Niao Ni
Chapter 563 Thorns and Spears against Qin!
……
……
At the T-junction, two cavalry units, using collision to determine life and death, rushed out of their respective streets like two gusts of wind, colliding fiercely in the open space at the northwest corner of the palace square.
In the instant before the collision, the black cavalry, clad in full armor, held reins in one hand. The other hand didn't hold swords or spears but leveled crossbows, and before anyone could react, they pulled the triggers!
Qing Yu Nian's cavalry was skilled in mounted archery, but in such head-on charges, they generally preferred swords and spears. Hardly anyone would use crossbows for a charge, because crossbows were heavy, and in such a short charging distance, if the action was even slightly slow, the two sides would collide before the bolts could be fired.
But the Black Riders were different. From their first day in the Overwatch Council, they had cultivated this habit. Holding crossbows with one hand, they remained incredibly stable. To be precise, the nearly thousand Black Riders of the Overwatch Council were essentially a powerful collective assassination and ambush weapon.
……
……
The sound of arrows slicing through the air arose. At such a short distance, hundreds of sharp, poisoned bolts were unleashed, giving the cavalry charging from Zhengyang Gate no chance to resist.
After countless muffled thuds, many of the vanguard knights of the cavalry unit from Zhengyang Gate were struck by crossbow bolts and fell from their horses with miserable cries. Some, however, still clung to their mounts, drew their blades, and roared as they hacked at the approaching cavalry.
The Black Riders discarded their crossbows, drew their sabers from under their saddles, and with a reverse slash, unleashed a wave of silvery light, directly severing the heads of the enemy cavalry.
Two hundred Black Riders performed this action simultaneously, discarding their crossbows cleanly and decisively, drawing their sabers with earth-shattering momentum, and the overhead strikes were so breathtaking. Two hundred men executed such a high-difficulty killing technique in perfect unison, creating a kind of battlefield aesthetic.
……
……
One side was the rebel cavalry unit that had struggled to break through from Zhengyang Gate, enduring the attacks of over a thousand Overwatch Council subordinates and a large number of Imperial Guards for a long time, finally managing to clear a path and arrive at the front of the imperial city with great difficulty. The other side was the mysterious Black Riders, who had endured for a long time, conserving their energy, waiting only for the Director's command to unleash the Overwatch Council's most powerful strike.
Due to the circumstances, the gap in momentum, spirit, and physical strength between the two sides, which was originally not very large, suddenly widened to a distance that could not be sustained on the battlefield.
The two hundred Black Riders were like a heated knife, piercing into the Qin family cavalry unit with unparalleled sharpness, easily slicing open a large gash in the formation of the cavalry unit that had penetrated the imperial palace square. With the splashing of countless blood and the falling of corpses, the Black Riders successfully cut off the Qin family cavalry, separating... Qin Heng and more than three hundred cavalry from the main force, making them an isolated unit.
The Black Riders were highly skilled in horsemanship, and in the midst of the swift movement, they successfully changed their formation. The entire unit suddenly dispersed, with the cavalry in the lead pulling their reins to the right, relying on their incredible speed and tremendous impact force to block the rear cavalry unit.
The remaining hundred or so Black Riders stabbed to the left, like a pack of wolves, quickly selecting their targets and closing in on Qin Heng's vanguard camp, sticking close together, tearing and killing with their sabers.
In an instant, Qin Heng's vanguard camp suffered heavy casualties. The rear cavalry unit was somewhat disoriented by this thunderous attack, unable to rush up to rescue them for a time. Although there were many rebel soldiers in the square at this time, there was still some distance between them, especially since the rebel soldiers were currently changing their formation, and the situation was slightly chaotic... Seeing the Black Riders' lightning-like speed, no one knew if they would kill all these hundreds of cavalry before the main force could come to encircle them!
……
……
Hooves thundered, and the horses under the Black Riders moved forward silently and vigorously, while the horses under the Qin family cavalry neighed mournfully and ran around in confusion, just like the state of mind of their masters at this moment. The Black Riders' pursuit speed was too fast, and in a short time, they chased Qin Heng's vanguard camp diagonally into the depths of the square, separating them from the main force.
This scene was truly frightening. Qin Old Master and Ye Zhong had already reacted and ordered their subordinate rebel soldiers to quickly converge on the gap in the northwest, so as to make contact with Qin Heng before the Black Riders succeeded.
If more than ten thousand rebel soldiers successfully encircled them, no matter how powerful the Black Riders were, they would only face certain death. Of course, even if the Black Riders successfully killed Qin Heng at this time according to Fan Xian's orders, they would probably still face certain death in the end. However, the Black Riders, led by Jing Ge, did not seem to consider this at all. In front of all eyes, surrounded by countless rebel soldiers, on the wide palace square, they chased after Qin Heng's vanguard camp in such a reckless, brave, and even arrogant manner...
Dust gradually rose, and more than a hundred black cavalrymen chased and killed hundreds of Qin family elite cavalrymen under the eyes of tens of thousands of rebel soldiers. This resolute posture, this arrogant and disdainful aura, this heart-palpitating scene, would surely remain in people's memories for a long time.
A dragon of dust, hundreds of cavalrymen pursuing and killing each other without regard for their lives, pierced through the center of the square from the northwest corner!
……
……
Qin Heng was not weak. Otherwise, he would not have become the second youngest commander of the Jingdu Garrison after Ye Zhong in his thirties, nor would he have become the vice envoy of the Privy Council at such a young age. Regarding the situation on the battlefield, this second-generation leader of the Qin family undoubtedly had his own wisdom and judgment.
He was good at leading troops and reacted extremely quickly. When the shadow of the Black Riders appeared on the side of his vision, he immediately made a decision and launched the first head-on collision. As long as he could withstand the first wave of attacks, the main force would follow up, and the opposing two hundred or so cavalry would not be able to cause any impact.
However, the Jingdu battle today was too different from the battles on the battlefield, and the street fighting under Zhengyang Gate was also too different from the street fighting described in the usual military books. Qin Heng had never thought that the Overwatch Council, a department that survived by intelligence and assassination, could actually unleash such great power in street fighting, causing heavy losses to the Qin family cavalry and also consuming too much morale, spirit, and physical strength.
But the most crucial thing was that Qin Heng never expected that the mere two hundred black cavalrymen would possess such a powerful aura, rapid impact force, and extremely cold-blooded killing methods.
He never expected that the vanguard camp's five hundred cavalrymen would not even withstand the first wave of attacks and would be cut in two by the opposing side!
Qin Heng felt cold in his heart, but his reaction was extremely fast. He spurred on his horse, not staying in place to fight the Black Riders, but directly accelerated and led his cavalry towards the center of the square. All around were rebel soldiers, and as long as he entered the encirclement, the Black Riders would only have death to look forward to.
What he had to do was to be fast, as fast as possible!
……
……
It should be said that Qin Heng's reaction was extremely fast, and the Qin family cavalry's training was also very effective. Although they were being bitten and devoured by the Black Riders like a pack of wolves, the cavalry vanguard camp still managed to escape from the Dingjia intersection into the square.
However, the Black Riders were faster and more ruthless, not lagging behind at all, but instead vaguely forming an encirclement. The leader of the Black Riders, wearing a silver mask, even charged in from the side, only three horse lengths away from Qin Heng!
Qin Heng's eyes in his helmet shot out a cold light. Although the Black Riders' bravery exceeded his expectations, and the opposing side dared to chase him deep into the rebel encirclement, it seemed that they were prepared to stab him to death at all costs. However, he knew that the Black Riders' raid had already failed - because he knew that his old father would not watch him die, and the rebel soldiers' reinforcements were already arriving.
At this time, the rebel soldiers' change of formation was only halfway through, but they discovered that Qin Heng was in deep trouble and danger, so they naturally dispatched two large units to rescue him, while also intending to wipe out this black cavalry unit that had suddenly descended from the heavens. However, at this time, these two large units were still some distance away from the dust dragon, and most of them were infantry, so it was difficult to keep up with the Black Riders' lightning-fast raid and Qin Heng's escape speed.
However, at this moment, a majestic command rang out from the rebel soldiers' central camp: "Release!"
……
……
The imperial city had ancestral tablets, so there was no glory in raining arrows down from above. There was nothing that could stop Old Master Qin's determination in this heart-palpitating scene on the square. With this command, countless arrowheads shot towards the location of the dust dragon!
The sound of arrows slicing through the air densely rang out, forming a continuous sheet, enveloping all the cavalrymen who were desperately fighting for their lives at this moment of life and death, completely disregarding the fact that the Black Riders were chasing after their own cavalry!
Qin Heng had long guessed that his father would never hesitate on the battlefield, and he also knew that this rain of arrows would arrive. His face was ashen, and his lips were white from the high-speed gallop. Before the rain of arrows arrived, he had already flipped over and shot towards the rear side of his mount.
Ruthless feather arrows plunged into everyone's bodies, piercing through the bodies of those high-speed charging cavalrymen. The rotating arrowheads tore through the cavalrymen's light armor, piercing through the soft flesh of human skin, and plunging into their internal organs or bones!
In an instant, both sides of the high-speed galloping pursuit encountered the rain of arrows at the same time, and fell from their horses one after another, falling to the ground, their bones and flesh separated, with muffled thuds.
At this moment, whether it was the Qin family cavalry or the Overwatch Council's Black Riders, they suffered the same fate, a tragic fate.
Although the Black Riders' armor was specially made by the Inner Treasury's Workshop C, and the materials used were lighter and more refined than the Qing Yu Nian army's elite armor, they still suffered heavy losses under this round of arrows. Those Qin family cavalrymen suffered even more devastating losses!
……
……
The Crown Prince turned his head abruptly, looking at Old Master Qin in disbelief, seemingly not understanding why he would issue such a terrifying order. Was he not worried about Qin Heng's life and death? Moreover, these two hundred Black Riders could not cause much damage anyway, so why slaughter them indiscriminately with arrows, not caring whether they were friend or foe? Was he not worried about causing instability in the army's morale?
Old Master Qin narrowed his eyes, and a cold light shone from those two small slits. Among everyone in the field, only he knew what the purpose of this Black Rider was, and only he knew that if these two hundred Black Riders were allowed to continue chasing, Qin Heng's vanguard camp would not be able to escape before the rebel soldiers' reinforcements arrived.
He knew the Black Riders' power, and he even thought that Fan Xian's arrangements under Zhengyang Gate, the Black Riders ambushing here, were all for that sentence on the city wall earlier that had angered him to the extreme.
"I want your Old Qin family to die without descendants!"
Old Master Qin was a ruthless person. Since Fan Xian wanted to make him die without descendants, he would rather do it himself than watch the people arranged by Fan Xian kill his son in a humble manner. What's more... the sons of his Old Qin family were not so easy to die.
……
……
Qin Heng did not die. His mount was covered in feather arrows, and after two mournful cries, it fell heavily to the ground. Because he had been prepared, although he was violently struck by the ground due to the momentum of the horse falling down, and even the armor on his body rubbed against the ground, causing countless faint sparks, it had already unloaded most of the force, and he had not been hit by arrows thanks to the cover of his mount.
The rain of arrows was only one wave, and then it stopped. Most of the cavalrymen who were chasing and killing each other had fallen in pools of blood. Although more of the Black Riders had survived, they had also lost their mounts and suffered injuries of varying degrees. They were not frightened, but continued to raise their sabers and kill those Qin family cavalrymen who had fallen to the ground around them.
At this time, Qin Heng had already stood up, and the rebel soldiers' reinforcements were rapidly approaching.
Jing Ge, the vice commander of the Black Riders wearing a silver mask, had become the tip of the Black Riders' spear since the beginning of the engagement, staring at Qin Heng with the most resolute posture and the fastest speed, not letting him escape his sight.
When the rain of arrows came, Jing Ge, alone with his horse, also suffered a terrible blow. A feather arrow cleverly passed through the armor on his body and shot diagonally into his left shoulder, and a streak of blood quickly oozed out. The mount under him also softened its front legs and fell silently to the ground.
His feet heavily tapped the saddle. At the moment the rain of arrows stopped, he held a black spear and pounced out like a wolf king, carrying a bloodthirsty hunger that had been hidden for many years, unstoppable.
A distance of thirty feet vanished in an instant. Qin Heng had just drawn his thigh from under the horse and stood up with great difficulty, looking like his spirit and physical strength had reached the limit, and he seemed to be waiting to die at the sharp killing intent of the black spear!
But no one expected that Qin Heng's body, which had looked exhausted, would regain its vitality at this moment. He heard him shout loudly and drew his sword without turning around. His whole body rotated quickly, like a shadow, and passed by the sharp black spear shadow in an extremely ghostly manner!
Jing Ge stabbed out with all his strength in one spear, unable to predict that the other party would have such a clever spear technique. All his spirit and courage were concentrated on this spear. The tip of the spear missed at this time, and pierced into the bluestone slab on the square beside Qin Heng, shattering that piece of stone slab into countless fragments with a bang!
In that muffled sound, Qin Heng's figure did not stop rotating. In a moment, he approached Jing Ge's body, let out a cold snort, and thrust his left elbow. The sword in his hand slashed towards Jing Ge's neck!
One flash, one turn, and one slash, such a clean and neat three-hit combo, and it was still used in such a complex battlefield situation. Qin Heng was indeed extremely powerful. No wonder Old Master Qin had such great confidence in him, letting him face Yinmian Jing Ge's stab alone!
At such a close distance, with such a fierce slash, even Fan Xian might find it difficult to resist. Jing Ge was probably dead.
……
……
During the course of this thrilling chase, the rebel soldiers' attack on the imperial city had never stopped. Those heavy vehicles used to ram the palace gates were still tirelessly, fearlessly of falling rocks and fire, launching successive rammings on the three palace gates. Huge muffled sounds echoed from time to time above and below the imperial city, sounding like heart-shaking drumbeats.
Just as the bizarre chase on the square was reaching its final moment, the defense and attack at the palace gates also underwent shocking changes!
With a loud bang, the thick palace gate in the middle was actually broken open!
In that instant, all the rebel soldiers could hardly believe their eyes, and then a feeling of wild joy and excitement took over.
At this time, the Black Riders had been defeated, Jing Ge was about to die, and the palace gate had been opened. The scales of victory had undoubtedly thrown away all the weights and began to timidly lean behind the rebel soldiers.
Seeing this scene, the Crown Prince's spirits were lifted. He glanced at Old Master Qin and Ye Zhong beside him, took a deep breath, and said, "Attack with all your strength!"
……
……
Fan Xian stood on the black coffin, gently tapping out a rhythm that no one could understand with his toes, watching these fatal changes that had taken place on the imperial city in a flash of lightning, but still did not decide to kick open the coffin and take out the heavy sniper rifle in the coffin.
Because he stood higher than everyone else, just like Chen Pingping had taught him, so he could see further than everyone else and could see some details that had not been noticed.
He saw that the generals of the Dingzhou family, who were still staying in the western rebel camp, were discussing something with the Second Prince, but they were gradually approaching and naturally isolating the Second Prince's confidants in the periphery.
He saw that next to the Crown Prince, who had shown a look of joy for the first time in the rebel soldiers' central camp, Ye Zhong's face was as calm as usual, while Gong Dian had lagged behind. During the rebel soldiers' change of formation, in the chaos brought about by rescuing Qin Heng, the Dingzhou army's troops gradually changed their formation. Although it was subtle, it was particularly glaring in Fan Xian's eyes, who was high above.
If a complex situation was composed of countless scenes, then in Fan Xian's eyes, these scenes were undergoing some changes that no one understood why, but he knew that his gamble would be determined by the changes in these scenes, determining the final success or failure.
He tightly tied the Great Wei Emperor's Sword to his back, pulled the three grappling hooks that had been prepared for himself two years ago, glanced at the direction of the city defense crossbow, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said, "Prepare."
Then he tapped the coffin one last time with his toes, thinking that he would still not use you today.
……
……
The change in the picture suddenly happened in the next moment. This change would determine Qing Yu Nian's future years, and it was destined to become a topic of conversation for conscientious young historians in later generations.
The first change in the picture was that Jing Ge, wearing a silver mask and about to face death, lowered his head at the moment Qin Heng's sword was about to strike his neck.
Jing Ge lowered his head! In a flash of lightning, this lowering of the head seemed simple, but it was actually extremely difficult. However, he did it so naturally and so quickly, as if five hundred years ago, Jing Ge knew where Qin Heng's sword would come from and where it would go, and he had simulated it countless times, and he had already prepared to welcome this sword.
It was precisely that gentle lowering of the head that allowed Qin Heng's killing sword to slash across Jing Ge's silver mask, drawing a silver spark, but it did not cut off his neck!
What was even more unexpected was that Jing Ge's spear, which seemed to be infused with all his spirit and courage, pierced the bluestone slab on the ground, but it seemed to have life and quickly bounced back, returning along the tiger's mouth he was holding empty!
Jing Ge's hand tightly grasped three inches below the spearhead and stabbed upwards!
All of this happened too quickly. The silver mask on Jing Ge's face was still flashing sparks, but the tip of the spear in his hand had already pierced into Qin Heng's lower jaw!
With a muffled thud, the sharp tip of the spear pierced straight into the brain from Qin Heng's lower jaw. Blood spurted out, Qin Heng's body stiffened and then softened, and he died.
Jing Ge tightly held the spear shaft, the tip of the spear carrying Qin Heng's corpse.
……
……
With a crisp sound, Jing Ge's silver mask broke in half and fell to the ground, revealing his true face, the face that Fan Xian had always wanted to see, the face that had always been hidden under the silver mask since he was fished out of the black prison by Chen Pingping and became a member of the Black Riders.
This face had delicate eyebrows and eyes, but... from his left ear to below his right ear, he did not know what sharp weapon had been used to cut it open fiercely from the middle! It was an old injury, but it still looked so terrifying. One could imagine what kind of harm he had suffered back then.
The wound was extremely large, revealing the flesh and white teeth inside, looking extremely terrifying. Especially since Qin Heng's sword had been blocked by his silver mask earlier, but the sword intent still struck his face, shaking open his old wound. Fresh blood gradually flowed out, making him look even more hideous!
The entire square was silent, shockingly watching this scene, watching the hideous leader of the Black Riders, carrying Old Master Qin's only son on the tip of his spear. They could not help but think of Fan Xian's curse to make the Qin family die without descendants.
Fresh blood dripped from Qin Heng's throat, sliding down the sword to Jing Ge's hand, which was slippery. Jing Ge was silent, but he was thinking in his heart that your brother used this trick to destroy my face back then. Over the years, my hatred for the Qin family has made me wear a silver mask, constantly studying the Qin family's means on the battlefield, but today you still use this trick and die in my hands, so don't complain!
Jing Ge carried Qin Heng's corpse on his spear, looked at Old Master Qin's location in the rebel soldiers' central camp, and shouted sharply: "I am Jing Ge!"
"Qin Ye! You killed my whole family, and I will kill your whole family!"