Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 380 War

"With the Three Officials above, may I transcend the corpse and ascend to immortality!"

Some Taoist priests draped in yellow robes shouted loudly in the army, and the surrounding soldiers immediately turned bloodshot and rushed forward one after another.

Their fearless spirit was in no way inferior to that of a seasoned veteran.

Charging madly forward amidst the dense rain of arrows.

Some men, riddled with arrows and their intestines spilling out, still pressed forward step by step; others, pinned to the ground by heavy arrows, struggled to rise and continue fighting…

"Rise!" Fu Hongzhi remained calm and composed. With a wave of his command flag, the soldiers at the front raised their long spears.

In terms of martial prowess, Fu Hongzhi may not be as good as fierce generals like Shen Tianzi and Meng Longfu, but in terms of command ability, Fu Hongzhi is far superior to them.

Therefore, among the generals of the Western Army, Liu Daogui valued this person the most.

When superiors have certain preferences, subordinates will inevitably follow suit.

Liu Yu was a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men, and his power was like that of a fierce tiger. Therefore, his subordinates were all brave and fearless generals, while Liu Daogui's subordinates were mostly generals who were both wise and brave.

Mao Dezhu, Wang Zhen'e, Shen Qingzhi, and Xiao Chengzhi were all like this.

Close-quarters combat was far more brutal than long-range archery. The two lines of fighting, with their spears thrusting at each other, resembled a gaping maw stretching for three miles, constantly devouring the flesh and blood of both sides' soldiers.

In the blink of an eye, the blood mist filled the battlefield, enveloping everyone's figures.

The bandits outnumbered the Tiger Guards five to one, and the battle was being fought on a plain. They gradually gained the upper hand, and lives were being lost as they pressed down on the Tiger Guards from the east.

In a major battle of this scale, if the battle lines are broken, it's like a section of a long dike being breached by a flood—the consequences would be unimaginable.

Among the bandit army were also many skilled warriors. Seeing that the Tiger Guard Army's right flank was under pressure, they transferred their only thousand or so cavalrymen to charge forward against the long spear.

Prepare to tear a gap open with your own flesh and blood.

"The right flank is in danger; we can send cavalry to support it." Feng Kai was even more anxious than Liu Daogui.

The Bohai Feng clan staked everything on Liu Daogui, and this battle was not only related to the safety of Jingxiang, but also to Liu Daogui's position in the court.

Strategic maneuvering always depends on strength.

Liu Daogui glanced at the demon bandits' central formation; the 6,700 elite armored soldiers had not yet joined the battle.

When two armies clash, it's sometimes like gambling; you can't easily use your trump cards.

On the western horizon, a scout group of over a hundred men could be faintly seen.

Qiao Shu and Huan Shi's 50,000 troops remained cautious and did not appear on the battlefield.

You don't even need to guess to know they want to sit back and watch the tigers fight.

"What's the panic? The Tiger Guards haven't even used their full strength yet," Liu Daogui said calmly.

Strictly speaking, this was the Tiger Guard Army's first battle, and it was understandable that some shortcomings were exposed. However, Liu Daogui believed that when faced with life and death, the soldiers would set aside regional discrimination and unite as one.

The rebel forces gradually shifted towards the right flank, and even the six or seven thousand elite armored soldiers were transferred there.

Just as the situation was becoming increasingly critical, Fu Hongzhi roared, "Chariot formation!"

More than a thousand crossbow carts were pushed out from the rear, and Wang Zhongde led two thousand armored soldiers to protect him on both sides. He was hit by three arrows and fought bloodily at the front.

The crossbow carts and armored soldiers, like a long sword, traversed the battlefield from northwest to southeast, with thousands of crossbows firing simultaneously, separating the demonic bandits.

However, the elite armored soldiers of the demon bandits fought fiercely and relentlessly surged forward, overturning the ballistae.

The fighting was extremely fierce.

The determination and fighting spirit displayed by the demon bandits on the battlefield made them a formidable force. No wonder He Wuji died in battle and Liu Yi retreated at the mere sight of them.

After Lu Xun and Xu Daofu took over the Celestial Masters Sect, it became even stronger than it had been during Sun En's time.

Another major reason is that after the southward migration, the aristocratic families gradually became corrupt and lost control of the military. Even though they were in a precarious situation in the south, they were still plagued by war and turmoil, which led to the increasingly fierce martial spirit of the Jin people. During this period, many famous generals emerged.

The battle has once again reached a stalemate.

From dawn to noon, the demon bandits, numbering over 100,000, were unable to gain the upper hand, and their morale gradually waned.

The Tiger Guards, however, fought with increasing ferocity, and their teamwork became more and more seamless.

"That's enough, cavalry attack!"

While others would place their cavalry in front to harass, attack, and disrupt the enemy's formation, Liu Daogui did the opposite, hiding his cavalry in the rear as a final, decisive blow.

Otherwise, a battle involving hundreds of thousands of people would be so fierce that the world would be turned upside down and blood would flow like a sea.

Five times the command flag was waved, and the war drums began to sound one after another, each one faster than the last.

Rumble…

The thunderous sound of hooves thundered from behind.

Countless people looked north.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a cavalry force, advancing from north to east, circled around the right flank where fierce fighting was taking place, and charged towards the left flank of the demon bandits' main formation like a shooting star.

The leading general was Duan Hong, a member of the Duan clan of the Xianbei people, who held a long spear and was followed by three hundred elite cavalry.

Like a boulder rolling into a jungle, shields, spears, severed limbs, and demon soldiers were all knocked aside as the Tiger-Clad Cavalry charged into the enemy ranks with unstoppable momentum.

Liu Huaijing led his elite cavalry in close pursuit, their long spears continuously reaping the lives of the demon bandits.

In the battlefield of cold weapons, cavalry was undoubtedly the king. Although infantry could also fight against cavalry, it required many prerequisites: equipment, morale, fighting spirit, formation, and command from generals. None of these could be lacking.

The cavalry, on the other hand, could be summoned at any time and were ready to fight, giving them a significant advantage.

Even if they don't gain any advantage, they can calmly retreat.

Although the bandits were experienced and had a small cavalry force, they had never witnessed a real cavalry charge. Moreover, the one that came was armored cavalry.

The psychological impact on the demon thieves far outweighed their physical damage. Faced with the one-sided massacre, the demon thieves' faith gradually crumbled, and they threw away their weapons and turned to flee for their lives.

With over 100,000 troops, it's impossible for every single one to be a fearless warrior.

Otherwise, they would have unified China long ago. Relying on sorcery to bewitch people can only have a temporary effect. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the left wing of the sorcerers collapsed.

Duan Hong did not indulge in the killing, but instead ordered his armored cavalry to change to a different warhorse and charge towards the center of the demon bandits' army.

Under the iron cavalry, nothing is invincible.

A battlefield with hundreds of thousands of people is not a fight between a dozen people. When faced with unexpected situations, it is difficult to adjust in time, and people are caught off guard and chaos ensues.

Duan Hong didn't give them time to adjust. He led the remaining two hundred or so armored cavalrymen to charge into the central army, facing the layers of long spears.

"What a formidable general!" Yin Zhongwen exclaimed in amazement.

Feng Kai said, "General Duan followed Murong Chui and Murong De in their campaigns in Hebei. He is a veteran general!"

Apart from Murong Chui's elite troops, some of them joined Murong De's command. After the fall of Southern Yan, these elite troops fell into the hands of Liu Daogui.

Their performance on the battlefield was in no way inferior to that of the veterans of the Northern Army, and these men became the third force under Liu Daogui's command.

Although the Tiger Guard Cavalry were mostly elite troops from the Northern Army, their foundation originated from these elite troops from the Southern Yan.

Duan Hong charged ahead into the enemy's central army, with Liu Huaijing leading his elite cavalry behind, quickly breaking through the enemy's central camp.

Ordinary armies would be on the verge of collapse at this point, but the demon bandits were not; their central army was still putting up a stubborn resistance.

But the outcome is already decided, and there is no point in resisting.

"All troops, attack!" Liu Daogui drew his sword and pointed south.

The sound of war drums and horns rose from the ground, covering the sky and the earth.

The Tiger Guards were, after all, elite troops who had fought countless battles and fought fiercely for so long. Hearing the bugle call and the drumbeat, they became excited again.

Long spears advanced like a wall, and chariot formations pierced through the battlefield, separating hundreds of thousands of demon bandits.

Cavalry, chariot formations, and armored soldiers—this set of tactics was perfectly tailored for large-scale battles.

With so many outstanding generals around, Liu Daogui's ability to command large armies has also improved considerably.

This battle not only honed the Tiger Guard's teamwork but also tested the power of cavalry and chariot formations once again.

The bandits were divided by the chariot formation, and their chances of survival were slim. Many of them laid down their weapons and knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

Some resisted stubbornly, but they were routed by the combined attack of cavalry, crossbowmen, and armored soldiers.

However, under the pursuit of the cavalry, the bandits could no longer escape as they had before. The Jianghan Plain was a flat plain, and two legs could not outrun four.

The autumn sun, which had hung high in the sky, slipped down the western mountains.

The battlefield gradually calmed down, and as many as 40,000 of the demon bandits surrendered, while those who had fled were caught up by the cavalry.

However, the demon bandits' central army huddled together, with more than two thousand men standing on the mound of corpses, completely surrounded by the Tiger Guard Legion. They neither broke out nor surrendered.

Knowing that Lu Xun and Xu Daofu were waiting for him, Liu Daogui led his personal guards forward.

Atop the pile of corpses, a man dressed in a white robe, with wide sleeves and his hair tied up, exuded elegance and the air of a renowned scholar.

Liu Daogui initially thought it was Lu Xun, but upon closer inspection, he noticed a resemblance to Yunxiu and realized that this person must be Xu Daofu.

The rebels should have been wiped out in the battle of Haiyan, but Xu Daofu and Lu Xun led several thousand remnants south and stormed into Guangzhou, thus reviving their power.

"The outcome is decided. Whether you fight or surrender is a matter for you to decide." Liu Daogui sat lazily on his warhorse.

Xu Daofu's eyes were sharp, showing no remorse for being a defeated man. He bent down, picked up a head from the ground, and threw it off the mound of corpses. "It's a pity. If this man had listened to my plan and launched a surprise attack on Jiankang, he wouldn't be in this state today."

The head rolled down to within fifty paces of Liu Daogui, its pale pupils fixed on him.

"It's Lu Xun!" A nearby officer recognized him.

If Lu Xun hadn't lingered in Caizhou and had landed at Xinting instead, he would have already stormed into Jiankang.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

"Victory is victory, and defeat is defeat. You are a hero of our time, and if you are willing to gamble, you must accept defeat."

"Hahaha, not bad, a bet's a bet." Xu Daofu laughed loudly, tilting his head back.

Liu Daogui said, "Since you have lost, you may surrender and I will leave you with a whole corpse!"

Xu Daofu sneered, "Who do you think I am? I would rather die on the battlefield than surrender. My men, are you willing to fight to the death with me?"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Even at this point, the soldiers around him remained highly motivated to fight.

"Kill!" Xu Daofu, with a talisman in his mouth and a long sword in his hand, was the first to charge down from the pile of corpses.

The believers shouted: "By the Three Officials above, may we be liberated from our corpses and become immortals!"

Just as he rushed down the mound of corpses, long spears and crossbow bolts rained down from all directions. Xu Daofu was pierced through the chest by more than a dozen long spears, his internal organs were dragged out, and he collapsed with a thud.

Other believers fared no better; some were shot into a pincushion, while others were dismembered by spears.

The green hills remain, the setting sun has reddened many times, how many heroes once rose and fell, right and wrong, success and failure, all turned to nothing in the blink of an eye.

Liu Daogui stepped forward and personally cut off Xu Daofu's head, "to be sent to Jiankang by fast horse along with Lu Xun's head!"

(End of this chapter)