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#379 - Chapter 113: Horses Trampling the Holy Temple (VII)

In reality, people's impressions of crossbowmen are often misled by movies, TV dramas, and games, assuming that archers are easily defeated once melee units approach. However, this notion is inaccurate in the real world. "Five-step face shooting" is not a unique tactic of the Eight Banner Army; the Central Plains and northern foreign tribes during the Qin and Han dynasties had already mastered it.

In fact, after infantrymen laboriously crossed the rain of arrows, paying a heavy price, they finally rushed to the archers. However, at this point, the crossbowmen would throw away their crossbows, pick up battle axes, and fearlessly meet the enemy's charge.

Actually, since the Warring States period, ancient Chinese generals have always expected crossbowmen to possess the ability to be "capable at both long and short ranges." This meant they could not only shoot from a distance but also be effective in close combat. This requirement wasn't excessive because the large muscle groups needed for drawing a crossbow and engaging in melee combat are the same set. Strong arm strength, well-developed back muscles, and good balance and coordination are essential. Therefore, someone who can draw a heavy bow and crossbow must be able to carry a spear, wear heavy armor, and wield a hammer and battle axe with fierce power.

Therefore, a well-trained crossbowman should master both ranged attack and close combat skills. However, the number of high-quality soldiers is limited, leading to competition between crossbowmen and melee combat units for strong men. Fortunately, the cost of bows and arrows is extremely high. The expensive part isn't the arrowhead itself because once an arrowhead is cast, it can be used for several years or even more than a decade. What's truly expensive are the arrow shafts and fletching, which can usually only be used once or twice before being discarded. Moreover, not all arrow shafts are perfectly straight and require manual correction and straightening. Therefore, there are only a few historically famous armies, and their numbers are relatively small.

When some horse archers ran out of arrows, they quickly drew their sabers, connected them to long poles, and instantly formed long-handled war blades. Then, they spurred their horses forward, joining the battlefield with a commanding advantage.

At this moment, the Cult's armed forces could no longer withstand the army's attack, and the zeal of faith could no longer prevent the collapse of morale. Finally, someone took the lead in throwing down their weapons and fleeing, and this rout spread like a contagious disease among the crowd.

The Great Sparrow, dragging his injured leg, ordered the remaining Cult warriors to retreat to the Great Sept, and two Holy Sword Knights supported him in retreat.

The battle, from the moment Liu Yuan's army stepped into the Marble Square, lasted only a little over an hour. However, the Seven Gods Church suffered heavy losses, with more than half of the Holy Sword Knights killed and the Star Warriors reduced to less than five hundred.

The 'Poor People's Assembly' fanatics suffered the most casualties. They charged to the front, had no armor protection, and only a little over a thousand followed the retreating forces back to the Great Sept. They retreated into the building and immediately used debris to block the doors. The Baelor Great Sept, after three hundred years of renovation, is a complex with three main halls and twenty auxiliary buildings.

Liu Yuan's army was still clearing out the remaining soldiers outside, and most of the soldiers were searching the buildings below. They had not yet launched an attack on the Sept, giving the Church some time to breathe.

Seeing that the battle was settled, Liu Yuan knew it would take a long time to clear the thousands of houses on Visenya's Hill by sending troops to investigate step by step. As for the Church members hiding in the Sept, they were already fish on the chopping board. He turned to the adjutant beside him and ordered, "Send people to clear the battlefield and treat our wounded. After attacking the Sept, search for those imprisoned by the Church and release them all. As for the others... drag them outside and finish them off, do not harm the Silent Sisters, if there are any living nuns, lock them up first."

Then, his gaze fell on Beckett and the others: "Beckett, wait here for a moment, I'm going to deal with some hidden dangers."

Liu Yuan said to the officer, "Take me to the cellar! It's time to deal with those things too." Then, Liu Yuan rode his warhorse towards a small path.

……………………………………

On the White Sword Tower, the view here is excellent. Using the Myrish lens, a large part of the battle taking place in the Marble Square can be observed.

Cersei's hand, gripping the telescope, was strained with bulging veins, unable to suppress the excitement in her heart. This was a scene she had dreamed of seeing. The sensory stimulation caused her face to flush, and her body trembled slightly!

Margaery also felt extremely relieved, after all, she had been imprisoned in the dungeon for as long as a month and a half, which was longer than Cersei's initial imprisonment. And her eventual escape relied on her intelligence and maneuvering with the Great Sparrow, successfully stabilizing the Church. Now, she was secretly plotting her revenge. However, when she saw Marquis Garon directly lead troops to slaughter the Sept, her heart was still greatly impacted.

Margaery couldn't help but gag a few times, then took the handkerchief handed over by the maid and said softly, "It's so cruel, so many people have died..."

Hearing Margaery's words, Cersei didn't even turn her head, coldly mocking, "Hmph, those commoners deserved to die! You actually sympathize with them? Have you forgotten the days you were imprisoned?"

Margaery frowned and said anxiously, "I don't sympathize with them, I'm just worried about my brother, Loras is still locked in the Sept's dungeon. Marquis Garon wouldn't kill him too, would he? Also, why hasn't Father returned yet?" Thinking of this, Margaery's heart grew more and more anxious, and she subconsciously grabbed Tommen's arm tightly.

Tommen frowned, looked at the Kingsguard beside him, and said in a solemn tone, "Ser Garlan, take some men there. After seeing Marquis Garon, convey a message for me – please ensure the safety of Loras Tyrell. This is my personal request!"

Ser Garlan hesitated for a moment, but nodded to the king, indicating his willingness to carry out the mission. Then, he led a team of soldiers out of the Red Keep and quickly headed towards the Great Sept.

Along the way, Ser Garlan felt uneasy. After all, he had heard rumors about that Lord, said to have personally slaughtered three Kingsguard. Hopefully, he could be respectful enough so that he wouldn't become the next victim.

At the same time, Qyburn's gaze remained fixed on the giants, constantly exclaiming in amazement, "It's simply perfect! Where did Garon find these giants? Even the Citadel has no relevant records. If I could use giants for experiments, my research would definitely achieve greater breakthroughs and create even more powerful warriors."