Chapter 256: Ga Le Da Ma: This Battle Is Not Without Hope

Yes! The situation has now reached this point, and we have no choice!

Tianshan lies behind us; it is the border shield of our Khanate, and beyond it is our people's homeland!

We can only meet them in battle; this fight concerns the rise and fall of our Khanate. Everyone, give it your all!

Sai Yin Bo Ke scowled and echoed the words, his deadly resolve bursting forth!

Ba Tu Er Ce fell silent, though his expression still showed clear discontent.

Is the Great Khan's dignity more important, or the lives of their sixty‑thousand troops?

Clearly there is no chance of victory; isn't this treating their lives as a child's game?

He doesn't understand!

Ga Le Da Ma inhaled deeply, slowly spurred his horse forward, and urged his surrounding commanders:

"Sixty thousand against twenty thousand, and we hold the advantageous terrain; this battle is not without hope!"

"As long as we keep our formation steady and avoid single combat, we can wear them down to death!"

"Do not trust the defeated troops on the steppe praising the Han Army; I doubt he can alone pierce our sixty‑thousand!"

"If we hold this ground for two days, reinforcements from the rear will arrive gradually; we are not fighting alone."

"On the contrary, the Han cavalry is deep alone; they have only twenty thousand. If we stand firm, victory will be ours!"

Ga Le Da Ma's words finally stirred a bit of fighting spirit in the surrounding Hun Xie commanders, easing their tense expressions.

Holding for two days shouldn't be a big problem!

At that moment, Deputy Commander Sai Yin Bo Ke's expression suddenly changed, as if he had thought of something.

He carefully estimated the distance between the two great banners and couldn't help saying to Ga Le Da Ma:

"Han general Jia Jing, in several battles, first slays the enemy commander, shoots the enemy great banner, and captures the flag."

"I hear he wields a powerful bow with extreme range; should we move the great banner back, hide it behind our army, just in case?"

Ga Le Da Ma heard the word "hide" from Sai Yin Bo Ke, his eyelids flickered, and he said expressionlessly:

"Rest assured! I've already inquired. Han general Jia Jing's bow has a maximum range of only five hundred steps."

"Back then, beneath Yu Lin Cheng, he only dared to fire after charging to within five hundred steps of Tuo Tuo Bu Hua."

"Now he is a full eight hundred steps from my great banner; he could not possibly shoot that far!"

"As long as we maintain this safe distance, there's no need to hide!"

"When two armies clash, morale is paramount! Now the troops lack fighting spirit, and the generals lack courage!"

"If we hide deep within the army, it will only make the young men under us more fearful, destabilize morale, and they may collapse at the slightest touch."

Sai Yin Bo Ke, hearing Ga Le Da Ma's explanation, felt a slight relief.

He only knew that Han general Jia Jing's arrows could fly extremely far, without knowing the exact range; he hadn't expected a single arrow to reach five hundred steps—truly extraordinary.

Ordinary soldiers can only draw bows ranging from seven dou to one shi, and a one‑shi bow reaches about a hundred steps.

Naturally strong warriors top out at roughly three‑shi bows, a rarity indeed.

For Han general Jia Jing to shoot five hundred steps with one arrow, his bow must exceed eight shi in power; his valor truly crowns him across ages.

Nevertheless, the two great banners are now eight hundred steps apart, a very safe distance.

For now there's no need to worry excessively, lest we lose the demeanor of a great general!

Of course, he also made a silent resolve in his heart.

Later, if Jia Jing comes within six hundred steps of the great banner, he'll immediately slip into the army; after all, life comes first.

Ga Le Da Ma inhaled deeply and ordered:

"Send the order: the entire army holds position. No one may engage without my command."

"He fights his fight, we guard ours, turning it into a war of attrition. I don't believe he alone can defeat my sixty‑thousand."

The order was transmitted, and the Hun Xie formation steadied slightly.

Shield‑bearers moved forward, archers formed ranks, spearmen crouched.

Sixty thousand men resembled a hedgehog with its spines retracted, crouched at the foot of Tianshan, motionless.

Opposite the Hun Xie army, the elite Han cavalry stared at them with cold, fierce gazes.

The twenty thousand Han troops that followed Jia Jing are battle‑hardened veterans; each has fought multiple wars, their scars and soaring battle spirit attest to their toughness.

The entire Han army stretched like black clouds over the ground for miles, a murderous aura surging, as if containing the power to destroy everything.

The Han army was silent; no one spoke, their cold gazes fixed on the opposing Hun Xie forces.

Warhorses whinnied anxiously, and sharp blades and spears sang again.

The Han formation was as still as death, yet within that stillness seemed a force capable of crushing all.

"The Hun Xie are scared."

Ma Guocheng watched the shifting Hun Xie formation, spurred his horse forward, and said in a low voice.

Jia Jing's expression remained calm, offering no reply, merely gazing at the dark, oppressive formation opposite.

He could see the Hun Xie's uneasy demeanor; after all, this was not the first time he faced such a situation...

The Hun Xie's formation was too compact, a sign of lacking confidence;

Their many flags were carried by flag bearers standing too far back, ready to retreat;

The frontmost cavalry's horse heads tilted slightly outward, an instinct to flee.

Moreover, their great banner was a full eight hundred steps away; they likely heard that they once could only hit a target five hundred steps out.

But…

What they didn't know is that their Overlord Bow's maximum range is actually eight hundred steps, with a limit of up to a thousand steps.

In the past they sought stability and cherished the precious bow, keeping a reserve, so they usually shot within five hundred steps.

This time, they do not intend to battle the Hun Xie for long.

So, he chose to use a brand‑new range to refresh everyone's perception.

He wants everyone to know that as long as they appear within his sight, their lives are no longer in their own hands.

The so‑called safe distance is nothing but a joke!

Once you become his enemy, you are completely cut off from the word "safe"!

Jia Jing rode the Red Hare Horse, wearing a triple‑pronged purple‑golden hair‑binding crown, draped in a Western River red‑brocade hundred‑flower robe, a belt of ornate lion‑tribe armor, holding a Bright Silver Spear, while his cloak billowed high in the north wind, rustling.

His cold, desolate gaze fixed on the opposing Hun Xie Army, and he bellowed in a deep, chilling voice:

"Overlord Bow!"

A bodyguard behind him immediately stepped forward and placed the Overlord Bow and a jar of arrows into Jia Jing's hands.

To lessen the burden on the Red Hare Horse, Jia Jing this time had a bodyguard specifically carry the Overlord Bow for him.

The massive Overlord Bow was entirely jet‑black with golden filigree, shaped like a crescent moon; its limbs were as thick as arms, and the grip bore carved drake‑scale patterns. Its imposing aura was overwhelming, now tinged with a few more strands of dark‑red murderous energy than before.

When the Overlord Bow was in his hand, Jia Jing's gaze instantly turned ice‑cold and fierce.

His entire presence surged countlessfold in an instant, invisible killing intent swirling around him like a raging wind.

A specially‑made iron‑cluster armor‑piercing arrow was nocked onto the dark Overlord Bow, as if it were instantly given life, exuding a chilling aura.

The ten‑stone strong bow in his hand was drawn in an instant into a full‑moon shape, the limbs creaking, aimed directly at Galedama beneath the banner of the Hun Xie Army.