Chapter 20: Beating the Drums (III)

The commanders of the Uyghur cavalry’s left and right wings were Bi Qiehe’s second son, Ba Chao, and his trusted general, Nu Luo.
Ba Chao had always gotten along poorly with his elder brother, Du Guo. Recently, in an attempt to impress their father, they had become even more hostile toward each other. This time, Du Guo followed Bi Qiehe to attack the Tang army’s camp from the center, so all the credit naturally went to their father. Ba Chao, on the other hand, led the left-wing cavalry to harass the Tang army’s flanks. If commanded properly, they could easily break through the Tang army’s formation!
At the thought of this, Ba Chao felt a surge of warmth in his chest.
As long as he achieved glory in this battle, his status in his father’s eyes would naturally rise. Then, Du Guo would have no right to rely on his status as the eldest son to gain support from the clan elders!
Why could he act so arrogantly just because he was born a few years earlier and treat others condescendingly?
The Uyghurs had no concept of seniority or hierarchy—only the strong mattered!
That was the law of wolves, the law set by the Eternal Heaven!
“Pass my orders: launch a full-scale assault on the Tang army’s left wing!”
In Ba Chao’s view, the outcome of this battle was beyond doubt. With five thousand cavalry against three thousand Tang soldiers on the plain, if they couldn’t win, the Jinshan Uyghurs wouldn’t need to stay in these grasslands! The Tang army’s right wing was not well-defended. Once a gap was created, his men could charge in and tear those weak Tang soldiers to pieces.
The only uncertainty was what price they would pay for the victory!
“Charge, brothers! Cut off the heads of those Tang dogs and prove you are Uyghur warriors! The Eternal Heaven is with you!”
Thinking of the easy victory, Ba Chao ignored Nu Luo on the right wing. He had a thousand warriors at his disposal. Even just with these men, he believed he could defeat those weak Tang soldiers!
Moreover, if Nu Luo arrived later, half of his military achievements would surely be taken away. If he could hunt the antelopes alone, why rely on another hunter’s bow and arrows?
“Woo—woo-woo—woo-woo-woo!”
The deep sound of horns rang out again as the Uyghur cavalry gathered like a sharp spear, charging straight at the Tang army’s right wing. They were the Uyghurs’ finest warriors, and those weak Tang soldiers would be torn to shreds in moments!
One hundred paces, fifty paces, thirty paces—they could now clearly see the Tang soldiers’ faces, even the patterns on their helmets.

To their surprise, these Tang people did not look distorted as Ye Hu had described, nor ferocious as the elders of their tribe had said. They also had two eyes and one nose, yellow skin and black hair, only their skin was smoother and their stature taller…
“Charge forward and slaughter these Tang dogs to offer as sacrifices to the Eternal Heaven!”
Ba Chuo’s voice rang out again, pulling the soldiers’ attention back.
Well, why worry about so much? As Uyghur warriors, they only needed to raise their curved swords high, draw beautiful arcs, and drown the grasslands in blood.
Legend said the more blood spilled on the grasslands, the richer the pasture would be the following year…
The Uyghur cavalry smirked, revealing greedy smiles—similar to those of wolves about to catch their prey. What could be more delightful than playing with prey in front of them before watching them die in terror?
The warriors of the grasslands never had to worry about their blades rusting, for they were constantly drinking blood…
Twenty steps—the Tang people were only twenty steps away!
Suddenly, a series of heart-wrenching neighs were heard. The cavalry at the front collapsed in chaos as their horse legs broke from sudden contractions. The riders could clearly hear the crisp sound of bones breaking, but they had no time to think about it, as they were thrown aside by the force of inertia and crashed heavily onto the dirt road.
The cavalry behind them, unable to control their horses in time, also crashed headlong into them. The sharp tips of their weapons were instantly dulled, and their blades became chipped!
Tripwires—the Tang people were using tripwires!
“Despicable scum! Using such despicable tricks!”
Ba Chuo was nearly insane. The spear formation feared tripwires the most, and it was clear the Tang people had prepared for this, luring them into a trap. Their warhorses had broken legs, and the warriors who fell from their horses lost their combat effectiveness immediately. At least a hundred of their cavalry were lost in this attack.
But their nightmare was far from over. A horn sounded, and arrows rained down from the right wing of the Tang army. The chaotic Uyghur cavalry crowded together, with riders being hit by multiple arrows and falling off their horses.
“There’s an ambush! There’s an ambush!”
One of Ba Chuo’s personal guards shouted loudly, raising his leather armor to protect his commander’s face, just in time to block three flying arrows.
“Move aside! Don’t stop! Step over them and knock them down!”
Ba Chuo’s chest heaved up and down like an inflated sheepskin raft.
“Don’t stop! Don’t stop!”

The bodyguard repeated the commander’s words loudly. In a cavalry charge, speed was of utmost importance. Without it, they would be utterly helpless against the well-organized enemy forces!
“Use your shields to protect vital areas and form two columns to advance!”
Ba Chuo, being highly experienced, realized the crux of the problem in just a moment. The Tang forces didn’t want to engage in a direct battle with him now!
The Tang forces were far outnumbered, and they must be fighting fiercely with his own central army, leaving them no strength to deal with the cavalry attacking from the right. That’s why they set up tripwires to buy time, and their scattered arrows were mostly meant for psychological pressure.
By forming two columns, he could effectively reduce the damage from the arrows. Even if some arrows hit the cavalry, it wouldn’t affect those behind them!
“Tang dogs, I’ll make you pay with your blood!”
Ba Chuo roared furiously, his eyes blazing with anger. …
“Da Pu, it’s your turn to step in!”
Li Kuo smiled cheerfully at Da Pu the Hammer and drew an arrow with a feathered tip from the quiver on his back.
“Hehe, I’ve been waiting for you to say that, General! Don’t worry, I’ll make them understand the power of our Shule army!”
Between brothers, a smile is all that’s needed.
Da Pu waved his hand behind him, and the veteran soldiers armed with long spears stepped forward in formation.
“One, two, throw!”
With a sharp command from Da Pu, the long spears flew into the sky before plunging down into the oncoming Uyghur cavalry. Even with shields, how could these cavalrymen withstand such powerful spears? After a series of tearing sounds, the cowhide shields were pierced, knocking over more than fifty riders from their horses.
“Ugh!”
Ba Chuo tightened his reins as a spear whizzed past his left ear, leaving a streak of blood.
“Damn you bastards!”
Wiping the blood from his ear, Ba Chuo cursed angrily. These Tang forces were truly shameless, using long spears as ranged weapons.
It wasn’t surprising Ba Chuo was upset—this tactic was extremely rare in battles. First, long spears were expensive, and throwing them meant they might never be retrieved, effectively giving them to the enemy. Second, on the battlefield, weapons were soldiers’ lives; throwing them carelessly could backfire if they missed their target.

Bachuo, with bloodshot eyes, spurred his horse at the Tang army. Now that the Tang soldiers had run out of tactics, they could only rely on brute force—what advantage could they still gain? After several rounds of fighting, Bachuo’s troops numbered just over five hundred, but this in no way diminished his confidence in victory.
“Hehe, Grandpa will just play around with you!”
Pu Dachui swung his twin hammers and led two hundred Tang soldiers forward. Though their numbers were less than half of the enemy’s, Pu Dachui was full of confidence.
“You overestimate yourself!”
Bachuo swung his sword fiercely, aiming at a Tang soldier’s neck.
“Clang!”
“Clang!”
The blade slipped and cut into the Tang soldier’s clavicle, spraying blood everywhere. The soldier saw darkness before his eyes; Bachuo gave him a gentle push, sending him falling off his horse.
Another Tang soldier rode fast to Bachuo’s back, trying to ambush the enemy commander, but was stopped by several of Bachuo’s bodyguards, who slashed him dozens of times…
Close-quarters horse combat was chaotic and brutal. There was no longer any tactical formation—both sides used every means to kill each other. A Uyghur cavalryman had just beheaded an experienced Tang soldier when he felt a chill on his back, fell off his horse, and was then torn to pieces by the approaching Tang soldiers. A Tang artillery officer was surrounded by seven or eight Uyghur cavalrymen; with dozens of cuts on his body and face, he leaped at one of the Uyghurs and bit through his throat with his teeth…
The clashing of swords, the neighing of stray horses, the dull sound of blades hitting armor, the trembling chattering of soldiers as they died…
Seeing his comrades fall one after another, Pu Dachui was filled with rage. With a roar, he swung his hammer and charged forward. These were his brothers he had fought alongside—these were his life!
“Die!”
Pu Dachui swung his hammer in a full circle and smashed it into an Uyghur’s head. Before the cavalryman could understand what was happening, his head was smashed to pieces, spilling yellowish-brown brain matter. But Pu Dachui didn’t stop. He swung his hammer again at the chest of another Uyghur cavalryman who tried to ambush him.
The cavalryman instinctively tried to block with his curved sword, but it was instantly bent by the hammer. The hammer flew toward his chest, breaking his ribs. The broken ribs pierced his lungs, causing the Uyghur cavalryman to convulse and fall to the ground, where he was soon trampled into pulp by horse hooves.
“Kid, take this hammer from Grandpa Pu!”

Pu Dachui also spotted Ba Chuo. Seeing the latter kill several of his comrades in a row, filled with rage, Pu Dachui rushed at him like a wild beast.
Ba Chuo had just pulled his curved sword out of a bronze-armored veteran’s chest when he saw a burly man swinging a hammer at him. He immediately shouted to those around him, “Stop him! Stop him!”
Dozens of bodyguards rushed forward at his command, swinging their swords at Pu Dachui. In their eyes, this bearded Tang man was a demon, and they were determined to eliminate him on behalf of the heavens.
But Pu Dachui clearly ignored them. He swiftly swung his hammer, delivering consecutive blows that knocked down dozens of curved swords.
“Whoever stands in my way dies!”
With a roar, Pu Dachui hurled his hammer at Ba Chuo.
“Sss!”
Ba Chuo was terrified. He quickly tightened the reins and lifted his horse. The hammer, meant for his chest, struck the horse’s neck instead. The Turkic pony spat out white foam and collapsed to the ground, its cervical spine undoubtedly broken.
Ba Chuo twisted sideways and fell off his horse, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
“That’s a demon! A demon!”
Witnessing Pu Dachui’s incredible strength as he slaughtered dozens of people, even Ba Chuo, known for his bravery, was terrified.
“Retreat! Retreat now!” Ba Chuo rushed toward an unattended warhorse and leaped onto its back in one bound.
“Retreat! Don’t hesitate! He’s a demon, a demon!”
Ba Chuo turned his horse around and led the others in fleeing the battlefield. Seeing their commander escape, the remaining Uyghur cavalry lost their fighting spirit and fled in disarray behind Ba Chuo.
But Li Kuo wouldn’t give them that chance!
The young man led 150 cavalrymen, taking advantage of the chaos among Ba Chuo’s troops to encircle them from behind and cut off their escape route!
Whether these Uyghurs were acting on orders or trying to rob them, they wanted their lives!
Anyone who wants me dead must die!
Li Linfu was like that, Gao Xiuyan was like that, Yang Zhao was like that, Geshu Han was like that—Uyghurs were the same!
“A person can only do what they love better when they’re alive! Any beautiful wish means nothing in front of a dead body!”
Li Kuo had suddenly realized this!
Yes, to live! What a simple wish, yet so hard to achieve.
The young man charged into the Uyghur cavalry ranks with his lance, swiftly twisting his wrist to deliver a bloodied plum blossom thrust.
The proud plum blossom bloomed brilliantly!