Chapter 128 - The Last Stand
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“HAHAHAHAHAHA, you want to charge my heavy infantries with that cavalry? Perhaps if your heavy cavalry numbers equaled my heavy infantry, I will be scared. But you actually dispatched only 100 cavalry soldiers to fight my 3,000 heavy infantries. Oh, Your Highness Prince of Shu, this Zhou Cheng really overestimated your abilities!”
Zhou Cheng dispelled all of the bad feelings in his heart. He thought there will be ambush after this. If not, how can those people so easily be routed? Both armies had not yet clashed but Zhou Cheng decided that he has seen the depths of the Prince of Shu’s abilities.
He decided that this Prince of Shu is garbage. If not, how can his soldiers be routed so easily?
Regarding the great shield and armor that was discarded by Urban Army, Zhou Cheng had seen them and even picked up a few.
Zhou Cheng did not know how much ore was used to use to make that shield, but that is definitely not inferior to the shields his heavy infantries used and was in fact lighter.
The shield, helmet and armor were made by Liu Mang by utilizing a small blast furnace during the calm period after Lu Bu got Wancheng city. However, those were made in a hurry and was definitely not a good quality like those that he brought back from the future.
In ancient times, defensive power was proportional to weight. The more heavy an armor, the better its defensive properties. These heavy armor that the Black Flag used is weighed about 50 kg with for the upper body armor and lower body. In addition there was the heavy sword and shield. The burden placed on one person is actually totaled 70 kg. Such armor can drain people’s physical stamina.
Over 150lbs
The Zhou clan secretly picked up 5,000 orphans to train to become the Black Flag. But from those 5,000 orphans, left only 3,000. These 3,000 troops were all elites and their height is more than 180 cm, so they definitely can put on heavy armor.
A little over 5 11’
But these heavy armor are spoils of war, its weight was only half of the refined armor from Black Flag. With kind this armor, Zhou the clan can make two battalions of the Black Flag. Zhou Cheng has decided, if he catches up to the Prince of Shu, he will interrogate him on how to build these armor and shields before he kills him. This kind of armor and shield can boost his Black Flag's combat capability by several folds.
Thinking of these armor mixed with his Black Flag’s combat capability, made Zhou Cheng's eyes painted with greed.
Cheng Yu who is with cavalry squadron charging towards the Black Flag's flank under Liu Mang's order exclaimed
“BASTARDS, YOU ATTACK MY CITY FROM INSIDE, KILLED MY COMRADES. IT IS PAYBACK TIME FOR YOUR SINS!!!!”
These cavalry soldiers are the Urban Army's elites. They are comprised of the Urban Army's original members who survived Battle of Mt. Bagong and those who survived Kaiyang's siege.
If Cheng Yu had 300 cavalry soldiers, he had confidence that he can charge into 5,000 regular foot soldiers. He truly had confidence in his Urban Army brothers’ prowess. But currently he only had these 100 brothers and his opponents were 3,000 heavy infantries. Cheng Yu gulped down his saliva and took a deep breath to calm down his nerves and raised his spear.
TL: Cavalry vs Heavy Infantries. It would be like 5 Tanks VS 200 Navy Seals armed with Grenades and C-4
“URBAN ARMY, TOGETHER WE LIVE OR DIE; TOGETHER,WE SHARE RICHES AND HONOR!!!”
"TOGETHER WE LIVE OR DIE; TOGETHER WE SHARE RICHES AND HONOR!!!!" These words left a deep impression to the Urban Army veterans.
Liu Mang let them eat delicacies that was only reserved for their lord Lu Bu. He also shared his reward from Battle of Mt. Bagong. Remembering the Battle of Mt. Bagong, the Urban Army was faced with 2,000 troops of Yu Province Cavalry and was besieged from the flank by 3,000 troops of foot soldiers from Chen Lan and Lei Bo.
At that time, Liu Mang unexpectedly led 100 of his cavalry troops to counter-charge Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Even though they were not elites but they able to annihilate Liu Mang's cavalry squadron and Liu Mang himself almost perished.
With this kind of general that treat his own men like his own brothers, it will be unfair if they did not go all out, even if they already lost their helmet and armor. As long as their heart still beating, they will continue to fight for this general.
Zhou Cheng also humphed coldly and said “OVERCONFIDENT, ALL OF YOU LIKE ANTS TRYING TO SHAKE A TREE!” Zhou Cheng really did not care for those cavalry. Jiangdong’s area is not suitable for raising horses and so what?
Instead cavalry, we can use heavy infantries as substitute. If ordinary cavalry soldiers met with this heavy infantries, the cavalry soldiers would be decimated.But if they meet with heavy cavalry, then Zhou Cheng might become perplexed because both of them will definitely have a huge casualties.
However, the one who charged only was these 100 heavy cavalries, what can they do to his heavy infantries?
Zhou Cheng's vision quickly changed from those cavalry soldiers who attacked their flank to the currently escaping Urban Army. Those Urban Army ran faster because currently their cavalry squadron is slowing down the Black Flag.
“I WILL NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!!!” Zhou Cheng's target has not changed from the very start, he wanted Liu Mang's head and he wanted Liu Mang's technology to build these armor and shields in order to fortify Wancheng city. Decimating that cavalry squadron will not bring either of those merits.
“CHANGE FORMATION!!!” Cheng Yu issued his order. The entire squadron quickly changed into wedge formation. This formation is used in order to “bleed the enemy's nose” and confuse enemies, therefore opening for further damage.
“CHARRGGGEEEEE!” These 100 cavalry troops led by Cheng Yu are showing the momentum of 1,000 cavalry troops. This is what Zhang Liao taught the Urban Army's cavalry squadron.
He taught that the cavalry squadron must have the momentum to kill in one charge. That way, it will strike fear in the enemy's heart and bring great confusion. And if that happens, the cavalry squad would have won half of the battle.
When Zhang Liao led the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry, during their initial charge, they usually spread out first in order to gain momentum and strike fear into the enemy's heart by trembling the earth and raising dust. They can do that, with a minimum of 1,000 cavalry troops in order to reach the momentum of 10,000 cavalry troops.
Before they approach the enemy, their formation changed into wedge formation that pierced the enemy's heart.
With the Urban Army's distance getting farther, Zhou Cheng changed his target and exclaimed “SINCE THOSE CAVALRIES ARE SEEKING DEATH, KILL THEM FOR ME!!! CHANGE DIRECTION, CHARRGGGEEEEE!!!” Those 3,000 Black Flag quickly change direction and Black Flag's mighty wave is about to meet the cavalry squadron's charge.
“BANG!!!!” The sound of metal clashing reverberated. Both of them did not use any skills or strategies. Only pure strength was involved. The Heavy infantries’ method of fighting is overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers and with their heavy armor protecting them, they will certainly not receive too much damage from metal clashing.
While the opposite, Cheng Yu is relying on horsepower momentum. That short charge that his cavalry squadron initiated unexpectedly can match with these heavy infantries momentum.
“BANG!!!” Heavy armor that the heavy infantries used is definitely very strong. However a few of them was suddenly rammed by the cavalry's momentum and some of them were rammed twice in the air after the initial charge by the cavalry.
Although the heavy armor's defensive power can block swords or spears, their weakness is blunt weapons. The impact from the charging force of the cavalry's warhorse made them bled internally.
Those heavy infantries who were rammed, quickly vomited black blood from their internal organ and those who were still alive would suffer before death. Truly bad luck.
The cavalry squadron also had bad luck. Those heavy infantries who dodged the cavalry charge quickly retaliated. Heavy infantries know that attacking the riders will be futile because they kept moving even after their charge was finished.
So they targeted the cavalry warhorse. Warhorses for a cavalry soldier is their second surname and any injury caused to them is like slicing the rider's heart. With warhorse injured, the rider will fall down from their horse and the rider will quickly be eaten by Black Flag's “whirlpool”.
“Withdraw, back to Urban Army Main Army!” Cheng Yu knew that his duty had been accomplished. They had attacked the Black Flag's flank and had slowed down the Black Flag's advance considerably. The cavalry squadron quickly retreated after charging.
From 100 cavalry troops, those who survived was not more than 80 troops. 20 comrades lost their lives during this charge.
“DAMN!!!” Zhou Cheng gave an angry stare at those cavalry who sped away. They are heavy infantries, their defense and offense is truly good but they did not have mobility. Although heavy infantries killed 20 of the cavalry squadron, but their injuries were also bad.
Zhou Cheng now is in denial. Why is that? Because only 100 cavalry troops able to give at least 100 casualties to his heavy infantry. Most of them severely wounded and those whose luck is better, died instantly.
“Leave those who are dead and severely wounded. Pursue the enemy me!” Zhou Cheng ordered the injured and dead to be left behind.
Zhou Cheng did not consider those Black Flag as his men, he only considered them as tools to accomplish his goals. He is the user and Black Flag is his weapon. They are only the Zhou clan's tool for promotion.
Those who are severely wounded and dead, naturally can be considered as damaged goods. No longer valuable.
And with that, 100 soldiers was discarded like trash. Their comrades also did not bother to rescue them.
“YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE, PRINCE OF SHU!!!” Zhou Cheng said it coldly.
His Black Flag's soldier’s stamina is pretty high. They were trained by the Zhou clan from childhood until now. They are children of commoners that were picked personally by Zhou clan. Those Black Flag's soldier can eat until full from their childhood and their fate is much better than those of other commoners who joined to become soldiers.
They are unlike the Urban Army who half of them were former farmers like Cheng Yu before he joined Lu Bu’s army few years before. They are professional soldiers from childhood whose battle experience are very rich.
It needed more than ten years to develop their stamina and skills until they become like this.
Perhaps Liu Mang has miscalculated this time or perhaps the Black Flag's stamina is really good. Earlier, they were delayed by cavalry squadron but now they caught up again with Liu Mang's Urban Army.
Finally all of them reached the East Gate and now the East Gate was shut tight with nowhere to run. This Gate was closed under Liu Mang's order, so those noble's private soldiers will not be able to run away along with their masters.
And now, it seems become Liu Mang and Urban Army were at a dead-end.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! TRY TO ESCAPE AGAIN!!! I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU CAN RUN NOW!!!” Zhou Cheng laughed loudly he was very happy now. His Highness Prince of Shu has become cornered again. Big merit finally arrived in his hands along with Wancheng city!!! But before he killed this Lu Bu's son-in-law, he will extract from him information on how to manufacture this heavy armor.
Zhou Cheng's eyes lit with desire. Although Zhou Yu is his cousin, but Zhou Cheng could not have been satisfied. With this merit, he intended to compete with his cousin, become one of Jiangdong's pillar.
“HOOOOOOOH, RUN AWAY?!” Liu Mang emerged from the Urban Army. “Since we cannot escape, we will fight with you now!”
Liu Mang sneered and then said “It should be clear, that victory is ours! FORMATION NOW”
The Urban Army quickly formed the Phalanx Formation with Liu Mang's order.
“VERY GOOD, A LAST STAND, EH?!” In Zhou Cheng eyes, they are only remnants of the unit. Without a banner, helmet and armor already, they can only fight to their last breath.
Liu Mang and Zhou Cheng simultaneously raised up their arms; Signaling the attack.
They must deal the final blow.