Chapter 580: The Decisive Battle! A New Wave of Offense! (1/2)
Chapter 580: The Decisive Battle! A New Wave of Offense!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited: Michyrr
”All troops, prepare to attack!”
On the mountain, both the Whitestone Corps and the Tibetan cavalry were fleeing. At this moment, not even a fierce general like Longqinba could do anything. Seeing all these soldiers being cut down like weeds, Huoshu Huicang finally issued an order.
”Wait a moment!”
Dalun Ruozan suddenly came to his senses and told Huoshu Huicang to stop.
”There's no need to send more troops, nor would there be any meaning to it. Didn't we get a batch of Celestial Wolf Bows from the Western Turks not too long ago?”
”Great Minister means…”
With a thought, Huoshu Huicang seemed to understand what Dalun Ruozan was getting at.
”It's about time to use those Celestial Wolf Bows anyway. Tell them to move out!” Dalun Ruozan said.
This time, Huoshu Huicang had no objections. Although Dalun Ruozan was somewhat overstepping his bounds by meddling in military matters as a civil minister, Huoshu Huicang had always known that he had never been a purely civil minister.
After all, it was from him that he had first obtained those military texts from the Central Plains.
Although Dalun Ruozan's methods might have been unsuitable at other occasions, they were ideal at this time. But it did seem a little cruel.
”Didn't you hear? Celestial Wolf Cavalry, prepare to move out!”
Huoshu Huicang's eyes gleamed as he made up his mind.
Dust began to rise as the sounds of horses trotting rose from within the army.
It took mere moments for a unit of fully-armored Tibetan cavalry to gallop out of the army. Unlike other Tibetan cavalry, each one of these horsemen was carrying a massive Celestial Wolf Bow on his back.
Each Celestial Wolf Bow was made from top-quality Phoebe Zhennan wood, and was four to five feet tall, towering over the heads of the riders. The gray wolf fur used to cover these bows clearly indicated their origins.
Only the Western Turks who lived on the steppe and deserts to the northwest of the Great Tang used this kind of bow.
Although the Western Turks were far inferior to the Great Tang in terms of metal smelting and weapon forging, and had always been lacking in access to metals, they were head and shoulders above the Great Tang in terms of bow-making.
The bows of the Western Turks possessed a power second only to the power of Great Tang ballistae. And compared to a ballista, these bows were much easier to construct.
”Get ready!”
In response to this resounding voice, the Celestial Wolf Bows creaked as they were pulled taut. A forest of arrowheads was aimed at the mountain.
”Release!”
Twangtwangtwang!
With an almost deafening clatter, thousands of arrows whistled through the sky, dragging out trails in the air before landing on the mountain.
”Aaaaah!”
Screams suddenly filled the air. One Mengshe Zhao soldier had barely walked two steps when an arrow ended his life, stabbing through his throat, penetrating through his collarbone, and sinking into his internal organs.
The Mengshe Zhao soldier thudded to the ground, smashing into a pool of blood. And as if this was some sort of signal…
Thwishthwishthwish!
Thousands of arrows followed, gleaming with cold light as they covered the skies in a lethal rain.
Mengshe Zhao, Tibetan, Tang… Huoshu Huicang's attack was all-encompassing. In a circle covering the entire mountain, the intersection of the Tang, Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan forces came under an intense arrow volley.
There was no friend or foe, no particular target. Everyone within this area was struck down!
”Aaaaah!”
Screams resonated through the mountain slopes as countless Mengshe Zhao, Tibetan, and Tang soldiers immediately collapsed under this sudden rain of arrows.
”Enemy attack!”
”Careful!”
……
When they discovered that these arrows were not coming from the Great Tang, but from their own side, all the Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers fighting were stupefied. They could understand firing at the Annan Protectorate army, but why were they also the target of this attack?
”What in the world is going on?”
Soldier after soldier crashed to the ground, their eyes wide in confusion.