Chapter 38: The Deterrence of Heavy Cavalry

“Tiancai, before we left, the Old Village Lord specifically instructed not to underestimate the enemy and advance rashly.”

“If there is danger, we must return immediately.”

In the Hou Village team, a man from the Hou family said to Hou Tiancai.

Although Old Man Hou was anxious to rescue Huang Xiu’er to avoid affecting the relationship with the Huang family.

But he was old and wise after all; he was always cautious in doing things.

Unlike Hou Tiancai, who disregarded everything once anger rushed to his head.

Old Man Hou was also worried that this was a trap set by the enemy for them.

Although Hou Tiancai was full of anger in his heart, awed by his grandfather’s prestige, he nodded heavily and said in a deep voice: “Okay, I understand.”

But he wasn’t particularly worried.

After all, most of the area south of Hou Village was flat open ground.

Whether the enemy had hidden troops could be seen at a glance.

If he found that there were too many enemies, Hou Tiancai certainly wouldn’t disregard his own life.

Just like that, the hundred-plus people from Hou Village followed the hoof prints left by Li Xiao, searching all the way west.

Not long after, the person walking at the very front suddenly shouted.

“There are people ahead.”

Hearing this, Hou Tiancai passed everyone and walked to the very front.

Sure enough, on the green grass in the distance, there was a large patch of black figures.

“It’s them.”

Hou Tiancai’s face instantly turned gloomy, gritting his teeth and staring dead ahead.

“But they seem to have a lot of people, definitely more than twenty.”

A strong man from the Hou family said in a deep voice, frowning slightly.

Judging by his experience, the opponent’s number was at least around a hundred.

Definitely not the twenty people Hou Tiancai mentioned.

And all were on horseback, holding bows, arrows, and spears in their hands.

Looking not to be trifled with.

“Hmph, I want to see who exactly dares to snatch my, Hou Tiancai’s, woman,” Hou Tiancai said in a gloomy voice.

Staring dead at the cavalry in the distance.

At this time, he found that after seeing him, the other party not only didn’t run away but actually ran toward him.

“They are charging over.”

Others also discovered this problem, and their faces didn’t look good.

“What do they want to do?”

“Could it be they want to start a war with us?”

“Their numbers are fewer than ours; if a war starts, they definitely won’t gain an advantage.”

These people from Hou Village spoke up one after another.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

If the other party only had twenty people, then the hundred-plus people from Hou Village would definitely surround them and start fighting without thinking.

But the other party had nearly a hundred people.

Although their side had more people, battles were not won simply by numbers.

Examples of winning with fewer numbers were countless in history.

So, in this situation without an obvious advantage, no one was willing to fight to the death.

Because once a war started, it meant casualties.

Even if they won, Hou Village would definitely suffer heavy losses.

Causing dozens or even hundreds of casualties for a woman was absolutely a stupid act.

Let alone those people with different surnames in Hou Village, even the members of the Hou family began to hesitate at this time.

“These people are simply madmen.”

“They have already snatched Huang Xiu’er; do they still want to continue fighting with us?”

“Their numbers are fewer than ours, yet they dare to attack proactively?”

“How about returning to the village first, and then negotiating slowly with the other party to exchange the Young Madam back?”

This last sentence was approved by many people; they all had this thought.

Knowing clearly they might die, no one was willing to risk their lives for the Hou family.

But in the next second, Hou Tiancai walked slowly in front of that person.

With a gloomy face, endless anger surged in his eyes.

He shouted angrily in a low voice: “Negotiate slowly?”

“Until when do you want to negotiate?”

“Wait until that woman is sent into the bridal chamber by the enemy, and exchange her back after they finish playing with her?”

This was a person with a different surname. Stared at dead by Hou Tiancai’s cold eyes, he was terrified inside.

“I… No…”

Just wanting to open his mouth to explain, but in the next second, the spear in Hou Tiancai’s hand stabbed out directly.

Instantly piercing this person’s chest.

Widening his eyes with a look of disbelief, he fell heavily to the ground.

In this instant, the others from Hou Village were stunned.

Unexpectedly, Hou Tiancai was so ruthless; this person just said a sentence and was directly killed by Hou Tiancai.

Others instantly felt even more fear, awed by the Hou family’s oppressive power, daring not to say another word.

“Those who shrink from battle die.”

“If anyone dares to propose retreating to the village again, this person is the example.”

Hou Tiancai held the blood-stained spear, his gaze deterring everyone, and said sternly.

With a big battle imminent, the military heart must be unified.

For those who talk nonsense and shake the military heart, they must be beheaded as a warning to the public.

“The enemy’s numbers are not as many as ours. Charge up; we can definitely wipe them out.”

“After defeating those people, I will reward each of your families with two sheep.”

“But if anyone dares to slack off, wait to go hungry next year.”

“Charge for me.”

Hou Tiancai shouted loudly, forcing everyone to charge up.

With no choice, these people from Hou Village could only bite the bullet and go.

The Hou family’s control over Hou Village was absolutely not empty words. Anyone daring to disobey the Hou family would face family ruin and death at the very least.

And just as Hou Tiancai said, their side had the numerical advantage; the opponent was definitely bluffing.

As long as they showed a fierce appearance, maybe the opponent would be unable to hold on first.

In that case, there would be no need to fight to the death; chasing and killing the fleeing enemy would be enough.

Rumble rumble rumble.

More than a hundred youths from the four fortresses charged toward the people of Hou Village. Iron cavalry trampled the earth, emitting a low rumble, shocking people’s minds.

But the speed was not very fast.

Li Xiao wore fish-scale armor, a red-tasseled helmet on his head, and held a horse lance. His whole body was tightly protected, leaving only his face looking straight ahead. Even the warhorse beneath him was draped with a layer of iron armor.

In this era, he was completely a humanoid mecha.

And behind him, there were nineteen other cavalrymen dressed similarly, all holding spears or war sabers, increasing horse speed and charging rapidly.

Like a row of copper walls and iron walls, surging forward, exuding power like toppling mountains and overturning seas.

“Da Long.”

“The people from Hou Village are charging at us.”

At the front of the team, Luo Meng wearing leather armor shouted loudly to Li Xiao at the very back.

“Good.” Li Xiao shouted back.

“One hundred paces.”

The warhorses made a roaring sound, covering most of Li Xiao’s shout, but Luo Meng still heard clearly and knew what to do.

In this battle, Li Xiao would lead the heavy cavalry to kill the enemy, while the front was commanded by Luo Meng.

Seeing the distance between the two sides getting closer and closer, Li Xiao’s mood became calmer instead.

Without the slightest pressure or tension.

In his view, when the troops of Hou Village left the village, the outcome of this battle was already destined.

Unlike the previous night raid on the Karluks, which had many unknown changes.

The opponent only had a hundred or so people.

Although they were also charging with surging momentum, it would only accelerate their defeat.

As the distance between the two sides got closer, Luo Meng could already clearly see the expressions on the faces of the people opposite.

“Come on.”

The corners of his mouth slowly raised, gripping the spear in his hand tightly.

Secretly estimating the distance between the two sides in his heart.

When there were still nearly a hundred paces, Luo Meng suddenly shouted loudly to the people behind him: “Spread out.”

Accompanied by Luo Meng’s loud shout, the youths of the four fortresses suddenly moved.

The cavalry rushing at the very front began to shift direction to both sides.

The entire copper wall and iron wall seemed to be torn apart from the middle.

“What are they doing?”

The actions of the four-fortress youths also confused the people of Hou Village, unable to figure out the situation.

Just now, Hou Tiancai was still mocking these people in his heart for not knowing how to fight.

When cavalry charge, clumping together is the biggest taboo; the more dispersed, the better.

But the opponent was good; they set up a copper wall and iron wall formation, looking indestructible, and their momentum was majestic when charging.

But in Hou Tiancai’s view, it was simply a mess.

The opponent’s leader was simply a layman.

Or rather, the opponent was basically a group of infantry riding on horses.

Hou Tiancai had many ways to easily solve the opponent.

But just when Hou Tiancai was full of confidence, the opponent suddenly changed formation.

“They want to harass us from both flanks?”

This thought popped up in Hou Tiancai’s mind.

Very likely.

His side had the numerical advantage; the opponent dared not fight a head-on decisive battle, so they could only use this method, fighting while retreating, shooting remotely with bows and arrows.

“Hmph, overestimating themselves.”

Hou Tiancai mocked the opponent in his heart.

But in the next second, he suddenly heard gasps and an uproar from the front of his own team.

“Damn it, what is that thing?”

“What popped out from behind?”

“Heavens, that’s heavy cavalry.”

“Heavy cavalry?”

“We’re done for, we’re done for.”

The people and horses of Hou Village instantly went into an uproar, falling into chaos.

The originally crazy forward-charging steps also gradually became chaotic, and some people even began to rein in their warhorses rapidly.

Looking at the enemy opposite with shocked and terrified expressions.

When the cavalry in front of them scattered, exposing the cavalry behind.

Men and horses were all clad in heavy armor, gleaming with cold metallic luster under the sunlight, like a torrent of steel galloping from afar.

As if iron cavalry of the war god walked out of mythology.

“Armored cavalry.”

These four words popped up in the minds of all Hou Village people.

Everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

(End of this chapter)