The Bodyguard King's CEO Wife-Chapter 1400: Obstacles Everywhere
Ye Shikai had long anticipated that Helian would lead his forces towards the interior of the fortress, namely the encampment, to launch an attack. Hence, he had already prepared a "pocket formation" specifically for the Wolf Clan.
"Take action." Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from the camp, and Man Cang entered the battlefield in armor, wielding a long sword in one hand and a short spear in the other. The ground’s dust suddenly rose—these were... horse-tripping ropes.
The tents had already been equipped with numerous "mechanisms," including various horse-tripping ropes, and many Iron Tribulus had been laid on the ground. These are obstacles with iron spikes; some are strung with ropes, others are simply scattered on the ground. If the warhorses rush in, it’s like a car tire running over a big iron nail, causing the hooves to be injured and the front-line Wolf Riders to tumble.
Simultaneously, a group of strong warriors clad in iron armor and holding shields appeared behind Man Cang. Every one of them was fully armed, some wielding broad short swords, while those in the front row held long spears resting on their shields. These spears were not only long but also quite thick, requiring several soldiers to lift them, forming an impenetrable military formation, advancing step by step towards the Wolf Clan. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
"Advance."
"Raise the anti-cavalry barrier."
At this moment, the Qin Army formation opened pathways in the center, and dozens of robust soldiers pushed the anti-cavalry barriers forward. Made from fist-sized wood, Ye Shikai ordered the outside edges to be sharpened. If a warhorse were to charge directly, the sharp wooden spikes would easily pierce its body, proving deadly to both horse and rider.
Dozens of barriers were arranged in a line, side by side, blocking all the soldiers. Behind were shields, and on the shields were spear formations several meters long.
Horse-tripping ropes, Iron Tribulus, anti-cavalry barriers, shields, spears...
Flanked by inaccessible cliffs, the rear was sealed by gates and the walls were filled with archers constantly shooting arrows, leaving only the front path accessible. Ye Shikai set up so many obstacles to maximize the depletion of the Wolf Riders’ advantage. With the cliffs on both sides less than fifty meters wide, the space for the Wolf Riders’ charge was only fifty meters. In other words, Man Cang only needed to hold these fifty meters.
Ye Shikai’s most desired scenario was the Wolf Clan recognizing the difficulty and choosing to surrender on the spot, but that seemed impossible based on his understanding—this Helian was a brave Wolf general, preferring death over retreat.
"Archers, release arrows." Man Cang let out a cold hum and waved his hand as the shield formation opened, revealing two rows of archers: the front row kneeling, the back row standing, unleashing a storm of arrows that struck the Wolf Riders ahead, knocking them off their horses.
"Set up the formation, prepare to engage." These days, Ye Shikai’s task for Man Cang was to select some strong warriors. Each one could fight ten enemies, equipped with the best armors and weapons, trained in formation warfare akin to the Wei Wu Zuo, their combat strength even surpassing the Wei Wu Zuo—these are the elite Qin army.
Faced with such a situation, Helian had no choice but to press forward; standing still meant being shot alive. Survival lay only in charging forward.
"Charge with me, slaughter the Qin army." Helian brandished his long sword, taking the lead as the Wolf Riders behind followed, their momentum overwhelming, hooves trampling the earth, raising clouds of dust—a spectacular sight. Ye Shikai couldn’t help but sweat for Shangguan Jian; commanding two thousand soldiers, only a portion of which were his trained elite Qin soldiers, the rest being stationed troops of considerable skill, but could they withstand the numerically superior Wolf Riders?
The cavalry presented a large target; no matter how skilled their equestrian tactics, it was difficult to avoid the dense obstacles and flying arrows. Several cavalrymen fell, yet the two thousand riders would not be easily defeated. Helian was hit by two arrows, but still led his men forward.
"Everyone prepare, lift the spears." Man Cang remained unflustered, directing the front-line soldiers to lift the spears at an angle. When encountering the barriers, cavalry would opt to leap over them. Although the barriers were high, some riders could leap across; hence, Man Cang adjusted the spear angle for a deadly strike.
The battlefield was brutal, and Ye Shikai was witnessing a battle involving thousands—this time, he was the Commander himself.
"Wolf Riders, follow me." Helian, severely wounded, spurred his horse to leap directly over the barrier, breaking the formation first. The riders behind followed suit, but the barrier’s power was formidable; some exhausted warhorses couldn’t leap over and crashed into the barrier, piercing their bodies with sharp wooden spikes...
"Stab." Man Cang shouted, and the troops thrust their spears collaboratively. A longer spear offered greater strength, and these spears were so heavy that being struck meant certain death.
"Rear cavalry, do not retreat, charge directly."
"Old thief, take this." Man Cang shouted, seizing the opportunity to leap toward Helian, slashing vertically with his long sword. Helian, battle-hardened, swung his saber to block, but he was careless. Man Cang seized the moment, sidestepped, and thrust the short spear with his left hand, piercing Helian’s chest entirely.
"The enemy general is dead; why do you wait to surrender quickly?" Man Cang raised Helian’s corpse with one hand, standing on the shield formation, shouting loudly.
"What now, the General is dead." With Helian’s death, the Wolf Clan immediately lost leadership, and the cavalry’s charge became disorganized. But persuading them to surrender wasn’t easy.
"Kill! We’ll fight the Qin army to the end."
On the grassland, the strong dominate. Even if they surrendered and returned to the grassland, they’d face disdain or even become slaves, stripped of dignity. Therefore, they’d rather choose to die fighting. The Wolf Clan is innately fierce in combat and morale remains high, rarely surrendering unless faced with utter hopelessness, which is why they pose a threat to Great Qin.
However, with Helian dead, the Wolf Clan was essentially resisting desperately, their combat power diminished without leadership. This was akin to wolves hunting; with a Wolf Leader, the attack has rhythm, making it hard for the enemy to resist. But with the Leader dead, the wolves fight individually, lacking coordination, much like now. Without unified command, thousands of riders cannot attack simultaneously, charging in small groups and facing the well-equipped, formation-skilled Qin Army—akin to moths rushing into flames.
"All soldiers heed my command, advance." Man Cang seized the opportunity to have the spear formation constantly press forward. The entire military formation resembled a "bulldozer," inching closer step by step. Facing the pressing spears and barriers, the warhorses instinctively panicked. Regardless of the cavalry’s maneuvering, they struggled to charge, instead retreating backward.
