Pitting infantry against cavalry had been a highly risky move in the history of his previous life, with a very low chance of victory.
But individual martial prowess was greater in this world, and internal cultivation existed. Surely infantry could put up a fight against cavalry?
24 The Strength of a Horse
The early morning mist had completely dissipated, and the village was under attack in the morning light.
The gates of Mo Family Village had been opened by experts who had fought their way inside!
The first horseman charged into the village.
More horsemen poured in after him, an iron-gray torrent carrying an unstoppable momentum and a towering will to kill!
Mo Family Village was very spacious to facilitate training, which also happened to give the cavalry room to gallop.
Although the village militia had been trained, they had never faced a sight like this. When the village gates fell, so did their courage.
Soon, battle cries, neighs, and screams mingled into a single clamor. Mo Family Village had become a slaughterhouse!
Mo Zhengshang swept his iron spear across, forcing back two horsemen trying to flank him.
His eyes bloodshot, he roared, trying to organize a counterattack.
But it was no use...
The rigorous training he had prided himself on seemed pale and feeble before the enemy assault.
He finally understood why the enemy had killed a mere salt merchant first yesterday.
It had been to beat the grass and startle the snake, drawing some of the Mo Family's forces outside the county seat back to defend it.
No one had imagined that the enemy's target was the whole of Mo Family Village!
An exceptionally tall, powerful black horse charged out from ahead. A burly, dark-faced man sat astride it, wielding a long saber nearly as tall as he was, its blade slender and straight, without a curve.
The burly man's gaze pierced the chaotic crowd and locked precisely onto Mo Zhengshang. He grinned savagely, exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth, then spurred his horse straight at him.
Mo Zhengshang sensed the killing intent and turned to look.
He did not flee. Instead, he took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his iron spear, and advanced rather than retreating, rushing to meet the charging horse!
"Shuangren."
In the room, Liao Yu said to Wu Shuangren, "Not all horse bandits know martial arts, but as long as their horsemanship is sufficiently skilled, it's equivalent to having trained in martial arts. They can wield the strength of a horse on top of their own."
"The strength of a horse?"
"An ordinary warhorse can pull twice its own weight for a short time, and an ordinary warhorse weighs at least six hundred jin. So a horse is stronger than many martial artists. If a skilled rider can draw on the 'strength of a horse' during a charge, the power he unleashes can rival that of an internal cultivation expert!"
"..."
"A martial artist ranked Seventh Rank, if he's a skilled rider and has a fine horse, can even unleash power comparable to a first-rate expert during a charge! Even if he's nowhere near as agile as a first-rate expert, he can still defeat a stronger opponent!"
Liao Yu looked serious. "Back then, your father and I killed many men whose martial arts were better than ours while riding on the battlefield. So never look down on cavalry just because you know martial arts."
Wu Shuangren nodded, indicating that he had taken the lesson to heart.
Mo Family Village.
Mo Zhengshang and the enemy charging at him on horseback were now less than a zhang apart.
Mo Zhengshang abruptly lowered his stance. His iron spear darted toward the warhorse's massive head like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
The burly man on horseback reacted with astonishing speed. With a turn of his wrist, he chopped his long saber down, its edge striking the shaft of the iron spear with precision.
Clang!
Metal rang against metal in a piercing clash, and sparks flew. Mo Zhengshang felt a tremendous force travel down the spear shaft, numbing his right arm. A tearing pain shot through the web of his hand, and he nearly lost his grip on the spear!
Before Mo Zhengshang could recover, the warhorse came straight at him. Its head nearly rammed into his face, its nostrils snorting hot breath inches away.
Mo Zhengshang stepped sharply to the left to dodge, brushing past the horse's neck.
As soon as he finished dodging, he heard a blade whistle through the air above him-the dark-faced man's second strike had arrived. It slashed down diagonally with the full momentum of the charging horse, ferocious in the extreme!
Mo Zhengshang raised his iron spear, holding the shaft over his head to block.
Boom!!!
This impact was even fiercer than the last. The long saber struck the middle of the shaft, bending the iron downward.
Agony shot through both of Mo Zhengshang's arms, and the web of his hand split open completely. Almost instinctively, he leaned back to dissipate the force, but his entire body was sent flying!
"Pah-"
The dark-faced man on horseback spat as he watched Mo Zhengshang fly, his face full of contempt.
"Trash!"
In the room, Wu Shuangren, Wu Dongrong, and Liao Yu were still talking.
Although Wu Dongrong badly wanted to leave the county seat and rescue Mo Family Village, he would not go rushing out before he understood the enemy's situation.
A short while later, a constable came to the door.
"Head Constable Liao, Warden Wu, the county magistrate wishes to see you both."
Liao Yu and Wu Dongrong rose. As they were leaving, Wu Dongrong looked at Wu Shuangren. "Come along too."
Wu Shuangren asked, "Would that be appropriate?"
Liao Yu smiled. "You're a head constable now, and you're the one who killed Peng Tianlang. What would be inappropriate about it?"
So Wu Shuangren followed the two men out of the room.
Before long, the three arrived outside a large hall in the rear courtyard of the county government office.
Six men sat inside the hall: Bo County's magistrate, deputy magistrate, registrar, and commandant.
The other two were Mo Zhenglin and Mo Zhengxing of the Mo Family.
"Head Constable Liao, Warden Wu, and yes, Head Constable Wu as well."
A middle-aged man seated in the place of honor beckoned to the three of them. "Please come in."
He was He Zhixu, the magistrate of Bo County.
The three entered the hall.
"Greetings, my lords."
Liao Yu and Wu Dongrong saluted the officials in turn.
Wu Shuangren followed their example and saluted as well.
"No need for ceremony. Sit."
He Zhixu spoke.
The three found seats.
"This must be Head Constable Wu, who slew the vicious bandit Peng Tianlang?"
Mo Zhenglin, seated in the first place to He Zhixu's left, looked at Wu Shuangren and asked with a smile.
Wu Shuangren nodded to him.
Mo Zhenglin said, "My second brother mentioned you when he returned. He called you a young hero. Now that I've seen you for myself, you truly are a fine figure of a man!"
Wu Shuangren met his gaze and saw the anxiety and expectation in his eyes.
Mo Zhengshang helped me become a head constable. He wants me to return the favor...
Afraid his son would be goaded into action, Wu Dongrong hurriedly said, "Master Mo, you praise him too highly. My son only managed to kill Peng Tianlang because Militia Commander Mo had severely wounded him. He merely took advantage of the opportunity."
Mo Zhengxing, seated beside Mo Zhenglin, said with a dark expression, "Since you owe my second brother a favor, and he's now trapped in a desperate situation, shouldn't you father and son step in to save him?"
Wu Dongrong was about to speak when He Zhixu spoke first.
"That is mistaken. Both men of the Wu family hold official posts. How could they neglect public duty for private interests?"
Mo Zhengxing immediately said, "Bo County's militia is under attack by bandits! They have shed blood and sweat to keep Bo County safe. How can rescuing them be a private matter?!"
Wu Shuangren looked at Third Master Mo, who handled the Mo Family's outside business. He could only say that, as expected of a businessman, the man had a formidable way with words.
He Zhixu, however, calmly lifted his teacup and took a sip. "The enemy's situation remains unclear. As magistrate of Bo County, I must consider the safety of everyone in the county. How could I sacrifice the greater for the lesser?"
Mo Zhengxing's expression grew even uglier, but he could do nothing.
No matter how sharp his tongue, he could not beat He Zhixu at official talk.
Mo Zhenglin clenched his fists. "Lord He, and all of you, when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. The bandits are so rampant. If the militia is lost, can Bo County truly remain safe in the future?"
25 No Law Outside the County Seat
When Mo Zhenglin said this, the hall fell silent.
He Zhixu set down his teacup and stopped speaking in official platitudes.
In truth, everyone understood the reasoning. It was just a matter of weighing the benefits against the risks.
"I think we can go out and rescue them."
Someone suddenly spoke.
He was the youngest-looking of the four officials, and the most rugged in bearing-the county commandant, Xu Jing.
He was one of the three great experts in Bo County whom Wu Shuangren had heard about.
Everyone looked at Xu Jing.
"There are several hundred horsemen besieging Mo Family Village. How do you propose we rescue them, Lord Xu?"
He Zhixu asked.
The county commandant was in charge of law and order throughout the county, but he was only an assistant official and had to obey the magistrate.
Xu Jing, however, came from a distinguished family, so He Zhixu had to take his opinion seriously.
"There can't be bandits with several hundred horsemen anywhere in Yi Province. I think a dozen or so bands of horse bandits have joined forces, with probably only a little over a hundred horsemen."
Xu Jing had reached the same conclusion as Wu Dongrong. "Who could have united so many horse bandits? What ambitions do they have? If Bo County's militia suffers heavy losses, can the county remain stable in the future?"
He posed several questions in succession.
"Lord He."
Xu Jing looked at He Zhixu. "Mo Family Village won't fall so easily. They should still be holding out... Between the archers in the county seat, the constables, and the Mo Family's men, we'll have several hundred people at least. If we go to support them, the enemy should retreat when they see our reinforcements arrive."
He Zhixu shook his head. "What if the enemy sees you arrive and sends a large cavalry force charging at you? How would you deal with that? I may not understand military affairs, but history books are full of such examples. I do know a thing or two about them."
Xu Jing answered calmly, "There's no need to worry, Lord He. The reinforcements can avoid the main road and take a roundabout route to Mo Family Village. The land southwest of the village is mountainous and unsuitable for a cavalry charge. We can occupy the high ground, and if the enemy dares send cavalry charging at us, we need only shoot arrows from above to drive them back."
"That's right, there are slopes southwest of Mo Family Village. We can leave the main road and circle around!"
Delighted to hear this, Mo Zhenglin gave Xu Jing a grateful look and hurriedly spoke.
He Zhixu frowned. "Is it really that easy?"
Xu Jing said proudly, "If they were truly well-trained cavalry, I naturally wouldn't dare make such a boast. But they're mere horse bandits. What is there to fear?"
He Zhixu fell silent. He glanced at the two men in charge of the Mo Family, then exchanged looks with the deputy magistrate and the registrar. Finally, he said, "Very well. Since you're so confident, Lord Xu, I'll remain here in the county seat, and leave the task of sending support to you."
Wu Shuangren did not understand the ways of officialdom very well, but he could still see what was happening here-He Zhixu clearly meant that if anything went wrong this time, Xu Jing would shoulder all the blame!
Xu Jing rose and cupped his hands in salute to He Zhixu. "I will not fail in this mission."
Then he turned and strode briskly out of the hall.
The two men in charge of the Mo Family hurriedly rose and followed. Wu Dongrong, Liao Yu, and Wu Shuangren also stood, saluted the officials, and followed them out.
"Shuangren, write a requisition slip and draw all the bows and leather armor from the storeroom."