"Get ready!"
In response to this resounding voice, the Celestial Wolf Bows creaked as they were pulled taut. A forest of arrowheads was aimed at the mountain.
"Release!"
Twangtwangtwang!
With an almost deafening clatter, thousands of arrows whistled through the sky, dragging out trails in the air before landing on the mountain.
"Aaaaah!"
Screams suddenly filled the air. One Mengshe Zhao soldier had barely walked two steps when an arrow ended his life, stabbing through his throat, penetrating through his collarbone, and sinking into his internal organs.
The Mengshe Zhao soldier thudded to the ground, smashing into a pool of blood. And as if this was some sort of signal…
Thwishthwishthwish!
Thousands of arrows followed, gleaming with cold light as they covered the skies in a lethal rain.
Mengshe Zhao, Tibetan, Tang… Huoshu Huicang's attack was all-encompassing. In a circle covering the entire mountain, the intersection of the Tang, Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan forces came under an intense arrow volley.
There was no friend or foe, no particular target. Everyone within this area was struck down!
"Aaaaah!"
Screams resonated through the mountain slopes as countless Mengshe Zhao, Tibetan, and Tang soldiers immediately collapsed under this sudden rain of arrows.
"Enemy attack!"
"Careful!"
……
When they discovered that these arrows were not coming from the Great Tang, but from their own side, all the Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers fighting were stupefied. They could understand firing at the Annan Protectorate army, but why were they also the target of this attack?
"What in the world is going on?"
Soldier after soldier crashed to the ground, their eyes wide in confusion.
"It's the Celestial Wolf Bows and Celestial Wolf Arrows of the Western Turks!"
"Careful!"
"Hurry, dodge!"
On the slope, the Annan Protectorate army soldiers began to get out of the way of the Celestial Wolf Bows. The charge in the rear was also beginning to come to a halt.
"Your Majesty, what are the Tibetans doing? Have they gone crazy?"
"They're attacking their own!"
"Damn it, these madmen!"
……
As they watched the warriors of the Whitestone Corps fall to arrows from their own side, the Mengshe Zhao generals' eyes went red from rage. The Whitestone Corps was the primary force in this offense, with the Tibetans only looking to lose around ten thousand soldiers on the mountain at maximum.
The majority of the people dying under this attack were Mengshe Zhao soldiers. Moreover, the Tibetans were wearing plate armor, which had a defensive power that surpassed even the armor worn by the Annan Protectorate army, let alone the Mengshe Zhao army.
Their plate armor and their few numbers meant that the Tibetans suffered far fewer casualties.
"Your Majesty, let me bring some people to talk with the Tibetans!"
"What if I lead the army to save our brothers? That would be fine as well!"
……
The Mengshe Zhao generals were all extremely distraught at the sight of so many casualties on the slope.
"There's no need!"
Geluofeng waved his sleeve, his expression hard and cold.
"Given the state of the Whitestone Corps, it doesn't matter if we send any troops. The method employed by the Tibetans is the best one. This method will actually result in the smallest number of casualties. Otherwise, the Whitestone Corps might truly be wiped out!"
"Ah!"
The generals' jaws dropped, all of them dumbstruck.
"His Majesty is correct. Right now, this is truly the best method!"
A cold and indifferent voice came from behind.
This voice silenced all the generals. If even the Great General approved of Geluofeng's words, then it truly was the case.
……
"Geluofeng is truly an excellent partner!"
On the other side, Dalun Ruozan nodded and smiled upon seeing the Mengshe Zhao generals so quickly pacified.
Geluofeng had a burning ambition, and he also had the insight necessary to carry out such ambition, the ability to see the essence of the problem at a glance. There were many things that didn't even need to be explained to him. As a partner and ally, Geluofeng truly was quite suitable.
"Get ready. We're done probing. It's time for the real battle to begin!" Dalun Ruozan said as he slowly turned to Huoshu Huicang.
'The righteous do not grasp for profit and the kind do not command soldiers.' A general required a callous heart and a prioritization of the overall situation. Although the battle on the summit had seemed extremely fierce, this was barely the beginning for people like Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang.
All of this was merely the prelude.
With these words, Dalun Ruozan quickly turned around and began to walk toward the rear. The moment he turned around, behind him, a resounding voice came from the distant summit.
"Get ready! Fire!"
Dalun Ruozan quickly turned back around, just in time to see a volley of arrows descend like locusts over the earth. This time, however, this dense volley of arrows was not fired from the Tibetan army, but from the Annan Protectorate army.
"Aaaaah!"
Screams filled the air as a great number of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers at the base of the mountain were felled.
Dalun Ruozan froze for a moment, and then he raised his head to glance at that thin figure on the summit, a hint of surprise in his eyes. But he quickly smiled and vanished into the army with a wave of his sleeve.
"Congratulations to user for killing 6780 Tibetans!"
"Congratulations to user for killing 49861 Mengshe Zhao soldiers!"
……
At the summit, a string of messages rang out in Wang Chong's mind. As he gazed down at the minor turmoil within the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, a faint smile crept onto his lips.
He had killed more than fifty thousand Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers in this battle. He had killed Jiaosiluo and killed almost half of the Mengshe Zhao Whitestone Corps. If it wasn't for the fact that a significant portion of the Whitestone Corps hadn't managed to charge very far up the mountain, the casualties would have been even greater.
Chapter 581: The Decisive Battle! Dalun Ruozan's Counterattack!
Chapter 581: The Decisive Battle! Dalun Ruozan's Counterattack!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Young Master, we've won!"
On the summit, Chen Shusun watched on in excitement as the remnants of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army madly fled down the mountain in complete disorder, his joy difficult to suppress. This was no small battle. Now that the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army had withdrawn, they had left behind a mountain piled with the corpses of their brothers, and shattered weapons strewn across the slope.
The banners of the Whitestone Corps were scattered everywhere, standing askew in piles of corpses!
This cruel scene was the greatest symbol of the Great Tang's victory!
One hundred thousand soldiers of the Great Tang had contended against one hundred and ten thousand soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, and forty thousand Tang soldiers had not even participated!
In the end, however, more than seventy thousand, close to eighty thousand, soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army had died on this mountain. The Whitestone Corps that had been such an enormous problem on the Erhai plain and had killed so many Tang soldiers was now almost completely crippled. Even Duan Wuzong had been left severely wounded. To the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army, this was a victory beyond their wildest dreams.
And in this battle, the Great Tang's losses didn't even reach ten thousand!
To the soldiers who had experienced the cruel battle by the Erhai, this was simply unimaginable!
On the summit, the eyes of Wang Chong's
guards were glimmering as they looked toward Wang Chong with respect. Although Wang Chong was only a teenager, his body still extremely thin and frail, this youth's voice was unprecedentedly majestic, as steady and firm as a mountain.
"Reporting! The old general has sent a message that arrogance is a cardinal sin on the battlefield! He hopes that Milord can continue to remain modest and calm!"
"Reporting, the Lord Protector-General has sent a message. Young Master's achievements are obvious to all. Lord Protector-General will report everything to the Imperial Court and highly recommend Young Master!"
……
Two messengers with signal banners flying from their backs arrived on the summit, expressing the will of the two highest commanders of the southwest. Hearing these words, Wang Chong subconsciously turned to the dense and unmoving ranks of the nearby army.
Although the mountain was packed with soldiers, Wang Chong had recognized at a glance the backs of his father Wang Yan and the Annan Protector-General Xianyu Zhongtong.
The two were respectively to the east and the west, their backs facing him.
Although he could not see the looks on their faces, and neither of them had even shot a glance in his direction, Wang Chong could feel that the pair had been paying attention to him all this time.
"Father…"
As Wang Chong gazed at the stalwart figure of his father, as firm as a mountain, he felt a warmth in his heart.
His father rarely praised him, as it was not in his nature to say such things. The words of the messenger also did not contain a single hint of praise. But Wang Chong knew deep in his heart that given his father's personality, this was already incredible praise.
There was no doubt that his father had also seen the good points of his son.
From those few words, Wang Chong had felt his father's deep support!
"Young Master, look over there; what's that?"
Suddenly, a flabbergasted voice rang out by his ear, breaking his stupor. Wang Chong turned his head, and though he couldn't see anything clearly, he could hear a roar as if thousands of people were shouting at once.
Looking down from the summit, Wang Chong could see that countless porters, peasants and laborers were busy working on something in the middle of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.
They're people from Mengshe Zhao!
This thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind. The Tibetans needed to travel long distances to reach this place. Moreover, the Tibetans raised livestock for a living and mostly consisted of shepherds. Only Mengshe Zhao could gather so many porters, peasants, and laborers.
"Milord, what are they doing?"
On the summit, Luo Ji and the Black Dragon Bandit elites also walked out, looking down the mountain with perplexed looks. The distance and the cover of the army meant that it was hard to see what was going on from the summit.
Wang Chong silently stared down the mountain at the source of the ruckus, countless thoughts working through his mind.
"Siege weapons!"
A glimpse of half a wooden log instantly made a thought occur to Wang Chong.
"What?!"
Chen Shusun's expression flickered at Wang Chong's words. Siege weapons? Didn't the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army use those at Lion City? But siege weapons were large and heavy, making them difficult to carry over long distances. Many armies constructed them from local materials and abandoned them once they were done using them.
But he couldn't see any large siege weapons in the surrounding area, much less any trees that could serve as material. Where exactly did these siege weapons come from?
Dalun Ruozan truly is formidable!
Wang Chong was not as puzzled as Chen Shusun, as it took only a moment's time for him to understand. Modular design was a skill that came from that other world, and it was the principle that had guided Wang Chong in creating these metal walls on the mountain.
Each of these walls was actually constructed from smaller metal pieces.
It was clear that Dalun Ruozan did not have as great of an understanding of this concept, and siege weapons were a much less complicated concept, but it was clear that he and Wang Chong were thinking along the same lines.
The Great Tang had dominated the world through their valiant infantry and positional defense, and Xianyu Zhongtong himself was even more an expert in defending city walls. Dalun Ruozan, following the principle 'know yourself and know your enemies, and you will never be defeated', had clearly already anticipated that he might encounter a problem like this at Lion City, leading him to have these siege weapons dismantled and transported here to be reassembled.
There was no question that the current situation just happened to coincide with his plans. The metal walls that Wang Chong had transported to this place had made this mountain into a fortress that surpassed Lion City.
At the very least, Lion City had not been so tall and steep, and the Tibetan cavalry would not have been so greatly hindered if they were charging into the city.
He's truly a powerful foe! Wang Chong said to himself. If the commander today had been Xianyu Zhongtong, the Annan Protectorate army would have been doomed. Unfortunately, Dalun Ruozan was facing Wang Chong.
"Pass on my order! All troops should get ready!" Wang Chong ordered with a wave of his sleeve.
"Yes, your subordinate will go!"
The order began to quickly work its way down from the summit.
Dalun Ruozan, let me see who's the more formidable one! My friend, let me see how you'll break my walls.
Hwoom!
The fierce winds gusted. At some point, dark clouds had blanketed the sky, right over the mountain where the Annan Protectorate army resided. As a storm seemed ready to set in, the Great Tang army was quiet as a grave.
Across from them, deep within the enemy army, the sounds of construction seemed to have gotten even louder. A stifling mood had settled in.
Although a phase of the battle had ended, the oppressive and tense mood that followed was simply suffocating!
Boom!
After what seemed like mere seconds and like countless years, a light flashed within the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army. A massive ball of fire like a rising sun rose out of the enemy ranks, growing larger as it howled through the air and quickly flew to the mountain where Wang Chong's forces were garrisoned.
"Ah!"
Cries of surprise rose from the mountain, as all the Tang soldiers were momentarily stunned.
Chapter 582: The Decisive Battle! Arabian Kerosene!
Chapter 582: The Decisive Battle! Arabian Kerosene!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Before the fireball could land, rumbling came from the distance as one fireball after another began to rise from the rear of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, swiftly hurtling toward the mountain.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the massive fireballs floating in the air seeming to inch toward the mountain like giant snails.
One, two, three, four… dozens of these massive fireballs dotted the sky, transforming the sky into a sea of fire. Even the dark clouds in the sky were painted with a layer of red light.
"Enemy attack!"
"Dodge!"
……
Shrill cries rang out from the summit. Even though all the soldiers were dumbfounded by this sight, all the officers, from the highest-ranking generals to the five-man and ten-man commanders, managed to maintain their calm.
A report of everything that could possibly happen had already passed down from the summit to the dense ranks of the army. Although none of them had expected Mengshe Zhao or Ü-Tsang to use this method of attack, Wang Chong had given specific plans for what to do if the army came under attack from siege weapons or arrow volleys.
Everyone had to hide!
"Remember to stay hidden!"
……
Energetic voices rang out like giant bells across the mountain slope. It took mere moments for the Great Tang soldiers to react.
All the
Great Tang soldiers began to follow their square formations to hide behind the metal walls. The mountain slope was already inclined, and Wang Chong had even designed the modular metal walls so that several metal pieces protruded from the tops of the walls to ward off projectiles.
At this moment, all the metal walls immediately revealed this additional ability.
Boom!
One of the massive fireballs crashed down on the mountain behind the soldiers, sending dust and flames billowing. The dust plumed ten zhang upward and the entire mountain trembled.
Everyone paled at the power behind this strike.
The strength of this fireball was enough to render any level of soldier into ash in seconds. No soldier of the True Martial realm could possibly block such a blow.
Not even high-ranking commandants like Xu Andun could block it!
On the summit, Luo Ji and the other generals of the Annan Protectorate army also paled. The level of this Tibetan attack was already enough to threaten generals on their level.
Every one of those massive fireballs weighed several thousand jin, and given the height that they were falling from, their might could easily be imagined.
But this was only the beginning.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As if time had suddenly sped up, countless massive fireballs suddenly began to plunge down from the heavens. Boom! One of them smashed against the several-zhang-high metal wall. The sturdy wall instantly bent inward, a massive depression formed by the impact.
The massive power contained in these fireballs was enough to cause the entire metal wall to tremble and sway, making it seem like it would fall over at any moment.
"These fireballs… are too powerful!"
Behind the steel walls, the Great Tang elites paled even more.
All of them felt like these massive fireballs could knock the metal walls over at any moment and smash all of the soldiers hiding behind them into pulp.
"Young Master, careful!"
On the summit, a massive fireball suddenly plummeted toward Wang Chong's position. Alarmed, Chen Shusun immediately pushed Wang Chong away with a palm.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 427