First Battle
Hoofbeats thundered, riders crouched low.
They formed five lines of attack as they had practiced, ten men per line, adjusting their horses' speed to stay in formation.
The fifty-man cavalry looked fragile, tiny against the vast battlefield.
The Qiang soldiers fighting nearby paid them no mind, sending only forty or fifty riders to meet Luo Yu. The cavalry rode in groups of three or five, slashing wildly with their sabers, their arrogant shouts echoing in everyone's ears, causing chills.
Whenever the Qiang shouted like this, it meant the Qian army was about to face a brutal slaughter.
"Don't panic!"
Luo Yu's face was stern as he shouted:
"Just follow our training, charge forward with me!"
Everyone adjusted their breathing, watching the Qiang soldiers approach. They raised their long spears slowly, muscles tensing.
Luo Yu could clearly see the faces of the opposing cavalry, fierce and disdainful.
"Charge!"
Luo Yu's eyes turned cold, his spear stabbing out like lightning. The Qiang rider didn't even see the spear before it hit.
"Thrust!"
The spear pierced through the chest, blood spraying.
"Charge!"
The soldiers behind him roared in unison, charging forward with their spears.
Spears stabbed fiercely, no fancy moves - just fast, accurate, and deadly.
Most noticeable was the muscular Meng Hu. He wasn't the clumsy new recruit anymore. Using his incredible strength, he killed one Qiang rider and kept the body on his spear, then stabbed another through the chest.
Two kills with one spear - like a skewer.
Incredible arm strength.
"Meng Brother, great spearwork! Watch me!"
"Roar!"
Qingyun on the side didn't want to be outdone. With a cold expression, he killed a Qiang rider, making Meng Hu laugh:
"You're good too! Let's kill another round!"
"Charge!"
The soldiers found Luo Yu's techniques effective - just be fast, accurate, and deadly!
The Qiang soldiers were stunned, falling one after another. As Luo Yu had said, cavalry formation was crucial. The Qiang had underestimated them and suffered a crushing defeat.
The fifty cavalry charged through, killing half the Qiang soldiers.
Both sides were shocked. Any experienced cavalry fighter knew this unit was formidable, not just a ragtag group.
Kong Xian was amazed, his eyes flashing:
"Such strong cavalry! He trained them so quickly!"
"Real talent."
Jun Yi was also surprised, marveling:
"General Kong has good judgment. He'll gain another fierce general."
He envied Kong Xian, wishing such a talent was under his command.
"Charge!"
After defeating the Qiang squad, Luo Yu didn't linger, charging straight into the battlefield, breaking through the enemy lines.
Xiao Shaoyou was fighting fiercely, bloodied and panting, having lost many men. Seeing Luo Yu arrive, he sighed in relief:
"Damn, you finally came. I'd really die here today, now you've repaid that debt."
"No time for that now."
Luo Yu stabbed another Qiang rider off his horse:
"Let's fight together, push back the Qiang!"
"Right!"
The fifty-man reinforcement boosted Qian morale. Together they fought fiercely, actually gaining the upper hand.
"Damn brat, how dare you defy the great Qiang!"
Chahamu's eyes bulged as he charged at Luo Yu, his heavy spear swinging at Luo Yu's waist.
"Clang!"
Luo Yu blocked with his spear, matching Chahamu blow for blow.
His arms tingled, Chahamu's expression grew serious. Before he could attack again, Luo Yu countered, thrusting through a gap in the spear.
Chahamu's eyes widened, dodging the spear tip but losing his balance, nearly falling off his horse.
"Good boy, nice spearwork. Who are you?"
"Luo Yu!"
"You're Luo Yu?"
Chahamu sneered:
"The general said there's a reward for your head. Lucky me to find you."
"Who knows who'll win?"
Luo Yu's eyes were cold, his spear striking fiercely. They exchanged a dozen blows, Chahamu growing more shocked with each strike. Luo Yu's strength seemed endless, his attacks growing more ferocious, nearly overwhelming Chahamu.
In that moment, Xiao Shaoyou had begun a counterattack, his men having suffered heavy losses. The tide was turning, making him more anxious.
"Damn, can't I beat a new recruit?"
Chahamu attacked with all his might, his spear aimed at Luo Yu's head. Luo Yu dodged sideways, grabbing the spear shaft, holding it firm despite Chahamu's struggles.
"Thrust!"
Luo Yu stabbed Chahamu's shoulder, pain spreading through his body. He gasped for breath, blood quickly soaking his shoulder.
"Die, bastard!"
Seizing the opportunity, Luo Yu switched to his saber, slashing Chahamu's throat, blood spraying everywhere.
The battlefield fell silent, everyone stunned:
A new recruit centurion had killed a Qiang commander.
Wanyan Chang watching from afar clenched his fists:
"Damn useless!"
Xiao Shaoyou felt incredibly excited, roaring:
"Brothers, charge!"
"Charge!"
With their commander dead, the remaining Qiang soldiers fled. The Qian army pursued them fiercely, the Qiang barely escaping back to their lines.
Silence fell as both sides looked at the proud cavalry.
"We won!"
"We won!"
Cheers erupted from the city walls, everyone looking at Luo Yu with newfound respect.
The two arrows from the city wall had raised morale, but hadn't been real combat. This cavalry charge, breaking through enemy lines, and killing a Qiang commander was a real victory!
Amid the cheers, Luo Yu's expression was somber. He rode forward, skewering Chahamu's head and planting it in front of the enemy lines, blood dripping.
He was mourning his fallen comrades.
"Good boy."
Wanyan Chang's eyes darkened:
"This boy must die!"