Led by the commander Lihua Mu, the charging Xiongnu army sensed the trembling of the Zhao State forces. Every officer and soldier in the Xiongnu ranks was convinced they had once again cornered a group of "stunted crabs" and "two-legged sheep." Under the momentum of such a cavalry charge, they believed victory was already within their grasp, and each man began anticipating the bounty of extra enemy heads to claim. This belief steeled their resolve, and subconsciously, every Xiongnu soldier spurred his Blood-Sweating Steed to an even greater speed toward the Zhao State lines.
Just as the Xiongnu army reached a distance of 400 meters from the Zhao State forces, Hua Tianxiong gave the order. The 172 members of the Iron Stone Guards unleashed their first terrifying volley of arrows, with Hua Tianxiong himself firing five shots simultaneously. 176 arrows tore through the air with a piercing whistle, descending upon the thundering Xiongnu cavalry in an instant.
Less than two heartbeats later, the horses of the 150 leading Xiongnu soldiers suddenly pitched forward when they were 180 meters from the Zhao State line, collapsing onto the ground. The Zhao State soldiers heard the dull thud of heavy bodies striking the earth, followed within a second by the agonizing shrieks of wounded horses and the screams of dying Xiongnu soldiers.
Chapter 117