Chapter 63: Fighting to the Death (III)

Unnoticed, this battle had already lasted half a day!
Compared to all the other battles, big and small, over the past seven days, this one was undoubtedly decisive. The winner would reign, the loser would be defeated—this would be the end of the Battle of Talas.
Li Siyeh took a deep breath and shouted, “Advance!”
He gripped the hilt of his halberd tightly, stepped forward, and swung it with force. His movements were swift and precise, just like during training when he struck straw puppets—raising the blade high before bringing it down with a heavy swing!
A overconfident Abbasid cavalryman tried to trample over Li Siyeh, but as the halberd swung, blood immediately streamed from his skull. Before he could even cry out in pain, he became a shattered corpse, with his dead horse lying beside him.
With a single swing of the halberd, both man and horse were split in two!
Li Siyeh retracted his blade and stared resolutely at the waves of Abbasid cavalry charging forward.
“Advance!”
Countless halberds were raised, producing a rustling sound. Their dark handles traced graceful arcs, slashing at the necks of the Abbasid cavalry, leaving behind red “peony” stains. One, two… 2,500 halberds raised meant 2,500 wounds—most terrifyingly, wounds that could never heal. The soldiers of Anxi stayed close together, the heavily armored halberd warriors remaining firm. They had no choice but to kill every Abbasid soldier before them if they were to survive and see the sunrise the next day.
“Advance!”
This simple command was highly effective. With each swing, the halberd warriors took out one or two lives. The battlefield was soon covered in severed limbs, with heads flying through the air, leaving red trails.
What was required of the halberd warriors wasn’t exceptional intelligence or adaptability, but firm will and superior physical strength. Wearing armor weighing over 40 pounds and holding a halberd of the same weight, every step drained their strength. Only the most physically robust warriors could hold on to the end, laughing until the very last moment.
Swing the blade, swing it again, keep swinging! Advance, advance—there must be progress!
As long as there were cavalry in front, they had to swing their blades; as long as the enemy wasn’t dead, they had to strike! Hoping not to die, creating miracles! As long as there was even a sliver of light, they would never give up easily!
They possessed an iron will—they would fight to the end. Even if they died, they would die standing tall as true men!
In contrast, the willpower of the Abbasid soldiers was much weaker.

Some of the new recruits, who were experiencing battle for the first time, vomited incessantly, while others even collapsed from their war horses. Even though the Persian cavalry were brave and fearless, ready to compete with the soldiers wielding long knives, their horses refused to move forward. At the sight of the cold glint reflected from the silver blades, these animals instinctively raised their front hooves and kept neighing, refusing to budge an inch.

The formation of soldiers with long knives had already exerted sufficient psychological pressure on the Persian cavalry, causing their heavily armored troops to halt in their advance!

“Advance!”
Li Siye didn’t give the Persians a chance to catch their breath. He firmly gripped the handle of his sword and shouted.

At this command, the soldiers with long knives raised their blades high and charged forward.

“Move forward!”
It was again that order that terrified the Persian riders. Some of the cavalry at the front didn’t even have time to react before their heads were severed by the long knives. These icy-bladed weapons gradually eroded the Persian cavalry, whom they had taken such pride in。……
Silence. All the Persian generals present seemed to be trapped in a deathly silence, gritting their teeth under its suffocating weight!

Mahmud, who commanded the cavalry, couldn’t understand how their once invincible heavily armored troops could be stopped by mere infantry. Although these infantrymen wore excellent armor and wielded powerful weapons, they were still infantry after all. How could infantry inflict such devastating damage on cavalry? How could they force cavalry to halt in their tracks?

All the soldiers were waiting for his order—whether to advance or retreat—they needed a clear command! Mahmud felt overwhelmed with despair, as if ants were crawling inside him. He had finally gotten this chance to prove himself—how could he give it up so easily? Ten thousand elite cavalrymen were held back by just a few thousand infantrymen, preventing them from moving forward. If this news reached Abu Muslim, he would surely be executed to quell the troops’ anger!

But the horrific scene he had just witnessed was real—he couldn’t deceive his own eyes! Those Tang army infantrymen, armed with eight-foot-long knives, swung them wildly at his riders. It seemed they didn’t need to pay attention to the angle of their swings or the exact position of the riders. They simply raised their knives high and brought them down with force, cutting the heavily armored cavalry to pieces, along with their horses.

“Neigh!”

Mahmoud gasped in shock, feeling his vest become completely soaked. Facing such a terrifying opponent, every step forward would come at a heavy cost. Now he finally understood why no one else had competed for this mission. Though it was a great opportunity to earn glory, one had to survive long enough to reap it. He was clearly just a pawn to hold back thepike formation, a disposable piece. But obviously, he had no better choice now—only to fight to the death!

“Pass on my order: the entire army, charge!”

“General, but…”

“Stop talking! The entire army, charge!”

Mahmoud drew his curved sword from his waist and shouted loudly, “For Allah! For Allah, warriors, take up your curved swords! Ahead are devils who have abandoned Allah, infidels who deserve to be torn to pieces! Warriors, it’s time to prove yourselves! Kill them, and after your death, you’ll enter paradise to enjoy endless wine and virgins!”

Mahmoud’s words were clearly highly inflammatory, and movement began to stir among the troops. Some soldiers raised their curved swords and spears in response to their general’s order. If the horrors that had just occurred had planted fear deep in their hearts, the name of Allah was the best weapon to dispel that fear.

They were warriors spreading the holy faith—any infidel deserved death!

“In the name of Allah!”

Overjoyed, Mahmoud waved his curved sword and cried, “Kill them all!”

“In the name of Allah!”

“For Allah!”

The Persian cavalry ranks surged again as Allah’s believers fiercely spurred their horses, driving them forward.

“In the name of Allah!”

At this moment, they had forgotten all pain and fear in the world. They only wanted to wash away their past humiliations with the blood of infidels and offer sacrifices to Allah!…