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墨書 Inktalez
Last night's heavy snowfall painted the barren land white, but the cypress trees still retained some green. The reason is that they have all been cut down into wooden stakes, with the trunks made into rafts and other watercraft. The large-scale deforestation and burning have caused unprecedented destruction to the vast forests.
People can barely survive; who still cares about ecological balance and soil erosion issues!
The mountains wrapped in Silver Light Substance appeared crystal clear under the morning sun, yet all that remained on the slopes were busy crowds and patches of low wooden stakes. Everywhere there were bonfires for warmth, burning useless branches and twigs, with thick smoke blocking out the sky. The lazy sun had not yet had a chance to see what destruction the people in Chu Region were causing when it was suddenly startled awake by loud shouts from the ground.
"River Crossing Assault Team, prepare! Arrow Formation, cover!"
With the attack order from the Qin Army given, all soldiers holding rafts stood up, ready to launch their final charge. Not far in front of them was the large Arrow Formation of the Qin Army, and beyond that lay the Dan Shui River, which had not yet completely frozen.
The cold weather had already begun to freeze both banks of the river, with ice layers mixed with numerous broken rafts and the occasional soldier's corpse. It wasn't that the living did not want to retrieve the bodies; rather, the river was within range of Zhao Army's long-range weapons. Even if they wanted to send a large number of people to salvage them, they would have to wait until they occupied the Zhao Army camp on the opposite bank. Otherwise, moving targets would have no chance of approaching the riverbank.
"First row fire! Second row fire! Reload!..." The arrows darkened the sky as they flew towards Zhao Army's Defensive Formation across the river, overwhelming those defending there.
Zhao General Zhao Feng sat behind a wooden stake nearly a meter thick, grabbing some snow to chew on, slowly savoring its cool sweetness to soothe his cracked lips. He listened intently to the whistling arrows from Qin State as they sliced through the air like a cold wind whistling through a door crack.
Here we go again! I wonder how many will survive until noon!
Zhao Feng turned to look at the arrow wound on his left upper arm, which he had sustained yesterday afternoon! Fortunately, he was currently using a crossbow instead of a bow and arrow, allowing him to load and shoot with one arm. Around noon, several small Qin Army boats broke through their defenses and landed. He led his soldiers against a rain of arrows from across the river, desperately pushing these intruders back into the water before realizing he had been hit.
The Zhao Army responsible for defending this crossing initially numbered over two thousand. After repeated exchanges of fire between both armies, their numbers had dwindled to less than five hundred. Requests for reinforcements had been sent multiple times, yet no soldiers had arrived from behind. At this rate, it seemed that Qin Army would only need three more waves of assault before they would lose their position!
As long as this general is here, none of you will set foot on this shore!
Zhao Feng looked up at the blue sky and spat on the ground in frustration. "Pah! Younger Ones! Listen up! Our Commander has issued a strict order! Not a single Qin Barbarian is allowed to set foot on this shore! As long as we are here, we will not retreat an inch! Anyone who dares to step back and tarnish the reputation of the Zhao Army will be executed without mercy!"
When the fear of death turns into a vision filled with death, the feeling of being in it becomes numb. When surrounded by corpses, the realization that only through fighting can one hope to survive ultimately overcomes fear.
Every time the Qin Army's Arrow Formation shot rapidly, the Qin Soldiers would board their ships and charge forward. Since a strong attack was imminent, shouldn't there be the sound of drums? The Zhao Soldiers hiding behind the rafts suddenly felt a bit of anticipation, even if they might be shot dead by stray arrows in the next moment; it was better than this unbearable wait.
When the booming sound of drums from across the river echoed like thunder from the heavens, over four hundred Zhao Soldiers tightened their grips on their projectile weapons. The battle was about to begin; perhaps this was their last moment alive!
...
In the middle of the raft, after boarding, the Qin Soldiers raised their shields above their heads, forming a combined defensive wall to resist the arrows shot by the Zhao Army. These square shields, over a meter high when stood up, were sufficient to block shots from the Zhao Army's crossbows. Once combined, they resembled a wooden wall. The soldiers sitting on both sides of the raft used every available tool to paddle furiously, striving to shorten their time to reach the opposite shore.
Time is life, and this was fully realized at that moment. Remaining in the water made them live targets; reaching the shore meant victory!
But that wasn't even the most critical part; what mattered most was reaching the midpoint of Dan Shui River. To strengthen their defense, the Zhao Army had already deployed numerous catapults behind various crossing points. Large stones and timber were scattered all over nearby mountains, allowing for a supply method that involved fighting while producing resources for frontline use. This meant that the longer they delayed, the more Thunderbolt Cars would be available for the Zhao Army.
The Zhao Army's long-range units likely feared that being too close to the riverbank would allow the advancing Qin Army to destroy their equipment. Therefore, they kept their distance from frontline positions according to their effective range. Before launching their Crossing Battle, they had completed test firing preparations with shooting parameters almost perfectly calibrated. Once someone attempted to forcefully cross the river, observation posts hidden in nearby mountains would use flag signals for early warning. By observing target distances, they would notify Shanxia's Catapult Unit in dense formation to unleash a fierce bombardment.
The Qin Army clearly understood that this stone attack momentum was too fierce; thus, when they saw their assault team nearing the center of the river, even more invigorating war drums thundered loudly.
At the sound of drums, they surged forward! This was a theory known by every Qin Soldier, so they paddled with all their might.
The Zhao Army's Catapult Unit was already prepared; all officers operating catapults were focused on the command post located on a nearby hillside. As soon as conspicuous flag signals appeared, they shouted almost simultaneously.
"Target distance! Three hundred thirty meters! Fire!"
The artilleryman heard the command and immediately struck the wooden pin that was blocking the rope with a large mallet. The taut rope was instantly released, and the enormous kinetic energy generated was put to work. Using the principle of leverage, the Catapult let out a loud bang, forcefully launching the large stone attached to the pouch at the tip of the cannon.
The Catapult used by the Zhao Army's Catapult Unit is divided into two types. The one described above is one type, while the other is manually operated. The working principle involves a large stone hanging from a pouch at one end of the cannon, while one or more ropes are attached at the other end. When the Soldiers hear the firing command, they run backward while shouldering the ropes. As the end with the stone surpasses its original balance point, it generates immense force to hurl the stone away.
Regardless of which type of large projectile weapon is used, their function remains the same. When the first large stone splashes into the water, subsequent stones follow suit. The resulting massive splash sends waves crashing, causing nearby rafts to tilt precariously. Unlucky Qin Soldiers are directly hit by stones that shatter their rafts.
The Qin Army does not have a rule to retreat upon hearing drumbeats; Soldiers who lose their boats bravely begin to swim despite the cold. They pay no mind to the white frost forming in their hair and desperately paddle forward. However, these individuals, lacking shield protection, quickly become targets for Zhao Army archers and are shot down in the water before they can swim very far.
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