Iron Dynasty Chapter 1025

“Zanpu, look, the thing above our heads is still there.”

Dengba pointed to a dark speck up in the sky as he spoke. His vision had always been sharp, and over these recent days, he'd constantly spot such black spots drifting over them.

Zaxi Donzhu kept a wary eye on the cavalry ahead. With irritation in his voice, he snapped, “Fool, haven’t you gone on enough about this lately? Focus now and handle the foes right in front of us.”

Dengba rubbed his head at those words, unable to resist glancing up at the object overhead once more. After that, he finally directed the cavalry forward, arranging them in formation to confront the enemy riders ahead.

As Dengba departed, Zaxi Donzhu's forehead creased deeply. He'd started this mission brimming with assurance, yet lately, odd occurrences kept cropping up around him.

Though he'd berated Dengba, Zaxi felt his own anxiety stirring over that presence in the sky.

That anxiety soon turned real. Right when Dengba prepared to launch the assault, a massive blast erupted out of nowhere.

“Rumble…”

Blossoms of fire erupted one by one amid the horsemen. Those caught in the blasts tumbled down in clusters instantly. Zaxi then watched as troops from his ranks soared upward amid green fumes, only to crash back down as mangled body parts. They had no clue what struck them.

Meanwhile, up in the hot air balloon overhead, a pair of soldiers chuckled heartily. The recent detonation was their handiwork. During their scouting run, they'd been equipped with explosives.

In case of combat, they were to seize any chance, and this moment fit perfectly. Thus, they hurled the bombs downward sequentially.

Feng Dongjin stood there in shock, gazing skyward with a wry grin.

The unexpected bomb assault left the Tibetan horsemen in utter panic. Their mounts bolted wildly every which way, hurling many riders to the ground where they got crushed under stamping hooves. Their lines fell into total disorder.

The perfect chance had arrived. Feng Dongjin commanded, “Everyone, charge!”

At his order, the rifle-equipped cavalry urged their steeds onward toward the Tibetan forces. Once within carbine range, they unleashed a volley.

“Bang bang bang…” A barrage of shots echoed sharply. The terrified Tibetan warriors toppled into bloody pools without grasping the cause, leaving Zaxi paralyzed with fear on the spot.

“What’s happening, what’s happening?” Zaxi whispered in dread. Troops kept dying horribly right before his eyes. The cries and sprays of gore surrounding him plunged him into a nightmarish abyss.

Witnessing Zaxi's condition, Dengba abandoned all restraint. He yanked his horse around and bolted rearward. By now, their forces had lost all order. This unearthly manner of death had terrified them to their core, souls fleeing their bodies.

In their faith, it resembled divine retribution, something only a deity could unleash.

The Tibetan troops crumbled on first clash, leaving Feng Dongjin both entertained and exasperated. Though tempted to chase the routing enemy, a recollection made him call off the pursuit.

“Chief Scribe, why hold back from chasing?” one general inquired, confused.

“Luo Xin and the Commander planned it this way. Our role is just to push the Tibetans off. The task of truly terrifying them falls to the Southwest Army.”

The officers sighed with disappointment upon hearing that, since a chase would have slain countless more Tibetan fighters.

Meanwhile, Dengba and Zaxi guided their routed troops back toward the highlands, oblivious to the fatal snare awaiting them on their return route.

On the third day, believing they'd evaded the Great Yu Empire's forces and could return safely, another wave of blasts thundered forth.

This round differed vastly, with far greater quantity and intensity— a hundredfold fiercer. Casualties mounted in a flash.

“Free fire.” Perched on elevated ground, Luo Xin tracked the Tibetans' actions. After the artillery barrage scattered them, he signaled his men to shoot.

Obeying, the prone soldiers rose abruptly and rained bullets from above onto the disordered Tibetan ranks.

Now the Tibetan fighters realized they'd walked into a Great Yu Empire ambush, heightening their horror, as the enemies' arms defied comprehension. A mere spark, and dozens would drop.

Then the machine gun unit reached its spot and unleashed on the retreating Tibetans.

“Dah dah dah…”

The running soldiers toppled like harvested grain. To the empire's troops, it was pure dominance. As Luo Xin anticipated, superior arms nullified sheer numbers. Facing 100,000 with 20,000 meant effortless slaughter.

Luo Xin observed via field glasses from his post. In his view, victory was sealed here. Cleanup of prisoners remained. He'd expected a tougher fight, but this ease astonished him. Weapon superiority crushed the Tibetans' manpower edge entirely.

An hour passed, shots fading from rapid to occasional. Luo Xin knew the fight was over. Soon, a division head reported, “General, all surviving Tibetans have yielded, and their Zanpu is dead.”

“Dead?” Luo Xin regretted it slightly. Capturing him alive would have earned merit, but no such luck.

“The chaos made it impossible to identify their Zanpu, plus they all wore alike garb,” the commander replied warily, fearing Luo Xin's ire. Seeing none, he added, “Commander, how to handle these captives?”

After pondering, Luo Xin declared, “Select a senior officer to carry our message back. Tell them: surrender within a month, or face total annihilation. The others, haul them all in.”

“Yes, Commander!” The division head saluted and departed.

He soon spotted Dengba among the prisoners. Upon learning Dengba's status in Tibet, the commander escorted him to Luo Xin.

For this campaign, Luo Xin had lined up interpreters for Tibetan tongue and script. He had them draft his ultimatum for Dengba to relay.

Dengba, terrified beyond measure, complied without question. Clutching the empire's decree, he raced back into the plateau's heart.