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墨書 Inktalez
"Take cover!"
Along with the sharp sound of arrows slicing through the air came the frantic warning from Sentinel. In the early morning, without any prior indication, the Zhao Army launched another attack. However, this time they did not directly assault the Soldiers but instead used the Arrow Formation to clear out living targets within Bastion City.
The sky darkened as a rain of arrows descended, accompanied by a chilling whistling sound. Those seeking shelter in the crowd were struck down before they could even let out a cry, pinned to the muddy ground by the arrows.
Seeing that ordinary wooden boards of carts could not effectively shield them from the flying arrows, the Qin Army Soldiers in the city immediately fell into chaos. They shouted and called out, trying to warn their brothers still exposed outside to find a way to escape.
The intention was good, but it was soon ruthlessly shattered by the relentless Arrow Rain. When someone dared to leave their cover and run toward the base of the city wall, they were instantly pierced by a barrage of arrows.
Noticing that the Governor and several generals were hiding behind a cart to avoid the arrows, Luzi cursed in frustration as waves of Soldiers rushed in to rescue them, only to meet the same fate despite holding shields. The defenders in the city were already few; if this continued, they would soon be wiped out!
Seeing this scene made Luzi anxious, and he shouted for no more rescue personnel to come forward; otherwise, they would be treated as disobeying military orders. After his shout, no more Soldiers dared to risk their lives for a rescue.
The Old General Li Li, hiding at the base of the city wall, was also at a loss. Furious, he snatched a shield and intended to move forward. Just as he exposed himself, he was met with another wave of rapid-fire arrows. If he hadn't jumped back quickly, he would have fallen on the spot.
Wang Jian, hiding beside Luzi, noticed arrows penetrating through the wooden boards and warned everyone not to get close to the cart. He intended to sidestep and take cover behind Luzi but was stopped by Luzi's raised hand.
The Terracotta Armor was ineffective against side-flying arrows; if an arrow came straight at them from close range, these armor pieces would shatter instantly. Moreover, wearing them was too heavy; from generals down to Soldiers, no one wanted to wear them regularly.
At that moment, none of the generals hiding behind the cart were wearing Terracotta Armor; only Luzi had on a prototype Bronze Armor piece. While stopping Wang Jian's movement, he seriously noted that this was a good opportunity to test the protective capability of Bronze Armor and avoid being at a loss for words when meeting Master Engineer.
Hearing such reasoning, Wang Jian helplessly looked at the arrows scattered on the ground and asked, "My lord! What if it doesn't work?"
"Well! Then please ask General Wang to send a message back, telling Master Engineer not to remain single for anyone. You tell her that Lu Daren said so, and she should find a good family to marry into!"
Luzi casually said this, then looked at the soldiers hiding behind the temporary cover and loudly reminded them not to move. "Everyone stay steady! This is an order! Even if Zhao's arrows are numerous, they can't shoot all day! Do you understand?!"
"Understood!"
This boosted morale. When the soldiers saw several generals chatting and laughing, their earlier helplessness suddenly found solace. They comforted each other and helped check on the injured soldiers, deciding whether to retrieve arrows based on the location of their wounds.
The arrowheads used by the Zhao Army are different from the Triangular Arrowheads of the Qin State. Although these leaf-shaped arrowheads are sharp, they are strictly manufactured according to regulations. For humanitarian reasons, none of the arrowheads have barbed triangular shapes.
Whether it is the leaf-shaped arrowheads used by the Zhao Army or the Triangular Arrowheads used by the Qin State, both share a common characteristic. If one grasps the arrow shaft and pulls it out directly, the arrowhead will remain inside the wounded person's body. Retrieving the arrowhead would require causing a second injury to the wounded.
Unless there is a direct penetrating wound, it is best to avoid pulling out the arrow shaft. The term "retrieving arrows" mentioned above refers specifically to penetrating wounds in the limbs of the wounded. If not, one must wait until it is safe to call for a surgeon.
When archers shoot at long distances, they need to calculate parabolic trajectories, which means they aim towards the sky rather than directly at their targets. The majority of Zhao Xinjun's forces rushing to support Shangdang are equipped with bows and arrows, allowing them to shoot from high ground without exposing their Arrow Formation. This prevents archers from revealing themselves and makes it impossible for the attacked Qin Army to retaliate with crossbows.
The Zhao Army's Arrow Formation only needs to calculate the distance between themselves and Bastion City before releasing arrows. Before launching a large number of arrows, the Arrow Formation requires an Observer and marker to first fire Range Arrows and then adjust their Arrow Path based on where those Range Arrows land.
Once distance measurement preparations are complete, the Observer will send back a signal. The commander of the Arrow Formation receives confirmation and will then order the release of arrows based on the newly adjusted Arrow Path.
Thanks to a well-established standard operating procedure, this allows the Arrow Formation to accurately shoot a large number of arrows into the target area during their initial launch. The resulting destructive power is astonishing; densely flying arrows are nearly indiscriminate. By the time enemy forces within the target area notice the Arrow Rain, it is already too late for them to evade.
This standard operating procedure is understood by both Zhao Army and Qin Army. Therefore, the purpose of an Observation Post is to detect Range Arrows from an Arrow Formation in advance! However, what is puzzling is that the Observation Post did not detect Zhao Army's launched Range Arrows in time! This caught Qin Garrison off guard, leading to significant casualties from the sudden Arrow Rain.
Luzi could only command the soldiers hiding behind the city walls to prepare for defense, but they were unable to organize an effective counterattack. He intended to ask Li Xin, who was nearby, but the words caught in his throat.
The Qin soldiers participating in the defense of West Fortress City only carried crossbows, which Li Xin dismissed as too slow for ranged combat. Because of this, it could be said that Li Xin had no understanding of how to use the crossbow effectively.
Luzi turned to General Wang and asked, "General Wang! Being pressed like this is not a solution! However, we can't see the Zhao Army's Arrow Formation hiding on the mountaintop, so we can't retaliate with our crossbows! Do you have any way to resolve this?"
Wang Jian had just been considering this issue, but the extreme range of the crossbow made it impossible to use a parabolic shot on targets within one hundred and fifty meters. Any situation that would allow the powerful Qin State crossbow to utilize a parabolic trajectory would require a distance of at least two hundred and forty meters! At this moment, the distance between the Qin Army and Zhao Army's Arrow Formation meant that a flat shot from the crossbow would suffice to hit the target.
"My lord! We don't have any bows and arrows! Shooting with the crossbow at this distance is too close!"
Hearing this standard answer while being suppressed in a temporary shelter, Luzi broke into a cold sweat. He believed that Zhao Army soldiers would soon appear, while the defenders in Bastion City were effectively controlled by Zhao Army's Arrow Formation. Even if they knew that Zhao Army would charge soon, they dared not leave their shelter because as soon as they stood up, they would be shot down by a hail of arrows. What could they do?
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