Chapter 69: Fire Horses Break the Enemy
Chapter 69: Fire Horses Break the Enemy
September 25, 2017
Many thanks to 'Ka Zh Ka', '150819201523407', 'Jiayouta Jiumeiyou', and 'Lin Yiyan' for their generous support!
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Zhang Ke's only concern was accidentally letting Lu Hai Kong escape, but as for taking down this mountain bandit camp, he was quite confident.
In his opinion, Lu Hai Kong and his gang were only relying on the ten Near-Vassals under his command, using a surprise attack to capture the Dark Wind Fort and their merchant caravan. They had no real skills, which was why they had to keep hiding.
Although Lu Hai Kong's ten or so Near-Vassals were indeed formidable, Zhang Ke believed that with his own thousand elite soldiers, a mere ten Near-Vassals were nothing to worry about.
It should be known that Zhang Ke was no ordinary aristocrat's son; he had some real talent. In his youth, he had served in the Border Army and had experienced real battlefields, having crawled back from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He wouldn't put much stock in a small-time bandit like Lu Hai Kong.
Under his command, the county troops cautiously advanced from the front of the bandit camp.
The reason Zhang Ke chose a frontal assault was to maximize the advantage of their numbers and quickly capture the camp. He didn't think a small camp like this required any clever strategies; a straightforward overwhelming force was the correct and simplest approach.
As the saying goes, a skilled warrior achieves victory without glory.
Truly invincible generals often avoid using cunning and risky strategies. They are adept at utilizing their own power, combining their strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, and using their advantages to influence the entire battle.
Zhang Ke's strategy seemed to follow this principle, though it was merely an appearance. He simply had absolute confidence in his soldiers.
The Zhang family, despite their many flaws, had been diligent in one aspect: the county troops under Zhang Ke's command.
These troops not only received significant financial support from Shanwu County but also the Zhang family's dedicated efforts. Aside from that, the soldiers Zhang Ke brought were all stronger than average bandit chiefs, and their equipment made other bandit chiefs envious.
Although these soldiers didn't wear metal or leather armor, their fine iron weapons were a significant advantage over ordinary bandit chiefs.
Even Lu Hai Kong, Wang Chao, and Ma Han only used fine iron weapons. As for Lu Hai Kong's remaining bandit underlings, they all used wooden-handled weapons and rusty iron sabers. The ordinary bandits had it even worse.
The reason for this was simple: weapons were too expensive. The cheapest fine iron weapon cost 10 gold, and equipping an entire unit cost 10,000 gold.
These soldiers also had helmets made of leather and fine iron, and each county soldier's equipment, including weapons and helmets, cost 25 gold. With additional expenses for provisions, Zhang Ke had invested over 50,000 gold in these troops.
The only thing they lacked was armor, as the cheapest set cost over a hundred gold, and the Zhang family was unwilling to provide it. Otherwise, Zhang Ke would not only look down on Lu Hai Kong's camp but might even consider challenging the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes.
Under Zhang Ke's command, the troops advanced in a well-formed formation, appearing quite disciplined and formidable.
However, as the soldiers moved forward, a sense of unease began to spread in Zhang Ke's heart.
The situation was amiss, and it was quite odd. As they traveled along the road, they encountered no resistance from the bandits at all, which was rather peculiar. Could it be that this entire mountain stronghold was defended by only those few individuals?
Amidst this unease, Zhang Ke was extra cautious, even deliberately slowing their pace and deploying more soldiers. A mountain path that should have taken only thirty minutes to traverse now took nearly an hour due to Zhang Ke's meticulous vigilance.
It wasn't until they were about a hundred meters away from the stronghold that Zhang Ke's heart finally eased a little.
The stronghold was surrounded by a ten-meter-high natural boulder wall that had been slightly modified. However, it seemed to have only a handful of bandits, which meant that the stronghold likely had only Lu Hai Kong and his dozen or so men.
"Dispatch troops and surround the stronghold!" Zhang Li ordered his deputy beside him. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry of livestock pierced the air.
"What was that sound?" A sense of unease stronger than before gripped them, and Zhang Ke's face involuntarily showed signs of panic.
At that moment, a young man, seemingly sixteen or seventeen years old with a handsome face, appeared atop the wall carrying a large ornate battle axe.
"I am Lu Hai Kong, the newly appointed chief of this stronghold. Upon hearing that the officials were coming, I have prepared several well-fed horses for your use, please feel free to take them!" Lu Hai Kong announced.
As Lu Hai Kong's words fell, the stronghold's gates were opened by Wang Chao Ma Han. Dozens of horses with fireballs tied to their tails charged out, rushing towards Zhang Ke's troops.
"Not good! Quick, get off the mountain path and into the forest!" Zhang Ke was almost driven mad. The mountain path was only two meters wide, and although there were forests on both sides, the trees were densely packed near the path, entangled with vines. Only a few could enter the forest; most of them could only stand on the path.
Zhang Ke had been puzzled earlier by the dense trees and vines near the path, and now he realized it was deliberately prepared for their journey.
Zhang Ke reacted swiftly, but before the dozens of frenzied horses charged, most of his men could only stand on the path.
In this critical moment, Zhang Ke remained calm. Although not entirely composed, he made a decisive decision. However, he forgot that his troops were mostly new recruits, not battle-hardened soldiers.
Under these circumstances, how could they form a spear formation?
Amidst the chaos of the county troops, the dozens of crazed horses with fireballs charged forward, trampling and injuring countless soldiers. The once orderly formation was now in complete disarray.
"Let's use our weapons to give these officials a proper welcome!"
Eleven riders charged out from the stronghold's gates, led by Lu Hai Kong and ten other near-vassal-level warriors.
Under Lu Hai Kong's command, the eleven formed a cone-shaped formation and charged into Zhang Ke's so-called elite troops, who were now in complete disarray, either fleeing in panic or lying injured on the roadside.
A bloody slaughter was about to unfold!
...
Regarding updates, during the new book period, there will be a fixed schedule of one chapter in the morning at 8 AM and one chapter in the evening at 6 PM. If there are generous rewards, there might be additional chapters.
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(End of Chapter)
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