Free Web NovelChapter 604: 688 Crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, 7 advances and 7 retreats
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao and several Yellow Turban Army leaders beside him looked towards the front line of the Song Army’s defense.
Zhang Jiao furrowed his brows, "Let’s hope there aren’t many of these demons left."
If the Song Army had an endless supply of such "demons," then today’s decisive battle would certainly end in a crushing defeat.
He could only gamble because dragging on like this would also mean losing, as the troops would gradually diminish, leaving no choice but to go all out.
In a vow to fight to the death, he burned his supplies, cutting off his own retreat, intending to fight the Song Army with no way back.
"Prepare the catapults!" Zhang Jiao raised his hand, and in the troop behind him, catapults as tall as small mountains were readied, and Yellow Turban soldiers began to load them. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
However, the Song Army was three miles away, beyond the attack range of the catapults, so Zhang Jiao had to wait for the Song Army to get closer before launching.
"Prepare the crossbow carriages and archers..."
Crossbow carriages were also brought out, loaded with specially made crossbow arrows, infused with True Qi, which even Innate Martial Artists wouldn’t dare to withstand if within effective range.
For this decisive battle, Zhang Jiao had taken out everything he had.
This battle could only be won, not lost.
However, Zhao Qianyi had already calculated this point; three miles was outside the range of the catapults but not outside the range of the Red Barbarian Cannons.
"Prepare." Zhao Qianyi drew Tianwen, pointing it diagonally towards the sky, followed by the command "Open fire" uttered from her mouth.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Dozens of earth-shattering explosions erupted across the plains where the two armies faced off, with fiery serpents a fathom long surging out wildly and majestically.
Even though the horses’ ears were covered in advance, they were still frightened, letting out terrified whinnies.
The Song army soldiers close to the Red Barbarian Cannons had their ears ringing from the shock.
BOOM!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The shells fell and exploded within the Yellow Turban Army’s formation, creating pits half a fathom deep, with many people blasted to pieces, sending bodies flying. The formation instantly descended into chaos.
"Again, it’s happening again."
"Run, run, the Duke of Thunder has manifested."
"The government troops are unbeatable, let’s surrender."
"Ah——"
Screams, wails, and pleas for mercy arose continuously.
The Yellow Turban Army’s front line was blown into a disordered retreat, fleeing backwards.
But they were quickly killed by the impromptu supervision team assembled by Zhang Jiao.
"Deserters in battle, kill!" The supervision team’s ruthless slaughter cooled the retreating Yellow Turban soldiers’ heads, reducing the chaos significantly.
This scene was all captured in Zhao Qianyi’s eyes. She stood in front of the great army, raising her sword to the sky once more.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The second round of bombing began.
Currently, the shells left in her hand allowed for only three more rounds; after three rounds, it would be a bloody battle.
Zhang Jiao had already become internally disorganized, seeing the Song Army’s demons beginning another bombardment, believing they surely had many more. No longer able to wait, he realized that if bombarded like this, even the supervision team couldn’t stop them.
"Charge!" Zhang Jiao’s eyes turned ruthless, deciding to pile people up as the solution.
"Pause the artillery, archers ready!" Seeing the ant bandits launch their charge, Zhao Qianyi ordered.
The personal soldiers behind her waved the command flag as the archers stepped forward.
In a few breaths, a volley of ten thousand arrows was unleashed.
The Yellow Turban bandits at the forefront were directly shot dead by the volley of arrows.
However, there were simply too many of the Yellow Turban soldiers, who still managed to charge forward.
The two armies were now locked in a chaotic melee.
Seeing this, Zhang Jiao immediately ordered the catapults and crossbows to fire!
"Our men are... at the front," a personal soldier reminded.
"I told you to shoot," Zhang Jiao, naturally aware, decided to exchange life for life as they had more men and could afford it.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."
Soon, massive stones, accompanied by the sound of wind, harshly crashed into the chaotic battlefield.
This indiscriminate attack caused casualties on both sides.
Upon realizing this, Zhao Qianyi couldn’t help but frown.
The ant bandit leader’s move was truly ruthless.
Using the lives of the ant bandits to trade for those of the Imperial Guard.
"Fire Qilin Army, follow this commander and charge!"
Fortunately, Zhao Qianyi was not without preparations, and she switched from sword to spear, leading tens of thousands of cavalry charging towards the ant bandits’ rear.
"Kill!"
In the trampling and collision of warhorses, a path of blood was carved open on the left side of the battlefield, heading straight for the rear army of the ant bandits.
...
"With my True Qi, merge the essences of heaven and earth! Thunder, come!"
Realizing the Song Army cavalry was charging towards them, Zhang Jiao donned a Daoist robe, held the Nine-Section Staff high, chanting incantations.
In the next moment, the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, thunder booming.
"The Heavenly Duke General has manifested!"
"The virtuous teacher is invoking the Duke of Thunder for help."
Upon hearing the rolling thunder, the Yellow Turban Army lifted their morale somewhat.
"Break!"
Zhang Jiao, holding the Nine-Section Staff, pointed towards Zhao Qianyi’s direction, summoning a Silver Thunder from the sky, aimed at the cavalry Zhao Qianyi led.
Zhao Qianyi looked up, at the descending Silver Thunder, leaping off horseback with her spear in hand.
"Spear emerges like a dragon!"
With a fierce shout, accompanied by a sharp dragon’s roar, Zhao Qianyi broke the Silver Thunder with her spear, then landed back on horseback and resumed her charge.
"Face the enemy!" Zhang Jiao shouted, holding the Nine-Section Staff as he proclaimed, "Brothers, follow our Heavenly Duke General to deliver the people from suffering, and slaughter the court’s vile dogs."
However, his words had barely left his mouth.
The army saw the Song forces hurling numerous black objects towards them.
In the next second, BOOM BOOM BOOM...
A Yellow Turban soldier was blasted into the sky.
It turned out that Zhao Qianyi’s cavalry had hundreds carrying Fire Bottle Bombs, which they threw as they got close.
Many catapults and crossbow carriages were blown to pieces.
...
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Gripping the Nine-Section Staff with whitened knuckles, Zhang Jiao watched helplessly as Zhao Qianyi led her cavalry into the army, cleaving heads with each second.
The overwhelming firelight felt surreal to him.
The army’s morale was utterly shattered, causing a retreat that even the supervision team couldn’t halt as tens of thousands fled, resulting in trampling incidents.
"They’re here... they’re coming..."
"Run..."
"The Song Army is unbeatable..."
...
"Don’t retreat, obey me."
"Damn it, why run, fight back with me..."
The various leaders tried to stop their men from fleeing, even resorting to killing some in desperation.
Yet against the overwhelming momentum, it was ultimately futile.
Soon, Zhao Qianyi directly reached Zhang Jiao’s personal guard:
"Whoever takes Zhang Jiao’s head, I will reward with the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households."
The personal soldiers pulled Zhang Jiao back, saying, "Teacher! Teacher! We must go, it’s dangerous here..." freёwebnoѵel.com
...
...
There were simply too many of the Yellow Turban soldiers, which prevented Zhao Qianyi from getting close to Zhang Jiao, so she switched to a different strategy.
Quickly, they saw a female general clad in Golden Armor, charging back and forth through the Yellow Turban Army, unstoppable.
