Chapter 35: Night Battle (IV)

Close combat, close combat!
Now, the struggle for control of the northern city of Talas has reached its climax!
Soldiers from both sides fought with scimitars, axes, fists, and teeth.
Almost every method imaginable was employed by these warriors.
Talas had now become a besieged city—those outside fought desperately to enter, while those inside fought with all their might to hold them back. At this moment, regardless of ethnicity, faith, or social status, everyone was fighting for survival, the most basic desire of all!
If the soldiers survive, the weapons can be sharpened. If the people survive, the trenches can be filled.
For these ordinary soldiers, they originally had no hatred toward each other—some had never even seen them—yet they sacrificed their youth, souls, and even lives for the rulers’ insatiable desire for power.
But they had no choice. All they could do was try to survive, just survive!
To survive, they had to keep killing—killing, and killing again!
It was cruel, but it was reality.
Whenever waves of Buhun soldiers armed with shields and axes charged forward, the Abbasid defenders would swing their scimitars loudly, charging forward without hesitation. General Muhammad said they were blessed by Allah and invulnerable!
With such delusions, these believers thrust their scimitars at the enemies’ throats, only to expose their own vital points at the same time. The outcome was often a deep gash on the Buhun soldier’s neck, while the Abbasid soldier was also killed unnoticed. In the face of death, everyone was equal. Whether you believed in the all-powerful Allah or the merciful Ahura Mazda, once engaged in close combat, most could not escape serious injury or death.
Gradually, the numerical advantage became apparent. The Abbasids, with faster reinforcements, steadily squeezed the Buhun warriors into a corner near the northern city walls.
200, 170, 150…
Fewer and fewer Buhun soldiers remained on the city walls, and the path leading up to them became increasingly difficult. The 30 steps wide path was covered with the corpses of soldiers from both sides; a single misstep could send you tumbling to your death.
All beautiful dreams ultimately had to face cold reality.
Ashilanda still dreamed of being the first to storm Talas and claim glory, but the Abbasids had already sealed off all paths leading to the city gates.

When the last warrior of the Buhhanas fell helplessly at the city corner, their massive night attack on the city ended in failure. Whether Ashilanda admitted it or not, this confrontation was less of a fair battle and more of a one-sided annihilation by the Arabs. He had lost over two thousand of his soldiers, only to end up with a wall of corpses leading to Talas City. Although the Arabs also suffered casualties, their advantages in terrain and well-equipped armor meant they paid a much smaller price than the Buhhanas.

Under the dim light of torches, Ashilanda could clearly see heads, severed limbs, and broken arms rolling down beneath the dark city walls… As the ruler of the Buhhanas, when had he ever witnessed such a bloody scene? Despite trying his best to hold back, he vomited.

The city walls were covered in thick, viscous, dark liquid—resembling the venom spat by poisonous snakes, making one feel nauseous!

This wasn’t real. None of this was real. How could this be happening? Had he really lost like this? Lost everything?

“Your Majesty, withdraw the troops!”

Seeing Ashilanda’s stunned expression, one of his confidants gritted his teeth in pain and finally urged him.

“Withdraw? Withdraw… Heh, what is there left for me to withdraw? Haha, we’ve lost everything…”

Ashilanda moaned like a poisoned snake whose vital point had been struck.

But Gao Xianzhi had no time to let him calm down. Without waiting for Ashilanda’s order, he waved at the messenger to signal the Buhhanas troops to withdraw.

“Uuu!”
“Uuuu—uuuuu—uuuu!”

The sound of horns spread from the front lines and reached Ashilanda’s ears.

“Your Majesty, General Gao has ordered the troops to withdraw!”

“What? He ordered a withdrawal? Haha, he ordered it. We fought to the death, and yet he ordered a withdrawal. Haha. I’m such an idiot!”

Ashilanda waved his arms angrily and roared loudly. In this siege, the elite troops of Anxi hadn’t launched a single offensive; it was entirely the Buhhanas army that had launched desperate attacks. He had thought that when his forces weakened, Gao Xianzhi would send troops to help. Who would have thought he was merely a tool, a tool to exhaust the Arabs!

Haha, he was such an idiot to think Gao Xianzhi would give him a chance to claim glory!

Gao Xianzhi had planned everything. He knew Ashilanda would suffer a crushing defeat, yet he still sent him down the path to destruction without hesitation!

Realizing this, Ashilanda collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon, clutching his head and crying uncontrollably.

He had nothing left. After this battle, at least 70% of the troops from Bawahanna were damaged. Even if the Tang army won, he wouldn’t gain any real benefits or compensation.
“Your Majesty…”
“Get out of the way!”
Ashilanda glared at her confidant, struggled to stand up, and staggered toward the glaring Tang army flag.
“General Gao, do we really have to withdraw?”
Duan Xiushi saw Gao Xianzhi signaling the Bawahanna troops to retreat and thought he intended to withdraw, so he stepped forward quickly to ask.
“Of course not!”
Gao Xianzhi said confidently, stroking his beard, “Now that the appetizers are served, let’s bring out some strong liquor and have those Arabs drink their fill!”
“General Gao, I knew you wouldn’t withdraw!”
Learning Gao Xianzhi’s true intentions, Duan Xiushi sighed in relief. “Then I’ll order the entire army to attack!”
“Hmm. You and Siye will each lead 5,000 men to attack the two flanks of the northern city. Make sure to capture Talas City before dawn!”
Gao Xianzhi paused for a moment and added, “Be careful. If necessary, use crossbows to attack them!” (Note 1)
As a secret weapon of the Tang army in Anxi, crossbows were the key to capturing Talas City this time.
“I shall obey!”
Duan Xiushi saluted Gao Xianzhi militarily and promptly turned to carry out his orders.
Amidst the loud sound of drums, countless crossbows covered with oilcloth slowly moved toward the northern city of Talas.
Strings were drawn, bows released. In an instant, thousands of arrows were shot, toppling the towers and destroying all the fortifications on Talas City’s walls.
Note 1: Crossbows—12-stone strong bows that used a pulley system to draw strings and release arrows. The bow arm had seven arrow slits; one central slit held a giant arrow that was “3.5 feet long” and “5 inches thick,” with iron feathers as fletching. Three smaller arrows were placed on each side, all firing simultaneously.