Despite the screams, we still have to bear it in the end!
Fifty arrows, as thick as guns, shot from the warships on the river eight hundred paces away, drawing a magnificent arc in the air.
A series of screams erupted!
As the arrows fell, a large number of soldiers on the shore fell.
Two people were even impaled together by an arrow, a truly terrifying sight.
How could such a thick arrow travel such a distance?
Hua Xiong, the commander of the 5,000 men on the shore and the most powerful general under Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo, was completely baffled.
There were 5,000 people on the ship and 5,000 on the shore!
Hua Xiong came prepared, with a large number of powerful crossbows and arrows, determined to avenge his previous defeat on the banks of the Fen River.
However, when the enemy shot an arrow that was far beyond his perceived range, he knew that this time things were going to be dangerous.
The range of eight hundred paces had already terrified his soldiers.
Sure enough, after the enemy fired fifty arrows, his archers panicked, fearing that the next volley would hit them.
Immediately afterwards, another fifty crossbow bolts rained down from the sky.
Several soldiers, seeing that they could not dodge in time, could only raise their shields to defend themselves.
boom!
The shields were shattered instantly, and the soldiers were pierced by arrows.
This is beyond human capability!
"General, what do we do?"
The captains on either side hurriedly asked Hua Xiong.
“How many arrows like these can they possibly have? Once they run out, it’ll be our turn. Let’s just bear with it for now,” Hua Xiong said through gritted teeth.
"But our losses were too heavy! One volley of arrows from the enemy killed about forty or fifty of our men!"
"This is too destructive! The morale of our brothers has taken a heavy blow!"
Another captain loudly complained.
"Didn't I see it? What other options are there besides relying on luck?" Hua Xiong roared angrily. "Stop making a racket around me and organize the soldiers to prepare for a counterattack immediately."
"Here you go!"
The captain, humiliated by Hua Xiong's scolding, quickly bowed and accepted his orders before leaving.
call out!
Before he could take more than a few steps, an arrow suddenly shot towards his head. Before he could react, the arrow pierced his face.
The captain died on the spot without saying a word.
Blood splattered everywhere, covering Hua Xiong's face.
If that arrow were aimed at him, wouldn't that be...
Hua Xiong retreated in a panic, his face pale.
"General, are you alright?" Hua Xiong's guards rushed over to check on him upon seeing his condition.
"Get out of my way!"
Hua Xiong, still shaken, wiped the blood from his face.
Just then, one of his men shouted, "General, they're coming! Looks like they're going ashore!"
"Pass down the order: counterattack! Shoot them all into the river!" Hua Xiong shouted.
Soon, the panicked soldiers calmed down and nervously adjusted their formation on the shore, waiting for the people on the boat to disembark.
"Captain Yang, you've shot down quite a few of them! Unfortunately, we still don't have enough crossbows, and our arrows aren't enough either!"
"If all five hundred of our warships were equipped with ballistae, a volley of fire would surely obliterate the enemy."
On the large ship, a subordinate reported to Yang Zaixing, who was in charge of the navy, his words filled with regret, as if he was extremely unsatisfied.
You're so happy!
Yang Zaixing certainly hoped for the same, but it was definitely not realistic at the moment. "We only have fifty large ships! Smaller ships certainly can't accommodate them all!"
"However, in these northern waters, the firepower is already sufficient!"
"It won't be too late to ask the general for expansion when we are able to fight on the great rivers and lakes of the south in the future."
"Next, everyone get ready. We're going to have a mid-range firepower contest with the enemy, and we can't afford to be careless about that."
The subordinate shouted, "Captain Yang, rest assured, our three thousand naval troops are the best on the water, and even on land, they are no less timid than our Ta Bai Army!"
There were 5,000 soldiers on the ship, including 2,000 of the Ta Bai Army led by Gao Chong.
"Stop showing off with words. The boat is about to get close to the shore. Show me what you've got," Yang Zaixing spurred on his men.
"Don't worry!"
His men are full of fighting spirit!
Soon, five hundred ships slowly approached the shore, immediately entering the optimal range of 150 paces for archers.
On the shore, Hua Xiong roared and ordered the crossbowmen to fire arrows, while the swordsmen and shieldmen stood in the front row to cover the crossbowmen.
Instantly, arrows flew into the sky like locusts.
On the warship, countless arrows also flew up.
Arrows from both sides clashed in the air and landed in the enemy's ranks.
At the same time, the ballistae installed on the large ship also adjusted their angle, changing from shooting upwards to shooting horizontally.
For a time, although the archers and crossbowmen of Dong Zhuo's army on the shore were positioned loosely, the swordsmen and shieldmen in front of them suffered greatly!
They formed a defensive formation, which forced them to stand close together, but this made them easy targets.
At short distances, the crossbow bolts, when fired horizontally, not only shattered the soldiers' shields but also struck down three or four at once, like a string of candied hawthorns.
The swordsmen and shieldmen fell like wheat being harvested.
Many of the archers behind them fell.
On the other hand, the ships were more dispersed and had canopies for shelter.
Although many soldiers standing at the bow of the ship also fell, the overall losses were much better than those of Dong Zhuo's army on the shore.
Hua Xiong was also surprised that the opponent's thick arrows could be changed to a horizontal shot, and that they were even more powerful.
However, we've now entered a shooting exchange, and there's no other way but to grit our teeth and persevere.
The enemy's fighting spirit is also high; it seems they not only want to exchange fire in the water, but also intend to fight their way ashore!
They couldn't have brought cavalry with them on the ship!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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