xymnovel Chapter 83 One step late, every step late
Chapter 83 One step late, every step late
With this sharp blade clearing the way, the two thousand iron cavalry behind them instantly transformed into a roaring black behemoth, its iron hooves rolling like thunder, charging towards the bandit lines with an aura of devouring the heavens and earth.
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
Xiao Xuanbin's expression changed drastically. He shouted and swung his spear to deflect a spear in front of him.
His 500 men, though numerous, were in reality a rabble. In terms of combat strength and equipment, they were far inferior to the government troops.
Now that his forces are being outnumbered and outmatched by the enemy, where does he get the confidence to fight back?
Nangong Xiao's earlier slaying of Zhang Duling and his defeat of Zhang Duling boosted morale somewhat, but this boost was far from enough to bridge the gap in strength between the two sides.
Those who know the current affairs are handsome.
If we don't run now, when will we?
"Splash—"
The bandits ran faster than rabbits, abandoning their armor and weapons, and quickly scattered. Cries of agony echoed across the wilderness as they fled in panic, leaving their weapons scattered everywhere.
Although the government cavalry were brave, their heavy armor was a real hindrance, and every time they rode, the sound of their hooves would be muffled and the ground would shake, which would severely slow them down.
In contrast, the bandits each carried only an ordinary weapon and had no decent armor. Despite being lightly armed, their warhorses ran faster than the government troops, quickly creating a gap of several meters, leaving only dust billowing behind them.
…………
"General Gao, the bandits have escaped, and my flanking maneuver has failed. What should we do next?"
Cao Kewei reined in his horse and turned back. Dust from his armor was blown off by the wind. His face was full of resentment, and he immediately asked.
Upon hearing this, Gao Lan looked up at the sun. It was high in the sky; it was already noon. His expression remained calm: "No need to pursue. Proceed at full speed. Supporting General Chang is the priority!"
"Just what I wanted!"
Cao Kewei nodded heavily, but a hint of anxiety lingered between his brows.
Five hundred bandits are nothing to worry about, whether they are wiped out or not is irrelevant, but the half hour they were delayed was enough to kill them!
At this moment, his mind was filled with thoughts of Chang Zhengkuo's three thousand soldiers. He only hoped that the isolated army could hold out a little longer until their reinforcements arrived, and not be completely wiped out by that band of ruthless bandits.
"All troops, listen to my command! Abandon baggage and march at full speed!"
Cao Kewei's roar pierced the sky, and his soldiers abandoned the grain rations they carried, threw the heavy grain bags by the roadside, and galloped away, their hooves thundering like rain.
But would the people of Liangshan let them escape so easily?
Xiao Xuanbin and Chao Gai were not close to each other, and the transmission of information was already slow. At this moment, he had not yet received the order to "retreat" and was still carrying out delaying tactics.
The bandits, relying on their speed, always hovered around the left flank of the government troops, avoiding direct confrontation. They would occasionally fire a few arrows, taking down one or two isolated soldiers.
At this moment, they clung to the government troops like maggots, relentlessly pursuing them. The sharp sound of arrows piercing the air could be heard from time to time within the government troops' ranks, causing a stir.
Cao Kewei swung his sword, deflecting a stray arrow. The arrowhead whizzed past the blade, making a clanging sound. His brows furrowed deeply, and he said in a low voice, "General Gao, if we're kept entangled like this, the reinforcements might be late!"
.........
Cao Kewei's anxiety was almost overflowing; his palms were clenched so tightly they turned white, and his warhorse pawed restlessly, kicking up clouds of dust.
Reinforcements are needed urgently. If these persistent bandits continue to harass us, forget about getting Chang Zhengkuo's aid. By the time their three thousand men finally arrive, Chang Zhengkuo's head will probably be hanging on the bandits' flagpole.
Even their support troops will be accused of delaying military operations!
"General Cao, it would be better to divide our forces now!"
After a moment of contemplation, Gao Lan suddenly looked up, his expression as solemn as if he had been tempered by ice.
"You and I will each lead 1,500 cavalry, rushing at full speed to reinforce General Chang, while the other side stays behind to wipe out these annoying flies!" Gao Lan proposed.
"No!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Kewei's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly spoke up to stop him, his tone filled with fear.
"General Gao, if we split our forces, our strength will be halved. The enemy has a top expert like Nangong Xiao in command, and our Zhang Duling is injured in battle, so our combat strength has already been reduced by more than half."
Seeing our army's weakness, they will inevitably switch from harassment to a full-scale attack. At that point, our army will be caught in a situation where we cannot defend both ends, and we will likely be defeated without a doubt!
Gao Lan had already considered this, and immediately added in a deep voice: "Just send out more scouts. The two teams will use smoke signals and have a three-quarters-hour limit!"
If the remaining troops do not send out a signal fire within 45 minutes, the reinforcements should immediately turn back and attack from both sides, then they will surely wipe out this group of bandits in one fell swoop!
"Brilliant!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Kewei's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration, his tense face finally showing a slight relaxation.
No wonder the Han family appointed this man as their deputy general. He must be a genuine border general. It's a pity that such a talent cannot be used by the Cao family!
It must be said that this plan was indeed thorough.
If the Liangshan bandits dare to take risks, the remaining troops will hold them off. Once the reinforcements arrive, they will form an encirclement and crush the bandit army completely.
The only drawback is that once war actually breaks out, the plan to support Chang Zhengkuo will be completely ruined.
However, Cao Kewei considered this shortcoming to be insignificant.
He knew perfectly well that rushing to Chang Zhengkuo's aid was merely a military order; after all, he had never met Chang Zhengkuo before and had no connection with him whatsoever. He was simply fulfilling his duty.
When faced with a life-or-death decision, the priority is naturally to save one's own life and the lives of one's soldiers.
Just as Gao Lan and Cao Kewei split up their forces, Xiao Xuanbin's band of bandits ultimately did not dare to confront Gao Lan and Cao Kewei's troops head-on.
Perhaps they received a message from Chao Gai's side, knowing that the delaying mission was complete, and they quietly withdrew without leaving a trace.
In this way, Gao Lan and his companion's subsequent journey proceeded smoothly and without hindrance. They rode their horses at full speed, their iron hooves shattering the dust along the way, and finally arrived at the designated meeting point on time.
Unfortunately, the time spent on the road was ultimately too long.
When they arrived, dusty and weary, there was no trace of the bandits left, only cold, stiff corpses scattered all over the ground. Some were decapitated, while others still had weapons embedded in their chests, silently recounting the earth-shattering and brutal battle that had just taken place.
About half an hour later, Han Feng's main force finally cleared the mountain path blocked by the bandits and moved the boulders blocking the way, slowly arriving at this place.
When they arrived, they saw that the battlefield was littered with corpses and the ground beneath their feet was scorched earth soaked in blood. This tragic and desolate scene aroused everyone's anger.