Heavy Losses

When Xueya of the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe led his cavalry into the Fire Tribe's cavalry, they felt immense pressure, as if they were in Nitan. Their horses' hooves pounded not on dirt, but in sticky mud, each step requiring several times the usual effort. The Fire Tribe cavalry were like molten copper surging from the depths of the Nitan, hot and heavy, making it difficult for their men to even wield their swords. Most of the Wolf Tribe warriors, though bloodied and trained, primarily engaged in ambushes or opportunistic battles, rushing in to cut down the enemy when they were off guard. Head-on, face-to-face combat was rare. Their ambushes, advantageous positions, and favorable battles were entirely different from this direct, head-on clash. Shinian had brought... The men were the elite of the Fire Tribe, handpicked by Jianshi from several strongholds. They were all seasoned veterans, their weapons, armor, and horses were of the highest quality. The bronze swords had been repeatedly forged, and the leather armor consisted of double layers of cowhide with a layer of Yingmu sandwiched in between, capable of withstanding ordinary sword cuts and spear thrusts. The horses were carefully selected warhorses, tall and long-legged, powerful in their charge. Moreover, most of these men had a deep-seated hatred for the Wolf Tribe; some had lost relatives in the Wolf Tribe raids, some had their houses burned, and some had their food stolen. Seeing the Wolf Tribe right before them, they gritted their teeth, their eyes bloodshot, and fought with reckless abandon, shouting "Avenge our fallen kin!" Their swords seemed to have eyes, aiming specifically for the necks and ribs of the Wolf Tribe warriors.

The Wolf Tribe's weapons and leather armor were mostly inferior goods sourced from the Tiger Tribe. The Tiger Tribe had discarded bronze spearheads tied to wooden shafts, with only a few turns of hemp rope wrapped around the joints, making them easily bent with a slight poke. Their leather armor was pieced together from stiff cowhide, leaving gaps in the back and ribs, easily cut open by the Fire Tribe's bronze swords. Only the Wolf Tribe's leaders and chieftains possessed slightly better weapons and armor; their bronze spearheads were forged from single pieces of bronze, and their leather armor was made of double-layered thick cowhide, but these were few in number. The Wolf Tribe's cavalry had already suffered heavy losses, with hundreds killed by the Fire Tribe's archers, their morale plummeting. Those who had been shot lay prone on the dirt road; some were still moving, others had already... The horses stopped moving, circling around and nudging the men on the ground. Those still alive, seeing their comrades riddled with arrows and lying on the ground like hedgehogs, were already terrified. Now, seeing the Fire Tribe's desperate fighting spirit, they were even less imposing. In addition, the Fire Tribe's warriors were elite, with superior weapons and armor. As soon as the two cavalry forces clashed, the Wolf Tribe suffered another heavy loss. Bronze swords struck the Wolf Tribe's leather armor, splitting the hide and cutting into the flesh. The warriors didn't even have time to scream before falling from their horses. Some were dragged several steps by their horses, while others fell to the ground and were trampled on the chest by the hooves of the horses behind them. The sound of breaking ribs was mixed with the shouts of battle and could not be clearly heard.

Especially Shinian, leading his personal guards, charged ahead like spearheads into the Wolf Tribe's cavalry. Shinian on his horse, gripped his bronze sword so tightly it burned, the cloth strip on the hilt soaked with sweat. He charged to the front, slashing at a Wolf Tribe warrior's bronze spear. The blade slid down the shaft, striking the warrior's wrist. The hand, spear and all, fell to the ground. The warrior screamed and collapsed onto his horse. Shi Nian ignored him, pulling the Jiangsheng Shinian the left to avoid a bronze spear thrusting from the side. Then, with a backhand slash, he struck the man's back, the blade cutting from shoulder blade to ribs, tearing a large gash in his leather armor. Blood gushed out, staining the horse's back red. Shinian didn't even look, turning his horse and continuing to charge forward. His personal guards followed behind, forming a wedge formation, like a sharp blade... Piercing the center of the Wolf Tribe 'Wolf Tribe cavalry formation, Shi Nian instantly smashed a large gap in their ranks. The Wolf Tribe cavalry on either side of the gap were thrown about, some falling from their horses, some staggered backward, and some scattered by their own horses. The formation resembled a piece of cloth torn in the middle, the tear widening as it grew. Seeing their commander's bravery and recklessness, and fueled by their own deep hatred for the Wolf Tribe —hatred that had been building for years finally finding an outlet—the other Fire Tribe warriors also fearlessly followed Shinian, charging relentlessly towards the Wolf Tribe. Blades flashed, horses collided, men were thrown from their horses, blades pierced flesh, blood splattered on the dirt road, and dust was kicked up, shrouding the entire battlefield in a grayish-yellow mist.

Xueya, leading three hundred personal guards, moved alongside the cavalry in the center of the formation. He sat astride his chestnut horse, his Fire Tribe. Almost none of the front rank cavalry could stand; some were cut off, some were knocked back, and some horses, startled, ran to the sides, disrupting the cavalry around them. Xueya's brow furrowed, and the scar on his face tightened. He immediately led his three hundred guards to increase their speed and press forward, trying to reverse the tide. The three hundred guards charged forward, their hooves pounding the dirt road with a rapid, rhythmic sound, like a drumbeat. They passed through the center of the formation, pushing the retreating cavalry to the sides, and pushing themselves to the very front.

Soon, Shinian and his personal guards clashed with Xueya's three hundred personal guards! These three hundred Xueya guards were handpicked specifically to deal with Jianshi, the leader of the Fire Tribe. They were chosen for their exceptional fighting skills, trained daily, and equipped with the best weapons and leather armor, ready for a head-on confrontation with Jianshi if necessary. Each guard was armed with a fine bronze dagger, forged from a single copper ingot, twice as thick as a regular warrior's sword. Their leather armor consisted of two layers of cowhide with a layer of Yingmu sandwiched between, and a copper plate on their chest. The guards were veterans of the Wolf Tribe, trained for a long time, each with several lives on their hands. However, they were still completely overwhelmed by Shinian. Shinian's men not only had superior weapons and equipment, but their fighting spirit was also far superior. The battle was so chaotic that conversations were inaudible; only shouts, the clash of swords, and the stabs of spears against leather armor could be heard. The sounds of men falling from their horses and horses neighing from their wounded legs mingled together like a pot of boiling water. Shinian's eyes gleamed even more when he saw Xueya's guards. He knew these men were Xueya's trump card, and some of them might even have the blood of their own people on their hands! If he could eliminate these hundreds, Xueya would have few men left. He led his men in a reckless charge, and soon Shinian was facing Xueya. Xueya charged out from the ranks, his bronze sword slashing at Shinian. Shinian dodged to the side and swung his sword back at Xueya's ribs. Xueya blocked with his own blade, and the two swords clashed, Shinian, Shi Nian glanced back at Xueya's back, and Xueya also glanced back at him. Their eyes met in the dust, neither speaking, neither stopping, each leading their men onward.

After a Chongzhuang between the Fire Tribe's cavalry and the Wolf Tribe's cavalry, their positions had reversed. The Fire Tribe's cavalry had charged to the rear of the Wolf Tribe's ranks, while the Wolf Tribe's cavalry had been pushed back to the Fire Tribe's original positions. The dirt road was a mess, littered with fallen horses and men. After the initial battle, the Wolf Tribe had lost about a thousand men. Those who had been cut from their horses, shot down, or trampled underfoot lay scattered on the ground. The remaining 1,500 cavalrymen were mostly wounded. Some had cuts on their arms, bandaged with strips of cloth soaked in blood; some had slashes on their faces, half of their faces covered in blood; some had arrows embedded in their legs, the shafts still stuck in their flesh, too afraid to remove them. The Fire Tribe had lost less than two hundred men, mostly with minor injuries. A few seriously wounded men were carried to the rear, while those who could still move gripped their swords and continued to follow the ranks.

Xueya reined in his horse and glanced back at the battlefield. Among those lying on the ground were his veterans, his personal guards, and the young men he had brought from the High Pointed Mountain lair. His chest felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't catch his breath. His fingers clenched the hilt of his sword until they turned white, and his knuckles cracked.