“Kill!” The Xiliang Cavalry shouted with a voice that would have startled the average troops as they charged forward. It was not something a person could easily endure. Even Liu Mang was sweating. Liu Mang told himself that he had assurance. Although he did not have much, it was the only thing he could do.
Hu Che Er’s had been forced to take these actions by Liu Mang and Liu Ye. Similarly, Liu Mang was also forced to do this as Zhang Xiu, Liu Bei and Sun Ce had allied with each other. In this world, one would be killed if he does not kill others.
Hu Che Er slowed down and fell behind his men. He was not cowardly but in the end, he was only a general. His martial prowess was nowhere near Lu Bu’s level so it was better for him to remain behind giving commands as opposed to charging in front where he could be killed t any time. Taking the lead at the start was simply to act as a role model. This is to raise their morale.
Liu Mang became even more afraid when he saw Hu Che Er’s actions. This is because Hu Che Er was as good at leading a charge compared to his Father-in-law. He did not have fighting skills like Lu Bu but brute force had always been more suitable for Lu Bu.
Zhang Liao did not have Lu Bu’s level of skills but could lead the Wolf Cavalry just as well as Lu Bu. He was in charge because people like Chen Gong and Liu Mang had to deal with other methods. Zhang Liao was extremely talented and Liu Mang could even entrust Yangzhou to Zhang Liao with a peace of mind. Liu Mang had simply been afraid that Hu Che Er was also such a person.
“They are here!” Liu Mang steeled himself. Xiliang Cavalry had already started to approach. Initially, they were over a thousand paces away but this distance could easily be covered.
“Spear units!” Liu Mang ordered as he brandished his sword. They were not only holding shields. Behind the first row of shields were men holding spears.
The first row of the Xiliang Cavalry and the first row of the Urban Army collided. The Xiliang Cavalry started their charge from the hills and had astonishing power. Their momentum along with their total weight were heavily hammered onto the shield soldiers.
Even though the Urban Army had shields and armor to protect them, the powerful force was difficult to endure. They received internal injuries and their faces turn pale. After receiving the damage, some of the troops spat out blood and internal organs. Still, they all persevered as they clenched their jaws with pale faces. They swallowed back the blood they spat out. The ones that spat out internal organs were going to die anyway so, they worked even harder.
The Urban Army suffered from this but so did the Xiliang Cavalry. Although the Xiliang Cavalry had caused damage to the first row of the Tortoise Formation, they also suffered because they did not manage to break through the formation and felt the rebounding force. Some were trampled or were pierced by spears of the others charging from behind. The pitiful one still lived even after turning into kebab and could only wail in anguish.
The Xiliang Cavalry continued to attack. Even though their first group was met with disaster, they were not afraid as numbers would be the deciding factor. Their repeated attacks caused the shields to crack. Some of the shield troops were no longer able to persevere. They spat out blood and fell onto the ground.
“Move up!” Liu Mang roared. The Tortoise Formation is circular like a tortoise’s shell. If the shell is broken, death would not be far away.
The Urban Army troops from the back quickly moved to the front to receive the blows. They Urban Army continued to persevere like this until hundreds of the Xiliang Cavalry had perished. A small crack could then be seen at the formation. Although this Urban Army soldier did his best and sacrificed his life, he was still unable to stop the Xiliang Cavalry. A single vacant spot in the formation was only like a small crack but the Xiliang Cavalry reacted as though they were sharks that smelled blood and quickly attacked.
“Haha. King of Shu! I already said that I will take your head!” Hu Che Er saw the gap and knew that the Xiliang Cavalry would be able to win if they were to tear that gap open.
“Move! Move!” The soldiers at the back quickly tried to fill the gap. Some used shields, some used spears and some threw their bodies in front to block the way. However, it would not be so easy as the Xiliang Cavalry would not allow it to happen.
“Han Sheng! Let us go out as well!” Liu Mang was no longer on a horse. He also threw away his sword and raised his shields as he charged forward.
“Milord!” Huang Zhong did not hesitate. He would go wherever Liu Mang went. Liu Mang held the shield in front while Huang Zhong shot arrows from the back.
“Die!” One soldier from the Xiliang Cavalry had just only cut off the head of an Urban Army soldier, splashing blood everywhere. Before he had the chance to feel excited for his newly acquired trophy, Liu Mang smashed his head with his bladed shield. The gap was resealed after killing off a few more men. However, with Liu Mang guarding this spot, other spots would be in peril.
They were severely outnumbered. At average, one Urban Army soldier would need to fight against three enemies. The Urban Army may be Liu Mang’s elites but they were only evenly matched against the Xiliang Cavalry. Outnumbered three to one, the Urban Army remain helpless even when they are in formation.
“Han Sheng! Go over there!” Liu Mang was unable to leave his current location as he needed to help the Urban Army re-establish the defensive line. The only one that could help him deal with the problems elsewhere was Huang Zhong.
“Milord. What about you?” Huang Zhong did not dare to leave Liu Mang. He had been instructed by Lu Bu and Chen Gong to ensure Liu Mang’s safety even if he had to throw away Yangzhou. Huang Zhong also vowed to protect Liu Mang with his life.
“Don’t worry about me! They would not be able to take me as long as the Tortoise Formation still stands!” Liu Mang explained to Huang Zhong. After a while, he became angry when he saw that Huang Zhong still had not acted. He roared. “We are running out of time! Go! Are you going to disobey my orders now?”
“Yes! I understand!” Huang Zhong nodded. He was truly a fierce warrior and already readied his bow before he even arrived. The Xiliang Cavalry was about to swing their blades down at the head of the Urban Army soldiers in an attempt to break the Tortoise Formation. However, they lost their lives before they could even do so. Huang Zhong was the man that had almost harmed Lu Bu with his archery. Although he shot these arrows in a hurry, it was still powerful enough to kill both the rider and his horse. This gave Huang Zhong even more time as the corpse of the horse in front blocked the enemies coming from behind.
Huang Zhong was skilled in both archery and in his swordsmanship. He killed with every swing of his sword, covering himself with blood. Sharks would go after the smell of blood but if they were to confront against an even more powerful opponent, they would only end up as shark’s fin.
New gaps appear in the Tortoise Formation each time another was sealed off. Huang Zhong and Liu Mang would then rush over and deal with it.
Liu Mang had already reached his limit while Huang ZHong had also consumed a lot of his own energy to strengthen the formation, allowing it to last longer.
“Ziyang. Why have you not appeared yet?” Liu Mang laughed bitterly. He had underestimated the Xiliang Cavalry and Hu Che Er. The consequences of this was the cavalry be able to charge at full power. Liu Mang had no choice but use the Tortoise Formation as he had too little people. He received as many of the Xiliang Cavalry as he could handle but now he could only passively take a beating.
“Haha! Did you think you can stop my Xiliang Cavalry with just that? What a joke!” Hu Che Er now felt relieved and sneered. He had been afraid of tricks but now, no ambushes had appeared even though the Urban Army was facing a crisis. Hu Che Er no longer took any precautions. All he needed to do now was to order the rest of his army for a charge and tear apart the tortoise. “King of Shu? Haha. Your fate will be decided by me!”
Liu Mang’s horse sped along. It was no longer within the army but at the front. At that moment the Urban Army was no longer using spears. All of the spears were either embedded in the corpses of the enemies, became crooked from the enemy’s charge, or its user had already been killed. As a result, the one that could cause the biggest harm to the XIliang Cavalry was gone. Hu Che Er no longer had anything to be afraid of. “Liu Mang. I admire your courage to fight a decisive battle with only two thousand and five hundred men! You are the most courageous and arrogant person I have ever met! However, the price for your arrogance is your life!”
With the Tortoise Formation at the verge of breaking, the remaining Xiliang Cavalry launched a united attack.
“Damn!” The first wave of the Xiliang Cavalry tore open the gap that Liu Mang and Huang Zhong tried to seal. The first layer of protection had completely been destroyed. “Fall back! Front row shields fall back! Back row provide support!” Liu Mang rapidly gave orders.
The Tortoise Formation was circular. The outermost ring of soldiers were shield units. The second ring held spears. The third ring were shields again. This arrangement made the formation more effective. However, the Xiliang Cavvalry’s charge did not only cause heavy damage to the front row. They had also caused casualties at the reserve soldiers at the back. The Xiliang Cavalry refused to give the Urban Army any time for a breather. The back row of Liu Mang’s Army was also unable to respond in time, allowing the Xiliang Cavalry to rush forward.
“Kill!” Liu Mang took the lead and charged forward. He no longer cared about the Xiliang Cavalry’s charge. Liu Mang was no longer a weakling like in the past. Although he was not able to achieve a refined soul like the others1, he was still able to refine his body. Lu Bu had also helped Liu Mang by giving him a lot of soup made from herbs and tiger bones2. It could be said that Liu Mang had almost reached the peak of his body refinement.
Liu Mang was not as strong as a tiger but he was still half as strong as one. He rammed with his shield. At the moment of the collision, Liu Mang tasted blood in his mouth and almost spat it out. On the other hand, the soldier from the Xiliang Cavalry felt an impact beneath him. He did not die but his horse’s head had been smashed, spilling out its brains.
“Milord!” Huang Zhong hurried forward to assist Liu Mang. How could Liu Mang block the attack to save the Urban Army?
“Tortoise Formation, rotate!” Huang Zhong ordered in place of Liu Mang before Liu Mang could recover. Although he stayed as Liu Mang’s guard, he was more well versed in battle formations compared to Liu Mang. After all, he had been fighting in wars for years and was only in his current position to repay a debt. Naturally, he would be proficient in formations.
“Yes!” The Tortoise Formation only a stationary formation. It was able to spin. The shields and the spears moved, acting like a meat grinder. They would also share the pressure received from the Xiliang Cavalry. It would be less likely for the formation to break as a result of the enemy focusing on a single spot.
“Haha. It is simply a final struggle!” Hu Che Er sneered at the spinning Tortoise Formation. A thousand of his Xiliang Cavalry had already been killed but at the same time, the Urban Army had also suffered heavy casualties. That being said, the Urban Army has less troops. The Xiliang Cavalry could afford to lose three thousand men as long as they capture Liu Mang. On the other hand, Liu Mang could not even afford to lose half of his troops or his life would quickly approach its end. “Move up! Finish them off!”
“It is time!” A cold voice then came from beneath the ground.
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炼神
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