Wu Wu!
The horn sounded, and its deep tone spread around.
The sky was gloomy, with gray clouds covering both sides, as if it might collapse at any moment.
Amid the horn’s sound, two armies slowly approached each other.
Spears stood like forests, soldiers and horses formed walls, and banners fluttered in the wind. Emblems with red and blue backgrounds, along with numerous noble private flags, were dazzling and eye-catching, representing each side’s identity.
The blue banners belonged to the Earl of Lanshan, mostly composed of blue-blooded nobles, numbering as many as six thousand, clearly one and a half times the size of the opposing red army.
On the other side, Viscount Garcia’s Lion Corps, though fewer in number, appeared more elite and less chaotic, with red lion flags fluttering fiercely in the wind.
Wu Ming stood at the forefront of the legion, silently watching the opposing formation.
He had divided his forces into two groups, assigning the infantry to the command of Sir Jack, while personally leading all the cavalry.
Six thousand versus four thousand!
Although there was a slight difference, it was not the decisive factor for victory or defeat.
After all, Viscount Garcia on the opposing side was an outstanding military strategist.
Meanwhile, Earl Lanshan had clearly learned from his previous crushing defeat, forcibly gathering all his cavalry into one unit.
Scattered cavalry were merely sand, only by concentrating them into a fist could they launch a powerful attack!
To achieve this goal, the Earl had also placed most of his knights into the knight order, bringing the total cavalry strength to five hundred.
It can be said that on the Windfire Plains, this was already a rather formidable force.
A knightly order led by dozens of knights could scatter thousands of troops, slaughtering everything in their path.
“Ya!”
“Ya!”
As the two armies approached a certain distance, two knights suddenly dashed out from the front lines—it was none other than Earl Lanshan and Viscount Garcia.
These two highest-ranking figures on Windfly Plain would conduct a final negotiation before the battle, but the outcome was already decided.
Moments later, the two riders returned to their respective formations, and a more intense horn immediately sounded.
“The negotiations have failed. Prepare to charge!”
Wu Ming shouted loudly, and his subordinates instantly tightened their grip on their weapons.
His astonishing vision allowed him to accurately estimate the number of enemy cavalry.
The enemy had also gathered all their cavalry, maximizing their use, with over four hundred cavalry, including more knights than his side.
“During the first Lion and Tiger War, Garcia emerged victorious and gained the loyalty of numerous free and wandering knights, greatly increasing his strength!”
Wu Ming thought silently, when suddenly he heard a loud roar from behind: “Charge!”
It was Baron Triff, the cavalry commander, issuing the order.
Baron Triff was tall and imposing, riding a steed with blood-red eyes, exhaling breath like fiery steam.
He was a rare knightly genius among the blue-bloods, having successfully undergone the knighthood ritual at sixteen. It was said he had even developed several inheritable abilities unique to blue-bloods, significantly enhancing his strength, making him far superior to ordinary knights.
At this moment, under his command, five hundred cavalry instantly surged out from the formation, resembling a black arrowhead.
“Charge!”
On the opposing side, many knights roared, and a torrent of steel similarly charged forth.
At this point, with armies pressing forward, both sides had abandoned all schemes and tricks, leaving only the most straightforward path to victory—strength!
For a battlefield on the plains, effective use of cavalry meant securing half the victory. Therefore, not only the nobles on both sides, but even the common soldiers couldn’t help holding their breath, watching the battlefield intently.
“Neigh!”
The horses screamed, and the charging cavalry seemed to transform into shadows.
The two black steel arrowheads accelerated faster and faster, growing fiercer, finally colliding brutally.
Bang! Bang!
Dull sounds followed one after another. Almost immediately, more than a dozen cavalrymen were crushed into pulp, their ribs shattered.
Clang! Clash!
Iron spears and long lances danced, forming a forest of blades and lances. Each knight’s charge was a dance on the edge of the Grim Reaper’s scythe.
“Charge! Kill them all!”
Baron Triff roared, swinging his triple-headed flail. The mace struck with immense force, sending knight after knight tumbling from their mounts.
“Follow me!”
Wu Ming shouted, his eyes flashing with golden light.
At the location of his heart, a golden cocoon radiated dazzling brilliance. Threads of Glory transformed into the Power of the People, which he manipulated to form a mysterious force surrounding himself and his knights.
“The Power of the People—Amplify!”
Under the influence of this power, his small cavalry unit charged faster, struck harder, and moved more cohesively, like a single arrowhead piercing straight through the enemy’s center.
“Kill!”
In an instant, over a dozen warhorses charged toward Wu Ming. His extraordinary perception allowed him to sense that beneath those armors were indeed several knights!
“Does Viscount Garcia value me so highly?”
He thought to himself sarcastically. With a sweep of his spear, incredible force sent two knights flying from their saddles. He then drew the Dragonheart Sword, its pale-blue blade flashing with light, slicing effortlessly through the armor defenses of two opponents as if cutting vegetables.
“Haha! Well done!”
Baron Triff laughed loudly. Swinging his flail like a whirlwind, wherever he charged, enemy knights were thrown into chaos. Even when several knights combined forces, they could not withstand his monstrous strength.
The enhancement granted by blue-blood heritage far surpassed that of ordinary knights.
As descendants of Taler I, their success rate in the knighthood ritual was much higher than commoners, and they were more likely to receive extraordinary blessings.
Swish!
However, at that moment, a black arrow flew like a venomous snake, piercing through the air and instantly burying itself into his visor.
Plop!
A crimson rose exploded from Baron Triff’s eye socket, and then his entire body fell from the horse, trampled into a pulp amid cries of alarm.
With their leader lost, the entire cavalry formation instantly fell into chaos. Knights in red cloaks cheered loudly, launching a counterattack against the Blue Tiger faction.
Amid the chaos, Wu Ming’s knight brigade stood out particularly.
“Hmm?”
His senses immediately detected a great danger, and his gaze locked onto a somewhat evasive figure within the enemy cavalry.
“Knight-level strength, specializing in long-range assassination?”
“In the midst of battle, once targeted by him, it would be extremely dangerous!”
Wu Ming clenched his thighs, and his mount immediately let out a long neigh, suddenly turning its head and leading the other knights charging toward the enemy’s center.
Although the other knights might not have obeyed his command, the knights from Carlos’s domain followed their lord without hesitation in this charge.
Plop! Plop!
With a thrust of his spear, two knights were sent flying along with their horses. Even armored knights could not withstand his full-strength attack.
“Fire arrows!”
Suddenly, the enemy commander’s voice rang out, followed by a rain of arrows descending from the sky, piercing the air with immense force—they were clearly crossbow bolts!
Clang! Clang!
The arrows struck the steel plate armor, producing a sound like heavy rain pelting metal.
On the battlefield, Wu Ming dared not be careless, fully wearing the heavy knight armor like an iron can.
Anyway, the weight of over a hundred jin didn’t hinder his movements at all.
Crack!
The arrowheads left small white marks on the plate armor before snapping in half helplessly.
Even enemy archers failed to notice the fleeting glow beneath Wu Ming’s armor.
The Power of the People was the essence closest to the world’s fundamental forces, capable of transformation into anything—offensive, defensive, healing, or recovery.
Just now, Wu Ming had slightly reinforced his armor with the Power of the People, easily withstanding the arrowstorm.
“Trying to run?”
After plunging into the enemy cavalry and skewering two more knights, Wu Ming suddenly noticed the initial assassin knight rapidly retreating. He couldn’t help but laugh aloud, then suddenly hurled his knight’s spear.
Swish!
The spear tore through the sky, its tip seemingly burning with golden flames, like a meteor blazing across the heavens.
Plop!
The fleeing assassin knight froze for a moment, then a large hole burst open in his chest, pinning both man and horse to the ground.
“Don’t be afraid, follow my charge!”
Wu Ming shouted deeply, and with the Power of the People’s amplification, his voice almost reached every corner of the battlefield.
“William! William!”
His voice seemed to carry a powerful infectious force, allowing the cavalry, who had been lost and confused after losing their leader, to suddenly find their target and charge forward behind Wu Ming.
“Send the signal, recall the cavalry!”
Within the Red Lion Legion, Viscount Garcia turned his gaze away from the battlefield and sighed with a hint of frustration, “William the Commoner Sword Sage, is it?”
“Woof! Woof!”
“Hoo! Hoo!”
After seeing the enemy begin to retreat, all the cavalry finally could no longer contain themselves, bursting into cheers and celebrating their victory.
“Our losses are over a hundred, the enemy’s around one hundred twenty to fifty!”
Wu Ming’s eyes swept the battlefield. “Now that the enemy is retreating, if we pursue, we might gain another few dozen cavalry kills, even disrupting their formation—that’s our chance for victory!”
A master of military tactics grasps the situation and seizes the opportunity, while a true grandmaster of warfare creates the opportunity for victory himself!
“Pursuing further and defeating Viscount Garcia completely wouldn’t be in my interest…”
As Wu Ming was contemplating, a signal flag came from behind—it was the retreat command.
This made him abruptly decide, though with some frustration in his heart, knowing that Earl Lanshan remained the same old Lanshan after all, unable to abandon noble decorum. Without surprises, this campaign would inevitably end in failure again!
“My Lord Earl!”
Riding back to the army, Wu Ming approached Earl Lanshan: “I regret to inform you that your loyal servant and fearless warrior, Baron Triff, has fallen in battle…”
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