novelhk Chapter 829 Xiang Yu rushes to Yangping Pass and attacks!
Chapter 829 Xiang Yu rushes to Yangping Pass and attacks!
And so, the three thousand cavalrymen, like arrows from a bow, rushed forward, stirring up clouds of dust, towards the impenetrable pass, soon to be stained red with blood and fire. Dozens of miles behind them, Xiao He, supported by his personal guards, gritted his teeth, endured the excruciating pain that felt like his entire body was falling apart, and struggled to climb back onto his horse, continuing his stubborn and tragic pursuit.
Five days later, outside Yangping Pass, the Chu army camp had already set up camp less than five miles away from Yangping Pass and began to prepare for battle.
The vast Chu army camp resembled a steel jungle, its banners fluttering, blocking out the sun. The camps stretched endlessly, their walls imposing. The air was filled with a mixture of awe and rust. Heavy footsteps, the clash of armor, and muffled commands merged into a heart-pounding wave, relentlessly battering the walls of Yangping Pass day and night.
The Chu army was preparing for battle, and siege equipment was looming in the camp. A huge sense of oppression, as if a storm was coming, weighed heavily on the pass.
Atop the city walls, Ma Chang, the commander-in-chief guarding Yangping Pass, wore a face as grim as steel. He gripped the cold battlements, his knuckles white with the strain. The dark cloud looming over the city before him, the commander of the Third Legion, felt an unprecedented pressure. Ma Chang was a capable officer under Ying Bu, rising through the ranks to the position of regimental commander through his military exploits. He commanded the highest rank of the army, and otherwise, Zhang Liang and Ying Bu would not have entrusted him with the important task of guarding Yangping Pass, a strategically important chokepoint.
Yangping Pass, a strategic point connecting Hanzhong with the interior of the country, was a crucial battleground for military strategists. However, not long ago, Ma Chang had considered this position a complete idle job—he had the heavy defense of Xianyang in front, Hanzhong secure in the rear, and the main force of the Third Army was advancing unstoppably towards Nanjun, taking the lead.
In contrast, trapped in this seemingly peaceful pass, watching his comrades achieve great things while he himself could not achieve anything, only Ma Chang himself knew the loss and unwillingness in his heart.
Unexpectedly, the world would be turned upside down in just two days! Urgent military intelligence from Gaoyao, delivered by carrier pigeon, far faster than post horses, arrived at Yangping Pass like thunder. The cold words on the letter instantly shattered Ma Chang's illusions of peace—the main force of the Chu army was approaching! The "sinecest position" he had thought would never be of much use had suddenly become the center of a storm. A huge responsibility and a deadly sense of crisis gripped him simultaneously.
The pressure was like a landslide or tsunami! Although Yangping Pass was strategically located, with high walls and deep moats, they only had three thousand men under their command! Using these mere three thousand men to resist the advancing fifty thousand-strong army led by Xiang Yu? It was like trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm! Ma Chang felt a chill run from his feet to his head, his scalp tingling. Fear was natural, but as a general, he knew that behind him lay the heart of Hanzhong. There was no retreat, only a fight to the death!
Fortunately, Gao Yao's warning arrived two days early. During those two days, Ma Chang was like a whipped top, restless and relentless, channeling all his panic and stress into action. He roared out orders, mobilizing every available force: rolling logs and rocks were continuously brought to the city walls, piling up like mountains; cauldrons boiling golden liquid burned day and night, emitting a sickening stench; arrows and crossbow triggers were repeatedly inspected and distributed; the city gates were held firmly in place by massive crossbars, reinforced with layers of sandbags behind them... Every moment was precious, and every soldier worked at their limit.
Even so, when the desperate scouts reported back, confirming the Chu army's strength at over 50,000, and their march toward the pass in a tightly-organized formation, Ma Chang's heart still clenched. The dark, endless enemy army, with earth-shaking strides, was like a destructive torrent of steel, crushing his pass wall with unstoppable force!
Below the city, the Chu army's horns suddenly became louder and sharper, and the huge army formation began to accelerate. The vanguard of the attack was like a beast out of the cage, roaring and rushing towards the city wall! The shadow of death instantly enveloped the entire Yangping Pass.
"All troops, listen!" Ma Chang suddenly drew his sword and shouted at the top of his lungs, transforming all the fear and pressure in his chest into a thunderous roar that drowned out the clamor of the Chu army. "Your Majesty's reinforcements are on the way! Yangping Pass cannot be lost! The people are inside! Kill them!!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!" From the city walls, the three thousand defenders erupted in a thunderous response! This roar embodied the bloodiness of despair, a declaration of a last-ditch battle. The discipline forged in Gaoyao's rigorous training was on full display in this life-or-death moment. Though their faces paled, their eyes shone with determination. The promise of adequate military supplies and post-war compensation became their last vestiges of comfort, sustaining them as they gripped their weapons tightly and faced the overwhelming enemy.
Meanwhile, before the surging Chu army at the foot of the pass, Xiang Yu sat astride his majestic black horse. His eyes burned with a fighting spirit as fiery as molten lava, his gaze fixed intently on the nearby Yangping Pass.
Time! Time was of the essence at this moment! He had to use a thunderous force to pierce this gate before Liu Bang's reinforcements could react! Yi Xiaochuan's 20,000 elite cavalry, like hidden blades, had quietly deployed outside Xianyang. If Xianyang dared to rashly send troops to rescue Yangping Pass, these cavalry would tear them apart like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. If Xianyang suffered heavy casualties and suffered a severe blow to its vitality, then seizing the Qin capital would be part of the Chu army's plan!
Now, for Xiang Yu, the ultimate goal is to capture Yangping Pass, and to capture Yangping Pass in the shortest possible time.
Xiang Yu sat high atop his black horse, his eyes swirling with a rage that threatened to destroy everything and a murderous intent that bordered on tangible. He held the Overlord Halberd, a weapon that terrified heroes everywhere, but he didn't simply "raise" it. Instead, he brought it down like thunder, tearing through the heavens with a piercing, eardrum-shattering shriek.
“Break—level—!!!”
This roar was like thunder from the sky exploding above the heads of the fifty thousand Chu troops! In an instant, the long-accumulated violent power was completely released.
The Chu army was no longer merely a "raging wave" but had transformed into a thoroughly enraged prehistoric beast. With a roar that shook the earth and a devastating aura, it launched a desperate charge against the scarred walls of Yangping Pass! Trampled by countless iron hooves and heavy footsteps, the earth groaned in pain and trembled violently, as if it would crumble at any moment.
Siege engines, like bloodthirsty beasts, crawled forward under the cover of flesh and blood. Huge ladders, covered in thick, blood-soaked cowhide, and behind the "iron wall" formed by the shieldmen's lives, struggled to withstand the seemingly endless rain of death arrows pouring down from the city walls, inch by inch.