Chapter 65: Sweeping Across the Army!-Soldado Audaz das Fronteiras(Su Yanchen)

The captain of the Huben Guard was consumed by rage and humiliation.

He bellowed, "Spread out! Force them into the corner!"

"That's more like it!" the commander of the Yunzhong Guard laughed, clapping his hands. "Drive them into a corner and let's see how they maneuver!"

Hearing the command, the various teams moved into action as their formations began to shift.

To give credit where it was due, the decision made by the Huben Guard captain demonstrated his keen tactical instincts. In the ever-changing chaos of battle, to quickly spot a breakthrough was the hallmark of a true squad leader.

Yet, for all his calculations, he missed one crucial detail.

Although the other units acknowledged the order, none of them were willing to face Tielin Fortress head-on. By tacit agreement, they all chose to avoid taking the brunt of the charge.

With a rustle, every single team veered toward the flanks.

Suddenly, the center of the battlefield was left wide open.

How could Lin Chuan possibly let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away?

"Wedge formation! Charge—!"

Following a low shout, Tielin Fortress abruptly accelerated from their previous defensive advance.

"Ahhhhhhh—!"

Hu Dayong's roar shook the drill grounds.

He led the combat troops hurtling into the remnants of the Huben squad like a sharp dagger.

Before the remaining members of the Huben Guard could react, they were sent flying in all directions by the sudden, violent impact.

Tielin Fortress did not pause for even a second.

They drove straight toward the Yingyang Guard squad hiding behind the Huben unit.

The Yingyang Guard scrambled to change their formation, but how could they possibly manage it in such a hasty retreat?

As they frantically brandished their wooden sabers, the gleaming blades of Tielin Fortress were already before their eyes.

"Boom—!"

With a single strike, the Yingyang Guard was shattered.

Like a fierce tiger breaking out of its cage, the Tielin Fortress squad burst straight through the encirclement.

"Well fought!"

"Keep charging!"

"Wipe them out completely!"

The soldiers watching from the sidelines roared with approval, their cheers shaking the heavens.

These battle-hardened veterans had all unexpectedly become supporters of Tielin Fortress.

Though they belonged to different garrisons, soldiers understood soldiers best.

Starting merely as a garrison fortress unit, Tielin Fortress had first crushed Huben and then defeated Yingyang. How could such daring and prowess fail to set their blood boiling?

Up on the viewing platform, the expressions of the various garrison commanders flickered uncertainly.

The losing side burned with suppressed fury, yet had no excuse to vent it.

Only General Chen remained leisurely sipping his tea, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Down on the field, the entire situation had been turned completely upside down.

With morale shifting dramatically, the Tielin Fortress squad launched a torrential assault.

The remaining units were thrown into utter disarray.

They had never possessed any coordination among themselves, let alone any intention of forming an alliance.

They had assumed that an encirclement by seven teams would easily crush Tielin Fortress to dust.

Yet now, the tables were turned, and they had become the lambs awaiting slaughter.

Like a hot knife through butter!

Before one squad could even steady their shields, Hu Dayong tore a gaping hole in their line with a brutal, reckless charge.

The others surged inward, felling their opponents one after another.

Like a bamboo stem splitting under a sharp blade!

Another unit attempted to skirmish and maneuver around them, but the Tielin Fortress squad moved even faster.

At the very first clash, they swept over the enemy with crushing force.

Sweeping away an entire army!

A third unit scrambled to alter their formation.

With a few dull thuds, two or three of their men were successively struck by arrows.

The Tielin Fortress squad did not even spare them a second glance, charging straight toward yet another team.

In less than half an hour, the sounds of combat on the drill grounds gradually subsided.

Left standing on the field were merely nine men from the Xilong Guard—five from Tielin Fortress and four from the Vanguard Battalion.

Every single one of them was bruised and battered, yet none had been officially declared dead.

The four men from the Vanguard Battalion exchanged glances before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter.

"That was exhilarating!"

One of them cupped his fists and shouted, "The Vanguard Battalion concedes!"

With that, all four raised their wooden sabers simultaneously.

"Vanguard Battalion, withdrawing from the field!"

For a single heartbeat, the entire arena fell completely silent, before erupting into earth-shattering cheers—

"Tielin Fortress!"

The wave of sound rolled across the drill grounds.

Zhao Mingde, the Vice Minister of War, stroked his beard in admiration.

"If all the border troops of our Great Qian dynasty were elite forces like these, why would we ever worry about the northern frontier lacking peace?"

The cheers surrounding the drill grounds grew increasingly thunderous.

Even the soldiers from the various garrisons who had tasted defeat moments ago joined in the shouting.

Out on the field, the five men of Tielin Fortress panted heavily.

Sweat dripped from their tense, hardened jaws.

Every muscle in their bodies was trembling beyond control.

Yet at that moment, the earth-shaking cheers poured into their hearts like potent wine.

Zhang Xiaonian suddenly realized his vision was blurring.

He blinked hard, only to cause more scalding tears to overflow from his eyes.

Ergou bit his lower lip so hard it turned white, but his trembling shoulders betrayed his surging emotions.

Even Lin Chuan, who was always composed, found his eyes turning red.

"Banner Leader, we... we won! Hahaha!"

Hu Dayong suddenly burst into a wild laugh.

Yet before the laughter could fade, his eyes rolled back.

His entire body stiffened and toppled straight backward.

"Dayong!"

"Squad Leader Hu!"

Several pairs of hands reached out at once.

Together, they carefully laid him flat on the ground.

"He's fine..." Lin Chuan said after a thorough check. "This fellow just completely exhausted his strength."

As if to verify his words, a thunderous snore immediately erupted from Hu Dayong.

Ergou let out a snort of laughter.

That single laugh broke the dam; the rugged men embraced one another, weeping and laughing at the same time.

"Banner Leader Lin! The Vice Minister requests an audience!"

A personal guard trotted over.

Lin Chuan straightened his tattered armor.

Approaching the viewing platform, he cupped his fists and bowed:

"Lin Chuan, Banner Leader of Tielin Fortress under the Xilong Guard, pays his respects to all the lords!"

"Lin Chuan, that was a brilliant fight today!"

Zhao Mingde, the Vice Minister of War, stroked his long beard and asked, "Let me ask you, have you personally killed any Tatars?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency!"

Lin Chuan answered in a ringing voice, "Your subordinate has been in the army for two months, and leading over twenty brothers from the fortress, we have slain more than a hundred Tatars!"

Hearing this, Zhao Mingde slammed his hand down on the table.

"Splendid! Truly, under a strong general there are no weak soldiers. General Chen, today I have truly witnessed the might of the Xilong Guard!"

"Your Excellency is too kind."

General Chen gestured toward Lin Chuan. "This is the Deputy Director of Armaments I mentioned to Your Excellency earlier."

"Oh?" Zhao Mingde's eyes lit up. "Is he the banner leader who crafted those triangular arrowheads?"

"Precisely!" General Chen smiled. "Not only is this young man fierce and skilled in battle, but he is also well-versed in the development of weaponry. The Tatar leather armor is normally impervious to ordinary arrowheads, yet these triangular arrows can pierce two layers of leather hide. They are truly formidable instruments of war."

The Vice Minister was instantly intrigued.

"Since General Chen speaks so highly of him, why don't we open our eyes and witness it right now?"

"Lin Chuan!" General Chen called out. "Has everything been prepared?"

"Reporting to the General!"

Lin Chuan cupped his fists in response. "We are ready to demonstrate for Your Excellency at any moment!"

Unable to contain his eagerness, Zhao Mingde waved his hand: "Let's go! Lead the way!"

The group relocated to the eastern drill grounds.

Several archery targets had already been set up in the center of the field.

Suspended over one of the targets was a suit of Tatar leather armor, the kind frequently worn by their warriors.

Lin Chuan strode over to the weapon rack and retrieved a stiff-backed bow along with three uniquely shaped long arrows.

The arrowheads glinted coldly in the sunlight, their three-edged blades curving into sleek, aerodynamic lines entirely unlike standard arrows.

"Please, Your Excellency, examine them." Lin Chuan presented the arrows with both hands.

Zhao Mingde took them for a closer look, his fingertips tracing the three deep blood-groves carved into the arrowhead. His eyebrows arched slightly.

"The pattern is quite distinctive."

"Reporting to Your Excellency," Lin Chuan explained, "the triangular design not only enhances piercing power but also widens the wound, making it difficult for the enemy to stem the bleeding. These blood-groves ensure that once the arrowhead drives deep, it cannot be easily dislodged."

General Chen added from the side, "Even better, forging this type of arrowhead dispenses with the need for barbs, increasing production efficiency by a good thirty percent and more."

The edges of the drill grounds were already packed with curious soldiers watching the spectacle.

Lin Chuan handed the stiff bow over to Ergou.

Ergou took a deep breath, drew the bow, and nocked an arrow.