Chapter 93

Xu Dachian's martial arts were formidable, and his strikes were ruthless. Despite his low rank, everyone was wary of him. He was also quite pleased with himself, considering himself a fierce general and not putting others in his eyes.

However, he watched as his subordinates bravely charged forward, only to be impaled by long spears, falling one by one onto the cold, snowy ground, writhing in pain and agony.

Those young soldiers were particularly fierce, their neatly arranged spears acting like efficient reaping machines, like mountains and floods, mercilessly devouring his subordinates without any mercy.

Han Gui also came over with Xu Dachian. At the sight of the rows of long spears, his legs trembled with fear.

"Brother-in-law, Zhang Ke's troops are too strong. I think we should, for now, avoid their sharp edge!"

"Nonsense!"

Xu Dachian waved his hand and slapped Han Gui, who flew like a broken kite, landing more than two zhang away, spitting out five or six teeth.

"Brother-in-law, why don't you show a little consideration? My sister has shared your bed for so many years, you..."

Xu Dachian pointed his knife at Han Gui without any courtesy, roaring in a fit of rage: "Shut up! If it weren't for your sister, I would have killed you long ago! You fool, you found the gold nugget and wanted to keep it all to yourself, not giving it to me. If you had given it to me, I might have been promoted to commander or even a general. Then, would we still need to fear Zhang Ke?"

Han Gui was speechless, and Xu Dachian, still unsatisfied, kicked him in the chest, causing him to faint immediately.

At this moment, Lan Banshen, trembling, said: "Sir, the most pressing matter is to deal with Zhang Ke. Look, the men are all running back, can we still win?"

"Ha ha ha, ha ha ha!" Xu Dachian laughed maniacally: "Mr. Lan, I've been in this business for many years. If I didn't have a few cards up my sleeve, I would have been eliminated long ago. Today, I'll show you my true strength!"

Xu Dachian spurred his horse and charged out. His banner moved, and over fifty cavalrymen followed, all clad in iron armor, some even wearing two layers. Their warhorses were well-fed and strong.

Looking at their weapons, they were varied: long knives, wolf-tooth clubs, horse spears, iron spears, large axes... Many of them also carried bows and arrows, each one fierce and full of killing intent!

These fifty cavalrymen were Xu Dachian's personal guards. In the late Ming Dynasty, it was common for officers to maintain a group of personal guards. For a defense officer, fifty men were not few. Moreover, Xu Dachian's guards were particularly skilled, with more than half being bandits and even Mongols. They were proficient in horse and sword, ruthless and merciless. Xu Dachian relied on these men to be so rampant!

"Charge! Follow me and fight!"

With Xu Dachian's roar, the cavalry swept forward.

...

"Second Brother, real trouble is coming!"

Ever since Xu Dachian's cavalry moved, Zhang Feng had noticed. As a veteran who had fought on the battlefield for many years, Zhang Feng was well aware of the terrifying impact of cavalry. The momentum alone was enough to make even veterans tremble, let alone a group of rookies!

Thinking of the terrifying impact of the cavalry, Zhang Ke's forehead was drenched in sweat.

"Big Brother, do you have any way to deal with the cavalry?"

Zhang Ke's eyes darted around, but he still shook his head painfully: "If we had set up a square formation and had cannons and firearms to assist, we might have a chance. But now, we're in trouble."

As they were discussing, Xu Dachian's cavalry had already gathered and started a slow charge, about two or three steps away.

Tall and fierce, cavalry had dominated the battlefield for over a thousand years, powerful, swift, and brave...

Zhang Ke could clearly see that many of his new recruits were shocked, their legs trembling involuntarily!

Should they retreat? Could the newly established team withstand a defeat?

Fight to the end!

Zhang Ke gritted his teeth, snatched a long spear from a nearby guard, and ran to the first row.

"Qiao Fu, get the archers ready, and shoot fiercely!"

Qiao Fu also snapped out of his shock. Seeing Zhang Ke ready to fight, he had nothing to say; if they didn't share the same fate, they wouldn't be brothers!

"Archers, get ready!" Qiao Fu shouted loudly, and all the archers snapped out of their daze, hurriedly preparing to shoot.

At this moment, Zhang Ke reached the first row, taking a deep breath.

"Everyone, listen! The enemy cavalry has a strong initial charge, but lacks follow-up power. As long as we withstand the impact, we will win!"

The men had blind trust in Zhang Ke. Seeing him on the front line, they calmed down significantly.

"First row, take a low stance, and insert the spear butt into the ground at an angle to reduce the impact. Once the enemy's horse is injured, use your saber to cut it down!"

Zhang Ke quickly arranged tactics to deal with the cavalry, and Zhang Feng watched, impressed. This was the best choice under the current conditions. For someone who hadn't experienced a major battle, to think of these things was quite remarkable.

Zhang Feng, holding a long spear, also rushed forward: "Everyone, listen! Maintaining formation is the only way to survive. If you run around, you will not only harm yourself but also your comrades. Anyone who retreats will be beheaded immediately!"

While the men respected Zhang Ke, they were more afraid of Zhang Feng. His brutal training had left a deep impression on them, and his words had become a conditioned response. Their muscles tensed, ready to fight to the death.

At this moment, Xu Dachian's cavalry had already charged to about fifty steps away. Qiao Fu, gritting his teeth, released his arrow, hitting a cavalryman who fell to the ground. However, the others were not as accurate, and only three men fell from their horses.

Qiao Fu quickly fired more arrows, hitting two more men. In total, about seven men were shot down. By the time Xu Dachian's cavalry reached them, the archers had to retreat into the formation.

Qiao Fu ran to the front, the sound of hooves ringing in his ears, his heart trembling!

All the archers discarded their bows, picked up their sabers, and prepared to join the battle. Qiao Fu watched nervously, fearing for Zhang Ke's safety.

The horses charged forward like waves crashing against rocks. A true close-quarters battle, a clash of courage and will! Each soldier's heart was in their throat, and the outcome was a matter of life and death!

In front of Zhang Ke was a cavalryman with a large axe, ready to strike. Zhang Ke, seemingly unaware of the axe, tightly gripped the long spear with his left hand, staring at the horse.

The moment had come!

He suddenly pushed the spear forward, the tip moving a foot to the left, just as the horse charged. With a thud, the spear pierced the horse's neck, blood gushing out, and the spear sank in more than half a foot. The spear broke in the middle, and the horse fell, neighing.

At the moment the spear pierced the horse, Zhang Ke leaped up, faster than a cat, and drew his saber. The well-practiced sword technique flowed like water, executed naturally.

A move called "Reading by Lamplight," the blade stabbed diagonally, instantly cutting a large gash in the cavalryman's neck, causing him to fall dead.

Zhang Ke didn't stop there. Stepping on the horse's corpse, he leaped up again, using a move called "Single Ride for a Thousand Miles." The blade struck the shoulder of the cavalryman next to him, severing his arm. As he landed, the blade struck again, and the injured cavalryman's head flew off, blood spraying three feet high.

In a flash, Zhang Feng was stunned. His younger brother had a remarkable talent, mastering the essence of the Eight Methods of Spring and Autumn in a short time. With more practice, he might surpass him!

This couldn't be allowed. Zhang Feng also displayed his prowess, his cleaver targeting the horses' legs. In a moment, he cut off two horse legs and killed two cavalrymen.

The ordinary soldiers, of course, didn't have the skills of the Zhang brothers, but they remembered their orders and held their positions firmly. The cavalry charged into the forest of spears, but the horses couldn't avoid the second and third rows, and the sound of spears piercing flesh could be heard.

Xu Dachian's wealth could only provide armor for the men, not the horses, leading to heavy casualties. However, the new recruits also suffered, with some being thrown into the air, falling and bleeding profusely. Others had broken arms and legs, bones exposed, and one soldier was trampled to death, his intestines torn apart, screaming in agony.

Despite the heavy losses, the men saw a hopeful sign: the fierce cavalry had stopped. They could only break through three rows of spears before losing momentum.

At this moment, Yue Zixuan and the long-prepared sword and shield soldiers charged forward, like fierce tigers, cutting down the cavalry and the horses' legs mercilessly.

Qiao Fu also led the archers to join the attack. In less than a quarter of an hour, nearly twenty cavalrymen were cut down, and with those killed by arrows, Xu Dachian's prized troops were reduced by more than half.

Xu Dachian was stunned. Were these guys crazy? How could they not run from the cavalry?

Wasn't fear of death a human instinct? Xu Dachian's worldview was completely shattered.

At this moment, the long spear soldiers, having recovered from the chaos, formed groups of five and launched a fierce counterattack. The deaths of their comrades spurred them on, and they tirelessly thrust their spears, sending one fierce enemy after another to hell...

Finally, a Mongol cavalryman, as if seeing a ghost, screamed and turned to flee. His escape triggered a chain reaction, and the others followed, fleeing in a panic. Xu Dachian, accompanied by a few trusted men, fled toward Zhenyi Fort.

Zhang Ke was covered in blood, but he was particularly excited. They had finally made it through, and his subordinates were rapidly maturing.

"Don't let Xu Dachian escape! Follow me to Zhenyi Fort!"

Zhang Ke led the soldiers in a fierce pursuit, with Zhang Feng, Qiao Fu, and Yue Zixuan closely following. Even Qiao Tieshan, who seemed to have returned to the battlefields of Korea twenty years ago, joined the chase.

Passion, exhilaration!

The men, panting, pursued fiercely, and they were less than five li from Zhenyi Fort. At this moment, a group of miners, holding shovels and picks and wearing tattered clothes, appeared in front of a valley.

A middle-aged man in his forties led a few others running over.

"Heroes, heroes, are you going to kill Xu Dachian? We'll lead the way for you, kill the corrupt officials, and the heartless soldiers!"

Zhang Ke, hearing this, was at a loss, wondering if these people mistook them for heroes of Liangshan.

At this moment, Qiao Tieshan also ran over. Seeing the middle-aged man, he was shocked and shouted.

"Brother Ou, what are you doing here?"

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