We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

A fear stemming from primal instinct instantly gripped the barbarian chieftain's heart.

He turned his head and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

At the edge of the horizon, two black torrents of steel burst through the dust and smoke, rushing toward the chaotic battlefield in the valley.

The battle flag with the character "庆" fluttering in the wind was coated with a thin layer of gold in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The barbarian chieftain's pupils constricted, and he shouted a warning with all his might: "Watch out! The Qing cavalry are coming!!!"

The shout instantly exploded among the Qiang and Man troops, causing both sides in the midst of the battle to pause involuntarily, looking in horror at the cavalry flanking from both sides.

The appearance of the Qing army's iron cavalry brought panic in two directions.

Not only were the Qiang and Man allied forces terrified, but the Shu soldiers who were fighting a bloody battle in the valley were also shrouded in a huge shadow when they saw the Qing army's banner.

Especially the overwhelming torrent of cavalry, rushing in with the momentum to crush everything, caused instinctive fear to almost instantly overwhelm reason.

"Form ranks! Rear guard, turn! Spearmen forward! Archers, prepare!"

The Shu army officers shouted themselves hoarse, trying to organize a defensive line in the chaos to deal with the possible cavalry charge.

Many soldiers hastily adjusted their direction, aiming their blood-stained spears at the smoke-filled valley entrance, their palms drenched in cold sweat.

After all, everyone knows that the Qing army is at war with them, and at this moment they are enemies, not friends.

Although a considerable number of Shu soldiers did not understand why they had to fight the Qing army, since they were all Qing people, weren't they?

Moreover, it is said that the new emperor in the north treats the people and soldiers very well.

But an enemy is an enemy, especially in such a life-or-death situation, and the iron hooves of cavalry will not answer the questions in their hearts.

After the initial shock, the Qiang and Man chieftain quickly calmed down.

He brandished his battle axe and roared, "Don't panic! Push your way into the Shu army!"

The Qiang and Man chieftains knew that the valley had a complex environment and was not a place for cavalry to run rampant.

The Qing people's cavalry couldn't charge forward; if they dared to come in, they would be courting death.

If you drag them into the melee, their horses will be a burden!

He was right. The reason Luo Yueniang initially chose this valley as the decisive battleground was precisely because it restricted the movement of large armies.

According to her plan, the Shu army, which surrounded them from all sides, would have a commanding position and drive the Qiang and Man tribes out of the valley.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Shu army outside the valley could form a formation and grind down the enemy who tried to break through, like a meat grinder, thus creating a hunting ground.

However, the intervention of the Qing army completely disrupted her plans.

Upon hearing their leader's shouts, the Qiang and Man soldiers began to desperately push to both sides, attempting to drag more Shu troops into the nearby swamp and make the entire valley even more chaotic.

The Shu army was caught off guard by the Qing army's cavalry, and their morale was inevitably shaken.

Faced with the counterattack of the Qiang and Man tribes, the defensive line was pushed outward by dozens of steps, and the area near the valley entrance was instantly crowded with Qiang and Man soldiers.

Just then, the heart-pounding sound of horses' hooves reached the valley entrance.

Amidst the smoke and dust, countless horse heads were faintly visible, and the destructive impact seemed imminent.

Both the Qiang and Shu armies involuntarily slowed their movements, staring intently at the dust-filled valley entrance, awaiting the cavalry's charge.

However, the anticipated scene of cavalry marching in formation did not appear.

When the Qing army cavalry reached the mouth of the valley, they neither turned around nor slowed down.

Instead, it roared past along the outside of the valley entrance without ever stepping into the valley.

As the galloping cavalrymen charged forward, they took down dark, gleaming sticks from beside their saddles, raised them horizontally, and aimed them into the valley.

"All troops, aim at the barbarians in the valley, open fire!"

Li Lin took the lead, and the moment he gave the order, his short gun was already spitting out scorching flames.

With a deafening roar, the cavalry behind them shouted:

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

The orders were relayed down the chain of command, and the first group of cavalrymen passing through the valley entrance raised their flintlock muskets in unison.

There was no need to aim; he simply pulled the trigger at the Qiang and Man people huddled together in the valley.

Bang bang bang bang bang——

In an instant, the valley entrance seemed to be celebrating the New Year, filled with smoke and flickering flames.

Dense barrages of lead bullets formed waves of barrages, whistling as they shot into the dense formation of the Qiang and Man tribes.

The bullets were incredibly fast. The Qiang soldiers had barely heard the gunshots and hadn't even figured out what was happening when they felt a chill run down their spines.

Looking down, one could see horrific bloody holes bursting open in his chest and abdomen, with fragments of organs mixed with blood splattering out.

Some people had their arms severed by lead bullets, and others had their heads explode like watermelons...

Even worse, some unlucky souls were shot multiple times, leaving them with patches of blood and gore.

After the first group of cavalry finished firing, they left the valley entrance without stopping, leaving the firing positions to their comrades who followed closely behind.

The cavalry behind them did the same without hesitation: raised their lances, aimed, fired, and moved away...

The sounds of horses' hooves and gunshots created an eerie yet rhythmic cadence.

Wave after wave of comments poured into the valley without interruption.

The Qiang and Man troops at the valley entrance fell like harvested wheat, their blood pooling into streams that flowed down the terrain.

A real river of blood!

At the same time, two Qing army units, each several hundred men strong, approached the two sides of the valley entrance under the cover of gunfire.

They did not enter the valley either, but abandoned their horses and climbed upwards on foot.

These cavalrymen did not carry flintlock muskets, but instead unloaded heavy packages, metal supports, and short, thick metal tubes from their horses.

"Quickly! Move quickly! Seize the high ground and establish mortar positions!"

These cavalrymen were all in good physical condition. Despite carrying heavy equipment, they could walk on flat ground and leap up the hillsides on both sides of the valley entrance in just a few steps.

The leading cavalry captain, panting heavily, shouted the order:

"Assemble the mortars! Set the firing data!"

"Target: The densely populated area of ​​barbarians in the valley below. Do not send out yet, wait for orders."

Only when he saw a red signal flare shooting into the sky on the other side of the hillside did he give the order:

"No need for a test shot! Ten rapid-fire rounds! Give these barbarians a good beating!"

The cavalry captain swept across the chaotic battlefield below and emphasized again: "Aim at your targets! It's better to miss the enemy than to allow a single shell to fall on the heads of the Shu army!"

"Yes, sir!" the gunners responded in unison, their hands moving even faster.

The next second, dozens of mortar shells shot into the sky, drawing an arc above the valley before rapidly falling into it!

Rumbling--

. . . . . .

On the high slope behind, Luo Yueniang watched as the Qing army cavalry swept past her own army's flanks and charged straight toward the valley entrance where the sounds of battle were deafening.

The anxiety that had been hanging in my throat finally subsided.

The bet was right!

As expected, the Qing army kept their promise; they really did come to help in the battle.

However, this relief lasted only a moment before being replaced by an even stronger competitive spirit.

Why would Luo Yueniang need to hide behind others and reap the benefits? Especially not behind the Qing army, whom she considered her enemies.

Feeling a surge of heat rush to her head, Luo Yueniang raised her gleaming silver spear, its tip pointing straight at the sky:

"Soldiers of Shu! The Qing army is already fighting on the front lines, how can we cower behind them?"

"Follow me! Overtake the Qing army and let the world see that the warriors of our Shu army are no less than anyone else!"

"Roar--"

The Shu soldiers behind him, whose morale had already been boosted by the arrival of reinforcements, were now ignited by their commander's heroic spirit and erupted in a deafening roar.

They raised their weapons and rushed towards the valley entrance like a flood.

Upon seeing this, Jie Ming frowned deeply and hurriedly spurred his horse closer: "General Luo, please wait! Our offensive has not yet fully commenced. Please wait a moment..."

Luo Yueniang looked at him, her tone somewhat unfriendly: "Does Lord Jie look down on my Shu army and think I'll hold you back later?"

"Absolutely not!" Jie Ming quickly replied, "This humble general only meant that our army's offensive this time is very different from the tactics you usually see in battle. Getting too close at this time might lead to unexpected problems!"

"Enough with the talk!" Luo Yueniang responded with a cold laugh. "I, Luo Yueniang, will remember your Qing army's assistance today."

"But one thing is one thing. On the battlefield, everyone has to rely on their own abilities. What methods does your Qing Army have? We'll see on the battlefield!"

Having said that, she ignored Jieming and spurred her horse forward like an arrow.

The figure in silver armor and white robes took the lead, galloping towards the smoke-filled valley entrance.

Jie Ming watched her retreating figure, sighed helplessly, and had no choice but to spur his horse and follow.

With high morale and full of fighting spirit, Luo Yueniang led the equally spirited Shu army and quickly rushed to the vicinity of the valley entrance.

However, the sight before her made her instinctively tighten the reins.

The warhorse reared up and let out a neigh.

The surging tide of Shu soldiers behind her seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall.

What... what kind of fighting style is this? Why does this battlefield feel so unfamiliar?!

One after another, Qing army cavalrymen roared past the valley entrance, firing bullets from their muskets into the valley.

The valley itself was like a hellish inferno!

It occasionally emitted loud bangs, as if Thor was in a rage, followed by towering flames.

The sound was like thunder from the heavens, making people's eardrums buzz and the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly.

Lead bullets rained down, and cannonballs pelted down like hail!

The Qiang and Man troops in the valley had already completely collapsed.

They cried out and ran, but they didn't know where to hide.

The crowd was like an anthill being doused with boiling water, in utter chaos.

In such a situation, let alone himself, even the Heavenly King himself wouldn't dare to rush into the valley.

Luo Yueniang, sitting on her horse, froze completely.

Why didn't the Qing army use such powerful troops sooner?

Luo Yueniang looked at Jie Ming beside her, who shrugged and said helplessly, "I already said, it's best not to rush forward right now."

Do you really think we can't beat you? We've just been letting you win all the time.

It's just disciplining a disobedient child; there's no need to go all out.