The hundred thousand strong army did have cavalry, but only the last twenty thousand remained.
Originally, this cavalry was prepared to pursue Zhang Liang's soldiers, but now they could only charge towards Wei Qing.
However, as the army was about to engage, various sounds erupted from behind the enemy.
This, naturally, was the "Myriad Monster Soldiers" and the "Underworld Ghost Soldiers." These two armies were truly composed of demons and ghosts.
These soldiers possessed no formation, nor did they adhere to cooperation. They were not suitable for forming the same kind of combat effectiveness as other legions.
Their individual combat prowess was immense, capable of instilling great psychological pressure on the enemy.
The flying monsters descended upon the enemy cavalry, snatching them into the air before dropping them, resulting in countless enemies plummeting to their deaths.
The long-haired female ghost also floated above the enemy, strangling them in mid-air with her hair, while a group of earth-elemental ghosts, or demon soldiers with earth-elemental abilities, dragged enemies underground for brutal slaughter.
Under the onslaught of these demons and ghosts, the cavalry at the rear had no chance to act. They were annihilated, man and horse alike, their deaths agonizingly cruel.
The enemy was now truly besieged, like trapped beasts.
Yet, the hundred thousand strong army, once organized, began a reckless, no-holds-barred assault against the soldiers, this time in a desperate attempt to flee towards the rear.
The "Myriad Monster Soldiers" and "Underworld Ghost Soldiers" at the rear did indeed absorb significant impact, but they did not obstruct the fleeing enemies. Such an obstruction was impossible. Their sole focus was to eliminate as many enemies as possible.
As for those who escaped, others were certainly there to deal with them.
After being surrounded and attacked from all sides, only tens of thousands of enemies truly managed to escape.
These escapees fled into the woods. Whose domain were the woods?
Naturally, they belonged to Zhao Yun's "Wudang Flying Army." They were jungle assassins, hunters. The enemies who fled into the jungle experienced true terror.
They couldn't see their attackers; they didn't even know who was killing them, dying with unseeing eyes.
Throat slitting, hanging, traps, arrows... The Wudang Flying Army demonstrated a masterclass in killing techniques to these unfortunate souls.
With traps ahead and pursuers behind, the enemy fled for their lives. Tens of thousands of troops routed, leaving only about ten thousand survivors.
"With the will to charge, life and death are irrelevant!" Gao Shun led his soldiers to block their path.
However, when the enemy once again saw soldiers arrayed before them, they finally broke.
"We surrender!"
"Don't kill us, we surrender."
"We won't fight anymore."
...
Seeing these enemies surrender, Gao Shun was momentarily stunned. He had been prepared for a bloody massacre, only to be told they weren't fighting.
As more and more enemy troops collapsed, they all laid down their weapons, pleading for surrender.
"Tie them all up," Gao Shun ordered his soldiers.
Gao Shun had stumbled upon a great windfall, capturing over ten thousand men without sustaining a single loss.
When the demon soldiers and ghost soldiers from the front arrived, they saw a group of bound enemies.
They blinked in surprise. How did they surrender?
"Reporting to Lord Minister, the enemy army has fled," a soldier quickly reported to Zhang Liang.
"They truly fled swiftly," Zhang Liang sighed. He had no intention of pursuing them; it was too late. Thirty thousand had escaped, leaving seventeen thousand here, which was more than enough.
"Reporting to Lord Minister, General Huo Qubing has pursued them with his soldiers."
Zhang Liang: "..."
Before the soldier could finish speaking, another reported that Hou Junji and Yang Zaixing had also already pursued with their cavalry.
Zhang Liang smiled and said, "Let them go. They are all commanders who know how to seize opportunities. If they can annihilate the enemy, so be it. If not, it is what it is."
Zhang Liang had initially planned to surround and attack the thirty thousand after the situation here was resolved. But it seemed the moment they saw the encirclement here, those thirty thousand had already begun to retreat.
Their retreat was decisive, and indeed wise. It was just unexpected that Huo Qubing would be the first to raid their enemy camp.
In the battles between lords, unless the enemy territory is breached, killing enemy generals does not secure victory.
While the commander is crucial to a battle, as long as the lord and territory remain, the enemy will not suffer a fatal blow and will continue to fight.
The battle lasted until dawn before concluding.
Of the hundred thousand strong army, some died, and some surrendered. Zhang Liang once again ordered his soldiers to clear the battlefield.
As for losses, they had not yet been tallied, but Zhang Liang believed the losses this time should be even smaller than before.
This was entirely the enemy's own doing.
Had the enemy not launched a surprise attack, they would have had to pay a much greater price to win. But they insisted on attacking, so Zhang Liang could only play along.
When it came to scheming, Zhang Liang feared no enemy.
Even Bai Qi would have been wary of Zhang Liang, let alone others.
Zhang Liang was not suited for leading troops in battle; devising strategies was his forte.
After these two great battles, all the generals were filled with admiration for Zhang Liang. This victory was, in essence, orchestrated by him.
However, the final combat still relied on the cooperation of the various generals.
"Reporting, General Huo Qubing and the others have returned, and they have captured the enemy's main commander alive!" a soldier hurried into Zhang Liang's camp.
Upon hearing this, Bai Qi and the others exclaimed, "This Huo Qubing is truly remarkable!"
The others envied Huo Qubing immensely. This Huo Qubing was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing without a trace, swift as lightning. In these two great battles, his contribution was the greatest.
But there was nothing to be done. Huo Qubing's talent lay in his powerful mobility. Whether for surprise attacks or pursuits, he was always the fastest in the territory.
While many could defeat Huo Qubing in individual combat, their ability to enhance the speed of soldiers was far inferior.
After a long while, Huo Qubing returned with a group of captives and reported to Bai Qi and Zhang Liang, "Huo Qubing has fulfilled his mission. With the assistance of Generals Yang Zaixing and Hou Junji, we have captured five thousand enemy soldiers."
Bai Qi examined them with great satisfaction. Having so many formidable generals was a blessing for the territory.
"Very good. We will definitely report this to the Lord. You will not lack for merit," Zhang Liang declared with a hearty laugh.
Huo Qubing quickly responded, "Merit is not solely my own. However, when it comes to rewards, I certainly desire them. I have been coveting the flying wyverns of the territory for a long time."
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. There wasn't a single general present who wasn't yearning for those wyverns.