Chapter 215: Slap, Slap, Slap

The first round of the clash between the Great Han garrison and the Kushan mounted archers could only be called a tie.

But the Kushan attack was definitely not just one round of archery while riding. When their horses ran from the east side to the western end, they almost didn’t need to stop and adjust to change their formation from rear to front.

The second round, come again!

Skilled archery on horseback and a lasting offensive.

The Kushan people could indeed crush Dayuan, India, and Parthia in Central Asia, and they did have their absolute strengths.

As the second volley of arrows flew past, this group of archers almost at the same time increased their firing angle by another small amount.

This was the power of the Kushan cavalry!

Their battle experience, which had soaked into their bones, allowed them to make attack adjustments freely during a fight. And such a tiny change was yet another challenge for the defending Han soldiers.

The “clang, clang” sound of impacts still rang out. At the same time, many arrows were now skimming over the top of the shields and falling down heavily.

It was like many irregular parabolas, reaching their highest point at the top of the shields before plunging down at a steep angle.

If only one Han soldier hid behind each large shield, this kind of shooting would not affect the defending soldiers much. But right now, there were two to three people behind each large shield. The soldier squatting at the back could hardly hide his body.

“Rattan Armor Soldiers, raise your shields again!”

Facing this situation, Li Ji also did not have many options. Fortunately, this time Mo Xiaobai had brought all his resources into the Instance. Several hundred Rattan Armor Soldiers raised their Rattan Armor shields over their heads. They could barely cover a large area.

But this kind of protection was no longer absolute Defense.

When arrows pierced into the bodies of the soldiers, stifled groans and cries of pain rang out on the City Wall from time to time.

“Injured soldiers fall back, and the rest continue to hold the position!”

After the second volley of arrows flew past, grabbing the brief gap, Li Ji immediately ordered the injured soldiers to retreat for treatment. Although the so-called treatment was just simple wound cleaning and bandaging.

This was even thanks to Mo Xiaobai bringing medicine to the Instance. Otherwise, even the most common topical medicine would be a rare and missing item in the Western Regions.

As the last few injured soldiers moved away, the third volley of arrows came again. Since some soldiers had already left, the result of the third Kushan volley was not large. Only a dozen or so soldiers had injured arms.

“Hahaha~~ Those useless Han people, their soldiers dare not attack at all.”

The Kushan War General Paka looked at his men showing off their strength, with a face full of satisfied laughter: “In less than an incense stick of time, after two more rounds of shooting, they will collapse.”

“Not bad. Han people are just like that. They dare not even counterattack. It seems we can claim the first merit this time,” the Main General beside him nodded in satisfaction. He seemed to already see the picture of himself leading his troops into the Wang City while the Han people knelt and begged for mercy.

Just as they were exchanging words in their smugness, the fourth round of shooting began.

Just like before, there was no sign of any Han Army resistance.

The Han Army didn’t even fire a single arrow!

Next came the fifth round.

After five consecutive rounds of archery while riding, not only the distant Kushan General, but even the three thousand Mounted Archers who were fighting had realized it.

The Han Army was just a group of turtles who dared not fight!

Defeating such an enemy was truly no fun at all.

They rode past like it was a routine duty and then made a standard throwing posture. This group of Kushan cavalry didn’t even bother to look at the situation on the City Wall. In their hearts, the Han Army was like a group of cowards with no threat.

However, at this very moment, Li Ji’s eyes suddenly flashed with fierce light.

Having been beaten down for five rounds, he was also very angry.

Watching the Mounted Archers riding out from outside the city, slowing down and completely unguarded, Li Ji pressed his right hand down hard: “Archers, charge out!”

“Swish, swish, swish, swish!”

When Li Ji’s order spread across the City Wall, the Great Han Archers who had been suppressed and not allowed to counterattack stood up immediately.

Their bows in hand were already pulled into full circles.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~”

The Archers on the City Wall all attacked at once. Hundreds of flying arrows immediately flew over the city wall.

This scene was completely unexpected by the Kushan cavalry.

The Han Army, which had always been hiding without moving, suddenly launched a sharp counterattack. Furthermore, regarding shooting accuracy, the stationary Han Army shooting was even more precise than their moving throwing.

The archery cavalry without iron shell protection, under this unexpected counterattack, had more than a hundred cavalrymen fall from their horses. The number of injured was even over two hundred.

Falling from a galloping herd of horses was no different from death. As for the injured cavalry, if they forced themselves to fight, they certainly could not be as free as before.

One counterattack by the Han Army had disabled one-tenth of this three thousand Mounted Archer force.

“Good!”

Seeing the Archers break the enemy and achieve merit, Mo Xiaobai immediately shouted loudly: “War drums, make them even louder for me to celebrate my Han sons!”

“Bang~”

“Bang~”

“Bang, bang, bang~”

When the war drums echoed on the City Wall again, excited looks appeared on the faces of the many defending soldiers.

Being beaten down, it did not matter.

Hiding temporarily, it did not matter either.

But as long as the Han Army blades and bows are drawn and strings pulled, there will surely be enemy troops falling before us.

“Attack!”

“Attack!”

“Attack!”

For a moment, the suppressed morale of the Han Army due to the five rounds of throwing gradually gathered together again.

“They… are counterattacking right now?”

Outside the city, in the Kushan cavalry formation, Paka’s smug face froze for a moment. He had just said he could break the enemy, but a while later he was slapped in the face by the Han Army. It was simply a “slap, slap” sound.

Because looking at the Battle Loss ratio between the two sides, it seemed his own men suffered more casualties.

Five rounds of archery while riding were actually not enough to beat even one counterattack by the Han Army!

Paka’s face was now turning green then white. The Kushan Main General’s face was no better. He frowned and spoke: “Your men were too careless.”

“The defending Han General must also be a general skilled in cavalry warfare. He understood that after so many rounds of running back and forth, the speed of the horses would slow down. The Han people seized this opportunity.”

Another War General next to him then spoke up, turning sideways to look at Paka: “Call your men back. They are not suitable for launching attacks anymore.”

Paka already felt his face burning hot. Hearing these words, he immediately stared his eyes: “If my men are not good, are yours then?”

“At least my warriors will not be as stupid as them.”

“Balu, say those words again!”

Paka was now about to explode. But before the two Vice Generals could argue further, the Kushan Main General spoke up: “No need to argue. It seems this city cannot be taken with mounted archery directly. Let our Infantry go to the battlefield.”

“Hmph!”

Paka snorted hearing this, then turned around to order his troops to withdraw.

At the same time, Balu began to move the rear units of the entire legion formation.

A Kushan soldier flipped off his horse and moved the siege equipment, which was being dragged by several horses, toward the City Wall.

After the Mounted Archers withdrew, the Siege War followed immediately.