Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 71 A Warrior's Body is Like an Arrow

One ship after another shot out from the sandbar in the middle of the river like arrows, and the tall awnings were lifted up, revealing the soldiers and horses hidden inside.

The knights quickly armored their horses and rode ashore via a wide plank. They all wore bright iron armor, while their mounts wore dark blue iron armor. Their heads were covered with veils, leaving only their eyes and noses visible.

The knights stepped into the mud and went into battle, their armor rang in the air, their momentum was majestic, like soldiers from heaven descending to the mortal world.

The leading cavalry general was dressed differently from everyone else. He rode a white horse and had a silver spear, and his horse armor was also frosty white. From a distance, he looked like Zhao Zilong of Changshan reborn.

"A warrior's body is like an arrow, shot only by men. We must either defeat the enemy or die."

The cavalry commander's voice was cold, yet it froze the entire force as if frozen into a single entity. A hundred knights, two by two, formed a vanguard formation, galloping across the plain like a giant spear.

When Shang Rang saw the cavalry landing from the lookout car, he was shocked, but it was too late to make any effective deployment.

Qin Yan, Cao Shixiong, Chai Cun and other cavalry generals have all bravely charged into the enemy formation and stopped the Shatuo cavalry from intercepting and killing them. They cooperated with the two wings of the Cao army and fought desperately. With their manly courage and passion, they forcibly prevented the two wings of the government army from encircling them inward.

Only when the arrows were needed did they regret not having enough, but the arrows led by General Yan were just as numerous and were constantly shot down like dark clouds covering the sky.

This was not only because General Yan attached great importance to baggage and used horse-drawn carriages to carry arrows, but also because the training of Zhen Ranyu's own troops was in accordance with the "bow and spear in one" method established by Wei Gong Li Jing.

Both "Taibai Yinjing" and "Weigong Bingfa" record that the Tang army was equipped with ten bows and ten spears, which was also the theoretical requirement in the Tang Dynasty's military drill manual.

Bow and lance units are excellent archers at range, creating a dense web of fire that can severely hinder enemy lightly armored and even heavily armored units. In close combat, they can use their lances to form a phalanx to defend against cavalry charges or charge enemy infantry phalanxes, making them truly versatile on the battlefield.

However, after the An-Shi Rebellion, the training of the government army declined, and only a few units could meet this requirement. However, no matter where the Flame Commander Zhen Ranyu led his troops, "bow and spear integration" was a hard and fast standard that he had to meet when managing his direct troops!
Such a sharp brigade's firepower was undoubtedly formidable, including the Shatuo cavalry under Li Fu, the governor of Shannan East Road, who were also excellent archers.

Faced with such a powerful army, the Grass Army Knights were still able to fight with high morale and risk their lives. The bravery and performance of these heroes were beyond reproach.

But when the white-robed cavalry general led a hundred cavalrymen and came roaring, Shang Rang and others only felt a pressure like a tidal wave, and it was like a thousand-year-old glacier collapsing, and the shattered jades surged into the sky, swallowing up everything.

That is the kind of oppressive force that only a peerless cavalry general can possess.

Shang Rang didn't know this person, but he realized that there was no suspense in this battle anymore.

After the circle formation was disbanded, the troops left in the center had become quite weak. Most of them were troops with weaker combat capabilities, and there were even families surrounded by carriages.

Shang Rang tried his best to command the soldiers who could still be mobilized to form several square formations and use shield walls to fight the enemy.

But in the face of the destructive charge of the armored cavalry, the fragile formation was cut back and forth by them several times and was completely pierced through, disintegrating like ice and snow burned by the scorching sun.

Amidst the roaring cries, this cavalry unit left behind corpses all over the ground and galloped towards the rear of Wang Xianzhi's troops who were engaged in a fierce battle.

They had no interest in fighting over trophies, but each warhorse had at least two bloody heads hanging from its back.

This brave style made them feel more and more the pleasure of fighting and killing.

After Jean discovered that all his available reserves had been ruthlessly crushed by the enemy, he had no choice but to ride away on a strong horse in the chaos.

The watchtower car where he was originally located had been set on fire by the enemy cavalry and was engulfed in flames.

If Shang Rang had not escaped, he would have either been beheaded on the spot by the enemy with his head hung on the back of his horse, or he would have been held captive alive.

At this moment, Shang Rang was heartbroken, and felt that his grand ambitions had disappeared like a dream.

But he still glanced at the shadow not far away from the corner of his eye.

This woman was his fiancée in name only, but his ally in reality.

Fortunately, Chaoying had also found a horse and galloped over, with no one chasing him.

He was still thinking about women at this moment, obviously he was still young and didn't want to die. Shang Rang thought to himself with self-mockery, knowing that it had come to this point. Even if he could survive, after the disastrous defeat, the engagement would most likely become a piece of waste paper.

But at the critical moment of life and death, I still uselessly remembered these things.

Shang Rang galloped on his horse. To the north were the layers of Dabie Mountains. He knew that General Yan would definitely set up an ambush to intercept him, but in that direction, there was at least a glimmer of hope for survival.

There were cries of crumbling hills and mountains coming from the front line. Needless to say, the main force of the Cao army had completely collapsed under the attack from all sides.

Shang Rang suddenly saw a familiar figure running towards him.

"Brother!" Shang Rang shouted loudly.

Shang Junchang came galloping on horseback, covered in blood. His warhorse had been hit by at least a dozen arrows. When he was fifty steps away from Shang Rang, he finally fell to the ground with a wail and could not get up again.

Shang Junchang's ribs were also pierced by a long spear.

"Second brother, Master ordered you to lead our remaining forces and retreat immediately," said Shang Junchang, looking eastward. To the east, Vice Alliance Leader Liu Yanzhang's army had been crushed by the assault led by Inspector Zang. He could vaguely discern several figures, each ten feet taller than himself. It seemed the Yu Shi Sect had mobilized those legendary earthly immortals.

"What about you? What about the master himself?" Shang Rang asked.

"Look, I've been fatally wounded." Shang Junchang looked nonchalant, his palm stroking the handle of the spear that pierced his body.

"Master said that we should keep as many young men alive as possible and go find Marshal Huang. Marshal Huang's mastery of military tactics, combined with Zhu Wen's wisdom, is enough to avenge us."

"Don't misunderstand, second brother. I'm talking about Master and me," Shang Junchang said calmly, "If Master hadn't stayed to contain the enemy, you wouldn't have been able to escape. I had been planning to protect you and fight my way out of the encirclement, but unfortunately, I was severely injured and can only contribute a little of my remaining strength."

"Master is right. In battle, personal strength is still less useful than wisdom. Besides, you are younger than me. If you survive, you will be more useful than me."

As he spoke, Shang Junchang rubbed his eyes with his palm-leaf fan-shaped hands and smiled slightly: "Second brother, remember to take good care of yourself in the future. If you ever come to see me, remember not to beg for mercy from the enemy before you die. It's very shameful."

With that, he roared, pulling the spears from his sides, blood spurting out like a fountain. The ten-foot-tall, iron-clad man roared, holding two spears stained with his own flesh and blood, and charged into the pursuing enemy force.

A Shatuo cavalryman was shot through the chest of his horse by Shang Junchang. The huge force penetrated the horse's back and pierced the knight's lower abdomen.

"Even if I die, I will take some people with me."

Shang Junchang wiped the blood off his face with disdain: "Wang Xianzhi's first disciple Shang Junchang is here. Anyone eager to cross the Naihe Bridge, get up here!"

The thunderous shouts shook the wilderness. In the pool of blood, Shang Junchang stood proudly. The hundreds of government troops chasing him were filled with fear and did not dare to move forward for a while.

Shang Junchang laughed heartily, looking up to the sky, and pounced on the hundreds of enemies like a cheetah. The muffled sounds of limbs being torn apart echoed from the enemy camp, and then the tall and majestic figure was finally swallowed up by the endless stream of enemy soldiers...

Shang Rang looked at it from afar and felt his eyes were bloodshot.

He could only drive his horse further away, because he knew that charging forward was definitely not the result his brother wanted.

If we follow what the top cavalry general under General Yan said - "A warrior's body is like an arrow, it can only be shot by people."

But there are also brave men among the grassroots who choose life or death according to their own will.

The burning sensation had already covered Shang Rang's eyes, blurring his vision.

But the shadow's voice came floating in with the wind.

"Cry, but don't miss the opportunity to clean up the remaining troops and break out. We still have a lot to do."

"I don't want to feel that I chose a man who is looked down upon."

The voice was cold and a bit harsh, but it had the power to calm people.

Shang Rang knew that the other party had no intention of breaking off the engagement with him.

He certainly knew that Chaoying was an ambitious woman. However, this kind of coldness might really be what was needed on a battlefield of blood and fire.

Shang Rang gritted his teeth, pulled the reins, and galloped away. The cold mountain wind blowing from the Dabie Mountain Pass hit his face, quickly wiping away the tears in his eyes.

"Good! At least we have to preserve the elite strength of the Cao Army. When we get to General Huang's side, we can't be underestimated!"

At this moment, Wang Xianzhi, who was surrounded, was at a critical moment of life and death.

"If the leader just wants to get away, I can't keep you." Zhen Ranyu sighed.

She had already stood up from the carriage, and her white clothes shattered into pieces at that moment, revealing a flaming red armor.

In her hand she held a long weapon, the color of which was like fire, with blades on both ends. It was very similar to the double-edged spear used by Chen Liqing, but it looked like a giant wheel blade.

Blazing Sky-Burning Blade, this is the name of the exclusive magic weapon of Marshal Yan.

As it spun, the blazing energy roared, burning charred cuts on the enemy's broken limbs and arms.

Marshal Yan reaps the lives of the grass army soldiers indiscriminately. During this cruel killing, she smiles extremely brightly, showing her beauty even more.

"Similarly, if I die, you will pay a heavy price. After this hellish tempering, those of our army who survive will become revenge warriors who can defeat ten enemies with one. Woman, are you ready to face the vengeful flames of the heroes of the martial arts world?"

Although there were few fighting soldiers around Wang Xianzhi, he stroked his beard and smiled, appearing quite calm, as if he was not a defeated general at all, but the winner of this battle.

"The strange snake Xiangliu in the Classic of Mountains and Seas has nine heads," Zhen Ranyu said confidently, "but as long as we cut off the most important one, the problem will be solved. The rest will grow back and it won't be difficult to cut them down."

(End of this chapter)