Chapter 353 The Battle of Guanzhong (Part 6)

Because they never expected Gao Yuan to temporarily abandon the siege of Chang'an to pursue them when a great victory was already certain, and because the soldiers were too hungry and lacked the strength to fell timber for fortifications...

Consequently, the Northern Liang Army's camp was merely a simple cluster of tents without any defensive measures.

At this moment, this completely defenseless camp lay exposed before Gao Yuan and his ferocious Cavalry like a woman stripped of her clothes.

The night sentries were powerless against the charging Cavalry and were quickly trampled into souls of the unjustly dead beneath the horses' hooves. Tents were set ablaze one after another, and the soldiers inside were swallowed by the flames before they could even finish dressing.

Those lucky enough to escape died under the thrust of lances or the strike of Golden Gourd Maces. The entire camp fell into utter chaos.

Gao Long rushed out of the commanders tent. Seeing the carnage nearby, his eyes nearly split with rage as he bellowed,

"Hold the line! I'm going to fight to the death with that lowborn Gao Yuan today!"

However, few could hear his roar at this point. Everyone was scurrying about like headless chickens, completely at a loss for what to do.

But being the elite Dragon Soaring Army after all, once the initial chaos passed, Gao Bing, Gao E, and others quickly organized a force. Joining with Gao Long's Personal Guards, they moved to intercept Gao Yuan.

Gao Yuan was fighting with great satisfaction, wielding his Tiger-Head Gold-Inlaid Spear, when he suddenly saw a force intercepting him. Despite his surprise, a hint of joy appeared on his handsome face beneath the mask.

"Interesting, very interesting. Kill!"

Gao Yuan led the charge, with Xia Luqi and Zhao Meng following closely behind. The three of them, like a sharp arrowhead carrying immense momentum, crashed toward Gao Bing and his men.

No matter how elite they were, infantry on a plain were at a natural disadvantage against Cavalry. Moreover, the hastily organized infantry had no proper formation; they didn't even have a chance to stall for time against the murderous Cavalry.

Gao Yuan and Gao Bing clashed, their spears crossing in the air, but the sheer force nearly knocked the weapon out of Gao Bing's hands.

On the other side, Zhao Meng and Gao E were evenly matched, but Gao Zi was not so fortunate. He was facing the Great Qian's number one God of Slaughter, Xia Luqi.

In a flash, Xia Luqi used his superior strength and speed to smash a pre-prepared short mace heavily into Gao Zi's leg.

Gao Zi fell from his horse in agony. Before he could react, a horse's hoof crushed his face, killing him instantly.

Without lingering to fight, Gao Yuan led his Cavalry through a killing spree and then pulled back some distance from the Northern Liang Army's camp. There, they caught their breath while using the soaring flames to look for the next opportunity to strike.

But heaven did not give him that chance. Having been deprived of food and sleep, and now suffering a night raid, the resentment in the hearts of the Northern Liang soldiers exploded.

"It's these officers! They eat meat themselves and won't even give us a sip of soup!"

"Exactly! That damn Crown Prince even kidnaps common women; he's truly subhuman!"

"Someone like this will surely be a fatuous and tyrannical emperor. Why should we help such a villain!"

"Fight them!"

And so, to everyone's surprise, an internal mutiny began within the Northern Liang Army. This was even more terrifying than a camp panic, because a camp panic is chaotic and unorganized.

But these mutineers quickly formed a powerful force and began systematically slaughtering the Dragon Soaring Army. This killing efficiency was startling.

Gao Yuan saw this through his telescope by the firelight and immediately stopped the eager Xia Luqi.

"It looks like they're having a camp panic."

However, Gao Yuan soon corrected himself, as he noticed those doing the killing were actually forming organized ranks rather than killing randomly in chaos.

As Mr. Shuren once said: 'Strike while the enemy is down.' Gao Yuan, who always respected his elders, naturally followed the gentleman's advice and broke into a smug smile.

"They're having an internal rebellion. Come, let's give them a hand."

With a crisp, loud blast of a bamboo whistle, the Cavalry, having caught their breath, set out once more.

This time, Gao Yuan didn't kill randomly. He targeted the Dragon Soaring Army units that were just beginning to organize. The iron armor on these elites was particularly conspicuous, but now it had become their death warrant.

Gao Bing was busy dealing with the mutineers and failed to notice Gao Yuan charging in from the flank again.

The Dragon Soaring Army's hard-won formation was shattered again. Many soldiers were struck in the head or body by Golden Gourd Maces before they could react, falling to the ground with screams, their fates unknown.

Gao Yuan continued this way; whenever the Dragon Soaring Army showed any sign of forming a rank, he would lead his men in an unreasonable charge against them.

After two or three such instances, Gao Bing gave up. He began calling for those around him to retreat, protecting Gao Long as they fled as far as possible. Once they reached Hangu Pass, they would be safe with its absolute geographical advantage.

Having escaped the camp, Gao Long, Gao Bing, and Gao E looked back at the burning camp, too exhausted even to sigh.

As the Dragon Soaring Army collapsed, the mutinous soldiers erupted in massive cheers. Then, one by one, they dropped their weapons to wait for Gao Yuan to incorporate them.

After dawn, following a careful inquiry, Gao Yuan learned the absurd reason for the rebellion. He could only nod in acknowledgment of their actions, turning to remark to Xia Luqi and Zhao Meng,

"Truly, it is not scarcity that is the problem, but inequality!"

As for these soldiers who had mutinied, Gao Yuan would not keep them regardless of their fighting strength. He planned to take them all back and distribute land or grain to them so they could live peacefully as farmers or workers.

Before last night, Gao Long felt that losing Chang'an and thirty thousand troops was the end of the world. After last night, he understood what the true end of the world looked like.

The Dragon Soaring Army, his core troops and his greatest reliance, had been completely lost in a single night. He didn't know what kind of denunciations or punishments he would face upon his return.

He could even see Gao Hu's mocking face and his father's disappointed gaze before his eyes.

Gao Bing looked at the dejected Gao Long and knew that this Crown Prince of Great Liang was in a precarious position. His pride had been crushed in this battle—shattered into pieces that could never be put back together.

He looked at Gao E beside him, who had also suffered a heavy blow that night. One of his arms had been broken by Xia Luqi's Golden Gourd Mace, and it was uncertain if it could be mended.

Thinking back to the once-mighty Gao Family Army, the spirited Dragon Soaring and Flying Tiger units, and the world-renowned Twelve Protectors... now Gao Jia and Gao Gui were missing, Gao Zi and Gao Chou were dead, Gao Geng had retired due to heavy injuries, and Gao E would likely end up a cripple.

Half of the Twelve Protectors were gone. He truly didn't know how much further Great Liang could go.

Shaking his head to dispel those improper thoughts, Gao Bing urged the soldiers to continue forward.

On the other side, Gao Yuan had arrived at the gates of Chang'an with his spoils and prisoners. There were still two thousand defenders there, though he didn't know if they were from the Dragon Soaring Army.

However, Gao Yuan was soon disappointed. As the city gates slowly opened, the soldiers who walked out were clearly not elites. Some didn't even have leather armor; they were obviously motley troops Gao Long had drafted on short notice.

Ignoring all that, Gao Yuan led his troops and swaggered into this towering, magnificent great city—the Western Capital of Great Qian.