Under the same night sky.
More than 4,000 Shannan Army set up camp and rested on an open area beside the official road.
The campfire was bright, and the camp was relatively quiet, with only the footsteps of the patrolmen and the chirping of insects coming from the woods.
In the woods surrounding the camp, several dark figures crouched on the old trees; these were sentries planted by the Shannan Army.
Suddenly, a figure flashed past behind a large tree like a ghost.
The noise startled a sentry perched in the treetop. He gripped his knife hilt warily and turned to look.
Before he could notice anything amiss, another sound came from behind him.
The sentry was startled and was about to warn the enemy, but it was too late—
A silver spear pierced through his chest from beneath the treetop!
Lin Qian expressionlessly withdrew his spear, its tip gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Almost at the same time he made his move, Liang An and Yan Xiaobing also made their moves from several other directions.
Liang An stealthily approached a tree without alerting the sentry hiding there. He swung his twin swords upwards, first cutting the sentry off a branch, then slicing his throat clean.
Yan Xiaobing was skilled with hidden weapons, and from a distance he struck down two sentries from the treetops.
These sentries were perfectly concealed, but their breathing and heartbeats could not escape the notice of a top -First Rate notch expert with extraordinary senses in such a quiet night!
This Shannan Army had no idea that the pursued enemy would dare to turn around and launch a counterattack, so their vigilance on the outer perimeter was not strict.
Lin Qian, Liang An, and Yan Xiaobing, three First Rate masters, along with a group of Mount Liang heroes skilled in light footwork and hidden weapons, have quietly wiped out all the hidden sentries that the Shannan Army had deployed on the outskirts!
On the other side, Lu Yulin was leading several hundred cavalrymen toward the camp.
All the warhorses' hooves were wrapped in coarse cloth, so that they made only a very faint thud when they stepped on the ground.
Each soldier had a wooden stick in their mouth, and the warhorses also had wooden sticks in their mouths, secured with strips of cloth.
Many people in this era suffer from night blindness due to malnutrition.
However, the soldiers who could become cavalry were mostly elite, and they ate better than other soldiers on a daily basis, so this situation did not exist.
Therefore, these cavalrymen were able to slowly approach the Shannan Army's camp with Lu Yulin without lighting torches.
Having captured the grain convoy and reached an agreement with everyone, they continued forward. Lu Yulin made a decisive move, deciding to lead his cavalry in a night raid on the more than four thousand Shannan Army infantrymen ahead!
The 500 soldiers from the Shannan Army were escorting the grain supplies were not all wiped out; a small number escaped.
If we wait one night, the Shannan Army detachment at the front will receive the news.
Therefore, Lu Yulin decided to launch an attack that very night!
A raid on a camp of over four thousand men with fewer than seven hundred cavalry is a risky endeavor, though it carries a high probability of success.
In the past, Lu Yulin would probably have chosen to rest for one night and then lead the main force to catch up the next day.
But now he is ambitious and much more decisive than before!
Lin Qian and his men had already quietly infiltrated the Shannan Army's camp.
Instead of taking advantage of the soldiers' sleep to kill them, they poured the oil they carried with them into every corner of the camp.
Soon, a patrol of soldiers smelled the kerosene and realized something was wrong.
Someone decisively struck the gong in their hand!
The sound of the gong exploded in the night, sharp and piercing, echoing throughout the entire camp.
"We've been exposed."
"Kill!"
Lin Qian shouted and charged out first, his spear piercing the throat of a patrolling soldier.
The Mount Liang heroes also suddenly rose up and killed!
"Enemy attack!!"
The Shannan Army's camp suddenly became lively.
On the other side, Lu Yulin had already led his cavalry battalion slowly approaching the Shannan Army's camp, less than three hundred paces away.
Hearing the commotion ahead, he decisively gave the order:
"All troops, charge!"
Then he took the lead, spear in hand, and charged off on horseback.
When he led his cavalry into the camp, many soldiers hadn't even had time to put on their armor. Some were shirtless, carrying swords; others were barefoot...
The officers shouted to try to calm the troops and organize the soldiers.
But their voices were quickly drowned out by the sound of horses' hooves and shouts of battle!
Lu Yulin charged into the camp on horseback, his spear drawing an arc in the firelight as he sent a charging soldier flying. The soldier tumbled through the air before crashing into a tent, collapsing it.
Horse hooves trampled over the campfire, sending sparks flying.
Soon, squads of cavalry charged into the camp, moving swiftly and killing people and setting fires in the chaos!
The areas where Lin Qian and his group had previously doused with kerosene quickly caught fire, and the flames spread.
In the firelight, there were running figures and waving swords and spears everywhere!
The commander leading these more than four thousand infantrymen from the Shannan Army was named Xiong Lang. At this time, he had already organized several hundred men with his personal guards and begun to form ranks.
He also had hundreds of men shout together, urging more soldiers to gather on his side.
Lu Yulin was the first to notice the situation here, and without any hesitation, he led dozens of his personal cavalry to charge towards them.
Another cavalry charge, forcefully breaking through the enemy lines!
Lu Yulin took the lead, charging into the enemy ranks. His spear whistled like a dragon, sending soldiers flying or piercing through them, carving a gap in the enemy lines!
Seeing how powerful his opponent was, Xiong Lang knew he couldn't retreat now, or it would all be over.
He shouted and led his personal guards to meet them.
By this time, Lu Yulin's horse had slowed down. Seeing Xiong Lang charging towards him, he remained fearless, dismounted, and stepped forward to meet him.
Clang!
The spear and the longsword clashed, creating a thunderous explosion that sent sparks flying.
With just one strike, Xiong Lang's expression completely changed, his arm went numb, and he almost couldn't hold onto his weapon!
"Lu Yulin?"
He recognized the person who had come, and looked on incredulously.
"Die--"
Lu Yulin swept his spear horizontally, using the move "Night Battle in Eight Directions" to sweep away or knock back the spears thrusting from all around.
He charged forward, attacking Xiong Lang once more!
Knowing he was no match for Lu Yulin, Xiong Lang felt fear and retreated.
His personal guards met Lu Yulin as he charged forward.
Lu Yulin's spear technique carried an upward, soaring quality, like a dragon raising its head!
With each thrust of his spear, he did not aim to kill the enemy, but merely to send the soldier in front of him flying, allowing him to knock down one or two other soldiers.
These bodyguards, clad in armor, were all quite skilled, but under Lu Yulin's spear, they were like motionless wooden figures, unable to dodge or block, and were easily sent flying!
Lu Yulin quickly fought his way out and caught up with the retreating Xiong Lang, his spear once again enveloping him.
At this moment, Yan Xiaobing also led a group of elite troops to attack, sharing the firepower with Lu Yulin so that he could concentrate on dealing with Xiong Lang.
Xiong Lang was terrified and had no will to fight. He exchanged less than fifty blows with Lu Yulin before his long sword was knocked away from his hand!
Lu Yulin smashed the opponent's left knee with a single shot, then used the blade of his gun to press against the opponent's neck guard.
Xiong Lang knelt on one knee, not daring to move again.
Seeing their commander captured, the surrounding guards completely lost their will to resist and laid down their weapons.
Under the cover of night, the camp of the Shannan Army was ablaze with fire.
The sounds of fighting didn't last long, as soldiers continued to flee from the camp.
Soon, several hundred riders rushed out of the camp and surrounded it. If anyone tried to escape, they would immediately charge in and force them back into the camp.
More than half an hour later, Lu Yulin had completely taken control of the entire camp.
The surrendered soldiers of the Shannan Army were required to remove their armor and weapons, gather in an open area, and squat down with their hands behind their heads.
The Shannan Army suffered over two hundred casualties, several hundred escaped, and over three thousand were captured.
Tonight's battle was a resounding victory for Lu Yulin's side!
"You mean, Xu Rong has decided to turn back and take Rong Province City to deal with Wu Shuangren and the Yi Province Militia?"
Lu Yulin looked at Xiong Lang, whose leg he had broken, with a look of surprise.
After bringing the situation under control, he immediately interrogated Xiong Lang, trying to find out why the Shannan Army had stopped pursuing his men and instead turned to leave.
Xiong Lang's answer surprised Lu Yulin.
General Xu believes that Wu Shuangren is a wolf in sheep's clothing and will surely become a second Mount Liang, or even more troublesome. Therefore, we must rid the country of this traitor!
Xiong Lang said.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yulin sneered, asked a few more questions, and after confirming some details, he ordered Xiong Lang to be taken away. Then he convened a meeting with all the leaders.
He relayed the information Xiong Lang had given him to Lin Qian and the others.
"Wu Shuangren led the Yi Province Militia to help the government troops fight against Mount Liang, repeatedly achieving great merits, yet this is the result he received? It's laughable that Song Hai still wants to be granted amnesty!"
After listening, Lin Qian showed a look of disdain.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yulin glanced at Lin Qian. He had always felt that this Instructor Lin had a rather peculiar attitude towards Wu Shuangren and the Yi Province Militia.
Isn't this the kind of behavior the imperial court exhibits?
"Following Grand Commander Lu is the right thing to do. If we were to be offered amnesty, we would be betrayed sooner or later!"
"..."
The surrounding leaders all spoke up.
Lu Yulin has expressed his intention to establish his own independent faction, and people now refer to him as "Grand Commander Lu."
Listen to me, everyone.
Lu Yulin raised his hand, and the surroundings quickly fell silent.
After these two battles tonight, the morale of this team has been completely boosted, and everyone has become increasingly convinced of Lu Yulin's abilities!
"Now that the Shannan Army is dealing with the Yi Province Militia, this is our opportunity!"
Lu Yulin's eyes blazed with fury. "Let's head to Rong Province City and wipe away the humiliation the Yi Province Militia brought upon us!"
"I'll listen to the Commander!"
"I am willing to follow the Commander-in-Chief!"
"Revenge! Revenge!"
"..."
Firelight flickered in the camp.
A murderous aura surged into the sky!
Forty-four days after defeating Lu Yulin.
Xu Rong has initially gained control of Rong Province City.
He brought too few men; he had to guard the four city gates and watch over the prisoners inside the city, leaving him stretched thin in every way.
However, Xu Rong was not in a hurry. Once the more than four thousand infantrymen arrived, they would be more than enough to defend Rong Province City.
He has already planned how to use Rong Province City and Guo Jiwang as bait to lure Wu Shuangren into a trap, thereby further damaging the Yi Province Militia, and even finding an opportunity to kill Wu Shuangren!
"Report—"