"My God, what is this? I feel danger everywhere."
"This weapon is incredibly powerful. Once you're hit, the immense impact sends people flying. It's truly terrifying."
"This is impossible to fight; we're just throwing our lives away."
If even the Iron Armor Army at the front couldn't hold out, the ordinary soldiers of Zhennan behind them were even more desperate.
They charged forward carrying broadswords, only to be blasted away before they could even get close, and then inexplicably killed by something. They were completely defenseless against those muskets; it was no different than suicide.
"How so?"
Lu Donghongri, standing behind, felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned ashen as he exclaimed, "What kind of weapon is this? Heavy armor is like paper in front of it! Is there any justice in this world?"
Watching his Iron Armor Army die one by one, his heart was torn apart, and his Central Plains confidence had been greatly diminished.
His pride and joy, his Iron Armor Army, had been so easily defeated by such a weapon; it was heartbreaking. These were his elite troops, and if things continued like this, they would all be wiped out.
How could Great Liang be so strong?
"General, this is probably the enemy's secret weapon." Beside him, the lieutenant said, trembling slightly as he looked at the carnage ahead.
Secret weapon!
Lu Donghongri's pupils contracted. He thought of the spear that Qi Jiguang at him earlier. It seemed to be one of those sticks the enemy was using. He hadn't expected it to be so powerful.
In this situation, our side has already fallen into a disadvantageous position, and if this continues, we may be completely wiped out.
He shook his head violently and said in a deep voice, "No, we absolutely cannot allow 200,000 troops to be stationed here. If they all die in battle, the enemy will advance unimpeded to reinforce Flying Hero Pass, and then everything will be over!"
As long as the army is still there, there is still a chance. I can use the territory of Pingyu Pass to create a stalemate and buy time.
If they are all wiped out at once, then there will be absolutely no chance left.
retreat!
"General, if we retreat now, the brothers in front will be completely finished!" A subordinate on the side said, trembling slightly.
The front line, numbering around 60,000, had already charged forward and couldn't possibly retreat. If their own side were to retreat, those 60,000 men would almost certainly perish.
Lu Donghongri took a deep breath, a resolute look in his eyes, and gritted his teeth, saying, "If we don't leave now, we'll all die here. The Qi Family Army has a numerical advantage and such weapons; we simply can't stop them."
I don't care if I die, but we can't all die here. If we do, Pingyu Pass will be finished, Flying Hero Pass will be affected too!
"General!"
A bitter look flashed in the subordinate's eyes, but he nodded helplessly and went to inform his men.
Watching his retreating figure, Lu Donghongri closed his eyes in anguish and said bitterly, "I, Zhennan, have roamed the plateau my whole life and destroyed countless countries, yet I underestimated Lin Yi."
If I had known this would happen, I would have crossed mountains and rivers to help Li Anlan eliminate Lin Yi!
This Great Liang might just lead to the destruction of Zhennan!
He harbored no illusions, nor did he expect any peace. He knew that the ambitions of the Great Liang were far beyond Pingyu Pass; they were after the entire Zhennan Dynasty.
As for why it's clear, it's actually quite simple: Great Liang and Zhennan are essentially the same.
To annex other countries and strengthen oneself.
This is a common characteristic of powerful empires; there is no such thing as peace and friendship, it's just a matter of whether or not they can be conquered.
No matter how friendly the relationship, it can't compare to having something your own territory. Everything there is yours, and you don't have to share it with anyone else. That's the best kind of takeover.
Great Liang will definitely not let go of this lucrative opportunity in Zhennan.
After he gave the order, the Zhennan army behind him chose to withdraw without hesitation.
They were also intimidated by the fighting prowess of the Qi Family Army. At this moment, being able to avoid direct combat was a great opportunity for them, so they didn't hesitate at all.
The Great Liang faction!
At this moment, Qi Family Army advanced rapidly, tearing apart any enemies that stood in their way. The army was invincible and unstoppable.
The once invincible heavy infantry, Iron Armor Army and heavily armored, was annihilated on the battlefield by the overwhelming power of muskets, and was ultimately wiped out, with only Lu Dongsong surviving.
The other ordinary soldiers were basically terrified. Hearing that sound, they were all filled with fear, afraid that they would be the next to die.
Seeing this, Zhang Fei couldn't help but burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Brother Qi, your musket is truly formidable; even heavy infantry can't withstand it!"
There's just one problem: I can't be in front of the musketeers. My underwear is still burning hot!
At first, he was still hacking and slashing wildly in front, but several times he almost got hit in the balls, which scared him so much that he immediately retreated.
These musket bullets don't discriminate; if you get shot by your own people, you'll be laughed at by the All Under Heaven, and you'll probably die with your eyes wide open in disbelief.
However, he unequivocally acknowledged the power of the musket; it was truly formidable.
"Don't rush, don't rush!"
Qi Jiguang laughed heartily, waved his hand at him, and said with a smile, "The advantage of the musket lies in its attack range and its coverage area, but it is destined to only appear at the front."
If you rush to be at the forefront, you'll only be asking for trouble, so you can't rush it!
Advancing in an orderly manner not only allows for ample time to reload but also enables continuous repositioning without hindering enemy kills!
Holy crap!
Zhang Fei's lips twitched. This guy was usually so impulsive, but when it came to battle, he was like a completely different person, incredibly calm.
They've reached the final battle on the battlefield, how can they not be anxious?
In the past, I would have rushed in and wreaked havoc, but now I've been sealed away by this guy.
He said irritably, "Brother, your Qi Family Army has 300,000 men and you only have this many muskets? That's not enough firepower. You'd need tens of thousands of men to attack together."
If tens of thousands of people were to spray water at once, the firepower would be absolutely devastating; who could withstand that?
"No!"
Qi Jiguang shook his head and said with a wry smile, "Tens of thousands of muskets would stretch the battle lines, making the camp too weak. If the enemy cavalry were to charge, it would be easily broken through."
The muskets we have now are sufficient; they're enough to clear out the enemy's front-line, highly defensive soldiers.
As for the other enemies, to prevent this problem from causing insufficient coverage, we added a large number of archers, directly making up for this shortcoming.
Unlike crossbows, muskets cannot be launched; they can only attack the enemy's front-line soldiers.
This situation is not a big problem in small-scale battles, but it inevitably creates certain blind spots in large-scale military offensives.
When coverage is insufficient, archers will fill the gap!