Over ten thousand Lúzhōu soldiers rushed to the battlefield, and with the support of Liáng Xiāo's troops, the huíhuí catapults and three-bow bed crossbows were transported to the center of the circular formation.
The cavalry, diverted to tie down Zhuó Yīng's Jiāozhōu allied army, failed to prevent this force from joining Liáng Xiāo's ranks.
The Jiāozhōu forces had already suffered over twenty thousand casualties, leaving them with less than eighty thousand troops. Facing Liáng Xiāo's fifty thousand, they no longer held an absolute numerical advantage.
Ten three-bow bed crossbows, along with Shenwǔ siege cannons, were deployed in the center of the circular formation.
Ten huíhuí catapults were positioned three hundred paces away from the battlefield.
Simultaneously, the enemy's seven ballistae finally found an opportunity and fired their first volleys of stone projectiles.
"Boom!!"
A single stone projectile struck two heavy pikemen, instantly crushing them into a bloody pulp.
The heavy shield bearers in front were hit by six stone projectiles, resulting in nine casualties. The heavy shield bearers behind immediately filled the gaps left by their fallen comrades, their hearts filled with grief and anger.
"Fire large stone projectiles first!"
Liáng Xiāo gave the order. The huíhuí catapults were finally loaded with projectiles and counterweights, and the three-bow bed crossbows began their first stringing.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ten stone projectiles, each weighing a hundred jin, flew into the distance, smashing into the most densely packed area of the enemy's heavy infantry. Each projectile crushed three to four heavy infantry soldiers on the spot, and dust billowed from the ground.
One ballista was unexpectedly hit by a stone projectile from a huíhuí catapult and shattered into pieces.
The Tianrì clan's heavy infantry, whose deaths were the most gruesome, were embedded three feet into the ground with their armor by the huíhuí catapults!
"This is more terrifying than ballistae?!"
Alexander, using the terrain to his advantage, managed to get a rough view of the situation on the ground, his breath catching.
Previously, the Great Gan Dynasty's trebuchets were used for city defense, leveraging the advantage of walls and height. Thus, he had been unable to determine which was more powerful, the ballistae or these trebuchets.
At this moment, he was finally certain that the military equipment research of the Tianrì clan had taken a wrong turn.
They should have focused on developing this type of stone projection!
"No! That can't be called a trebuchet anymore, it should be called a catapult!"
He saw clearly that the projectiles launched by those trebuchets were larger, yet their range was greater!
Furthermore, this stone projection seemed to rely on levers to launch stones, making it far more practical than torsion ballistae. The only disadvantage was that loading and firing speed were slower than torsion ballistae, as counterweights were required.
"Quickly order the ballistae to destroy the enemy's catapults! Otherwise, our army will surely be defeated!!"
Alexander's urgent roar jolted Xiāo Chè awake: "Catapults?"
Xiāo Chè, disregarding the safety of the ballistae, immediately dispatched men to move the ballistae closer to the huíhuí catapult units.
Only six ballistae remained, and every loss meant one less.
Just then, the arrows from the three-bow bed crossbows also tore through the air from afar.
An arrow pierced through the heavy shield in front of a ballista and directly pinned a heavy infantry soldier to the ground!
The ballista crew, witnessing the fate of this heavy infantryman, felt a chill down their spines. Gritting their teeth, they prepared to reload when they heard the sound of cannon fire from afar.
A solid iron shot hurtled forward, instantly destroying one ballista, while other solid iron shots killed the scorpion crossbowmen advancing in the vicinity!
The Jiāozhōu allied army's ballistae were reduced to a mere five!
Liáng Xiāo also noticed the enemy's ballistae moving towards the direction of the huíhuí catapults' stone projection. He understood immediately and ordered: "Huíhuí catapults retreat one hundred paces, switch to smaller stone projectiles!"
The huíhuí catapult crews unhesitatingly moved the catapults, retreating to the side of the Shenwǔ siege cannons and switching to fifty-jin stone projectiles.
With Liáng Xiāo's approval, a group of strongmen swung iron hammers, dismantling some of the square stone projectiles weighing over a hundred jin into several pieces.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The levers remained the same, but the weight of the stone projectiles was halved. Even with the increased speed leading to greater air resistance, those projectiles still flew over a li, crushing a large number of enemy heavy infantry.
Two more ballistae were simultaneously hit by stone projectiles from two huíhuí catapults, shattering into pieces!
Only three ballistae remained!
The last three ballistae fired simultaneously, successfully killing five Great Gan heavy shield bearers.
However, the Great Gan Dynasty's heavy shield bearers had three layers of defense, and even the heavy pikemen carried heavy shields for rotation and steadfast defense. The line was maintained in an orderly fashion, without causing any commotion.
In contrast, the Jiāozhōu allied army, under the concentrated fire of the huíhuí catapults, Shenwǔ siege cannons, and three-bow bed crossbows, finally began to experience localized disintegration of morale.
Especially in the "disaster zone" of the huíhuí catapults, a large number of heavy shield bearers were forced to retreat, causing panic among the heavy pikemen and archers behind them.
These heavy shield bearers, having endured a prolonged stalemate, were already exhausted. The stones from the huíhuí catapults were larger and more visually impactful than the solid iron balls from the Shenwǔ siege cannons, finally shattering their resolve.
No one wished to be smashed into a pulp, or be shot in half by demonic iron balls and colossal arrows comparable in size to spears!
The localized battlefield defeat was triggering a chain reaction.
"Push forward with the disciplinary troops! Attack from all sides, and kill Liáng Xiāo first!!" Xiāo Chè, both shocked and enraged, immediately ordered his troops to halt their retreat.
He had initially considered withdrawing, but seeing the terrifying power displayed by the Great Gan Dynasty's weaponry, his determination to kill Liáng Xiāo only strengthened.
If Liáng Xiāo is not eliminated, there will be no peace.
Xiāo Chán was also stamping his feet in fury on the spot, personally stepping forward to execute a deserter.
"No retreat! Drive them forward with fierce attacks, the enemy's momentum is waning!!"
At this moment, Xiāo Chán had become hysterical.
The Jiāozhōu allied army could only brace themselves and advance.
"Rumble!"
Under Liáng Xiāo's arrangement, the Shenwǔ siege cannons prioritized targeting the ballistae, but were divided into two groups, with five cannons targeting each ballista position. This volley successfully destroyed two!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."
The stone projectiles from the huíhuí catapults rained down, sequentially hitting the remaining ballistae.
All fifteen ballistae of the Jiāozhōu allied army were destroyed by the Great Gan weaponry on the battlefield that day!
With the threat of ballistae removed, the pressure on the outer Great Gan Town Guards significantly decreased, and their morale soared.
The archers and Great Gan bows could then draw their bows with peace of mind, their arrows flying like locusts.
The two armies engaged, their battle lines stretching for several li.
However, more and more Jiāozhōu troops were being dispersed by the Great Gan warriors, their morale gradually collapsing, eventually scattering and fleeing.
Disorganized and defeated!
"Do not retreat until Liáng Xiāo is dead! Disciplinary troops, press the attack! Kill Liáng Xiāo and I will reward one million taels of silver!!"
The one-armed Xiāo Chán could no longer hold back. He spurred his horse forward, roaring everywhere, leading his personal guards in killing deserters. Liáng Xiāo, observing from a distance, saw him.
Liáng Xiāo's killing intent flared. He picked up the Sunset Bow beside him, drew the string, and nocked an arrow.
"Swoosh..."
An arrow tore through the air, heading straight for Xiāo Chán, three hundred paces away.
However, at such a distance, even the Dragon Fang Arrow could not guarantee accuracy.
"Ugh!"
Under everyone's horrified gaze, the caught-off-guard Xiāo Chán's left calf was severed by an arrow!
"What?!"
Everyone was greatly alarmed and quickly carried the screaming Xiāo Chán back to their main force.
"My Lord! The young master has been wounded by an enemy arrow!"
Xiāo Chè looked at his son's pale face, his left calf still bleeding through the bandages. He said with grief and indignation, "Who shot the arrow!"
Everyone immediately retrieved the Dragon Fang Arrow. It surprisingly bore the regular script inscription of the Marquis of Dingguo's residence.
【Designated for Liáng Xiāo, Marquis of Ān Guó, Great Gan】
"Did Liáng Xiāo shoot this?!" Xiāo Chè's vision went black, and he spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
His troops hadn't even seen Liáng Xiāo's shadow, yet his son's calf had been shot off?
Xiāo Chán, who had been enduring the severe pain, was instantly enraged by the news. A cry of pain escaped him, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
"Father, if this revenge is not taken, I will not die in peace..."
Just as Xiāo Chè was immersed in his grief, shouts of battle could be heard from the east. An urgent report from a messenger brought a glimmer of hope.
"My Lord, Marshal Jiànběi's troops are rushing towards this location!"