Iron Dynasty Chapter 1020

Amid the forested mountains, Feng Dongjin peered closely through his binoculars.

It wasn't long before he spotted a figure that looked like a general right in the midst of the Cossack forces, commanding the soldiers to rearrange their positions. The troops nearby followed his directives without the slightest hesitation, and what stood out most was how his uniform differed from those of typical Tsarist Russian officers, showing that he commanded immense respect in the ranks.

Thus, he glanced back at the regimental commander next to him and instructed, “Have your soldiers target the one with the gold stripes on his shoulder. Eliminate him.”

Feng Dongjin was singling out Kasimov. Amid the turmoil, his men shielded him at the center, keeping him safe from the crossfire on either side and the brutal melee at the flanks.

With his security mostly assured, he swiftly started coordinating a retaliation. He never dreamed that the Cossack forces, usually unbeatable, would get caught in an ambush here and hammered so badly they couldn't strike back.

As he issued frantic commands, a burst of gunfire rang out suddenly, and the men around him cried out before collapsing in piles.

A chill sweat drenched Kasimov’s back. He had been on the verge of ordering an assault on the flanking woods, aiming to smash through Gubat’s savage horsemen.

This turn of events left him unwilling to waste more time. He bellowed, “Storm the woods, slaughter the Great Yu fighters within!”

On his command, the trapped cavalry in the middle divided sharply: some surged toward the eastern woods, others toward the western ones. They plunged into the trees like frenzied beasts.

A hundred meters gave the horsemen plenty of room to build speed. Wielding their sabers, the Cossack riders thundered into the woods at a blistering pace.

Feng Dongjin’s spirits dropped. He had slightly misjudged the wild bravery of these Cossack horsemen. Luckily, the woods now concealed them. An open-field assault would have inflicted devastating losses.

For the moment, at least, the trees acted as barriers to halt the mounted rush.

“Ula!”

As soon as they burst into the woods, the Cossack riders yelled together, slashing with their blades.

The imperial troops, spotting this, swiftly evaded. As riders themselves, they well understood what a charging steed could do on impact.

Yet the Cossack onslaught came fast, and a few imperial soldiers couldn't dodge in time, getting trampled by thundering hooves or slashed by sweeping sabers.

In this short clash, the rifle-mounted troops started taking losses.

“Kill them!” Feng Dongjin yanked the pistol from his belt and shot at an oncoming Cossack rider.

The struck rider wailed and tumbled from his mount, tumbling across the ground before going still.

Meanwhile, the trees slowed the Cossack charge's force, with the horses halting just short of the trunks.

Deprived of their momentum, the riders lost their edge. The imperial forces reloaded steadily and shot, dropping the Cossacks from their saddles one by one.

Still, the Cossack horsemen displayed remarkable savagery. Several leaped down, pulling out their stubby guns for a firefight or rushing forward with sabers for brutal close combat against the imperials.

Suddenly, the woods rang with cries of “Ula” and fierce war yells.

As the brutal skirmish unfolded in the trees, Kasimov urgently directed his men to hammer Gubat’s troops with everything they had, desperate to force an opening.

This stemmed from the fact that the Great Yu Empire’s blocking cavalry, guarding their escape, posed an even deadlier threat. These disciplined riders were now mercilessly cutting down his forces. If they got pinned, escape would be impossible.

“Push forward!” Kasimov yelled once more, amid nonstop booms. He whipped his head toward the noise, only to witness a swarm of dark, rod-shaped items arcing straight at him.

In that instant, Kasimov’s pulse nearly froze, for the thick barrage of explosives offered no escape, and their swift fall left evasion out of reach.

In his final moments, he felt his body lift skyward, with his nearby soldiers soaring alongside. Blood sprayed in a crimson mist, splattering everywhere on the earth.

Witnessing the fall of the Tsarist Russian general, Feng Dongjin let out a deep breath of relief. Though the Cossack rush had sown disorder among them, he hadn’t overlooked this key Russian officer.

Capture the head to rout the body—he had guided a thousand men through waves of Cossack defiance to finally dispatch him with a hail of grenades.

With the Tsarist Russian leader gone, he kept watching the battlefield. Sure enough, the Cossacks grew even more disorganized after their general’s demise.

While some Tsarist Russian officers still managed their squads, no central authority remained.

Grasping the moment, Feng Dongjin called out, “Your commander is dead, surrender quickly!”

On hearing Feng Dongjin’s cry, the rifle cavalry echoed it, yelling, “Your commander is dead, surrender quickly…”

“The commander is dead, surrender quickly.” The chorus swelled, reverberating across the valley.

From a elevated spot at the valley’s south end, Qi Guangyi surveyed the whole fight. The shouts brought a faint smile to his face.

Back in military academy, picking up basic foreign phrases was required, particularly ones like “surrender now,” “lay down arms and survive,” and “your leader is dead.”

Such key expressions covered numerous nations, Tsarist Russia included. In the forces, troops were drilled on them too, all for battlefield use.

“Launch the full assault!”

The resounding calls in the valley signaled the Tsarist Russian leader’s end, and without coordinated leadership, the Cossack riders would surely descend into turmoil.

As anticipated, some Cossack horsemen discarded their arms and ceased combat, while the defiant ones couldn’t hold against the rifle cavalry and Gubat’s onslaught. Before long, the valley clash tipped decisively.

The intense fight dragged on from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon. Finally, the battlefield gunfire faded away.

This engagement spanned four hours. The Cossacks suffered near-total destruction, with just a handful opting to yield.

Dismounting at the battlefield’s heart, Qi Guangyi spotted Gubat approaching. Gubat slid off his horse, gripping a curved blade, his form marked with gore.

Looming over Kasimov’s remains, Gubat lifted his scimitar and severed the head, hoisting it aloft. With venom, he declared, “It’s a pity I couldn’t slay this wretch myself!”

Qi Guangyi’s eyes shifted westward. Calmly, he replied, “But you’ll get your shot at Dolgor.”

Gubat’s gaze ignited. He responded, “Indeed, Dolgor awaits. General Qi, Dolgor must be expecting Kasimov’s return right now.”

“Exactly. So we’ll hit them with a dusk ambush when shadows blur faces. For now, swap into Cossack rider gear and serve up a special supper.”