Chapter 248: Beating the Iron Hawks
The officers behind the “Iron Hawks” grinned and charged out with their spears, including the cavalry captain.
Zhang Wangyue said to Huang Rong, “Return to the formation.”
“Alright, Head Escort, be careful.” Huang Rong lightly stepped on the ground, her body like a fluttering butterfly, gracefully retreating into the boulder maze. She landed, swayed, and hid behind a jagged large stone, concealing herself completely.
The three heavily armored cavalry, with their heavy horses, had reached their peak momentum during their charge. The warhorses galloped over ten paces, and the cavalry captain, his arm encased in fine armor, fiercely raised his spear, poised to thrust.
As Zhang Wangyue advanced rapidly, at the moment the cavalry captain thrust, Fu’an’s Chief Escort leaped into the air, thrusting out his copper rod.
With a “bang,” the “Iron Hawks” cavalry captain was sent flying by the powerful blow of his rod. The warhorse, affected by the force of the rod, couldn’t maintain its balance and stumbled, rolling onto the ground.
Zhang Wangyue landed, stomped his right foot heavily, and his body shot out like a launched arrow towards another rider. His fierce “Iron Mountain Lean” landed on the tall warhorse, and the horse, like a collapsing wall, crashed to the ground.
Zhang Wangyue stepped sideways, and his copper rod descended like thunder, smashing the opponent’s head.
Huyan Lei roared and turned his head, his arm bent to catch the thrusting iron spear. He was forced to retreat with the momentum of his warhorse. Following closely behind, Fu’an’s Head Escort’s footsteps were like a dragonfly skimming the water, stepping lightly to balance himself. His right hand, the Tiger Head Hammered Gold Spear, flashed out, splattering large amounts of blood. The cavalryman’s face was directly smashed by the spearhead.
The warhorse, having lost its rider, galloped past Huyan Lei’s side, then slowed down and trotted back towards the “Iron Hawks'” main formation.
“How was it?” Zhang Wangyue asked, having retreated to Huyan Lei’s side.
Huyan Lei replied, “Dealing with one or two riders is not a big problem, but with multiple riders charging, it’s hard to defend when you can’t attend to everything.”
Zhang Wangyue said, “This is the greatest threat when cavalry charges. The riders, using the horse’s momentum, can easily gather hundreds of pounds of force.”
“If Leader Yang of Cuya Mountain had such cavalry, that would be great.”
“We will,” Zhang Wangyue smiled.
“Quite capable.” The “Iron Hawks” officer, seeing that he had lost three riders in one encounter, his eyes, like cold blades, turned ferocious. He waved his right hand.
In the blink of an eye, twelve riders, with the roar of wind and thunder, swept out in a semicircle, rapidly spreading and advancing.
“Go!”
Zhang Wangyue and Huyan Lei retreated into the boulder maze.
The twelve riders, without receiving a stop order, charged directly into the boulder maze. Then, a scene that shocked the “Iron Hawks” officer unfolded. His cavalry, though not far from their opponents, kept turning and maneuvering, unable to attack.
An officer capable of commanding hundreds of cavalry would naturally be proficient in many formations such as the “One-Character Snake Formation,” “Fish Scale Formation,” and “Three Powers Formation.” However, the formation before him was unprecedented. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it was extraordinary, and even more difficult to decipher upon contemplation.
Suddenly, from behind the towering large stones, Mu Nianci, Liang Xiaowu, and other escorts emerged with swift movements. Over ten fishing nets descended, covering them head-on. The “Iron Hawks” cavalry, caught off guard, were pulled to the ground and swiftly dragged behind various jagged rocks.
The officer’s expression turned grim.
Behind the rocks, Mu Nianci and the others thrust their spears and slashed with their sabers, quickly taking the lives of the twelve men. After their shrill screams, the air returned to silence.
Huyan Lei, hidden behind the large stone, grinned at Huang Rong, “Miss Huang, your formation is excellent.”
“Head Escort Huyan, your divine strength is remarkable.”
“Haha, compared to the Chief Escort and Brother Zhou, it’s still far behind.”
Huang Rong smiled charmingly, but her heart was filled with worry. If the opponent continued to send small cavalry squads like this, she wouldn’t be afraid. She was worried about brute force destruction and wondered how long it would take for Zhou Yan to arrive.
The “Iron Hawks” officer outside the formation observed and pondered carefully but still couldn’t grasp its essence. He was secretly astonished. This was no mere escort team; even the elite forces of the Great Song Dynasty lacked such formation capabilities.
The officer, with his excellent adaptability, shouted, “Throw ropes, pull down the stones.”
In an instant, over a dozen riders brandished ropes and charged forward. The several-zhang-long ropes were thrown far and accurately.
The ropes fell and were looped around the jagged rocks. The cavalry turned their horses, and the tall warhorses slowly advanced. The riders exerted their strength, and with a “boom,” the standing stones were pulled down and dragged towards the outside of the formation.
“This is bad, we must stop them. If this continues, the boulder maze will be destroyed before long.”
“Cut the ropes, shoot!”
“Shoot!”
Zhang Wangyue and the officer issued commands almost simultaneously. A squad of “Iron Hawks” roamed along the boulder maze, shooting arrows. Fu’an’s runners drew their bows and shot. The long arrows, spanning dozens of paces, landed on the “Iron Hawks,” but were easily deflected by their iron armor.
The “Iron Hawks” cavalry drew their bows and arrows. The arrows rained down on the stones where the escorts and runners were hiding, making it difficult for them to raise their heads.
Suddenly, Liang Xiaowu rushed out. The young escort held an iron pot in his left hand and a Snow-Flake Damascus Steel saber in his right. He darted left and right, using the iron pot to block arrows and the saber to cut ropes. In an instant, he severed the ropes and then concealed himself again.
Huang Rong was overjoyed, thinking that this escort was so clever. This method would at least delay the opponent’s destruction of the boulder maze for a considerable time, buying them time for Zhou Yan’s arrival.
The sun hung high in the sky. Unbeknownst to them, the boulder maze deployed by Huang Rong had held off the “Iron Hawks” for nearly an hour. It was at this moment that Zhou Yan’s figure appeared on the tree crowns in the mountain forest on the side of the valley.
Looking out, one end of his vision was filled with swarming cavalry. Several squads of “Iron Hawks” were either suppressing with arrows or pulling down stones with ropes. On the other end, escorts, including Liang Xiaowu, held iron pots and agilely advanced like apes, cutting ropes with a single saber strike.
Zhou Yan knew the wonder of Huang Rong’s boulder maze, but with many stones lying haphazardly on the ground, he guessed that the maze had also been significantly damaged.
Fortunately, he had arrived in time.
Zhou Yan landed, and the three Shi brothers surrounded him. He was about to give instructions and then meet up with Zhang Wangyue when suddenly a “screech” sounded. A Sea Eastern Green swooped down from the valley and appeared above the forest, its cry urgent and clear.
“Young Hero, we’ve been discovered. This beast is also trained.” Along the way, Zhou Yan had become familiar with the Shi brothers, treating them as brothers. Shi Bowei no longer addressed him as Benefactor.
“Indeed, it seems we’ll have to attack directly.”
“No problem, we’ll ensure they’re thrown from their horses.” The Shi brothers grinned.
“Good!” Zhou Yan leaped and landed beside the “Night-Shining Jade Lion,” patting its neck. “Go, run further away.”
The horse understood his intent, spread its four hooves, and galloped away at lightning speed.
Zhou Yan held his Profound Iron Heavy Spear and said with a smile, “Brother Shi, please display your divine abilities.”
“I’ll be clumsy!”
Shi Bowei, Shi Zhongmeng, and Shi Shugang clasped their fists in unison and leaped onto three large trees in different directions. Suddenly, they unleashed a long roar, and in an instant, a hundred beasts roared, shaking the earth.
…
As the Sea Eastern Green swooped towards the mountain forest, Zhang Wangyue, Huang Rong, and the “Iron Hawks” officer all turned their gaze towards it.
Huang Rong was delighted and said, “It must be Head Escort Zhou who has returned.”
The officer outside the formation, however, changed color. The Sea Eastern Green’s reaction was abnormal, and he had a vague premonition of something bad.
But in just a moment, the roars of fierce beasts erupted everywhere. Tiger roars, lion roars, the wind rustling through the forest. The mixed sounds swept in like a hurricane.
Huang Rong gasped, her face losing color at the sound, her heart filled with unease and a chill down her spine. However, upon listening carefully, she realized that amidst the sounds of the beasts, there were three long roars that broke through the air with Internal Force. These roars contained the five tones of Gong, Shang, Jue, Zheng, and Yu, possessing both melody and a powerful, heroic quality.
“Is this the ability to control beasts?” Huang Rong was greatly curious.
As she thought this, her ears were suddenly filled with the neighing of warhorses. The horses under the “Iron Hawks” cavalry panicked. As the beast horde approached, some warhorses’ legs weakened, and they knelt on the ground with a “thump.” In an instant, horses and riders were thrown in disarray, causing great chaos.
The officer’s Jet-Black Tanlong Treasure Horse neighed with a “neigh,” raised its front hooves, stomped on the ground, and galloped away.
“Our mules and horses!” some escorts exclaimed in shock.
Zhang Wangyue was inwardly shocked and said, “The mules and horses are in the valley. There won’t be any problems.”
Fu’an’s Chief Escort looked towards the forest and fields. The scene was dreamlike and unreal. Forest birds desperately flapped their wings and flew high into the sky. Even the Sea Eastern Green cried out and flew away. The sunlight, like a curtain, was pushed aside by a fierce tiger. Following closely behind, more fierce tigers charged out. Beside the tiger pack, there were ferocious beasts that he had never seen before, roaring and charging out with imposing majesty.
“Shoot arrows, shoot arrows!” a fallen rider shouted hysterically. Zhang Wangyue snatched the bow and arrow from a runner and drew the bow like a full moon.
With a “bang,” the arrow, like a meteor, flew dozens of paces and pierced the rider’s neck, where his protection was weakest.
“Good archery.” Huang Rong, who had been shocked and then delighted, praised him. In her heart, she wondered if she could learn this divine ability and raise a few fierce tigers and lions on Peach Blossom Island; it would surely be fun. As she thought this, she looked up, searching for Zhou Yan behind the beast horde.
Zhou Yan, standing on the tree crowns, saw a Jet-Black Tanlong Treasure Horse galloping out in the distance. He instantly locked onto his target. He used the White Camel Mountain lightness skill, “Instant Thousand Li,” and his body instantly floated over three zhang. He landed and exerted force, galloping wildly.
“Golden Goose Skill,” “Instant Thousand Li,” and Tomb Lightness Skill each had their own merits.
Within a narrow range, retreating and advancing like a god belonged to Tomb Lightness Skill. For long-distance pursuits, it was naturally the former two. “Golden Goose Skill” excelled in leaps during the charge, while purely in terms of speed, it was “Instant Thousand Li.”
One moment Zhou Yan was with the Shi brothers, and the next he appeared over ten zhang away. His speed was so astonishingly fast that it stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground, trailing wisps of broken leaves in a straight line behind him, the end of which was the “Iron Hawks” officer.
With a “swish!” the spring sunlight outside the forest was torn open by Zhou Yan’s figure. He let out a whistle, and the “Night-Shining Jade Lion,” which had long since run out of the forest, appeared like a white light.
Zhou Yan leaped onto the horse’s back. The “Night-Shining Jade Lion,” encountering a creature comparable to itself in speed, galloped wildly.
For such a fine horse, within a mile, the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” could easily catch up with just a burst of speed. However, the Jet-Black Tanlong Treasure Horse was truly divine. After dozens of breaths of wild galloping, the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” had only closed the distance by a few dozen paces. Zhou Yan mused that if the treasure horse were unarmored, its speed would not be inferior to his own mount.
He drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
The horse galloped, and the man drew his carved bow.
“Bang, bang, bang…” Four arrows pierced the air and flew away.
The officer on the horse waved his hand, smashing the first long arrow, and dodged the second arrow by “hiding within his boots.”
How could Zhou Yan not know how to dodge incoming arrows from behind? The third and fourth arrows he shot were aimed at the horse’s sides.
“Clang!”
One arrow grazed the left side of the Jet-Black Tanlong Treasure Horse, and another hit the officer who was dodging to the right. The arrowhead landed on his fine armor, creating dazzling sparks. The officer was carried by the immense impact and rolled to the ground.
The Jet-Black Tanlong Treasure Horse galloped over ten paces before stopping. The officer who had fallen leaped up, and the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” charged towards him.
Zhou Yan raised his spear, and his immense Internal Force circulated through his meridians, erupting from his palms and acupoints to drive the spear, emitting a low, resonant hum. Using the horse’s momentum, he unleashed the most powerful and domineering thrust since he began practicing his spear.
“Wah!” the officer cried out, smashing his long spear towards the Profound Iron Heavy Spear.
With a loud “clang,” the long spear was knocked aside.
The spearhead of the great spear “pinged” against the fine armor, piercing through it. The “Iron Hawks” officer, who had told Zhang Wangyue to leave the escort cart and give him a whole corpse, was lifted into the air by the Profound Iron Heavy Spear.
