Bwoooom! — —
As the white yak horn was blown, red lotus-like rings of flames shot out from Bachicheng's horse and engulfed the entire army. In just a few moments, the six thousand Ouzan cavalry felt their bodies burn, and even their Stellar Energy flowed faster. In the Neigh, amidst the fierce neighing of horses and a cloud of dust, the dense ranks of Ouzan cavalry charged down from the summit in pursuit of Wang Chong's forces.
… …
At the same time, in a place several dozen li from the pass the Ouzan were guarding, although it was quiet, the atmosphere was extremely tense.
"Milord, will this really work?"
Commandant Xu worriedly asked as he followed at Wang Chong's side.
His five thousand brothers were all with him, and the six thousand Ouzan elite cavalry were right in front of them. This was no joke.
Zhao Jingdian, Li Siye, and The Eagle also felt their hearts sink. Although they wanted to say on behalf of Wang Chong that it would definitely work, not even they had any confidence in this matter. The fact that the Ouzan had waited so long to make trouble meant that they had clearly come prepared. And they had all personally experienced the power of these people.
"Heh, if we don't try, how will we know?"
At a time like this, the only person who could maintain a relaxed and carefree demeanor was Wang Chong. He had seen this kind of scene too many times. Although he still looked like a teenager, his temperament had already far surpassed his age.
"Commandant Xu, have you prepared those shields?"
Wang Chong asked.
"They've all been prepared."
Commandant Xu immediately gave a serious nod.
When facing a cavalry that could run at full speed and reach peak strength, shields were necessary for infantry to contend against them. Xu Shiping had only dared to rely on the mountain to challenge Batunlu because he had collected chests after chests of sturdy shields. Xu Shiping had originally planned to use these shields to deal with Batunlu.
In the end, Batunlu didn't get to use it. Instead, Wang Chong used it to deal with the even more formidable Bachicheng.
"That's good."
Wang Chong nodded with a confident and composed expression, as if nothing could ever make him feel flustered.
"The Eagle, release your bird and see if Bachicheng has caught up."
"Yes!"
The Eagle nodded and quickly released a Giant Eagle. In just a moment, a sharp cry was heard.
"He's here!"
The Eagle's expression tensed up when he heard this shrill cry. He didn't sound nervous, but the more he fought, the more he sensed danger.
"Let's go. Follow our original plan and head up the mountain!"
Wang Chong waved his right hand and said without the slightest hesitation. Turning around, Wang Chong waved his right hand, his finger pointing straight at a distant mountain behind him. In this region, other than the pass guarded by the Ouzan soldiers, this was the highest mountain in a radius of a hundred li. This mountain was not very tall, but it was extremely steep, like a massive sword thrust into the earth.
More importantly, the back of this mountain was a thousand-foot cliff. No matter how formidable the Ouzan cavalry were, they could not charge up the mountain from the back.
This was the place Wang Chong had chosen after observing the sand table.
The group quickly retreated, surging like the tide. It only took a few moments for them to reach the top of the mountain.
… …
Rumble!
The earth quaked. Not long after Wang Chong's group retreated, a cloud of dust rose up. Six thousand Ouzan cavalry charged out like a raging inferno. Their leader was the heavily-armored Bachicheng, only his cold eyes visible.
"Hmph, the Tang army this time is a little smart. Knowing that they can't run, they might as well stop running!"
Bachicheng gazed at the Tang army charging up the mountain, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Milord is right. This time, they're smart."
An Ouzan officer agreed.
No one had ever heard of someone with two legs running faster than someone with four legs. It was one thing if these Tang army were purely cavalry, but they were a mix of infantry and cavalry. To think that they could escape from the Ouzan cavalry was simply wishful thinking. Although escaping to the mountain might not guarantee their survival, it was at least an expedient measure.
"Milord, should we attack?"
Behind Bachicheng, another Ouzan officer probed. This was an excellent opportunity to attack. With the strength of their six thousand cavalry, they would definitely be able to wipe out the Tang army.
"There's no need!"
Unexpectedly, Bachicheng raised an arm and rejected this officer's suggestion.
"Since they're not running anymore, there's even less of a need to rush."
Bachicheng's eyes flashed with a cold smile.
"We'll stand guard here for now. Once General Xiangyang Dalu arrives, we can join forces and attack. It won't be too late to exterminate this Tang army!"
He never did anything he wasn't confident in.
If he charged forward now, he could still exterminate the Tang army. But if he could exterminate them while suffering fewer losses, why wouldn't he do so?
Killing was an art.
How to kill as many enemies as possible while preserving oneself? This was the art of war, a principle that he had comprehended from the Art of War of the Central Plains that Lord Huoshu Huizang had given him. This was also the true reason he was ranked among the Five Tiger Generals of the Ngari Royal Lineage.
"Yes, Milord!"
The officers froze for a moment, but they quickly nodded and said no more.
… …
"Milord, why aren't they attacking anymore?"
At the base of the mountain, the strange movements of the Ouzan army caused everyone to frown.
Ouzan was a fierce and combative person. When he saw an enemy, he wouldn't think too much. He immediately chased after them and wouldn't let them go, just like a vicious dog. This characteristic of the Ouzan people was common in the world. Now that the "prey" was right in front of them, the Ouzan people did not make a move. This was really not their style and characteristic.
"Milord, will they not come?"
An Tang officer said, unable to tell if he was happy or disappointed.
"Don't worry. He's just waiting for reinforcements!"
Wang Chong smiled. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Compared to Batunlu, he actually knew more about Huoshu Huizang's Five Tiger Generals. The prey was right in front of him, but he would bide his time and easily give up. This was definitely not Bachicheng's style. On the contrary, the Fire Hound Bachicheng's unique trait was its unrelenting bite, piercing through bone and flesh until it latched onto the throat and cut off the last breath of the enemy.
"Fire Hound Bachicheng! It seems like they really didn't overestimate you at all. No wonder you were able to pierce through Li Zhengyi's central army. In the Ouzan Ngari Royal Lineage, you can be considered the number one figure! "
Wang Chong quietly said to himself as he gazed at that abnormally stalwart figure in the distance.
The Ouzan people relied on martial strength, not intelligence, to dominate the world. The art of war and strategy had never been their forte. It was already quite good for the Ouzan Ngari Royal Lineage to have a strategist like Dalun Ruozan. For Bachicheng to be praised by Dalun Ruozan in his last life, one could easily imagine his strength.
Later on, Wang Chong had also heard many of his views on the art of war.
He had to admit that although Ouzan's art of war came from the Central Plains, many of Bachicheng's methods of leading troops were so accurate that they would make the Han generals of the Central Plains blush with shame. But that was all.
"Milord, while the other Ouzan reinforcements have yet to arrive, should we take the initiative to attack and defeat them? Otherwise, once they join forces, we'll be in danger! "
One of Xu Shiping's lieutenants said with an uneasy look on his face.
"No!"
Wang Chong flicked his sleeve and firmly rejected the idea.
"Bachicheng wants nothing more than for us to leave the mountain and take the initiative to attack. If that really is the case, there's no need for reinforcements to arrive. He can defeat us right now! With just the few of us, there's no way we can defeat six thousand Ouzan cavalry. "
When the number of soldiers fell short of the enemy, one had to use strategy to win. Face-to-face confrontation was often the worst plan.
Wang Chong had once commanded a large number of cavalry, so he was well aware that the more cavalry there were, the more powerful they were. This was not a plus or minus sign, but an exponential increase in strength. In these circumstances, attacking with a mixture of eight thousand infantry and cavalry was definitely the worst plan.
"Milord, then what do we do? There are two groups of Ouzan cavalry here. Six thousand is already hard enough to deal with. If another five thousand or ten thousand Ouzan cavalry arrive, we'll be doomed! "
The officer speaking had a nervous expression, his expression shifting.
Even Batunlu's three thousand men had been able to force them into a corner, not daring to move half a step from the mountain. Now that another ten thousand Ouzan cavalry had arrived … all of them would probably die without a grave.
"Not necessarily!"
Wang Chong waved his hand disapprovingly.
"I have my own plans. In any case, all you need to do is listen to my orders! Commandant Xu, the battle is imminent. I don't want to hear such words that shake the morale of the army. If something like this happens again, you know what to do, right? "
Wang Chong turned his head, his gaze cold as he looked at the surrounding officers.
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, not daring to meet the gaze of this teenager.
'Compassion does not command soldiers. 'The army was not a game. Blindly relying on benevolence and conciliation would not intimidate the hearts of the people. This was the morality of the Confucian school, not the militarists. Without sufficient resolve, willpower, and daring, one would be thrown into disarray at a crucial moment. When the time came, it would not just be oneself, but thousands of soldiers.
The commander-in-chief held the lives of the army in his hands. If one did not understand this principle, they would not be allowed to sit in this position.
"Milord, be at ease. This subordinate knows what to do!"
Commandant Xu bowed and said without hesitation.
Wang Chong gave a slight nod and said no more.
The more soldiers Han Xin had, the better. The effect of one thousand soldiers and eight thousand soldiers was completely different, and the effect of relying on the terrain was also different. Even though Bachicheng had come with a ferocious momentum, with eight thousand soldiers, Wang Chong already had the strength of an army. The power displayed by a troop of a thousand people was completely different from that of an army.
Even if another five thousand soldiers came, Wang Chong would not fear them.
In his last life, he had led a similar army against even more formidable foes. Why would he care about a trifling Bachicheng?
… …
"Rumble!"
Time flew by, and Ouzan's cavalry arrived much faster than expected.
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