The battle was direct and bloody, the most savage kind of clash. Long blades, Jujube Spike Hammers, and Wolf-Tooth Maces rained down on the enemy.
The force Lu Yuan led punched through the enemy ranks again and again. The Soldier Mark blazing across his body grew clearer and clearer, spreading over every warrior.
It formed an Arrowhead Formation as solid as a blade.
Cutting through and piercing the Northern Barbarian cavalry.
The battle lasted about an hour. Of the eleven men at Lu Yuan's side, three died and two were wounded, but they wiped out all thirty-four Northern Barbarians on the other side.
In this battle, Lu Yuan alone killed a full twenty-one enemies.
Eight of them were Entry Realm experts.
The spoils were plentiful this time, but the price had been just as steep.
After patting his horse's drenched back, Lu Yuan called to the others behind him, "Everyone, dismount and collect the spoils. Carry our fallen brothers back on horseback. We'll stay for only the time it takes an incense stick to burn, so move quickly."
He had a vague feeling that there were more Northern Barbarian cavalry nearby.
They couldn't stay here long.
"Yes, my lord." Wei Yong was now thoroughly convinced by Lu Yuan.
He answered and leapt from his horse, promptly searching the corpses.
This time, they'd gained plenty. Once they got back, everyone would be rich.
Lu Yuan did not dismount. He scanned the surroundings, keeping watch over the area.
As for his share, the others conscientiously set it aside first. Twenty-one warhorses, twenty-one heads, some armor and valuables—all were packed into saddlebags and secured to the horses.
As soon as the incense stick's time was up, everyone mounted again.
They drove the horses toward Ice Plain City.
Old Huang handed Lu Yuan an Iron-Core Bow, along with several large quivers of Wolf-Hair Arrows.
He was a thoughtful man. Though he hadn't contributed much in the battle, he had kept Lu Yuan foremost in mind while collecting supplies. That was one reason Lu Yuan brought him along every time.
Night had fallen, but no one dared stop. They rode on, chewing dry rations as they went.
The three dead brothers lay crosswise over the horses' backs.
Their legs swayed with the horses' movements.
Now, including the wounded, only nine men remained in Lu Yuan's party.
They traveled with great caution.
But what was coming could not be avoided. When they were less than forty li from Ice Plain City,
a dark mass appeared ahead. There seemed to be more than forty people, but their presence felt different.
These men were strong. The stench of blood on them carried on the wind, sharp enough for Lu Yuan to smell clearly.
His scalp prickled. He could hardly believe that so many strange things had happened during this mission.
The scattered Northern Barbarian scouts had gathered together, and they had also encountered an elite unit rarely seen before.
"My lord, it's the Northern Barbarian Eagle Banner," Old Huang said, his voice trembling.
When Lu Yuan didn't react, he continued, "The Northern Barbarian Eagle Banner belongs exclusively to the Iron Sparrowhawks. This is a unit of Iron Sparrowhawks. They're as renowned as our Night Scouts on the Northern Frontier. They're formidable."
Wei Yong wiped the blood dripping from his warhammer and gritted his teeth. "At this point, there's nothing for it. We fight."
Anyone who could hold their ground on the Northern Frontier was born with a fierce streak.
Now that they'd run into the Iron Sparrowhawks, there was no choice but to meet them in battle.
Lu Yuan glanced at the enemy's horses. "They're all fine Wasteland steeds. We can't outrun them. Then we fight to the death."
"Yoo-hoo!"
The Iron Sparrowhawks on the other side had spotted Lu Yuan's group, but they didn't charge straight in. Instead, they formed a wide circle, circling them again and again as they shouted.
Their shrill cries were maddening.
Lu Yuan frowned.
The Arrowhead Formation, used by the lower-ranking soldiers of Great Yong, had one advantage: it placed no limit on numbers. Even three men could form the Formation.
Now they had nine. That was enough.
Wei Yong and the others dropped the spoils, tightened their armor, and prepared to fight to the death.
"If any of us make it back, every last bit of the spoils must be delivered to the families of our fallen brothers. And each of us must set aside part of our own share for the widows of those who died."
After speaking, Lu Yuan brought out the Iron-Core Bow.
At that same moment, the circling Iron Sparrowhawks drew their bows one after another and fired at Lu Yuan and the others in the center.
"Push the captured horses to the perimeter to block the arrows."
Lu Yuan had barely finished speaking when he drew the Iron-Core Bow to a full moon.
Then he loosed an arrow toward the front.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
He moved incredibly fast, firing seven or eight arrows in a short time. In an instant, seven or eight of the Iron Sparrowhawks circling them fell from their horses.
"Neigh!"
At the same time, the horses they had just driven to the perimeter, in front of Lu Yuan and the others, let out piteous cries. The Iron Sparrowhawks' arrows struck them, and they collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, none of Lu Yuan's men had been hit.
Though they grieved for the many horses that had died, there was no time to think of anything else.
They kept driving the remaining horses around the perimeter.
Lu Yuan held the Iron-Core Bow and moved even faster.
"Twanging! Twanging!"
Each time the bowstring trembled, an Iron Sparrowhawk fell from his horse.
He was using the bow carefully this time, so the Iron-Core Bow did not snap.
Arrow after arrow flew, and each time, someone fell.
In a short while, more than ten Iron Sparrowhawks had died beneath his arrows.
The enemy force had shrunk from more than forty to fewer than thirty.
Their arrows, meanwhile, were blocked by the warhorses running around Lu Yuan and the others.
The Centurion leading the enemy was a man nearly two meters tall, wearing bronze armor, with a savage face.
He knew he had been careless. He had underestimated this small band of Yong soldiers, and now he had suffered irreparable losses.
His face turned livid. His eyes grew especially sinister in the night, like a vulture in the Wasteland.
"Charge up and finish them!"
Seeing that the arrows circling around them could not take care of Lu Yuan and the others, he decided to close in and fight at close quarters.
"Everyone, mount up and prepare to meet the enemy."
Everyone had dismounted to fend off the arrows. Now, seeing the Iron Sparrowhawks charge in for close combat,
they hurriedly mounted their horses.
They restored their formation. They knew that the only thing they could rely on now was the Formation.
After mounting, Lu Yuan did not put away his bow. He fired several more arrows in succession.
Only after shooting several more men did he toss the Iron-Core Bow aside, draw his long saber, and shout, "Kill!"
Then he fixed his sights on the Centurion leading the Iron Sparrowhawks.
The man was in the Tendon Refining Realm. With the Formation's help, they might just be able to fight him.
If they could take him down, the battle would be much easier.
At the very least, Lu Yuan and the others would have a better chance.
The enemy Centurion was already consumed by rage. They had never suffered losses like this before.
A mere dozen or so Great Yong soldiers had killed so many of his men.
He would peel their skins off and decorate his saddle with them.