After hearing Obsidia Shade's report, the Aurelian Dragon realized how lucky he was to have been delayed by a heavy rain, which allowed him to escape the danger of annihilation.
Pari's forces were lying in ambush on both sides of the Luanshi Gorge, numbering a total of 2,300, more than twice their size. What's even more terrifying is that Pari's ambush troops were all composed of Gaoyue soldiers, who were skilled in mountain warfare. In such terrain, there were no warriors more formidable than the Gaoyue soldiers.
Zhu Dejun and Tang Juan, who were listening in, also changed color slightly. Although they were very confident in themselves, if they unknowingly entered the ambush of the Gaoyue tribe, they didn't know how many of them would be able to escape unscathed.
Zhu Dejun cursed Qiu Xin in his heart. That old bastard actually hid such important information. Was he deliberately trying to send them to their deaths?
Seeing Aurelian Dragon looking at him, Garrick Stonewall said in a deep voice, "Parry's move is truly brilliant. Instead of using their most proficient cavalry, they sent out warriors from the Highmountain tribe. Our Fast cavalry is no match for them in this situation, and given their numerical advantage, it's better to avoid this battle!"
Suo Chong chimed in, "That's right. Our cavalry can't maneuver in the mountains and forests at all, while the Gaoyue tribe's warriors are like fish in water in such terrain. We have absolutely no chance of winning against them!"
Lynette Quill added, "I really don't know where they infiltrated with so many troops. How come the city lord of Gaoyang Prefecture doesn't know anything about it? Where are the local garrison?"
Tang Juan looked at Aurelian Dragon and asked, "What do we do now?"
Zhu Dejun suggested, "I think we should ditch the heavy stuff and climb over the mountain!"
Aurelian Dragon shook her head and laughed, "Isn't it too embarrassing to do that? People will laugh at us!"
Everyone was speechless with anger. This man was actually thinking about something ugly at a time like this? Lynette Quill rolled her eyes at him and said in a coquettish voice, "Aurelian, then what do you suggest we do? It's obvious we've been cut off from our retreat, and there's a powerful enemy blocking our way. Are we supposed to fly over there?"
Aurelian Dragon smiled mysteriously and asked in return, "Now that we've discovered them, they'll surely send out scouts who will also know our location, won't they?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Suo Chong said, "So we can't stay here for long. If they find that we're not moving, they might launch an attack."
Aurelian Dragon nodded and continued, "The people behind us want to take advantage of the situation after we're defeated by Parri, right? Parri's people want to ambush us and wipe us out in one fell swoop, right? Parri's people are quite far from us, aren't they? Qiu Wei's forces are about the same strength as ours, aren't they?"
Every time he said "Isn't that right?", everyone nodded.
At this moment, Suo Chong realized something and quickly said, "Sir, we cannot be sure of Qiu Wei's intentions yet. We cannot attack our own friendly forces before they show any hostility."
"Are we supposed to wait for them to come and kill us before we can fight back?" Aurelian Dragon said.
Lynette Quill hesitated before saying, "Aurelian, if we strike first, it means we're in the wrong. If they sue us, according to military law, then you..."
Aurelian Dragon replied without hesitation, "Getting out of this predicament is our top priority; we can worry about everything else later!"
Seeing that everyone still looked somewhat worried, he laughed and said, "Don't worry, they would never do something so pointless. As long as we insist that we attacked thieves, there will be conflicting accounts, and we'll have plenty of time for a lawsuit. I, as the commander, am not afraid, so what do you have to worry about?"
Garrick Stonewall also exclaimed, "Hesitation only leads to more harm. This is the best solution right now. Does anyone else have any other options?"
Lynette Quill moved her lips a few times, then said nothing more.
The plan was decided immediately, and everyone went outside the tent. One hundred strong warriors selected by Garrick Stonewall were already lined up outside the camp, waiting for their turn.
Tang Juan and Zhu Dejun exchanged a surprised look, and Tang Juan couldn't help but ask, "Lord Ye, are you perhaps using these one hundred soldiers to attack Qiu Wei's more than two thousand men?"
Aurelian Dragon nodded in agreement, but Tang Juan hurriedly said, "How can this be? The two sides are vastly different in strength; it's like throwing an egg against a rock. Your Excellency is taking too much of a risk."
Aurelian Dragon said, "The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. As long as we launch a precise surprise attack at the right time, victory is assured." He first explained the principles he had heard from Valeria Immortalis, and everyone immediately realized that this man could actually articulate such the essence of military strategy, which greatly increased their confidence in him.
Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, Aurelian Dragon continued with satisfaction, "We are already outnumbered by Qiu Wei. If we launch a large-scale attack, it might alert the enemies on both sides. So, most of you will pretend to continue advancing, so they can rest assured and wait for us to fall into their trap. Garrick Stonewall and I will lead these hundred men to launch a surprise attack on Qiu Wei's central army. When their camp is in chaos, you will immediately turn around and take advantage of the opportunity to crush them in one fell swoop."
After these words, everyone's eyes lit up. Suo Chong felt immense admiration for Aurelian Dragon, considering him a worthy superior who led from the front. Garrick Stonewall nodded in agreement; although he shared the same thought, this man was bolder than he had imagined, daring to personally lead a raid. He had originally assumed Aurelian Dragon would send him to raid the enemy lines while he stayed behind.
At this moment, Tang Juan was wondering about her own words. When did she start to care about this annoying man? This shouldn't have been her intention. But after hearing Aurelian Dragon's words, she couldn't help but change her impression of him. This man was indeed courageous and resourceful, and his fame in the Tianfeng Battle was well-deserved.
Just as everyone was deep in thought, Aurelian Dragon walked up to the hundred warriors and delivered his pre-battle speech.
"As you all know, this mission is extremely difficult. We are going to attack the enemy's main camp, and we may be surrounded by the enemy. If we fail, we will die."
His generals were taken aback. Wouldn't this demoralize the soldiers? How could he tell them such things? But Aurelian Dragon seemed oblivious to their reactions and continued speaking.
"But we have no other way out now. If we don't defeat the enemy behind us, everyone will die. So I need everyone to give it their all and fight for their lives!"
As Aurelian Dragon led a hundred warriors away from the camp quietly, those who remained in the camp busied themselves with preparing their troops and checking their vehicles, as if they were about to set off.
※ ※ ※
Obsidia Shade and Garrick Stonewall led the way, with seven or eight skilled men stealthily making their way along the route Garrick Stonewall had scouted beforehand. They eliminated any enemy sentries they encountered along the way, ensuring they had no chance to alert Qiu Wei's camp.
Soon, they found Qiu Wei's campsite, and Aurelian Dragon lay in ambush in the woods to the right of the camp, carefully observing.
It was a meadow below a small hill. Apart from two patrol teams constantly moving around, everyone else seemed to be hiding in their tents, probably conserving their energy and waiting for intelligence from the scouts ahead.
Obsidia Shade quietly approached Aurelian Dragon from the front and whispered in his ear, "The large tent in the middle with the ivory flag is where Qiu Wei lives."
Aurelian Dragon focused her gaze intently, and couldn't help but curse inwardly, "That bastard!"
The tent with the fang flag was pitched in the hollow closest to the hillside, surrounded by a set of leather tents on all sides, forming a plum blossom pattern. Needless to say, these were his guards.
Aurelian Dragon calculated that it would take three tents to get from here to Qiu Wei's tent, which would definitely alert most of the enemies. If they got too entangled with these people, it would become very troublesome. However, if they rushed in directly from the camp gate, they would only have to pass through one tent to get there.
Garrick Stonewall leaned over and offered a suggestion: "Sir, their horses are all kept by the mountainside. We can send men to cut down the wooden fence and throw fire into the herd. It will be quite a sight to see those frightened horses charging out."
Aurelian Dragon considered it for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, that's what we'll do!"
He ordered Garrick Stonewall to take half of the warriors and do as he instructed, while he and Obsidia Shade slowly moved to the woods not far from the camp gate and waited quietly.
A moment later, a commotion erupted on the mountainside, followed by a burst of flames, shouts of battle, and the neighing of warhorses. Most of the enemy rushed out of their tents, disheveled and staring in astonishment at the warhorses charging towards them from the mountainside, their thunderous hooves shaking the entire camp.
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"Enemy attack!"
The soldiers' screams startled Qiu Wei, who was having a sweet dream in his tent. He was calculating how he could gain more favor from his superiors after the success of this operation and thus rise to a higher position. Hearing the noise outside the tent, he immediately jumped up and rushed out.
"Damn it! What's there to be afraid of? Calm down!"
Upon seeing the firelight on the mountainside, Qiu Wei immediately drew his longsword and roared.
At this moment, a large number of soldiers poured out from the tents around him, and seeing this, they also rushed to the place where the incident occurred with swords and guns.
※ ※ ※
Garrick Stonewall and his men followed behind the terrified, galloping warhorses, cutting down soldiers who tried to intercept them while setting fires everywhere. The leather tents knocked down by the horses were then ignited by torches, spreading rapidly. In no time, a corner of the camp was a sea of fire, and the flames grew larger and larger. The rain had added to the fire; the damp vegetation emitted acrid smoke, blurring the vision of the charging soldiers and making their attack even easier.
Amidst the towering flames, Garrick Stonewall's colossal figure appeared like a god, wielding his broad, powerful sword with ferocious might. With each strike, several enemy soldiers screamed and were sent flying, their blood splattering everywhere.
A flash of black smoke appeared, and several heavily armored lieutenants emerged from the flickering flames. The leader, upon seeing Garrick Stonewall's face, exclaimed, "It's you!"
Garrick Stonewall, upon seeing this, burst into laughter, saying, "Indeed, General Ye has already discovered your scheme. Prepare to die!" With a loud shout, the blood-dripping Giant Sword delivered a powerful slash straight at the leading lieutenant.
These lieutenants were none other than centurions under Qiu Wei, and the one speaking to Garrick Stonewall was a thousand-man commander. He had seen Garrick Stonewall at the banquet and thus recognized him. Knowing that Aurelian Dragon and his men had discovered their intentions, he felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this. Just as he was losing his composure, Garrick Stonewall's Great Sword was already at his head.
He roared and instinctively raised his longsword to parry the thunderous blow. But how could he be a match for Garrick Stonewall? The moment they made contact, he felt his sword go light as it snapped in two. Then a sharp pain shot through his head, and with a miserable howl, he was cleaved in two from head to toe by Garrick Stonewall.
The centurions around him were startled by the splattered blood. The giant in front of them was actually skilled enough to cleave their strongest thousand-man commander in two with a single sword strike. Shocked, they rushed forward, trying to make up for the difference in strength with their numbers.
Seeing more and more enemies closing in from all sides, Garrick Stonewall decided to act quickly and eliminate these enemies as soon as possible.
From his left came a man wielding a large sword. The gleaming blade slashed down at his waist, creating a slight ripple in the air, demonstrating his considerable skill with the sword. To his right were two men charging forward side by side, one tall and one short. The taller one wielded a longsword, while the shorter one carried a curved saber. The taller man with the longsword aimed his blade centrally, thrusting it straight at Garrick Stonewall's face, while the shorter man with the curved saber slashed diagonally, the flourish of his blade seemingly designed to dismember Garrick Stonewall's arm. This showed that these two had practiced combined attacks, giving them a greater advantage in teamwork than the others.
But what caught Garrick Stonewall's attention most was a powerful man attacking from the front. With his eyebrows like those of a knife, he wielded a long spear, but the tip of the long spear had two forks, resembling the tongues of two venomous snakes, which could even make a slight hissing sound when stabbing in the air.
Although he appeared to be the furthest away and the last to attack, Garrick Stonewall knew he was the main force of the attack, and those around him were merely providing cover and distracting him. Of course, if he attacked indiscriminately, their feints would become real attacks, enough to kill him as well.
Garrick Stonewall, in a sudden roar, let out a thunderous cry that shook the ears and sent shivers down the spines of the attackers. His "Thunderous Roar" had indeed achieved its intended effect. In that brief moment of hesitation, Garrick Stonewall's greatsword flashed out, its target the spear-wielding man in front of them.
The man wielding the spear felt a blur before his eyes, and Garrick Stonewall had already stepped in front of him. This distance was precisely where the spear could not attack, meaning that his spear had been blocked at the outside and could not serve any purpose of attack or defense.
Seeing Garrick Stonewall approaching the spearman's midsection, the other three knew something was terribly wrong. They shouted in unison, channeling their inner energy into their weapons, and charged forward, aiming for Garrick Stonewall's back. But it was too late; Garrick Stonewall's Giant Sword was already at the spearman's neck.
Garrick Stonewall smiled coldly, as if this move had been planned all along. His giant sword did not stop there, and he continued to slash horizontally, beheading the man wielding a spear. At the same time, he abruptly stopped his advance, as if he had never taken that step in the first place, letting his uncontrolled fists sweep past his nose.
Garrick Stonewall didn't even blink as the gust of wind rushed towards him. The headless body spun and flew in front of him, and his body had already turned to the side. Without pausing, his Great Sword met the gleaming longsword that was slashing towards his shoulder from the left.
Seeing the enormous Garrick Stonewall's incredible agility, the man wielding the longsword panicked and swung it wildly towards Stonewall's shoulder. Meanwhile, the two men behind Stonewall grinned smugly, their swords already touching Stonewall's body, seemingly about to kill him instantly.
Suddenly, their vision blurred, and Garrick Stonewall's massive body seemed to vanish, replaced by their companion wielding a longsword, who stared in terror at the longsword and scimitar slashing down at him from above.
"No!" Before the man wielding the longsword could finish speaking, the unstoppable longsword and scimitar had already landed squarely on his body, blood spurting out as he was instantly cleaved into three pieces by the swords and sabers imbued with internal force.
However, the two men wielding longswords and scimitars did not live much longer. As soon as their weapons left their companion's body, they felt a chill on their necks and then lost consciousness. One wonders if they argued with their companion whom they had mistakenly killed on their way to the underworld.
After leaping high into the air and slaying the two enemy generals, Garrick Stonewall, before even landing, spun around in mid-air, his giant sword unleashing a wave of energy that wiped out several enemy soldiers surging from the side. Upon landing, he delivered a flying kick to knock down another charging enemy.
At this moment, the surrounding enemy soldiers, seeing Garrick Stonewall kill several of their best men in one fell swoop, were already terrified. When they saw him charging towards them with his sword, they immediately shouted and scattered in all directions.
Inspired by his heroic performance, the soldiers following behind him were also exceptionally skilled in battle. They charged forward without a single casualty, which was truly an anomaly.
※ ※ ※
Aurelian Dragon and Obsidia Shade seized the opportunity to suddenly storm into the camp from the gate, like a sharp sword piercing the heart of the enemy camp.
Suddenly attacked from another location, Qiu Wei's soldiers became even more confused. Unable to identify their targets, the soldiers ran around the camp in panic, and the entire camp was in chaos. Everyone acted based on their own instincts, and the orders of officers at all levels could not be accurately conveyed, let alone carried out.
Aurelian Dragon brandished his fiery sword with great spirit. With complete concentration, sparks even burst from the crimson blade. As he swung the sword, the sparks scattered like living things, igniting anything they touched.
Aurelian Dragon was overjoyed. He hadn't expected to unleash the power of the ancient divine weapon, the Fiery Sword, without even realizing it. Now, he didn't even need torches anymore. He could simply wield the Fiery Sword and set all the tents in its path ablaze.
The soldiers following behind him were greatly encouraged. Their commander's bravery inspired their fighting spirit, but seeing such divine skill made them even more awestruck. They realized that the general they were following was a hero with such divine power. They became even more spirited and followed Aurelian Dragon, charging left and right, turning Qiu Wei's camp upside down.
With his divine sword in hand, Aurelian Dragon was unstoppable in his attacks, slashing and hacking with unparalleled ease. All the weapons he encountered were like clay sculptures or wooden carvings, unable to withstand even a light touch. He swept through the enemy like a whirlwind, with no one able to withstand a single blow from him, and soon he reached the central command tent.
Qiu Wei, who was stamping his feet and cursing while reprimanding his soldiers, saw it clearly in the firelight: Aurelian Dragon rushed towards him like a whirlwind amidst loud laughter.
Qiu Wei gritted his teeth and shouted, "Aurelian Dragon, you've gone too far! How dare you launch a sneak attack on friendly forces! This is an unforgivable crime!"
Aurelian Dragon swiftly struck the two charging men with a sword, sending them tumbling and screaming as they fell to the ground. Then, pointing at Qiu Wei, she shouted, "You scoundrels! How dare you cry 'stop thief'? Weren't you here to ambush us?"
Qiu Wei's tone froze. One of his guards, with sharp eyes, spotted the soldiers behind Aurelian Dragon and shouted, "Don't panic, everyone! They're only..."
Before he could finish speaking, Obsidia Shade had already leaped forward, her longsword drawing a beautiful arc in the air as she charged through the crowd of enemies, delivering a fatal blow to the throat, ensuring that the talkative fellow would never have another chance to utter a word.
Qiu Wei's guards erupted in commotion, never expecting such a delicate woman to possess such skill, capable of killing someone in a crowd. Enraged, they unleashed their weapons, all aimed at Obsidia Shade.
Obsidia Shade's delicate body spun gracefully, her movements incredibly alluring. She seemed to have lost her form, like a ghost without substance wandering through a sea of swords. Everyone thought their weapons had touched her body, but they were only chasing shadows, cutting only her phantom.
Obsidia Shade's longsword drew a strange, cold line in the air, as if painting a beautiful pattern with crimson blood before everyone's eyes. From an angle that the attackers could not have imagined, it delivered a fatal blow to each of them with unerring accuracy.
As if fireworks were scattered by a gust of wind, her figure unfolded, and wherever her ethereal silhouette went, guards fell to the ground, never to rise again.
Qiu Wei stared dumbfounded at the beautiful yet cruel scene before him. His guards, whom he was so proud of and relied on, had turned into speechless corpses in the blink of an eye. He had never seen a woman wield a longsword as beautifully as Obsidia Shade, nor had he ever seen a woman as capable as Obsidia Shade of slaying dozens of burly men with exceptional skills in such a short time. The speed of the kill left no room for contemplation.
He suddenly realized that if Phoenix Vane was the reincarnation of the legendary god of war, then this beautiful and charming little woman before him was definitely the reincarnation of a goddess of slaughter. Looking around, he saw that he was completely alone; his soldiers had long since scattered like birds and beasts in the face of Obsidia Shade's terrifying carnage.
At this moment, a clueless soldier outside shouted, "Enemy! A large number of enemies are attacking from the front!"
The already demoralized soldiers turned to look. On the main road ahead, banners fluttered, and the most powerful armored cavalry of the Fast army surged forward like a tidal wave, their hooves thundering. Clearly, thousands of cavalry were charging. Such a cavalry charge, under the protection of a fortified camp, could certainly provide organized resistance. But now the camp gates were wide open, the entire camp in chaos, utterly defenseless. Looking at the flames burning throughout the camp, it seemed as if enemies were invading from all sides. Considering their own predicament, the thought that overwhelmed everyone was, "We've failed!"
With such thoughts in mind, the soldiers didn't even bother to put on their armor properly. With their survival as the top priority, they abandoned anything that might slow them down. The more clever ones would grab a horse that was running wildly in the camp, climb on it, and then let it gallop away without a care in the world.
Looking at the chaotic camp before him, Qiu Wei felt a deep sense of despair. He had never imagined that defeat would taste so bitter. He smiled bitterly at Aurelian Dragon standing before him, "My lord is indeed formidable! To be defeated by the general, Qiu Wei can die without regret!"
Aurelian Dragon stared at him and said, "Put down your sword, and I'll spare your life!"
"Don't even think about it!" Qiu Wei roared, leaping forward and slashing with his sword like a mad tiger. Although his swordplay was wild and unrestrained, his resolve to die was unwavering; each strike aimed to take Aurelian Dragon down with him. Coupled with his powerful and heavy blows, each strike carried a sense of certain death. For a moment, Aurelian Dragon was truly thrown into disarray, forced to retreat several steps before regaining his composure.
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Lynette Quill charged ahead at the forefront of the cavalry, followed by Suo Chong and hundreds of armored cavalry. Behind them were the men of Wu'an, who were also witnessing the powerful charge of Fast's armored cavalry for the first time. Indeed, few could withstand such a fierce assault. No wonder Fast had been able to sweep across many nations and build a vast empire.
The men from Wu'an rode on horseback, each carrying a large flag, and their formation was quite spread out, making the army appear even larger. This put a lot of psychological pressure on Qiu Wei's soldiers. This method was also devised by Suo Chong.
Lynette Quill spurred her horse, sending it soaring into the air and over the burning wooden fence. She lowered her body slightly, deftly flipping her longsword to deflect a spear thrust at her. The spear slid down, a flash of blood, and her headless body was sent flying by the horse.
The armored cavalry behind her surged forward with a whoosh, each carrying a thick longsword. The thickened and widened blades were designed for mounted combat, and those without considerable arm strength simply could not wield such weapons.
※ ※ ※
Aurelian Dragon's Fiery Sword was devoid of any fancy moves; it thrust straight toward Qiu Wei's chest. The crimson blade, having absorbed the enemy's blood, shone even brighter, even possessing an eerie quality. With his full-force thrust, the surrounding air seemed unable to withstand the heat of the sword and began to boil.
Qiu Wei's eyes were wide open, still disregarding his own safety, and he also struck out with his sword, intending to perish together with Aurelian Dragon. At this moment, due to the scorching sword energy of the Fiery Sword, his body was covered with wounds of varying depths, his clothes charred and his flesh exposed.
Aurelian Dragon sneered. He had anticipated Qiu Wei's move. His Fiery Sword, which had been thrusting straight forward, changed direction mid-journey, its blade glowing red as it met the spine of Qiu Wei's longsword. Qiu Wei was terrified upon realizing Aurelian Dragon's intention, but it was too late to change his stance.
The moment the Fiery Sword, radiating a red glow, touched Qiu Wei's longsword, a scorching sensation traveled from the blade to the hand holding it, then surged up along the arm, shoulder, and chest. Qiu Wei felt as if a ball of fire had suddenly ignited on his body, his heart skipped a beat, and his hand holding the sword could no longer grip it.
"when!"
The longsword, now out of his grasp, fell to the ground with a slight tremor and broke in two.
Qiu Wei looked down at the fine iron longsword that had accompanied him for half his life. This sword, which carried half a lifetime of glory and dreams, had now become two useless pieces of scrap iron. Suddenly, the words his master had said when he taught him the sword flashed through his mind: "As long as the sword is there, I am there; if the sword dies, I die!"
He looked up and sighed, gazing at the fiery sword in Aurelian Dragon's hand, its red light flickering and pulsating.
"To die by such a divine weapon is an honor for a warrior!" With that, he drew his sword and let the Fiery Sword drink the last drop of blood from this battle.
Seeing Qiu Wei fall before Aurelian Dragon, the soldiers surrounding them raised their weapons and cheered. This battle, fought against overwhelming odds, had seen no casualties; only a dozen or so soldiers had suffered minor injuries—it was nothing short of a miracle, no wonder they were so excited.
But at this moment, a pang of reluctance flashed through Aurelian Dragon's heart. To remain so composed in the face of defeat—this Qiu Wei was indeed a hero, it was just a pity he had chosen the wrong path. However, Aurelian Dragon also knew that this was not the time to dwell on such things. He raised his Fiery Sword, and the crowd fell silent, countless eyes fixed on their commander.
"Bury this man and get out of here immediately!" Aurelian Dragon roared.
The soldiers responded in unison, and Aurelian Dragon knew he had truly won their support. These imperial armored cavalry, composed of descendants of meritorious officials and scions of noble families, were the military force responsible for the security of the capital, the strongest army in the empire, and also the most unyielding. Now that he had gained their support, it would greatly benefit his future foothold in the capital.
※ ※ ※
Leaving the still-burning camp, Aurelian Dragon urged his troops to march twenty miles in one go. Feeling unwilling to give up, he led Obsidia Shade, Lynette Quill, Garrick Stonewall, and dozens of warriors back to ambush them.
As expected, their battle attracted the attention of the Pari. The towering flames and thick smoke served as the best guide. Knowing that their plan had been exposed, they simply emerged from their ambush and rushed in this direction, attempting to bite the Aurelian Dragon's tail and attack from behind.
They also harbored the same hope that Qiu Wei's forces could hold off Aurelian Dragon for a while longer, thus creating a pincer attack. However, upon reaching the still-burning camp, they learned that Aurelian Dragon and his men had already routed Qiu Wei. Disappointed and angry, they urged their troops to pursue Aurelian Dragon's retreating forces.
Aurelian Dragon saw it clearly: the Gaoyue warriors, clad in rattan armor, bamboo hats, and knee-high soft boots, traversed the mountains as if on flat ground, truly skilled warriors of the mountains. Two figures in the middle of the group caught his attention.
The man on the left is none other than Li Qi, an old friend of Aurelian Dragon. He left the day before Aurelian Dragon departed from Yuzhou, and indeed, he joined up with Pari's men. However, he is currently wearing a suit of soft armor, a far cry from his usual gentle and refined demeanor, and he looks every bit the seasoned warrior.
The person talking to him beside him was naturally the person in charge of this Pari operation. This person was also wearing a light blue soft armor. The soft armor, made of cowhide and inlaid with bronze mirrors, protected the vital parts of his body. This way, it would not hinder his mobility and could protect him very well. It was a very high-quality protective gear.
Aurelian Dragon glanced at Garrick Stonewall beside him, who nodded knowingly and took out a long arrow without fins, nocking it onto his iron bow, which was three inches shorter than a regular bow. This specially made short bow was also one of Garrick Stonewall's specialties, with a long range and great power; very few people could use his bow and arrows.
The triangular arrowheads gleamed with a ghostly blue light as they moved slowly through the air, drawing everyone's attention to the approaching Pari. The moving arrows stopped, and everyone held their breath.
"Whoosh!"
The bowstring emitted a soft tinkling sound, as if the air itself rippled. Although the unfortunate man spotted the arrow, its speed was so great that he only had time to utter half a cry: "Enemy..."
The long arrow pierced his neck, sending up a spray of blood. The soldiers of Parry watched as if they were watching a frozen, slow-motion scene. Their commander, swaying on his horse, coughed up a mist of blood from his neck before falling off his mount with a "thud!"
Li Qi was the quickest to react. He immediately spurred his mount, brandished his sword, and shouted, "Watch out for the enemy!"
But it was too late. Garrick Stonewall's arrow seemed to be the order to attack. Fast's warriors cut the bands holding back the boulder logs, and the rolling boulder logs completely blocked the narrow mountain path. Caught off guard, the Gaoyue warriors tumbled to the ground.
The rockets that followed ignited the pre-buried gunpowder, sending up shards of rock mixed with pungent powder. Tears streaming down their faces, and with swollen, red eyes, the Gaoyue warriors suffered heavy casualties and retreated from the battlefield in disarray. Without their commander, they ignored Li Qi's shouts and, displaying their talent for climbing and traversing mountains, scattered in all directions.