novelSusiti Chapter 65: Reinforcements Arrive Again, Huli Changsheng
Chapter 65: Reinforcements Arrive Again, Huli Changsheng
Just then, a Dragon Rider, caught up in the thrill of battle, spotted his banner, which was clearly the core of the group, spurred his horse, and charged straight at him with his spear!
Before the spear even arrived, the chilling killing intent made Nurhaci's hair stand on end! At the critical moment of life and death, he unleashed all his potential, suddenly leaning back and almost flat against the horse's back.
"Sizzle—!"
The lance grazed his shoulder armor, tearing the sturdy iron-plated leather armor apart like tattered leather. The lance's edge left a deep, bone-revealing gash on his shoulder, causing excruciating pain!
If it weren't for his quick reflexes and excellent armor, that spear would have already taken his life.
The guards rushed forward to block the knight's follow-up attacks. Nurhaci was so frightened that he dared not fight any longer. He clutched his bloodied shoulder, lay on his horse, and fled for his life towards the nearest pontoon bridge without looking back.
Revenge and ambition were cast aside at this moment, leaving only the most primal and intense thought: to survive! Only by surviving could there be a future!
The collapse of the Dongyi army was inevitable.
The soldiers completely lost their will to fight under the combined psychological and physical pressure.
The pontoon bridge became both a means of survival and a new death trap. Terrified crowds surged onto the narrow bridge.
Pushing and trampling each other, people were constantly pushed into the icy Onon River, struggling for a moment before being swallowed by the turbid water, or being smashed into the bottom by those who fell in after them.
On the grassland, the Dragon Cavalry Camp split into several light cavalry groups, pursuing the scattered fleeing soldiers like hunters on a hunt. With each swing of their scimitars, a bloody storm ensued.
Even those who knelt and begged for mercy were not spared; on the battlefield, cavalrymen, blinded by rage, often didn't have time to distinguish before their horses trampled over them.
On the opposite bank of the river, atop a high platform, lies the main camp of the Eastern Barbarian army.
Helan Cangfeng, mounted on his warhorse, had a face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water. The scene before him made this Eastern Barbarian Marshal feel as if his heart was being torn apart, and he was also burning with rage.
One hundred and one thousand troops! One hundred and one thousand troops that crossed the river! Yet they were held back on the riverbank by the Great Xia army, whose strength was far inferior to their own, and now they were showing signs of complete collapse under the attack of a single heavy cavalry unit!
The figure fleeing back in a disheveled state on the pontoon bridge, the routed soldiers being relentlessly pursued on the distant grassland, and the black dragon flag that was being flaunted so arrogantly in his own ranks... all of this was like a series of resounding slaps to his face.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Helan Cangfeng abruptly put away the binoculars, his fingers turning white from the force.
He turned around abruptly, his heavy general's cloak creating a whirlwind, and strode back to the central command tent.
The atmosphere inside the tent was heavy and tense. All the generals held their breath and lowered their heads, not daring to make eye contact with him.
Helan Cangfeng walked to the commander's desk, but did not sit down. Instead, he slammed his palm heavily on the desk, making a muffled "bang" that made the pen holder and command arrow jump wildly.
His eyes flashed with ferocity, and he forced out a cold voice through clenched teeth:
"Where is Hulü Changsheng?!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and suppressed rage.
Inside the tent, the figure who had been sitting silently like a statue slowly rose upon hearing the sound. His movements were not fast, but exceptionally steady, as if a mountain had risen from the ground.
It was none other than Hulü Changsheng, the most renowned general in the Dongyi army, who was hailed as the fiercest warrior of the Dongyi.
He was about thirty years old, with a face that was sharply defined like it had been carved by a knife and axe, and a complexion that was bronze from years of weathering.
His eyes were as sharp as those of an eagle soaring in the sky, flashing with a keen light as they opened and closed. Wherever his gaze swept, the air seemed to freeze.
He was not wearing full armor, only a dark silver soft-scale battle robe and a black and gold jade belt around his waist, but the chilling killing intent and mountain-like composure he naturally exuded made all the brave generals in the tent feel inferior.
Huli Changsheng walked steadily to the center of the tent, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands in a salute.
His voice was deep and resonant, like muffled thunder rolling across the grasslands, devoid of any flattery or fear, only absolute calm and obedience: "This humble general is here. Please give your orders, Marshal."
Helan Cangfeng stared intently at him, speaking each word with absolute certainty: "I command you to immediately lead three thousand Sun Chasing Guards across the river to provide support!"
He pointed towards the direction outside the tent, where the sounds of battle were deafening, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity that was almost tangible:
"No matter what method you use! You must break through the Great Xia army's defenses! Slay their generals! Seize their flags! Stabilize the ranks! If the Xia army continues to run rampant, what will become of the Eastern Barbarians' face! What will become of the morale of our army!"
He paused, his voice carrying an irresistible allure and pressure:
"If we win this battle, whoever kills the Xia army's commander-in-chief will be personally petitioned by this commander to His Majesty to be granted the title of Grand Commandant, a reward of a thousand gold pieces, and a fief of ten thousand households! But if there is even the slightest delay, leading to the collapse of the overall situation... military law is merciless!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" Huli Changsheng replied in a deep voice without any further words.
The moment the words fell, he stood up abruptly, turned around and walked out of the tent with firm steps and a back view as solid as a mountain.
The curtains were lifted and then lowered, taking away a suffocating, chilling atmosphere.
On the battlefield, life and death are locked in a stalemate.
The 50,000-strong Imperial Guard of the Great Xia Dynasty, after an extremely fierce battle, suffered over 30% casualties, with every soldier wounded and their formation broken in many places. They held on only by their indomitable will and the belief that the border of their country lay behind them.
Like a tiger covered in wounds but still with its fangs intact, it repeatedly engaged in a tug-of-war and tearing battle with the Dongyi army, which still had the numerical advantage.
The Dragon Cavalry's charge greatly relieved the pressure on the front and triggered a large-scale rout of the Dongyi army. However, some fierce Dongyi soldiers, organized by their junior officers, still put up a stubborn resistance, and the battle did not immediately turn in one direction.
Just as the balance of victory was shifting wildly, and the nerves of both sides were stretched to the limit—
"Waaaaah—!!"
A completely different, piercingly sharp, and extremely mournful horn sound suddenly rang out from the opposite bank of the Onon River! This horn was neither made of metal nor leather, but seemed to be crafted from the horn of some giant beast.
The sound was extremely penetrating, instantly drowning out all the shouts, clashes of weapons, and neighing of warhorses on the battlefield. It pierced everyone's eardrums, bringing a strange chill and a sense of unease.
Upon hearing the horn, the Dongyi soldiers were initially stunned, but then, as if injected with a powerful stimulant, their previously unfocused eyes regained their fervent light, and a chaotic yet resounding cheer erupted from the remaining ranks:
"It's the Sun Chasing Guard! General Changsheng's Sun Chasing Guard!"
"The silver wolves are coming! Kill them!" The charge, which had been showing signs of weakening, suddenly became fierce again.
Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty felt an invisible pressure suddenly descend upon them.
Especially those veterans who had experienced years of war in the North, upon hearing this distinctive bugle call, their expressions changed drastically: "It's the 'Wolf Howl Horn'! The Eastern Barbarian Huli Changsheng!"
As if to confirm the terrifying horn sound, a strange change suddenly occurred on the pontoon bridge on the opposite bank!
The pontoon bridge, which was already congested due to the influx of retreating soldiers, was now forcibly separated by an invisible force!
A dazzling silver torrent, moving against the tide of fleeing soldiers, rushed toward the Great Xia army formation at an astonishing speed!
Wherever it passed, the fleeing soldiers were like waves cleaved by a sharp blade, scattering in fear and some even being knocked directly into the river.