Charging into the Enemy Camp
The dead and wounded of the Government Army, both on and below the city walls, had piled up like mountains.
The siege towers and catapults were reduced to rubble, shield bearers fell in droves, and crossbow bolts rained down like rain, leaving nowhere to hide.
By this time, nearly half of the Government Army attacking the city had been killed or wounded.
The level of elite status of an army is linked to its casualty rate.
In ordinary armies, if 10% or 20% are killed or wounded, their formation will begin to crumble; if 30% are killed or wounded, most will not be able to hold out. Those who can grit their teeth and hold out until more than half of their troops have been killed or wounded are the best of the best.
In this world, only that fearless team could fight to the last man, and even when everyone was dead, they wouldn't retreat a single step.
On the distant hillside, Shen Jingchuan saw this and was reminded of the army on Earth.
The Ice Sculpture Company and Langya Mountain —these were some of the strongest land forces in human history, a rare sight indeed.
The Government Army in front of us have suffered nearly half their casualties and are only just beginning to crumble; they are already quite formidable.
No matter how strong they are, they are still made of flesh and blood.
As they watched their men fall one by one, and their commander-in-chief was gone, their last shred of strength finally dissipated.
It's unclear who turned around first, but then the entire group, like an avalanche, dropped their weapons and ran back.
No matter how much the officers and sentries slashed or cursed, they couldn't stop them.
Behind the city gate, Zhang Qing had already organized the 50,000-strong reserve force and arranged them into battle formation.
As he waited, he saw the chieftain's personal guards rush down and give the order: Open the city gates and charge out!
Zhang Qing's spirits lifted, and he rushed into the doorway, shouting at the soldiers guarding the gate.
"Open the city gates! The chief has ordered, open the city gates!"
The Rebel Army is still in its early stages and its rules are not yet fully established. When entering or leaving the city, there are no passes or badges; it's mostly based on appearance.
When the gatekeepers saw that it was Zhang Qing, the most valiant general under the chief, with his personal guards standing beside him, they didn't hesitate any longer.
"Open the city gates!"
With their combined strength, several people pushed open the heavy city gate with a loud bang.
As soon as the city gates opened, the troops, who had been holding back for so long, poured out one after another.
The first to charge out were the cavalry.
The cavalrymen, who had been waiting impatiently, mounted their horses and charged after the fleeing soldiers like a gust of wind.
Horses hooves pounded the ground, swords flashed, and those who ran too slowly were cut down; the fleeing soldiers fell in droves.
Although their numbers were small, their killing efficiency was extremely high.
Following them out of the city were crossbowmen.
Squads of crossbowmen emerged from the city gates, not in a hurry to pursue, but instead formed ranks on the spot, holding their crossbows and aiming in all directions.
The sound of bowstrings rang out in unison as they pursued and shot at the fleeing soldiers, one arrow at a time.
Finally, there were the spearmen.
Long spears stood upright, dense as a forest. Once outside the city gate, they didn't wander aimlessly, but formed a disciplined formation and advanced step by step.
The spear tips, like a forest, gleamed coldly, pressing straight towards the Government Army's camp.
Zhang Qing stood at the front of the formation, watching the cavalry pursue, the crossbowmen fire in unison, and the spearmen hold the line. It took half an hour for the 50,000-strong army to be in good order.
He pointed his broadsword forward and roared, "Brothers, follow me and trample the Government Army's camp!"
Fifty thousand soldiers shouted in unison and followed him, charging in orderly steps towards the chaotic camp.
Once outside the city gates, Zhang Qing did not order his men to give chase.
The hundreds of thousands of the Government Army in front of us are well-trained, not a Government Army that would scatter at the first sign of trouble.
He could see clearly when he left the city that although the enemy showed signs of defeat, their retreat was still orderly.
If you let your troops rush in haphazardly at this moment, and they happen to be surrounded and caught off guard, you'll be risking your lives.
Therefore, he chose to proceed cautiously and steadily.
The cavalry were dispersed, allowed to chase and cut down as they pleased, specifically targeting those attempting to form ranks, with the main objective being to prevent the Government Army from regrouping.
Crossbowmen and spearmen were arrayed outside the city.
This train took nearly half an hour, but Zhang Qing felt it was worth it. Only when the situation was stable did he feel at ease.
"All formation is complete!" he commanded, and the crossbowmen and spearmen marched in orderly ranks toward the Government Army camp.
At this time, the Government Army's camp was in complete chaos.
Everywhere were fleeing soldiers returning, crowding into the camp gates like swarms of bees.
The camp gate couldn't be closed at all.
Many Government Army didn't dare to flee to the camp gate; they abandoned their weapons and scattered into the fields.
The cavalry outside were chasing after these people, cutting them down one by one with their swords, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Zhang Qing commanded the crossbowmen to advance first, aiming at the camp gate and stockade walls, and unleashing a volley of fire.
Arrows rained down, and the guards at the camp gate who wanted to close the gate and resist were shot down and unable to lift their heads.
The camp gate was left wide open.
Immediately afterward, the spearmen arrived.
Zhang Qing swung his broadsword forward and shouted, "Spearmen, charge in!"
A large crack appeared in the crossbowmen's formation, making way for them.
The spearmen, who had been holding back their energy for a long time, roared and charged into the camp gate like a flood that had burst its banks.
Once inside the camp, the long spear could no longer be used effectively.
Tents were packed tightly together in the camp, people were crammed together, and it was difficult to even turn around with a long spear. The two armies were engaged in close combat in the blink of an eye.
Some soldiers thrust their spears, piercing the bodies of their targets. Unable to pull them out in time, they simply dropped their spears, drew their sabers, and continued hacking.
At this point, the benefits of the armor worn by the Rebel Army became apparent.
Wearing helmets and stab-proof vests, they were mostly unharmed by the Government Army's swords and spears.
These soldiers went completely berserk.
There's nothing else to it. When you know that the enemy is hard to kill, while you can cut them down one by one, the courage you feel is indescribable.
On the Government Army' side, most of them were also wearing armor, and some infantrymen were even in full heavy armor.
Ordinary swords and spears, when they cut or pierce the armor, are unlikely to injure them.
The spears in the hands of the Rebel Army were made of manganese steel pipes. Those pipes were both hard and tough, and the spearheads were cut at an angle and sharpened to an extremely fine point. With a single thrust of concentrated force, they could pierce through both armor and flesh in one go.
The most despicable thing about this gun isn't even its hardness.
The gun barrel was a hollow tube; once it pierced a person's body, blood would gush out along the steel tube, and it couldn't be stopped.
The puncture wound was a round hole, unlike a knife cut, where the skin and flesh could still shrink together.
This round hole is draining blood too quickly.
Even if a person isn't shot in a vital area, they won't last long after being shot once they've bled out.
When the Rebel Army first entered the camp, they maintained their formation and advanced in waves.
As the fighting progressed, everyone became bloodthirsty.
In groups of three or five, or two or three, they would hack and slash at anyone they saw. Some of the bravest among them would charge into the enemy ranks alone with a single sword, howling with utter recklessness.
The spearmen charged into the camp, and the crossbowmen behind them couldn't hold them back either.
Fortunately, Zhang Qing kept a low profile and commanded the crossbowmen, who advanced in an orderly fashion, one squad after another, without any pushing or shoving.
They entered the camp, carrying crossbows and drawing swords, and joined the battle.
The cavalry did not enter the camp; instead, they circled the camp, relentlessly pursuing and killing any stragglers who managed to escape, leaving none behind.