The World Online
Page 959Translator: ryangohsff Editor: Nora
Chapter 959 – The Despair of Being Unable to Fight Back
“We are close!”
Zhao Yun tightly gripped the spear in his hand, getting ready to stab it into the body of the enemy.
On the platform not far away, Chen Gong stared at the Shu Han cavalry that were getting closer and closer; he slowly tore the War Stopping Talisman.
With a ‘Shua!’ the talisman turned into an eye-catching white light that flashed onto the battlefield. Instantly, the light covered the 150 thousand Shu Han soldiers. It was like they were all instantly possessed, and the high speed charging army all stopped.
Time stopped.
Zhao Yun’s eager and confused expression froze like a statue. Next, the white light expanded and shrank. The 150 thousand Shu Han Army disappeared from the battlefield and were sent back to the imperial city.
Within seven days, the Shu Han Dynasty could not send reinforcements to Swordsman City.
Seeing this magical scene, be it the Alliance Army or the Dragon Legion Corps, they were all so shocked that their jaws dropped.
“Oh my god, what’s this?”
“Punishment from the heavens! It’s punishment from the heavens!” Some soldiers muttered and knelt on the floor.
“It is magic; Great Xia has deities helping them.”
“What deity, it’s obviously devils from hell. The Dragon Legion Corps is a bunch of devils.”
The person who spoke was filled with fear.
Facing such an unexplainable scene, soldiers that had limited knowledge could only attribute it to gods and devils.
Along with the rumors, fear and unease spread, causing their morale to collapse. Even the soldiers charging at the front could not help but slow down.
The Great Xia Dragon Legion Corps in front of them were truly a bunch of devils. This invisible pressure was enough to crush the mental strength of normal soldiers.
It was like a time slowing spell was cast on the battlefield, instantly going from
fast to slow.
On the command tower, when Lianpo saw the sudden disappearance of the Shu Han Army, even with his calmness, his face turned ashen white. He muttered, “We fell for it; this was all a plot!”
The sudden disappearance of the Shu Han Army was just too weird. The Great Xia Army cavalry did not charge, as they had long predicted this. Far away, Lianpo could smell the thick scent of a plot.
As Di Chen’s right hand man, Lianpo had appeared in the wilderness for a period of time. Naturally, he did not believe in any ghosts. He guessed that this should be Great Xia using a special tool.
From the right wing, the silent 70 thousand elite cavalry launched their charge under Zhang Liao’s lead. The frontline of the enemy had ended up totally empty due to the sudden disappearance of the Shu Han Army.
There was only empty space in front of the cavalry, and there were no enemies left.
The Dragon Legion Corps that had been lying in wait stopped concealing their killing intent. The blue sky was covered by their blood aura that brimmed with killing intent. It sent a chill down their enemy’s spine.
Under Zhang Liao’s command, after breaking away from the cannon range, the cavalry took a long arc before making a left turn into the middle troops formation. The Swordsman City 60 thousand troops were located here.
The 60 thousand Swordsman City Army had started charging, and there were less than 20 thousand men left at the back.
The Swordsman City Army feared the Dragon Legion Corps. Now, as a result of the shocking turn of events, Zhang Liao was charging at them menacingly before they could even react.
“Kill!”
Horse lances were raised up, forming an unstoppable spear formation that stabbed at the Swordsman City Army.
It was easy to imagine what kind of gory scene would ensue.
Collapse!
The 20 thousand Swordsman City cavalry actually could not defend against the charge of Zhang Liao’s troops, and they totally collapsed.
There were numerous casualties, and they were decimated.
In a short half an hour, the middle troops were actually flattened by the Great Xia cavalry. Thousands of Swordsman City soldiers were turned into meat paste, blood, flesh, and dirt mixed together, unable to be separated.
It was like hell.
The middle troops had two armies protecting them at the wings. Logically speaking, they should be the safest, but now, they were the earliest to be crushed.
When Zhang Liao saw that, he stopped wasting time in the middle and continued to proceed west, cutting into the right wing of the enemy troops. The 150 thousand reinforcements led by Lianpo were located here.
As an experienced general, during the first charge, Lianpo only sent out 80 thousand troops, leaving close to half at the backlines as a flexible force in his hand to throw into battle.
The unfortunate thing was that the first wave of troops he sent out was mostly cavalry, while those he left behind were infantry. Facing Zhang Liao’s charging troops, the disadvantage they were at was evident.
As they formed up, Lianpo did not prepare for a cavalry sneak attack. He only followed normal thinking and placed the defenses on the west side and the back, a full 10 thousand cavalry.
How could Lianpo know that the enemy would be attacking them right from the middle troops?
One must know that the middle troops had the Shu Han Army at the other side. No matter how strong the enemy cavalry were, they could not reach his east side.
The sudden disappearance of the Shu Han Army immediately changed the battle situation, rendering Lianpo’s arrangements totally useless.
Zhang Liao’s forces engaged in an all-out slaughter at the back of the Alliance Army, throwing the entire Alliance Army unit chaos. Lianpo could only try his best to command the backlines to engage Zhang Liao’s troops.
…
Just as Zhang Liao’s troops were stirring waves at the back of the Alliance Army, the high speed charging Alliance Army frontlines finally engaged the Dragon Legion Corps.
Toward this, the Dragon Legion Corps was prepared.
Xiao Chaogui commanded the cannon formation, Luo Shixin took charge of the middle troops, and Lai Hu’er was at the left wing. Each one of them had a clear job to face the incoming Alliance Army that they bare their fangs at.
Especially Lai Hu’er, who had a lot of pent up frustration in him; he had been looking forward to this battle to wash off all his humiliation. He wanted to gain credit from this battle to win back trust from the king and win back his lost honor.
The sudden disappearance of 150 thousand Shu Han Army troops caused a reversal of the troop numbers. It went from 360 thousand against 220 thousand to 210 thousand against 220 thousand. They went from having the numerical advantage to being outnumbered.
Considering the morale and the combat strength of both sides, the Alliance Army was at a disadvantage.
The currently charging Alliance Army was not as good as the Dragon Legion Corps. Furthermore, their morale was low, and the sudden change at the back had caused the soldiers to lose their fighting spirits.
Under such terrible circumstances, how could the Alliance Army fight against the well prepared Dragon Legion Corps?
Even the left wing cavalry forces did not achieve their intended effect. The cavalry suffered heavy casualties under the cannon and arrow fire. After barely breaking through the first layer of sword shield soldiers, they had no more momentum and were surrounded by the Dragon Legion Corps.
After blocking the first wave of attacks from the Alliance Army, the Dragon Legion Corps initiated their attacks under the leadership of their three generals, forcing the Alliance Army back again and again.
Such a turn of events was truly awe inspiring.
…
Looking around at the battlefield, Lianpo’s expression was really painful and bitter.
If they fight, they could not win.
If they wanted to retreat, they could not.
The two armies were tangled up with one another.
There was only one path ahead for the Alliance Army; they needed to hold on.
Lianpo had not given up hope. As long as the Alliance Army could last past the day, once night fell and both sides stopped battling to rest, Lianpo could retreat and leave this sad place.
If they retreated, even if they did not manage to defend Swordsman City, they could still teleport over to Caiyun City and protect the fruits of their labor.
The problem was if the Alliance Army would be able to survive a day?
Under Lianpo’s leadership, the entire army managed to barely hold on.
Under the circumstances where both sides had similar numbers, even though the Dragon Legion Corps was strong, they could not totally crush such an elite force within a day.
Luckily, Great Xia still had cards to play.
Right after noon passed, a rumbling sound could be heard from outside the battlefield. Looking at its position, the sound was coming from the west. Lianpo was delighted, and he thought to himself, ‘Did the alliance send reinforcements?’
That was because Feng Qingyang made it really clear that Great Xia only had the Dragon Legion Corps in the Shu Lands and did not have any other reinforcements. Even if they had more troops, they should come from the south and not the west.
When this army appeared, Lianpo’s eyes froze up.
Lianpo, who had seen and been through many things, could recognize right away that this was a Qiang Race army. Weirdly, they did not have any flags, and one could not tell which side these troops belonged to.
“Are they troops sent by Lord Feng?”
Lianpo was not really sure, but he was 70% confident in his heart. Lianpo knew that beside Swordsman City was the Qiang Prefecture, where many Qiang people lived.
If Feng Qingyang had quietly built up a Qiang Race army, it would be quite normal.
Thinking about this, Lianpo was really excited.
With this army, Lianpo would be confident about continuing to fight.
Although he was happy, Lianpo was annoyed with Feng Qingyang for not bringing out such an army earlier.
If he brought them out earlier, the Alliance Army would not be in such an awkward situation.
Thinking about the schemes and plots played between Lords, Lianpo did not bother thinking about it anymore. This had exceeded what he should bother about as a general, and he should not get involved in it.
Just as Lianpo was filled with expectations, Zhang Liao’s forces suddenly broke away and arrived in front of the Qiang Race army. They pointed at the battlefield. Who knows what they were saying?
After a short while, Zhang Liao led his forces back.
The Qiang Race army had received the order, and they suddenly turned toward the Alliance Army. Their sharp butcher knives appeared really eye-piercing under the sun.
When Lianpo saw this, he painfully closed his eyes and muttered, “The Alliance Army is finished.”
Even with Lianpo’s ability, there was nothing he could do about this.