Counter-Ambush

After galloping for dozens of feet, Big Black's speed gradually decreased. Shen Jingchuan turned his horse around with his gun, Lin Qingyao pulled on the reins, Treading Snow also turned around to follow Big Black.

"These people are after me." Shen Jingchuan's voice came through the mask:

"The first volley of arrows was all aimed at me. If we want to leave, none of them can catch us, but our eldest and second brothers are still behind us with their caravan."

His gaze swept over the enemy cavalry gathering in the distance, and he said coldly:

"These men aren't just vagrants or bandits; they're all fully armored and ruthless. They're either elite soldiers or elite retainers from powerful Lineage. If they manage to break through to the rear, the caravan won't be able to hold them off. We have to fight our way back."

Lin Qingyao tightened her grip on the short sword without the slightest hesitation, her voice clear and firm:

"I'll listen to everything—" she paused for a moment, her tone becoming even more serious, "... my husband's."

Both of them had their faces covered with masks, so their expressions couldn't be seen, but when Shen Jingchuan heard those two words, the corners of his eyes suddenly lit up for a moment.

Lin Qingyao's pretty face flushed, but fortunately, her face mask covered it completely. She simply sat upright on the horse, looking as if she would advance and retreat with him.

"Alright." Shen Jingchuan gave a low shout, raising his hand to pat Big Black's neck. "Big Black, let's go, let's go back and fight our way back!"

Big Black raised its head and let out a deafening neigh. Its four hooves pushed off the ground, and it slowly gained speed, gradually turning from a trot into a gallop.

On the other side, the enemy cavalry had just regrouped when they found the bodies of four of their comrades lying on the ground, and everyone's faces were grim.

One of them leaned close to the leader and whispered, "Boss, this kid is really cunning! Forget about that Whirlwind Horse, we don't know what its armor is made of; a knife only leaves a mark, it doesn't even break the skin. And that spear of his, we don't know what it's made of either, our armor can't stop it at all, it just pierces a hole in the first thrust."

The leader stared at the three approaching black figures, his brows furrowed, and gritted his teeth, saying:

"What's there to be afraid of? There are only two of them, which is perfect for separating them from the rest of the caravan. It's a golden opportunity. If their men catch up, it'll be troublesome. We must capture him today!"

They had assumed that Shen Jingchuan would break through the encirclement and flee, and that with the speed of the Whirlwind Horse, they would never be able to catch up.

To everyone's surprise, this person not only didn't run away, but dared to turn around and come back.

But at this moment, more than twenty black-clad foot soldiers from the woods on both sides had arrived behind the horse. The leader did not hesitate and immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Form ranks and charge!"

The remaining dozen or so riders immediately adjusted their formation, spurred their horses, and charged towards Shen Jingchuan and his companion.

The distance between the two sides closed, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the ground. Lin Qingyao followed behind Shen Jingchuan, holding her short sword, and her heart was suddenly stirred with some ripples.

She always prided herself on being a chivalrous woman, and when it came to fighting, even her eldest and second eldest brothers refused to back down, always rushing to the front to confront the enemy.

But at this moment, the man in front of her was wielding a long spear so skillfully that he blocked all the incoming blades. She only needed to follow the gap he had created and move forward, without having to fight her way through at all.

The wind whipped up dust that brushed past her faceplate, and as she gazed at Shen Jingchuan's tall, straight back, her heart warmed slightly.

So this is what it feels like to have a husband?

In the blink of an eye, the two groups of men clashed violently. Shen Jingchuan's tiger-headed gold-inlaid spear gleamed with layers of cold light as he thrust, parried, slashed, and smashed, offering no defense whatsoever. Wherever the spear tip touched, the armor was as thin as paper, and in the blink of an eye, five enemy riders screamed and fell from their horses.

Lin Qingyao followed closely behind, finally seizing an opportunity to get close. She spotted a knight swinging his sword diagonally, and with a flick of her wrist, her short sword precisely pierced the man's throat through the gap in his blade. The man groaned, clutching his neck as he fell straight off his horse.

Just as they broke through the cavalry, more than twenty black-clad infantrymen surrounded them, weapons at the ready.

With a deafening neigh, the Big Black steed charged straight into the crowd, its front hooves raised high, and its spiked hooves slammed into the chests of two men in front of it. Several crisp cracking sounds rang out, and the two men were sent flying backward, spitting blood. Shen Jingchuan sat upright on his horse, his spear moving like a dragon and a snake, the spear tip flicking and the shaft smashing, those who came close were either killed or wounded.

Treading Snow and Little Black were also aroused by the fighting, and plunged into the crowd, their hooves flying, kicking and stomping. These three Whirlwind Horses were already incredibly strong, and their hooves were covered with spiked war hooves. If they touched the spikes, their bones would break and their tendons would be broken; if they were just grazed, they would vomit blood and fall to the ground.

Lin Qingyao, gripping her short sword, rode on Treading Snow's back, ready to make her move. However, as soon as the enemies on either side got within half a step, they were either kicked away by Treading Snow's hoof or had their sternums crushed by the ramming horn wrapped around the horse's head.

She couldn't find an opportunity to attack—in all her years of fighting, she had always relied on the horse to fight, and this was the first time she had encountered a horse that could fight better than her, leaving her, the rider, idle.

In a short while, more than a dozen of the twenty-odd infantrymen were crippled by Shen Jingchuan and his three cavalrymen who stabbed, kicked, and smashed their heads with spears. The remaining men were terrified and dared not resist. They scattered and fled with a howl.

The three horses didn't stop, trampling over the mess on the ground, and charged straight through the obstacle.

At this moment, the two scouts leading the escort team saw the fighting breaking out on the main road from afar. They turned their horses around and galloped back like madmen, shouting at the top of their lungs from a distance, "Chief Escort! Second Chief Escort! There's an ambush ahead! Young Master Shen and his men have been ambushed!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Shan and Lin Yue's expressions changed drastically. They turned around and sternly instructed the guards to protect the caravan and form a defensive formation. The two of them grabbed their spears and spurred their horses forward. When they arrived, Shen Jingchuan and Lin Qingyao had just reined in their horses and were catching their breath.

Seeing the two approaching, Shen Jingchuan didn't waste any words, simply turning his horse around and coldly saying:

"Fight back!"

Before the words were even finished, Big Black had already regained its speed. Lin Shan and Lin Yue followed closely behind, spears in hand, but they hadn't gone far before the Whirlwind Horse's speed left them further and further behind. On the other hand, Lin Qingyao rode Treading Snow, with Little Black following behind Shen Jingchuan.

On the other side, the leader had just steadied himself by supporting his shoulder—he had been struck in the shoulder by Shen Jingchuan's spear shaft, and his muscles and bones were throbbing with pain.

He took stock of his men. Of the original twenty-odd cavalrymen, ten had been killed in the two charges. His infantrymen had also been badly wounded and killed by three horses and fled into the woods. Including himself, he was left with only twelve riders.

Watching the infantrymen scatter and flee, he gritted his teeth. He had been ordered to intercept and kill them, but the soldiers before him were heavily armored, wielded formidable spears, and rode extraordinary horses. After fighting for a long time, he hadn't even managed to injure them.

Just as he was hesitating, he saw two riders galloping towards him from afar, joining Shen Jingchuan and the other man. His heart sank immediately.

"Boss, let's retreat!" someone said urgently from the side.

"This is tough nut to crack, we can't break through it at all! If we keep dragging this out, all the brothers will perish here!"