Iron Dynasty Chapter 991

“The age of nomadic raids on the Central Plains has ended!”

Standing on the hilltop, Niu Ben gazed at the barbarian slave troops fleeing in all directions like retreating waves and let out a deep sigh. Despite the efforts of the barbarian horsemen to rally them, these slaves showed no intention of returning to the fight.

Overwhelmed by terror, the slave soldiers turned wild and clashed with the barbarian riders attempting to halt their flight, causing the whole enemy encampment to unravel from the inside.

A grin of relief spread across Luo Quan's face. Sharing Niu Ben's insight, he grasped the profound impact of the machine gun's debut. “Now's the moment to strike back!” he declared, breaking the prolonged quiet.

Niu Ben gave a firm nod before gesturing to the bugler, who promptly blew the signal for a full assault, its notes echoing through the heavens.

Responding to the bugle's call, the foot soldiers advanced in disciplined lines from their base. The innovative Hussite wagons, proven effective in the Jizhou clash, were again unleashed by Niu Ben upon the field of battle.

Drawn by sturdy horses, these vehicles swiftly arranged into defensive enclosures across the open plains.

Troops armed with Han-style rifles slipped into the centers of these enclosures. As the formations maneuvered to envelop the barbarian site from both flanks, mounted units positioned within stood poised for a sudden rush.

Besides the ground forces and riders, the gunners attached their artillery to mounts and hastened into the enclosures to take up spots. Over the past month in Raozhou, they'd drilled this strategy relentlessly—the same one that had crushed barbarian riders before—and now executed it with expert precision amid the fray.

The static outpost transformed in an instant into ten rolling strongholds. These strongholds rapidly shaped into an enclosing net, trapping the barbarians within.

With the Great Yu Empire unleashing its pushback, the barbarians plunged into dire straits. Desperation unraveled the slave troops' discipline, while the barbarian horsemen tangled in brutal skirmishes with their own charges. Some slaves even stormed the tents, cutting down the barbarian herdsmen in vengeance.

Fueled by fright-born fury, they unleashed their fury upon their captors, plunging the entire barbarian outpost into utter turmoil.

Pang Duo had already leaped onto his steed. Brandishing his curved blade, he hacked fiercely in every direction. Failure to quell the slaves' uprising would spell disaster for them all.

What chilled him deeper was the sight of the Great Yu Empire's forces methodically closing in around them during the chaos. Even if they subdued the slaves, they'd face a hopeless last stand.

In that instant, Pang Duo's resolve shattered utterly. They'd dismissed the initial loss, shrugged off the second, but the third ignited true dread within him.

“Pang Duo, we have to pull back,” Bahe yelled in panic. Once the Great Yu Empire's ring tightened fully, escape would prove impossible.

Wotai spat curses, “Bahe, you spineless fool! Our grazing lands lie here, our kin too. Where do you suggest we run? I'm staying—I'll slaughter every last Great Yu soldier.”

Pang Duo shut his eyes in hopelessness. The Great Yu Empire's troops were relentlessly sealing their trap, and delaying flight would seal their doom for good.

He cast a look at his clansfolk in the tents, then toward the advancing Great Yu Empire army, and uttered, “Fall back! Whatever happens, our people must endure. For the Khanate's sake, we preserve what's left of our riders.”

Scarce had his words faded when thunderous galloping erupted from the west. All eyes turned to spot a rider contingent thundering in from that direction, utterly barring their path to safety.

Zak bellowed then, “That's Qi Guangyi's riders!”

Despair gripped every banner leader's chest. This unexpected force sealed their sole exit, stripping away any chance of retreat.

And Zak's horrifying account of these riders still haunted them. If, as he claimed, they could rout tens of thousands of horsemen, then in their present disarray, piercing their line was beyond reach.

Qi Guangyi's timely emergence crushed the barbarians' lingering fight like the final weight on a breaking back. Right then, the supporting banner chiefs from allied tribes opted for flight.

Their own clans weren't present, and amid such hopelessness, self-sacrifice held no appeal. Above all, their bravery had evaporated; deep down, terror of the Great Yu Empire had taken root.

Zak bolted first, then the others in succession. The over one hundred thousand relief riders scattered in wild disarray, devoid of plan or formation.

Survival alone drove them now.

Qi Guangyi eyed the barbarian riders bolting in frantic haste, a frosty smirk curling his mouth. These foes assumed he'd press onward into the steppes, yet he chose the contrary path.

To him, needling distant clans paled against wiping out these barbarian hosts. Bereft of rider shields, those groups would lie helpless as meat awaiting the knife. Allowing these forces to slip away meant facing renewed battles tomorrow.

“Tighten the lines!”

Officers in the rifle-mounted ranks barked commands at once. Forming the pocket's closing edge, they locked the trap shut. Meanwhile, the men leveled their short rifles. Their aim: halt the barbarian flight and eradicate them, slashing the enemy's warrior reserves deep.

“Bang bang bang…”

The desperate barbarian riders hit shooting distance, and the rifle troops unleashed a volley. At once, the lead ranks toppled, throwing the scattered foe into deeper pandemonium.

Simultaneously, Niu Ben and Luo Quan directed every rider from the square enclosures to surge forward, syncing with Qi Guangyi to choke off the barbarians' flight.

The wagon setups sped up meanwhile, finalizing the surround of the barbarian base.

Over fifty thousand armored horsemen burst from the enclosures, raging along the sides like twin silver floods. Steeds smashed together, blades gleamed in arcs, rendering the barbarian pullback ever more grueling.

Amid the swirling melee, the wagon rings at last sealed their hold. Then the foot soldiers bared their savage fangs, and every enclosure rolled out its machine guns.

The relentless “thump-thump-thump” of shots rang out once more.

Beneath the barrage from Han-style rifles and machine guns, crimson sprays erupted from barbarian riders and beasts alike where rounds tore through. Vast numbers of the enemy tumbled into bloody slicks.

The cannons stayed busy too. Blasts hammered the thronged barbarian riders, each burst claiming scores of souls.

Trapped in a four-way noose, the more than one hundred thousand barbarian horsemen huddled like penned livestock. In that crush of men and mounts, dodging was impossible—just bodies jammed to bodies, animals shoved against animals.

Under those conditions, the barbarian riders' prowess plummeted. Firearms, however, gained even greater dominance.

“Thump-thump-thump…”

Machine guns raked the field without cease. Crate after crate of rounds vanished. From first light to twilight, as evening rays bathed the plains, Niu Ben couldn't tell if the scarlet tint stemmed from dying sun or spilled lifeblood of the fallen horsemen.