Chapter 157: Capturing the Bandits
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The sound of battle on the field drowned out everything else.
Golden sunlight glinted off polished armor, casting shimmering reflections like ripples across a lake.
Standing on high ground, Xiao Ming watched as five thousand regular troops charged forward in formation. The scale of it stirred his blood—he almost wanted to charge in himself.
But he knew that would only make things harder for Niu Ben, who’d then have to split his attention to protect him.
As the Qingzhou soldiers advanced on Wubao Fortress, the formation shifted under Lu Fei’s booming voice. Months of training had made them well-practiced in maneuvering—even their charge was orderly and disciplined.
At the gate, the sword-and-shield troops formed a tight defensive wall to block the arrows raining down from the ramparts, while crossbowmen moved in behind them, retaliating with volley fire.
This three-stage firing system was inspired by musket formations—because crossbows, once fired, needed time to reload. The soldiers had to place them on the ground, brace with their feet, and draw with all their strength.
Because reloading was slow, the three-stage method allowed continuous fire. The first row fired, retreated; the second row fired; then the third—and so on.
Inside the gate, the rebels—mainly noble sons—had no real training.
After the first volley of arrows, they couldn’t return fire. The waves of incoming bolts gave them no time to nock and shoot again.
In moments, their archers were either dead or too injured to fight.