Bjorn saw that the mountains and fields were covered with bonfires. There were so many that Bjorn could not count them. Hundreds and thousands of bonfires formed a swaying band of light, which, along with the Anyang River, looked like two rivers.
At the same time, one could faintly hear the noise of people and horses, and wonder how many Great Xia troops there were.
This scene left Bjorn speechless, his right hand fingers involuntarily opening and closing.
His brother, the Boneless Ivar, said, “So the Great Xia had more than 100,000 soldiers hidden here. We were outnumbered and outgunned. No wonder we suffered some minor setbacks.”
This offered some comfort to the Viking generals.
It's not that our army is incompetent, it's that the enemy is too strong!
What they didn't know was that this was all a bluff by Yue Fei.
He ordered each soldier to light ten fires, which, from a distance, created an impressive sight!
The purpose of this was to lure the fleeing Viking army south.
Bjorn, already easily frightened, fell for the trick.
He immediately ordered, "Odin's warriors, assemble quickly and retreat south without making a sound."
The order was given, and the Viking warriors quickly packed their belongings. They didn't even have time to eat a bite of food before assembling immediately, and no one dared to slack off in the slightest.
After everyone had gathered, the boneless Ivar said, "According to the map, to go south from here we have to pass the foot of Tianmu Mountain. After the heavy rain, the mountain road is muddy and slippery, and it will be very difficult to walk."
After a moment's thought, Bjorn replied, "The Great Xia army is so powerful; you can see their troops everywhere. No matter how difficult the mountain path is, we must continue."
"Once we cross the mountain, we can head southwest and join Constantine's troops."
At this moment, a Viking chieftain said, "Then we can wipe out those damned Great Xia people!"
Bjorn snorted. After such a crushing defeat, hearing these words felt like sarcasm. Even with the thickest skin, it was hard to accept them calmly!
Thus, the Viking army detoured south, the road becoming increasingly treacherous. To the left was the Anyang River, and to the right was Tianmu Mountain. The night was pitch black, with only the moon in the sky emitting a faint light.
Bjorn gave the order: "No sound is to be made. Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed immediately."
The Viking warriors had no choice but to proceed cautiously, dismounting and walking on tiptoe.
Having traversed the continuous mountain ranges, the Viking warriors had already covered more than ten miles of rugged mountain paths.
The slope grew steeper and steeper, as if every step was pushing them to their limits. However, as dawn broke and the night faded, the Viking warriors were able to move forward in the light, avoiding the predicament of groping in the dark.
After a day and a night of fierce fighting and continuous travel, the Viking warriors appeared unusually pale, their faces devoid of color.
As they walked, suddenly someone shouted from ahead, reporting that soldiers from the Great Xia Dynasty were attacking.
Upon hearing this, "Snake Eyes" Sigurd personally led his elite troops to meet the enemy.
At this moment, hundreds of Xia soldiers rushed down the hillside like tigers descending the mountain, their imposing presence terrifying.
However, just as they were about to charge into the enemy lines, they unexpectedly dismounted all at once, their movements swift and coordinated.
Immediately afterwards, each soldier drew a sharp dagger from his waist and plunged it into the rump of his warhorse without hesitation.
The horse, in pain, kicked wildly and neighed in terror, but the sudden agony forced it to gallop forward, charging wildly into the Viking ranks.
The road, already narrow, quickly became a chaotic mess, with people and horses falling into the river one after another.
Viking warriors were seasoned veterans, and their skills were exceptional.
Faced with such an ambush, they quickly regained their composure and rapidly converged, forming a Viking shield formation.
Just then, countless boulders crashed down from the hillside, instantly blocking the road ahead completely.
Upon seeing this, Bjorn's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly ordered his army to retreat.
Before the order could be relayed, deafening battle cries erupted from the rear. It turned out that their retreat had also been cut off, leaving the army in a dilemma.
Bjorn roared in anger, then disregarded the danger and charged forward through arrows and stones. On the top of Tianmu Mountain, the Great Xia Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Banner fluttered in the wind, and under the banner stood a tall man of eight feet, directing and supervising the battle.
Upon seeing this, Bjorn shouted, "Odin's warriors, charge forward, Valhalla!"
A group of Viking berserkers charged forward, half of them holding shields to block arrows, while the other half lifted large stones, horses, corpses, and wounded soldiers from the road and threw them all into the river, clearing the way. Then they charged forward with great momentum.
Dozens of elite soldiers from the Great Xia stood like an iron wall in front, blocking the way.
The narrow roads made it difficult for the numerous Viking warriors to launch an effective charge.
Troops from the rear kept pouring in, seemingly eager to break through the obstacles ahead.
In an instant, the narrow intersection seemed to turn into a huge whirlpool, a chaotic mix of people and horses.
Suddenly, the Great Xia horn sounded, and the Great Xia soldiers blocking the way suddenly dispersed, revealing dozens of huge crossbows behind them. The Viking soldiers were terrified at the sight, let out a shout, and turned to flee.
But then they heard a command from the Xia general, and powerful arrows and crossbow bolts flew out, heading straight for the Viking formation.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
The massive crossbow bolts pierced the bodies of the Viking warriors, instantly taking the lives of hundreds.
Bjorn was both anxious and angry when he suddenly heard a rustling sound and felt a cool sensation on his neck as a small puddle of liquid dripped onto his neck.
He reached out and touched it, then smelled it.
“It’s like some kind of grease…” Bjorn thought uneasily.
Looking up, they saw buckets of grease being poured down from the mountain peak, soaking the Viking warriors to the bone.
The boneless one shouted, "It's bad! Back up! Those damned Great Xia people want to burn us alive here!"
Bjorn was greatly alarmed and immediately turned his horse around, galloping backward. His personal guards slashed and fought wildly, pushing soldiers into the river and seizing the road.
At this moment, Yue Fei waved his hand, and the Xia archers on the mountain immediately lit their arrows.
"Release the arrows!" came the command.
Countless arrows, each carrying a flame, rained down from the sky.
Flames ignited the grease, leaping everywhere like swift red rats gliding across the Viking warrior's skin, spreading the flames all over his body.
"ah..."
"ah..."
A series of mournful wails echoed through the sky.
Soon after, the fire spread and set fire to the Viking supply wagons. The wooden wagons rattled and crackled, growing louder and louder, before exploding.
"Boom, boom!"
It was like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting open, with a deafening roar.
Bjorn's brothers flanked him and ran for more than three miles.
Looking back, they saw that the area behind them had become a living hell, with thousands of Viking soldiers engulfed in flames.
At this moment, Bjorn was shocked to find that one of his brothers, Witsek, was not with him.
“Vittesek?” Bjorn asked uneasily.
The boneless Ivar gritted his teeth, "He...may already..."
“Dead!” Bjorn shook his head helplessly.
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