Come Here

Li Ang glanced at the Gatu people across the river, then at the chainmail coif in his hand, and then raised his hand to look at the chainmail on his body. Suddenly, he instructed his subordinates to remain silent.

Afterward, he put on the coif and stood on the rampart-like wall, exposing his upper body over the crude wooden baffle.

In his hand was an 'Eagle Strike Bow', borrowed from a Horn Caller Ranger.

Ansen called out worriedly, "Lord..."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Li Ang waved his hand behind him to stop him.

He stood there quietly, even waving to the other side of the river.

Seeing Li Ang wave, a person emerged from the Gatu people's formation across the river.

Likely a leader.

Because he was wearing a chainmail coif of the same style as Li Ang's.

As a grassland people who lived on horseback, born robbers, the Gatu people were not skilled or capable of crafting high-tech equipment like plate armor.

Their armor mainly consisted of studded leather or light chainmail.

Of course, this was also because their fighting style was not suited for plate armor—they pursued the mobility needed for raiding and the endurance and flexibility required for mounted archery.

Among the Gatu warriors, the most capable and brutal elite war riders, or the Gatu warlords who commanded armies, favored these chainmail coifs that could conceal their faces.

Perhaps they were afraid of being recognized after committing too many evil deeds...

The Gatu person approaching should be a minor warlord.

Unlike most of the Gatu cavalry behind him, he wore heavier lamellar armor, and his warhorse was also clad in studded iron armor.

This was clearly someone who didn't need to conserve the horse's strength frequently, thus deliberately pursuing better survivability—leader's treatment.

Although the armor looked drab and unimpressive, unremarkable among the Gatu people, this was the true appearance of battlefield equipment. Dressing too handsomely and conspicuously would draw enemy fire.

This Gatu warlord looked at Li Ang, who was also wearing a coif, and seemed hesitant. He stopped at the bridgehead across the river and asked something.

But separated by a river, it was impossible to hear.

Even if he could hear, he probably wouldn't understand...

Seeing this, Li Ang waved the bow in his hand with one hand and beckoned with the other, shouting.

"Come over here!"

His attitude was relaxed and natural, as if greeting an old friend.

This was originally just to boost morale, to show that the lord was unafraid of the enemy and at ease, allowing his brothers to relax.

After all, it was unlikely the other side could hear what Li Ang was shouting...

But unexpectedly, the Gatu warlord on the other side actually came over!

He only brought two followers onto the wooden bridge, the three of them on three horses forming a line, trotting onto the bridge.

The two followers were likely Gatu war riders—chainmail and coifs, dressed exactly like Li Ang!

It wasn't until they reached the middle of the bridge that they suddenly reined in their horses—at this moment, the three Gatu people finally saw the rampart blocking the other end of the bridge in the camp...

It was completely blocked!

And the moment they reined in their horses and stopped, Li Ang burst into loud laughter: "Shoot the two behind!"

This helmet, originally just for concealing his face, this crude tactic conceived on the spur of the moment, actually came in handy!

As he spoke, the Eagle Strike Bow in his hand shot an arrow with incredible speed, almost without aiming.

"Bispa!!"

The Gatu warlord shouted loudly, frantically urging his horse to turn back, but was blocked by his followers behind him.

And the moment the Gatu warlord turned, an arrow sliced through the air in a slight parabola, accurately piercing his calf.

The arrow was shot very deep—his calf was only protected by leather boots, and the arrow pinned the Gatu warlord's leg directly to his horse's belly!

The horse reared and whinnied piteously, its violent movements causing blood mist to spurt from its belly, but the horse did not bolt. It merely shook its head and tail, stomping its feet in painful agony.

This was truly a well-trained warhorse.

What a shame...

Li Ang drew his bowstring once more.

This arrow passed through the warhorse's eye, the trembling fletching stirring a few tears from the horse.

The warhorse ceased its cries, falling silently onto the bridge with its rider, its massive body pinning the Gatu warlord's impaled leg.

One of the two followers behind him was moving to the side, making way, while the other abandoned his horse and leaped forward to shield the fallen Gatu warlord, seemingly intending to block arrows with his body.

Several crossbow bolts were also fired simultaneously from the shooting holes in the wall's baffle. On the inescapable bridge, the two brave Gatu war riders were successively hit by arrows.

The one on the side fell from his horse into the river—this rickety bridge had no railings.

The one who tried to block arrows, as he wished, was shot into a hedgehog and fell in front of the Gatu warlord.

This Gatu warlord was likely a formidable tribal leader. He struggled hard, looked back at Li Ang holding his bow, and shouted a guttural Gatu word in despair: "Wusa! Gatu!!".

This short Gatu phrase likely had an effect similar to 'Ura,' and the Gatu cavalry across the river immediately began to roar ferociously and surge towards the bridge, the cry of "Wusa" echoing through the heavens.

"Kloze! Get ready!"

Li Ang shouted, an arrow nocked on his bowstring aimed at the Gatu warlord, but he didn't draw it back further.

The Gatu cavalry across the river were about to reach the bridge, their thunderous hooves sending violent tremors through the ground.

The Gatu warlord, who had been watching Li Ang calmly await death, seemed to realize something. He struggled to get up, but his horse pinned him, preventing him from moving. He could only twist his body and shout loudly to his subordinates: "Bispa!!"

He crossed his hands in front of him, as if preparing to wave a signal—he likely intended to make a motion to halt their advance.

But before he could make the move, Li Ang shot him down again.

This arrow pierced his elbow, pinning his hand to the bridge.

The warlord's half-formed command turned into a meaningless, high-pitched scream. He struggled with extreme ferocity, even wrenching his leg out from under his horse's belly.

The arrow in his leg snapped as he struggled, and blood poured out, but the brave warlord still seemed determined to stop his subordinates' charge.

Li Ang's third arrow, however, pierced the bend of his other leg, locking him completely onto the bridge.

He would never stand up again.

These three precise, yet non-fatal, arrows caused the minor warlord to howl fiercely.

But the more he howled, the more the surging Gatu cavalry desperately charged onto the bridge, heading towards their leader.

The Gatu were people too, with a strict hierarchy; they had to rescue their leader.

The hastily repaired bridge was narrow and had no railings. Even with exceptional equestrian skills, it could only accommodate two cavalrymen riding side-by-side.

Furthermore, horses would instinctively slow down on it—all living creatures have an instinct to avoid danger. The hastily laid wooden planks were thin and soft, and the horses could sense it.

The moment the fastest Gatu cavalrymen reached the bridge, a volley of crossbow bolts shot out. Several cavalrymen screamed as they fell from their horses. The injured horses spun around on the bridge, blocking those behind them.

Then, piercing whirring sounds began to ring out. The crossbowmen, who were usually of average ability, achieved their maximum output in this target practice-like scenario.

The bridge gradually became piled with the injured and the dead.

Below the bridge, the water had already turned red with blood.

The Gatu riders were blocked by the casualties at the bridgehead and the riderless horses.

Some intelligent Gatu had already dismounted. They too had realized that horses were not as fast as people on this bridge.

Some Gatu took off their nomadic shields and crossed over the corpses at the bridgehead.

A wave of infantry charge began.

If people stood side-by-side, this bridge could probably fit three or four.

The dozens of Gatu advancing with shields now filled the other end of the bridge. The flat-trajectory crossbow bolts had little effect against the shields, and the crossbowmen slowed their firing rate.

Only the bow in Li Ang's hand could still precisely avoid the shield's cover, biting into the Gatu's flesh and blood, arrow after arrow.

But a bow, and one person, could not possibly stop the advance of dozens of shield-bearing warriors.

The Gatu eventually reached the center of the bridge, beside their leader.

But at this very moment, the bridge piers beneath the wooden bridge began to emit crisp cracking sounds.

"Kloze! Cut!"