Guo Jiwang picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "You do have some guts."
Zhou Zhengqing looked at him. "I thought that Militia Commander Wu would wait a while before making a move, but I didn't expect him to be so quick and direct."
Guo Jiwang: "This is unusual, which means that the Zhang Clan or Mist Hidden Temple have already taken action and have truly threatened him. That's why he's so angry and has led his men to attack directly."
Zhou Zhengqing: "The outpost outside the city is surrounded by wooden walls. If Zhang He is determined to defend it to the death, do you think Wu Shuangren can break through it? Even if he does, won't he suffer heavy casualties?"
Guo Jiwang scoffed and took another sip of wine. "Do you know why I always say Zhang He is a good-for-nothing who is all talk and no action? Because he, as the head of a family and the commander of the local militia, can't even get everyone to obey his orders in crucial moments."
"Just watch, the more critical the moment, the more internal strife the Zhang Clan will escalate."
Guo Jiwang shook his head, "I've already cleared away the obstacles from the government for Wu Shuangren. If he still suffers heavy casualties against this kind of opponent, then I'll be very disappointed!"
3:45 AM (巳时三刻).
Wu Shuangren dispatched a dozen scouts who rode ahead to the outskirts of the West River County militia camp.
This garrison is similar to the former Mo Family Village in Bo County, and is also surrounded by a wooden wall more than ten feet high, with a watchtower also built.
The gates of the manor were closed, and an archer stood on a platform behind a wooden wall, watching the outside with a wary expression.
A moment later, Wu Shuangren arrived with a thousand militiamen.
A thousand people may not sound like much, but when they walked in neat rows from afar, they looked quite impressive!
The archers behind the wooden wall all paled, and many of them couldn't help but tremble.
Zhang He also stood on the platform behind the wooden wall, staring intently at the figure on horseback in the distance.
He used to sit high in the stands, looking down at this young man fighting to the death in the ring.
And now, the enemy has led their men to attack!
111 One person broke the bank!
A thousand militiamen marched forward in unison, their spear tips forming a dense, moving thorny steel mass. Their footsteps were perfectly synchronized, each step resounding like a heavy drumbeat.
Many of the militiamen inside the village, though unable to see what was happening outside, were already filled with fear just from hearing the approaching footsteps.
The original purpose of establishing local militias was to fight bandits and protect the people, but they gradually became corrupted and were developed into private armed forces by local powerful families.
The Zhang Clan's militia had dealt with some bandits and horsemen, suppressed village feuds, and even been dragged to West River Market to participate in several large-scale battles.
In terms of practical experience, they are not lacking.
But their opponents have never exerted such a strong sense of pressure on them!
The group stopped about four hundred paces from the wooden wall of the village, a distance beyond the effective range of the archers on the wall.
On the wooden wall, the Zhang Clan's militiamen gripped their weapons tightly, some with cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. They could clearly see how the people outside were arranged in square formations; such neatness and such a forest of swords and spears could only be compared to the most elite servants of the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce.
But the Xie Clan Chamber of Commerce doesn't have that many servants!
Wu Shuangren rode his horse to the front of the formation and gestured, "Take them over."
As soon as he finished speaking, the militiamen led eight people out of the line. All eight men had their hands tied behind their backs, looked disheveled and in a sorry state.
The leader was a short, stocky man, Zhang He's younger brother, Zhang Song. The other seven were also members of the Zhang Clan family, who had been captured when the Zhang Clan's stronghold in West River Market was breached.
"Don't fire the arrows yet!"
After seeing the faces of the eight people clearly, Zhang He, who was behind the wooden wall, immediately shouted loudly.
Zhang Song and the others were led step by step toward the gate of the manor by militiamen who held spears to their backs.
The eight men stopped a hundred paces from the gate of the manor.
Zhang Song's lips trembled as he looked up and saw the familiar figure behind the wooden wall. Tears streamed down his face.
"Big brother!!"
Zhang Song, his voice trembling with tears, pleaded, "Surrender! Militia Commander Wu said that as long as we surrender, he will not make things difficult for us!"
The other seven Zhang Clan also started crying and shouting. Some cried out, "Head of the family, save me!" Some called for their parents, and some cried out, "I don't want to die!"
A commotion arose on the wooden wall. Many members of the Zhang Clan family were among the Zhang Clan members. Seeing their relatives being held captive in front of the battle lines, weeping and wailing, they were inevitably moved.
Zhang He gripped the wooden railing tightly with both hands, looking at his younger brother's face and listening to his brother's cries. Anger and sorrow surged up at the same time!
He knew that Wu Shuangren wanted to use these people to undermine the morale and fighting spirit of his troops. He reached for the bow and arrows by the wall with his left hand, his fingers touching the fletching in the quiver.
Zhang Song was his younger brother and one of the leaders of the eldest branch of the family. If he personally shot and killed the other man, he could not only intimidate the other seven people outside and shut them up, but also intimidate everyone inside the manor and show everyone his determination!
After a pause, Zhang He drew his arrow, pulled the bowstring taut, and aimed.
The arrow pierced the air and landed three inches in front of Zhang Song's feet, its fletching humming and vibrating.
Zhang He ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill his own younger brother.
The crying stopped abruptly. Zhang Song was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground. The other members of the Zhang Clan also dared not utter another sound.
Zhang He released his bow, channeling his Internal Skill, his voice booming down from the wooden wall. "Wu Shuangren, you kidnapped my West River County militia members, and now you openly bring troops to provoke us. Are you planning a rebellion?!"
Wu Shuangren his horse forward a few steps, and also activated his Internal Skill, shouting:
"You said I kidnapped people from the West River County militia? Coincidentally, the people behind me are also from the West River County militia!"
He turned and pointed to the neatly arranged square formation behind him. "Zhang He, you sent people to provoke me without cause, and colluded with the Mist Hidden Temple to ambush and kill me. I'm here today only to demand justice!"
Before Zhang He could retort, Wu Shuangren's voice suddenly rose. "Zhang He, you should take responsibility for your actions. You secretly tried to kill me, and today I'll only settle the score with you. If you're a man, come out and fight me one-on-one! If I lose, leave immediately with your men, and I will never go back on my word!"
Upon hearing this, everyone on the wooden wall turned to look at Zhang He.
The militiamen in the village also looked at their leader.
There was fear and expectation in everyone's eyes; they all hoped that Zhang He would step forward.
The Zhang Clan in the village were even more direct, with some whispering among themselves:
"Yes, one person should take responsibility for their own actions. Why should we be made to die with them?"
The rest of the Zhang Clan were also whispering amongst themselves, further demoralizing the surrounding militiamen.
Zhang He stood on the wooden wall, looking around. The militiamen all lowered their heads. He suddenly felt as if he were standing on a deserted island, surrounded by water. The chill seeped into his bones, sharper than any blade!
Zhang He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them.
"Good!"
"Wu Shuangren, I'll fight you one-on-one!"
Inside the village, many people breathed a sigh of relief.
Outside, Bai Jinhuan rode up to Wu Shuangren's side. "Commander, your injuries haven't healed yet, why don't I fight this battle for you?"
Wu Shuangren shook his head. "No need. Dealing with Zhang He is nothing, these mere injuries are nothing."
Bai Jinhuan nodded, and whether it was his imagination or not, he saw a look of anticipation in Wu Shuangren's eyes.
'With the leader's skills, why would he need to expect to face an opponent like this?'
Bai Jinhuan couldn't understand it, and could only conclude that his own leader was too belligerent.
A moment later, the gate to the manor opened.
Zhang He rode out of the gate on a horse with a blue mane. The horse was tall and its mane was neatly trimmed, indicating that it was regularly groomed.
He was wearing a full set of iron armor, complete with a helmet, shoulder guards, arm guards, chest protector, and skirt armor. Compared to the armor worn by infantrymen, this armor was thinner and had fewer plates, making it look like it was privately made by civilians, but the protection was still quite comprehensive.
Zhang He rode a horse, clad in armor, and carried a twelve-foot-long spear.
He learned martial arts from a young age. His family hired a retired soldier from the border army to teach him combat skills.
Therefore, he is actually better at mounted combat than cavalry combat.
He had watched Wu Shuangren fight in the arena and knew the young man's strength. If they fought on foot, he had no chance of winning.
But mounted combat is different. Mounted combat relies not only on martial arts skills, but also on horsemanship and horsepower. Wu Shuangren is only seventeen years old, Zhang He can only hope that his opponent is only good at fighting in the martial arts world and not good at mounted combat.
Anyway, Wu Shuangren said it was one-on-one, but he didn't say that riding a horse was not allowed.
When Wu Shuangren saw Zhang He riding out, he immediately understood what the other party was thinking.
He smiled slightly, said nothing, spurred his horse forward, and went to meet them.
The thousand militiamen behind them, and the Zhang Clan militiamen standing on the wooden wall in front, all watched the cavalry battle.
The two were about a hundred paces apart. Zhang He took a deep breath, lowered his center of gravity, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, raised his spear horizontally, and spurred his horse forward!
Wu Shuangren held the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) in his right hand, the blade hanging down. He lightly tapped the stirrup, and the black warhorse began to move, first slowly, then gradually accelerating.
The warhorse thrashed about, sending mud flying behind the two men.
The distance of a hundred paces was covered in an instant as the warhorses charged. The two charged head-on, the sound of hooves like rapid drumbeats striking the hearts of everyone present!
Both riders chose to place the other on their right, and the two horses were about to pass each other.
Zhang He struck first, his spear, propelled by the horse's momentum, tearing through the air and piercing towards Wu Shuangren's head.
The spearhead hurtled through the air. Wu Shuangren twisted his waist and turned sideways on his horse, the spearhead grazing the iron armor on his left shoulder, making a piercing metallic scraping sound!
Just as the spear tip slid past, Wu Shuangren flipped his right wrist, and the Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) slashed diagonally upwards, the blade aimed at Zhang He He's left wrist holding the spear.
Zhang He's expression changed. He decisively released his left hand, gripping the spear with only his right hand, and yanked his left arm back sharply, barely avoiding the blade.
But while the hand could dodge, the spear could not. With a clang, the blade struck the back of the spear shaft, sparks flying. The immense force tilted the spear, and the impact nearly split Zhang He's right hand, almost causing the spear to slip from his grasp!
He surprisingly chose to release his right hand, letting the spear spin half a circle in the air, before reaching out again to grab it and spurring his horse away.
The entire process was completed in the blink of an eye; the two riders passed each other, completing the first round of combat.
Zhang He noticed a detail: Wu Shuangren's left arm movement was slightly stiff when he turned around.
Is he injured?
'That's right, even if Mist Hidden Temple's ambush fails, they will definitely pay the price!'
Thinking of this, Zhang He felt a glimmer of hope.
Even when Wu Shuangren was at his peak, he couldn't defeat him. Now that his opponent is injured and fighting on horseback, how could he possibly lose?
Second round.
The two riders circled around an arc and charged at each other again.
This time, just as the two horses were about to pass each other, Wu Shuangren spurred his horse's belly, and the black warhorse suddenly accelerated, cutting into Zhang He's attack range a split second earlier. This change in rhythm caught Zhang He off guard, disrupting his calculated timing for striking with his spear.
Wu Shuangren, wielding two swords, swept his Mo Dao horizontally!
Zhang He had no choice but to switch from offense to defense, raising his spear to block in front of him.
Clang--
Using the momentum of the horse, the blade traced an arc in the air before striking the spear shaft with tremendous force.
A deafening clang of metal clashing exploded between the two riders, sparks flying.
In mounted combat, the side on the defensive will be at a significant disadvantage because they cannot rely on the strength of a single horse to defend.
Zhang He He's hands split open almost simultaneously, his arms went numb, and the spear shaft was slammed back by the enormous force, pressing against his chest. He was almost sent flying off his horse by this blow!
He used his waist and abdomen to exert force, firmly planted his feet on the stirrups, and leaned back to dissipate the force, barely managing to stabilize himself thanks to his excellent waist and horse stance skills.
Just as he leaned back, the two riders passed each other, and Wu Shuangren swept his blade horizontally and then immediately turned to slash downwards, striking Zhang He's right shoulder!
A large section of Zhang He's right shoulder armor visibly dented, the plates curling up. The immense impact penetrated the armor and struck his shoulder blade, causing him to hear a sharp cracking sound from his bones!
Taking advantage of the momentum of the charging warhorse, Wu Shuangren slashed down with his sword, then switched to dragging it.
Sizzle--
With a screeching sound, the blade sliced across Zhang He's right shoulder, and both were finally out of their respective attack range, ending this round of combat.
Zhang He sat up again on the horse. A piercing pain spread from his right shoulder to his entire right arm. His right hand had temporarily lost its grip, and he could only use his left hand to grip the spear shaft tightly.
He swayed twice on the horse, almost falling off. He gritted his teeth and steadied himself, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
'Miscalculation!'
'The opponent not only knows mounted combat, but their horsemanship is also superb, and their experience is extremely rich!'
Zhang He was filled with despair!