The Big Horn Army might have used the technology from the ancient Turan people to train a group of soldiers who were skilled in fighting.
But for the sake of secrecy, they had never organized such a large scale battle before.
Regardless of whether it was Round Bone Club or Old Bearskin, they lacked experience in fighting against cavaliers. From a certain point of view, normal soldiers like them were also training targets. They could be sacrificed at any moment.
Meng Chao's words enlightened them. Round Bone Club and Old Bearskin were dumbfounded, and they sank into deep thought.
Meng Chao did not care about how shocked they were. He said methodically, "To be more specific, first, we should let everyone rest for the night. The period from now until dawn is the darkest period of the night. You won't be able to see your own fingers on the plains, so it's impossible for the pursuers to start a massacre.
"When dawn arrives, I suggest that we split into two groups. One group will dig pits and trenches to build a simple and hidden defense line around us.
"If we're really short on time and manpower, we won't be able to build a true defense line. Even if we lay down the weeds and tie them into knots, it'll be good if we can hold back the enemy's horses.
"Of course, the pursuers' charge will definitely be really strong. Knots, pits, and trenches won't be able to truly stop them.
"But more or less, we can reduce the pursuers' speed. It'll make them feel uncomfortable, as if they're fighting in a swamp. In fact, we'll even have the chance to jump on them while we're hiding in the bushes.
"We'll also have a group of people who can spread out to the area to gather the fleeing refugees.
"We don't need to go too far, and we don't need to find a lot of people either. Three to five hundred people will be enough for us to launch a decent counterattack.
"On the other hand, according to my observations, if we want to fight our pursuers head-on, we will be at a disadvantage in terms of weapons. For the sake of convenience in escaping, many of the Rat Folk warriors only carry thin and short swords. They don't carry long weapons that can restrain the cavalry's charge. As a result, they are easily killed by the enemy as if they are chopping vegetables.
"It's hard to find the raw materials to make long weapons on the plains. This problem is indeed hard to solve.
"My suggestion is to arrange for a group of people to lie in the path of the pursuers' charge, endure the fear of being trampled by the iron hooves, and focus on cutting the legs of the pursuers. Or wait for the pursuers to step over you, and then stab them in the stomach. If the main force of the pursuers is the Centaur Warriors, the stomach is their biggest weakness.
"Of course, with such a tactic, the casualties will definitely be very heavy.
"The Trampling Hooves of the Centaur Warriors are not so easy to withstand.
"There will definitely be many Ratfolk Warriors who won't even be able to draw their blades. They will be trampled by the Centaur Warriors' iron hooves until their tendons are broken and their bones broken.
"But this is the only way I can think of to delay the enemy's attack while using short weapons.
"If it were any other normal squad, they would definitely not be able to execute this tactic, but since we have the Great Horned Rat God's protection and are willing to sacrifice ourselves for him at any moment, then … let's just treat it as if it's a dead horse and kill it!
"By the way, if you've really made up your mind to fight to the death against the Centaur Warriors, I suggest that we wait until dawn and move the camp half a kilometer to the southwest. There seems to be an underground river flowing through that area, so the ground will be even wetter and the grass will be even denser."
Old Bear Pelt and Round Bone Club looked at each other at a loss. They did not register what had happened even after a long time had passed.
The other Ratfolk Warriors also stared at Meng Chao with shock and respect.
It did not matter whether the tactic he suggested would be effective or not.
At a time when everyone was at a loss, if someone could step forward and speak logically, it would be enough for him to become their pillar of support!
"The ground half a kilometer to the southwest is muddier, and it's not good for the Centaur Warriors' speed, but the grass there is much better and taller than here. The tips of the grass are a few heads taller than us, and they completely block our vision!"
Round Bone Club and Old Bear Pelt discussed it for a long time. They did not reject Meng Chao's suggestion, but started arguing about the details.
"Could it be that our line of sight is not blocked here?"
Meng Chao asked calmly. "Regardless of whether the grass is taller than the tip of our nose, the top of our head, or two to three heads, it doesn't make much of a difference to us. It will just reduce our fighting strength.
"But to the Centaur Warriors, the difference is too great.
"The average height of the Centaur Warriors is around two to three arms' length taller than us.
"To us, the grass that is taller than our heads and blocks our vision won't be an obstacle to the Centaur Warriors.
"Thus, it is very easy for a situation like this to occur. We are running around like headless flies in the weeds that are as tall as a person, but the Centaur Warriors are able to see our movements clearly through the undulations of the grassland and the gathering and dispersing of the grass.
"In the end, we'll be caught by the pursuers, and we'll be the ones who asked for it.
"The wetland half a kilometer to the southwest is the place where I saw the most water plants. The grass grows the most, and it's the best place. Once we enter that lush maze, not only will our vision be cut off, the Centaur Warriors' vision will also be severely affected. Everyone will be blind, and they can only fight without a clue." Fighting without a clue is good. To us, we have nothing but hot bloodedness and determination. Only the most chaotic battlefield will give us hope of survival, right? "
Meng Chao's detailed analysis finally caused the fugitives' eyes to widen, and the sparkle of hope gradually appeared in them.
Everyone might be silent, but they were imagining how the battle would turn out if they did everything according to Meng Chao's suggestion and carried it out without holding back.
There was no doubt that the battle would be very difficult.
Their simple and crude defense line might be instantly pierced through by the pursuers.
Many of them, or even all of them, would die.
But they should not be like the pitiful corpses in front of them. They would not face a one-sided massacre.
Even if they managed to kill one of them!
Even if they managed to kill all of them in a spectacular manner, even if they could only drag one Centaur Warrior down with them, it would still be considered a victory in a certain sense. It was possible — no, it would definitely be seen by the Great Horned Rat God, right?
"What if …"
The bone leader licked his chapped lips and said hesitantly, "What if the pursuers don't attack our camp after we've set up everything?"
"How is that possible?"
Meng Chao laughed in spite of himself. "Trust me, if we're scattered like headless chickens, the pursuers will have an even bigger headache than us. If we continue chasing after us in twos and threes, how long will it take for us to come to an end?
"If it's possible, the pursuers will also want to discover five hundred or even more fugitives in one go so that they can kill us all in one go, right?
"Once they discover our tracks, the pursuers will think that we're just waiting for death because we're exhausted.
"As for whether the fugitives will be able to gather their determination and fight against them in a meticulously prepared battlefield where they'll die together? I believe that the pursuers won't have such a 'ridiculous' thought, right? "
Indeed, even though Blackhorn City had been turned upside down, Blackhorn City had not been able to survive.
However, the psychological advantage that the warriors of the clans had over the rat people was slowly established and solidified in the thousands of years of oppression and slavery. It was deeply imprinted on the brain.
Rome wasn't built in a day. The pursuers would never believe that their prey, which was as timid as a mouse, would dare to bare its sharpest fangs at the well-armored hunter.
"If we do have a chance to give the pursuers a painful beating, will they go on a rampage and summon reinforcements to chase after us?"
Old Bearskin, who had always been a man of few words, pushed aside the bone club and personally asked Meng Chao this question.
Meng Chao thought about it, shook his head, and said, "I don't think so. If we can really deal a heavy blow to the pursuers, they might just retreat and not dare to chase after us."
"How is this possible?"
Old Bearskin frowned. "That's the Bloodhoof Warriors who are filled with rage. Is there anything they don't dare to do?
"No, what we're about to face is not all of the Bloodhoof Warriors. It's just the centaur warriors of the Bloodhoof Clan," Meng Chao corrected him seriously.
Old Bearskin was stunned. "Is … is there a difference?"
"Of course it's different," Meng Chao said.
Meng Chao said. "It's true that we've turned Black Corner City upside down, but over the past one thousand years, just which rich and powerful families have ruled Black Corner City?
"The Bloodhoof Clan and the Iron Skin Family, right?
"The Taurens, with the Bloodhoof Clan as their representative, and the Wild Boar, with the Iron Skin Family as their leader, are the two strongest clans in the entire Bloodhoof Clan. They have a firm grip on the power of Blackhorn City, and they are also the ones who suffered the greatest losses in this chaos.
"As for the centaurs, because they worship speed and like to gallop on their horses, they are not used to living in the city. There aren't many famous centaur clans or temples in Blackhorn City, so they didn't suffer too many losses. Their anger towards us is not as great as that of the Taurens and Wild Boar.
"As the vanguard of the Bloodhoof Army, it is their duty to chase after the fugitives.
"If the resistance of the fugitives isn't that great, and we can kill them to accumulate achievements, I believe that the centaur warriors will do their duty.
"But if we can hurt, injure, and cripple the centaur warriors and make them realize that we're just stones in a latrine pit. Not only are we smelly and hard, we can't get any benefits out of us. Even if they crush us, they will break their arms and twist their hooves. Both sides will be heavily injured, and they might even end up dying together.
"And if they're the slightest bit careless, they might even lose their footing, and the reputation of their families that has lasted for a thousand years will be destroyed.
"If we can really send such a strong, clear, and effective message to them, do you think that the centaur warriors will chase after us relentlessly and risk their lives and glory to work for the Taurens and Wild Boar like idiots?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
