xymnovel Chapter 72 Fighting Bravely and Displaying the Might of Our Army
Chapter 72 Fighting Bravely and Displaying the Might of Our Army
"This subordinate obeys!"
Gao Lan, Cao Kewei, and Wei Jiaxing clasped their fists in unison, their voices resounding across the wilderness. Their powerful voices echoed for a long time, causing the surrounding grass and trees to tremble slightly.
Although Gao Lan disliked the Han family, he was now ultimately living under their roof, and for the sake of his border troops, he still had to put on a show.
The military situation was urgent, and the three dared not delay. After receiving the order, they immediately mustered three thousand cavalry. The sound of hooves was as rapid as drumbeats, and the three thousand light cavalry galloped towards the direction of Mopan Mountain.
The rising dust blotted out the sky, like a giant yellow dragon sweeping across the wilderness.
……
At this moment, outside the valley entrance.
The north wind whipped up yellow sand, making it impossible for people to open their eyes.
Chang Zhengkuo gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He kicked a staggering soldier beside him to the ground and shouted sternly, "What's the panic? Put your shields up! Spearmen, listen to my command, advance three zhang!"
He personally carried his spear and ran back and forth through the rout, pulling the disarmed soldiers back into the ranks one by one and reorganizing the defensive formation layer by layer.
At this moment, Chang Zhengkuo was filled with hope that the reinforcements could break through the obstacles and arrive as soon as possible. Every second of waiting felt like being tortured on the edge of a knife.
"Listen, brothers! We soldiers are born on the battlefield and die in peace; to die wrapped in a horse's hide is the highest honor!"
In the center of the army formation, Chang Zhengkuo jumped onto an overturned grain cart and shouted at the top of his lungs. He swept his gaze across the anxious faces, and his unusually hoarse voice was full of determination, which made people's eardrums vibrate.
"Brothers, what we see before us are nothing but a rabble of bandits, burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities. We, the mighty soldiers of the Azure Sky, are fed by the Emperor and are loyal to him. How can we fear them!"
"As the saying goes, in a narrow encounter, the brave prevail. Follow me to repel the enemy and hold our ground. Anyone who retreats even a step today will be punished according to military law!"
Chang Zhengkuo was indeed a soldier, but as a henchman of a powerful family, it was unknown what he was thinking after saying those words.
[Ding-dong, Chang Zhengkuo's skill "Fervent Might" has been activated;]
Fierce Might: Fight bravely and display the might of our army. This skill is an advancement from 'Brave' and can be further advanced to 'Martial Might'. The effects of this skill vary depending on who possesses it.
Effect 1: As long as there is no fear in one's heart, one's own martial power will increase. Each time this effect is activated, one's own martial power will increase by 2. This effect can be activated up to three times.
Effect 2: When leading troops into battle, your own leadership increases by 1;
Effect 3: When in adversity, as long as you do not lose your fighting spirit, the morale of all your soldiers will be slightly improved.
Effect 4: When facing a crisis, as long as the fighting spirit is not lost, the opponent's strength can be suppressed by 1 to 3 points. This effect can affect multiple people at the same time, but it can only affect the same person once at most.
Chang Zhengkuo's current five-dimensional attributes are: Command 91, Strength 98, Intelligence 62, Politics 53, and Charisma 80.
Chang Zhengkuo was quite capable; his command and combat skills were top-notch, making him a capable general.
Moreover, his awakened Fierce Might skill is quite practical.
Although the increases in both martial prowess and leadership are not particularly outstanding, its strength lies in its overall balance, taking into account both of the two core attributes of leadership and martial prowess.
Moreover, there is room for improvement in this skill.
However, judging from the current situation, Chang Zhengkuo obviously no longer has such an opportunity.
[Ding dong, Chang Zhengkuo's skill 'Fervent Might' effect 2 has been activated. When leading troops into battle, his own leadership increases by 1;]
Chang Zhengkuo's basic command stat is 91, and his current command stat has risen to 92.
[Ding dong, Chang Zhengkuo's skill 'Fervent Might' effect 3 has been activated. When facing adversity, as long as he does not lose his fighting spirit, the morale of all his soldiers will be slightly increased.]
Inspired by Changzhou Zhengkuo's words, the soldiers, who had been pale-faced, felt a surge of warmth in their chests, and even their hands holding their weapons became a little steadier.
In terms of individual combat prowess, Chang Zhengkuo is not particularly outstanding in the entire Fengxiang County, after all, he only has the strength of a late-stage super-first-class fighter. However, in terms of overall command ability, perhaps only Jiang Shanbao and Wei Jiaxing can slightly suppress him.
Under Chang Zhengkuo's inspiring encouragement, the initially panicked government troops gradually calmed down, raised their shields again, and formed an impenetrable shield wall.
The spearmen followed closely behind, pointing their gleaming spear tips diagonally towards the sky.
The archers also drew their bows and aimed at the bandits covering the mountains ahead, barely managing to regroup their scattered formation.
"Interesting, Brother Chao Gai. This government army general seems to be from the border army as well. He's quite capable, disciplined in his troops, and remains calm in the face of danger. If we don't execute him today, this battle will be difficult to win!"
Lu Guang reined in his warhorse, looked at Chang Zhengkuo, who was full of vigor in the center of the army formation, a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes, and he turned to Chao Gai beside him and spoke.
The halberd in his hand trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was already filled with fighting spirit.
As an undercover agent sent by Jiang Ce to Liangshan, Lü Guang naturally knew far more than the people of Liangshan.
Take Jiang Shanbao, the Commandant of Fengxiang County, for example. The 10,000 soldiers he mobilized this time were all strong men carefully selected from the 30,000 soldiers in the county.
They were all strong and robust, and their equipment was quite sophisticated, with all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, and halberds. They were a genuine and full force, without any duplication.
Although the four prefectures of Laizhou have now become the domain of powerful families, the soldiers at the bottom level have no other thoughts. For them, it doesn't matter who they work for, as long as they get paid on time.
Furthermore, the six great families have been stationed in Laizhou since the founding of the Cangming Dynasty, making them genuine government troops.
Now, after being encouraged by Chang Zhengkuo, they naturally gained more momentum when facing these bandits who had gathered in the mountains.
"Brother Lü Guang is right. We must get rid of this man as soon as possible in order to completely crush the morale of these government troops!" Chao Gai said in a deep voice, then frowned and stared intently at Chang Zhengkuo, who was standing on the grain cart.
Although Chao Gai was not a military genius, even as a bandit king, he relied on the loyalty of his brothers and a ruthless streak. His methods were not particularly sophisticated, but his strength lay in his self-awareness and understanding of the gap between himself and his enemies.
For Liangshan, this battle absolutely cannot be delayed.
Once the reinforcements outside the valley open up the passage to Tian She Valley, with their combined forces from inside and outside, their small force simply cannot withstand the onslaught of 18,000 government troops.
Not to mention, among these troops are five thousand elite border soldiers. Although they are no longer as glorious as they once were, they can still easily deal with Liangshan.