At this moment, that frenzied flame that had pushed him on and provided him strength finally began to fade.
Finally, Wang Chong began to feel a deep exhaustion.
"Little Brother, Little Brother…"
A worried voice called out to him. It was very soft, like it was being said from very far away.
Chapter 629: The Decisive Battle! Clear-Headed, After the Berserk Madness!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Who is it? Who's calling me?
Something seemed to flicker in front of Wang Chong's eyes, and he inadvertently lashed out with his sword. Clang! The clash of metal at his ear jolted Wang Chong awake, dispelling the world of blood that filled Wang Chong's eyes.
The sounds of metal clashing, warhorses neighing, and calls of battle began to enter his ear once more.
Wang Chong opened his eyes and immediately saw a worried, young, and handsome face in front of him.
"Big Brother?!!"
Wang Chong, an incredulous expression on his face, looked in a daze at the worried young man in front of him. The worried and concerned young man who had appeared before him was Wang Chong's oldest brother, Wang Fu.
His face was somewhat pale, and he seemed rather weak.
It was also at this moment that Wang Chong noticed that the sword in his hand was in a fierce clash with the Wootz Steel sword in his big brother's hands. The two were locked in a stalemate.
And his big brother was drenched in blood. He had apparently been injured, with some of the wounds seemingly inflicted by a Wootz Steel sword.
"What's going on here?"
Wang Chong was stupefied. He remembered that he had been charging to the southeast lines, but nothing after that.
"Little Brother, how are you doing now?"
Wang Fu's voice pulled Wang Chong back into reality. Although he appeared calm on the surface, Wang Fu's eyes were filled with concern and anxiety.
"I'm doing okay…"
Wang Chong heaved for breath.
"Do you remember what happened just now?" Wang Fu cautiously probed.
Wang Chong shook his head. He only remembered that he was charging into the gap created by Duan Gequan, but nothing else, much less why he was fighting with his own brother.
"Whew!"
Wang Fu exhaled, his expression clearly relaxing.
"Eldest Young Master, it's okay, he's fine!"
In the back, Old Eagle also gave a long sigh.
Wang Chong saw the cautious expressions on the pair and vaguely began to realize something. But Wang Chong quickly recalled something else. The southeast defense line…
He clearly remembered that before he handed over command to Old Eagle, the southeast defense line had completely collapsed.
"Little Brother, wait a moment. Don't turn your head just yet!"
Wang Fu noticed something, his expression instantly changing as he shouted at Wang Chong, but he was too late.
Hwooom! As Wang Chong turned his head to look at the windswept battlefield, he saw a sight that he would remember for the rest of his life. Starting from his feet, the ground was covered in thousands of corpses, covering the mountain. The bodies of horses and humans, sabers and swords, war banners… the sight extended as far as the eye could see, crimson blood flowing from these wan corpses and gushing down the slopes in waterfalls.
In a radius of seven to eight hundred zhang, not a single standing Mengshe Zhao or Ü-Tsang soldier could be seen. All the Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan soldiers were warily watching from the distance, their faces pale as they looked fearfully at him as if he were some sort of demonic god risen from hell.
Wang Chong only needed to turn and glance at them for these brave soldiers to back up in fear.
As his gaze swept over the southeast lines, Wang Chong saw the corpses of Tumi Sangzha, Longqinba, and many more Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang generals.
"Did I really do all this?" Wang Chong muttered to himself, his heart stunned by this sight.
This was a living hell!
Even though he didn't want to believe it, the fact that those Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers looked at him like he was some demonic god, the thick scent of blood on his body, and the exhaustion he felt despite the exuberant blood energy within his body made Wang Chong gradually begin to understand.
"Little Brother, don't think about it too much. This is war."
Wang Fu walked up from behind him and added, "And this war is still far from over!"
Wang Fu was correct. Although Wang Chong had managed to rely on his own strength to reverse the tides of battle and salvage the southeast defense line, pushing back the tide of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers, the war was still far from its conclusion.
Of the Myriad Stars Formation's eight defensive lines, Wang Chong had only saved the southeast defensive line, only altering the local situation. Although he had killed more than ten thousand soldiers in his madness, in comparison to the more than two hundred thousand Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers that remained, this was not nearly enough.
The southwest, northwest, northeast, north, west, south… these areas were still engaged in fierce combat.
And on the mountain, his father Wang Yan's Mighty Miracle God was still battling with Huoshu Huicang's Vairocana Buddha, and Xianyu Zhongtong's Vajra God was battling with Duan Gequan's two-headed, four-armed demon god.
By driving the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers away from the southeast line, Wang Chong had driven them to charge to the other defensive lines.
"Little Brother, everyone still needs you. The Great Tang still needs you!"
Wang Fu looked at Wang Chong, a sense of deep anticipation in his eyes.
He had only awoken from his coma a short while ago. To speak truthfully, that Wang Chong had managed to bring the army to this stage and have it hold out for so long left him deeply astonished!
Although they were descended from the same father and mother, Wang Fu had never imagined that this naughty and mischievous third brother of his would actually be hiding such a superb talent for battle.
Purely in terms of strategic mind, his little brother Wang Chong had far surpassed him.
At this moment, only his little brother could lead the army out of this situation.
"Little Brother, whether it's to fight or retreat, you have my full support. Defeat in battle is not the crime of a soldier. That we could last to this point is already quite good. There are simply too many Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan soldiers…" Wang Fu said.
The battle was still not over and the worst situation had not occurred, so there was still enough time for the Annan Protectorate army to choose whether it wanted to retreat and preserve its manpower or continue fighting.
Wang Fu had decided to pass his decision-making authority to his little brother.
"No retreat! In this war, I'll never retreat!"
Wang Chong interrupted his brother before he could finish speaking. If the southeast lines had not been broken and had been temporarily stabilized, he still had a chance. Clang! Wang Chong put away his sword and began to run back up to the summit.
"Old Eagle, come with me!"
In his mind, the Stone of Destiny was continuing to deluge him with warnings. The Annan Protectorate army's numbers had dropped to very dangerous levels. If they continued to fall, Wang Chong would be obliterated.
But Wang Chong would never permit himself to retreat.
The Annan Protectorate army could not retreat!
The Great Tang also could not retreat!
If the Annan Protectorate army retreated a single step, the dominoes would fall and the Central Plains would crumble. The retreat of a single step would lead to step after step of retreat. This was no longer simply about the continuation of the Annan Protectorate or the safety of the southwest.
Not even his big brother Wang Fu knew that no one on the mountain, including Wang Fu, had anywhere left to retreat to.
And in Wang Chong's view, this batt
le was still far from lost.
There was still time to turn everything around.
Whoosh!
The black banner fluttered in the wind. It had long ago been cut down, clearly the handiwork of a Tibetan scimitar, but the half-banner left that represented the Great Tang, the Annan Protectorate, had been thrust back into the summit by someone else.
Underneath the gloomy skies, Wang Chong stood on the summit and looked around. The ground was covered in corpses, and the Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers were engaged in combat with the Great Tang soldiers wherever he looked. At some point, the broken defense line to the east had been filled back in.
"Big Brother!"
Although he had no idea what had happened moments ago, much less how the eastern lines had been repaired, the familiar arrangement of the soldiers immediately allowed Wang Chong to understand who the architect was.
There was no question that at the crucial moment, his big brother had appeared and led the army in repairing the eastern gap.
"Axe soldiers, retreat! Shield soldiers, forward!
"Pass on my message to the western lines. General Zhang should lead the spear soldiers and strike to the southwest!
"Pass on to the northern lines. The second and third units should advance thirty paces forward and to the left and split apart the Tibetan cavalry from the Mengshe Zhao soldiers.
"Order all the cavalry to immediately retreat and gather at the summit for orders.
"Order the archers to gather arrows for one last volley.
"Order the craftsmen to gather on the summit and have them do their utmost to produce one last wave of arrows. Inscriptions are not necessary!
"Order Sun Liuyue, Luo Ji, Zhao Wujiang, and Lin Wushou to pass their commands to their deputies and conclude the battles with their opponents. They should do all they can to deal with the elephants on the southern line!
"The fifth and sixth units should move to the southeast. The fourteenth and seventeenth units should move to the northwest. The twenty-third and twenty-sixth units should move to the northeast… the Myriad Stars Formation should retract. All lines should be moved back!"
……
Standing under the banner, Wang Chong let out a string of orders. With the southeast and eastern lines repaired, the danger confronting the Annan Protectorate army and the Myriad Stars Formation had greatly decreased.
Although Duan Gequan's lethal strike had caused the still-unripe Myriad Stars Formation to crumble and led to the death of many Tang soldiers, it had also created a great deal of space on the summit. Wang Chong now had another chance to utilize the formation.
Buzz!
As the orders came one after the other, the Annan Protectorate army seemed to find its core, stabilizing and steadying.
By choosing to retreat and shrink the defense line, gathering his forces at the summit, the paused Myriad Stars Formation, now shrunken by several times, once more began to slowly come back to life.
And it was moving and turning faster and faster!
"Damn it! How could this be!"
At the base of the mountain, Dalun Ruozan paled at this sight. Duan Gequan, the Erhai Great General, did not serve under Huoshu Huicang, so Huoshu Huicang could not control him. Naturally, he could not predict or restrict his actions.
Frankly speaking, even Dalun Ruozan had been surprised at the patience of the Erhai Great General as well as his thunderous strike. But he had to admit that this strike had been rather effective.
After managing to break Wang Chong's Myriad Stars Formation with great difficulty, Dalun Ruozan could not permit the formation to restart.
After experiencing the killing power of the Myriad Stars Formation, Dalun Ruozan was well aware what its re-establishment would mean for the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.
A frenzied meat grinder!
Chapter 630: The Decisive Battle! Burning the Granaries!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Pass on my order! We must pay any price! Commit all the soldiers!
"Commit the execution squad and battle supervisors as well! No matter how big of a price, we can't let that bastard re-establish the formation!"
……
At the very end, Dalun Ruozan was almost panicked in his bellows.
Dalun Ruozan had always been known as elegant, well-learned, and composed. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been forced to take such steps. But in a critical moment like this, against an opponent like Wang Chong, he found it impossible to not worry.
Against an opponent on Wang Chong's level, the smallest mistake might lead the entire situation to be reversed.
And Dalun Ruozan had no desire to lose this way.
Gallop!
Horses rushed off, leaving thick trails of dust in their wake. With Dalun Ruozan's orders, the entire Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army began to press up to the summit. By now, more than seventy percent of the steel walls on the mountain had been dismantled.
The Annan Protectorate army now posed a far smaller threat to the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.
"Archers, fire!"
Whether Dalun Ruozan or Geluofeng were willing or unwilling, these archers that Wang Chong had so stubbornly kept in the center of the army, using the arrows that had been gathered from the mountain or been crafted by Zhang Shouzhi's craftsmen, now played a most vital role in the battle.
Thwishthwishthwish!
The thick volley of arrows dropped down from the sky, descending on the southeast face in a critical node of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army. Like a line of dominoes, this point of chaos quickly expanded, throwing the state of the entire army into turmoil. In the end, it succeeded in upsetting the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang offensive.
This was the best chance for the Annan Protectorate army.
Boom!
The entire mountain quaked as the much-constricted Myriad Stars Formation of the Annan Protectorate army once more rumbled to life. Although it was on a much smaller scale, it was just right for the restricted confines of the summit, allowing this slaughtering formation so famous in Wang Chong's last life to once more display its terrifying power.
Countless Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang soldiers were falling, and the casualties of Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang were several times greater than the Great Tang casualties. The constant warnings from the Stone of Destiny in Wang Chong's mind were gradually beginning to slow. But the Annan Protectorate army was still in an awful situation.
"Young Master, are we really not retreating?"
On the summit, Old Eagle's face was covered in worry. The Annan Protectorate army had once more displayed a tremendous fighting power, with each Tang death requiring a payment of seven or eight Mengshe–Ü-Tsang soldiers.
But if this situation continued, the best outcome was still both sides coming away defeated. The Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army might up end up heavily injured, but the Annan Protectorate army would end up fighting to the last man.
Old Eagle wasn't afraid of death, and he had no regrets dying here with the tens of thousands of soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army. But Wang Chong absolutely could not be allowed to die here.
Wang Chong possessed a talent for command that surpassed all other generals, with the war of the southwest serving as the best introduction.
Wang Chong had already amply proved himself in front of renowned generals of the southwest like Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan. He had used one hundred thousand soldiers to contend against their five hundred thousand soldiers, a good portion of the enemy army even being made up of potent cavalry. Not even Dalun Ruozan could have pulled off such a feat.
Purely in terms of his grasp of the art of war, not even Dalun Ruozan might be able to compare.
In the future, Wang Chong's talent would allow him to become the hope of the Great Tang, a general who would strike fear into the rest of the world. No matter what, he could not be allowed to die here.
Old Eagle slightly lowered his head, a glint in his eyes. He had hidden a hand in
his sleeve, accumulating energy. Wang Chong wasn't focused on him at all, so Old Eagle planned to knock Wang Chong unconscious and drag him away if the situation turned sour and Wang Chong still refused to leave.
"We still haven't lost, not yet… The Tibetans and Mengshe Zhao haven't won. We still have a chance to win!"
A voice entered his ear. Old Eagle looked down at the cross-legged Wang Chong seated beneath the banner, a stupefied look on his face.
"Young Master, what are you saying?"
At this stage in the battle, Old Eagle had no idea how the Annan Protectorate army could still win. All the tricks had been used, all the cards shown. Everything had been placed on the table, and Old Eagle truly couldn't see where the Annan Protectorate army could extract victory.
But Wang Chong had never lied, especially at moments like this.
"We still have a chance; we must have a chance…" Wang Chong said, his head slowly looking toward the south, his eyes brightly shining. The Great Tang had still not lost, nor had the Annan Protectorate army. Only Wang Chong knew that the southwest still had one sliver of hope, the last sliver of hope.
"I've already arranged for everything. It all depends on you now…"
Wang Chong looked to the south and spoke so softly that only he himself could hear his words.
Wang Chong had written out all his plans in the silk bag, but he had no idea if that person could arrive at the battlefield on time.
"Everyone's lives are in your hands. Right now, I can only hope that you'll be able to get here…"
Wang Chong suddenly stood and issued the most important order he had given since he had awakened.
"Old Eagle, give the signal!"
"Ah?"
Old Eagle looked at him in a daze, slow to react.
"Did you forget about the signal I told you about three days ago?"
Wang Chong turned to look at Old Eagle, his expression extremely grave.
In a flash, Old Eagle remembered. Three days ago, Wang Chong had told him of a very important signal, but he hadn't said anything about what it was for.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 395
