Chapter 1944: We Are This Strong?

Shortly after, a team of seven returned and reported the intelligence they had gathered to Lu Ye, who was waiting there.

It was much as he had anticipated; Qianliu City’s foundations were indeed much stronger than Ding'an’s. The Black Scarf Army had launched three consecutive assaults but had consistently failed to achieve decisive results, instead suffering significant losses themselves.

This was precisely why a small Black Scarf unit had previously gone to Ding'an to raise provisions and supplies, only to be annihilated by Lu Ye. This had then drawn a thousand-strong vanguard force, which also suffered heavy casualties.

Because the fighting here was so intense, the Black Scarf Army had no remaining strength to trouble Ding'an.

Currently, the Black Scarf Army was regrouping, and it seemed they had no intention of giving up. This was normal. The Black Scarf Army had started as mountain bandits and had enjoyed smooth progress throughout their expansion, with many cities willingly surrendering in their path. Yet, at Qianliu, they had suffered significant losses in troops and prestige.

How could the Black Scarf leader retreat like this? If Qianliu could be captured, all previous losses would be worth it.

Anyone in the Black Scarf leader's position would not easily retreat.

It would undoubtedly be unwise to seek trouble with the Black Scarf Army at this time. Although the more than one hundred people he brought all possessed cultivation, their numbers were ultimately too few. They needed to be deployed at the opportune moment to maximize their effectiveness. After a brief consideration, Lu Ye decided to wait for the right opportunity, confident that the Black Scarf Army would not make him wait too long.

He ordered his people to conceal themselves where they were, then left alone. No one knew where he went, but less than half a day later, he returned.

The Black Scarf Army indeed did not make Lu Ye wait long. Just two days later, those who were resting vaguely sensed some unusual movements coming from the direction of Qianliu City.

Lu Ye immediately bent down, pressing his ear to the ground, and listened carefully.

A moment later, his eyebrows rose, and he whispered, "Get ready!"

More than a hundred people, upon hearing the command, immediately stood by in full readiness.

"Mount up!" Lu Ye commanded again.

Everyone swung onto their horses, their movements unified and precise, their expressions solemn.

"Move out!" Lu Ye glanced at them, then led the way, heading towards Qianliu.

At this very moment, the Black Scarf Army was laying siege to the city. Huge, flaming stones, propelled by catapults, streaked across the sky, either smashing into the city walls or landing within the city.

The thick city walls were riddled with pockmarks and holes. Inside the city, there were numerous damaged areas. Dead and injured civilians were visible everywhere, and the vicinity of the city walls was a scene of utter carnage.

After a full half-hour of stone bombardment, followed by another half-hour of arrow volleys, the Black Scarf Army finally launched its full-scale assault.

Bandit troops, like a surging tide, rushed forward with shouts and battle cries. Some carried crude scaling ladders, while others held shields, forming the front line, their momentum fierce.

Qianliu had resisted such assaults multiple times before, and this time, they were naturally well-practiced.

The fiercest clashes between the two sides occurred along the section of the city wall near the East Gate. Time and again, Black Scarf soldiers, fearless of death, climbed the city walls using scaling ladders, only to be cut down by Qianliu's defenders.

In the gate tower above the East Gate, Xie Li, the Lord of Qianliu City, stood with a solemn expression. Soldiers rushed in one after another, reporting on the battle situations from various points. With a few concise words, he gave his orders, and these soldiers quickly departed.

Qianliu's ability to withstand the Black Scarf assaults until now was not solely due to the city's strong foundations, but also to Xie Li's centralized coordination and strategic command.

It could be said that without Xie Li, Qianliu City would never have lasted this long.

He looked at the fierce onslaught of the Black Scarf Army below, clearly discerning that the Black Scarf Army could only sustain this one more assault. If they could hold off this attack, the Black Scarf Army would surely retreat, and Qianliu would gain a much-needed respite.

But whether they could truly hold out, he was not entirely confident. In a battle of this scale, too many factors influenced the outcome. Even with his exceptional military acumen, he could not fully control the course of the battle.

He could only do his utmost and leave the rest to fate.

The face of a young man involuntarily appeared in his mind.

He was a young man Xie Li had never met before, who had suddenly appeared two days prior, sought him out, and claimed to be from Ding'an City, hundreds of miles away.

The two had a brief conversation at the time, which allowed him to learn some of the young man's plans.

He knew that at a time like this, they couldn't truly rely on external help, but he still couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. If there truly was a surprise force, shouldn't it have appeared by now?

His gaze swept across the entire battlefield. To his disappointment, his vision was filled solely with Black Scarf soldiers; there was no surprise force to be seen...

This made him doubt whether the encounter two days ago had actually happened, because after the young man left, he had specifically ordered his subordinates to follow him secretly, but the young man had vanished in the blink of an eye.

The young man had appeared mysteriously and then vanished like a ghost.

"What is that over there?" A man dressed as an advisor beside him suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Xie Li followed his gaze, vaguely seeing some small black dots rapidly approaching from that direction. His expression shifted, and he immediately channeled spiritual energy to enhance his vision.

His vision became slightly clearer.

"Cavalry?" Xie Li frowned. He could see it now: a cavalry unit had suddenly appeared from that direction. Although the leader was indistinct, their figure vaguely resembled the young man he had met two days ago.

However, the number of cavalry was not large, only a little over a hundred riders.

Xie Li's gaze swept behind the cavalry unit, but he saw nothing else.

Could this be the surprise force the young man had mentioned? A mere hundred people, even if all possessed cultivation, what could they possibly do in a battlefield like this?

At most, they could charge through the battle lines a few times; once their spiritual energy was depleted, they would be slaughtered.

"My Lord, are these Black Scarf soldiers?" the advisor asked.

Xie Li shook his head. He wasn't sure of this cavalry unit's origin, but by their formation, they were clearly heading directly towards the rear of the Black Scarf Army.

As he watched, the Black Scarf Army evidently spotted the cavalry unit as well. Immediately, a five-hundred-strong contingent moved to intercept them. The distance between them rapidly closed.

Xie Li watched without blinking. He knew he would soon be able to determine the cavalry unit's alignment; whether they were friend or foe would depend on the upcoming clash between the two sides.

Ten breaths later, the two forces collided. Xie Li's expression involuntarily stirred.

For the two forces instantly plunged into a fierce struggle. The cavalry unit, having ridden from afar, was like a long arrow, effortlessly piercing through the Black Scarf Army's five-hundred-man formation, and continued their charge without looking back.

In just this one engagement, over a hundred of the five hundred men died. They didn't even have the ability to impede the cavalry for a moment. Wherever the cavalry unit passed, Black Scarf soldiers fell like straw.

The advisor exclaimed in astonishment, "Where did these people come from? Outnumbered, yet they cut through like bamboo! Their leader must have extraordinary cultivation, and certainly, most of their unit possess cultivation."

"Ding'an!" Xie Li's eyes brightened as he finally confirmed that the event two days ago had indeed happened. The elusive young man had arrived, bringing a cavalry unit. The only regrettable thing was their numbers were simply too few.

"People from Ding'an?" The advisor realized with a sudden understanding upon hearing this. "I heard before that the Black Scarf Army had troubled Ding'an but suffered a devastating defeat. It seems Ding'an also understands the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.' This must just be a vanguard; the main Ding'an army will probably arrive soon." Thinking this, the advisor's heart swelled with excitement. If the main Ding'an army could attack the Black Scarf Army from the rear and coordinate a pincer movement with Qianliu, there truly was hope of completely crushing the Black Scarf Army in one go.

As he spoke, the advisor was startled again. "What are they doing?"

Nothing else; in his sight, the cavalry unit, originally in a straight line, suddenly changed formation. The more than a hundred riders formed an arrow-shaped wedge, driving straight into the heart of the Black Scarf Army's main force.

The advisor could barely bring himself to watch. Even if this cavalry unit had previously demonstrated powerful mobility and destructive force, they should not be acting so recklessly.

The most correct approach for them would be to harass the Black Scarf Army's flanks, not to directly charge into their core. This was because such an action carried immense risk. Once their offensive momentum was halted, they would be surrounded by enemies on all sides. At that point, no one could survive such a siege, unless they could continuously maintain a strong offensive momentum.

Xie Li also couldn't understand what this cavalry unit intended to do. In his opinion, their approach was entirely suicidal.

Ten li outside Qianliu, Lu Ye led the charge, issuing a command: "Keep up!"

In the entire cavalry unit, apart from him, everyone else looked nervous and uneasy. Although they all possessed cultivation, none of them had ever done something so reckless before. What Xie Li and the advisor could discern from afar, they, being in the thick of it, understood even more clearly. If anyone fell behind, it would be a certain death. Therefore, everyone was on high alert, giving their utmost.

The only thing that gave them a slight sense of security at this moment was the fusion of vital energies drawn by the formation disk. Under the effect of the formation disk, they could clearly feel that their spiritual energy consumption was minimal. This undoubtedly meant their endurance was several times greater than usual.

The true clash erupted at this moment. Everyone followed closely behind Lu Ye, charging forward recklessly. Screams echoed in their ears, one after another, and the stench of blood was overwhelmingly pungent.

Then, everyone surprisingly discovered something: the entire cavalry unit's speed had not slowed down in the slightest from the very beginning. No matter how many enemies stood in their way, the hundred-plus cavalry unit was like an unstoppable arrow, and all who came into contact with them were instantly killed or wounded.

They pressed forward, cutting through waves and breaking through lines, leaving a trail of fallen bodies everywhere.

In a very short time, the cavalry unit had already charged into the core of the Black Scarf Army. Yet, their momentum showed no signs of being hindered, as if the ones intercepting them were not the infamous Black Scarf Army, but mere cats and dogs.

"Are we truly this strong?" Strange thoughts arose in the minds of the cavalrymen who had charged alongside Lu Ye to this point. Although they knew that with the miraculous formation disk, they could exert power far beyond their individual cultivation, no one had imagined their charge in such a battle would be so smooth.

"So... we really are this strong!"

"The Black Scarf Army? Mere clowns!"

With this shift in thought, their resolve grew stronger. Their previous apprehension vanished completely. The cavalry unit unleashed their full potential. In an instant, the Black Scarf Army suffered even more casualties.