Chapter 152

First Volume, Chapter 152: Central Formation Brutal Battle

Both sides wore heavy armor, but Ninghu Army consisted of elite Imperial Guard troops with double the numbers; despite Xu Mo Army's fierce resistance, the overwhelming disparity in strength caused Xu Mo Army to suffer heavy losses.

In just one cup of tea time, over fifty guards were eliminated.

As the front shield wall was breached by Ninghu Army's long halberds, the guards behind lost their protection and faced even greater peril; the formation was on the verge of collapse.

Xu Mo could only join the battle personally, wielding a seven-foot-long great axe, smashing wildly into the enemy ranks.

Heavy weapons, though unable to pierce surface armor, could transmit impact force directly through the armor to shatter the flesh and blood within.

Therefore, the heavier and blunter the weapon, the more effective it was against heavy infantry.

Faced with Xu Mo's frenzied strikes, the seemingly impregnable Ninghu Army tortoise shell formation was forcibly torn open.

Xu Mo screamed hysterically: "Hold your ground! Even if we fight to the last man, no retreat!"

The Armored Battalion seemed useless, yet it was the core of Qin Feng's guerrilla tactics—a nail driven into the center of the battlefield, severing Ninghu Army's battle line.

If the Armored Battalion collapsed, Ninghu Army could advance straight through; then, whether the Mobile Battalion's raiding cavalry or the Firepower Battalion's bow infantry, all would be crushed flat.

Ning Hu knew well that the key to victory in this contest lay in Xu Mo Army's heavy infantry formation; he roared: "Grab your weapons!"

His subordinates quickly handed him two "Small Golden Maces."

Ning Hu sprinted like a flying beast, reaching the front line in an instant; though each Gold Mace was no larger than two fingers pressed together and no longer than two feet, every strike on heavy armor rang like a final bell.

The heavily armed infantry, seemingly armed to the teeth, suffered screams and instant loss of combat effectiveness at any point struck by a blow.

In just a few swings, five guards had fallen, each suffering serious or minor injuries.

Though merely a drill, it was as brutal as a real battlefield.

The civil and military officials present stared in stunned silence; since the founding of Shedynasty, the Qingyi Ceremony had been held over a dozen times, always as friendly martial exchanges ending with restraint—never as ferocious as today.

This was no contest—it was a fight to the death!

Several civil officials rose repeatedly to halt the drill, but were silenced by Qin Tianhu and Li Xu.

Qin Tianhu, a general retired from the battlefield, understood the cruelty of war: the more injuries one suffered now, the greater the chance of survival on the real battlefield.

Li Xu was certain Xu Mo Army would lose; though Ning Hu and Qin Feng had exchanged glances, clearly showing intent to betray the Ministry of Revenue, even if Ning Hu and Qin Feng were truly aligned, it made no difference.

As long as Qin Feng lost, anyone could win!

For if Qin Feng failed, it proved his command ability inadequate, disqualifying him from personally or placing trusted men in Sai Bei.

As long as the Qin Family's hand could not reach Sai Bei, Li Xu had ample room to maneuver.

The Second Prince and Seventh Prince both looked pale.

Though seated atop power, they had long resided in Jingdu and had never witnessed such ferocious, bloody scenes—truly shocking.

Only the Liang Emperor's eyes burned with heat, almost gleeful; he praised Li Zhan repeatedly: "The Qingyi Ceremony should be like this! This breach drill carries the spirit of battlefield slaughter—it reminds me of my own days leading troops to crush rebels! Splendid!"

The Liang Emperor, who held the Imperial Throne, had once stationed in Sai Bei for three years before ascending—having undergone fire and trial, his martial soul still burned.

From time to time, the battlefield echoed with the roars of Xu Mo and Ning Hu.

Ning Hu swung his Small Golden Maces like a breaking bamboo, smashing through Xu Mo Army's Armored Battalion, leaving no one able to stand before him: "Qin Feng is cunning and changes tactics constantly—we've suffered enough. Now, in close combat, it's all about bravery; no matter how brilliant the tactics, they're useless—fight!"

"Once we break their central formation, victory is ours!"

Xu Mo, eyes red, kicked away the enemy before him and charged straight at Ning Hu, swinging his great axe in a horizontal sweep aimed at the waist.

If this strike landed, Ning Hu would be severely wounded—or at least confined to bed for a hundred days.

The long-handled axe was heavy and powerful; Ning Hu dared not block it head-on, abandoning all military dignity, he rolled on the ground, scrambled up in panic, and roared: "The enemy general has pushed too deep—surround and kill him!"

As he spoke, seven or eight heavy infantry rushed toward Xu Mo.

Xu Mo did not retreat—he advanced, swinging his great axe to push back the enemies before him, while shouting at the guards rushing to aid him: "Don't come to me! Hold the line! I can die, but the formation must not break! Violators will be punished by military law!"

Though Ning Hu was exceptionally skilled in martial arts and impulsive by nature, on the battlefield he was strangely calm.

He had every confidence to defeat Xu Mo, yet refused to engage him directly—instead, he ordered his men to trap Xu Mo, while he himself hammered the enemy's central formation.

Under Ning Hu's ferocious assault, the line was on the brink of collapse.

The Armored Battalion's guards now numbered fewer than sixty, including seven or eight light infantry wielding step spears; if this continued, breaking the formation was merely a matter of time.

Despite this dire situation, the Armored Battalion guards did not break—they fought to the death, occasionally letting out beast-like roars.

"Fight to the last man!"

"For General Xu, for Young Master Qin, for Shedynasty—kill!"

"We are all bound for Sai Bei—we all possess the talent to breach fortresses; whoever blocks our martial fortune is our mortal enemy!"

Upon hearing the word "Dengfeng."

The remaining dozens of guards' morale surged even higher, unleashing waves of roaring cries.

"Dengfeng—cut off heads, earn great merit!"

Whoever first scaled the enemy's city wall would be named "Dengfeng," granted the rank of Hundred Households, rewarded a thousand taels of silver, and summoned by the Emperor!

For any professional soldier, Dengfeng was the highest honor imaginable.

"Cutting off the first head" meant the first to slay an enemy—its honor was equal to Dengfeng.

Seeing Xu Mo Army's central formation in dire straits yet its morale rising instead of falling, the Liang Emperor suddenly rose from his seat, shouting: "Excellent! No shame to be sons of Shedynasty—all of you are worthy!"

At that moment, Li Zhan beside him pointed at the city wall and cried out: "Your Majesty, look!"

Following Li Zhan's gesture, the Liang Emperor's eyes burned brighter—the city wall showed Qin Feng wildly waving flags.

While both heavy-armored forces clashed, the intact Mobile Battalion, under Qin Feng's command, launched a furious ambush against the enemy's Light Infantry Battalion holding the rear.

Without shields or heavy armor, the light infantry fell the moment arrows struck.

Facing the Mobile Battalion's furious ambush, the Light Infantry Battalion had already suffered heavy losses before even engaging.

Ning Hu had staked everything on breaking Xu Mo's central formation and could no longer command the overall battle.

Ning Hu's bow infantry could only fire arrows spontaneously to intercept Xu Mo's Mobile Battalion.