Yang Duo was speechless. He couldn't stop the pursuit either. If he refused, this man would surely go and report it to the ruler.
He didn't know that Xiang Wu Ren had previously sworn to Zhou Shou Xiang that he would complete the mission.
Xiang Wu Ren immediately began gathering all his warriors.
Four disciples had already returned and reported:
"There's an ambush in the mountains. The number of people is unclear, but there are many!"
"An ambush, truly?" Feng Ru Nan was surprised. She immediately waved her spear and shouted:
"Take your positions!"
Immediately, the infantry drew their shields and weapons. Archers drew arrows from their quivers and nocked them.
Chao Zong also commanded his troops to prepare their weapons.
Bai Yao inclined his head and looked at his men, signaling them to prepare.
Not long after, warriors could be seen emerging from the forested mountains. Experienced warriors roughly estimated that there were over ten thousand soldiers.
Xiang Wu Ren, spear in hand, galloped out from the mountain on horseback, riding at the head of his men. Yang Duo rode slowly behind him.
"As expected, they didn't flee!" Xiang Wu Ren burst into laughter, then suddenly pointed his spear forward and declared:
"Charge! We must capture them!"
A man beside him pulled out a bull horn and, puffing his cheeks, began to blow.
"OOOOOOOH."
"Kill!" The cavalry charged first, with battle cries. The ground trembled under their hooves.
Behind the cavalry, the infantry advanced steadily. Xiang Wu Ren calmly rode ahead, followed by nine thousand foot soldiers. They could already see the enemy.
Those who had witnessed many battle formations could still hold their ground. But those seeing such a spectacle for the first time were simply terrified by its scale. Even Niu You Dao, in his past life, had never seen over ten thousand warriors charging at him.
Bai Yao and the other cultivators strained their eyes, as if wanting to see something.
Feng Ru Nan cast a sidelong glance at Chao Zong:
"Prince, these people have come for your head. The enemy outnumbers us. Are you afraid? If you wish to flee, now is the time to do so."
Chao Zong turned his head and glared at her furiously.
Feng Ru Nan continued:
"I've long heard of Ning Wang's military feats. However, that has nothing to do with you. If you stand at the front, you'll only hinder us. You'd best retreat! Have no fear, I will protect you!"
This time, she didn't just wound Chao Zong's pride, but also that of the Yinyang and Wuli Guards. When had they ever fled like cowards, let alone sought protection from a woman?
Niu You Dao cursed inwardly and, riding closer to Chao Zong, said:
"Prince, there's no need to make impulsive decisions!"
Chao Zong paid him no mind. He turned and looked at his sister. Shu Qing herself drew a zhanmadao from her horse's back. (zhanmadao (horse-cutting sword))
She removed her hat, revealing her disfigured face, then took a piece of red cloth from her bag. When she unfurled it, a golden falcon, resembling a phoenix, could be seen upon the fabric.
The banner bore several holes, as if many arrows had already pierced it.
Many bodyguards immediately fixed their gaze upon this banner. One could see their chests heave, and an inexplicable aura began to spread around them.
A bodyguard rode up and handed her a spear for a flagstaff.
Shu Qing immediately affixed the banner to the spear and raised it high, letting it unfurl in the wind.
Feng Ru Nan and the other Kuangai warriors were surprised one after another, gazing at the banner!
Bai Yao, seeing that they were about to do something reckless, shook his head:
"Prince, the enemy's target is precisely you. You shouldn't act rashly."
Chao Zong ignored him. He looked ahead and saw that the distance between the opponents was rapidly shrinking. Grasping his long sword, he shouted:
"Who spares not their life?!"
The bodyguards standing behind him shouted:
"Yinyang and Wuli!" One after another, they drew their swords. A killing intent began to spread from all the warriors.
Feng Ru Nan's cavalry flinched at such a cry.
Chao Zong angrily shouted again:
"Who spares not their life!"
The bodyguards standing behind him shouted:
"I!"
Shu Qing also cried out, "I!" At that moment, no one paid attention to her disfigured face.
"Who spares not their life?"
"I!"
"We!" The question and answer repeated.
Even Lan Ruo Ting, that scholarly official, drew his sword.
Niu You Dao looked at them as if they were mad. Yuan Fang and the monks were also surprised. Yuan Gang's face tensed.
"Prince..." Niu You Dao wanted to dissuade the prince again.
Chao Zong had already pulled the reins taut, his horse rising on its hind legs. And when it landed back on its forelegs, it instantly shot forward like a bullet.
Without a shout, the remaining few hundred bodyguards rode after him. A palpable killing intent radiated from them.
The fragile Shu Qing also galloped behind her brother, holding the banner. Lan Ruo Ting followed them as well.
For glory and honor! The remnants of Ning Wang's army, as if for their fallen master, defended their past glory. It didn't matter if it was a fragile girl or a scholarly official; all of them, defying all odds, charged forward. Despite the enemy's forces being twice their number.
They seemed to have lost their minds!
Niu You Dao drew his sword and blocked Yuan Gang, who was about to charge after them. They were heading into God knows what kind of chaos. He had no intention of letting Yuan Gang go there.
The group charged forward. Everyone understood where they were headed. But this behavior left a deep impression on Feng Ru Nan's heart.
Feng Ru Nan, watching the departing riders, curled her lip:
"As a general, not commanding his warriors, but immediately charging forward like a blind fly. What's the point of such ostentatious bravery!" — Though she spoke thus, she knew that in such a situation, there was nothing else to be done.
"Is Princess not sending troops now?" Bai Yao asked with dissatisfaction.
Feng Ru Nan: "No need to rush. Let them discover the enemy's strength. We'll reinforce them if needed. Just keep an eye on him!"
Bai Yao said nothing. He naturally understood that he needed to ensure Chao Zong's safety.
He waved his hand, and immediately two Zhuji realm disciples mounted their horses and galloped after them, to ensure nothing happened to Chao Zong.
In truth, cultivators rarely intervene in battles between warriors. The effectiveness of their participation in such fights is minimal. So what if you can kill a few people? Can you rout a massive army? Especially when the army's morale is high. Few will listen to a single cultivator during battle, particularly in the thick of it. The larger the battle, the less effective a cultivator is in combat. Only very high-level cultivators can drastically influence the outcome of a battle. But such individuals already stand at the pinnacle of the food chain. There's no point for them to get involved in such battles. Typically, such cultivators have their subordinates, and that is enough for them.
As Feng Ru Nan said, a commander-in-chief is needed for command and for breaking through the front lines. The commander stands and directs the troops, while cultivators stand nearby and guard his safety.
"Boom!" The two enemy cavalry forces collided.
Chao Zong, sword in hand, clashed with an enemy cavalry general. Parrying the general's spear, Chao Zong swiftly decapitated his opponent. It was immediately evident that Chao Zong also possessed military prowess.
Chaos reigned on both sides. Men fell from their horses, and horses scattered in every direction.
Chao Zong hacked away to his left and right. Fresh blood flowed like a river. Bodyguards rode beside him, protecting him. They did not allow anyone to assail him. If one of them fell, a new cultivator immediately appeared behind him. Their main objective was to keep moving forward and preserve Chao Zong's life.
The Yinyang and Wuli Guards were well-versed in military arts. Those who died always tried to take more lives with them or cover their brothers from the fiercest attacks.
Amidst the crowd of men, a fragile female silhouette could be seen. Shu Qing carried the banner on her shoulder, biting her lip. Although she had spent a considerable amount of time in military camps, this was her first time participating in a battle. To say she wasn't afraid now would simply be a lie. She simply had no choice. She had to follow her brother.
Gazing at severed arms and heads, hearing screams of pain, the clang of armor and blades, and smelling the thick scent of blood, all of it nearly made Shu Qing vomit. However, gritting her teeth, she followed her brother. Tucking the banner close to her, she gripped the reins with one hand, drew her sword with the other, and at times parried weapons aimed at her. Fortunately, the bodyguards beside her neutralized most of the attackers.
Although Lan Ruo Ting had studied swordsmanship, he had only done so for self-defense and maintaining health. In this chaotic melee, he certainly couldn't display any special tricks. Just surviving was difficult enough. Fortunately, there were also bodyguards beside him.
After the two cavalry forces met and dispersed, utter disarray could be seen among the Wolf's Fang bandit cavalry. Their standard-bearer had fallen, so chaos reigned among them. Chao Zong's cavalry, however, moved like a monolithic block. All followed the banner.
The casualties on both sides were immediately apparent. After the first charge, two to three hundred of the Wolf's Fang bandits had fallen, while Chao Zong's losses were clearly minimal.
With such a numerical advantage, how had this happened? Xiang Wu Ren, who was coming up behind with his infantry, froze. And when he saw Chao Zong's battle banner, he was terrified:
"The Wuli and Yinyang Guards? No wonder..."
Feng Ru Nan, also standing behind, held her breath. She bit her lip, recalling the glory of the Yinyang and Wuli Guards. They were indeed worthy warriors, first among all! How could she have had the right to insult them!
Bai Yao murmured:
"Back then, Ning Wang led a ten-thousand-strong army of Yinyang and Wuli Guards, and the former emperor was surrounded by a hundred-thousand-strong Han Kingdom army. No one could break through the encirclement but them. Today, I learned that their renown is well-deserved indeed!"
It could be seen that Chao Zong, having made a circuit, turned once more to attack the already shattered enemy cavalry. And behind him, a fragile girl galloped, holding the battle banner...