Chapter 44: The Counterattack Begins (Part III)

In a short time, more than ten thousand Han troops converged rapidly. Many cavalrymen swiftly unslung the shields from their saddles and held them high, forming a massive wall of shields in an instant.

At this moment, fifty thousand barbarian cavalry surrounded the Han army, circling them while utilizing mounted archery techniques to rain arrows upon them.

Because the Han army had reacted quickly and erected their shield wall, the sky-filling barrage of arrows mostly struck the shields.

The man in white could no longer restrain himself. He said urgently to the old Daoist, "Master, I must go and assist them!"

The old Daoist narrowed his eyes, watching the battlefield, and said calmly, "It is not yet time. If the Marquis of Yan is as legendary as they say, he should be able to handle this situation."

The fifty thousand barbarian cavalry circled the troops of Luo Ang and began to rotate. These nomadic horsemen had unleashed their most specialized tactic: firing volleys of arrows while galloping at high speeds. In previous battles, once an opponent was caught in such a tight encirclement, there was almost no chance of escape; the tragic result was invariably the total annihilation of their forces.

The King of Wuhuan, mounted on his horse beneath the wolf-headed standard, watched the Han army—now completely on the defensive—with a smile, as if looking at prey that had already fallen into his trap. He did not believe for a moment that this trapped prey could escape his clutches.

The nomadic horsemen continued their relentless charge and archery. Although the Han army relied on their shields for protection, they faced such continuous, dense attacks that men and horses were constantly struck down. However, fallen soldiers were swiftly dragged away, and others immediately stepped in to fill the gaps. Under such relentless and fierce assaults, the Han shield wall struggled to hold, unable to break free.

Time ticked by, and every minute the Han army endured seemed impossibly long. The barbarians had expected their opponents to collapse quickly, but as time passed, there were no signs of such a breakdown.

The King of Wuhuan roared, "All forces, attack!"

The cavalry that had not yet joined the assault were thrown into the fray. The massive vortex seemed to turn several times more violent, and the density of the arrow rain intensified, pouring down upon the Han army. The casualties of the Han troops increased sharply, and their defensive line seemed to waver; yet, the soldiers fought with all their might to maintain the integrity of their formation, struggling valiantly against the terrifying onslaught.

Ultimately, such violent aggression could not be sustained. Soon, it began to wane, and along with it, the momentum of the barbarian cavalry faded. Seeing that they could not break the Han army despite prolonged attacks, these fierce nomadic riders lost their initial sharpness, and even their speed slowed considerably.

The King of Wuhuan continued to howl, but the offensive of his subordinates grew weaker and weaker.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound of war drums erupted from within the Han ranks. The King of Wuhuan and his men were struck with shock and disbelief as they saw the enemy abandon their defense and launch a full-scale charge toward them. Before the nomadic cavalry could react, the Han army shattered the front line of their forces.

In an instant, the nomadic cavalry was scattered, unable to offer even a moment of resistance. Seeing this, the King of Wuhuan was both shocked and enraged, shouting for his men to surround them. But the Han cavalry charged and slaughtered with fury, sweeping toward his position.

Han sabers and spears harvested lives wildly, and iron hooves trampled flesh and blood into the earth; nothing could stop them. The King of Wuhuan turned pale with fright, hurriedly pulled his horse’s reins, and fled for his life. Seeing this, his nomadic riders turned their horses and fled in a wild stampede.

The army of fifty thousand collapsed in an instant. Luo Ang led his ten thousand cavalry in a relentless pursuit, unstoppable.

The Xianbei army, currently laying siege to the town, was struck with terror at the sight. They abandoned the attack, frantically gathering their forces and changing direction to prepare for the Han charge. However, it was not the Han cavalry that arrived first, but the routed Wuhuan riders. They stampeded blindly, immediately throwing the Xianbei ranks into chaos. Luo Ang seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, leaving the Xianbei battle line teetering on the brink of collapse.

At this moment, the man in white, riding a white horse, galloped out from the town, charged into the middle of the Xianbei army, and drove straight toward their royal standard. The barbarian generals finally reacted and spurred their horses to intercept him. Yet, the man in white moved like a flash of lightning, piercing through the ranks of the barbarian generals, causing them to fall from their horses one after another; none could withstand even a single blow.

Reaching the Xianbei royal standard, the man in white used his silver spear to knock down over a dozen of their commanders. The King of Xianbei, seeing this, was startled at first, then let out a roar, spurred his horse, and charged at the man in white with his saber drawn.

The man in white, having just knocked aside a barbarian commander, suddenly felt the chill of a blade and dodged to the side. Seeing his attack thwarted, the King of Xianbei yelled and prepared to strike again. At that moment, the man in white flicked his wrist, turning his silver spear in a small arc to thrust at the King’s flank.

The King of Xianbei was horrified to see the long spear thrusting toward him; unable to continue his attack, he hurriedly pulled back his saber to parry. With a loud "bang," the silver spear of the man in white slammed heavily into the blade of the King’s saber.

The King of Xianbei felt a terrifying force strike him, his hands going numb, nearly losing his grip on his weapon. Overcome with dread and afraid to continue the fight, he hurriedly turned his horse, ducked low over its back, and fled in a panic. With the King of Xianbei in full flight, the remaining riders could no longer resist the fierce charge of the Han cavalry, and they collapsed instantly.

Luo Ang saw the opportunity and pursued, but the nomadic cavalry was extremely fast; his own cavalry could not catch them. He watched helplessly as they fled into their camp to the northwest, and he pressed the advantage to attack the camp. The ten thousand cavalry charged the camp like a tidal wave. Though they shook the enemy's defenses, they could not break in.

By now, the enemy cavalry had recovered their senses. Under the orders of their commanders, they gathered quickly, clearly preparing for a counterattack. Seeing that the opportunity had passed, Luo Ang immediately ordered a halt to the assault, and his army swiftly retreated into the town.

The great battle came to a temporary end. As Luo Ang entered the town, he discovered that the number of refugees gathered there far exceeded his expectations. Initial reports had suggested a few thousand, but the actual number was five or six tens of thousands, or perhaps more. The refugees looked at him with expressions of terror and infinite hope.

A venerable old man, possessing an air of transcendent grace, appeared before him.

Luo Ang felt a stir in his heart; he reined in his horse, dismounted, and walked over to the old man, cupping his hands in a salute. "I heard it was all thanks to you, Daoist, that these people were saved. You have worked hard!"

The old Daoist looked deeply at Luo Ang and returned the salute. "Marquis of Yan, you are too kind! Had you not arrived with your army, this old bag of bones would likely have returned to the dust along with these many people today. Your righteousness is truly admirable, and I am in awe."

At the nomadic cavalry camp, the Wuhuan and Xianbei leaders breathed a sigh of relief as the Han army withdrew.

The King of Wuhuan cursed, "Where did this Han army come from? They are so fierce!"

The King of Xianbei frowned and said, "Judging by their banners, it should be the Marquis of Yan who guards Luoyang. I did not expect him to dare take the initiative! He is truly worthy of his reputation!"

The King of Wuhuan, unconvinced, said to the King of Xianbei, "We were caught off guard by his sneak attack today! In the next battle, we will surely slaughter them all!"

The King of Xianbei frowned slightly, expressing concern. "If we are locked in a stalemate here, I fear it will not be to our advantage. If other warlords arrive to rescue them, we might..."

"There is absolutely no need to worry about that; no one will come to save them!" A voice suddenly came from the side.

The Kings of Wuhuan and Xianbei were startled and looked toward the sound. They saw the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu approaching, surrounded by a detachment of cavalry. They immediately showed joy and hurried forward to greet him.

The King of Xianbei asked in confusion, "Is the Left Wise King not supposed to be attacking the Imperial court's forces? Why have you come here?"

The King of Wuhuan also looked on with curiosity.

The Left Wise King said, "I have already defeated the Imperial forces. Dong Zhuo and his men have fled in panic toward Chang'an!"

Upon hearing this, the King of Wuhuan could not help but feel jealous, remarking sourly, "Congratulations, Left Wise King! Your harvest from this trip must have been substantial?"

The Left Wise King laughed. "Although there were some gains, what are they compared to what we might obtain right before our eyes?"

The Kings of Wuhuan and Xianbei were greatly puzzled. The King of Xianbei could not help but ask, "What does the Left Wise King mean by that?"

The Left Wise King replied with a question of his own, "Do you not believe that if we seize Luoyang, our rewards will be beyond imagination?"

The Kings of Wuhuan and Xianbei exchanged glances. The King of Xianbei frowned and said, "It is not that easy! This Han army before us is already difficult to deal with. If other Han forces come to support them, we might face total disaster!"

The Left Wise King laughed. "I have already said, there is no need to worry about other Han armies! Zhao De, you tell them."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure resembling a palace eunuch emerged from behind the Left Wise King, bowed to the two kings, and said, "This servant pays respects to both great kings!"