Chapter 173
Chapter 173 – Choice For Liu Mang
Translated by Bloodfalcon
A half day after Liu Mang destroyed noble’s private soldiers, an event similar to Wancheng city wall also happened in Sun Ce army as there is also a slaughterfest . The extermination of Wu clan were led by Taishi Ci and Danyang soldiers while Sun Ce just pretend to be ignorant . With his clan being slaughtered, Wu clan rep quickly asked Sun Ce for reason, but never in his wildest imagination, he would have expected that Sun Ce stabbed him in the heart and kick him while saying these words in cold tone while removing his sword “Wu clan have offended military law twice, therefore it is my right as lord to impose martial law by execution toward all of you . ” Wu clan rep then died in disbelief, disbelief that his own nephew would kill him .
Sun Ce then screamed his order while cleaning bloodstain on his armor “Zijing, is everything ready?”
“Milord, all soldiers are ready!!!” Lu Su holds his fist and reported to Sun Ce . Lu Su is started to dedicate his whole being toward him, there is also an idolizing feeling as well as fear .
Today, Sun Ce killed his own blood in order to absorb their private soldiers . Tomorrow, perhaps Lu Su’s life will be claimed by him . This person is really ambitious and has lofty aspiration, worthy of being one of the greatest heroes of this nation . However, as great as Sun Ce is, he is not Lu Zijing’s wise lord . After this Battle of Lujiang ended, Lu Su will quickly returned to Hueiji in order to be on Sun Quan’s confidante, he needs him .
“Then start the assault!!!!” Sun Ce quickly stand up . He put on his hard helmet from his own soldier and pick up his Conqueror Spear to do battle again .
Taishi Ci then voiced his concern “Milord, what about your injury?!” Taishi Ci is a general so he naturally will know how deep is one’s injury . Sun Ce’s wound in this battle can be considered as severely wounded . Although his body already become hyper-class, but the degree of this injury is too severe for 1 day to heal .
“Ziyi, it is OK, I am all right!!!” Sun Ce waved his hand . He knows that his injury at least fractured 3 pieces of his ribs . He also want to rest, but time is not an option . Today he must break Wancheng city, otherwise he will not returned his army unscathed, let alone executing revenge .
Looking at Taishi Ci’s concerned face, Sun Ce’s heart began to soften up and said “Ziyi, I have already given a third thought . I need to join this battle, if not, there will be no chance for us to seize victory . Ziyi, I as your lord, has not yet dominate this land, how can I permit myself to die in battle?!” Sun Ce really determined to fight in this battle . He must use his newly-found hyper-class to decide this battle as soon as possible .
“I understand, Milord!” Taishi Ci then put his fist on the other hand after saying that . Taishi Ci is no Lu Su whose job is to think strategy and worry about other things than battle . He is a combat general whose task is to break through enemy lines . He liked Sun Ce because he is the one who make him surrender by prowess alone, impressing him to no end and also Sun Ce is a person whose principle to let bygones be bygones . With that principle alone, even if Sun Ce killed as many people as Liu Mang did, Taishi Ci will never betray him .
“BUMP, BUMP, BUMP!!!!” Battle drum has resounding again and this time is Sun Ce core army with addition of noble clan’s remaining armies are charging toward them . 5,000 Danyang soldiers again unleashed, along with 10,000 regular soldiers, all are awaiting orders . In their hands are scaling ladder and sword has been unsheathed . Behind them, there are battering rams to destroy Wancheng city’s outer wall gates . Yesterday, he did not use them because he believed that nobles will take over the city, but now, he must use it in order to win this battle .
“FUCK!!!! BATTERING RAMS!!!!” Cursed Liu Mang while observing with his telescope . Liu Mang has not yet recovered from his murderous rampage earlier, so right now, he will not join the battlefield directly, and all battle is to be left for his generals . He saw at least 2 rams are assigned to each gates . “Sun Ce really desperate to enter the city by today!!!” Thought Liu Mang . Liu Mang also sees that all of battering rams are in mint condition, and all of them are teakwood logs reinforced with steel . One strike can damage the city gate severely .
Sun Ce then raised his Conqueror Spear and pointing toward Wancheng city while screaming “BEAT THE DRUM!!!! WE MARCH!!!! ATTTTTAAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!” He must break this Wancheng city by today or else he will be destroyed by Bing Province Heavy Cavalry .
“SHAAAAAA!!!!!!” 5,000 Danyang soldiers quickly brandished their weapon and sprints toward Wancheng city wall . Majority of scaling ladders had been given to Danyang soldiers by Sun Ce as they are the most fastest troops in the remaining Sun Ce army elites . Leading them is Taishi Ci whose strength has reached superclass and brandishing twin halberds which can strike fear in enemy’s heart .
Liu Mang then began counting down “"1000 steps, 800 steps, 700 steps, 600 steps, 400 steps, 300 steps!" The moat of Wancheng city is already filled with corpses of those noble private soldiers and will not able to stop Sun Ce core army advances .
“VOLLEY NOW!!!!” Liu Mang said with fierce voice . All of Lu Bu army’s soldiers quickly shot volley . This time, it is impossible to use the same scheme like yesterday as Sun Ce already knew the existence of heavy infantry . Therefore today he uses divide and conquer tactics in order for Liu Mang’s 3000 troops of heavy infantry also get tired and unable to fight them all .
“WHIZ WHIZ WHIZ!!!!” The entire city wall shot volley endlessly under Liu Mang’s order . In Wancheng city, arrows are very numerous . So numerous that you only need your stamina in order to draw the bow .
Soon, pitiful screams were heard everywhere but strangely, all those screams majority belonged to regular soldiers . The Danyang soldiers have been hiding those arrows by hiding behind the regular soldiers . Those regular soldiers really have badluck, being a meat shield for Danyang soldiers . Liu Mang’s first wave of assault actually managed to take down 2,000 soldiers .
2,000 soldiers’ casualties is just like a scratch toward Sun Ce . Sun Ce needed them to be weeded out, in order to separate between trash and elites . Sun Ce hoped by battling Liu Mang and Lu Bu army, half of them to survive this war because once they survive, they will all become elites and having elites is like winning one-third of the battle in this time of chaos .
“CLIMB!!!!” Screamed one battalion of regular soldiers who managed to reach the wall . They are nobles private soldiers . Yesterday, they are still partying in their own respective camps and on standby to wait for their master’s victorious news . Also without the order of their masters, they will not move . Those soldiers are also glad that they did not need to die in the battlefield . But right now, they were all dispatched as Sun Ce core army as Sun Ce had told them all that their masters are all dead on the city wall . They all now belonged to Jiangdong Army and as thus, they must do siege today .
All of them are brandishing their own weapons like forks, shovels, swords and quickly placed scaling ladders on the city wall . Right now the scenery is just like ants climbing the wall .
Danyang soldiers then asked the leader “Uncle, advise us what to do!!!” Those Chu division has been putting show by climbing all of the scaling ladders and quickly descended back .
“What to do?! Just keep pretending to climb the city wall!!!” Lin Danda / Chu Zhongtian exclaimed while gritting his teeth . They are the remaining Danyang soldiers that Sun Ce had . They also occupy as one of Jiangdong Army elites, if they kept acting like this, it is not good . Lin Danda and Er Gouzi are all wearing white cloth on their left shoulders as per Liu Mang and Chu Jie’s instructions yesterday . Their numbers right now also being divided into two, so Zuo Renjie could lead again .
“Yes, it is not good, it is too obvious!!!” Er Gouzi also agreed . Danyang soldiers is the one who reached the city wall first, but later on, they ordered all of regular soldiers to climb first . From their position, Sun Ce, Lu Su and Taishi Ci can easily see them and maybe execute them all for insubordination .
“THEN WHAT TO DO NOW?!” Chu Zhongtian yelled and continued “DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BATTLE THIRD GRANDMASTER?!” Chu Zhongtian really worried about Chu Jie . When he almost threw Liu Mang two days ago, he knows that Wancheng city defenders are too little in numbers . Also when Sun Ce, Chen Wu and Dong Xi are raiding Wancheng city, made Chu Zhongtian’s heart sank as Chu Jie will be killed .
After Wancheng city has been defended, Chu Zhongtian catch a glimpse of Chu Jie still alive and breathing, he breathed relief sigh . Who knows after that two days, they must confront Third Grandmaster again .
“Lin Danda, not good!!! We must go up!!! Look at Strategist Lu’s face now!!!” Er Gouzi notified Chu Zhongtian again . These 5,000 Danyang soldiers troops already wearing white clothes slowly revealed themselves as more and more regular soldiers are climbing to city wall .
“Hrm?!” Chu Zhongtian throw his sight to Lu Su . Lu Su’s face is frowning badly . Lu Su has been having bad feelings toward them since first day of siege . Lu Su really surprised that the formidable Chu division not long after climbed the wall, suddenly they descended again the scaling ladders . Lu Su thought that maybe the enemy on Chu division’s side is too fierce and they were repelled as the other sides are making progress . Lu Su initially concluded that maybe Chu division has met with a mighty division .
In the aftermath of the initial battle yesterday when Lu Su are rechecking all of the soldiers, he found out that these 5,000 Chu division only have less than 1,000 casualties, even no deceased while Zuo division all decimated, this is not normal, not at all .
Zuo Renjie also reported what he saw on the scene, he said that all of Chu division were kneeling toward a youngster of Lu Bu army . This is really strange, they are Sun Ce army’s elites, they should be kneeling toward Sun Ce, not enemy . First time, Lu Su just dismissed his report, thinking that this must be Zuo Renjie’s plot so Zuo clan can kill Chu clan legitimately by Sun Ce’s orders, since they are sworn enemies .
But seeing the scene up ahead, made Lu Su rethink Zuo Renjie’s words . He thought “What the hell these Chu soldiers are doing? Does they want to attack or just acting as per Zuo Renjie’s report?”
Just as Lu Su want to report this to Sun Ce, all of Danyang Chu soldiers moved and started to scale the city wall .
“Oh? They already climb? Good then! Maybe I’m overthinking it!!!” Thought Lu Su as he is calming himself down . Lu Su then just dismissed Danyang Chu division acting just now as maybe there are too many former noble soldiers are trying to climb into the city wall, as long as they climb, they will be able to take Wancheng city today .
“SHAAAAA!!!!!” War cry are screaming from both sides . Although Sun Ce army managed to climb the wall, but their advance still impeded by Lu Bu army which resisted with all their might .
Their advance impeded by the remaining Urban Army soldiers and 3,000 Black Flag soldiers who has removed their heavy armor an hour ago as ordered by Liu Mang . Black Flag cannot again be unleashed as heavy infantry as it will deteriorate their stamina and will go down in less than half of an hour . So right now some of them are wearing Urban Army equipment and some of them using commoner’s clothing .
But even though heavy infantry has removed their equipment, an elite soldier is still an elite soldier and their prowess is higher than those of regular soldiers . Black Flag army’s current prowess is so high that Danyang soldiers cannot even touch them, their speed multiplied now that there is no armor burdening their body and their sword are dancing as their sword drink blood . [TL: Reminds of Musou mode . Hold O button, people]
“QUICK, GET BATTERING RAMS INTO POSITION!!!!” Sun Ce bellowed his orders and then turn his sights toward city wall . He is in utter disbelief that Danyang soldiers and his newly mixed soldiers have been halted by an unknown force . More reinforcements for Prince of Shu? What kind of army he unleashed again? Thought Sun Ce .
Sun Ce has seen Urban Army which was created by Prince of Shu, Liu Mang . They are well equipped and very strong when attacking together . 3,000 Urban Army soldiers together with 8,000 private soldiers are able to withstood 10,000 Danyang soldiers assault .
But right now, although they are wearing Urban Army’s equipment, Sun Ce knows that they are not Urban Army . They are fighting individually not in union like Urban Army . The reason why Danyang soldiers able to succeed in the initial assault is their ability is to disrupt a force that is used to fight together and vice versa, Danyang soldiers is unable to be used to fight like Urban Army .
But these soldiers, these mysterious soldiers, able to fight with his Danyang soldiers individually and one soldier can kill 2-3 Danyang soldiers before being dispatched themselves .
Sun Ce shook his head endlessly trying to figure out who are these mysterious soldiers . Are these soldiers, the infamous Formation Breaker? Thought Sun Ce .
Sun Ce began his self-investigation “No, if they are Formation Breaker, their boss Gao Shun must be present to lead them . Even though, I haven’t seen Gao Shun’s face but since that damned Liu Mang is that damned Lu Bu’s son-in-law, he will never leave Liu Mang’s side and it will be impossible for Liu Mang to hurt badly when Chen Wu and Dong Xi’s assault yesterday . ”
Sun Ce continued his thought while trembling inside his heart “Lu Bu’s army’s Formation Breaker and Bing Province Heavy Cavalry is already too much for any warlord to battle . And now, he is still hiding strong squad to be unleashed against me? Monster, monster, the lot of you!!!!!”
Ho ho, if only Sun Ce knew that these soldiers were prepared to join his elites and were cultivated personally by Zhou clan, he will vomit blood endlessly . 3,000 elites that was prepared to join him, was subjugated by Liu Mang to fight against him . How ironic .
Battering rams moved quickly, followed by 5,000 mixed soldiers . With that event transpired, the battle in Wancheng city turned into big chaos stalemate with Black Flag halted by mix soldiers and Danyang soldiers stopped their advance . Similar view also can be seen with battering rams which unable to advance due to arrow volleys . But even though halted with much difficulty like that, first wave of battering rams managed to arrive at the gate and started their duty .
“Boom!!!!” The sound of battering rams hitting the main gates, signalling the first wave of offense . Two battering rams as if announcing their might which made from a millennium age teakwood reinforced with iron sheet .
And true enough to the sound it make, the main gate start to show it damage .
Huang Zhong whose hearing is better than Liu Mang, this kind of sound alerted him “Dammit, main gate is being breached by battering rams!!! If this persists, then we will die trapped inside our own fort” Huang Zhong quickly notify Liu Mang “Little lord, let Zhong led a squad to assault the battering rams!!!”
Huang Zhong makes this decision based on the current condition, currently Sun Ce’s army and Lu Bu’s army are at stalemate with neither side can advance or pushed back . With the destruction of the battering rams, they can boost the morale needed in order to push back Sun Ce army .
“Heh” Sun Ce sneered . Sun Ce’s really proud with his stratagem this time . Since he knew that Wancheng city’s defenders is too few, he send Danyang soldiers to attack first to pressurized him . Then he send battering rams to Wancheng city’s main gate, making Liu Mang truly difficult to allocate his already dwindling resources . As Sun Tzu said in his book chapter Disposition of the Army, the chapter said to create opportunities to yourself and not creating opportunities to your opponent, this stratagem of Sun Ce is the true embodiment of that chapter .
“Oh Liu Mang, Liu Hanyang, I want you to choose one side and quickly die!!!!” Thought Sun Ce smiling maliciously while looking at that golden-framed figure who was forced doing battle again above Wancheng city wall .
“Choose, eh?” Liu Mang also thought a respond as if responding to Sun Ce’s overbearing and arrogant thoughts . The two military commanders once again locked eyes in rage .
