Chapter 719: Swift Military Tactics
One of the newly appointed generals stepped closer to Tan Pengtai and whispered, "General Tan, the enemy has sent five thousand troops. Can General Fan win with only two thousand cavalry?"
Tan Pengtai simply smiled at his words and mysteriously replied, "Just watch."
Though still doubtful, the young general fell silent and returned his gaze to the battlefield.
Instead of charging head-on, Fan Wanming suddenly raised his hand and issued a series of hand signals. In an instant, the two thousand cavalry split into three groups, led by Fan Wanming and the two generals.
Fan Wanming charged straight ahead, while the other two groups of five hundred veered sharply left and right.
The Wen Army’s general frowned at this sight, assuming they were attempting a flanking maneuver. Confident in his numerical advantage, he didn’t issue new orders.
’Two thousand against five thousand? They are courting death.’
As the two sides closed in and were about to collide, Fan Wanming suddenly signaled again. At the very last moment, his forces shifted formation and swept past the enemy like a gust of wind.
The Wen general froze in shock.
By the time he reacted, Fan Wanming and his cavalry were already far ahead, leaving behind nothing but a cloud of dust.
Grinding his teeth, the general cursed, "Damn it! What is he trying to do?!"
Though confused, he had no choice but to pursue. "Chase them!"
The five thousand cavalry turned sharply, but their advantage in numbers instantly became a burden.
The abrupt shift caused collisions within their ranks, throwing their formation into chaos.
Seeing this, the Wen Army’s general was enraged. Struggling to control his warhorse amid the chaos, he roared, "Damn it! Chase them!"
Hearing his command, the soldiers quickly forced themselves to calm down. Regaining control of their warhorses, they reformed their ranks in a short time.
However, by then, Fan Wanming and his one thousand elite cavalry had already reached the middle of the Wen Army’s formation.
Watching the exhausted infantry of the Wen Army dragging their feet as they tried to catch up with the main force, Fan Wanming’s eyes turned cold.
With a flick of his wrist, a handmade bomb appeared in his palm, crafted using Bai Hanyun’s gunpowder formula and the tireless efforts of skilled craftsmen of the Feng Army.
The moment he took it out, the elite soldiers followed suit. Reaching into the leather pouches at their waists, they pulled out bombs and lighters, awaiting his command as they rode forward.
Fan Wanming hung his spear by his warhorse’s side and took out a lighter from his Qiankun Pouch.
When they reached the gap between the Wen Army’s main force and its lagging infantry, Fan Wanming shouted, "Light the bomb!"
At once, the soldiers lit up the handmade bombs.
"Now!" Without hesitation, Fan Wanming ignited his fuse and threw the bomb to the right.
Boom!
At his order, the elite soldiers followed and threw their handmade bombs to the left and right sides.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions thundered across the battlefield, creating massive craters and instantly severing the connection between the front and rear forces of the Wen Army.
The soldiers at the rear were shocked by the deafening explosion sounds and slowed down on their tracks.
The Feng Army’s elite soldiers didn’t stop. They turned around and threw their handmade bombs backward, completely cutting off any chance for the infantry to regroup with the Wen Army’s main force.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fire, smoke, and shattered earth formed an impassable barrier between them.
At the same time, Fan Wanming led his cavalry straight toward the disorganized infantry, while the second and third teams swept in from both flanks like a black tide.
Caught between explosions and the incoming cavalry, the already exhausted infantry collapsed in panic.
Staring at the approaching black armored soldiers, a soldier suddenly screamed in horror, "Run! It’s the Feng Army’s elite soldiers! Run for your life!"
Those words shattered whatever courage remained of the Wen Army’s soldiers.
In an instant, soldiers who could barely stand moments ago turned and fled with desperate speed.
Seeing this, Fan Wanming briefly glanced back toward the city wall.
From the top of the wall, Feng Xiyan observed everything through his military binoculars.
Without shifting his gaze, he ordered coldly, "Signal them. Do not pursue fleeing enemies. Those who surrender will live. Those who resist will be executed on the spot."
"Yes, Great General!" Receiving the order, a signal soldier immediately waved the black flags.
On the battlefield, Fan Wanming caught the flag signals and nodded.
Turning toward the fleeing soldiers, his voice rang out like thunder, "Surrender and live! Resist, and die!"
Before the echoes faded, he had already grabbed his spear, which was hung on his warhorse, and swiped it horizontally.
Whoosh!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Ugh!"
"Ah!"
In the blink of an eye, three heads were sent flying, followed by three headless corpses crashing to the ground.
That single moment shattered the last of the infantry’s will and courage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons clattered to the ground as soldiers dropped to their knees, kowtowing frantically.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"I surrender!"
"Spare us!"
"Please, give me a way to live!"
Their pleas mixed with screams of other soldiers and the dull sound of heads striking the ground.
At this brutal sight, Fan Wanming’s expression didn’t change. Cold and indifferent, he struck down those who still dared to resist. With each of his movements, a few more lifeless bodies fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, the Wen Army’s general and his cavalry were slowed down by the terrain filled with holes. By the time they circled around and reached the battlefield, only blood-soaked earth and scattered corpses remained.
The general’s eyes turned bloodshot at this sight. Grinding his teeth, he shouted full of hatred, "Fan Wanming, you bastard!"
Rage consumed him, burning away his reason.
Ignoring the dangers lurking ahead, he kicked his warhorse forward and charged toward the distant sounds of battle.
"Kill them for this general!"