Chapter 200: The First Batch Of Bamboo People
Xuan Chong with dark circles under his eyes stood on the high ground, watching the Tree People gradually arriving.
Nearby, the non-commissioned officers with similar dark circles further tallied the scale of the Tree People.
Of course, tallying by headcount is inappropriate; because a Willow state Wood Person has a volume several times that of an ordinary soldier. Thirty Tree People are equivalent to one combat queue, while a Wu Family Army halberd soldier combat queue ranges from eighty to one hundred twenty people.
In the morning air filled with the smell of firewood for cooking, Xuan Chong couldn’t help but yawn, then said to the young non-commissioned officer beside him: “Judging from the ‘acres’ occupied by the enemy army’s assembly, this is about fifteen times our army’s size. The battle remains extremely grim.”
The non-commissioned officer beside Xuan Chong was his adopted son taken in Yao Capital; his name was Wu Rui, and unlike Wu Juwang who took the civil official route, he preferred military strategy.
Although he had stayed up all night with Xuan Chong just like the others, this young man could endure much more.
Wu Rui was quite excited that he happened to encounter this major battle during his rotation shift.
Here, Xuan Chong shouldered his sniper rifle, peering through the eight-times scope at the opposite side—in mortal world wars, Xuan Chong refrained from using Chi You Soldiers for various reasons.
Now it was a war between two ethnic forces, and diplomacy was needed after the war.
If the Xi People used their developed military technology power to squarely suppress the Tree People in this battle, it would establish mutual relations based on each side’s true strength. Such relations would be stable, lasting decades or even centuries.
But if Chi You Soldiers were brought out and victory achieved in the war, then a large part of diplomacy with the Tree People would be based on the existence of “divine weapons.”
Xuan Chong: “If the divine weapon breaks one day, wouldn’t it be like those anime shows where the nation-guarding artifact is destroyed and war immediately erupts?”
As for using Chi You Soldiers against cultivators and Evil Moon? Xuan Chong felt no guilt. Xuan Chong: “That’s me discussing the Dao with them! Chi You Soldiers are my magic treasure, the virtuous shall possess it, I can blast your mountain gate with Chi You Soldiers because I am virtuous.”
On the battlefield side, Wu Rui was already shouting on Xuan Chong’s behalf to convey orders! While flashing his token, he demanded with abundant stamina that each squad enter combat readiness.
Groups of tin horns blared, conveying total mobilization to the entire army.
Under the jade-amplified sound waves vibrating from the horns, the artillerymen on the mountain, firearm troops on the slope, halberd soldiers at the mountain foot, and cavalry resting in the vehicle formation in the distance all began pre-battle preparations.
Soldiers tied combustible materials like cotton and sulfur to arrowheads; squad leaders gave the final pre-battle emphasis to armored soldiers, explaining how to wet loincloths with urine to cover mouth and nose.
Bowstrings tightened, armor plates clashed. The entire army, under the resounding commands, surged with supreme confidence.
Because from ten years of battle experience following Xuan Chong, the general they now followed was always victorious, never letting down the officers and soldiers’ dedication.
…Perspective switches to enemy position…
The Tree People’s scale was enormous, but they had no chance to organize formation before engaging.
Due to varying speeds of the trees front and rear, this massive troop strength combat group stretched four kilometers long, overall divided into six relatively dense areas. Each area had about twenty to thirty corps.
Small Tree People, “Mountain Imps” that sprouted anew from Feather Tribe corpses or ordinary animals, formed about eighty individuals per corps.
These small Tree People sometimes still showed remnants of animal bones on their bodies.
Pure plant medium Tree People were two men tall, weighing two hundred to four hundred kilograms each. Twenty to thirty formed a corps.
As for large Tree People, like standalone small buildings, one person was a corps.
The Tree People’s formation was now stretched, but they still had troop strength advantage.
The Feather Tribe Queen riding a Giant Ox saw many Tree People around her looking parched, branches withering, and felt uneasy about the war situation, wanting to persuade the Tree Lord.
The Dripping Waterfall Hermit arriving from the rear whipped the ground with willow branches, instantly cracking stones.
Dripping Waterfall Hermit scorned the Feather Tribe Queen’s persuasion, stating “Now we’ve caught those cunning humans, we absolutely cannot let these humans escape just like that.”
Meanwhile, Fu Yun Sou showed his attitude with actions, urging his two bamboo segment boys to lead the children to the front for the first round of engagement.
…Mutual probing…
At “Wang Feng Mountain,” Xuan Chong confirmed his first wave encounter was all “Bamboo Monsters”; these arriving Bamboo Monsters shook their thick Mao bamboo frames, creaking with twisting wood fibers, charging at the human clan on the high ground.
On Xuan Chong’s side, with the command flag’s signal, three thousand spear corps deployed frontally, while two hundred cavalry on both flanks formed “V”-shaped wings like white cranes spreading wings.
The formation looked simple, but the key was execution speed.
The entire queue deployed in ten breaths. Groups of soldiers moved toward each other, interleaving very tightly, no collisions between men and horses, comparable to aerial flight shows in heaven.
Wu Family light cavalry used high mobility to reach the flanks, then directly dismounted into loose formation; they swung slings, burning projectiles trailing combustion smoke flung toward the first-arriving Tree People cluster.
Immediately, thick smoke quickly rose where Mao bamboo was densest, followed by open flames.
With flames leaping on every Tree People’s branches, these Tree People charging Xuan Chong’s halberd soldiers hesitated on whether to maintain dense formation.
On the battlefield, the Bamboo People gave their answer.
These Bamboo People equivalent to over twenty “corps” of various sizes scattered mutually, with minor flames extinguishing after burning just a few bamboo leaves.
Xuan Chong sent cavalry for exactly this purpose: harass the flanks to loosen the enemy frontal group, easing pressure for his own infantry about to contact the line.
In the sky, Crow People communication soldiers gliding on wind kites rapidly converged battlefield information, reporting Tree People density data in the decisive battle.
Xuan Chong had simulated pre-battle: at least dilute Tree People density to one per five halberd soldiers for the line to hold.
As the line neared contact, six Bamboo People corps regrouped, their originally straight trunks bending to “level spear” degree, charging with long Mao bamboo poking at armor then suddenly releasing elasticity.
The two hundred frontal spearmen hard-took this elasticity, caught off guard, with a few front-rank soldiers knocked flying by Mao bamboo.
This was with shields hung on every chest; otherwise, these bamboos’ thrusts would pierce soldiers’ chests. Xuan Chong had seen many skeletons chest-pierced in the ruins.
Even with Xuan Chong preparing the first rank for defense, the central line of frontline battle soldiers still caved inward.
…Grinding in…
In the command post, a battalion officer said to Xuan Chong: “Military Master, the brothers up front are about to retreat to the barrier belt, should we send the artillery to the flank?”
This battalion officer’s proposal wasn’t improvised; yesterday he mentioned a “tactics contingency.” Namely, exploiting Tree People corps slow mobility, a vehicle-mounted artillery queue, when the frontline stalemated, rapidly maneuver this gun group to the flank for shelling the Tree People line.
At this moment, Xuan Chong looked at him and said: “What’s the panic? We prepared measures pre-battle, but don’t think your pre-battle prep is a miracle cure that works instantly; on the battlefield, watch the situation.”
Xuan Chong then issued another order: three hundred reserves began carrying coils of straw rope to the front.
Against other Tree People, Xuan Chong would use flank artillery strikes, but the first-contact group was Bamboo People; this grass-wood monster’s stems were straight, fibers vertical, hard to sever. Cannon fire would slide projectiles off poles, poor effect.—Small-caliber field guns couldn’t fire chain shot.
Xuan Chong’s memo: Formulating plans pre-battle is necessary, but in actual combat, never assume “my pre-formulated plan is 100% genius”; if such fluke arises, that’s Eight-Ga-style fanboy staff officers. It’s inwardly pre-deciding self-assumed victory rhythm, then ignoring facts.
In the Wu Family Army’s steady military formation, the rear reserves moved. Rubber shoes stepped neatly rushing to the flank line; this reserve carried unique equipment.
As reserves departed, Xuan Chong ordered frontline corps to withdraw, interleaving with support troops.
Reserves picked up straw ropes with stones tied at both ends, then under these personal soldiers’ swings, the straw ropes flew out like chain shot. These straw ropes couldn’t cut Bamboo People but achieved entanglement. (Refer to whip striking bamboo pole effect.)
Even if straw rope entangled only one Bamboo People pole not two simultaneously, when the Bamboo Person bent pole to thrust-stab, the pole’s snap would accidentally hook other poles’ straw ropes, immediately entangling.
Bamboo People bodies soon showed linkage: one Bamboo Person moving dragged a large swath of others swaying, clearly mutual “straw-locked chain.”
In the Bamboo People group, soon you tugged me, I tugged you
Reaching the first barrier, as one Bamboo Person toppled, it dragged others toppling scatteredly crossing the barrier. Wu Family Army halberd soldiers reforming line on the barrier joyfully found the originally viciously sweeping bamboo poles now halted mid-sweep, tugged by entangled companions’ straw ropes.
Hmm, like a door suddenly jammed when closing, momentarily feeling “what happened,” then seeing the inconspicuous spot jammed.
…Clever break…
After one withdrawal, the originally morale-damaged spear-halberd soldiers resumed chanting “mountain immovable” in unison, counterattacking. Sharpened hook scythes forcefully severed Bamboo People bent-section branches, facilitating more chain-shot straw ropes to bind them.
Xuan Chong customized various chants for his battalions, letting them declare current state switches in battle.
Wu Family Army from high to mid-level commanders judged troop situations from this army’s shouts or songs.
For example, marching they chanted “Wind rises xi, wind rises xi, wind follows dragon, clouds follow tiger!” If loud enough, it meant abundant stamina; but hoarse, uneven layers foreshadowed slowing the troop.
Xuan Chong’s now-integrated “infantry drill manual” had a quite perfected information system between grassroots teams and generals.
While frontally chanting confrontation, Shen Wanqing, very aware of friendly status, led men approaching from the flank.
Cavalry in gallop drew flint sticks—rod-shaped igniters—knights waved them left-right mid-air, borrowing horse-run wind power instantly brightening. Thus knights lit rocket arrows, aiming at the mutually tangled Tree People.
…Fire attack…
Xuan Chong’s frontline corps swiftly tightened, entire troop collectively about-faced, rapidly withdrawing. But Bamboo People side couldn’t react, flames from flank dispersal gradually rising!
Like virus in zombie movies, gradually spreading to camp center, batches of Bamboo People clueless, suddenly thick smoke, then gale in a few breaths, next whole bodies aflame with crackling sounds.
Scorching airflow like flood poured into Bamboo People gaps, bamboo leaves rapidly curling then bursting bright flames merging into high-heat flow, seeping bamboo poles; poles discoloring then spewing smoke, smoke touching open fire—boom! Smoke ignited.
Though ropes locking Bamboo People soon burned off in flames, it was useless. In swaying back-forth, like fire poker constantly stacking firewood letting air in, instead fanning towering flames.
Central Bamboo People clustered unable to retreat soon became firestorm.
For Wu Family Army side, fortunately an earth embankment blocked, letting soldiers withdraw thirty paces, quietly feeling the oncoming roast.
Of course flames carried a meat aroma, because among them a jade-green Bamboo People variant called Venomous Snake Bamboo cohabited “bamboo leaf green” in mature bamboo hearts.
Originally, when these elite Bamboo People entered frontline combat, they’d continuously release small snakes, bringing sustained blood-loss “debuff” to Xi People army corps in range, i.e., post-bite heart palpitations, exhaustion, etc.
And just now in combat, dozens bitten but intense fighting unnoticed.—Detaching battle facing hot fire waves, suddenly collapsing unsupported, now sent rearward for inspection.
Moreover, these toxic Bamboo People, housing venomous snakes in bamboo hearts, were generally bulkier. So just now blocked by front small Bamboo People, not yet surging up, burned done in one fire.
…One break…
Wu Family Army and Tree Spirits’ first wave contact battle, vanguard Bamboo People group burned to firecrackers, but not over as subsequent other Tree People groups arriving.
Second battle in forty minutes. Xuan Chong seized time letting frontline exerting soldiers catch breath.
Xuan Chong eyed distant swaying Willow Tree People group, suddenly imagining sports meet host speech: “Next, approaching us is Yellow Springs Willow phalanx! This phalanx famed in entire Thorn Ridge for blade-like leaves on willow branches, a good hand against infantry!”
Xuan Chong used telescope confirming enemy numbers, by now his corps queues reformed phalanxes, sitting resting.
Quick mental calc: just now vs Bamboo People, combat losses about sixty-seven; only seventy percent hard-clashed knife-saber-spear-halberd injured by Bamboo People. Versus near six-thousand big team, this loss mere drizzle.
Cold weapon melee just so: formation tight stamina abundant, casualties under hundred in an hour’s hacking, because blades pass mutually all armor-blocked, plus comrades aid dodging, often weapon-clashing.
Real casualties when formation scatters, discarding helm-armor, then victors precisely stabbing fleeing group’s vitals, that’s chopping melons.
Then, even internal energy experts can’t block all-around sabers-spears, no retreat, leaps more crotch-slashed.
Currently Xuan Chong’s troop consumption minimal, but central group frontline stamina consumed about fifty percent.
Xuan Chong immediately called reserves to rotate the most fatigued group, simultaneously sending water and sesame candy to front soldiers.
While firearm soldiers expending little stamina set down guns picked axes to clean battlefield, extracting intact bamboos; then Wen Si Ting led cavalry joining Bamboo People remains cleanup.
“Hurry!” “Pick big ones!” “Ones for scaffolding, not flutes!” Wen Si Ting arriving frontline battlefield rode Winged Tiger, guiding these battlefield-cleaning soldiers how to “pick good bamboo.”
