Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 221 One Battle Settles Peace
When the Qiangqu Chanyu's body, pierced by an arrow through the throat, was slammed heavily into the snow, the entire Hu court felt as if its heart had been instantly crushed.

"Chanyu!"

The commander of the guards' screams tore through the chaotic battlefield, only to be swallowed up by an even more violent roar.

The golden wolf fur hat rolled to one side, stained with blood and mud. The head, a symbol of supreme power on the grassland, had its mouth wide open, and blood gushed from the hideous hole at the back of its neck, quickly spreading a glaring dark red on the cold snow.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next moment, Huvro was the first to react and took over the reins!
"I am Yufuluo, son of the Great Chanyu!"

"Warriors of the Colic!"

"The gods are watching us!"

"Kill them all!"

The fear of losing their leader and the fury of revenge clashed fiercely in the hearts of the remaining Hu people.

When someone took over the authority, their fighting power actually increased slightly.

The elite cavalry of the Golden Horde and the main force of the Luanji Army were completely enraged. They no longer tried to form a defensive formation, but instead, like a wounded pack of wolves, they rushed towards the fluttering banner with the character "Zhang" on it.

They charged madly at any Han general they could see! Scimitars flashed, bone arrows flew wildly—it was a fight to the death!

"Well done!" Lu Bu laughed wildly, his double halberds flashing wildly.

Instead of retreating, he charged forward against the surging crowd! His crimson warhorse reared up with a neigh, its iron hooves, as big as bowls, kicked away a charging Hu cavalryman. Lü Bu's halberd swept across, cutting down two Hu soldiers who were trying to stab the horse's belly, man and spear in one swift motion!
Amidst the bloodshed and carnage, he was like a demon, tearing a bloody path through the chaotic crowd, his halberd tip pointing directly at the wolf-head banner that represented the power of the Luanqi King!

"Capture the flag!"

A glint of light flashed in Liu Bei's eyes, and his suppressed desire ignited instantly.

He suddenly spurred his horse, and his twin swords, like serpents emerging from their holes, precisely severed the wrist of a barbarian rider blocking his path. Taking advantage of the rider's scream, he spurred his horse and charged through the gap created by Guan Yu's attack with lightning speed!
"Brother be careful!"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes widened, and his horse-slaying saber transformed into a streak of cold light, severing the two spears thrusting towards Liu Bei from the side, along with the arm holding the spear shaft! Blood sprayed onto half of his green robe.

"Get out of my way! Anyone who blocks my path will die!"

Zhang Fei's spear, like a venomous dragon churning the river, strangled three barbarian soldiers blocking Liu Bei's path, turning them into bloody gourds. With a powerful swing, the corpses crashed down on the ground.

His leopard-like eyes were fixed on the approaching banner, and heavy white breath was billowing from his nostrils.

However, the Hu people's final frenzy far exceeded expectations.

The guards of the King of Luanji were all veterans who had survived countless battles. Now, with the determination to die, they actually used their flesh and blood to build a barrier and protect the great banner.

Scimitars, maces, even fists and teeth were used to strike the charging Han soldiers without regard for anything else.

Several wolf riders who charged too far ahead were instantly dragged off their horses and engulfed in a hail of blades.

"Form ranks! Push forward!" Huang Zhong's steady roar rang out from behind.

The steel torrent of armored heavy infantry surged forward!

"Raise your shields! Hold the line!"

The giant shields at the very front landed with a crash, like an iron dam, firmly holding back the waves of the barbarian counterattack.

The scimitar struck the leather-covered iron shield, leaving only a shallow white mark.

"prick!"

The spearmen in the second and third rows thrust their cold spear tips through the gaps in their shields! The splattering sounds of spears piercing flesh were chilling.

Hu Bing, who was squeezed at the very front, struggled in vain like prey nailed to a wall, blood flowing down the shaft of his spear.

"Enter!"

"Hah!" The heavily armored infantry roared in unison, like a moving fortress, and took another step forward!
Shields slammed into flesh and bone, spears were pulled out along with entrails, and boots pounded over bodies that were not yet fully dead, producing a teeth-grinding cracking sound.

Their steely will and discipline relentlessly eroded the last vestiges of the Hu people's spirit.

The battle for control of the two sides of the village gate was even more brutal, like a meat grinder.

Zhang Xian, alone with his halberd and horse, firmly anchored himself in the center of the breach.

Every swing of the Overlord Halberd brought forth a storm of blood and gore, with severed limbs and pieces of ice and snow flying everywhere.

Mo Ying's iron hooves, as big as bowls, were like heavy hammers. With each stomp, they could crush any Hu soldier who tried to get close, bones and all!

One man and one horse managed to hold back the counterattack of an enemy force several times their size, thus securing the bridgehead for the subsequent influx of armored heavy infantry and wolf cavalry.

However, the desperate fighting spirit of the elite Hu people was also on full display at this moment.

"Release the arrows! Shoot that black-armored Han general to death!" A Qiu Lin clan archer roared from the remaining arrow tower on the stockade wall.

He drew his bow to its fullest extent, the arrowhead gleaming with a poisonous blue light, aiming at Zhang Xian, who stood like a rock amidst the chaos of battle!
collapse!
The bowstring twanged!

A poisoned wolf-tooth arrow, like a viper's tongue, nimbly pierced through the gaps in the crowd and shot straight at Zhang Xian's neck!
"My lord, be careful!" Amid the chaos, an urgent cry rang out.

A heavily armored soldier who was close to Zhang Xian raised his shield high, and then...

With a clang.

The poisoned arrow struck the shield with a crisp clang.

It was a rare iron arrow.

Without turning his head, Zhang Xian swept his Overlord Halberd backward, sending a Hu soldier centurion who had rushed forward flying several feet, along with his sword, crashing into half of a burning felt tent.

His gaze swept over the heavy-footed man, and he nodded slightly.

Chongbu felt a surge of excitement, as if he had received a great honor. He became excited and charged into the enemy ranks once again.

Even without this heavy infantryman holding a shield, the Hu people's cavalry archers could not have caused any damage to Zhang Xian's armor, which had been improved over several generations.

But since someone has shown promise, he doesn't hesitate to praise them.

Seeing that his first arrow missed, the archer roared and nocked another arrow.

However, just as his fingers touched the bowstring, a dark light arrived in an instant with a shrill sound of air being torn apart!

puff!
A finely crafted, three-edged armor-piercing arrow pierced his throat with pinpoint accuracy! The immense kinetic energy propelled his body backward, slamming it heavily against the wooden pillar of the watchtower! The arrow's fletching continued to hum and vibrate.

In the distance, Huang Zhong slowly lowered his precious bow and sneered, "A clown!"

Deep within Hu Ting's territory, the battle situation was not one-sided.

Although they lost their supreme commander, the various tribes of the nomadic people fell into chaos and fought their own battles.

However, with Yufuluo taking over, the death of the chieftain only further fueled the fighting spirit of the Hu people.

A force of about a thousand Lan clan cavalrymen, taking advantage of the stalemate on the main battlefield, suddenly charged out from a gap in the flank of the camp!
Their men and horses were all clad in simple but thick leather armor, and wielded heavy maces and spiked clubs. They charged straight at the relatively weak right flank of the Han army's formation, where the Fire Battalion of the Armored Cavalry was positioned and some of the Armored Cavalry light infantry were rotating and resting!

"Stop them!" Zhang Liao, who was in charge of the right flank, shouted sharply as his pupils contracted.

He spurred his horse and led his personal guard in a charge! His saber flashed in a sharp arc, instantly felling two of the leading Lan cavalrymen. But the Lan cavalry's momentum was already established, and their target was clear: the Fire Battalion archers who were drawing their bows and arrows, their defenses relatively weak!
"Discard bows! Draw swords! Form a circular formation!" Zhao Yun's clear voice, accompanied by the colors of the command flags, conveyed the message.

He spurred his horse and galloped quickly to the destination. The purpose of the Youyi Army was to hunt and provide support.

The well-trained archers of the Fire Battalion reacted swiftly, discarding their longbows and drawing their swords or short spears from their waists. They quickly formed small defensive circles, using the nearby supply wagons as cover.

Although hasty, it effectively slowed down the momentum of the Lannister cavalry's charge.

puff!puff!
The heavy mace slammed into the hastily raised round shield, shattering it and breaking the arm of the armored light infantryman holding the shield, who coughed up blood.

The spiked club swept across, tearing up a patch of flesh and blood.

Then the soldiers' blades slashed fiercely at the leather armor and warhorses of the Lan cavalry, and screams, neighing horses, and the sound of clashing weapons instantly erupted on the right flank!

"Break through them! Kill all those Han dogs who shot arrows from the shadows!" The Lan clan chieftain brandished his iron-inlaid mace, looking like a mad tiger.

He identified these Fire Battalion archers as the biggest threat to breaking through the encirclement.

Just as the right flank was engulfed in a bloody melee and the Lan clan's elite cavalry was about to break through the last thin line of defense, a unit of Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun's mobile cavalry arrived.

The situation reversed in an instant.

Like tigers among sheep, the two fierce generals led the Youyi Army cavalry, who had already sheathed their bows and drawn their swords, to quickly break up the Lan clan's cavalry formation. Then, in coordination with the Fire Battalion, they swiftly launched a counterattack.

The battle was over in the blink of an eye. Before the leader of the Lan Clan's elite cavalry could react, all he could see was darkness.

"Keep firing arrows! Suppress the remaining enemy forces inside the stronghold!" Zhao Yun's voice rang out.

The archers of the Fire Battalion quickly picked up their longbows, and the cold arrows once again flew over their own ranks like locusts, raining down on the stronghold deep within Hu Ting that was still putting up a stubborn resistance.

Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun, along with their roving cavalry, once again modified their weapons and bows and began roaming around the battlefield.

On the main battlefield, with the steady advance of the armored heavy infantry and the repeated charges of the wolf cavalry, the core of the Hu people's resistance, the defensive line of the royal guards of the Luanji King, was finally completely crushed.

"Those who block my way shall die!" Zhang Fei swiftly struck down the last crippled warrior who stood in front of the wolf-head banner with his spear, his leopard eyes fixed on the flag that was so close at hand.

Liu Bei charged at him almost simultaneously! He swung his straight sword fiercely at the thick flagpole!

Guan Yu's sword was even faster; with a flash of cold light, the sturdy flagpole snapped in two!

The enormous wolf-head banner, the symbol of the Southern Xiongnu royal power, collapsed with a crash under the gaze of countless pairs of desperate and resentful eyes, crashing heavily into the blood and ashes!

"The great banner has fallen!"

"The king's flag has fallen!"

This desperate cry was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely shattering the last remaining will of resistance of the Hu people.

Having lost the Chanyu and then the Wangqi, they finally realized that the sky had fallen.

"Escape!"

"Run!"

"The gods have abandoned us!"

Desperate cries replaced the battle roars.

The surviving Hu people, whether soldiers or women and children, scattered like ants from a disturbed nest, abandoning their weapons and livestock, and fled desperately towards the gap in the northern part of the camp that had not yet been completely sealed off by the Han army.

They trampled on each other, cried out for their parents, and the scene completely spiraled out of control.

"Order the wolf cavalry and the guerrilla forces to pursue the fleeing soldiers! Those who surrender will not be killed, and those who resist will be killed without mercy!" Zhang Xian's icy voice echoed across the battlefield.

"Understood!" Lü Bu laughed wildly, pointing his double-toothed halberds northward.

"Men! The hunt has begun! Chase!"

"Youyi Army! Scatter! Intercept and kill!" Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao gave the order at the same time.

The gray-armored wolf riders and the white-robed wandering warriors swept across the battlefield like two torrents bursting from their dams, like the most astute hunters, methodically dividing, driving, and shooting down their scattered prey.

The sounds of arrows piercing the air, the galloping of warhorses, and desperate pleas once again became the main theme of the battlefield.

On the main battlefield, only the armored heavy infantry, under Huang Zhong's command, slowly and steadily combed through the camp, littered with corpses and still engulfed in flames, like giant iron combs.

They cleared out the remaining scattered strongholds that were putting up a stubborn resistance, took in the prisoners who had knelt down to surrender, and extinguished the flames that had been ignited and spread by the fire arrows of the Fire Battalion.

Heavy footsteps trod across the scorched earth, over pools of sticky blood, over mountains of corpses and shattered weapons and armor.

The flames had died down, leaving only charred charcoal and twisted metal skeletons, emitting a pungent, burnt smell.

A tattered Han flag with red background and black characters was carelessly discarded on the edge of the ashes, with a large hoofprint covered in blood and mud clearly imprinted on it.

The cold wind, carrying ashes and the lingering stench of blood, swept over his armor.

In the distance, Lü Bu's wolf riders were driving a group of prisoners back, while Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao's white-robed knights galloped across the snowy plains, chasing after the last few scattered groups of Hu cavalry who were trying to escape.

Jiaqi Qingbu had already begun a rough clearing of the Hu people's camp, checking for hidden dangers and the people who had gone into hiding.

The earth groaned deeply and continuously under the trampling of countless iron hooves and boots.

In a battle involving tens of thousands of people, his area was only a small part of the fighting, but it was also the most intense. The guerrillas and wolf riders had already been deployed, and the subsequent mopping-up was still ongoing.

Zhang Xian reined in his horse and stood before the ruins of the Golden Tent.

He slowly pulled off his mask, and a smell mixed with burnt blood and icy snow wafted out, stinging his nose.

His gaze swept over the crushed heads, broken scimitars, and the still twitching corpses of warhorses, finally settling on the desolate northwards where a snowstorm was brewing.

Beyond the wasteland lies the heart of the grasslands. If Wuyuan County is recovered, then we can directly face the northern desert.

His deep, powerful voice rang out.

"Send the order!"

“Build a mound of heads on the main road in front of the camp, with the heads facing north, so that those who come after will see what happens to those who invade our territory!”

"All units shall withdraw from the battlefield in order. The Feng and Lin battalions of the Armored Army shall be responsible for clearing the battlefield and taking inventory of the spoils! The Huo battalion shall establish a temporary wounded soldiers' camp on the high ground north of the camp! The Shan battalion shall guard the surrounding area to guard against any sporadic counterattacks by the Hu cavalry! The Youyi Army and the Wolf Cavalry shall continue to pursue the fleeing soldiers for thirty li and must return to camp before sunset!"

"After this battle, the northern border of Bingzhou will enjoy more than ten years of peace."

"Yes, sir!" Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, and other generals responded with a resounding roar.

The command was like a pebble thrown into a lake, quickly creating ripples.

After the fierce fighting, the entire Bingzhou army quickly switched to a different, more efficient operating mode.

The first to move were the Feng and Lin battalions of the Jiaqi Army.

These infantrymen, clad in light armor and wielding spears, swords, and shields, began to meticulously survey the vast battlefield in groups of three or five.

(End of this chapter)