Chapter 1945: Such a Reckless Man

From the city gate tower, Xie Li and his strategist watched, dazzled and captivated. Initially, they had been pessimistic about this cavalry unit's audacious actions, so who could have imagined such a massive surprise awaited them?

This cavalry unit, more than a hundred strong, all possessed cultivation. The young man leading them was undoubtedly the strongest; with a swing of his long spear, no one survived within a radius of ten meters. It could be said that the young leader played a decisive role in the cavalry unit's overwhelmingly effective raid.

"Truly a formidable general!" The strategist's eyes lit up. He suddenly clasped his fists and said, "My lord, such a general must not be allowed to perish. If we can win over this cavalry unit, our chances against the Black Scarves will surely increase by twenty percent."

Xie Li nodded upon hearing this. "Indeed!" Even if the strategist hadn't mentioned it, seeing such a cavalry unit, Xie Li was already thinking of recruiting such talent.

The strategist continued, "I observe their intention is to breach the Black Scarves' formation, and their direction is directly towards the city gate. My lord, we need to provide them with support!"

Xie Li instantly grasped his intent. He beckoned, and a messenger stepped forward. "My lord!"

"Order the city gate guards to open the gate when the opportunity arises, and receive the cavalry below!"

"Understood!"

Though opening the city gate at this moment would be incredibly risky, the potential benefit of bringing this cavalry unit inside made any sacrifice worthwhile. Such a cavalry unit could undoubtedly play a crucial role in the conflict against the Black Scarves.

Moreover, the enemy was clearly heading for the city gate, likely intending to enter for rest and regrouping after such a devastating charge. Xie Li's only concern now was whether the unit had sufficient stamina to reach the gate.

However, he soon realized his worries were unfounded. The cavalry unit, over a hundred strong, maintained its speed without any noticeable decrease. If a horse was lost, nearby comrades promptly helped, pulling the rider onto their own mount.

After another brief period, the entire Black Scarves army had been almost entirely breached, and the cavalry unit was less than a kilometer from the city gate.

"Here they come!" Xie Li clenched his fists.

With a creak... the heavy gates slowly swung open. Inside the city, a large number of defenders poured out, engaging in a desperate struggle with the Black Scarves to create an opening for the cavalry's charge.

Xie Li exhaled slowly, confident that no further surprises would occur and the cavalry could safely enter the city. Yet, just then, his eyes widened, and a look of extreme astonishment and disbelief appeared on his face, as if he had witnessed something utterly incredible.

The strategist beside him also froze, his expression stiff: "What... what are they doing?"

From their vantage point, the cavalry unit, which had been charging directly towards the city gate, unexpectedly veered off in an arc about three hundred meters away, swerving to charge towards the other flank with their usual devastating force.

They weren't entering the city? Were they still going to charge?

"Unbelievable, simply unbelievable!" The strategist's composure shattered instantly. "How can there be such a reckless fool in this world?" Their ability to breach the Black Scarves' formation was truly astounding, but how could such an assault be sustained? Qianliu had even proactively opened the city gates to receive them, only for the cavalry to ignore it completely and simply turn away.

This action, however, created a dangerous vulnerability in Qianliu's defenses, immediately plunging them into crisis. Initially, the Black Scarves had been unable to breach the city, resorting to costly human wave attacks. But now, with the city gate wide open, nearby Black Scarves swarmed towards it like cats drawn to a scent. In an instant, immense pressure fell upon the East Gate. Despite fierce resistance, the defenders were steadily pushed back, on the verge of being overwhelmed and forced inside the city.

Xie Li could no longer afford to pay attention to the cavalry unit. He issued a flurry of orders, swiftly reassigning defenders from other sections to reinforce the gate and plug the breach. As long as the gate remained open, it would be a critical weakness.

Just as he was overwhelmed with anxiety, his peripheral vision caught sight of the cavalry unit charging back once more.

They were still as irresistible as before; wherever they passed, no Black Scarves could withstand them, all falling dead on the spot. As the cavalry unit charged past, the area around the city gate was instantly cleared. The previously hard-pressed defenders stared blankly at the numerous corpses lying before them, momentarily disoriented.

The cavalry did not charge too far beyond; instead, after a brief foray, they executed a wide turn and returned, annihilating the subsequent waves of Black Scarves rushing in.

"Such an extraordinary force..." Xie Li's lips trembled. He realized he had vastly underestimated the cavalry's power; the impact of these hundred-plus riders on the battlefield surpassed his wildest imagination. Their current actions were undoubtedly easing the pressure on the city gate, allowing the defenders time to re-seal it.

"Close the city gate!" Xie Li roared, issuing the command.

After the cavalry unit's repeated charges back and forth, the East Gate was finally secured once more. Only then did the cavalry depart from this section of the battlefield, seemingly unburdened by further concerns, resuming their previous devastating charge.

"Young friend, the commander's banner marks the Black Scarves leader's position. Kill him, and this battle can be won!" Xie Li swiftly shouted down to Lu Ye.

While the cavalry unit had indeed slain a significant number of Black Scarves and thoroughly disrupted their formation, the battle would not end as long as their leader remained alive. Conversely, if the Black Scarves leader were killed, their army would instantly devolve into disarray, allowing Qianliu's forces to sally forth from the city and decisively conclude the conflict.

Given the power the cavalry unit had previously demonstrated, Xie Li believed they could successfully execute this 'decapitation strike' and immediately provided the crucial information. He realized that despite their unparalleled valor, the cavalry unit seemed to have completely overlooked the conspicuous commander's banner.

To Xie Li's dismay, even after his clear instruction, the unit showed no intention of complying, instead continuing to charge towards the densest concentration of Black Scarves.

Was this young man... blind?

Yet, in the very next moment, Xie Li's expression shifted to surprise, as a tall figure beneath the commander's banner suddenly rode forth, closely accompanied by a retinue of soldiers.

Xie Li quickly shouted again: "Young friend, be careful! The Black Scarves leader is coming for you!"

It was clear that the Black Scarves leader, witnessing the cavalry unit's devastating power under Lu Ye's command, had decided to intervene personally. He was left with no choice; since their appearance, countless Black Scarves soldiers had fallen to this unit. Though initially stunned by their strength, he had waited, believing the time was now opportune. After such an intense and prolonged charge, how much power could this cavalry unit still possibly wield? To decisively crush this cavalry unit, the Black Scarves leader not only took action himself but also brought along his personal guard, the most elite force in the entire Black Scarves army, outnumbering the cavalry unit by more than three to one.

On horseback, Lu Ye, leading the charge, blinked. He had naturally heard Xie Li's shouts and felt a surge of helplessness. He had his own plans and was reluctant to engage the Black Scarves leader too soon. Based on his limited prior experiences, resolving the Black Scarves leader usually signaled the end of the current trial. But he did not wish to kill the enemy, yet he couldn't stop the enemy from actively seeking their own demise!

He paid slight attention to the Black Scarves leader's position, which was easily discernible, as a standard-bearer always accompanied the leader. For the next half an hour, Lu Ye continuously led the cavalry unit in evading the Black Scarves leader's personal guard. This sight left Xie Li quite speechless. The Black Scarves leader, however, interpreted it as a sign of weakness. Yet, the cavalry's speed was extraordinary, making them as elusive as eels; despite several attempts, he failed to corner them.

Inevitably enraged, he glanced at his standard-bearer and issued an order: the commander's banner was to be concealed. With the banner hidden, Lu Ye could no longer pinpoint the Black Scarves leader's location, forcing him to continuously alter the cavalry unit's direction.

After another brief while, a force with gleaming armor and an impressive military bearing suddenly appeared ahead. The leader, in particular, had an alluring mark of '10,000' floating above his head...

Lu Ye sighed, realizing he hadn't managed to avoid them. It was unavoidable. The Black Scarves leader had intentionally concealed himself and specifically targeted their cavalry unit, making a confrontation inevitable sooner or later.

"You wretched brat, let's see where you run this time!" The Black Scarves leader gnashed his teeth, his face contorted with rage as he glared at Lu Ye, as if he wanted to flay him alive. As he spoke, he personally moved to confront Lu Ye, swinging a massive, 150-kilogram saber with an unstoppable, crushing force. Behind him, his many personal guards also advanced in unison.

Spiritual energy surged. Lu Ye immediately discerned that this individual possessed a cultivation level of Spirit Stream First Stage. Truly worthy of being the Black Scarves leader, a figure valued at ten thousand Asura Seals, distinctly superior to ordinary soldiers. After such a prolonged and intense battle, Lu Ye's spiritual energy and physical stamina were indeed severely depleted. If he were to face the Black Scarves leader in a one-on-one duel, it might prove troublesome. However, he was not alone.

Just as the Black Scarves leader swung his blade, Lu Ye's spiritual energy surged, and the ephemeral image of a colossal tortoise flashed around him for a fleeting moment. The Black Scarves leader paused, startled. He wondered if his eyes were deceiving him... However, in the very next instant, his face contorted in alarm. A long spear shot straight towards him, imbued with an irresistible force that made his saber vibrate violently and left his guard completely open! The spear tip rapidly grew larger in his vision!

My life is forfeit!

The Black Scarves leader felt a chill run down his spine. He simply couldn't believe that after sustaining such a prolonged, high-intensity engagement, his opponent could still unleash such a terrifying, lethal blow!

Just as the Black Scarves leader resigned himself to certain death, Lu Ye's long spear angled slightly downwards, piercing his collarbone. Then, he directly lifted the Black Scarves leader and violently flung him some distance away, shouting, "Get lost!"

Blood spurted as the Black Scarves leader, his face contorted in shock, flew through the air and crashed heavily to the ground.

On the city gate tower, Xie Li's look of pleasant surprise morphed into utter bewilderment, his eye twitching. "He... what is he doing?" He had seen it clearly: in that split-second confrontation, Lu Ye had a clear opportunity to kill the Black Scarves leader. Yet, for reasons unknown, he had spared his life!

What did this mean? Xie Li was utterly perplexed.