The Human Emperor (200-400)

C372: Start of Battle!

Gong ha! Gong ha! Gong ha!

As Great Tang's army marched to the foot of the massive mountain, the two hundred shield bearers raised their tower shields high and slammed them on the ground continuously, seemingly provoking the group at the mountain peak.

Through this, the army created an incredible momentum reminiscent of an army of thousands. The domineering clamor echoed resoundingly throughout the mountain range.

The deafening waves of sound whipped up a powerful gale that raged through the mountain forests.

While the four hundred footsoldiers couldn't be considered as elites, they had undergone the Big Dipper Army's rigorous training, and they were carefully picked from the various platoons in Longxi. Some of them were even handpicked by the commandant himself.

This was the reason why the commandant carried absolute trust in his foot soldiers.

"Stick to the formation strictly. Anyone who dares to leave the group of their own accord will be beheaded!" a powerful voice boomed in the air. The Big Dipper Army commandant raised his sword high in the air, and the cold gleam of his blade shimmered in the air.

A distance behind him, a huge group of cavalry were ordered in a neat formation.

This positioning was tactical, as well. The footsoldiers were positioned at the forefront to cushion the enemy's charge, as well as to slow their momentum so that the cavalrymen could cut into the enemy's formation, scattering their troops.

For this purpose, the cavalrymen were intentionally left trailing behind the group to create sufficient space for them to generate momentum for a charge.

This was an example of one of the more popular infantry-cavalry tactics, one that was frequently used by the Big Dipper Army in Longxi to deal with the Tibetans.

Often, warfare is about how meticulous one is.

Regardless of whether it was the massive tower shields or the positioning of the troops, these showed that the Big Dipper Army commandant wasn't an amateur to warfare.

With these measures in place, the Big Dipper Army commandant was confident of winning the battle.

Dong dong!

With the loud beating of war drums, just as the Big Dipper Army commandant was staring at the opposite end, waiting for the Tibetan army on the opposite mountain to appear, he suddenly heard the flurried clopping of hooves.

A military inspector was rushing toward him at full speed.

"Lord, bad news!"

"What's wrong?" The Big Dipper Army commandant frowned in displeasure.

"Reporting to lord, two hundred men are missing from our formation!"

"What?!" The Big Dipper Army command's face turned livid in rage. "You bastard, are you kidding me?"

For two hundred men to be missing from the formation at such a time was no joking affair!

Cold sweat seeped down the military inspector's forehead. He swiftly explained the matter, saying that he had only just noticed the disappearance of the riders.

Considering the strict discipline that the Big Dipper Army imposed on their troops, this was a serious matter.

"Do you know who the ones that fled are?" The Big Dipper Army commandant questioned sternly.

"Yes, we have already confirmed the missing personnel!" The military inspector swiftly reported the names of the missing personnel. The troops who were missing were all under the leadership of the scions of the capital.