Chapter 344

On Ding Mountain, a range of mountains stretched across the land. The peaks rose and fell like swords or halberds, piercing the blue sky. The undulating mountain ranges crisscrossed. Such a treacherous terrain was only a pass in Bozhou that was not considered very dangerous. The war drums rumbled and the bugle horns blew. A great battle had begun.

It was impossible to win through tricks in a place like this. Unless there was coordination from within, they could only rely on true strength to bite down this hard bone. And to train an iron army, this was a necessary process. Without going through bloody tempering, how could they become a mighty army with iron will?

Ye Xiaotian also knew that he would definitely suffer heavy losses as the vanguard, but he also knew that this was a step he had to take in order to rise up. Even if the 18,000 soldiers were reduced to 1,800 in the end, these 1,800 surviving veterans would still help his army establish their own tactical style and will to fight, forming the soul of his army.

Even if the remaining eighteen hundred people could only train ten soldiers each, they would still be able to train an invincible force of eighteen thousand people! But if he did not experience a bloody battle, his army would never be able to achieve anything. How could he compete with the feudal vassals of Qiandu? One must know that the Three Heavenly Kings, An Songyang, had never bared their fangs at him before.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening sound of cannons reverberated through the mountains. The Crouching Tiger Cannon had shown its might. Although it was not enough to blast through the mountain walls, it could cause a large area of damage to the defenders on the pass. It could blast through the heavy gates of the pass.

Following the sound of cannons, a mournful bugle sounded from the top of the pass. The defenders bent their backs and scurried along the top of the wall, beginning to rush to their respective positions and launch a counterattack.

The number of defenders on the pass was not actually very large. Even if there were more, they would not be able to spread out. If the top of the pass was already so narrow, one could imagine how difficult it was to travel on the bottom. The caves, goose carts, chariots, and catapults could not be used at their full strength. Instead, ladders and flying claws were more convenient, so their attacks were naturally not sharp enough.

The soldiers in the front row used huge iron leaf shields to protect themselves, forming a huge moving shield wall. The arrows and arrows that hit the wall were almost unable to harm the soldiers behind the shield. Following behind them were goose carriages covered in wet leather, gradually advancing against the arrows, stones, and logs that were raining down from the top of the wall.

Ye Xiaotian sat in the middle of the army and watched the battlefield. He looked calm, but his palms were already sweating. This was the first time for him in such a large scale battle. Psychologically, he had to experience the baptism of a new recruit.

Although Tian Xiufeng was ambitious, it was also the first time for her to be involved in such a huge battle. Although Tian Xiufeng was ambitious, this was also her first time in a battle like this. But for some reason, she felt as if her blood was boiling in her heart, and she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if she was the one in the armor and commanding the troops calmly.

But for some reason, there was a feeling of blood flowing in her heart. She could not help but imagine what it would be like if she wore armor and commanded calmly.

Cannons, crossbows, catapults, goose carts, and ladders took turns to go into battle. Long-range weapons were responsible for suppressing the firepower on the top of the wall, and the siege weapons were responsible for advancing the attack. Shouts rose and fell, and the soldiers under Ye Xiaotian's command were constantly injured or killed.

Ye Xiaotian's heart was fried, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered. The merciful did not command soldiers. This was a test he had to go through to become a general. If he gave up now, all his previous efforts would be wasted, and his plan to stand shoulder to shoulder with An Song would be completely destroyed.

"A general's success is built on ten thousand bones … and this is just a small Dingshan Pass …"

Ye Xiaotian sighed. Tian Xiufeng glanced at him mockingly and said, "What, are you afraid?"

Ye Xiaotian glanced at her and said, "I can't bear to see so many people die because of Yang Yinglong's selfish desires. I can't bear to see it. Don't you feel anything?"

Tian Xiufeng looked at the bitter battlefield in front of the pass, her gaze as cold as ice. "Why should I feel unbearable? People are divided into three, six, and nine ranks. Some people are above others. Their one thought, one thought, can drive tens of thousands of people to advance wave after wave in order to fulfill their wishes. The people charging at the front have given up their lives, but didn't the people driving them also give up their everything? Since you have already made a decision, what is the point of being wishy-washy and hesitant? "

Ye Xiaotian smiled bitterly. "I forgot, even before you married Yang Yinglong, you were the high and mighty eldest miss of the White Mud Tian Clan. Why would you care about the lives and deaths of commoners?"

Tian Xiufeng said mockingly, "I also forgot, you are just a commoner, a lowly servant in the Heavenly Prison. Even if you are a tribe leader now, deep down, you are still a commoner. If you want to become a true person above others, maybe your son can, but you can forget about it. "

Ye Xiaotian slowly said, "I would rather … my son be like me, able to see those commoners as people, and not someone born to be above others like you."

After talking with Tian Xiufeng for a while, Ye Xiaotian's mood was much better. He let out a breath and said, "Let's go, let's play a game of chess in the tent."

Tian Xiufeng was somewhat surprised. "You don't want to personally supervise the battle?"

"There is no need! I will definitely take down Ding Shan! "

Ye Xiaotian said resolutely and walked toward the tent. Tian Xiufeng hesitated for a moment, but still turned around and followed.

… …

"Where are the cannons? Why did the cannons stop? "

Hua Yunfei quickly rushed to where the eight Crouching Tiger Cannons were placed and asked loudly. Ding Yue limped over and said, "The cannons are too hot. We need to cool them down, or else they will explode!"

Hua Yunfei looked back anxiously. Without the suppression of the cannons, the defenders on the walls had become arrogant once more. Rocks and logs were falling down as if they didn't exist. Hua Yunfei said, "Hurry up and cool them down. The soldiers need support from the cannons!"

Ding Yue pulled him back and whispered, "Yunfei, these cannons were gifted to us by Commander Liu. A gift!"

Hua Yunfei was at a loss. "What do you mean?"

Ding Yue said, "These cannons are powerful, but they can only be used a limited number of times. If they are used too many times, they will become useless. Either the range will decrease, or the cannons will deviate, or they will explode. Our army doesn't have cannons yet, so we have to use them sparingly! This is only the first battle … "

Hua Yunfei finally understood and shouted, "There is no need. In the eyes of our superior, people are more valuable than cannons!"

"But …"

Hua Yunfei said, "There is no need for buts. Just do as I say. These cannons … "

Hua Yunfei looked at the Crouching Tiger Cannons, "As long as the people are here, everything will be here! If you want cannons in the future, our superior will pay for them. We can have as many as you want, so hurry up and fire! "

Ding Yue still didn't know that Ye Xiaotian had two gold mines and a silver mine in the Myriad Mountains, so he couldn't help but feel a little speechless when he heard this. But since Hua Yunfei wasn't one to speak so harshly to him, Ding Yue didn't dare to treat him lightly.

Ding Yue had the cannons use a method to cool down the cannons. A few moments later, the cannons began to roar once more and the cannons began to pour down on the walls. Smoke began to rise from the top of the walls as the defenders covered their heads and scurried for cover. The morale of the soldiers at the bottom of the walls was greatly boosted as they once more let out a deafening roar …