The Fearless Shall Live
The explosion of sparks in the sky indeed terrified the horses, scattering them like flowers falling from the heavens. Over a hundred warhorses neighed and scattered in all directions, while a dozen Qiang soldiers were instantly engulfed by the flames, their agonized screams echoing across the battlefield.
The Qian army infantry, having mastered the three-man cooperative tactics, launched attacks from all directions, targeting isolated enemies. Three against one was a sure victory, and even three against three allowed for balanced offense and defense. Luo Yu had instructed them to retreat if they couldn't win - there was no need to fight to the death.
Faced with this nearly underhanded combat style and their perfect coordination, the Qiang soldiers deep in the forest were thoroughly confused. More importantly, they still had no idea how many enemies they were facing.
The raging inferno destroyed their fighting spirit, and their collapse was like a landslide. Panicked shouts rose and fell:
"Retreat! Quickly retreat to the mountain ravine, away from the forest!"
"Quickly retreat!"
The Qiang soldiers stumbled out of the dense forest. A hundred-man strong force had dwindled to just thirty or forty in the blink of an eye. Deputy Captain Glen was smart enough to grab a randomly fleeing warhorse and leap onto it, while the others weren't so lucky and had to flee on foot.
"Ride!"
Before they could escape, the darkness was filled with the sound of hooves. A dozen tall horses appeared in the firelight.
Luo Yu led the charge, Dong Chuan and Meng Hu flanking him, with a dozen other soldiers who could ride horses lined up in a single file, each holding a long spear.
Though they could ride, many were fighting on horseback for the first time, mentally reviewing the cavalry spear techniques Luo Yu had taught them. Meng Hu had only learned to ride a few days ago, his posture stiff on the horse, but he was eager to try.
The cavalry's appearance made the Qiang soldiers pale.
They never imagined they would one day face cavalry while on foot.
Luo Yu's eyes shone with determination, a slight smile on his lips. This was the final piece of his plan. After being attacked, the Qiang soldiers would surely flee down the mountain ravine. Meng Hu had already scattered their horses, leaving them without their mounts - like having an arm cut off. Now it was time for Luo Yu's cavalry squad to make their entrance and wipe out the remaining Qiang soldiers!
Luo Yu's spear flickered, its tip gleaming in the cold light, pointing straight ahead:
"Charge!"
A dozen horsemen simultaneously urged their mounts forward, constantly accelerating. Luo Yu led the charge, the others following his example by holding their spears at an angle, gradually raising them.
"Prepare to fight!"
Deputy Captain Glen shouted hoarsely: "Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!"
They seemed fierce, but their voices lacked confidence.
"Hmph."
Luo Yu sneered, took a deep breath, and thrust his spear straight ahead with all his might!
"Thud!"
A Qiang soldier blocking the way was instantly pierced through the chest, his body flying far like a broken kite.
Luo Yu was surprised by the power of his strike. Cavalry combat was so effortless. Though he had learned some spear techniques from his elder brother Wu Rupai, this was his first time killing in battle.
Cavalry was indeed formidable!
"Charge!"
Luo Yu's display of prowess inspired his men. Each man thrust their spears fiercely, aiming for the Qiang soldiers' chests. Corpses flew one after another, some even crushed to death by the horses.
Luo Yu's requirements were simple: the first strike must be with all their might, and each man needed to claim a kill! After the dozen horses charged through, the ravine was filled with a dozen more corpses.
Sure enough, after the first charge, the Qiang soldiers' courage was shattered. The remaining soldiers had no will to fight, turning to flee. The subsequent battle became much easier - the cavalry only needed to gallop freely, reaping the Qiang soldiers' heads.
The firelight illuminated the dense forest, thick smoke billowing, the horses' neighs and the Qiang soldiers' screams intertwining, turning the battlefield into a hell on earth.
Meng Hu's sharp eyes immediately spotted the fleeing Glen as his target. Being the only Qiang soldier with a horse, he couldn't be let go easily.
"Scoundrel, don't run!"
Meng Hu gripped his spear tightly, urging his horse forward, getting closer and closer to Glen. His mind was focused solely on killing.
Glen glanced back at the pursuing cavalry, instinctively gripping his spear tightly and exhaling.
The two horses drew closer and closer. Meng Hu was ecstatic, thrusting his spear:
"Die!"
"Roar!"
Just as Meng Hu thought Glen would be a sitting duck, the man suddenly leaned sideways, dodging the spear tip, and countered with a thrust at Meng Hu's chest.
A swift and decisive counterattack!
Meng Hu was shocked, instinctively pulling on the reins. The horse's front hooves rose high, narrowly avoiding the attack. But with his still imperfect riding skills, he was thrown off the horse, landing with a thud, his face covered in dirt, and his spear falling to the ground.
"Watch out, Tiger!"
Everyone shouted in alarm, even Luo Yu's face changed, but they were too far away to help.
"Now it's your turn to die!"
Glen sneered cruelly, raising his spear high to stab the just-risen Meng Hu.
"How dare you embarrass me!"
"You're asking for death!"
Meng Hu's face was dark, not dodging, but grabbing the spear shaft and with a slight twist, snapping it in two. Glen was stunned - how could such a thick wooden shaft be broken?
In the critical moment, he desperately drove his horse to charge at Meng Hu. But the enraged Meng Hu roared, his hands like iron clamps gripping the horse's head. No matter how the horse neighed and struggled, it couldn't break free from Meng Hu's grip.
"Down!"
To everyone's astonished gaze, a powerful warhorse was actually thrown to the ground by Meng Hu, his heavy fists raining down like hailstones, beating the once-lively horse to death.
The half-lying Glen was terrified, wondering what kind of man this was to be so fierce.
Meng Hu glared at him, grabbing his legs and lifting him like a chicken, throwing him with all his might:
"Die!"
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
A hundred-pound body was thrown over ten steps away, smashing sideways into a tree and dying instantly.
"Damn, that pisses me off!"
Meng Hu angrily brushed the dust off his clothes, only to find his comrades looking at him with expressions of disbelief.
He really was a fierce tiger!
Meng Hu awkwardly looked at Luo Yu, rubbing his belly:
"Brother Yu, I'm hungry."
In the early morning, the fire in the forest had long since been extinguished, but thick smoke still hung in the air.
The exhausted defenders lay scattered on the ground, the corpses of Qiang soldiers strewn about.
One hundred and fifty Qiang cavalrymen - all dead except for a few lucky ones who escaped. Though they had lost seven or eight comrades, this was a perfect victory.
The defenders and refugees alike gazed ahead.
Luo Yu stood on a hill, his back to the morning light, his figure appearing particularly tall and imposing.
Without this man, they would all be dead.
Shen Li instinctively pulled tighter the coat Luo Yu had given her, feeling warmth not just on her body but in her heart.
When Luo Yu turned around, everyone instinctively stood up, looking at him with eyes full of admiration.
He really had done it, leading them to survive.
"You don't need to thank me - you earned this life with your own efforts."
Luo Yu scanned the scene, his voice cold:
"From today on, remember one thing."
"The fearless shall live!"
"The fearless shall live!"
The soldiers' faces were filled with joy at their narrow escape, but Luo Yu couldn't bring himself to be happy, his hand tightly gripping a secret letter.
The letter was found on Wali Ge's body. Its contents were simple:
A general inside Yunyang Pass is collaborating with the enemy!