Previously, the Great Qin army had not directly charged the thirty thousand strong army of the Thracian Empire, but had instead used firebombs for attrition.
This attrition also created an illusion among the Thracians.
They believed that the Great Qin army was inferior, which was why they were not charging headlong into them.
However, after facing them in a true head-on confrontation, they realized the reality was completely different from their expectations.
The cavalry of Great Qin was not only powerful in combat but also exceptionally fierce.
This led to the significant shift in their battle lines.
Lin Tian, leading the cavalry behind him, swept across the Thracian cavalry like a tempest.
This sweep made the Thracians anticipate the ensuing changes.
Thus, many of them appeared beside their Emperor, their expressions incredibly tense.
"Your, Your Majesty, our army seems to be faltering. If this continues, we might very well be defeated!!"
"I, I know. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with the current situation??"
"Your Majesty, we have no other options. To survive, we must leave here!!"
These generals of the Thracian Empire spoke euphemistically, not explicitly stating their desire to flee the Macedonian Empire.
However, their intended meaning was the same.
In their view, their army could no longer hold.
Their forces were no match for Lin Tian's army.
And if they wished to survive, they had to flee the Macedonian Empire.
If they wanted a chance to rise again, it could only be by fleeing the Macedonian Empire.
They would lead their remaining soldiers, before Lin Tian's army fully broke through, to quickly leave the Macedonian Empire and establish a small kingdom elsewhere.
In this way, after many years, they might have an opportunity to turn the tide.
This situation felt strangely familiar to the Emperor of the Thracian Empire.
It was as if the previous Emperor of the Macedonian Empire had faced a similar choice.
However, at that time, the Emperor of the Macedonian Empire chose to fight to the death, engaging in a protracted struggle with the Thracian Empire.
Ultimately, he perished in battle.
Now, it was the turn of the Emperor of the Thracian Empire to make his choice.
Faced with such a decision, he was truly at a loss as to what to do.
He did not want to be a coward, which meant he would have to charge into battle against Lin Tian's army.
But given the current circumstances, if he charged, he would undoubtedly die.
Yet, he did not wish to die.
Thus, he was conflicted.
Simultaneously, his face burned with shame, unsure if he should, in front of everyone, issue the order to retreat.
Once the order to retreat was given, it would be an unbearable disgrace.
However, if he did not give the order, he would die.
This plunged the Emperor of the Thracian Empire into profound torment.
At this critical juncture, his generals were urging him once more.
"Your Majesty, shall we retreat? If we do not, we only have the option of fighting to the death against the Great Qin army!!"
As these words were spoken, the Emperor of the Thracian Empire's heart tightened.
He was a cautious man, and more importantly, a man who valued his life. He had no desire to fight to the death.
Because of this, under the urging of his generals, he finally gave his answer.
"Retreat!!"
He preferred to establish a small kingdom, start anew, and await an opportunity to rise again, rather than die here.
This was also the sentiment of many in the Thracian Empire.
When he uttered the word "retreat," many in the Thracian Empire breathed a sigh of relief.
Numerous generals and soldiers felt a sense of liberation.
Without any hesitation, they relayed the Emperor of the Thracian Empire's command.
"His Majesty orders a retreat from the Macedonian Empire!!"
"Retreat!!"
With these pronouncements, the Emperor of the Thracian Empire led his infantry in a hasty withdrawal.
And as they moved, others immediately took notice.
Lin Tian and his forces were still some distance from the Emperor of the Thracian Empire, so they could only watch from afar.
"It seems these Thracians are still a people who value their lives!!"
"Heh, the Emperor of the Macedonian Empire was willing to fight to the death. These people lack even the courage to do that, truly contemptible!!"
"Regardless, they have at least bought themselves some time!!"
Buying themselves time was a good thing for the Emperor of the Thracian Empire.
However, it was only a temporary reprieve.
Lin Tian watched them retreat, a slight smile on his face.
"Flee! Flee! Hurry up and escape, or we will soon catch up to you!!"
He was indifferent to the fleeing soldiers.
After all, the Macedonian Empire was not their final destination; they would be heading further west.
Even though these men were escaping now, they would encounter Lin Tian again before long.
Therefore, their current flight had little impact on Lin Tian.
However, while it had little impact on Lin Tian, it had a profound effect on the Thracian cavalry.
Their cavalry was already no match for Lin Tian's cavalry. Under these circumstances, with their Emperor and generals fleeing, it was a devastating blow to them.
This blow caused many to lose their will to fight.
Many of them had intended to fight to the bitter end, but now, they found no point in continuing the struggle.
Even their Emperor had fled, so for whom were they to risk their lives?
Because of this, cries of panic erupted.
"The Emperor has fled! The Emperor has taken his men and fled!!"
"We can't hold them off! We can't hold them off at all! The Emperor has fled, and we can't hold them off at all!!"
"Run! Run quickly! Stop fighting, let's get out of here!!"
With their Emperor gone, the Thracian army lost even the slightest will to fight.
Some of those with a strong desire for self-preservation immediately abandoned all pretense and fled into the distance.
They had no intention of staying behind to await death.
Their flight completely shattered the Thracian army.
As they ran, other soldiers could no longer hold back and also began to flee.
And the number of those fleeing grew.
As a result, Lin Tian, leading his army, found that his enemies were disappearing.
One by one, those who could escape chose to preserve their lives.
The Thracian Empire was thus broken.
...