Chapter 86

Shi Le observed the battlefield for a while and suddenly felt a sense of danger again. When he fought against the government troops in Ji Province, this intuition had saved his life several times, so he trusted it very much. However, even as he anxiously patted his cheeks, he could not figure out where this sense of danger was coming from.

He thought carefully. The Jin army stationed at Qishan and Jiefang Mountain should have already seen the smoke signals rising from Tuoba Valley. Calculating their marching speed, they would not arrive at the battlefield until about three and a half hours later, around dusk. But with these three and a half hours, it would be enough for him to capture Tuoba Valley. Then, relying on the terrain of Tuoba Valley, he could first annihilate the southern reinforcements and then advance north to threaten Jinyang. Whether attacking or defending, advancing or retreating, everything was under his control.

Of course, according to Liu Bao's view, it was all in his hands.

From any perspective, the situation of the battle was very favorable. But Shi Le decided to remain vigilant and not give the enemy any chance. So he called Kuian, one of his capable subordinates and one of the "Eighteen Riders," and ordered him to lead five hundred elite soldiers to form a defensive line on the southern road, in case of any unexpected changes.

After making these arrangements, Shi Le surveyed the battlefield again. On the front line, the Xiongnu's numerical advantage was almost tenfold, and they could break through the pass between the two mountains at any time. On the flanks of the mountains, scouts had been sent to climb up and monitor the enemy. The morning mist had long since dissipated, and the weather was excellent, providing a wide field of vision, leaving no room for any oversight. There was no doubt that this was a situation where victory was certain.

The only obstacle between the five thousand Xiongnu warriors and Jinyang City was this small Tuoba Valley and the few hundred Jin soldiers who, though fighting tenaciously, were bound to fail.

Shi Le focused his attention and examined the terrain at the valley entrance. His eyesight was excellent, and even from a distance, he could see everything clearly. The wooden palisades outside the pass were already in disrepair. Many of the soldiers appeared to be shrinking back in fear. Only the Jin army commander remained on horseback at the pass, his expression as calm as a rock. Behind him, the pass was cluttered with disordered piles of wood, indicating that the Jin army had intended to build a fortress but had not completed it in time.

The sense of danger might come from this fortress... If the fortress had been completed, today's situation would have been very unfavorable! Shi Le concluded, secretly relieved.

While Shi Le was observing, the Xiongnu troops, about a bowshot away from the pass, had completed their preparations. They let out a loud cry and charged towards the wooden palisades in dense formation. The first wave of the attack alone consisted of more than eight hundred soldiers, all of whom were selected elite warriors. The Jin army, already stretched thin, and with their wooden palisades damaged from previous attacks, quickly fell into a passive position.

First, a dense rain of arrows fell, pattering against the wooden palisades, armor, helmets, and bodies. These arrows seemed to have been specially gathered, many of them heavy-headed armor-piercing arrows that could easily tear through armor and flesh, break bones, and even pierce through the body.

Then, a large number of infantry surged forward. The Jin army's spear troops, after several engagements, had suffered heavy losses and could no longer form a dense line behind the wooden palisades. Many Xiongnu infantry cut through the scattered spears and rushed to the wooden palisades.

The wooden palisades, already on the verge of collapse, did not hold for long and were soon breached in several places. The Xiongnu surged in like a flood.

The Jin soldiers guarding the wooden palisades did not have time to retreat to the pass and were immediately entangled in combat with the Xiongnu. They fought fiercely, but the number of fallen soldiers around them increased, and the remaining soldiers gradually felt despair.

Xu Mu, the squad leader, was clad in double iron armor and wielded a large saber in each hand, shouting as he fought. He cut down several Xiongnu warriors who rushed at him, his armor drenched in enemy blood, making him a fearsome sight. More Xiongnu warriors swarmed around him, surrounding him. Xu Mu nimbly turned and cut a charging enemy in half at the waist, but another enemy rushed from the side and struck his chest with a heavy mace.

The force of the mace was so powerful that it instantly dented the entire piece of armor. Xu Mu felt as if a massive stone had pressed against his chest, making it impossible to breathe. He dropped one of his sabers, grunted a couple of times, and tried to unfasten his armor, but blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and his body swayed.

An enemy leaped forward and tackled Xu Mu to the ground, then stepped on his body and stabbed his neck with a sharp dagger. The dagger pierced the large blood vessels in his neck, and blood spurted out. Xu Mu struggled a few times and then lay still. The enemy removed his helmet and put it on his own head, then cut off his head and proudly displayed it to the surroundings.

The commander's courage is the soldiers' spirit. Xu Mu's death was a huge blow to his hundred-man squad. Apart from a few soldiers who continued to fight, the rest immediately scattered. The Xiongnu broke through from this direction and gradually divided and surrounded the Jin army into several parts.

Fei Cen tried his best to gather his subordinates and retreated while fighting, relying on the side of the mountain. About thirty people were still fighting with him, most using short weapons and shields. They blocked from all sides, trying to withstand the fierce assault. These were mostly his own soldiers, while the militiamen under Wang Yan had almost all been killed.

Indeed, as the military strategy that Mu Lan had just recited said, in such a brutal battle, the more cowardly a person is, the less likely they are to survive. Fei Cen's old subordinates, in terms of combat will and skills, far exceeded the militiamen. So when the militiamen were killed or injured in large numbers, Fei Cen and his old soldiers still maintained their combat formation.

But this situation could not last long. Several times the number of enemies surrounded them, shouting and fighting fiercely. The sound of swords and axes striking shields was like a rainstorm, and occasionally, long spears would stab through the gaps in the shields, killing the Jin soldiers one by one.

Fei Cen shouted commands, rushing to where danger appeared, fighting for a while, and then retreating. This way of fighting was actually the most dangerous, as he faced the most intense attacks each time. In a short while, he had several new wounds, and even half of his face was struck by the head of a long spear, tearing the flesh and exposing his jawbone and teeth. Blood gushed out, staining half of his body, making him look very terrifying.

Zhao Lu's ten-man squad was down to just him and Mu Lan. The rest had all been killed. Their long spears had broken in the intense fighting, so they each picked up a ring-pommel saber and stood back-to-back, fighting against four or five surrounding Xiongnu.

These Xiongnu were all strong men using heavy weapons like maces and large axes, and they were very formidable. Mu Lan's right leg and right arm were severely injured, making him the target of the Xiongnu's fierce attacks. After a few rounds, his left shoulder was struck by a mace, and the sound of his shoulder blade breaking was heard as the ring-pommel saber clattered to the ground.

Zhao Lu swung his weapon more wildly, and at the same time, he still found the time to curse Mu Lan: "You foolish child, I told you to run, but you didn't, and now you've dragged me down with you!"

With just him alone, he could not block the Xiongnu from all directions.

The Xiongnu surrounding them all grinned viciously, showing the same expression as wild beasts about to feast on their prey. Zhao Lu also smiled, knowing that his life would end here. At least he had lived for more than forty years, so it wasn't a waste. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the escape route on the right side of the formation.

All his careful planning had been in vain, and he couldn't use it in the end. It was fate! Zhao Lu muttered.

******

Finally, I managed to finish it, hoho. Please click, vote, and collect. Thank you all for your support!

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