Chapter 1157: Roman Eagle Standard

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! A series of bowstrings twanged as Guo Si and Fan Chou, flanking from both sides, unleashed their arrows simultaneously, targeting the Roman spear formation directly facing Li Jue.

Almost at the same moment, Canasius’s longbowmen, who had been holding back, released a volley aimed straight at Li Jue, following the universal military tactic of targeting the leader to break the enemy's morale.

As the rain of arrows shot out, the Roman soldiers in front of Li Jue fell like cut wheat, creating a gap in the spear formation. However, the arrows from the longbowmen only managed to pierce the armor of the Western Liang Cavalry. Apart from a few who were struck in the face and fell from their horses, most of them remained mounted.

Renowned for their prowess in close-quarters combat, the Western Liang Cavalry had faced countless volleys of arrows from longbowmen in the Central Plains and had emerged victorious time and again. Moreover, the two hundred heavy cavalry led by Li Jue were clad in double-layered armor.

As the Roman soldiers fell like grass under a scythe, Li Jue led the charge into the gap, followed closely by Guo Si and Fan Chou, who tore open another breach near Li Jue’s position. Every soldier gripped their long spears tightly and discarded their crossbows.

As Li Jue plunged into the disordered ranks of Roman soldiers, a concentrated barrage of arrows rained down on his men. Letting out a thunderous roar, Li Jue ignored the incoming arrows, allowing them to strike his armor, and hurled his short spear with all his might.

Propelled by his galloping warhorse and the strength of his throw, the short spear flew nearly thirty paces before crashing down, penetrating shields and piercing the bodies behind them.

At the same time, the Roman heavy infantry began launching their own spears. However, their formation had already been disrupted by Li Jue’s earlier crossbow barrage, and they were further delayed by the preceding spear attack. As a result, their spear volleys were scattered and disorganized.

Despite the chaos, the Roman army was not composed solely of heavy infantry. Veteran soldiers, hardened by countless battles, quickly adapted to the situation and commanded the longbowmen to fire indiscriminately, even at the risk of hitting their own men. In such desperate moments, sacrificing a few to eliminate the enemy was deemed the best strategy.

"Left flank and right flank, retreat diagonally toward the center!" Canasius barked out the first order to contract the formation as soon as he grasped the front-line situation. "Noble cavalry, circle around and strike from the rear!"

Canasius was not one to take a beating without retaliation. Even if he couldn’t completely annihilate this Han Empire elite force, he intended to leave them with a lasting impression.

The Western Liang Cavalry’s long spears skewered one Roman soldier after another. They successfully pierced through the sixty-pace-deep Roman formation, and as they emerged from the other side, Li Jue laughed aloud, realizing something crucial: the strongest Roman soldiers were stationed at the front.

When they collided with the second line of Roman heavy infantry, the six-pace gap between the formations gave Li Jue and his men a moment to catch their breath.

"Drop the spears, switch to horse-cutting blades!" Guo Si and Fan Chou laughed as they tossed aside their blood-soaked, spear-laden weapons and drew their prepared horse-cutting blades. The long handles and massive blades were gripped tightly in both hands, and they began slashing wildly.

The Roman soldiers fought in groups of five, thrusting their spears at the Western Liang cavalry’s horses. As the two sides clashed, several cavalrymen were unseated, but those who broke through the first line of defense hurled their second short spears as they discarded their lances.

With a fierce battle cry, Li Jue swung his horse-cutting blade, cleaving through the Roman heavy infantry captain, and ripped off the first layer of his armor, which had been riddled with arrows. His movements instantly became much more agile.

"All soldiers, charge with me!" Li Jue shouted, feeling the shift in momentum. The Roman formation had placed its strongest soldiers at the front, but after breaking through that line, Li Jue realized the second wave of troops was weaker. His fellow Western Liang Cavalrymen, who had also pierced through the initial defenses, quickly recognized this as well.

As the cavalry slashed their way forward with horse-cutting blades, they managed to sever yet another Roman eagle standard. However, by this point, the cavalry had begun to suffer casualties. With the Roman wings closing in from both sides, the Western Liang Cavalry found it increasingly difficult to maneuver.

Thud! An arrow struck Fan Chou, knocking him off his horse. Within a few breaths, he had remounted, though his chestplate had been shattered.

"Hmm..." The centurion guarding the eagle standard beside Canasius frowned as he observed Fan Chou from several hundred paces away. Despite the distance and the weakening of the attack by the layers of protective qi, the centurion had expected the arrow to kill the enemy general. Yet, Fan Chou quickly got back on his horse after falling.

"General, I intend to use the eagle standard to annihilate this Han force," the eagle standard-bearer said to Canasius.

"Do it!" Canasius didn’t hesitate. He had already realized that defeating the Western Liang Cavalry was no easy task, especially if the cavalry decided to retreat.

The centurion lifted the eagle standard with a fervent shout. In that moment, a radiant glow resembling eagle wings swept across the entire legion, infusing every Roman soldier’s weapons and armor with a bright sheen. Simultaneously, the Romans entered a state of heightened battle frenzy.

Shlunk! Three Roman heavy infantrymen attacked a Western Liang cavalryman—two speared the horse’s belly, while the third thrust at the rider. Before the cavalryman could react, he was thrown from his horse. However, relying on years of battlefield experience, he quickly rolled to the side, dodging the incoming spears.

"Die!" Roaring with fury, the dismounted cavalryman sprang to his feet, wielding his seven-foot-long horse-cutting blade, and swiftly decapitated one of the shorter Roman soldiers. In chaotic close combat, height and size were always an advantage. The chaotic warfare of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods had long weeded out the short and weak in China.

As soon as the Roman soldiers displayed this strange new power, Li Jue realized something was amiss. He didn’t know exactly what that eagle standard represented, but he knew the Romans wouldn’t be using it for fun in such a critical situation.

In the next instant, the surge in Roman combat strength made it clear to Li Jue: it was a legion talent. That eagle standard was equivalent to a manifestation of a legion talent, something that had always been a bitter regret for him and his comrades. Without enough qi, they could never form a legion talent, and as commanders, they lacked that critical advantage.

Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou were all more skilled at leading cavalry than even the famous Hua Xiong had been in the past. Yet Hua Xiong had surpassed them completely due to his mastery of legion talents, while they were still stuck at simply using their protective qi for defense. Achieving a legion talent had become an unattainable dream for them.

"Even an inanimate object can possess such power. Why can’t I?!" Li Jue’s warhorse reared up, stabbed by a fearless Roman soldier. As his mount threatened to throw him off, Li Jue’s face twisted with rage. That eagle standard, that symbol of the Roman legion’s power, was a constant reminder of his deepest frustration—his inability to form a legion talent.

"Crush them!" Li Jue shouted as he forced his horse back down, pressing it into the fray. As its front hooves crushed the chest of a Roman heavy infantryman, a crisp sound rang out, and a radiant glow spread over the Western Liang Cavalry.

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