When Two Armies Met

"Jian Shang!"

Jiang Yao shouted in alarm, but Jian Shang ignored him completely, still charging forward on horseback—and gradually accelerating.

"What do we do?"

Gao Gong tightened his grip on his wolf-tooth club and looked to Jiang Yao.

"Follow him!"

Seeing Jian Shang about to collide with the barbarians, Jiang Yao's face twisted with hesitation. In the end, he sighed and spoke.

With that, he flicked the reins and spurred his horse after Jian Shang, the others following in quick succession.

One hundred meters...

Seventy meters...

Fifty meters...

"*@#&..."

Apparently never expecting the target of their encirclement to charge at them, the barbarian leader—wearing a felt cap with a gray phoenix feather stuck into the back, a bronze saber in hand—shouted a string of unintelligible words.

"Awoo, awoo, awoo..."

The three riders to either side howled like wolves, raising their Crescent-Moon Sabers high. Excitement filled their faces, bloodlust blazing in their eyes as they charged Jian Shang.

"Clang..."

The distance between them swiftly closed. Just as they were about to meet, Jian Shang swung the Pear Blossom Wrought-Iron Spear in a circle and struck the saber of the barbarian rider on the far right, knocking it aside and forcing him to retreat in shock.

"Pfft..."

Without slowing, the sharp spear blade that had swept aside the saber sliced onward and stabbed into the abdomen of the barbarian rider in the middle. The sound of steel entering flesh rang out as blood sprayed.

Power surged through the spear as he lifted...

"Bang!"

That barbarian was forcibly sent flying by Jian Shang's spear, crashing into the rider on the left. The two riders tumbled to the ground like rolling gourds. The barbarian whose chest had been pierced by the spear was already dead upon landing, and a system notification sounded in Jian Shang's mind.

Although the barbarians' warhorses were not quite like those of the real Warring States period, they too had saddles but no stirrups. It was said this made them more agile and better cultivated the tacit understanding between rider and horse, rather than forcibly binding oneself to the warhorse.

"Ghk... Pfft..."

The barbarian rider on the right recovered and charged over at once. Jian Shang's spear, having sent the other rider flying, did not pause. It completed its arc, circled back around, brushed past the barbarian's saber, and drove fiercely into his chest. Another system notification rang in Jian Shang's mind.

One sweep of the spear, three riders struck—that was the charm and exquisite subtlety of spear techniques.

Jian Shang's bitter training day and night had not gone to waste. Of course, his soaring strength, which allowed him to overpower the barbarian riders through sheer force, was also a major reason.

"Hmm?"

Jiang Yao, Sun Ji, and the others who followed close behind had not expected Jian Shang to be so fierce and valiant. Though stunned, they did not slow as they closed the distance.

"Awoo... Gurgle-gurgle!"

The barbarian leader holding the Bronze Saber roared angrily and cried out in a strange voice. The barbarian riders, who had been sweeping forward in a broad horizontal line, quickly drew closer. The six riders on either side, previously separated by as much as a hundred meters, angled inward and accelerated toward Jian Shang.

Three riders, six riders, plus the barbarian leader and the two riders at his side—there were twelve barbarians in total.

"Crack..."

Since Jiang Yao and the others trusted him enough to risk following him, Jian Shang naturally could not break out and flee alone. His thoughts raced as he yanked the reins, and his warhorse immediately charged toward the three riders on the right.

Taking the initiative and defeating them one by one was far easier than waiting for the six barbarian riders to gather before dealing with them.

Close!

Closer!

"Whoosh..."

When he came within seven or eight meters of the nearest barbarian rider, Jian Shang brought down his spear like a staff...

Three meters...

The sharp Crescent-Moon Saber was raised high, just about to chop down, when the Pear Blossom Wrought-Iron Spear had already arrived.

"Bang!"

A dull impact sounded as the wrought-iron spear shaft smashed against the barbarian rider's shoulder. To Jian Shang's surprise, it failed to send him flying.

With a twist of his wrist, he swept upward at an angle...

The sharp spear blade sliced through like a knife taking off a head. The barbarian rider's head, eyes wide open, flew into the air, blood shooting forth in a pillar.

At the same time, the system notification sounded in Jian Shang's mind for the third time. It could be considered noise, but it could also be seen as a reminder for players to stay calm. Naturally, it could also be selectively blocked.

"Awoo..."

Seeing his brother-in-arms killed, the second rider howled like a wolf and accelerated toward Jian Shang, his bloodthirsty eyes fixed tightly upon him.

"Hyah!"

Jian Shang squeezed his legs around the horse's belly, held the Pear Blossom Wrought-Iron Spear diagonally, the spear blade pointing at the ground, and met him without the slightest fear.

Eight meters...

Six meters...

Four meters...

"Pfft..."

The spear rose like a nimble serpent darting from its hole. Here, the advantage of a long weapon was fully displayed. Though both struck at the same time, the spear pierced the barbarian rider's chest first, killing him.

The system notification sounded for the fourth time.

"Awoo..."

The third rider let out a furious wolf howl, like a lone wolf mourning the moon, and charged at Jian Shang without fear of death.

"Crack..."

This time, Jian Shang did not meet him head-on. He immediately turned his horse around and charged toward the three riders approaching from the left.

The third barbarian rider flew into a rage, accelerating again in an attempt to catch Jian Shang and avenge his brother-in-arms.

They chased and fled for over ten meters. The nearest of the three riders on the left was now less than twenty meters away...

"Whoosh..."

Jian Shang suddenly reined in his horse and stopped. His upper body twisted toward the third barbarian rider as the Pear Blossom Wrought-Iron Spear shot out like lightning...

Returning Horse Thrust!

"Pfft..."

Before the third barbarian rider's saber could fall—before he could even react—the sharp spear blade drove powerfully into his chest and pierced straight through.

The system notification sounded for the fifth time.

"No increase in martial force or prestige reward. Notifications will no longer be issued!"

Though system notifications could keep one calm, they robbed one of the exhilaration of pressing forward in one unbroken burst. Jian Shang summoned his attribute panel and chose to block them.

"Crack... Crunch..."

By the time Jian Shang turned back around, Jiang Yao and the others had arrived. Gao Gong's wolf-tooth club smashed down viciously...

A dull heavy impact mingled with the sound of shattering bones. The barbarian rider who had earlier been knocked from his horse had his head burst apart like a watermelon, bright-red blood and pale brain matter spraying everywhere.

"Whizz..."

"Be careful!"

At that moment, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Before Jian Shang could react, Jiang Qing cried out. Her saber flew from her hand like a fluttering butterfly, spinning through the air.

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic clash rang out, sparks flashing as the saber knocked the arrow aside.

"Hmm?"

Seeing the arrow that had passed within three meters of him, Jian Shang's heart jolted. He secretly broke into a cold sweat, then turned to look back and saw that the barbarian leader was no longer holding the Bronze Saber, but a powerful bow.

Turning toward the three barbarian riders charging from the left, now only a dozen or so meters away, Jian Shang ordered Jiang Yao and the others:

"Leave these three riders to you!"

With that, he turned his horse and charged straight at the barbarian leader.

In a melee, hidden arrows were absolutely one of the hardest weapons to guard against and among the most lethal. But once the enemy closed in, an archer was no different from someone barehanded.

"..."

Seeing Jian Shang charge toward him, the barbarian leader put away his powerful bow, picked up his Bronze Saber, and gave Jian Shang a savage grin. His white teeth showed, and together with the chaotic facial tattoos crawling over his face like centipedes, he gave the impression of someone who ate flesh and drank blood—bloody and violent.

"Awoo, awoo, awoo..."

The barbarian leader remained where he was while the two riders at his sides howled like wolves and came at Jian Shang from either flank, one wielding a full-moon saber and the other a wolf-tooth club.

They drew close...

Jian Shang thrust his spear at the barbarian rider with the wolf-tooth club. At the same time, that rider, fearless of death, ignored the spear entirely and smashed his club down at Jian Shang's head.

The wolf-tooth club was a heavy weapon. If Jian Shang did not evade, his spear might kill the barbarian rider first, but the club would still come crashing down. Even if it did not kill Jian Shang, it would seriously injure him.