Chapter 70

At midnight, only a few half-asleep Hun soldiers were patrolling back and forth, and the scattered torches in the camp flickered uncertainly in the night wind. Apart from the occasional neigh of a horse, the Hun camp was silent.

Lu Yao waved his hand, and dozens of black shadows slipped into the darkness one after another. These were the teams led by Shen Jin and Zhu Sheng, who had to ambush in advance at the two large camps to the north and south of the enemy.

The Huns were not without sentries; every time they camped, they would send scouts to reconnoiter in all directions, sometimes as far as dozens of miles away. However, in a place so close to the camp, no one paid any attention. Shen Jin and his men bent their waists and used the cover of ditches and tall grass to sneak towards the enemy camp, undetected along the way.

Estimating that the two teams were in position, Lu Yao bent down and patted his warhorse's neck, and the majestic steed responded with a snort. He turned to look at the warriors following him, then raised his long spear at an angle and roared, "Charge!"

The soldiers roared in response, "Charge—!"

The cries shook the sky, and the iron hooves stirred the earth. A hundred cavalrymen charged straight for the central camp of the Huns.

The distance was less than a mile, and with the horses at full gallop, they arrived in an instant.

Lu Yao's horse was fast, and he charged at the front, using the momentum to knock down two rows of barriers and rushed towards the camp gate without stopping.

There were about a dozen enemy sentries at the camp gate, most of whom were dozing in their clothes, and a few were chatting intermittently. The Jin cavalry charged like a whirlwind, wielding their swords and spears, and immediately cut them down.

With a loud crash, the two camp gates were knocked inward, and the soldiers rushed in like wolves and tigers.

Some half-asleep Huns ran out of their tents in their underwear, shouting curses. The cavalry paid no attention to them, charging past with their swords held horizontally, and wherever the horses went, heads fell and blood splattered. A few cavalrymen pulled down the tents near the camp gate and threw torches onto the fallen tents, immediately igniting a fierce blaze. The Huns trapped in the tents let out heart-wrenching screams.

At the same time, the two large camps to the north and south were also in chaos, with dozens of fires breaking out simultaneously and the sound of battle cries echoing in many places. To the Huns, who were unaware of the situation, it seemed like a large-scale night raid. This made the enemy soldiers who were supposed to come to the rescue confused, and some officers even led their soldiers out of the camp, probably to prepare to resist the non-existent main force of the Jin army; others ran away, unsure whether to put out the fires or do something else.

Seizing this opportunity, Lu Yao shouted, "Follow me!" He wielded his long spear, stabbing down several Huns who blocked his way, and then charged towards the central tent where the large flag was flying. At this point, apart from a few cavalrymen who were engaged by the enemy, about seventy to eighty riders still followed him, ignoring the surrounding situation and charging straight for the center of the enemy camp.

After charging for several dozen yards, the number of enemies coming to block them gradually increased. They formed a line to resist, immediately putting the Jin army under great pressure. Arrows from both sides also began to rain down, and several Jin cavalrymen, caught off guard, were hit and fell off their horses.

According to the plan, Chu Kun and Yang Ruo immediately led their men to attack the tents on both sides, disrupting the enemy's encirclement.

In fact, it had only been a short while since Lu Yao entered the enemy camp, but the special teams responsible for disrupting the enemy in the north and south camps were already in a bitter struggle. To create the maximum chaos in the shortest time, they operated in groups of two or three, setting fires and shouting battle cries throughout the northern camp. However, this made it easy for them to be surrounded by the Huns.

Lu Xian, a capable deputy of Shen Jin from Yangping in Sizhou, wielded two large swords in both hands, cutting down the unprepared Huns like grass. Just as he was in the midst of a fierce charge, a Hun pushed over a felt tent, pinning him underneath. He struggled to free himself but was held down by several Huns and stabbed to death.

Shen Jin, who had just seized a horse, was fighting nearby. Seeing Lu Xian in danger, he roared and charged over, cutting down a Hun who was about to decapitate Lu Xian. The other Huns, seeing his ferocity, scattered in fear. Shen Jin drew his bow and shot them one by one. This made him a prominent target, and more Huns emerged from the collapsed tents to surround him. Shen Jin quickly turned his horse and fled.

His horsemanship was excellent, and he galloped through the chaotic camp as if he were strolling in a courtyard. Sometimes, when the enemy got too close, he would lightly pull the reins and leap over the tent tops. The Huns shouted and chased after him, but they ended up knocking down several tents and possibly trampling some Huns who hadn't had time to get out. The camp became even more chaotic.

However, the soldiers Shen Jin had sent to disrupt the enemy were gradually discovered. Once discovered, they immediately faced a swarm of enemies, suffering heavy casualties. Shen Jin had to charge left and right, shouting to gather his scattered men, while more enemies focused their attention on him. Shen Jin clearly felt that the enemy was gradually regaining order, and more and more enemies were gathering around him. In a moment, he had several wounds, and four or five of his men had been killed.

He continued to cut down the enemy, unable to resist glancing towards the central camp to see how Lu Yao was faring.

Compared to Shen Jin, Zhu Sheng's group initially had a slightly better situation. The southern camp of the Huns housed many cattle and sheep, and Zhu Sheng and his men set fire to the pens. The animals, terrified by the flames, ran wildly, knocking down tents and trampling over them, killing many Hun warriors. The scene was very dramatic.

Zhu Sheng, a former bandit, was skilled at handling cattle and horses. He hid in the midst of the fleeing animals, occasionally darting out to set more fires. Suddenly, three Huns charged at him from the side, probably thinking he was a weak target due to his slender build. Zhu Sheng cried out and turned to flee. The Huns roared and pursued him closely.

While fleeing, Zhu Sheng strained to hear the footsteps behind him. Suddenly, he swayed, turned, and slashed, severing the arm of the leading Hun. In the Hun's scream, Zhu Sheng stepped forward and plunged his two-foot-long saber into the abdomen of the second Hun. The third Hun immediately rolled and crawled away. Zhu Sheng wanted to chase him but fell to the ground, having been cut on his right leg by the second Hun. Despite the armor, the wound was deep, and he lost strength.

Although Zhu Sheng was ruthless, he was vastly outnumbered, and many of his men were killed or wounded. They fought and retreated, eventually being cornered by over a hundred Huns at the edge of a ditch, with no way to retreat. Just as they were in a desperate situation, they heard a loud crash. A nearby gate, which had been set on fire, was then pushed down. The enclosure housed Han captives who had been captured in recent days. Seeing the chaos in the Hun camp, they seized the opportunity to escape.

To the Huns, these captives were like property, and more than half of them turned to capture them. Zhu Sheng was overjoyed. He shouted and led his men through a gap in the enemy's encirclement, continuing to cause chaos.

Although Lu Yao did not know the situation in the north and south camps, he was well aware that the battlefield situation could change in an instant. At this moment, he must seize the opportunity of the enemy's confusion and break through quickly to kill the enemy commander. Otherwise, if the enemy had time to organize their defenses, it would be a certain death. Thinking of this, Lu Yao took a deep breath and roared again, "Follow me!"

With the roar, Lu Yao spurred his horse towards the enemy. Dozens of curved swords, long spears, and halberds immediately rained down on him. Lu Yao was undaunted, his six-foot iron spear spinning like a windless circle. Wherever the circle went, the weapons broke, and any Hun who dared to stand in his way was instantly killed. In a moment, Lu Yao had killed dozens of men and charged into the enemy ranks alone!

Seeing Lu Yao's bravery, the soldiers following him were all inspired. They shouted and charged forward. The enemy, already unnerved by the night attack, was further disrupted by Lu Yao's rampage and could not form a solid defense, causing their lines to waver and forcing them to retreat.

Lu Yao wielded his spear with unstoppable force, charging left and right. Although the Lu family of Wucheng was not known for martial prowess, Lu Yao was different from his peers. He had been fond of martial arts since childhood. After accompanying Shi Heng to Luoyang, he felt the need to protect himself and practiced diligently, never slackening for twenty years. Over the years, he had fought in various battles in Bingzhou, each one a test of his will, physique, and combat skills. Through countless trials, he had honed his skills to perfection!

Even surrounded by enemies on all sides, Lu Yao handled the situation with ease, his movements fluid and graceful. His mind was like a deep, clear pond, both unfathomable and transparent, perceiving even the slightest changes in the surrounding enemies. The waves of attacks, which seemed overwhelming, now appeared full of vulnerabilities to Lu Yao, easily shattered. Lu Yao took advantage of the situation, the silver tip of his spear darting like a flock of birds, and any enemy who dared to intercept him fell with a scream.

In a moment, he had scattered this group of enemies, but he saw dozens of enemy soldiers approaching in formation, like a swarm of angry bees, their numbers seemingly endless. Lu Yao knew he had little time left. If even a fraction of the thousands of enemy soldiers reacted, they would be enough to crush the small Jin reconnaissance force into a bloody pulp.

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