Chapter 154: Little Wan Has Been Naughty Again part 1
Arrows rained down along the banks of the Aibugai River.
The Great Wei army had deployed their elite forces well in advance. This strategy of waiting at ease for the exhausted enemy meant that Ashina Shaliâs troops were struck hard by flying arrows before they could even get close to the Wei ranks, suffering significant losses.
Following the twang of bowstrings, Turkic soldiers tumbled from their horses into the snowdrifts.
Although it was night, the blood-stained snow presented a spectacular, shocking color.
Seeing that the mounted archers were effective, Tang Tuan rejoiced inwardly. He raised his saber and shouted again, “Don’t stop the arrows! Keep shooting!”
The rain of arrows grew denser.
Wei Wanlan gazed into the distance with intense concentration. As the battle commenced, he proactively tightened his reins. This white horse was very clever; it charged when it needed to charge, and when it shouldn’t, it obediently hid behind the wall of soldiers, farming participation points from the most suitable position.
Judging by the current situation, the Wei army certainly held the upper hand. The Turkic forces were losing effective strength continuously before they even properly engaged.
However, there was something strange…
Wei Wanlan looked at the battlefield.
Why, when they clearly knew that the Great Wei mounted archers had laid a killing formation ahead, did Ashina Shaliâs troops still charge forward? It was practically like moths flying into a flame, dying one after another.
The doubt only lingered in Wei Wanlanâs mind for a split second.
Because immediately after, the first wail of grief rang out from the Great Wei formation. Wei Wanlan quickly cast his gaze over and saw that a corner of the swallow-wing formation had been breached by a group of Turkic cavalry that had luckily broken through.
Turkic scimitars slashed down. The soldiers who had been standing still to loose arrows were caught off guard; they seemingly hadn’t expected the enemy to be so fearless of death, nor so lucky as to break through the arrow rain. Wei soldiers were decapitated on the spot!
When that Wei soldierâs head flew off, his expression still held a look of terror.
Wei Wanlan closed his eyes, his heart stinging. He was afraid of blood.
The disruption of a corner of the formation was a serious warning.
More and more Turkic soldiers passed through the arrow rain to engage the Wei army in close combat. The mounted archers had to quickly abandon their bows for sabers. Some soldiers with slower hands couldn’t react in time; while still maintaining their posture of drawing the bow, they were cut down by scimitars.
Tang Tuan threw aside his bow and engaged in a chaotic melee with two Turkic soldiers.
He cut one down with a slash, finally realizing that he had been too greedy for merit during the archery phase earlier, leaving the Wei army slightly lacking in stamina for the close-quarters engagement.
He absolutely dared not lead the Turkic soldiers toward Wei Wanlan, yet he feared that overprotecting Wei Wanlan would reveal something to the Turks.
Tang Tuan gritted his teeth. The Little Emperorâs safety concerned not only the Bossâs trust but also the fate of Great Wei!
Tang Tuan raised his saber and went straight for Ashina Shali.
ââAs long as I kill the enemy Khan first, no one will have the time to pay attention to my Great Wei Emperor.
He spurred his horse forward, shaking his long saber. The blade reflected the snowâs light as he shouted, “Turkic Khan, accept your death! Iâm taking the credit for beheading the barbarian leader!”
At this moment, a wave of panic suddenly swept through the Turkic formation. The Turkic soldiers looked at each other in that instant, for no one had expected a main general of the Wei army to charge in alone.
But what the Wei army hadn’t expected was that the Khan, Ashina Shali, did not retreat but advanced. With a flash of his scimitar, he personally led his guard to charge, meeting Tang Tuan head-on. The two forces clashed in the snowy field, Modao and scimitar striking out large sparks.
Tang Tuanâs arm went numb!
He had never fought Ashina directly before and didn’t know the extent of the other’s martial prowess. Only after crossing blades did Tang Tuan see the muscles on Ashina Shaliâs arms bulging powerfully beneath his leather armor. His dark red face, covered in blood and grime, revealed a ferocious expression; his body was like a giant beast.
The Turkic Khan spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, his voice hoarse: “Keyunya, usiku disku…”
This was cursing him: Little lamb, you overestimate yourself.
Tang Tuanâs brow sank. He couldn’t tolerate such an insult and followed up with several more slashes. “Nonsense! Take this!” This Turkic leader had just been taught a lesson by the Regent King; Tang Tuan refused to show weakness and fought on.
He thought that after being chased from Iron Mountain to the banks of the Aibugai River, Ashina would be exhausted and at the end of his tether. Who knew that after several rounds, Ashina Shaliâs fighting spirit had not diminished? At this time, several Turkic generals joined the fray. The interception battle turned into a chaotic melee, the sound of horse hooves everywhere!
Someone on the battlefield shouted, “Prince of Chengen!”
Seemingly hearing that Wei Wanlan might be in danger, Tang Tuan was suddenly distracted. Several Turkic generals launched their weapons simultaneously. Tang Tuan was immediately hard-pressed, a trace of panic appearing on his face.
A Wei general hurriedly shouted, “General Tang is in trouble, reinforce immediatelyâ” As he spoke, several more generals joined the chaotic fight in the wind and snow.
The heavy snow mixed with the sparks struck from clashing blades.
Silver-white and fiery red shone against the night sky. The colors were eerily magnificent, with figures moving ceaselessly.
But the Turkic soldiers’ will to survive was extraordinarily strong. Several scimitars surrounded Tang Tuan, as if erecting a giant meat grinder around the main general of the Wei interception force.
Tang Tuan left an opening in front of him and was stabbed heavily!
“General Tang…”
“General Tang!!!”
The Great Wei army was instantly thrown into turmoil.
The blade pierced through the gaps in his armor into his flank, causing blood to gush out instantly from between the plates. The blood mixed with the melting snow on the surface of the armor, immediately forming several mottled patterns, the color shocking to the eye.
Tang Tuanâs body trembled on horseback, nearly losing his grip on the saber as he struggled to maintain his balance.
Ashina Shali laughed wildly again, raising his saber to slash. The Wei generals hurriedly supported him, two or three blades withstanding Ashina Shaliâs fierce attack.
Wei Wanlan watched the battle closely from a distance.
A pair of doe eyes reflected the interface of the Sage Emperor Cultivation System. He had already scouted the item: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell Amulet.
He concentrated. He had originally selected this item hoping that this amulet could temporarily keep him alive amidst the chaos of the army.
Wei Wanlan had thought they would definitely win, and that as long as he stayed alive to get enough participation points, he wouldn’t drag everyone down.
But he never expected that the Turks, with no way of retreat, would be so ferocious. There was actually a possibility they could lose this interception battle.
If the Wei army lost and the interception failed, allowing Ashina Shali to return to the Royal Court to recuperate, all the advantages they had fought so hard for would be lost. And he himself was likely to be caught up in the military formation…
ââIf the Emperor dies, it implicates the entire Great Wei.
A cold drop of sweat slowly rolled down his forehead.
A loud bang came from the battle circle. Ashina Shaliâs scimitar flicked toward a Wei generalâs right hand. The wrist guard exploded with a bang, the weapon was flung several steps away, and half an arm spun as it fell into the snow, the fingers still curling, the dripping blood dazzling!
The generals all cried out, “General Chen!”
The general named Chen looked down to see his arm lost. His brow lowered slightly, knowing in his heart that tonight’s battle was grim. Instead of retreating, he drew another saber from his waist and shouted, “I’ll hold this barbarian thief! You all attack together! Press him into hell and avenge me…”
Before he finished speaking, he had already smashed toward Ashina Shali like an arrow from a bow.
As the Wei general approached, Ashina Shali adjusted his reins to brush past his horse, backhanding his scimitar to stab straight through the spine, piercing General Chen through the heart.
Ashinaâs voice shook the snowy field, using stiff Central Plains dialect:
“This Khan is a soaring eagle! I will surely lead my people back to the Royal Court!”
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