Chapter 53: Thunder Roars at Erjiang River, the Iron Cavalry Brigade Turns to Dust and Ashes

The morning of the Longdong Plateau still carried the chill of the night, with thin mist weaving like a veil among the loess ridges and mounds. Erjiang River Valley, a long and narrow gorge on the essential route from Qingyang to Wuqi and Yuancheng, appeared exceptionally tranquil in the early dawn light. Flanked by towering and steep loess cliffs eroded by wind and rain, the valley featured crisscrossing gullies that provided natural concealment and firing positions. A dirt road, beaten down by carts and horses, meandered along the bottom of the gorge, with its narrowest point allowing only three or four horsemen to ride abreast. Here was the ultimate graveyard chosen by Wang Lin and the commanders of the Independent Regiment, selected after repeated deductions and meticulous reconnaissance for the elite cavalry of Ma Hongbin.

At this moment, on both sides of this dead-silent canyon, nearly five thousand main force soldiers of the Independent Regiment—the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 4th Battalion, along with the regiment's direct artillery company and a detachment of the reconnaissance company—were crouching like dormant tigers, hidden soundlessly behind pre-constructed fortifications and natural shelters. The soldiers wore camouflage, with their rifles and artillery barrels aimed at the valley floor. Their eyes were sharp and calm, suppressing the excitement and murderous intent of an impending great battle. Days of consecutive secret night movements, construction of positions, and stealthy concealment had all been directed toward this upcoming thunderous strike.

Regiment Commander Wang Lin set up the regiment's forward command post in a cave on the north side of the canyon that offered an excellent field of vision and easy concealment, which was originally an abandoned shepherd's outpost. The cave entrance was cleverly camouflaged, while its interior was connected to all major ambush positions via telephone lines. Wang Lin raised his binoculars, scanning the ambush zone for the very last time. In his mind, the [Living Map Pro Max] system displayed the enemy and friendly tactical situations with clear blue and red light points. Their own forces resembled a red volcano gathering its energy, while the blue torrent representing the enemy troops was arrogant and unstoppable as it poured along the road on the map into this valley of death.

"Commander, final report from the reconnaissance company," Zhang Hong土 lowered his voice as he squeezed through the cave entrance. Fatigue from a long journey marked his face, but his eyes were startlingly bright. "The vanguard company of Ye Chengzhang's cavalry brigade passed our preset observation post half an hour ago. Their main force of three thousand cavalrymen, maintaining a relatively loose formation, is entering the eastern entrance of Erjiang River Valley in a marching column. It is estimated to take another quarter of an hour for the entire force to enter the ambush zone. The enemy is completely unprepared; their scouts merely rode forward a few hundred meters as a routine formality and returned without carefully searching the high ground on both sides."

"Good!" Wang Lin lowered his binoculars, a cold flash of light passing through his eyes. "Tell all battalions to keep their nerve. Without my order, no one is allowed to open fire prematurely! Let their vanguard company pass; our target is their main force! Order Liu Genshen that all artillery pieces must check their firing data one last time. I want the first wave of artillery fire to shatter their command system and the middle of their formation!"

"Understood!" The communicator immediately transmitted the order silently via telephone and simple signaling devices.

Time ticked away, second by second, each stretching out as if pulled thin. Only the sound of the wind and occasional bird calls remained in the air. In the ambush positions, the soldiers' fingers rested steadily on triggers or pull-cords, their breathing light and prolonged. At the gun positions, the gunners silently checked their sights one last time, loading the cold shells into the breeches.

Finally, a dull and dense sound of horse hooves came from afar, resembling distant summer thunder—vague at first, then growing louder and louder, eventually turning into a deafening roar that echoed throughout the Erjiang River Valley, making people's hearts tremble. Dust rose from the mouth of the valley first, followed closely by the appearance of a Blue Sky, White Sun flag around the corner. The figures of the massive cavalry force poured into the canyon like a breached flood.

The enemy cavalry column was stretched very long. The soldiers rode their horses; some were still chatting and laughing with each other, while others yawned lazily. The officers, riding better mounts, occasionally shouted from the side of the column to urge faster movement. Completely immersed in the excitement and arrogance of rapidly outflanking and surrounding the "Red Army main force," not a single person looked up to carefully observe the suspiciously quiet ridges on both sides. The vanguard company had already passed, and the force now entering the ambush zone was none other than the main column of Ye Chengzhang's brigade! In the middle section, several striking brigade and regiment-level command flags fluttered in the wind, clustered around a group of officers riding tall steeds—precisely where Brigade Commander Ye Chengzhang, Regiment Commander Ma Peiqing, and their headquarters were located!

Wang Lin's heart beat strongly. Through his binoculars, he locked his gaze firmly on that group of officers until the vast majority of them entered the predetermined core coverage area of the artillery fire. He took a deep breath, speaking into the telephone mouthpiece with a voice that was low and resolute, like an unsheathed blade: "Signal flares! Open fire!"

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" Three red signal flares soared sharply into the dawn sky with a piercing whistle, drawing three glaring blood-red streaks.

The signal flares were the command!

In an instant, the giant "pocket" of Erjiang River Valley was violently clenched and torn open by an invisible giant hand!

"Boom! Boom-boom-boom! Boom-boom——!!"

The first to speak were all the artillery pieces of Liu Genshen's artillery company! A full fourteen mortars (six 82mm mortars, eight 60mm mortars) and four sets of "Iron Tube Thunder" heavy projectors simultaneously emitted a heaven-shaking roar, operating according to pre-calculated precise firing data!

Shells and heavy explosive packs pierced the air with a deathly shriek, striking with pinpoint accuracy—as if guided by eyes—right into the enemy's densest and most vital central marching column, especially the cluster surrounding the command flags!

"Bang! Rumble——!!!"

The earth shook! A series of extremely violent and concentrated explosions instantly completely enveloped the area near Ye Chengzhang's headquarters! Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke rolling upward, carrying dirt, severed limbs, and shattered saddles and firearms to form massive deadly flowers! The intense shock wave spread wildly in all directions, tearing apart and tossing men and horses within dozens of meters as if they were made of paper!

Merely the first volley dealt a devastating blow to the enemy cavalry brigade's central command! Brigade Commander Ye Chengzhang felt a massive force strike him as his mount cried out and was blown over. He was violently thrown to the ground, his ears ringing and his vision turning black. If several close bodyguards had not desperately shielded him with their own bodies and dragged him behind a massive boulder, he would likely have been killed on the spot! Regiment Commander Ma Peiqing was in an equally wretched state; his military cap had flown off somewhere, a blood wound was sliced across his face by shrapnel, and his mount was blown to pieces. He lay on the ground, still shaken, while officers at all levels suffered heavy casualties, causing the command system to instantly collapse into paralysis!

Yet this was merely the beginning!

Almost simultaneously with the artillery barrage, countless streams of scorching fire spewed from the ridges on both sides like an erupting volcano!

"Dada-dada-dada!" "Dong-dong-dong-dong-dong!" "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A crossfire net formed by over sixty light and heavy machine guns (including the machine gun companies of various battalions and light machine guns from the infantry companies) swept fiercely down upon the enemy cavalry column, which had fallen into extreme chaos at the bottom of the valley, acting like the scythe of death! Bullets poured down like a torrential rain, so dense there was scarcely any gap. The dull roar of heavy machine guns was responsible for suppression and tearing apart formations, while the crisp continuous fire of light machine guns handled precise slaughter, interspersed with hundreds of precise rifle shots!

"Fire! Blast those bastards to hell!" Li Yunlong roared at the top of his lungs from the 4th Battalion's position, personally operating a ZB vz. 26 light machine gun and firing fiercely into the crowded enemy crowd below.

"Three-man teams! Pay attention to the rhythm! Conserve ammunition!" The shouts of the various company and platoon leaders remained clearly distinguishable amidst the deafening gunfire and explosions. The soldiers strictly executed their pre-battle training, taking turns to shoot, reload, and observe, maintaining a continuous and efficient output of firepower.

The bottom of the canyon instantly transformed into a genuine hell on earth.

The sudden and violent strike, especially the instantaneous paralysis of the command system, plunged this arrogant elite cavalry force into a destructive collapse and chaos. The horses were startled, screaming shrilly, leaping and crashing wildly, throwing their riders to the ground. Some soldiers had not yet realized what was happening when they were struck by whizzing bullets and tumbled from their saddles. Others attempted to rein in their terrified mounts, only to be dragged by the panicked beasts into the cliffside or against their comrades. A few panicked and jumped off their saddles, attempting to find cover, but the barren valley floor offered virtually no hiding spots, resulting in them being picked off one by one by the commanding fire from above. The column clustered together at the front and back, unable to advance or retreat. Human shouts and horse neighs mixed with the intense gunfire and explosions, forming a symphony of death.

"Don't panic! Don't panic! Form up! Rally to me!" Some junior officers attempted to gather the troops and organize a counterattack, but their voices were instantly drowned out, and they themselves frequently became priority targets for snipers and machine gunners, quickly being shot down.

"Mortars! Extend the range! Cover the enemy's rearguard! Cut off their retreat!" Wang Lin ordered calmly from the observation post.

Liu Genshen's artillery company immediately adjusted their firing sector, and shells rained down like hail upon the enemy rearguard attempting to retreat or not yet fully entered the ambush zone. The explosions of fire and the screams of men and horses sounded once more, completely tightening the bottom of the pocket.

"Cavalry company! Shamaerge!" Wang Lin shouted into the telephone.

"Commander! Shamaerge is here!" The suppressed, bloodthirsty excitement of the Yi ethnic warrior came through the other end of the line.

"Do you see that squad of enemy cavalry attempting to break out toward the eastern exit? About one company! I'll give you ten minutes to charge down there, crush them, and completely seal off the eastern exit! Do not let a single man or horse escape to report!"

"Understood! Cavalry company! Follow me! For the Red Army! Charge!" Shamaerge roared, vaulting onto his horse as a gleaming saber drew a cold arc in the air. One hundred and eighty Yi cavalrymen surged out like fierce tigers leaving their cages from the preset concealed breakout route, acting like a red iron current carrying an indomitable momentum to launch a fatal charge against the enemy force attempting stubborn resistance and breakout! Hoofbeats thundered and blade lights flashed, instantly crashing into the enemy formation. Sabers slashed and cavalry carbines fired, tearing that enemy force into scattered pieces with corpses littering the ground, firmly sealing the eastern exit of the canyon.

By this time, the enemy forces inside the canyon had completely collapsed, losing any organized resistance and left only with instinctual struggle and desperate howling.

"Sound the charge bugle! Everyone, fix bayonets! Charge! Eliminate the remaining enemy!" Seeing that the timing was ripe, Wang Lin issued the final order for a general offensive!

"Didi-da-dididi——!!!"

The stirring and resounding charge bugle echoed throughout the entire Erjiang River Valley, acting like the release of the final shackle binding a fierce tiger!

"Charge!"

"Kill them!"

"Surrender your weapons and you won't be killed! The Red Army treats captives well!"

In an instant, shouts of battle sounding like a roaring sea erupted from the ridges on both sides! The soldiers of the Independent Regiment rushed down the slopes like tigers descending a mountain, holding gleaming bayonets and flooding downward like a tidal wave! Commanders at all levels led the charge personally, with Li Yunlong, Huang Musheng, Zhou Zhiming, and others pushing forward at the very front.

The final battle turned into a one-sided cleanup and pursuit. Facing the fierce, tiger-like Red Army soldiers whose morale was sky-high, the enemy soldiers—already stripped of their wits and command structure—largely lost their will to resist, discarding their weapons and dropping to their knees to beg for mercy. A small handful of diehards who attempted to put up stubborn resistance using dead horses or depressions were swiftly dealt with by a few hand grenades or a round of bayonets.

Wang Lin stepped out of the command post and onto the ridge, overlooking the entire battlefield. The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated, and the air was thick with a heavy stench of blood, gunpowder, and dust. Inside the canyon, the corpses of men and horses lay piled in layers, covering the road and the trenches on both sides. Fresh blood stained the loess, forming startling pools of red in many low-lying areas. Horses that had lost their masters wandered about in terror and whinnied. Soldiers were busily collecting weapons, guarding prisoners, and rescuing both their own wounded and the enemy wounded.

"Report, Commander!" A staff officer ran over excitedly, his face stained with gunpowder smoke. "According to preliminary statistics, the main force of the enemy's Ye Chengzhang Cavalry Brigade has been basically completely annihilated! The counting of prisoners is currently underway, and it is estimated to exceed fifteen hundred men! Intact warhorses captured number no less than a thousand! Countless rifles and ammunition! Enemy Brigade Commander Ye Chengzhang and Regiment Commander Ma Peiqing managed to narrowly escape out the eastern exit, aided by a few bodyguards fighting to the death amidst the explosive smoke and chaos. Company Commander Shamaerge is in pursuit, but it is estimated to be difficult to catch them."

Wang Lin nodded, unsurprised by this outcome. Under such a flawless ambush setup, and with the enemy marching forward arrogantly and lightly, meeting a devastating defeat was inevitable. While the escape of a few high-ranking enemy officers was a minor regret, it did not affect the overall situation; their elite cavalry had already been turned to ashes.

"Order all battalions to speed up clearing the battlefield! Rescue the wounded, without distinguishing between us and them! Inventory the captures, especially the horses and communication equipment—be thorough! Lin Huowang's supply battalion and the Red Guard detachment will arrive shortly to take over. One hour from now, all battalions will immediately execute a forced march westward according to the preset plan! Target—Ma Yulin's infantry group! That battle is not yet finished!"

"Understood!" The staff officer saluted and strode away quickly.