Chapter 1443
Deploying Troops and Countering Moves
Chapter 1443 Deploying Troops and Countering Moves
On the right flank of the battlefield, Tian Zaibiao finally received Wu Qi's command flag.
Suddenly, the red command flag of the central army was waved downwards, and the drummers beat the "charge drum," the "dong-dong-dong" sound deafening.
"White Tiger Riders, charge with me!"
A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Tian Zaibiao's eyes, and he suddenly swung his eighteen-foot-long golden silk rattan spear.
"kill!"
The three thousand White Tiger Riders roared in unison, their voices booming like thunder.
Tian Zaibiao rode his fiery steed, Wanli Huolong, to the lead, followed closely by cavalrymen in white horses and silver armor. Their hooves, though wrapped in hemp cloth, still made a thunderous sound as they charged toward the right flank of the Yellow Turban Army.
The Right Sentinel Army was a fire-based formation, skilled in attack but not in defense against cavalry charges. When they saw the White Tiger Cavalry charging over, the soldiers immediately panicked and raised their spears to try to block them.
"Brothers, throw the ball first!"
Tian Zaibiao shouted loudly and took the lead in taking the chain-shaped electric ball from his back and throwing it forcefully at the right sentry's formation.
The other White Tiger Knights followed suit, and dozens of balls flew through the air in arcs, landing in the right sentry ranks.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The projectiles thrown by the White Tiger Cavalry, specially made by the Mo family craftsmen of the Divine Martial Hall, exploded upon landing, emitting blinding white light and crackling sounds, with many sparks splashing onto the soldiers' armor.
The soldiers of the right sentry were blinded by the white light and their ears were ringing from the crackling sound, causing their formation to fall into disarray instantly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tian Zaibiao led the White Tiger Cavalry in and charged in. The eighteen-foot golden silk soft rattan spears pierced out like venomous snakes, instantly piercing through the armor of a soldier. The hooves of the Fire Dragon Steed were like iron hooves, crushing the soldiers in front of them and breaking their bones.
"Oh no! The enemy cavalry has charged in!"
The commander of the right flank shouted, trying to organize his soldiers to counterattack, but the chaotic formation made it impossible to form an effective defense.
The White Tiger Cavalry charged through the Right Sentinel Army's ranks like tigers among sheep. Wherever they went, soldiers fell to the ground, screams, the clash of weapons, and the neighing of warhorses mingling together in a chaotic scene.
When Xu Da saw the White Tiger Cavalry break through the right flank's formation, his expression instantly turned serious.
"Send the order! The central army's Golden Formation, send half of its forces to support the right flank! Also, order Dijiang to lead his cavalry to intercept that White Tiger Cavalry!"
As soon as Xu Da gave the order, Di Jiang picked up his double halberds and mounted his horse, with Zhu Jiuyin following closely behind. The two of them led three thousand Yellow Turban cavalrymen straight to the right flank. This force was a mobile force that Xu Da had specially reserved. Although their horses were not as swift as the White Tiger Cavalry, they were better off with heavy armor and the riders were all veterans who had been through many battles.
"Go quickly and return quickly, just keep them occupied, no need to fight them head-on!"
Xu Da shouted instructions under the general's flag, but his command flag never stopped moving.
"The Left Wing Army's formation will shrink three feet further to fill the gap left by the cavalry's withdrawal! Let Jiang Xiaobai's powerful allied forces push to the right flank front and form a 'fish scale formation' to prevent the enemy from outflanking us!"
Jiang Xiaobai cursed Xu Da eight hundred times in his heart, but dared not be negligent—the fish scale formation is composed of countless small square formations, like fish scales intertwined. It can not only prevent cavalry charges, but also quickly shrink the defense. It is one of the formations that powerful private soldiers are most good at.
The private soldiers, clad in fine iron armor, quickly adjusted their positions, their shields stacked upon each other, and their spears peeking out from the gaps, instantly forming a temporary defensive line on the right flank.
Meanwhile, Xu Da's central army's metal formation also made a slight adjustment, with the archers and crossbowmen in the rear moving forward to form a crossfire with the water formation on the left flank, clearly to prevent Wu Qi from taking the opportunity to break through from other directions.
"Xu Da, that old fox, is quick to fill in the gaps."
Wu Qi, watching from the upper floor, took in all of this, and his smile deepened.
"Order Generals Sun Wukong and Shen Yuan to lead guerrilla cavalry to flank the right flank and entangle Dijiang and Zhujiuyin! Remember, delay them without killing them, and prevent them from returning to reinforce!"
He tapped the railing with his fingertip, giving the order to the signalman: "Switch to the 'Encirclement Drum,' boom-boom-stop-boom!"
At the same time, he shouted to the drummer that this "entanglement drum" had a fast and slow rhythm and was specially used to direct entanglement tactics. The guerrilla knights immediately understood when they heard the drum.
"Senior brother, come with me, Old Sun, to have another go at those two old bastards!"
Sun Wukong could no longer contain himself. He swung his golden cudgel, and golden energy stirred up a cloud of dust.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. We didn't get enough fun just now, let's continue this time!"
Shen Yuan tapped the white jade pillar on his horse's back and laughed heartily.
The two men led two thousand lightly armored guerrilla cavalry, charging towards the right flank like two bolts of lightning, and blocked the cavalry of Dijiang and Zhujiuyin.
"It's you two hairy monkeys again!"
Dijiang roared and swung his twin halberds, unleashing a silver spatial aura that slashed at the guerrilla cavalry formation. Zhujiuyin, standing to the side, also activated his Time Staff, attempting to slow down Sun Wukong's speed.
But guerrilla cavalry are adept at close combat, and the soldiers quickly spread out the tripwires they carried with them—these tripwires were made of raw cowhide mixed with caltrops, a "cheap magic weapon" against cavalry, often used to disrupt the charging formation.
"Want some support?"
Sun Wukong swept his golden cudgel, knocking away all the tripwires, and his golden energy directly collided with Dijiang's spatial energy.
"You got away just now, let's see where you run this time!"
Shen Yuan charged straight at Zhu Jiuyin, his towering white jade pillar crashing to the ground. The white jade-colored energy shook several cavalrymen around Zhu Jiuyin, causing them to fall from their horses.
The four clashed again. Dijiang's spatial cutting and Zhujiuyin's time erosion, combined with Sun Wukong's ferocity and Shenyuan's brute force, resulted in a stalemate once more. The three thousand Yellow Turban cavalry were tightly bound by the guerrilla cavalry, unable to support the right flank army or even break free themselves.
"You two, go! Shen, use your illusion magic to disrupt the enemy cavalry formation; Fei, use your poison magic to restrain that cavalry general! Take your two elite troops and another two thousand light cavalry, and make sure to stop the White Tiger Cavalry!"
Xu Da's eyelids twitched as he watched from the front lines, secretly marveling at how troublesome Wu Qi was. He then turned to Shen and Fei beside him and said in a deep voice.
"Remember, prioritize maintaining your formation and don't let the enemy break through. The left flank's water-based formation will support you from the side!"
He paused and added.
"Don't worry, Commander."
The mirage, clad in a long, silver-white robe, moved without wind and nodded slightly.
"Where the poisonous fog passes, not a blade of grass grows; that white-horse cavalryman won't live a day!"
Fei licked his chapped lips, a sinister glint flashing in his dark green eyes, as he lightly tapped the ground with his bone staff.
The two immediately led three thousand men and set off again. Shen's elite troops were mostly lightly armored soldiers skilled in concealment, holding blowguns coated with sleeping potions; Fei's subordinates carried earthenware jars filled with poison mist and had poisoned short knives hanging at their waists, clearly skilled in underhanded tactics.
"Order Wu Zhiqi to lead two thousand elite troops to attack and stop Shen! His water-based qi can break illusions, so don't let the Yellow Turban rebels get close to the White Tiger Cavalry!"
Upon seeing Shen and Fei leading their troops out, Wu Qi immediately discerned Xu Da's intentions and gave orders to his personal guards.
"Send a signal to Tian Zaibiao. Fei is skilled in poisons. Tell him to prepare 'antidote pills'. The White Tiger Cavalry's armor is coated with 'herb ointment', which can protect against common poisons—this is a backup plan we prepared in advance, and it's time to use it!"
He then gave a hand signal to the signalman.
This "Hundred Herbs Ointment" is a unique secret recipe of the Hengzhou Army. It is made by boiling more than ten kinds of herbs such as mugwort, calamus, and honeysuckle. When applied to armor, it can not only repel insects but also neutralize most plant toxins. Similar herbs are often used to prevent miasma. Wu Qi simply improved it for use on the battlefield.
(End of this chapter)