Chapter 737: Closing the Gate to Beat the Dog

My lord, the people looking for us have arrived!

Xu Zengyi smiled lightly, raising his hand to point north.

In the distance, dust rose at the foot of the mountain; a black line surged toward them at breakneck speed, like rolling waves, and even before it reached them, the killing intent of gleaming weapons and warhorses already washed over them.

With such momentum, this Qiang vanguard is clearly elite too! Chen Wuji praised.

Although he views the Qiang as a brutal race that should be wiped out, as battlefield opponents he still acknowledges their military prowess.

Their military strength is tied to their ethnic nature, yet it can be judged on its own.

Chen Wuji often thought that the Qiang people here, just like those from his homeland, only bore the same "Qiang" name, which really sullied that name.

Here, the Qiang truly do not deserve that name.

"Take formation!" Chen Wuji commanded in a low voice.

The banner officer waved the command flag, and the vast army, like a long snake winding ahead, swiftly shifted formation.

The supply wagons formed an outer barrier, while the sword-and-shield troops raised a shield wall behind them, with spearmen and archers interspersed.

But right now their weapons were turned upside down at their sides, each person gripping a fire striker in the left hand and a Shocking Heaven Thunder in the right.

Within this huge encirclement, the cavalry stood at the ready, prepared to charge and break through at any moment.

Chen Wuji dismounted, moved to the front, and lay on his shield to watch the distant surging torrent.

The sight of fifty thousand cavalry charging was indeed somewhat frightening.

It also made him especially envious.

He didn't know when he'd be able to muster fifty thousand cavalry.

Almost a year had passed, and all his troops together totaled only about thirty thousand cavalry at most.

In an army of seventy to eighty thousand, this number is truly too small.

"Get a solid grip on those iron lumps in your hands, and throw them steady—if anyone's hand shakes and drops it, or loses aim, you'll be the sinner of the whole army!" Chen Wuji shouted.

"To the left and right, relay these words verbatim to those nearby!"

"Yes!"

"Lord's order: get a firm grip on those iron lumps in your hands, throw them steady—if anyone's hand shakes and drops it, or loses aim, you'll be the sinner of the whole army."

"Lord's order…"

Chen Wuji's order was passed down rank by rank, and soon it made a full circuit.

"Head of the family, you'd better stay inside; the enemy is fast approaching." Chen Li advised.

"It's fine; I'll also toss a couple of Shocking Heaven Thunders later." Chen Wuji said calmly.

He's very experienced in using Shocking Heaven Thunder against cavalry.

With so many Shocking Heaven Thunders thrown at once, the enemy might reach the front, but most likely the warhorses will lose control and run to their deaths; they absolutely cannot maintain their charge formation and attack.

Just then, another surge suddenly came from the south of Jiuli Chuan, fiercely slamming into the cavalry charging forward at full speed.

"Huh?" Chen Wuji instantly focused his gaze that way.

But the distance was indeed quite far; he could only vaguely make out an infantry unit, with their flags fluttering rapidly, while finer details were impossible to discern.

Whenever this happened, Chen Wuji longed for a telescope.

When he had free time, he would pester Xiao Zong to find time to make this.

The hardest part of a telescope isn't assembly—it's the lenses.

Chen Wuji also had a vague recollection of this; he'd heard online science popularizers mention it, but he couldn't recall the exact materials or steps.

In the end, he could only give Xiao Zong a rough idea, list the materials he could think of, and let this father‑in‑law work it out slowly on his own.

"Mr. Xu, which ambush force is closest here?" Chen Wuji shouted.

Those charging out from the oblique thrust are definitely our own.

But he now can't tell exactly which unit it is.

"It must be General Lu's troops!" Mr. Xu said.

"It turns out to be the Lu Halberd Unit; he chose the perfect moment to enter the battlefield, delivering the Qiang a direct waist‑cut." Chen Wuji praised, then shouted loudly, "Pass the order: gather all fire strikers and Shocking Heaven Thunders, pick up your weapons, and prepare to charge!"

"My lord, don't rush—the Qiang have split their forces!" Mr. Xu suddenly shouted.

Chen Wuji took a close look: "Oh, it really is."

The Qiang split into two routes; the rear troops tangled with the Lu Halberd Unit, while the vanguard kept marching forward without pause, appearing very anxious.

"They're so eager to kill me! Then let's wait a bit longer; this opportunity must be given to them, after all they've come from far away. Later we'll first give them a little shock, then take their lives!" Chen Wuji said calmly.

"I don't know if the commander leading the troops is still Langdu; if it is him, this old brat has a bit of a memory problem—he's tasted our Shocking Heaven Thunder, so how dare he charge so recklessly!"

With Shocking Heaven Thunder in hand and another twenty thousand elite central troops, Chen Wuji felt fully confident.

He is a low‑key person, but his strength prevents him from feeling fear in the face of such an offensive.

There's simply no way to be afraid!

Just then, another force emerged from the north.

Compared to the Lu Halberd Unit, this troop's formation was far more chaotic.

They had no formation, pouring out chaotically from the dense forest.

It looked like a flock of sheep suddenly bursting forth, only with a huge number.

"Is this Hu Bu Gui's unit?" Chen Wuji narrowed his eyes and said.

At this point the distance was somewhat closer; the words on the banners and the general's movement trajectory could roughly be seen.

"What tactic is this? Are all the troops elite?" Chen Wuji was bewildered by Hu Bu Gui's fighting style; such a scattered formation gave him the feeling of a flock of sheep lunging at wolves.

Mr. Xu and Chen Li also strained their eyes, looking especially carefully.

After a while, Mr. Xu shook his head: "Such tactics, even I, a lowly officer, find them hard to understand."

"General Hu's tactic is a pack of wolves' approach." Chen Li laughed.

"Dealing with cavalry, this tactic is actually quite effective."

Chen Wuji was somewhat doubtful, "Effective?"

"Very effective!" Chen Li said with absolute certainty.

"Infantry vs Cavalry is inherently at a disadvantage; if they maintain formation and charge, a single cavalry charge will scatter them. They can use wolf-pack tactics, with three to five soldiers forming a team, leaving ample space between teams, allowing rapid advance and rapid retreat, so they won't be dragged down by their comrades."

"Although the distance is a bit far and I can't see exactly how General Hu is fighting, but without surprise, it should be that in each team someone is responsible for cutting horses, someone for cutting Knights. As long as the division of labor is clear enough, the speed of killing Cavalry will not be slower than the speed at which Cavalry kills Infantry."

"One slash to cut the horse's hoof, taking advantage of the moment the warhorse loses control, slash down the knight on horseback; three to five people can completely do it with a single stroke."

Chen Wuji nodded slightly, "Looks like I still need to learn more; I've never seen this move before."

"Pass the order, attack!"