Chapter 1443

After Gongsun Zan ordered Yan Gang and Dan Jing to attempt to charge the Liangzhou Army's blockade, he did not rush to order the entire army to charge.

Seven thousand cavalry stretched out like a long dragon in the mountain valley, making it impossible for the entire army to charge at once.

They could only charge in wave after wave.

But Gongsun Zan was not worried.

Although the valley road was not conducive to a cavalry charge, the Liangzhou soldiers were merely infantry; their speed in pursuing and engaging him would be equally slow.

The logic was that both the enemy and he were on the same road; if he couldn't deploy his formation, neither could they.

If they blocked the road, at worst, no one would get through.

Ordering the charge was merely a test; if they could break through, they would.

Even if they couldn't, they could just retreat; in any case, the enemy couldn't catch up.

However, just as Gongsun Zan was waiting for news of the battle from Yan Gang and Dan Jing, a messenger in the rear suddenly exclaimed in alarm.

"General, General, it's bad, it's bad! The valley in the rear is on fire, it's on fire!"

Hearing this, Gongsun Zan and the cavalry beside him looked toward the valley behind them.

They saw several plumes of thick, rolling smoke rising into the sky from the trees in the distance behind them.

Oh no!

Gongsun Zan was shocked.

It was not yet summer, and the trees were withered and yellow; if they set fire to the mountains...

"Quick, give the order, the rear guard must immediately turn into the vanguard..."

Before Gongsun Zan could finish his sentence, the cavalry in the rear had already begun to panic; clearly, the fire had not started in just one location.

Looking at the rising smoke, it was obvious that the fire had been set in many different places.

"Damn it!"

Gongsun Zan gritted his teeth, gripped his long spear, and turned his gaze toward the front of the valley.

The retreat route was blocked by the fire; it was too late to turn back now.

The army of thousands was stretched out continuously, and he had no idea what the situation was like in the back.

At this point, there was only one way.

Charge forward.

This place was only a few miles from exiting the mountains.

As long as they charged out, everything would be fine.

"White Horse Followers, charge with me!"

Gongsun Zan pointed his cavalry spear forward, and the hundreds of white horses behind him accelerated, following Gongsun Zan into the charge.

On the other side, Qu Yi, who was blocking and sniping at Yan Gang and Dan Jing, saw the thick smoke rising from the valley behind and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

"Gongsun Zan, even if your White Horse light cavalry slaughtered the Xianbei, you will still break your hooves here at my hands!"

The fire in the rear valley intercepted Gongsun Zan's thousands of cavalry, cutting them into several segments.

At this moment, Gongsun Zan could no longer look after both ends.

To go back, he would have to risk being burned to death by the mountain fire.

Qu Yi had deliberately chosen the location for this ambush a few miles from the exit of the mountains, just to give Gongsun Zan a glimmer of hope that he could charge out, rather than retreating.

Only in this way could he hold Gongsun Zan's White Horse Followers.

Cavalry were too fast.

They could advance and retreat at will.

If he didn't use this method, Gongsun Zan would likely escape.

But now...

Come on.

"Let's see if my Qu Yi's crossbow formation and Great Halberd Warriors are stronger, or if your White Horse Followers are stronger."

"Great Halberd Warriors, hug the sides of the valley and protect the crossbow and shield formations." Qu Yi issued an order.

The silence of the valley was pressed by the corpses, emitting faint groans.