"...Am I the catalyst?"
Xu Delong laughed and said, "My plan is this: leave only 300 of us and you in the trap zone. Once the Jin soldiers rush over, you lead the way and run. As long as we get outside the trap zone, we'll be safe."
"What if...what if we get caught before we can escape? And what if the trap you set doesn't work?"
Xu Delong said solemnly, "If our 300 men fight to the death, it will be enough for you to run back to the Liangshan camp."
Li Jingshui and Wei Tiezhu also said, "Yes, Brother Xiao, we will definitely protect you."
I said with a worried look, "Then I'll be the one to start things off."
This isn't just a pretext; I'm like the proverbial man who won't catch a wolf's cub without risking his cub, or a rogue's wife without risking his wife. But what can I say? They came to help me, and when it's my turn to make a sacrifice, I can't be hesitant. There's a saying in Guangdong: "Only by striving can you win."
Chapter 158 Xiaoqiang, Run!
Night slowly fell, and the camps of the allied forces and the Jin army were quiet. Under the cover of moonlight, a wild dog sniffed and scratched for food in the open space between the two armies. Suddenly, it raised its head alertly, sniffed hard, howled, and fled in panic—the above is purely imaginary, intended to create an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
In fact, apart from the wild dogs, the other situations are quite apt. Before a great battle, there is always a suffocating silence, and I felt suffocated at that. In order to make it easy for the enemy to spot me, Tang Long made me a 0.6-meter-high helmet out of gold. It was like a weather vane, with a lightning rod cast on the top of the helmet. The top of the rod had a few horsehair hairs. If someone with a bad brain tried to carry this thing, they would get stuck on the city gate.
Knowing the enemy was planning a surprise attack, the Tang army had already activated its "One-Line Long Snake Formation." The veteran general Ding Yanping, aiming to minimize his own casualties, mobilized as many troops as possible to participate in the formation. The One-Line Long Snake Formation is all about defeating the many with the few; you strike its head and tail, and it coils; you strike its tail, and it bites. Breaking the formation is actually quite simple: strike the snake at its seven-inch mark. But this is practically useless. Everyone knows this saying, but almost no one who has never seen a snake can find its seven-inch mark. As for where the seven-inch mark of the One-Line Long Snake Formation is, even Ding Yanping couldn't say…
Mongolians typically eat until they are about 70% full at dinner, a habit they maintain even before a major battle, as overeating leads to fatigue. After a short rest in their tents, they quietly sat cross-legged beside their most capable horses, unwilling to waste even a fraction of their strength at this moment. They drew their ugly-looking scimitars and roughly sharpened them with whetstones, occasionally exchanging a word or two, as quiet as a group of gentlemen wearing napkins and waiting for their French meal.
The Liangshan army had already retreated five miles without a sound, and the camp was still lit, just like before. I and 300 soldiers of Yue Fei's army sat at the very front of the trap. When the Jin soldiers came to launch a surprise attack, we had to pretend to be panicked and run quickly across the trap area. There were people from Liangshan waiting to meet us five miles away.
I sat next to Xu Delong, trembling uncontrollably. Xu Delong sat with me for a while before stopping and saying, "Everyone feels this way the first time they go to the battlefield, very excited. Jing Shui and Tie Zhu went through the same thing. You'll get used to it once you're actually on the battlefield."
I didn't dare tell him that I wasn't excited but scared, and besides, it wasn't my first time doing this; before, I just laughed it off. I never intended to be bait. We all know that bait is a cheap consumable; whether you're fishing or catching wolves, the earthworms and mutton used as bait are usually impossible to get out...
Also, I didn't really plan to go into battle. I've been thinking about one thing: how to quickly run out of the trap zone while wearing this hat that's over a meter tall. If it's a tailwind, it can act as a sail, but if it's a headwind, I'm doomed...
At 1:30 a.m., there was still no movement from the other side. I took off and put on my helmet several times, getting restless. Xu Delong comforted me, saying, "Don't worry, ambushes usually happen around 2 or 3 a.m., when people are most likely to be sleepy." Was I worried? I wished they wouldn't come at all.
Half an hour later, Baozi suddenly called, and she said furtively, "Be careful, I heard them gathering."
I hurriedly relayed this "good news" to Qin Qiong and Hua Rong, who remained with the Mongol army, by phone. Qin Qiong, having been in the army for a long time, was familiar with these tactics. The 600,000 Tang troops remained calm, but had already heightened their vigilance. Muqali, however, was less familiar with intrigue and had never dealt with a similar situation before. Upon hearing my words, he excitedly exclaimed, "I hope they come quickly! Our swords are almost worn out!"...
Twenty minutes later, the gates of the Jin army's western and northern camps suddenly swung open simultaneously, and 5,000 elite cavalrymen from each camp charged out. Silent as swords were drawn, the thunderous sound of hooves, carrying a chilling killing intent, pierced the Tang army's camp and the Mongol encampment like javelins. These men waited until they were inside the enemy lines before unleashing their desperate battle cries. The Tang army's long, serpentine formation stretched out in front of the Jin army, giving them an initial momentum of rapid advance. However, once they reached the heart of the enemy, the Tang army's 100,000-strong formation abruptly contracted. The previously unstoppable 5,000 cavalrymen, now surrounded by 100,000, instantly lost their will to fight, like docile mice coiled by a giant python. Outside the formation, another 100,000 troops blocked the Jin army's retreat in two columns, one to prevent any escape and the other to guard against any Jin reinforcements. Directly in front of the Jin army, the Tang army, accustomed to resisting Turkic cavalry, had erected countless massive shields, each three meters high and covered with barbs and spikes. Even tanks might not be able to break through in a short time, let alone cavalry made of flesh and blood. The first few rows of Jin soldiers crashed into the shields, suffering either death or serious injury. The Tang soldiers surrounding them also launched their attacks, some throwing javelins, others axes, and a barrage of arrows and flails. This was the style of the Tang army: seemingly imposing and powerful, but in actual combat, they would stop at nothing, much like their master, Li Shimin. Moreover, a terrifying aspect of the Tang army was its complete lack of discipline. They were all conscripted soldiers from various regions, similar in nature to mercenaries and private armies. They received rigorous training and possessed excellent military skills, but without much ideological burden. Their employers only required them to win battles; there were no other constraints. The sheer variety of weapons these men carried was a testament to their strength. Besides their primary weapons, each carried at least three secondary weapons, capable of handling both long-range and close-quarters combat. Of course, they had to purchase these weapons themselves; they were controlled in peacetime and returned to their rightful owners in wartime. This was an even more ferocious army, trained in a desperate struggle for survival against the brutal Turks.
The Mongols only mounted their horses upon hearing the battle cries from the Tang army's side, each one still maintaining the composure and calm demeanor of a fallen gentleman. The Jin soldiers charged past the first row of empty tents and saw the composed Mongols waiting for them, arrayed in neat ranks of charge. What greeted them was first the Mongols' superb archery; a swarm of arrows swept across the field like locusts, essentially wiping out the first few ranks of Jin soldiers. Hua Rong fired two volleys of arrows in quick succession, felling 54 men; the area in front of him was now a blank, as if swept by machine gun fire. Muqali laughed, "Brother, excellent archery!"
Hua Rong smiled slightly, hung up the handlebars, picked up his bow and two pistols, and said, "My marksmanship is not bad either."
By this time, the Jin soldiers had already charged close. They didn't take the initial loss in the archery exchange too seriously; the Jurchens were also renowned for their mounted archery, and cavalry was their secret weapon. Relying on their brute force, they had decisively defeated another barbarian tribe, the Khitan. It could be said that before their encounter with the Mongols, the Jin cavalry was invincible. The Song army, on the other hand, not only had poor archery skills, but their cavalry was practically a joke. The Song people governed their army with scholars, and their commanders often only knew how to barely ride a horse to escape. Their cavalry was essentially just a group of infantry on horseback. In the era before rifles, cavalry was the dominant force on the battlefield; a country without cavalry was destined to be attacked and humiliated.
Today, the Jin people encountered a cavalry force destined to drive them off the stage of history. They were simply unlucky, harboring a careless attitude towards such a dangerous enemy. When they reached the appropriate distance for a charge, Muqali raised his sword, and the ten thousand elite Mongol soldiers, handpicked from the best of the best, abandoned their usual composure, charging forward with a cheering, almost beggar-like, gesture of receiving relief. Their scimitars traced circles incessantly, gathering momentum, while their bodies twisted restlessly on their horses to prevent the enemy from finding a suitable spot to strike—the Mongols, however, were not underestimating their opponent.
The Jin general initially sneered at this ragtag army, but when the first Mongol charged at him, his opinion changed. However, it was too late; a flash of cold light, and the CPU screen went black…
Immediately afterwards, the ragged Mongols taught the arrogant Jin soldiers a lesson they had learned. They were practically contagious ragtag tribes, leaving a trail of ruins in their wake—except their clothes were tattered, while the enemy's bodies were. No matter which part of the Mongol's scimitar touched a person, a slight twist was all it took to essentially dismember them; while ordinary swords struggled to penetrate their thick cowhide. The cavalry on both sides maintained their pace. After one charge, the Mongols were still on horseback, only their clothes more tattered, while the Jin soldiers' horses lay desolate, like crops ravaged by migrating wildebeest…
Jin Wuzhu, at his main camp, was unaware of all this. As the battle cries arose, the main event of the day—the 10,000 elite Jin soldiers preparing to raid Liangshan's main camp—formed their ranks, eagerly eyeing our direction. Meanwhile, we weren't idle either; 300 Yue Fei soldiers, each with a torch, lit the various tinderboxes already planted in the camp, creating a scene of chaotic disarray.
With a confident smile, Jin Wuzhu arrogantly pointed one finger eastward, and instantly, 10,000 elite cavalry roared forth, their battle cries shaking the heavens and earth. To be honest, you might have seen 10,000 people gather in a football stadium, but I bet you've never seen 10,000 on horseback, let alone 10,000 mounted soldiers charging at an average speed of 60-70 miles per hour. The noise was more deafening than a firecracker popping in your ear. So, the moment the Jin soldiers burst out of the gate, I took off running. Xu Delong grabbed me: "Let them see you before you run!" I seriously suspected Xu Delong was a spy; if they saw me, how could I possibly escape?
Amidst the deafening roar of hooves, the Jin army, like a rising tide, drew ever closer. I swear, even if you gave me a set of equipment from Beach Head and a cheat code, I wouldn't want to stay here. My heart pounding, I asked Xu Delong, "Can't we run yet?"
Xu Delong held me tightly, staring intently at the opposite side, and murmured, "Last time, our Marshal Yue only retreated after shooting down an enemy."
I looked up at the sky and laughed heartily: "May Bolt be with me!"
As Li Jingshui placed the Black and White Impermanence-themed golden helmet on my head, she asked, "Who is Bolt?"
I replied, "The world's king of sprinting!" I've always been proud to be Chinese, and this was the first time I'd ever envied someone, especially a Jamaican—
By this time, the Jin soldiers were getting closer and closer; I could almost see the features of the lieutenant in front of me. At this point, I actually relaxed. Just like Xu Delong said, I was actually a little excited. It was like the first time entering the bridal chamber; beforehand, you might be a little timid, but when the crucial moment arrives, you can't think of anything else. Although my first time with Baozi wasn't in the bridal chamber, the principle is the same…
In the blink of an eye, the Jin soldiers had stormed into our camp. Based on his years of experience, the deputy general had already sensed something was amiss. The mere few hundred men scattered throughout the vast camp could not fail to arouse his suspicion. He subconsciously slowed down, and with a flick of the torchlight, he suddenly spotted me. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, "We must capture this man alive!" With that, he spurred his horse forward without regard for the consequences.
Spurred on by Xu Delong, I grabbed a rock and, seeing that he had spotted me, threw it at him with all my might. But the heavy helmet obstructed my vision, and the thick armor choked me—the rock nearly crushed my foot.
Xu Delong gave me a hard shove on the back and shouted, "Xiao Qiang, run!" Then he yelled, "The rest of you, cover me in turn!"
I dashed towards the trap zone like the wind, quickly disappearing behind a tent. The lieutenant, chasing after me, shouted to his men, "Chase that helmet!"
Damn, just by listening to this quantifier, you can tell how tall my hat is, the very root of it...
From the moment I started running until my lieutenant shouted, the distance between us was less than 50 meters, while the distance from the first row of traps to the last row was approximately 500 meters. In other words, I had to use this less than 50-meter distance to race against the fast horses that had already started running.
As my feet touched the first row of traps, I felt no peace of mind. Not only was I now in the trap zone, but I also knew these traps were utterly useless. Xu Delong and his soldiers followed closely behind, small crossbows in hand, ready to fire an arrow at any moment. Every now and then, I could hear the screams of Jin soldiers falling from their horses, but this did nothing to slow them down: a general with elite troops protecting him was definitely the right choice! The Jin soldiers, their eyes already bloodshot, were determined to exchange me for high-ranking positions and generous rewards, especially those in the front ranks. The more they survived, the greater their chance of capturing the enemy commander alive!
Ten thousand cavalrymen were chasing me from less than 50 meters behind. The sound alone couldn't tell how close they were, but it was absolutely terrifying. It felt as if someone was already running right beside me; if I didn't look up, I wouldn't even know if someone had run ahead of me. I ran for my life, and 300 warriors followed me closely, not because they couldn't outrun me, but because they were protecting me.
After I ran past three rows of traps, the feeling under my feet was a little different. It was soft and saggy, like stepping on a mud-brick house. We used to do that all the time when we were kids, and the homeowners would often follow us down there, looking impatient and angry, brandishing bricks and yelling at us. Ah, I've found that childhood feeling again, except the people chasing me have changed from a neighbor with a brick in hand to ten thousand cavalrymen wielding broadswords...
Luck wasn't against me during the first six rows of traps; after all, there was a 50-meter buffer zone. Even if you ran like crazy, the horse couldn't catch up easily. Just as I stepped onto the seventh row of traps, I heard a startled scream and a horse neighing behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a large rock falling into the latrine—we used to do that a lot when we were kids (kids these days don't have that kind of fun anymore), which often attracted angry people chasing us, pulling up their pants and wielding bricks. Finally, someone fell off their horse!
But by then, my physical strength had reached its limit. Sprinting 500 meters at top speed is no joke; my throat was filled with the taste of blood, and my legs felt as heavy as lead. Xu Delong's voice came from behind me: "Come on, you're almost there!"
"Adding fuel" is such an inhumane thing to say. People aren't motorcycles, why would you need fuel?
What I mean is, even without him spouting that nonsense, I was running my best, and I'm sure anyone who's ever seen me run before would be absolutely astonished to see me like this now. The speed and endurance... how can I describe it? It's like a naked woman leading the race through invisible air...
Luck was on my side, but it also favored the guy behind us. His horse followed us the whole time, and his men had been falling into the traps since the fifth row, but he still wouldn't let go. The traps he ran into soon started swallowing people up too, but he was unharmed. When he discovered our plot, he was taken aback. After a moment of stunned silence, he gritted his teeth and steeled himself to grab me.
By the time I reached the edge of the ninth row of pits, I was on the verge of a complete mental and physical breakdown. Not only was I exhausted, but the traps beneath my feet were also becoming incredibly thrilling, almost like stepping on a trampoline—like we used to do that when we were kids, and our mothers would often chase us out the door with brooms. With each step, I knew better than anyone that if I stepped into a hole this time, all my past sins of stepping on mud houses, smashing outhouses, and jumping on trampolines would be atoned for all at once…the people behind me would either kill me or crush me to death!