Chapter 107: Chapter 107 What Mortar? This is a Catapulti
Translator: 549690339
Upon receiving the order from Xiao Hongbo, Xiao Pengthian quickly arrived at Xiao Hongbo’s tent.
At this time, Xiao Hongbo was already arranging how the Barbarian Generals would attack Yan County.
As Xiao Pengthian entered the tent, he opened with, “Great King, did you call forme?”
Seeing Xiao Pengthian, Xiao Hongbo’s face instantly broke into a smile, and then he said with a laugh, “Pengthian, I’ve been seriously thinking about what you said to me before, and I find your words very reasonable.”
“If we charge directly into the Wanning Valley, and Great Sum soldiers appear behind us, we’d be trapped in the Wanning Valley.”
“Therefore, I’ve decided to give you a very important task. When dusk falls, I will lead twenty-five armies to directly attack Yan County, and you will stay behind with fifty thousand soldiers to guard against a surprise attack from Great Sum soldiers from behind.”
As he said this, Xiao Hongbo laughed and patted Xiao Pengthian’s shoulder, “Pengthian, this task is very important. The safety of our rear is all entrusted to you.”
Hearing this, a half-smile appeared on Xiao Pengthian’s face, and he said, “Thank you for your trust, Great King. I will certainly keep a good watch on our rear.”
Xiao Pengthian was no fool; how could he not see why Xiao Hongbo had made these arrangements?
He already held a status second only to Xiao Hongbo among the Sky Wolf King’s tribe, and if he made another remarkable contribution in the attack on Yan County, his achievements would overshadow his master’s.
Xiao Hongbo wasn’t truly thinking he made a good point, it was clearly an excuse to keep him in the rear and out of the attacking action, preventing him from earning any merits.
Xiao Pengthian didn’t say much else; he would stay behind if that was the assignment. Besides, he, too, was concerned about a potential surprise attack from Great Sum soldiers.
Just then, a soldier entered the tent.
“Great King, the scouts we sent out have returned.”
Immediately, Xiao Hongbo commanded, “Let him in.”
No sooner had Xiao Hongbo’s words faded, another soldier entered the tent, “Great King, we have scouted ahead, and the gates of Yan County are tightly shut, and their soldiers have already setup catapults on the city walls!”
With a smile, Xiao Hongbo said, “It looks like, most likely, the North Prince is indeed waiting for me in Yan County!”
“Excellent, I have heard long ago that the North Prince likes beautiful women, and has kept countless beauties in his estate. Once Yan County is taken, I must enjoy myself thoroughly and experience the joys of the North Prince!”
Yelv Nanyan wasn’t there, so Xiao Hongbo openly revealed his true nature. He believed no one would dare tell Yelv Nanyan what he said and did.
Meanwhile.
Yan County, atop the city tower.
Mu Changtian, looking at the grenade launchers on the city wall, said with some concern, “Prince, displaying the grenade launchers like this – if the Barbarian scouts see them, won’t they suspect something?”
Lu Chen smiled faintly, then replied, “Grenade launchers? What grenade launchers? These are catapults.”
The Barbarian Cavalry have never seen grenade launchers, so how could they possibly recognize them? If the Barbarian Cavalry knew about such devastating weaponry as grenade launchers, they wouldn’t dare approach Yan County. Therefore, Lu Chen was not worried about the grenade launchers being seen by the Barbarian scouts.
Before the grenade launchers came into use, it was very possible that the Barbarians would mistake them for catapults.
In fact, if viewed from a distance, the grenade launchers did bear a resemblance to catapults.
Of course, that was where the similarities ended.
Now everything was ready – it was just a matter of the Barbarian Cavalry falling into the trap.
For the rest of the day, Lu Chen stayed on the city walls, constantly watching the movements of the Barbarian Army.
As time went by and the day was about to end, the sun began to touch the horizon, with vast swathes of fiery red twilight dominating the sky, casting everyone’s skin in a bronze glow reflected by the twilight.
At that moment, a scout soldier rode swiftly towards the city gate, shouting as he rode,
“The Barbarian Army has entered the Wanning Valley!”
“The Barbarian Army has entered the Wanning Valley!”
“The Barbarian Army has entered the Wanning Valley!”
Hearing the scout soldier’s report, the soldiers on the city wall didn’t wait for Mu Changtian’s orders to spring into action, swiftly preparing for battle.
Soon the scouting soldier reached Lu Chen, “Prince, the Barbarian Army has entered the Wanning Valley. They have divided into two groups; the front seems to have about two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, while the remaining fifty thousand seem to be on alert in the rear.”
Hearing this, Lu Chen frowned.
He had not anticipated that the Barbarians would split into two groups upon entering the Wanning Valley.
If the Barbarian Tribe left fifty thousand to guard the rear, their fifty thousand Black Cavalry would find it very difficult to complete the encirclement of the Barbarian Army.
At this moment, Lu Chen asked, “Have the tens of thousands of troops from the Barbarian rear entered Wanning Valley?”
The soldier immediately answered, “They have, but they’ve kept a certain distance from the large force at the front.”
Hearing this from the soldier, Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as they all entered Wanning Valley, that would be fine.
He was afraid that the Barbarian’s three hundred thousand-strong army would leave a portion of their troops outside of Wanning Valley; in that case, the Black Cavalry would have to fight the Barbarian cavalry left outside to block the Barbarians’ retreat.
By the time the Black Cavalry eliminated the cavalry outside Wanning Valley, the Barbarian Army at the front might have already withdrawn from the Valley, and by then they could only let the Barbarian Army go.
At this point, Lu Chen said, “Prepare for battle! Pass the order to the Artillery camp to open fire only after the Barbarian cavalry is about to reach Yan County!”
With that command from Lu Chen, the defense of Yan County began, which was simultaneously the encirclement battle against the Barbarian Army.
Under Xiao Hongbo’s leadership, the two hundred and fifty thousand-strong army was soon to arrive below the city of Yan County.
Although the people on the city walls of Yan County had not yet seen the Barbarian cavalry, they could already hear the thunderous sound of hooves.
They even had the illusion that the earth itself was trembling.
This was a three hundred thousand-strong Barbarian cavalry.
The soldiers on the city wall were extremely tense; even though they had grenade launchers, facing three hundred thousand troops still exerted an enormous pressure on them.
Together with the Black Cavalry, North City had only ninety thousand soldiers in total.
Ninety thousand against three hundred thousand, the pressure was inevitable.
Hearing the thunderous hoofbeats, Lu Chen felt his heart pounding wildly as if adrenaline was furiously secreting within his body, enlivening every cell.
As the sound of hoofbeats grew louder and closer, the flags of the Barbarian Army gradually appeared within everyone’s sight.
Lu Chen stood on the city tower and quickly surveyed the generals at the front of the Barbarian Army.
[Name: Xiao Hongbo]
[Title: Sky Wolf King of the Barbarian Tribe]
[Strength: Master Realm]
[Loyalty: -100 (Hostile)]
[Name: Barbarian Iron]
[Title: General of the Sky Wolf King’s Tribe]
[Strength: Master Realm]
[Loyalty: -100 (Hostile)]
[Name: Xian Jia]
[Title: General of the North Fre King’s Tribe]
[Strength: Master Realm]
[Loyalty: -100 (Hostile)]
After reviewing the data for these three individuals, Lu Chen then glanced over the other generals’ information.
In the end, counting among the vanguard of the Barbarian Army of more than two hundred thousand, there were approximately only three Grandmasters, five Half-step Grandmasters, and a dozen Ninth Grade warriors.
Lu Chen still did not know whether there were any Grandmasters in the several tens of thousands of troops behind.
If he didn’t have grenade launchers this time, North City would unquestionably fall to the strength of the Barbarian Army.
With a formation like the Barbarian’s, let alone capturing North City, they would have no problem launching a war of destruction against some smaller nations.