fog. In the thick fog, the enemy's various units will also be separated and fight independently."

“Gao Yan couldn’t have been unaware of this, but he still chose to launch a surprise attack during the unusually foggy season.”

Tian Jun asked, "Now that Gao Yan's cavalry charge at the front has failed, will his defeat affect the other units?"

Zhu Zhen nodded in agreement, thinking to himself that General Tian had indeed become much smarter since he joined the army.

"Gao Yan rushed to Lingnan with a small force. Most of the troops he used in this battle were undisciplined barbarians, so it was only natural that one of them would suffer a defeat."

"In the thick fog, each side fights its own battles, allowing the barbarian tribes to take advantage of their superior numbers. However, our army is surrounded by mountains on the left and rivers on the right, making our position narrow. If any part of our forces is overrun, the enemy will surely drive the defeated troops into the river, then break through the gap and expand their gains..."

Tian Jun's expression changed drastically: "Then shall we go and support the other troops?"

Zhu Zhen smiled wryly: "Does General Tian know which unit might be in a disadvantageous situation?"

Tian Jun was taken aback, only then realizing the immense advantage Gao Yan had gained from the surprise attack amidst the fog. The barbarian tribesmen were almost all lightly armed, many even shirtless. But it was precisely because of this that they were able to move swiftly and effortlessly up the hillside, as if walking on flat ground.

In dense fog, the rebel soldiers located at lower elevations dared not pursue the enemy if they were victorious, but if they were defeated, their entire battalion might be driven into the river.

When the vanguard of the rebel army successfully repelled Gao Yan's cavalry charge and wounded the enemy commander Gao Yan, the barbarian tribesmen in the middle ranks surged down the hillside like a tide.

They first hurled heavy javelins, then beat their chests and roared in fierce battle.

The shield-bearers of the grass army raised their shields in an orderly fashion to parry, and the javelins either missed or struck the shields.

Although the barbarian tribesmen were fierce and valiant, the soldiers of the Cao army didn't really take them seriously.

Because these barbarians were generally half a head shorter than the northern-dominated Grass Army.

Among the foreign tribes both inside and outside the Tang Dynasty, only the Bohai people in the dense forests of the Northeast could pose a great threat to organized Han Chinese armies with their ferocious charges.

The Bohai people lived by hunting, were skilled at killing bears and tigers, and were generally large-bodied. Even without much training, their physique was enough to unleash their ferocity. Sometimes, the Tang army was caught off guard and overwhelmed by the roaring Bohai people.

However, after engaging in battle, the grass army warriors who met the enemy quickly discovered that the fighting strength of this group of barbarians far exceeded their expectations.

Despite their apparent chaos, they were organized into small teams of ten, cooperating and covering for each other, and their fighting was quite methodical.

The babbling barbarian language spoken by the barbarians suddenly transformed into clear Chinese.

"The Five Flying Armies are unstoppable!"

The barbarians roared in unison, their battle aura surging and soaring into the sky.

Deep within the thick fog, Qian Liu gazed at the shaky, battered army formation, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

What Qian Liu found most appealing about Lei Shuaijun was his world-renowned Wudang Flying Army!
Upon hearing that he could command this army, Qian Liu had no more doubts about serving Gao Yan.

The Changwu Cavalry, with its hammer and the Wudang Flying Army, with its anvil, formed the foundation of Lei Shuai's invincible army.

This unit was named after the army of the same name from the Shu Han Dynasty. Its founder was Wei Gao, the military governor of Xichuan during the reign of Emperor Dezong, who was said to be the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.

To emulate Zhuge Liang, Wei Gao's Wudang Flying Army was also composed of elite warriors from various ethnic groups in Shu. They were not only able to form an impregnable formation to fight the enemy, but also had the ability to traverse mountains and valleys.

After Wei Gao's death, his trusted general Liu Pi plotted a rebellion in Shu, and Gao Chongwen, the grandfather of General Gao Pian, led an army to suppress the rebellion. The Wudang Flying Army refused to serve the traitor and pledged allegiance to Gao Chongwen.

The Wudang Flying Army under Gao Pian's command was a descendant of that army.

The Wudang Flying Army was not the private army of the Gao clan of Bohai and could not be directly inherited. However, its core officers all swore blood oaths of loyalty to Gao Chongwen. After Gao Pian rose to power, he gathered the descendants of these officers and, within a few years, recruited barbarians, allowing the Wudang Flying Army to reappear in the world.

Military strategy states: One person learns warfare, and ten become soldiers. Ten learn warfare, and a hundred become soldiers. A hundred learn warfare, and a thousand become soldiers. A thousand learn warfare, and ten thousand become soldiers. Ten thousand learn warfare, and an army is formed.

Qian Liu strengthened the fighting power of the barbarian tribes in eastern Guangdong using a similar principle.

He dispersed the Wudang Flying Army and used them as the core of the Manliao squads, which were based on family units, and taught them how to fight.

"To fight a tiger, you need brothers; to go into battle, you need fathers and sons." Each squad is made up of blood relatives, which serves as a bond to coordinate their actions. The elite soldiers inserted into the squad also play the role of the backbone and commander.

Using this training method, Qian Liu greatly enhanced the fighting strength of the barbarian tribes in a very short period of time.

Moreover, in such mountainous terrain, the small team's ability to attack the enemy like a swarm of bees is precisely what Qian Liu excels at.

Both were renowned infantry generals of the younger generation in the Tang Dynasty. Wang Jian, the commander of the Loyal Army, was skilled in forming battle formations. On the open plains, his square formations were as solid as iron. He could also lead his entire army in a charge with spears, making a thousand men as one, like a flood that swept away the enemy's ranks.

Qian Liu's tactics leaned more towards surprise attacks, ambushes, and skirmishes. While he wasn't known for his grand formations, they were better suited to the complex terrain of the south.

As the grass army's formation was repeatedly attacked by the barbarian infantry, it was like the vibration of a harp string.

Zhu Wen then realized that he had underestimated the power of Gao Yan and Qian Liu working together.

(End of this chapter)