Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 144 Standoff at the Front

As the darkest hour before dawn passed, a pale, fish-belly white appeared on the eastern horizon. Most of the bonfires on the riverbank of Moon Bay had gone out, leaving only a few scattered piles still emitting wisps of smoke. The morning mist, like a thin veil, flowed slowly between the river and the mudflats, casting a hazy and ominous shadow over this land soon to be stained with blood.

The Starfire Fortress was fully awakened. Behind the arc-shaped wagon formation, the trenches behind the earthen ramparts had been deepened, and the breastworks had been reinforced again. The soldiers silently ate their cold rations, swallowing them with cool water from their leather bags, and then began a final check of their armor and crossbows. The soft clanging of armor plates, the hum of bowstrings being pulled, and suppressed coughs were exceptionally clear in the silent morning mist. The air was thick with the scent of earth, rust, leather, and a heavy pressure called "waiting."

Chen Xing stood on the high platform in the central command post, having spent the entire night without sleep. He still wore that scarlet cloak, its edges soaked with dew. His gaze pierced through the dissipating morning mist, fixed on the north. There, the dense campfires that had been faintly visible before dawn had gone out, but a larger, more oppressive commotion was faintly carried on the morning breeze—the low rumble of thousands of horses pounding the earth, neighing and panting, a cacophony of metal clanging together, like a muffled thunder slowly rolling closer on the distant horizon.

"They've arrived." Chen Xing's voice was calm and even. Beside him, Chen Wei, Dian Xiong, and Murong Mingyue all wore solemn expressions. Jia Wen was stationed at the rear and had not accompanied the army to the front lines, but his analysis and suggestions had already been incorporated into the entire defense plan.

"Report—!" A scout, soaked to the bone, galloped out of the fog, dismounted at the foot of the platform, and his voice was hoarse and urgent. "My lord! The main force of the Hu cavalry has broken camp and set off! The vanguard, about two thousand cavalry, is less than ten li from our position! The central army banner is clearly visible; it is the main force of the Golden Horde! Their strength... is countless, covering the mountains and plains!"

"Reconnoiter! Pay close attention to their troop movements and attempts to cross the water!" Chen Wei ordered in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" The scout mounted his horse and disappeared into the fog once more.

As dawn broke, the morning mist began to dissipate rapidly. On the northern horizon, a black line gradually became clearer, surging forward, thickening, and spreading like a tide. Soon, that blackness transformed into countless leaping black dots, accompanied by an increasingly loud and dense drumbeat of hooves, finally coalescing into an overwhelming cavalry frenzy that almost covered the entire northern horizon!

Smoke and dust billowed high, obscuring the sky. Banners danced wildly in the wind, mostly bearing ferocious wolf heads, eagles, or various unrecognizable tribal totems. Sunlight shone on the tips of countless raised sabers and spears, reflecting a chilling glint. Eight thousand barbarian cavalry—a rare large-scale mobilization in the northern grasslands in recent years—now, wielding the power of their newly breached fortress and driven by a thirst for plunder and conquest, surged southward like a burst dam, heading straight for Moon Bay!

Even with prior mental preparation, when the real, primal, and savage torrent of cavalry truly appeared before them, many soldiers on the Starfire Fortress front still involuntarily felt their breath catch in their throats, and their palms, gripping their weapons, sweated profusely. It was an instinctive fear of sheer numbers and overwhelming force.

The vanguard of the Hu cavalry slowly halted about three miles from Xinghuobao's wagon formation, then began to spread out to the flanks like unfolding black wings, posing as a probing attack. However, they quickly discovered that Xinghuobao's position was backed by a river and low hills, and the terrain limited their flanks, making a large-scale flanking maneuver difficult. They then gradually regrouped. More Hu cavalry surged up from the rear, gathering and forming ranks in the open area three to five miles in front of the formation.

The Hu cavalry's formation was far less orderly than that of the Central Plains armies. They were gathered in tribes or in units of ten or a hundred households, a mixed bag of men and horses, with shouts and cries filling the air, exuding an atmosphere of restlessness and savagery. But the overwhelming ferocity and killing intent they displayed were undeniable.

Finally, the Hu cavalry parted to make way, and a particularly tall banner, embroidered with a ferocious golden wolf's head, slowly moved to the front of the formation. Beneath it, a burly man with an unusually robust build, wearing a golden wolf-skin helmet, iron-plated armor, and with his face painted with menacing paint, rode to the very front, surrounded by a group of equally fierce generals. He held a heavy, curved longsword, and his hawk-like gaze swept across three miles, brazenly surveying the seemingly flimsy arc-shaped wagon formation of Xinghuo Fortress. A wide grin revealed teeth yellowed from tobacco, and he let out a savage and arrogant laugh.

"Hahaha! You spineless sheep of the Southern Dynasty! You think hiding behind carts and mounds of earth can stop the claws of the Azure Wolf?!" His voice boomed, carried by the wind, reaching the skies above the Starfire Fortress. "I, Wuzhu, the Great Chieftain of the Golden Horde, descendant of the Azure Wolf! I'll give you a chance! Open your shabby cart formation, offer up all your wealth, food, and women, and kneel in surrender! The great Wuzhu might spare your lives and take you as slaves! Otherwise, once I raze this place to the ground, not a single chicken or dog will be spared!"

The arrogant shouts, accompanied by the deafening laughter and howls erupting from the Hu cavalry, were like a pack of wolves mocking their prey.

On the Starfire Fortress battlefield, all was deathly silent. Only the sound of the wind and the occasional restless snorting of warhorses could be heard.

On the high platform, Chen Xing's face was ashen as he slowly raised his right hand. The flag bearer understood and swung the command flag sharply.

"Thump thump thump thump—!"

The central army's war drums suddenly thundered! The heavy, rhythmic sound of the drums instantly drowned out the clamor of the opposing Hu cavalry, like the heart of the Xinghuobao position, beginning to beat strongly and steadily.

The drumbeats were the command! The previously silent Starfire Fortress army instantly came to life. Behind the chariot formation, banners bearing the character "Chen" and the "Starfire" battle flag, with their crimson backgrounds and golden flames, were raised high, fluttering in the morning breeze! Every soldier, whether heavy infantry holding shields behind the chariot formation, archers hidden behind earthen ramparts, or elite soldiers of the Trapped Camp gathered in the center as reserves, straightened their backs, gripped their weapons tightly, and their gazes were all fixed on the black tide to the north. Fear was replaced by something more fervent—the anger of having their homeland invaded, the determination to defend their honor, the desire for victory, and above all, unconditional trust in the figure on the high platform!

Chen Xing lowered his right hand, and the drumbeats ceased. He spurred his horse forward a few steps to the edge of the platform, channeled his inner strength, and the sound, though not loud, resonated clearly, calmly, and powerfully throughout his own position, and also faintly drifted towards the opposite side:

"Wuzhu! You've violated our borders, slaughtered our people, and dare to bark here?! Today, this place will be your burial ground! You want wealth and women? First, ask the swords and crossbows of my Xinghuo warriors if they'll agree! If you want war, then let's fight! Why waste words!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" A unified and deafening roar erupted from the Starfire Fortress position, the sound waves were like a tide, and the killing intent was soaring to the sky, which temporarily suppressed the clamor of the Hu cavalry on the other side!

Wuzhu's maniacal laughter faltered slightly, a hint of surprise and anger flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected that this Southern Dynasty army, besieged in the river bend and seemingly on the verge of collapse, would have such high morale and such disciplined formation. The cold array of wagons, the towering banners, and the explosive power hidden within their silence were completely different from the border troops and fortified villages he had encountered before.

But he was soon replaced by a deeper ferocity. He was a descendant of the wolves who roamed the grasslands and conquered many tribes; how could he be intimidated by a group of Southern Dynasty farmers hiding behind a cart?

"Good! You've got guts! Then let me show you the might of the Azure Wolf Cavalry!" Wuzhu grinned maliciously, raising his curved longsword high. "My men! Do you see that? Ahead lies a mountain of treasure, and tender, beautiful women! Charge! Crush them! It's all ours!"

"Woo-hoo-hoo!" Bloodthirsty howls erupted once again from the Hu cavalry formation, as countless scimitars and spears were raised, forming a deathly metal forest under the sunlight.

Wuzhu swung his longsword forward sharply: "First team! Charge them!"

"Boom—!"

Before the Hu cavalry formation, about two thousand riders roared and began to urge their horses on. At first, they trotted, then accelerated, eventually transforming into an unstoppable torrent of steel, kicking up clouds of dust, and with overwhelming force, launched their first probing, yet incredibly fierce, charge towards the arc-shaped wagon formation of Xinghuo Fortress!

The horses' hooves thundered across the ground, making the earth tremble. A black tide surged forth!