Chapter 1526
Encirclement in Multiple Layers, Jingse Army Emerges!
Chapter 1526 Encirclement in Multiple Layers, Jingse Army Emerges!
"Charge with me! Break through their mid-lane connection!"
He spurred his yellow horse with both legs, and the warhorse reared up with a neigh. As its front hooves landed, Qin Qiong charged out like an arrow. His tiger-headed golden spear danced, and golden-red energy swirled around its tip. Wherever it passed, the leather armor of the Mongol cavalry was easily pierced as if it were made of paper. Blood splattered in the swirling snow and instantly congealed into tiny droplets.
This is Qin Qiong's way of commanding. He remained calm in the face of danger, and his orders were as firm as iron. The advantage of the Imperial Guards Cavalry lay in their strong armor, sharp weapons, and well-trained discipline, rather than the Mongol cavalry's skill in flanking maneuvers. Therefore, he abandoned the idea of engaging the enemy in open battle and instead concentrated his forces to attack the gap between the Mongol left flank and the central Kheshig army.
The gap was already narrow, and the Mongols had filled it tightly with their cavalry. But under Qin Qiong's command, the Yulin elite cavalry's wedge formation was like a nimble black snake, sometimes charging straight ahead, sometimes slicing sideways. The spearmen in the front row were responsible for tearing open the defenses, while the archers in the back row accurately shot down the Mongol cavalry trying to fill the gap. Every movement was seamlessly connected, and every advance was steady and solid.
"Maintain distance! Don't linger in the fight!"
Qin Qiong charged forward while shouting loudly.
Although the Mongol cavalry were fierce and brave, they were ultimately a patchwork of tribal allied forces. Under such a highly disciplined attack, the originally tight defense gradually began to loosen. At the junction of the central route and the left flank, the elite Imperial Guards cavalry tore open a gap two zhang wide.
"Charge! Don't look back!"
A glint of light flashed in Qin Qiong's eyes, and his tiger-headed golden spear pointed directly in the direction of Fengzhou City.
But at that moment, an even more intense sound of hooves came from the edge of the wasteland, dust billowing and obscuring the sky—the Mongol cavalry patrolling around Fengzhou City had noticed the battle situation here and were converging on the battlefield in an endless stream, their numbers increasing like a rising tide, instantly submerging the newly torn gap once again.
Qin Qiong's heart sank. He reined in his horse and scanned his surroundings.
At this moment, the five thousand elite Imperial Guards were surrounded by the Mongol cavalry. On the left flank were the stubbornly resisting Mongol cavalry, on the right flank were the fresh troops that were outflanking them, in front of them were the Kheshig troops that were pressing forward step by step, and behind them were the scouts who were constantly coming. They were truly trapped in a desperate situation where they were attacked from both sides.
Snowflakes mixed with dust and blood landed on the soldiers' faces, many of whom already showed signs of exhaustion. The shield wall was riddled with arrows, and the black iron armor was covered with more and more scratches. The casualty figures were rising steadily.
He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his face, but his heart remained unshaken. Years of fighting had taught him that the most terrifying thing on the battlefield was never the number of enemies, but the chaos and despair within himself.
"Form a circular formation!"
Qin Qiong gave the order again in a loud voice.
"Front row with shields, middle row with spears, and rear row with archers and crossbowmen firing alternately!"
The moment the order was given, the five thousand elite Imperial Guards cavalry swiftly adjusted their formation, changing from a cone-shaped charge formation to a circular defensive formation. Shield bearers formed an impenetrable shield wall on the outer perimeter, while spearmen extended their spears from the gaps in the shields like the quills of a hedgehog. The archers split into two groups inside the formation, one firing and the other nocking their bows. A rain of arrows poured down on the approaching Mongol cavalry like a continuous stream.
Holding a tiger-headed golden spear, Qin Qiong stood in the center of the circular formation, his eyes blazing, constantly adjusting the center of his defense.
"Strengthen defenses on the left flank! The main Mongol force is over there!"
"Suppress the archers on the right! Don't let them get close to the shield wall!"
"Treat the wounded in the back and fill the gaps in the front!"
The Mongol cavalry surged like a tide, repeatedly charging the circular formation, yet they could not break through the defensive line built of flesh and steel. The Kheshig's scimitars struck the shield wall with dull thuds, leaving only shallow white marks; the Mongol scouts' arrows, though dense, were suppressed by the archers' counterattacks. Yet, amidst the snowstorm, Qin Qiong, watching the ever-growing number of Mongol cavalry outside, grew increasingly heavy-hearted. Such a steadfast defense could not last. The elite Imperial Guards, though formidable, could not withstand the enemy's relentless attacks. Casualties were piling up, the soldiers' strength was dwindling, and Mongol reinforcements continued to arrive.
If this continues, it won't be long before these five thousand elite Imperial Guards will exhaust their last bit of strength on this wasteland.
"Iron-blooded sharpening of the blade, loyalty revealed in desperate situations."
Qin Qiong sighed inwardly, gripping the tiger-headed golden spear in his hand even tighter.
Just then, a deafening dragon roar suddenly came from the direction of Fengzhou City in the distance. Golden and blue qi, like a pillar of light soaring into the sky, instantly pierced through the snow and dust.
Qin Qiong's heart stirred, and he looked up to see the city gate behind Fengzhou City slowly opening. A figure in black rushed out like an arrow released from a bow. The exotic dragon horse beneath him trod on snow-white hooves, moving with astonishing speed. As he wielded the Overturning Sea and Supporting the Sky Dragon Spear, golden and blue qi condensed into the shape of a dragon. Wherever he passed, Mongol cavalrymen fell to the ground like grass being cut down. Not one of them could withstand a single move from him.
"It's General Yinglong!"
A member of the Imperial Guards shouted loudly, his voice filled with excitement.
Yinglong has arrived!
A burning light flashed in Qin Qiong's eyes, and the heaviness in his heart instantly dissipated.
"Brothers! Reinforcements have arrived! Follow me and fight your way out!"
He raised his tiger-headed golden spear and shouted loudly.
The elite Yulin knights in the circular formation were greatly encouraged. Their previously exhausted bodies were instantly filled with strength. The shield bearers pushed aside the shield wall, the spearmen charged forward with their spears, and the archers fired a final volley of arrows. Following Yinglong's footsteps, they rushed towards the weak point of the Mongol army formation.
Qin Qiong took the lead, his Tiger-Headed Golden Spear echoing Yinglong's Overturning Sea and Sky-Supporting Dragon Spear. The two streams of energy, one golden and one blue, intertwined on the battlefield, like two coiling dragons, invincible.
At that moment, an even more exciting scene unfolded—the gates of Fengzhou City were fully opened, and three hundred heavy cavalrymen clad in black iron armor charged out first. Their warhorses were also covered in heavy armor, with only their eyes and limbs showing. They held eighteen-foot-long lances in their hands, the tips of which gleamed with a cold light. These were none other than Zhao Kuangyin's trump card—the Jingse Army!
These three hundred Jingse soldiers were a heavy cavalry elite force that Zhao Kuangyin had painstakingly built over several years. Their heavy iron armor weighed dozens of kilograms and could not be penetrated by ordinary swords. Their lances were as long as eighteen feet and when they charged, they were like battering rams with immense power.
After rushing out of the city gate, they quickly formed a wedge formation and continued their charge on the path cleared by Yinglong. With each thrust of their lances, the leather armor and bones of the Mongol cavalry were easily pierced as if made of paper. Where the heavily armored warhorses trampled, Mongol soldiers were crushed into a bloody pulp, tearing a larger gap in the Mongol army's formation.
Following closely behind the Jingse Army were five thousand Night Fiend Iron Cavalry. Although they had experienced the fierce defense of Fengzhou City and were more or less scarred, they were still in high spirits. Their wolf-skin banners fluttered in the wind and snow, and their scimitars made a uniform hum when they were drawn.
This was most of the cavalry force that Zhao Kuangyin could currently mobilize. At this moment, in order to support Qin Qiong and to protect Fengzhou City, he did not hesitate to send out this elite force.
Five thousand Night Fiend cavalry split into two wings, like two black torrents, spreading out to both sides along the road cleared by the Jingse army, completely scattering the Mongol army formation that was trying to regroup.
(End of this chapter)