Fighting the Xiongnu Cavalry

"What's wrong, Captain?" Tang Yunshan asked.

Sheng Huai'an tossed his saber aside. "Nothing, you guys go ahead."

He then walked to the side.

The others didn't know what was wrong with Sheng Huai'an, and they didn't dare to say or ask anything more.

Tang Yunshan and the others slew all the youths in the Wumu tribe who were taller than a wagon wheel, leaving none alive.

The women and elderly who bravely resisted were also ruthlessly killed by Tang Yunshan and his men.

The remaining people were filled with terror and no longer dared to resist. The entire Wumu tribe was filled with wails.

Sheng Huai'an watched as the soldiers led the horses back. There were over fifty good warhorses and sixty to seventy ordinary horses, all brought back.

Horses were rare war resources and had to be taken.

The grain, gold, and silver in the Wumu tribe were also plundered clean.

They took twenty sheep and killed five cows, taking the meat with them.

The remaining cattle and sheep were temporarily left behind, letting the Xiongnu help them raise them.

The conditions didn't allow them to take everything this time, otherwise, they would have wanted to take it all.

After Sheng Huai'an and the others left, the Wumu tribe was in ruins, with only corpses and crying left.

This was the war between two countries and races, filled with barbarism and bloodshed.

When the Xiongnu tribes breached the pass and headed south, they would also kill countless Wei citizens and plunder wealth, grain, and women.

After leaving the Wumu tribe, they didn't continue searching for Xiongnu tribes.

Instead, they found a place to rest and eat cooked beef.

Smelling the aroma of the beef, many soldiers couldn't help but swallow.

In Great Wei, cattle were production tools for plowing fields and could not be slaughtered.

It was very difficult to eat beef.

"Second waiter, two taels of beef." Such a thing would never happen.

Even if a cow died accidentally, it would be bought by the powerful and wealthy; it would never reach a restaurant.

Sheng Huai'an sat to the side, silently watching his golden finger.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Martial Practitioner Late Stage

Cultivation Methods: [Ferocious Ox Strength (Minor Accomplishment)][Blood Fiend Saber Technique (Minor Accomplishment)]

Strength: Four thousand jin

Talent: Silver Archer

Slaughter Value: 35

He gained twenty-two Slaughter Value from killing the young cavalrymen of the Wumu tribe.

Killing that youth did not generate any Slaughter Value.

This made Sheng Huai'an very confused.

Didn't killing enemies grant Slaughter Value?

That youth from the Wumu tribe was also an enemy, yet killing him didn't yield any Slaughter Value.

Could it be that killing people without cultivation doesn't generate Slaughter Value!?

Or perhaps, indiscriminate killing doesn't generate Slaughter Value!?

Encountering a mute and incomplete system was also a troublesome thing; he had to figure everything out himself.

Wang Wu saw Sheng Huai'an sitting alone and walked over.

"What's wrong, feeling guilty?" Wang Wu said directly.

Sheng Huai'an turned to look at Wang Wu when he heard his voice.

"Don't have any psychological burden. When the Xiongnu break through the pass and head south, they will also kill many of our countrymen and family members. What they do will only be more evil than what we do," Wang Wu said to comfort him.

"You did the right thing. The Xiongnu men taller than a wagon wheel will soon grow up, then take up steel knives and invade us."

Sheng Huai'an felt ashamed. It turned out that his thinking about his golden finger here had caused Wang Wu and the others to misunderstand.

He did have a little psychological burden, but not much!

"No, I was thinking about something else." Sheng Huai'an smiled and shook his head.

"Then what were you thinking about so intently? Don't tell me you were thinking about the girl in your heart," Wang Wu joked.

"Brother Wang Wu, you're teasing me, aren't you? When the war is over, I'll go back and order ten girls at the Yichun Tower and drain your coffers," Sheng Huai'an said with a smile.

"Haha, you think you can look down on me, kid? Ordering twenty wouldn't be a problem," Wang Wu laughed heartily.

"Captain, Brother Wang Wu, come and eat," Tang Yunshan called out.

"Coming!"

Sheng Huai'an and Wang Wu returned to the camp and ate beef heartily with the soldiers.

They devoured five cows in one sitting. Being martial cultivators, they had enormous appetites and ate without restraint. Even these five cows weren't enough for their group of over sixty people.

After lunch, they continued their movement.

They wouldn't stay in one place for too long, as they were on Xiongnu territory.

When the Xiongnu cavalry arrived at the Wumu tribe, they saw the tragic state of the Wumu tribe, and the Xiongnu cavalry captain's rage soared.

All the young and strong men in the tribe, and the youths taller than cartwheels, had been slaughtered.

This was cutting off the roots of the Xiongnu!

"How many enemies are there?" Tuoluo Ou asked an elder from the Wumu tribe.

"Sir, there were over sixty enemies," the elder said, tears streaming down his face.

His grandson had died in battle. He hadn't dared to stand up and resist or avenge his grandson, surviving cowardly.

"Over sixty people dared to be so arrogant? They simply don't put our great Xiongnu warriors in their eyes. I, Tuoluo Ou, swear I will tear them to pieces." Tuoluo Ou said angrily.

"In which direction did the enemies go?" Tuoluo Ou asked.

"That direction!" The elder pointed in the direction Sheng Huai'an and the others had left.

At this moment, he desperately hoped that this troop of cavalry would catch up to Sheng Huai'an and the others and slaughter them all, avenging his grandson and their tribe.

"Follow me, pursue the enemy, gallop!" Tuoluo Ou led the cavalry and chased in the direction Sheng Huai'an and the others had left.

Sheng Huai'an and his group roamed the grasslands. When they saw small tribes, they charged, slaughtering the young and strong men and males taller than cartwheels in the Xiongnu tribes, then plundering gold, silver, supplies, and warhorses before leaving.

They had swept through six or seven small tribes.

The horses they possessed now numbered no less than five hundred.

Each person had to lead about ten horses.

Just these warhorses, if brought back and handed over to the garrison at Anning Pass, would be a great military achievement.

If sold, these warhorses could fetch a considerable amount of silver.

With so many warhorses, their marching speed slowed down, and the traces they left became increasingly obvious.

Seeing their abundant spoils, the soldiers were both happy and worried.

They were currently on the Xiongnu grasslands, and with so many horses, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

Sheng Huai'an hadn't expected their gains to be so generous.

He could only say that this vast grassland had been too peaceful for too long.

The Xiongnu invaded the Great Wei border every year, while the Great Wei had rarely attacked into the grasslands in recent years, causing the Xiongnu on the grasslands to forget the danger, to forget that the Great Wei army could also penetrate deep into the grasslands.

In the evening, they spent the night in a desert, still eating beef and mutton.

After dinner, Sheng Huai'an arranged for scouts to go out and keep watch.

Their movements were now difficult to hide. For safety, scouts had to be dispatched to scout the area within a ten-mile radius.

After sweeping through six or seven small tribes, Sheng Huai'an's Slaughter Value increased again to one hundred and twenty-seven points.

Name: Sheng Huai'an

Race: Human

Realm: Martial Practitioner Late Stage

Cultivation Techniques: [Ferocious Ox Strength (Minor Accomplishment)] (+) [Blood Fiend Saber Technique (Minor Accomplishment)] (+)

Strength: Four thousand jin

Talent: Silver Archer (+)

Slaughter Value: 127

One hundred and twenty-seven points were now insufficient to improve his cultivation.

However, he could now improve the Blood Fiend Saber Technique. This saber technique was good, as if it were specifically created for soldiers in the army to cultivate.

Sheng Huai'an directly allocated points to improve the Blood Fiend Saber Technique, consuming one hundred Slaughter Value points and raising the Blood Fiend Saber Technique to Great Accomplishment.

With the Blood Fiend Saber Technique raised to Great Accomplishment, Sheng Huai'an's strength had grown considerably.

He now had the confidence to defeat a Martial Master Mid Stage.

During the day today, the Xiongnu army dispatched twenty thousand soldiers to attack the city, and even dispatched martial experts at the Grandmaster realm to participate in the assault.

The Great Wei general at Anning Pass, General Who Pacifies the North Yang Ye, took action and intercepted the Grandmaster realm experts in the Xiongnu army.

The two fought fiercely in the sky for two hours, unable to defeat each other. In the end, the Xiongnu army retreated, leaving behind several thousand corpses.

"Captain, Captain!"

Sheng Huai'an, who was cultivating and drawing spiritual energy from the world to convert into Martial True Essence, was awakened.

"What is it?"

"Captain, a scout we sent out has returned. He says there's a cavalry unit about ten miles behind us, heading this way. He suspects they're pursuing us," Tang Yunshan reported.

"What time is it?"

"End of Yin hour."

Sheng Huai'an glanced at the sky. Dawn was approaching. The end of Yin hour would be around five in the morning.

"Wake up all the soldiers!" Sheng Huai'an commanded.

Tang Yunshan quickly went to rouse all the soldiers.

"What's wrong, Brother Huai'an?" Wang Wu inquired.

"Captain, what happened!?" Hai Dahe also asked.

"You tell him!" Sheng Huai'an gestured for the returning scout to speak.

"Yes, Captain. About a hundred Xiongnu Cavalry are heading in our direction from behind us. I suspect they're after us, so I hurried back to report," the soldier said.

"It seems we've been discovered after all," Wang Wu remarked.

They had left obvious traces all along their journey.

"Everyone, it's just a hundred riders. Do you dare face them with me?" Sheng Huai'an looked at his roughly sixty men.

They were now facing the true cavalry of the Xiongnu, the elite of their army.

"What is there to fear? Be it a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I, Wang Wu, will lie down with you," Wang Wu immediately declared his support.

"Just a hundred riders, what's there to fear? Let's go kick those Xiongnu bastards!" Tang Yunshan, having fought alongside Sheng Huai'an in several victories, had gained confidence.

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

The soldiers looked at Sheng Huai'an, their eyes resolute. With Sheng Huai'an, they always charged at the forefront of every battle.

They had already won several battles, and now, facing Xiongnu Cavalry, they felt no fear.

They believed Sheng Huai'an would lead them to victory.

"Good, worthy of being the soldiers I lead. These are truly brave fighters. We will surely win," Sheng Huai'an said, waving his hand with satisfaction.

Then, he began to lay out their strategy.

Although they had about sixty men and no shortage of warhorses, they were still at a significant disadvantage when engaging in cavalry combat against the true Xiongnu Cavalry.

Sheng Huai'an led his soldiers and immediately set off, finding a patch of grassland.

On the grassland, Sheng Huai'an used ropes to set up tripwires for the soldiers.

Then, behind the tripwires, they dug horse pits.

These were tactics left behind by their ancestors from his previous world to counter cavalry.

To fight cavalry as infantry, one needed to be cunning. Their group consisted of infantry, and their transition to cavalry was not long ago.

Sheng Huai'an did not wish to suffer too many casualties, hence this plan.

After setting up the traps, Sheng Huai'an and his men mounted their horses, waiting for the Xiongnu Cavalry unit to arrive.

In the east, a sliver of pale light appeared, and soon, a blazing red fireball rose, illuminating the entire world.

Under the myriad rays of golden light, a cavalry unit approached, treading on the dawn's glow.

Tuoluo Ou looked at the people and horses arrayed before him, a smile appearing on his lips.

After traveling day and night, they had finally caught up to these Wei rats.

"My brave warriors, those ahead are the damned Wei people.

They have slain our kin and plundered our resources. Now, follow me in a charge, cut off their heads, and bring them back to offer sacrifices to our fallen brethren, to appease their spirits in heaven," Tuoluo Ou proclaimed loudly.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The Xiongnu Cavalry erupted in a deafening roar of battle cries.

Sheng Huai'an and his men quietly watched the Xiongnu Cavalry, whose war cries shook the heavens and earth.

"Warriors, follow me to slay the enemy!"

"Charge!"

Tuoluo Ou shouted loudly and took the lead in the charge, with the hundred-plus Xiongnu Cavalry behind him beginning to spur their warhorses forward.

"Kill!!"

Looking at the charging Xiongnu Cavalry, Sheng Huai'an smiled.

The sun was rising, painting the sky a fiery red – perfect for killing enemies!

As the fierce Xiongnu Cavalry charged, everyone remained motionless on their horses.

Tuoluo Ou, leading the charge, felt something was off seeing the enemy's complete lack of movement.

Could these Wei rats have been scared silly by the Xiongnu's glorious cavalry charge? They aren't fleeing, nor are they charging.

With this thought, Tuoluo Ou urged his warhorse forward even faster.

"Giddy up!"

"Giddy up!"

If Sheng Huai'an knew what Tuoluo Ou was thinking, he would have burst out laughing.

Is this what they mean when all villains become idiots when they encounter the protagonist?!

Seeing the enemy still unmoving, even Tuoluo Ou, despite his lack of intelligence, realized something was wrong.

Unfortunately, with the cavalry charge already underway, it was difficult to stop.

He knew the Wei were cunning, but he couldn't fathom Sheng Huai'an's scheme.

Soon, he would find out what the scheme was.

Tuoluo Ou was fortunate enough to leap over the tripwires, blessed by the shaman, he successfully avoided the pit traps.

But the cavalry behind him were not so lucky.

The first few riders were tripped by the tripwires, falling off their horses in a chaotic mess.

The cavalry behind them couldn't brake in time. Some crashed into the fallen horses in front, while others stepped into the pit traps, causing their horses to tumble and their riders to be thrown.

Tuoluo Ou, at the front, saw this scene and his eyes nearly burst with rage.

The cavalry was moving too fast to stop. Horses continuously stepped into pit traps or collided with the horses ahead, causing them to fall.

The soldiers behind Sheng Huai'an were even more impressed by him seeing this. Their traps had actually worked.

At first, they were worried it would be useless, but the results were astonishingly good.

In the end, only about forty riders managed to get through the traps.

Tuoluo Ou saw only forty-odd riders remaining behind him and felt a pang of agony.

"Argh..."

"Damn Wei dogs, despicable and shameless!" Tuoluo Ou cursed furiously.

Sheng Huai'an smiled and beckoned Tuoluo Ou with his middle finger.

Come at me!

"Damn Wei dogs, I'll kill you!"

Tuoluo Ou was driven mad with rage and charged forward recklessly.

The Xiongnu Cavalry behind him had no choice but to follow.

Sheng Huai'an drew his saber and raised it high.

The soldiers behind him also drew their sabers.

"Brothers, charge with me, kill the slave barbarians."

Sheng Huai'an spurred his horse and charged out.

The two armies charged, warhorses galloping, the clash of steel and the fervor of battle.

In his past life, everyone had a dream of galloping on horseback, engaging in fierce battles, and conquering battlefields.

Now, it was no longer a dream, but the real clash of steel and the fight on the battlefield.

He circulated the Martial True Essence within him, and the blood-red malevolent energy surged from his saber.

Tuoluo Ou also activated the Martial True Essence within him and charged towards Sheng Huai'an.

Soldier against soldier, general against general!

"Clang!"

With the sound of clashing weapons, one figure flashed past, and another figure fell from his horse.

Seeing the fallen figure, the Xiongnu Cavalry were greatly alarmed.

Their captain had been defeated in a single exchange.

It was known that their captain was at the Martial Practitioner Great Perfection realm, yet he was struck down by the enemy general with a single saber strike.

The soldiers behind Sheng Huai'an, seeing their Xiongnu Cavalry captain cut down by Sheng Huai'an's saber, immediately surged with morale and galloped forward, following Sheng Huai'an into the Xiongnu Cavalry ranks.

In a narrow confrontation, the brave prevail. The Xiongnu Cavalry, first encountering the traps and then having their captain killed, had their morale plummet.

After the charge, like thunderous hooves, only the warhorses remained behind Sheng Huai'an and his men.

All forty-odd Xiongnu enemy soldiers were dead.

The warhorses, having lost their riders, stopped and began to lower their heads to graze.

The September sun on the northern frontier in the morning was not warm.

Dewdrops still clung to the grass, white and pure.

The north wind howled, and the animals of the grassland all hid in their burrows, avoiding the terrifying aura of the Blood Fiend Saber Technique.