"Peng Shuai, please give your orders." Guo Yunfei's spirits lifted. From Peng Yuancheng's tone, there was a hint that he would be made the city lord of Yuyang after the matter was accomplished. How could he not be excited?
The gloomy weather gave no indication that spring was approaching. The long column of soldiers moved in a twisting and turning manner along the winding post road, looking down from above like a gray snake crawling on the yellow sand and gravel.
Xiao Lin came to a small slope by the roadside and stared intently ahead. In the distance, shrouded in a light mist, were undulating hills. Although there was no particularly treacherous terrain, it was impossible for a large army to deploy its forces in this kind of terrain, which was divided by countless ravines and jagged rocks.
"It should be somewhere nearby," Xiao Lin thought to himself. If he were Peng Yuancheng, he would never allow himself to advance to the walls of Yuyang City; instead, he would seek an opportunity for a decisive battle in the open. Entering a siege would certainly put the attacking side in a difficult position, but for the defending side, it would mean handing over the initiative. Neither Li Jun nor Peng Yuancheng would relinquish control of the initiative in war.
This should be the best ambush spot. There's a long, gentle slope between the hills. Peng Yuancheng only needs to have his troops lying in ambush on both sides, and then suddenly charge out when his army is halfway through, leaving him unable to defend both ends. However, using this tactic against his own mercenary warriors seems to underestimate his own strength.
"Send the order down, halt the entire army. I want to show Peng Yuancheng what I'm capable of." Although he was not optimistic about the outcome of the battle, the nearly fifty-year-old mercenary veteran felt a surge of pride in his heart.
As he expected, Peng Yuancheng had indeed ambushed his troops there. Scouts had already reported Xiao Lin's army's movements, but after approaching Luoyuepo, to prevent Xiao Lin from discovering their hiding place, Peng Yuancheng withdrew his spies.
The sound of horses' hooves grew increasingly rapid in the distance. Judging from the sound, Xiao Lin had indeed mobilized all the troops he could muster, totaling two thousand cavalrymen. In Yuzhou today, this was a force not to be underestimated.
"Too bad you've run into me." Peng Yuancheng's lips curled into a cold smile. Even without an ambush here, he was confident that he could defeat Xiao Lin with his superior numbers, but it would be even better if he could save some energy.
"Xiao Lin!" He spotted him immediately. Surrounded by cavalry, an old general with white beard and eyebrows hurried past his ambush position. His subordinates glanced at Peng Yuancheng, but Peng Yuancheng smiled faintly and gestured for the vanguard to pass.
After Xiao Lin led the vanguard away, a large group of soldiers quickly caught up. If they had rushed out to attack Xiao Lin's cavalry earlier, they would have been caught off guard by these soldiers.
“Xiao Lin is quite bold, actually using himself as bait to lure me into attacking him. Although the terrain is uneven, I'm afraid it will be impossible to finish the battle quickly if we try to attack these two thousand cavalry. If the rear guard surrounds us then, we will be surrounded in return.” Although Peng Yuancheng was not afraid, he did not want to suffer too many losses.
Sure enough, after passing the long Falling Moon Slope and seeing nothing unusual, the cavalryman who had already passed hurriedly returned, presumably to report to the rear guard and urge them to hurry across the long slope.
Peng Yuancheng removed the wooden chew from his warhorse's mouth and affectionately stroked its neck. The horse let out a low growl, seemingly understanding its master's meaning; a great battle was imminent.
Seeing his actions, Peng Yuancheng's soldiers also drew their swords and bows. A moment later, the sound of carriages and horses could be heard. Following the rear guard must have been Xiao Lin's provisions and supplies, which would be Xiao Lin's fatal weakness.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Peng Yuancheng's order. The sound of carriages and horses grew closer, indicating about three thousand soldiers. Although they all looked strong and capable, their armor was not as bright and neat as the previous troop, suggesting they were newly enlisted. There were also a few cavalrymen mixed in, but their numbers posed little threat to Peng Yuancheng's army.
"Kill!" Peng Yuancheng raised his spear and charged out on his horse. The soldiers hidden in the woods on both sides of the long slope roared and rushed down like two torrents, cutting the more than three thousand soldiers in half with lightning speed.
In an instant, the once tranquil slope erupted into a cacophony of war drums and arrows. Thousands of sharp weapons flashed, their sinister light mingling with the killing intent, making the sky appear even more gloomy and desolate. Blood gushed from mangled limbs, like the faint rays of the rising sun. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
Peng Yuancheng initially just shouted and directed from behind, but when he discovered that this group of seemingly untrained new recruits had formed a defensive formation with extremely neat movements, and that although his own men charged, seemingly like a raging torrent, the three thousand opponents were like rocks in the waves, standing firm and unmoving.
"These subordinates of Xiao Lin are quite capable." Seeing that his troops' hopes of dividing the enemy had failed, Peng Yuancheng couldn't help but be surprised by the enemy's reaction. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and then rushed out like a whirlwind. His spear was as swift as a dragon, appearing and disappearing in mid-air. In a short while, he had stabbed down four enemy soldiers in succession. When he faced the fifth person, that person used a knife to block his spear.
"That was ruthless, Peng Yuancheng!" The man looked up and smiled slightly.
"Hey! It's you!" Peng Yuancheng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. This person was actually Xiao Lin. He had clearly ridden past on horseback, so how did he reappear among the infantry?
"A tiger may have the intention to harm people, but people can also plot against a tiger." Xiao Lin secretly gathered his strength. He realized from that attack that Peng Yuancheng was extremely powerful, and he was afraid that he alone would not be able to win the duel.
"So what if that's the case?" Peng Yuancheng felt a surge of displeasure. He had underestimated the wisdom of this old mercenary general. His grand plan had failed right from the start, which made him feel ashamed and annoyed. But a few setbacks should not discourage him. Even in a direct confrontation, his forces were still enough to annihilate Xiao Lin's entire army. The only regret was that it would cause him a certain number of casualties.
"If Lord Peng can still pull back from the brink at this moment, I, Xiao Lin, am willing to stake my life on Lord Peng. Li Jun really needs a talent like Lord Peng." Xiao Lin said loudly. Although he knew that Peng Yuancheng could not turn back, he still made an effort.
"Haha..." Peng Yuancheng laughed loudly, his laughter reaching the heavens, so loud that even his mount neighed loudly. Then, Peng Yuancheng answered with action, his spear dancing like snowflakes as he thrust it toward Xiao Lin's vital points.
Xiao Lin wielded his twin swords with unparalleled skill, and after a series of rapid clanging sounds, even Xiao Lin's warhorse was shaken and forced to retreat. Just then, shouts came from the rear of Peng Yuancheng's army, and Xiao Lin's cavalry, who had just passed by, returned in time!
Following Xiao Lin's instructions, the cavalry advanced for about a mile before quietly turning back, just as the battle situation became urgent. They charged down the slope from behind, and Peng Yuancheng's army could not stop them, splitting apart like a river bursting through a sandbar. Although Peng Yuancheng already knew of Xiao Lin's arrangement, he was still furious. Seeing the vanguard returning to reinforce, Xiao Lin's spirits lifted. He knew that if Peng Yuancheng withdrew from the battlefield at this moment, he could reorganize and redeploy his troops, exposing the disadvantage of his own forces. The only opportunity was to take advantage of Peng Yuancheng's arrogance and overconfidence, easily placing himself on the front lines and thus unable to coordinate the entire army, to scatter Peng Yuancheng's army and then surround and attack Peng Yuancheng personally. Therefore, Xiao Lin refused to let Peng Yuancheng leave his side under any circumstances.
Enraged, Peng Yuancheng launched several more attacks at Xiao Lin, but Xiao Lin didn't meet them head-on. Instead, he spurred his horse and fought back. Peng Yuancheng was startled and thought to himself, "That was close!" He understood Xiao Lin's intention in restraining him. He feinted twice, forcing Xiao Lin to dodge, then turned his horse and prepared to leave the battlefield.
Xiao Lin shouted, "Peng Yuancheng is trying to escape! Peng Yuancheng is trying to escape!" In the midst of the chaotic battle, Peng Yuancheng's army did not understand that their commander's departure was for the sake of command. In the fierce fighting, they had no time to see who had the upper hand in the previous exchange between Peng Yuancheng and Xiao Lin. As soon as they saw Peng Yuancheng turn his horse to leave, their morale began to waver, while Xiao Lin's army was full of energy and charged forward with all their might, transforming their original defensive formation into an offensive posture.
Peng Yuancheng was both ashamed and angry. His momentary carelessness had led his army to the brink of defeat. He roared, "Hold on, attack!" In this chaos, only a desperate attack was the only way to reverse the situation.
Section 2
Peng Yuancheng shouted as he rejoined the battle. Although this would hinder his ability to redeploy his forces, it was enough to revive the morale of his troops who were caught in the crossfire.
As expected, seeing his unparalleled bravery and lightning-fast spear thrusts, Xiao Lin's soldiers were struck as if by thunder, those hit having little chance of retaliation. Their morale was instantly boosted. The battle, turned around by Xiao Lin's ingenious plan, began to stabilize again. Neither side could gain a decisive advantage in the short term, and both were locked in a bloody war of attrition.