Chapter 34: The Bloody Battle at the Fortress (Part 2)

“Qilang, what excellent archery!” Li Siye praised with a thumbs up.
Li Qing’an bowed in gratitude. “Thank you, Siye, for saving my life.”
Li Siye was known as the best swordsman in the world. He was also very proud, and few people earned his respect—Li Qing’an was one of them. He particularly admired Li Qing’an’s archery skills.
Swinging his sword, Li Siye said proudly, “It was no trouble at all. Qilang, don’t be polite. How about we have a contest to see who kills more enemies at Lianyun Fortress?”
Eagerly, Li Qing’an laughed loudly. “Great! From now on, we’ve each killed one person.”
“No!” Li Siye narrowed his eyes and smiled. “You’ve already killed thirty-one people, while I’ve only killed one. Let’s count from there.”
“Hero Siye, I’ll challenge you!”
Li Qing’an turned and rushed back to the camp. He changed to another pot of arrows and shot three in a row, killing three Tibetan soldiers who collapsed in agony.
“Brother Siye, I’ve now killed thirty-four people.”
Li Qing’an’s loud laughter came from amidst the flames. Li Siye chuckled in response.
……
Dawn was approaching. The smoke from the Tibetan camp still lingered, rising from the charred corpses. Eight thousand Tibetan soldiers had killed five thousand, but more than two thousand had escaped into Lianyun Fortress through side paths. The Tang army moved to the foot of Lianyun Fortress, leaving them with only one option.
At first light, the Tang army launched their first attack. Three thousand soldiers from the Huomi and Shinig states, led by King Shijian of Shinig, charged at Lianyun Fortress.
The sound of the Tang army’s drums was thunderous, and their battle cries shook the sky. Thousands of Western barbarian soldiers carried long ladders and surged toward the fortress walls like a tide. Lianyun Fortress was built on a hillside, with steep slopes and high walls. There was only a narrow path about a hundred steps wide where ladders could be set up. But the Tibetan soldiers were well-prepared. Rocks and logs rained down on the attacking soldiers like a storm. With nowhere to hide, they were crushed to pieces, suffering heavy losses. In just a short time, a thousand of the barbarian soldiers died or were wounded, forcing them to retreat.
Gao Xianzhi watched the Tibetan defenses intently. Though he knew Lianyun Fortress was difficult to attack, he hadn’t expected the Tibetans to be so fierce.
“General Gao, the barbarian soldiers are suffering heavy losses. Should we order them to withdraw?”
“No! Keep beating the drums to urge them on. Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy!”
The drums of the Tang army’s attack rang out again, thunderously loud. Seeing that Gao Xianzhi refused to let them withdraw, King Shijian of Shinig had no choice but to shout bravely, “Charge! Charge at Lianyun Fortress!”

He picked up a long spear and led the charge personally. Under the tight defense of the Tubo army, the Hu soldiers’ second attack lost much of its momentum. There were no more battle cries, and they moved slowly; at the slightest counterattack from the Tubo forces, they turned and fled.

Gao Xianzhi, expressionless, ordered coldly, “Anyone who steps back again will be beheaded!”

Driven by the Tang army’s swordsmen and axe warriors, the Hu soldiers attacked the castle once more. The Tubo army launched another barrage of rolling logs and stones, causing cries of pain below the walls. Some Hu soldiers even knelt and surrendered.

On the castle, Shang Deluo snorted. Such an army still thought it could capture his Lianyun Fortress. If not for the surprise attack last night, it was hard to say who would have won.

Suddenly, he spotted Shijian, who was directing the attack. Now within range of his bow, he took out his bow, aimed at Shijian, and released an arrow that pierced Shijian’s chest. With a disdainful shake of his head, he threw the bow aside.

King Shijian of the Sni tribe died as he was carried off the battlefield. With the king dead, the Hu soldiers lost all fighting spirit and retreated in disarray. Finally, Gao Xianzhi ordered a withdrawal.

“Dang! Dang! Dang!” The sound of trumpets rang out, and the Tang army retreated in chaotic disorder.

The Tang army’s first attack ended with over two thousand casualties. Yet Gao Xianzhi showed a faint smile. The heavy losses suffered by the Hu army had revealed the Tubo army’s weaknesses—he realized that only the heavy armor of the Mo Dao soldiers could withstand their rolling logs and stones.

“Li Siye, it’s your Mo Dao army’s turn in the second wave. Capture Lianyun Fortress before noon. If you’re even a moment late, I’ll execute you to sacrifice to the flag!”

……

The two most elite armies of the Tang Dynasty were the Youzhou Cavalry and the Anxi Mo Dao soldiers. The Mo Dao sword was about ten feet long, shaped like a triple-edged blade, capable of slashing on both sides as well as stabbing. Used by heavily armored infantry, it was swung with strength from the waist. In battle, the Mo Dao soldiers advanced like a wall, crushing any enemy cavalry in their path—making it the most formidable weapon against cavalry.

The Mo Dao sword appeared around the time of Emperor Gaozong’s Tiaolü era. In the first year of the Tianbao era, it was officially adopted by the Anxi army. At that time, only the Anxi army among the Tang Dynasty’s million-strong forces was equipped with it. This was partly because the Mo Dao swords were difficult to forge and limited in quantity, and partly because they required special users—soldiers over seven feet tall with immense strength. The Anxi region had many tall ethnic minorities, providing a sufficient supply of recruits.

Currently, there are three thousand men wielding halberds in the Anxi army, under the personal command of Gao Xianzhi. The specific troops are led by Li Siye, a military officer from Zhaowu, and his deputy Tian Zhen. Li Siye is known as the best swordsman in the world; he is eight feet tall and possesses immense strength. He had made a bet with Li Qingan and had long been eager for this opportunity.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The loud drums of the Tang army sounded once again as a thousand men in full heavy armor charged forward. Arranged in five rows, they were all tall and robust, their halberds sharp and cold. They marched step by step toward Lianyun Fort. Their pace was slow, but each step was awe-inspiring and terrifying, as if their advance was unstoppable.

“One hundred steps… fifty steps.”

Tibetan arrows whizzed through the air, clanging against the heavy armor of the halberd soldiers before bending and falling to the ground. The Tibetan troops on the walls grew uneasy—the Tang army filled them with fear, and even Shangderuo became nervous. There could indeed be such tall armies in the world.

With a loud crash, a giant ladder covered in thick cowhide was set up against the city wall, and the halberd soldiers began climbing up. The Tibetan troops snapped out of their daze and unleashed a barrage of logs and stones. The halberd soldiers used their long blades to fend off the huge rocks and logs.

One halberd soldier managed to cut through a log, but was struck by a heavy stone on his armor. Though not fatal on the spot, the force of the impact sent him rolling down. His halberd flew high into the air, spinning with a cold gleam, like flying ice flowers.

The Tang soldiers who were knocked down were in the minority. They formed ranks and advanced step by step, braving the rain of logs and stones.

Shangderuo was drenched in sweat. He desperately tried every method he could think of—shooting arrows, throwing stones, setting fires. But against this Tang army, none of his tactics worked. His face turned pale, as if the nightmare he feared was about to unfold: a raging fire engulfing Lianyun Fort.

No! There must be a way. His gaze suddenly stopped on the giant wooden ladder—its poles thicker than legs, covered in thick, cured cowhide.

He stood there frozen for a long time. Suddenly, he rushed forward like a madman, raising his knife and slashing at the ladder with all his might. This might have been their only chance. The Tubo troops, as if waking from a dream, also raised their knives and charged forward, slashing at the wooden ladder. The ladder began to shake violently, and several Tang soldiers standing nearby lost their balance and fell off. At this critical moment, a thunderous roar echoed in the air. A huge dark shadow swept in like a storm—it was Li Siye charging forward. With a single swing of his halberd, blood mist filled the air as five Tubo soldiers were cut into ten pieces. His halberd moved up and down swiftly, and in moments, dozens of Tubo troops were reduced to pieces.

Shang Deluo’s eyes turned red. He shouted loudly and charged forward with his sword, but after taking just one step, he suddenly froze, a long red line appearing from his forehead to his chest and abdomen.

“The forty-eighth!”

Li Siye laughed heartily. Turning around, he shouted, “Li Qilang, I’ve surpassed you now!”

Deputy commander Tian Zhen also leaped onto the city wall, slashing several enemies to death with his sword. With a wave of his hand, hundreds of halberd warriors charged forward, and the Tubo troops collapsed in an instant…

Gao Xianzhi smiled faintly. Seizing Lianyun Fort meant he had now surpassed Fumeng Lingcha…