Chapter 92: Two Armies Clash

They were, of course, facing the rear, with their backs to the refugees on the slope.

However, a refugee sprinted past Commander Xiao, then suddenly lunged, pulling a dagger from his waist and plunging it viciously into the commander's neck! Commander Xiao, clad in heavy armor, had only his neck exposed. It was very dark, and the attack was completely unexpected. The two were only a few feet apart, and even the personal guards had no time to react.

He Lingchuan was standing slightly behind Commander Xiao. In the dark, he saw a faint glint of light and immediately knew something was wrong, but it was too late to intervene. He could only watch as—

A flash of brilliant saber light cut through the air, and a head was severed from its body. Strictly speaking, the strike came from diagonally below, slicing the assailant directly from the left ribs to the right shoulder. As a result, what was a complete body was severed into two pieces upon impact with the ground, with blood gushing out.

He Lingchuan gasped. The lightning-fast, ruthless, and decisive nature of that strike reminded him of how he felt facing Nian Songyu in the Dragon Coiling Illusion. He had always trained diligently and hard, yet he simply couldn't achieve such saber mastery.

Commander Xiao lowered his saber, and a string of blood beads dripped from its tip onto the ground. Splatters of blood also adorned his face, but he paid them no mind, letting the rain slowly wash them away. Why bother wiping it off? He still had enemies to kill later; why take unnecessary action?

A personal guard, feeling ashamed, murmured, "Commander..."

Commander Xiao raised a hand to cut him off. "Everyone, stay vigilant!"

He Lingchuan murmured, "Excellent saber work."

"Heaven helps those who help themselves. You need to grow more eyes in the back of your head," Commander Xiao said, glancing at him. "Good reflexes."

He Lingchuan felt ashamed. "I was too slow. The assassin was still dealt with by Commander Xiao himself." The assailant was cunning, too, having disguised himself in civilian clothes to infiltrate behind enemy lines and attempt to assassinate the leader. If he had succeeded, this battle would have been over quickly. Just seeing how skilled Commander Xiao was showed how perilous the battlefield could be.

"You're a civilian, not a soldier." By the light of the lightning in the sky, over a hundred cavalrymen were seen galloping from a distance. Commander Xiao watched them, then addressed the crowd, "You've performed excellently! You can now join the city garrison! Food and lodging will be prioritized for you!"

In wartime, resources are prioritized for the strong; no one could object to that.

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. "Can we join the Great Wind Army?"

As soon as he spoke, all the new recruits turned to look at Commander Xiao, clearly eager for an answer.

Commander Xiao gave a slight smile. "Dream on! You're not qualified yet!" There was still a deep chasm between the Dragon Coiling City Garrison and the Great Wind Army that roamed the wilderness.

Everyone felt a bit disappointed. Another Great Wind Army cavalryman said, "What's wrong with the stability of defending the city? When the Great Wind Army goes out, there's always danger." Even as he said this, his expression was quite proud.

Another new recruit asked, "Will someone teach us how to kill enemies then?"

"Of course."

Commander Xiao added, "There are joint exercises every ninety days. If you're lucky, you might even see General Hong teach in person."

General Hong! Even without her physical presence, just mentioning her name was enough to boost morale.

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, he twirled his saber. "My saber technique was personally instructed by General Hong!" He Lingchuan detected a note of smugness in his voice. Just receiving guidance from General Hong enabled him to master such a formidable, lethal saber technique?

Then, the hundred-plus fast cavalrymen from the opposite side charged forward. Commander Xiao didn't raise his saber. Instead, he ordered everyone to move the opening in the wagon formation a little wider. These were friendly forces.

After ascending the slope, the hundred-plus men dismounted and helped the others consolidate the wagon formation, arranging it into three rows front to back. They then integrated themselves, ready for battle. As soon as they arrived, He Lingchuan smelled a strong scent of blood. He then noticed bloodstains and wounds on most of them.

The leading general exchanged a high-five with Commander Xiao, who laughed, "You actually made it back alive! Looks like the Baling people didn't have a full meal today!"

Still out of breath, the general said, "You want to take credit? It's not that easy! The seven hundred Baling soldiers pursuing us are a detachment under Zuo Qin."

"Are there any more civilians behind?"

"Those still alive have all been driven back. We lost six brothers."

The unspoken implication of the first half of that sentence sent shivers down one's spine. However, this was a battlefield, and civilians were simply cannon fodder. He Lingchuan had witnessed the Mad Sand Season; most of the vengeful spirits that emerged from the wellsprings were dressed as civilians. Those who died during the escape were quietly buried in the wilderness, never even making it into the casualty count.

Clearly, the Great Wind Army had grown accustomed to such human desolation. As a few of them chatted and laughed, the enemy charged closer to the valley. Hoofbeats thundered, a vast, bustling mass of brightly armored figures. He Lingchuan looked behind him. Even with the newly returned reinforcements, they still numbered only just over a hundred, less than a seventh of the enemy's force.

However, the enemy's cavalry consisted of only about two hundred men; the rest were infantry. As they approached, they lowered their halberds, intending to cross the wagon barricade blocking the road. Horses couldn't cross, but men could jump.

As they drew near, Commander Xiao waved his hand, and a volley of arrows rained down from the hilltop and trees. After the friendly forces had just arrived, he had deployed more men with bows, increasing the archers to eleven. Eleven men, sixteen arrows. Several of them carried crossbows, capable of firing two bolts consecutively. Prefect Sun's crates contained many feathered arrows, and they used them generously.

However, facing seven hundred heavily armored enemy troops, this wave of arrows was still too thin to form an effective suppression. At this moment, He Lingchuan particularly missed the giant crossbows and cannons on Dragon Coiling City. Firing those was truly satisfying, and their destructive power was immense.

Commander Xiao let out a shout: "Charge! Leave no armor intact!" The Great Wind Army roared in unison and charged to meet the enemy. A pale yellow light erupted from each of their bodies—

Commander Xiao had activated a Regimental Command Token, providing a boost to his soldiers. By his calculations, each person here would have to fight at least seven enemies, so every bit of extra help reduced the pressure. The opposing Baling Army, however, emitted a pale green light. This indicated that the opposing general's rank was below Commander Xiao's, or that their army's morale wasn't as high as the Great Wind Army's. However, no matter how good a Regimental Command Token was, it was merely a boost; the true outcome depended on the fundamental combat strength of both sides. Zero plus anything is still zero; He Lingchuan's basic math was also quite good.

Regimental Command Tokens had miraculous effects on the battlefield, but they were not the sole variable determining the outcome. Countless battles throughout history had proven this, which was why the Baling army faced the Great Wind Army behind the wagon formation without fear.

In the blink of an eye, the two armies collided. Commander Xiao stood directly behind the first row of the wagon formation, being the first to face all enemies. If the Baling army was a spearhead, he was the silent, unyielding rock, firmly stemming the initial assault. He Lingchuan stood beside him and swung his saber at the rushing enemies.

This was his first time experiencing the Regimental Command Token's mysterious power. The most direct sensation was increased strength and agility. A single step forward propelled him much further than before, as if he had springs on his feet, which actually startled him.