North of the city, the Northern Di camp.
Wuhan didn't sleep either.
He was listening to the battle report in the main tent.
"Your Majesty, the Yin Army cavalry from the east harassed us three times today, killing more than two hundred of our men and burning thirty grain carts," the centurion reported. "These men are too cunning; they attack and then run away, and we can't catch them."
Wuhan's face darkened: "What about inside Loulan City?"
"The city has run out of water, and the corpses thrown down from the city walls today are all shriveled. The city will fall in two days at most."
“Two days…” Wuhan tapped the table. “Where exactly is the main force of the Yin Army?”
"There's still smoke coming from the direction of Sweetwater Well, so it should still be there. But strangely, there's less smoke than in the past few days..."
"Fewer?" Wuhan frowned. "Did they divide their forces?"
"Perhaps...they're showing weakness by reducing the number of cooking fires because they're running out of food?" the strategist speculated.
After pondering for a long time, Wuhan suddenly stood up and walked outside the tent.
In the darkness of night, Loulan City lay like a dying beast on the edge of the desert.
On the eastern horizon, faint lights could be seen—that was the camp of the Yin army cavalry.
To the west lay boundless darkness.
"Send more scouts to explore the west, going fifty li inland," Wuhan ordered. "The Yin army has always been cunning in its tactics; we must be on guard."
"To the west lies a rocky forest; the scouts are probably..."
"Afraid of what?" Wuhan glared. "Even if it's hell, I'll find out for myself!"
"Yes...yes!"
However, it was too late.
When the Northern Barbarian scouts finally reached the edge of the chaotic stone forest after a difficult journey through the quicksand, Wu Shangzhi's army had already completed its final preparations.
The third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), the darkest hour before dawn.
Five thousand soldiers of the Yin Army quietly assembled.
They drank their last sip of water, inspected their weapons and armor, and wrapped their warhorses' hooves in cloth to reduce the noise.
Wu Shangzhi mounted his warhorse, his embroidered spring knife in hand.
He surveyed his soldiers and said in a deep voice, "Brothers, this battle is perilous, with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. But we are the elite of the Yin Army, soldiers personally trained by the Grand Commander!"
"Our swords have drunk the blood of the Tartars and trod the soil of the grasslands. Today, we will make the Western Regions remember the might of the Great Yin army!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The deep roar echoed through the stone forest.
"Set off!"
The army surged out of the rocky forest like a silent torrent, rushing toward the faintly bright eastern horizon.
Thirty li is no more than an hour for a lightly armed and fast-moving army.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, a dark mass of figures suddenly appeared on the sand dunes west of Loulan City!
On the city wall, the Loulan garrison, who had been awake all night, were the first to see it.
"What...what is that?"
"It's reinforcements! Reinforcements from the Yin Dynasty!"
"They're from the west! They really are from the west!"
Cheers instantly echoed throughout the city walls.
South of the city, the Northern Di army, which was preparing to launch a new round of siege, also saw the smoke and dust in the west.
"Enemy attack—! Enemy attack from the west!"
The alarm blared mournfully.
But it was too late.
Wu Shangzhi took the lead, raising his embroidered spring knife high: "May the Great Yin Dynasty be victorious!"
"Victory!" Twelve thousand soldiers roared in unison, their voices echoing across the land.
The iron cavalry surged down the sand dunes like a torrent, heading straight for the Di army formations to the north and south of the city!
As the sun rises, it paints the desert outside Loulan City golden.
But this golden land is about to be soaked in blood.
Wu Shangzhi's five thousand troops descended from the sky like divine soldiers, pouring down from the western sand dunes.
Horse hooves shattered the morning light, stirring up clouds of dust, and charged straight at the Di army formations north and south of the city with overwhelming force!
"Form ranks! Form ranks now!" the Northern Di general roared furiously.
But how can an effective defense be organized in such a short time?
The Northern Di army, numbering about eight thousand, was originally the main force attacking the city today, but now it has become a target for the Yin army's cavalry charge.
They hastily changed direction, with shield bearers moving forward and spearmen following behind, attempting to form a defensive formation.
However, it was too late.
"Thunderclap—Release!"
Liu Yi's Shenji Battalion launched the first attack.
Three hundred grenadiers charged out from the cavalry ranks and hurled their lit thunderbolts at the Northern Di army.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rang out one after another, black smoke billowed, and shrapnel flew everywhere.
The warhorses were startled and neighed wildly, the soldiers scattered in panic, and the formation was thrown into chaos.
"Mo Dao Battalion! Follow me!" Xi Sheng took the lead, his Mo Dao swords flashing like silver dragons emerging from the sea as he charged into the enemy ranks.
The thousand heavily armored infantrymen of the Mo Dao Battalion behind him crashed into the chaotic Tartar army like a moving iron mountain.
With a wave of his sword, men and horses fell, and severed limbs flew everywhere.
Heavy armor is almost immune to light arrows, and the Northern Di archers' volleys are like tickles.
"Archery battalion, suppress the flanks!"
Lin Yuan commanded two thousand archers to follow up, and a dense rain of arrows covered the Northern Di cavalry attempting to encircle them.
In just a quarter of an hour, the Di army formations on the north and south sides of the city were riddled with holes, like a sieve.
"Open the city gates! Attack!" On the city wall of Loulan, the defending general saw an opportunity and shouted the order.
The heavy city gates burst open with a roar, and the Loulan garrison, which had been pent up for more than ten days, surged out like a tide.
They may not be strong in combat, but their counterattack in dire straits unleashes astonishing power.
With swords and spears drawn and shouts of battle deafening, they launched a pincer attack with the Yin army from both inside and outside.
The Northern Di army was attacked from both sides and finally suffered a complete defeat.
"Run!"
"Run!"
The remaining Northern Di soldiers abandoned their armor and fled in all directions.
Wu Shangzhi did not pursue them further, but instead quickly regrouped his team.
"Send the order! Turn northeast, target—Wuhan's central army camp!" He wiped the blood from his face and pointed his long-handled sword in the direction of the Northern Di camp.
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