Explosive Cavalry

Zhen Jin did not rush to find Zi Di. He followed Cang Xu, and the two of them came to the camp together.

Many people lay inside here.

They were all wounded soldiers who had recently taken the potion and were now weak and powerless throughout their bodies.

All of these people needed comforting.

"Lord."

"Greetings, Lord."

Seeing the arrival of the Temple Knight Zhen Jin, the wounded soldiers struggled one after another, wanting to stand up and salute.

"Just lie down." Zhen Jin extended his palm, making a pressing gesture downward.

"Do not worry, everyone. The Empire's military flag is still fluttering, and the deities of the temple are also watching over you and me."

"This bit of a setback is nothing at all. As long as we do not lose our lives, everything remains possible."

"Follow me, and I will lead you out of this island and reap glory!"

After offering some words of encouragement, Zhen Jin and Cang Xu walked out of the tent.

"As long as you are here, the morale here will not collapse. You are the pillar in our hearts!" Cang Xu sighed.

Zhen Jin smiled.

Cang Xu spoke from the heart and was not purely flattering.

Zhen Jin indeed had such an effect.

This was a leader; this was one of the influences of a powerhouse.

"Of course, what's even more important is my identity as a Temple Knight," Zhen Jin knew well.

In the hearts of the Empire's subjects, the status of a Temple Knight had always been quite lofty.

Walking out of the camp, Zhen Jin led Cang Xu to a nearby hillside.

An extremely crude thatched hut had been temporarily built here.

A circle of fences was also erected around the thatched hut. Inside the fence, a few Bonehorn Goats were kept.

These goats had once all been the leaders of the herd, possessing Bronze-level life auras.

During the weakness period when the exploration team members took the medicine, these few goats would always be isolated here.

The one responsible for taking care of the goats was none other than Bai Ya.

Because this young man did not eat mutton, he had not suffered the erosion of the chaotic magic, avoiding a disaster. Because of this, he acquired a nickname—Lucky Kid.

Lucky Kid Bai Ya had been extremely busy these past days. Not only did he have to take care of these few goats, but he also had to run back and forth for the wounded soldiers. Many people had received his care and bore his kindness, which made him very popular. Among them, Huang Zao had previously misunderstood Bai Ya, but after receiving Bai Ya's care, Huang Zao took the initiative to offer to impart a Battle Qi Formula to Bai Ya.

Noticing the arrival of Zhen Jin and Cang Xu, he quickly opened the fence gate and respectfully welcomed the two of them inside.

"Lord, I am sorry. I have failed your expectations of me. I, I did not accomplish it..." Bai Ya wore a look of shame.

Zhen Jin patted the young lad's shoulder and comforted him, "It doesn't matter. I know you have already worked very hard."

Although counting by age Zhen Jin was even younger than Bai Ya, when Bai Ya heard these words, the nervous and worried emotions on his face immediately dissipated a lot, and his feeling of shame transformed into gratitude toward Zhen Jin.

"Thank you, Lord. You are so magnanimous!" Bai Ya said.

Zhen Jin waved his hand, signaling Bai Ya to withdraw.

He had originally given orders to Bai Ya, commanding the latter to train these lead goats with the intent of domesticating them as mounts.

Once this plan succeeded, it would be of tremendous help to Zhen Jin now and in the future.

Zhen Jin's mind had always been preoccupied with the idea of goat cavalry.

The reason he gave this task to Bai Ya was, first, because he was lively and unaffected by magic erosion, and second, because he was a hunter's son and had dealt with beasts quite a bit.

But judging from the results now, Bai Ya was simply not able to domesticate these goats.

Zhen Jin could not really be considered disappointed; his hopes to begin with had been very slim. Usually, this kind of thing was done by beast tamers, or perhaps druids would do. Relying on a hunter's son, and an ordinary young man at that, Zhen Jin also knew that this idea of his was somewhat impractical.

"Lord, this subordinate takes his leave." Bai Ya withdrew.

Soon, only Zhen Jin and Cang Xu were left inside the fence.

Only then did Zhen Jin speak up, "Regarding the problem of food shortages, I already have a solution. That is to manufacture potions in large quantities, have the goats take them, force out the magic within their bodies, and purify all the mutton."

Hearing this, Cang Xu hesitated for a moment before carefully weighing his words and saying, "Lord, this method is afraid won't do. We are able to clear the magic inside our bodies because we only suffered erosion. However, these goats are the source of the magic itself, and this magic is a part of their lives, seemingly like limbs or internal organs."

"If we pour the potion into the goat herd, although it will expel a large amount of the magic in their bodies, there will always be some residue that cannot be completely cleared. At the same time, this goat herd will also suffer heavy blows, far deeper and more severe than us; dying on the spot is the most likely thing to happen."

Zhen Jin laughed heartily, looking deeply at Cang Xu, "These goats are actually just like us, both victims. The true source of magic is not them, but the seemingly ordinary green grass growing nearby."

Zhen Jin's such frankness left Cang Xu stunned on the spot.

The old scholar looked at Zhen Jin. The two gazes intersected in mid-air. The old scholar blinked, a sudden realization dawning in his heart, and he understood the intent behind Zhen Jin's words.

Zhen Jin continued, "Could it be that Mr. Cang Xu has not perceived this secret?"

Cang Xu's heart trembled slightly. Zhen Jin's continuous pressing gave him an illusion, as if he were facing a sharp swordsman with a relentless and successive offense.

A flash of hesitation crossed the old scholar's face, and his gaze flickered as he replied, "It is this humble person who is dull-witted and has failed to perceive this secret."

Zhen Jin stared at Cang Xu for a while. Seeing that the latter had no subsequent reaction, a feeling of disappointment rose within his heart.

Zhen Jin gave a bland hm, slowly turned around, took steps, and walked toward the fence gate.

Cang Xu closely followed behind him.

Just as Zhen Jin was about to open the fence gate, Cang Xu behind him suddenly said, "Sir Zhen Jin, your candor and foresight cannot but arouse admiration in one's heart. Your person possesses the lofty foresight of an outstanding superior. Although currently in distress, you still attempt to form a cavalry. Indeed, the role of cavalry is extremely great, capable of both offense and defense. With an outstanding cavalry in hand, one can often seize the initiative. However, in this humble person's view, these goats are not your best choice; you still have an even better option."

"Oh?" Zhen Jin rested one hand on the fence gate, slowly turned around, and looked back at Cang Xu, "Then let me hear Mr. Cang Xu's high opinion."

"Lord, although these goats have a very high life level, they are not natural products themselves and harbor huge hidden dangers."

"They cannot harmonize their own magic, and even if a cavalry is formed, the upper limit is very low."

"Aside from that, as you will govern White Sand City in the future, the terrain around White Sand City is flat, and in the direction penetrating deep into the Wilderness Continent, there are vast forests. There is no hilly topography, which is unsuited for the play of goat cavalry."

Cang Xu talked eloquently.

Zhen Jin wore a poker face, but inwardly he thoroughly agreed with Cang Xu's words.

These flaws were all clear to Zhen Jin.

But the crux was, aside from forming a goat cavalry, what else could he form?

Zhen Jin was dirt-poor right now. Although he was a dignified Temple Knight, even his subordinates had only recently been incorporated under his command.

Moreover, whether these people would be willing to continue following Zhen Jin once they left this island in the future was still up in the air.

Cang Xu suddenly asked, "I wonder how much the Lord knows about the Explosive Hoof Warhorse?"

"It sounds a little familiar." Zhen Jin slightly furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "Duke Hengle?"

When Duke Hengle was young, he was a notoriously dissolute playboy. His parents died in his early years, and he was deeply doted on by his grandparents, indulging in wine and women with mediocre strength. However, the eastern nobles rebelled, and his grandparents were ambushed and died on the battlefield.

Hengle thus rose to power and became the head of the clan. Before he could even react, the allied forces of the nobility came in full swing and attacked.

Hengle did not even have time to grieve, and under the escort of the family knights, he assumed the role of commander-in-chief, leading the army to resist the allied forces.

As the two armies clashed, the knights of the Hengle family fought bravely to defend their homeland, but they lacked the strength to do so, being pushed into a disadvantage and falling into a predicament.

Seeing that the overall situation was about to collapse, the cowardly Hengle decided to escape secretly in order to save his life.

In the panic, however, he failed to distinguish the horses properly and mistakenly mounted an Explosive Hoof Warhorse.

The temperament of the Explosive Hoof Warhorse was impulsive, explosive, and even crazy. Once provoked, it would definitely fight back to the death, paying no heed even if it cost its life.

As Hengle galloped away on horseback, a stray arrow mistakenly hit the mount's backside.

The Explosive Hoof Warhorse instantly flew into a rage, completely ignoring Hengle's shouts and the pulling reins, and turned back to charge toward the tragic battlefield where the main army was entangled and fighting.

The family army, whose morale had originally been low, suddenly saw the contemporary Duke Hengle "charging alone," and were immediately infected by his spirit, roaring one after another with soaring morale as they launched a fierce counterattack disregarding their lives.

Caught off guard by the allied army, their front line was breached, and they became the defeated party.

Through a twist of fate, Hengle won the critical victory and preserved his family's territory. The story concerning him was disclosed by himself six years later due to drunkenness, and thus it spread far and wide and became known to the world.

Cang Xu nodded, "It is precisely the kind of horse that Duke Hengle rode back then. This humble person knows a method to cultivate the Explosive Cavalry."

Hearing this, Zhen Jin could not help but reveal a trace of shock, "Are you sure?"

The Explosive Hoof Warhorse had a wild and uninhibited temperament, easily falling into angry emotions. At the slightest provocation, it would launch a frantic attack until death.

But apart from that, the Explosive Hoof Warhorse itself was extremely robust in build. It was very tall, with a horse head exceeding most warhorses by about a meter. Its hooves were thicker and harder than most warhorses, appearing as though made of steel.

Its explosive power was very strong. Once it started running, it only took a few breaths to reach its fastest speed.

Not just for short distances, it also possessed very considerable endurance when it came to long-distance raids.

Zhen Jin himself was a Temple Knight. Although his memories were fragmented, his common sense was intact, and he deeply understood just how important a good mount was to a knight, and what a huge combat power boost it would bring.

The height of the Explosive Hoof Warhorse alone allowed knights to fight from a commanding position. On the battlefield, a sliver of advantage could lead to the difference between life and death. Did the height advantage brought by the Explosive Hoof Warhorse amount to mere a sliver?

The hooves of the Explosive Hoof Warhorse were also extremely formidable weapons. Outstanding cavalry could make their warhorses rear up and use their front hooves to kick enemies. A single kick from an Explosive Hoof Warhorse could kick right through a normal iron shield!

Not to mention the terrifying impact force brought by the bulging muscles all over the Explosive Hoof Warhorse.

Such excellent qualities had caused many nobles or faction leaders to try forming an Explosive Cavalry.

However, the performance of this kind of cavalry on the battlefield had always been terrible.

Because the cavalrymen had no way to control these Explosive Hoof Warhorses. Especially when this fierce breed of horse suffered provocation, it would ignore how the rider restrained it and charge desperately toward the enemy.

The Explosive Cavalry was far too easy to manipulate.

A slight lure and provocation could make the cavalrymen charge right in front of them, entering the range of mages.

Under the bombardment of magic, the Explosive Hoof Warhorses actively marched to their deaths carrying the riders, completely devoid of fear.

Encountering an even slightly cunning enemy commander, this cavalry would be driven even more to impact their own battle line, being reduced to pawns in the enemy's hands.

The Explosive Hoof Warhorse had many advantages, but it possessed one huge flaw that caused the Explosive Cavalry to gradually become a laughingstock.

Yet now, Cang Xu was proposing to Zhen Jin once again that they form the Explosive Cavalry.

Zhen Jin stared at Cang Xu with a sharp gaze. Although their time together was very short, he did not believe Cang Xu was a person lacking a sense of propriety.

Sure enough, the next moment Cang Xu added, "This humble person has a way to enable the cavalry to basically control the irritable Explosive Hoof Warhorse."

"The reason the Explosive Hoof Warhorse could not be used to form a cavalry is precisely because their temperament is too explosive. But by using this method, this flaw can be compensated for."

"It's just that right now the Battle Qi Formula is still only in its fledgling stage and is not mature, let alone perfected."

"If the Lord does not mind, this humble person is willing to offer it with both hands."

Zhen Jin reined in his gaze and nodded, "Mr. Cang Xu, I will keep this contribution of yours in mind."

The relationship between cavalry and mount was not merely a simple riding relationship.

Aside from living and training day and night with the mount to cultivate tacit understanding, the cavalryman would also channel Battle Qi and infuse it into the mount.

Battle Qi would shuttle and circulate within the mount's body, making the mount move faster, defend stronger, recover quicker, increase its strength, and so on.

When the cavalry charged, the stimulated Battle Qi would cause the rider and the mount to connect even more closely, thereby forming a single entity.

According to Cang Xu's meaning, he mastered a recently fledgling Battle Qi Formula. By utilizing this Battle Qi, the cavalry could effectively control the Explosive Hoof Warhorse and not easily let the latter go mad or frenzied.

The value of this kind of Battle Qi Formula was, of course, very high.

Cang Xu continued, "Sir Zhen Jin, although these goats possess dense life auras, they are monsters after all. They cannot autonomously coordinate magic and make the magic inside their bodies balanced and stable. This also means that the cavalry cannot use Battle Qi to infuse it into the goats' bodies. Even if a cavalry is formed, there is not much potential, and the hidden dangers are great."

"Rather than that, it would be better to use the potion to clear out the chaotic magic inside their bodies, and then slaughter them directly to obtain a massive amount of food, thereby resolving the immediate predicament."

Although the processed mutton might still retain magic and carry risks.

Given the present situation, what more could the entire exploration team possibly ask for?

ps: Recommending a good-looking book -- "Super God Mechanic". The mechanical settings are novel, and the atmosphere is relaxed and joyful.

Han Xiao, a "Star Sea" ash-tier power-leveler, was thrown into the crossing army by a mysterious force coming from the eas(zuo)ter(zhe)n side, carrying a player panel to become an NPC, returning before the public beta of "Star Sea," and resolutely choosing the highest-difficulty Mechanic class.

Warships lined up across the Star Sea, stellar mechas twisting like dragons, psionic cannons destroying the world, and there was also the boundless mechanical army quietly waiting in his portable warehouse.

A single person is a legion!