Eternal Night - Chapter 78
"Stop!" Lin Hong shouted.
Unexpectedly, the bandits of Fenglin Village were all seasoned thieves. Upon seeing their leader captured, they scattered like birds and beasts. The Leopard Knights, with contempt on their faces, shot arrows as if they had eyes, and in an instant, screams of agony filled the air.
The chieftain, a man of considerable stature, roared upon hearing this, "If we encounter government troops and fall into your hands, we deserve to die. If we can't win and are trying to escape, why not spare even one of us?!"
Lin Hong sneered, "You dared to rob my Marquis? I'm being lenient by not wiping out your entire clan."
In no time at all, the forest was littered with corpses, and none of the robbers from Fenglin Village who came down the mountain escaped.
The chieftain's eyes were bloodshot with hatred, yet he was also filled with dread. He saw a purple-robed youth slowly step off a carriage not far away; his face was ashen and pale, and he appeared frail. His leisurely expression seemed to ignore the corpses strewn across the ground, as if he were admiring the mountain scenery. What kind of person was this? Just as unease settled in his heart, Yongye's clear voice rang out: "Do you know these are government soldiers?"
The chieftain looked up at the sound and saw a pair of gleaming eyes. He snorted, "With such a grand banner and such neat attire, who else could it be but government troops? This one is wielding a horse spear; ordinary guards wouldn't dare use military equipment!"
"Hehe, since you know, who gave you the guts? Tell me, and I'll spare your life and even give you some silver for travel expenses." Yongye's voice was kind and gentle.
The prospect of survival and a paycheck was incredibly tempting for a bandit. Besides, it wasn't exactly a secret. The bandit leader shouted, "News spread half a month ago that the envoy from Anguo, congratulating Prince Chen Shou, would be passing through this area. The mountain chiefs initially hesitated to rob him, but then came the rumor that the gifts were priceless, and that this one job would provide a life of ease. Plus, the envoy was a weakling with no martial arts skills and only a hundred guards. They were tempted."
"Aren't you afraid that Prince Chen will send troops to wipe you out?!"
The bandit leader laughed: "We are soldiers in wartime and bandits in peacetime. The reason why Anguo couldn't take away this hundred miles of territory is entirely because we are familiar with the terrain, making it easy for Anguo's soldiers to enter but not leave. Besides, once the news comes, the emperor will definitely not pursue the matter."
Yongye understood, and chuckled, saying, "I forgot to tell you, I am that coward. You can talk about me behind my back, but not to my face. Commander Lin, give him a quick death!"
"You..." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Hong swung his spear, and the bandit leader coughed up blood and died instantly. His eyes stared at Yongye as if he were cursing him for breaking his promise.
"I don't always keep my word!" Yongye curled his lip, not finding anything shameful about going back on his word. He then laughed and said, "Strip them of their clothes and replace them with some of ours, making it look like we're fleeing in a hurry. We need to be quick! We'll rest here at Tiger's Mouth. The people who stole our gifts have been resting in the woods for the night and should be here soon."
The Leopard Riders were taken aback, but immediately understood Yongye's plan. They cheered and dismounted to move.
As the sun sets, the sky is ablaze with colorful clouds.
Lu Da and his three hundred soldiers, carrying the eight cartloads of congratulatory gifts they had seized and Yongye's belongings, strolled leisurely along the mountain road to Chen, chatting and laughing.
"General, the tiger's mouth is just ahead."
Lu Da hummed in agreement, then suddenly laughed and asked, "I wonder how Fenglin Village will fare against the Anguo Leopard Cavalry?"
"Haha! They'll probably just give him a few hits and then rush off to protect that sickly marquis!" The group burst into laughter.
Lu Da narrowed his eyes and turned to ask the lieutenant, "The Prince of Anguo is renowned throughout the land, how could he have given birth to such a useless son?"
"I heard he was an idiot when he was young and has been sick all his life. I don't know what the princess was thinking, wanting to marry him?! Look at his timid and cowardly appearance, he's not even as good as one of our general's fingers."
"The Leopard Cavalry are Anguo's elite troops. Last night, they were all furious. It was worse than killing them!"
The group burst into laughter again.
"However, how did those four people disappear from under the bridge last night?" Lu Da may look rough, but he's not stupid.
The lieutenant whispered, "Could it be Feng Yangxi? He is highly skilled in martial arts, and the Marquis of Yong'an has his token. Perhaps he has been secretly protecting them all the way."
Lu Da thought for a moment and then instructed, "Be on guard, and take precautions!"
"General, look!" someone exclaimed.
Lu Da looked in the direction the finger was pointing and saw scattered corpses at the tiger's mouth, some belonging to the Fenglin Village people and others to the Anguo Leopard Cavalry. It seemed there had been a fierce battle.
One of the cart shafts wobbled forward, seemingly having escaped.
The sight before him made him forget the bizarre deaths of the four men beneath the bridge. His eyes gleamed as he laughed, "Just as I expected, the Leopard Cavalry are more than capable of handling the bandits. However, this envoy's group is in a much worse state! Haha! I really want to see what they look like now! Let's go, let's catch up and take a look!"
As they spoke, the group had already entered Tiger's Mouth.
Suddenly, a layer of smoke burst from the ground, growing thicker and thicker, accompanied by a fragrant aroma. In an instant, a milky white mist enveloped the group. Arrows suddenly shot down from the hillside, falling densely like a torrential rain, while at the same time, the sound of boulders rolling down could be heard.
The horse was startled and neighed loudly, standing upright.
"Not good! An ambush!" Lu Da shouted, already feeling dizzy. He quickly covered his mouth and nose, trying to retreat, but when he looked back, he saw the ranks behind him engulfed in thick smoke, jostling and screaming in agony. He steeled his resolve and spurred his horse forward.
Before even seeing the enemy, the group had already suffered heavy casualties. Lu Da was furious and knew he had been tricked. He shouted, "Cover your mouth and nose and charge!" The shout made his head spin even more, and he lowered himself on his horse and galloped forward.
Just past Tiger's Mouth, fifty leopard riders formed a square formation ahead, their long spears held high, charging straight forward with the force of thunder.
The most proficient weapon of mounted cavalry is the long spear. It is made by taking the finest, toughest wood as the main trunk, splitting it into evenly thick strips, soaking them in oil and air-drying them, then gluing them together with high-quality glue to form an eight-foot-long spear shaft. The outer layer is then wrapped with fine hemp rope, and after the rope dries completely, it is coated with raw lacquer and wrapped in kudzu cloth. Only when it is cut with a knife with a metallic sound that does not break, is it complete. It is fitted with a fine steel pommel, gleaming like a blade, and a ring of sharp spikes around the neck, allowing for both stabbing and thrusting.
The long spear is lightweight and easy to use, making it unstoppable for charging on horseback, and equally easy to use for close combat, such as thrusting and stabbing.
Without official authorization, ordinary people simply couldn't obtain a good long spear. This time, the Leopard Cavalry's weaponry consisted primarily of long spears, snow blades, and longbows. While seemingly a hundred men, they were carefully selected from among the most skilled warriors, making them far superior to five hundred.
Last night, after the humiliating surrender of gifts, the Leopard Cavalry were seething with anger and high morale, and they had also rested for a day at Tiger's Mouth. Adding to this, Yongye had cunningly laid sleeping pills and then unleashed rolling stones along the mountain path. With all three factors in place—favorable timing, terrain, and popular support—how could Lu Da's remaining troops, who had broken out of Tiger's Mouth, possibly stop them?
In less than half an hour, after two sprints, Lu Da was stabbed by Lin Hong's spear and rolled off his horse. The gleaming blade of the spear pressed against his throat, rendering him unable to move.
"Li Yongye, do you know what the consequences will be if you kill me?!" Lu Da roared, his face flushed with rage, after hearing his men's screams and then silence. Several of his personal guards had also been captured.
"My lord, only these few are left alive. The congratulatory gifts and supplies are all ready," a leopard rider reported respectfully.
This time, he killed them without bloodshed, one arrow at a time, shooting down those who had been drugged and rendered unconscious. He found even drawing his bow tedious. A long sigh escaped his lips, a feeling of indescribable satisfaction washing over him!
"Tie them up. I've only just entered Chen territory and I'm already being disturbed. I must at least get some justice from the King of Chen; they are my witnesses." Yongye calmly ordered without even getting out of the carriage.
Upon hearing this, Lu Da steeled his resolve and twisted his neck in an attempt to commit suicide. Lin Hong, anticipating this, turned his spear around and struck Lu Da's back with force, instantly knocking him unconscious.
"General!" several guards called out urgently.
Lin Hong laughed, a mocking look in his eyes: "So it's a general from Chen State who robbed the entourage of my An State envoy. What's the reason? Could it be that you want to ruin the friendship between our two countries and start another war? Tie him up!"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards the carriage where Yongye was sitting. The Marquis had feigned weakness before setting up the ambush to avoid heavy casualties for his Leopard Cavalry due to the enemy's superior numbers. Now, his own men had suffered only minor injuries, while the enemy, including the bandits, had annihilated four hundred men, and even captured one of their generals to use against Prince Chen. He admired Yongye immensely, feeling that although Yongye was physically weak, he truly deserved to be called the Prince's son, and a deep respect arose in his heart for Yongye.