Chapter Twenty-One: Victory

At the rear of the army, Xiao Ming and several commanders watched the battlefield from afar.

"Commander Xiao," Huo Yifei said, "is it really feasible? Infantry against cavalry?"

The surrounding generals looked at Xiao Ming with the same anxious expression. It was the first time they had seen infantry confront cavalry head-on, and their hearts were filled with apprehension.

Xiao Ming smiled, waving his hand dismissively. "Rest assured; this strategy is foolproof."

Though he spoke with confidence, anxiety lingered in his heart. After all, this tactic had only been rehearsed in his mind, never actually drilled, and now it was being deployed directly in battle.

But at this moment, there was no choice. If they waited for the cavalry of the Snow Nation to arrive and launch a frontal assault, their own kingdom would lose face.

Regardless of what the high command felt, the frontline had already entered the range of their army’s attack.

At that moment, Xing Wen was positioned on the left side of the chariot formation within the Crescent Moon Array. Judging the distance to be right, Xing Wen took up the crossbow hanging from his mount and glanced toward the commander on the right side of the chariot formation. Their judgment was nearly identical, and both issued the same order to their respective infantry formations.

"Prepare the Divine Arm Crossbows!"

The Divine Arm Crossbow was a standard weapon across Wangmai: compact and light, though its lethality was moderate. Originally, Xiao Ming had hoped for a more powerful crossbow, but there was no time to manufacture one, and even if they had, it would have severely reduced the mobility of their infantry, hindering subsequent operations.

With the order passed down, countless black arrows shot forth like moths rushing into a flame, raining upon the Yan Tribe’s army.

The short arrows lacked the power to penetrate the Yan Tribe’s armor. Occasionally, a few found their mark through gaps in the armor of man or horse, causing some casualties, but for an army of forty thousand, the effect was negligible. Yet, the barrage did serve to slow the enemy's charge.

"Fractal formation!"

When the arrow volley ended, Xing Wen and the other commander once again issued this command. The distance between the two sides was now perilously close. Led by their commanders, the infantry dashed to either side, leaving only four hundred heavy chariots bristling with blades and the 3,600 soldiers controlling them. It was these men who would face the cavalry charge