Chapter 768: Defeating the Mountain Army! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Mm.”
Wang Chong raised his head slightly and smiled.
”This Tibetan commander is extremely cautious, but even the most cautious commander wouldn't be able to just watch as we built fortifications on the plateau, especially since the fortress we're building will also be filling up this triangular gap that's vital for leaving the plateau. If he were still able to endure, we could have just upped the construction speed and even begun constructing a second fortress… A man's patience has a limit. I don't believe that those impulsive Tibetans can last this long.”
Ü-Tsang, unlike the Central Plains, was not an agricultural society. Their culture foreordained that they could not be as patient and enduring as the Han. Their nature made them trend toward acting on instinct, and it was for this reason that they were known throughout the world for their ferocity and courage. To put it another way, they were impulsive.
The most cautious and wise Tibetans were only less impulsive in comparison to their peers. People like Dalun Ruozan, well-versed in the texts of the Central Plains, composed, calm, and intelligent, were extremely rare in the Ü-Tsang Empire and could be counted on one hand.
And no matter what, a Tibetan general of such caliber would never just randomly appear in this army before him.
”Have them get ready!”
Wang Chong looked forward while raising an arm.
”Yes, Lord Marquis.”
Li Siye bowed and quickly turned his horse to the rear. 'As swift as the wind, as orderly as the breeze blowing through a forest, immovable as a mountain, aggressive as fire.' The Wushang Cavalry behind Wang Chong had already been trained to their peak. Their every movement was as one, and they worked with a tacit understanding that no other soldier could match.
There was none of the loud ruckus made by the Tibetan cavalry. A single order was enough for the army to swiftly gather, forming a stark contrast with the Tibetans. Yet this silent and oppressive killing aura, coupled with the fact that three hundred of them were fresh from their overwhelming victory over two thousand, made it seem like this was the calm before a storm, a formidable pressure that no noise could overcome!
Buzz!
The Tibetans began their assault far faster than expected. A few seconds later, the earth began to quake and the plateau grass began to sway and rustle. Meanwhile, the thousands of cavalry were slowly building up speed as they charged.
”Kiiill!”
In an instant, it felt like the sky had torn open. The thousands of Tibetans began to shout and yell, their unified roars reaching into the heavens.
”Full charge, River Formation! Charge in through the spaces between the walls. If those Tang barbarians think that they can stop us by just setting up a few steel walls, then they've made a grave mistake,” Buluhu viciously said.
The Mountain Army was different from other cavalry, which only knew how to charge on open area like the plains, steppe, or the plateau. No matter how complicated the terrain, even on complex mountainous terrain, the Mountain Army could still charge through. Anyone who believed that a few walls could stop them was being far too naive and deeply underestimating them.
Rumble!
The shuddering intensified and the grass began to sway even more. Eighteen hundred zhang, seventeen hundred zhang, sixteen hundred zhang, fifteen hundred zhang… the distance was shrinking and the Tibetan warhorses were only getting faster. Behind them, churning clouds of dust rose several dozen zhang into the air, adding to the astonishing momentum of the Tibetan charge.
Not only that, while charging, the Tibetans did not take up their usual Echelon Formation. Instead, they split up into hundreds of small groups, all of them aimed at the gaps in Wang Chong's front row of steel walls. In this entire process, none of the Tibetans slowed down, only got faster and faster.
”Interesting! This Tibetan commander is definitely unusual!”
At this sight, Wang Chong half-closed his eyes. The primary role of this scattered array of steel walls was disrupting the famed Tibetan Echelon Formation and its endless waves of assault.
This Tibetan commander was not only unusual for remaining cautious even with an overwhelming advantage in numbers. In a situation where the Echelon Formation couldn't be used, he had still formed his army into another extremely powerful charging formation.
This aspect alone put him over the vast majority of Tibetan commanders.
”Unfortunately, this still isn't enough, because you simply have no clue what you're facing!”
Wang Chong's eyes twinkled for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.
The Tibetan general was quite outstanding, but alas, he was completely unaware that he was not facing any ordinary Tang army, but the supreme 'War Saint' of the Central Plains. The skills he had displayed were nothing at all in Wang Chong's eyes.
The steel walls that Wang Chong had erected were also not as simple as he thought they were.
”Xu Keyi, have all the craftsmen retreat to the rear. There's no need to halt construction on the fort. I have a feeling that these walls will quickly come into play,” Wang Chong said, his eyes still looking forward.
”Yes, Lord Marquis.”
Xu Keyi bowed and quickly fell back. The three thousand craftsmen at the front quickly retreated to the rear of the army, where they also began to work on the construction of the massive fortress.