Fierce Battle with the Barbarians

"Duck! Keep charging!"

Everyone was startled. Jian Shang switched from bow to spear and shouted loudly. Most of the Mounted Archers obeyed, flattening themselves against their horses' backs, clamping their legs tight, and accelerating forward.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Jian Shang twisted around, holding his spear in one hand as he thrust with lightning speed. Crisp, dense metallic clashes rang out, knocking more than a dozen incoming scimitars aside.

"Ah! Ah..."

Even so, two Mounted Archers were struck by scimitars and fell from their horses. One had his horse slashed and was thrown off with it. Another three, whether horse or rider, were struck as well, but fortunately did not fall and continued charging.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

"Up!"

Given Jian Shang's current martial strength and spear skill, the incoming scimitars were neither numerous nor dense, so he could handle them. As he sped past the Mounted Archer whose horse had been wounded and who had been thrown off, he clamped his legs against his horse's belly, bent down, and roared. With one hand, he seized the archer by the clothes on his back and hauled him in front of him, laying him across the saddle, while his spear flashed out again and again to knock aside the flying scimitars.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Yang Ning and Le Yun, who had originally been shooting people, switched their targets to the scimitars. Their hard bows drew and released without pause, arrows knocking down scimitar after scimitar amid bursts of sparks.

At this moment, Yang Ning displayed terrifying archery, surpassing Le Yun by far. Every arrow she loosed never missed, and each one brought down two or three scimitars—a single arrow felling several eagles.

Though the flying blades were large, shooting them while they spun at high speed was far harder than shooting people.

"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo..."

The woods were right before them, yet Jian Shang had fallen to the rear. The nearest barbarian rider was only a few meters away, already howling like a wolf in excitement as he raised his blade to chop at Jian Shang's back.

"Creak..."

Though everyone worried for Jian Shang, their whips were too short to reach him.

At that moment, Yang Ning suddenly took out three sharp arrows and drew her Black-Gold Hard Bow to Great Perfection, making the bow groan.

"Bang..."

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

One explosive report, followed by three tearing whistles.

The three sharp arrows formed a triangular pattern, streaking like meteors straight at... Jian Shang!

"Ah?!"

Everyone was aghast. Le Yun, who had been worrying over Jian Shang, shuddered. The sharp arrow in his hand flew wide into the endless sky, and Yang Ning's move nearly scared him off his horse.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft..."

The three arrows passed with divine precision over Jian Shang's head and along both sides of his face, driving powerfully into the three barbarian riders behind him who were about to attack. The tremendous force pierced through their chests, carrying all three from their horses. They were already dead in midair.

"A divine skill!"

Everyone broke out in a cold sweat and turned strange looks toward the expressionless Yang Ning. Le Yun's eyes shone as he gazed up at her in admiration, raised a thumb, and praised her in a hoarse voice.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

Not to mention the others—even Jian Shang, the man at the center of it all, broke out in quite a cold sweat. The powerful arrows that had whipped past him left his ears ringing without end, his face faintly aching. He had truly felt the fierce wind from their razor-sharp flight scrape across his face.

"Kill!"

Just as Jian Shang's soul had yet to settle, a thunderous roar split the clear sky.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

More than a hundred sharp arrows rose from the woods, shooting toward the barbarians pursuing Jian Shang and the others. Over a hundred more men wielding long spears, long axes, and wrought-iron sabers charged out at the barbarian riders like tigers and leopards leaving the forest.

A hundred meters was only a few breaths for horses running at full speed. After several narrow escapes, Jian Shang had gained enough time to charge to the edge of the woods.

"Watch out!"

With the main force attacking, Jian Shang naturally no longer needed to flee for his life. He shouted to the Mounted Archer in front of him, grabbed the clothes on his back again, and hurled him toward the woods. Then he reined in his horse, spun around, and charged back at the barbarians.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The Mounted Archer tumbled through the air and staggered back nearly ten steps after landing before finally steadying himself. Then, his eyes burning with gratitude and worship, he looked at his lord turning his horse around to kill the barbarians!

In a cavalry pursuit, falling from one's horse basically meant certain death. Had Jian Shang not saved him, this Mounted Archer would either have been slain by the barbarian riders or trampled into mush beneath iron hooves.

"Ha!"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Jian Shang turned his horse around and gave a low shout. The Pear Blossom Wrought-Iron Spear in his hand danced like flying pear blossoms, thrusting at the barbarians with lightning speed. Though it was not a combat skill, the simple rapid thrusts of his spear were not to be underestimated.

The spear blade traced streaks of cold light, like meteors streaking across the sky. One barbarian rider after another fell from his horse at the touch of the spear, dead.

Such spearwork, relying purely on strength, speed, and the Basic Spear Technique to kill enemies, made everyone look sideways.

The Mounted Archers who had earlier been driven into a bedraggled flight reined in their horses one after another, drew their bows and nocked arrows, and shot with all their strength and speed, taking joyful revenge.

"Ha!"

The infantry led by Jiang Yao and Jiang Sheng had already rushed from the woods and reached the barbarian riders. Jiang Yao charged at the forefront, his wrought-iron Spring and Autumn saber sweeping upward at an angle and cleaving a panicked barbarian rider, along with his left arm and half his head, into two. Then Jiang Yao leaped forward, knocked that rider from his horse, seized the reins, turned the horse around, and charged at the barbarian riders with his Spring and Autumn saber in hand.

His movements were broad and open, fierce and powerful. Wherever Jiang Yao's saber pointed, barbarian riders were either directly cut down or knocked from their horses.

"Crack..."

However, when it came to the most savage and violent fighter, Gao Gong took the crown. The instant he reached the barbarian riders, he gripped his hundred-and-fifty-pound long-handled battle axe with both hands and used Forcefully Split Mount Hua, cleaving a barbarian rider and his horse in half together. The surrounding barbarian riders and Black Wolf Cavalry were all startled by the sight.

It seemed that Gao Gong had recently learned not only Ma Qiang's iron-blooded nature, but also quite a few essentials of axe techniques from Bai Li, the captain of the Axe Riders squadron, whose weapon was likewise a long-handled battle axe.

Though Ma Qiang also excelled in brute strength and was not as outstandingly savage as Gao Gong, the long-handled saber in his hands still swept forth with unstoppable force. He was a match for Jiang Yao. Before long, he copied Jiang Yao and seized a horse, beginning his pursuit of the barbarian riders.

There was also Luo Sheng, valiant and forthright, with sword-like brows and tiger eyes, handsome and extraordinary, wielding a long spear and sweeping aside all who stood in his way;

Jiang Qing, with Willow-Leaf Sabers in both hands, fluttering like butterflies; Gao Hong, wielding a Three-Foot Green Edge, dancing like flowing sleeves; Shi Ji, with daggers in both hands, springing up and down like a monkey, much like an assassin; and so on.

With archers providing support, a sudden ambush, and the Spear Riders and Axe Riders all wielding long weapons, less than the time it took to burn an incense stick after the two sides met, the barbarian rider column collapsed across the board and scattered in flight.

"Yang Ning! Le Yun! Shoot down the fleeing barbarian riders!"

Seeing the barbarian riders collapse and scramble to flee, Jian Shang swiftly turned and shouted orders to Yang Ning, who was picking off barbarian riders, and Le Yun, who was participating in the melee with a long spear. Then he flicked his reins and charged straight toward a barbarian rider surrounded by others, with sparrow feathers stuck in his hair, wolf fangs around his neck, and a silver scimitar in hand—seemingly their leader.

Wherever he passed, his spear flickered and darted, sending barbarian riders flying from their horses one after another. Hardly any could withstand even a single exchange.

"Kill!"

Jiang Yao, Jiang Sheng, Ma Qiang, Luo Sheng, and the other four, who had been fighting freely, saw Jian Shang charging toward the enemy commander suspected to be the barbarian leader. They immediately turned as one and advanced fiercely behind him, allowing Jian Shang to slaughter without restraint.

Cold gleams flashed through the air, blood surged like a tide, scorching blood warming hot blood, pale corpses stirring baleful ferocity.

With a sweep, mountains shook; with a thrust, ghosts and gods were startled.

Nothing more than this.

Jian Shang was beginning to grow addicted to the intense thrill of answering one call with a hundred responses, holding his spear across his horse and maneuvering across the battlefield.

The greatest heroes serve their country and their people! I may not be a hero, but drifting through the Jianghu and fighting bravely alone is ultimately the lesser path. Only the iron-blooded battlefield is the finest stage for a true man!

*****

Shadow humbly begs for recommendations and bookmarks—give Shadow a stage!!!