bayedsolid Chapter 2238 No need!
Chapter 2238 No need!
The once formidable 10,000 Scorpion Clan cavalry had now completely broken formation, divided into several groups, fighting independently, their morale low, and their defeat evident.
In contrast, the Xiliang cavalry, though suffering heavy losses and their battle robes stained with blood, maintained a relatively intact formation, and their arrowheads remained sharp, continuing to divide and devour the remaining enemies.
Five thousand against ten thousand—the overwhelming superiority in equipment and tactics was on full display at this moment.
This scene turned Helian Hui's face ashen, as he watched from a high hill in the distance.
Veins bulged on his forehead, his hand gripping the scimitar trembled violently, and his eyes were filled with disbelief, horror, and rage.
"No...impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
Helian Hui's voice was hoarse, almost squeezed out from his throat: "How could my 10,000 elite troops be defeated like this by 5,000 men?"
"Their armor...their weapons..."
He couldn't accept that his numerical superiority was so easily defeated by the enemy's superior equipment and tactics!
The fighting power of the Xiliang cavalry far exceeded his expectations.
Chu Xuan, who was also watching the battle from the side, had a terribly gloomy expression.
He stared intently at the silver-gray iron torrent on the battlefield, which, despite its losses, remained tenacious, and at the black tide that they were driving back in defeat and on the verge of collapse, his heart filled with both shock and anger.
What was surprising was that Chu Ning had hidden Ma Chao, a fresh force with such good equipment!
What angered him was that Helian Hui was so incompetent, his 10,000-strong army was defeated by the enemy's 5,000 men, disrupting his plan to quickly kill Chu Ning.
"waste!"
Chu Xuan cursed inwardly, but forced himself to calm down.
He glanced at the sky; the setting sun was leaving only its last rays, and night was about to fall.
He took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and said to Li Shiming, whose face was ashen, and Helian Hui, who was almost dazed, beside him:
"What's the panic! We're not at our wits' end yet!"
A calculating glint flashed in Chu Xuan's eyes as he pointed towards Jianghuai City, where the fighting had gradually subsided.
"Do you see that? Although the offensive under Jianghuai City has temporarily slowed down, Gongsun Yi's 40,000 troops and my tens of thousands of Youzhou troops are still there, and they have completely surrounded the city!"
"Just hold on for another hour, and it will be completely dark!"
He paused, his tone laced with a mixture of ruthlessness and anticipation: "At that time, under the cover of night, I can order an elite force from the besieging troops to quickly rush to the aid of this place!"
"As for Feng Mulan inside the city, she was unaware of the exact battle situation outside the city and would never dare to send a large force out of the city to provide support or pursue the enemy in the dark of night!"
Chu Xuan's gaze returned to Chu Ning, who was now under slightly less pressure, protected by the Xiliang cavalry. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"As long as we can hold off Chu Ning and Ma Chao until reinforcements arrive, we can launch a coordinated attack from within and without, and our forces will once again gain an absolute advantage!"
"In the chaos of a night battle, even if Chu Ning possesses extraordinary abilities, he will have no chance of escape!"
"Back then..."
Chu Xuan spoke each word clearly, his tone filled with resolute killing intent: "This is the best, and also the last, opportunity for us to completely eliminate Chu Ning!"
He placed his hopes on the approaching night and the massive, yet-to-be-deployed besieging army beneath the walls of Jianghuai City.
The last rays of the setting sun were finally swallowed by the distant mountains, and the boundless night, like a giant carpet soaked in ink, slowly covered the still-bloody Changtingpo.
In the brief respite following the fierce battle, the air was thick with the smells of rust, sweat, and death.
In the distance, the still-burning embers flickered in the darkness, illuminating the scattered corpses and broken weapons.
The clamor of the fierce battle between the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and the Scorpion Clan cavalry had subsided, leaving only the suppressed groans of the wounded and the restless snorting of warhorses. But an even greater crisis was quietly descending with the night.
Chu Ning remained standing beneath the broken yet still upright dragon banner, the bloodstains on his silver armor appearing even darker in the dim light.
He stood upright, his gaze calmly sweeping over the Xiliang cavalry, who had regrouped but whose numbers had dwindled to less than four thousand.
And the shadow of the allied forces' encirclement, which was faintly visible and had not yet moved away, was even further out.
He knew that Chu Xuan and Li Shiming would never give up because of a local setback.
A steady thud of hooves approached, and Guan Yun rode up to meet him.
His armor was also damaged in several places, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade lay across the saddle, its blade covered with dark red scabs of blood.
He clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his face showing undisguised weariness and deep worry, his voice low and earnest:
"Your Majesty, it is completely dark now, visibility is poor, and the enemy situation is unclear."
"Our army has been fighting fiercely for so long, and our soldiers are exhausted. Although General Ma Chao's cavalry is brave, it cannot withstand repeated attrition."
"This place is only ten miles from Jianghuai City. Should we retreat back into the city first, rely on its defenses, regroup, and then devise a plan? This humble general is willing to lead the troops to cover the rear and ensure His Majesty's safe return to the city!"
Guan Yun's suggestion was based on the safest considerations. There were too many variables in open field operations at night, and retreating to the familiar fortified city was undoubtedly the safest option at present.
However, upon hearing this, Chu Ning slowly shook his head.
His face appeared exceptionally deep in the flickering torchlight, and his eyes shone astonishingly bright in the darkness, as if they could pierce through the night and see into the distance.
"No need."
His answer was brief and clear, without the slightest hesitation or wavering in his tone, still displaying that enigmatic calmness.
Guan Yun felt a surge of anxiety and couldn't help but express his concerns more directly: "Your Majesty! Although the enemy's main force has suffered a setback here, Chu Xuan and Li Shiming still have troops at their disposal, especially the Youzhou army and the Scorpion Clan army besieging Jianghuai City, which are numerous!"
"The darkness of night presents them with the perfect opportunity to secretly mobilize and quietly reinforce their troops!"
"If they truly send troops from Jianghuai City to join forces with the enemy before us, our army will be completely surrounded and cut off from both inside and outside. At that time, the situation will be perilous! I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"
What he said makes perfect sense and is the most obvious risk at present.
Retreating to Jianghuai City would at least allow them to reunite with Feng Mulan's troops, relying on the fortified city for both offense and defense.
Staying here is like being a lone boat on a dark sea, constantly threatened by raging waves coming from all directions.
After listening to Guan Yun's analysis in silence, Chu Ning's face showed no sign of seriousness; instead, the corners of her mouth seemed to curve into a barely perceptible arc.
He turned his head slightly and looked northwest—that was the direction of Jianghuai City, and also the location of the Youzhou army and the Scorpion Clan's camp.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy night, revealing something that Guan Yun could not see.
"is it?"
Chu Ning asked softly, his tone devoid of any emotion: "If they really dare to draw troops from Jianghuai City and come to our aid under the cover of night, then that's perfect."
He paused, turned around, and looked at Guan Yun, who was looking at him with a stunned expression, as well as the generals and guards around him who had also turned their gazes upon him.
A chilling coldness and absolute confidence suddenly seeped from those calm words:
"I will make sure they never return!"