https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-170-Mountain-Opening-Axe-vs-Fiendish-Eighteen-Sabers/13030959/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-172-Slaying-the-Historical-Warrior/13030961/
Chapter 171: Kite Tactics
Chapter 171: Kite Tactics
September 25, 2017
Special thanks to 'justforlhq' for the generous reward!
…………………………………………
Zhang Xiong's cavalry unit had long been within Lu HaiKong's line of sight. This well-equipped cavalry force had been used as a hypothetical enemy in discussions and exercises within the Flame Battalion on multiple occasions.
The Flame Battalion had devised several strategies to counter this heavily-armed cavalry force.
While these plans had never been put into actual practice, it wasn't a significant concern. After all, testing strategies in real combat was a regular occurrence for the Flame Battalion.
The commander for this battle was not the Third Battalion's captain, Zhao Gang, but rather the vice-captain, Wang Yi. Both agreed that Wang Yi would be better suited to lead against this particular enemy.
Under Wang Yi's command, their bandit cavalry maintained a distance from Zhang Xiong's cavalry, neither too close nor too far. Initially, Zhang Xiong thought his opponents were being timid, but he soon realized he had overthought it; they were simply keeping their distance.
As soon as Zhang Xiong's cavalry charged, the Third Battalion began a disciplined retreat.
On one side was a fully-armored cavalry unit, and on the other, lightly-equipped bandits. With a considerable distance between them, it was impossible for Zhang Xiong's cavalry to catch up once the Third Battalion was determined to retreat.
After chasing them for a while, Zhang Xiong realized he couldn't get the better of them. Just as he was about to give up and retreat, he noticed the bandits had turned back.
Several dozen members of the Flame Battalion, mounted on horses and armed with bows, approached. Once within range, they unleashed a volley of arrows, then skillfully retreated beyond Zhang Xiong's archers' reach.
Watching dozens of arrows take down only a few of his men, Zhang Xiong was shocked, even though the losses were minor. He couldn't believe battles could be fought this way.
This scenario repeated itself. Whenever Zhang Xiong's cavalry charged, the bandits retreated, and whenever Zhang Xiong tried to retreat, Wang Yi would use their superior mobility and the Flame Battalion members' martial prowess to launch another arrow attack.
Although each assault only took down a few of Zhang Xiong's men, it significantly demoralized his troops.
After several repetitions, Zhang Xiong himself was on the verge of collapse. Leading his cavalry, he began to flee towards the mountain camp. This battle was impossible to win; it felt like they were being bullied. If this continued, he feared his entire cavalry force would be annihilated without inflicting a single injury on the enemy.
However, now that Zhang Xiong had been lured out, returning wasn't going to be easy.
As soon as Zhang Xiong's cavalry began to retreat, the Flame Battalion members pursued, harassing them from behind and blocking their escape. It had taken Zhang Xiong only a few minutes to chase the Third Battalion out of the Dark Wind Fort, but it took him over half an hour to try to return.
Watching his knights fall one by one, Zhang Xiong deeply regretted his decision to give chase.
While Zhang Xiong was filled with regret, Zhao Gang and his men were jubilant. This battle was too easy, especially towards the end when they could just chase and shoot. Zhang Xiong's cavalry, during the pursuit, either had their horses shot, forcing them to stop, or were hit through the gaps in their armor and fell from their mounts.
Zhao Gang and his men continued their pursuit, killing some of the unfortunate cavalrymen and finishing off the wounded with a slash. They then stripped the fallen soldiers of their equipment.
After nearly an hour of relentless pursuit, Zhang Xiong's heavily armored cavalry unit was pushed to its limits. The stamina of both the riders and their mounts was severely tested, causing their speed to gradually decrease. As the Flame Battalion relentlessly pursued, the number of cavalrymen dwindled further.
When Zhang Xiong's cavalry was reduced to a mere hundred, Wang Yi's bandit cavalry suddenly accelerated, maneuvering around to block Zhang Xiong's path just as they were about to reach the gates of Dark Wind Fort.
Wang Yi was clearly putting an end to this cat-and-mouse battle.
Blocked and with no way forward, Zhang Xiong showed remarkable determination, shouting, "We're as good as dead anyway! Charge with me! Let's kill as many as we can!"
Zhang Xiong's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck bulged as he roared, ready to lead the charge.
But the bandit cavalry in front of him unleashed a rain of arrows, then quickly retreated, leaving Zhang Xiong's cavalry unit stunned and disoriented.
As they reeled from the arrow attack, the Flame Battalion charged in, their aura fierce and intimidating.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiong's eyes lit up, and he felt a surge of emotion, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
Finally, he thought, we're going to have a real battle!
For the first time, Zhang Xiong realized how fortunate it was to be close to the enemy. Even though his cavalry unit might be wiped out today, he preferred dying by the sword to the humiliation of being shot down by arrows.
Moreover, Zhang Xiong had hoped to take a few enemies with him.
However, Zhang Xiong had no intention of fleeing. Though he was a bandit himself, he valued loyalty, and after Wang Hao entrusted him with this cavalry unit, he couldn't bear to return having lost it all. How could he face Wang Hao again?
Death was the best way to atone, he thought.
But despite his loyalty, Zhang Xiong's attempt to atone through death was likely futile.
As the Flame Battalion members charged in, Zhang Xiong's fate was no longer in his hands. These soldiers were all formidable, with strength ratings above forty. Many had even surpassed fifty or sixty after the battle at Iron Stronghold, making them near-warrior level.
In contrast, Zhang Xiong's cavalry had strength ratings around thirty, no match for the Flame Battalion. Exhausted and weakened, their combat effectiveness was less than half of their usual capacity, leaving them unable to resist the Flame Battalion's assault.
In just thirty minutes, the Flame Battalion annihilated Zhang Xiong's cavalry, intentionally minimizing casualties and preserving the opponents' equipment. If they had aimed for pure carnage, this time could have been reduced by two-thirds.
Zhang Xiong, prepared to atone in death, initially wanted to take a few enemies with him. But when he attacked, he found that those surrounding him were almost as strong as he was. Unable to kill anyone, he was eventually knocked unconscious by Zhao Gang, who had joined the fray, and was captured alive.
Thus, after more than an hour, the battle between the two cavalry units concluded.
The Flame Battalion emerged victorious without any casualties, capturing Zhang Xiong, confiscating two hundred sets of equipment, and seizing a hundred horses.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
