Jack watched the scene from the side, his heart filled with many reflections.
For two people to possess Holy Oil, with the current financial resources of Carlos territory, it would not be impossible to obtain it. However, Sir William obviously would not do so.
From this sign, it seemed that this nobleman might have already mastered the secret of producing Holy Oil.
Whether one could independently perform baptism for a knight was also a key distinction between great nobles and ordinary nobles.
In the past, only three powers in Fengying Plains had that qualification.
But now, a brand new force was rising rapidly!
…
Wotton Plains.
A large army of four hundred people slowly advanced across the grasslands.
The soldiers were tall and strong, their eyes bright. They were well-equipped, half of them wearing leather armor, and from the squad leaders onwards, they even had iron-inlaid armor and crossbows. The thunderous sound of hooves echoed as dozens of knights patrolled around, clearly indicating this was an extremely elite and heavily armed force.
Amidst the forest of spears, a banner stood tall, displaying a noble crest that identified the army as the private troops of a noble.
On the blue flag was a shield-shaped emblem marked by olive branches and a crossed sword. If any scholars or heralds were present, they would immediately recognize it as belonging to Sir William, the mysterious lord of Carlos territory.
“Milord, in ten miles ahead, we will reach the Earl’s camp, where a cavalry unit will guide us in!”
Wu Ming, clad in chainmail, rode his black warhorse and gazed into the distance.
Not long after, a cavalryman galloped over with the latest report.
“Has the battle begun?”
“Not yet!”
“Good that the war hasn’t started!”
Wu Ming relaxed slightly: “Follow their guidance into the camp, and immediately summon our hundred men afterward!”
Amelia had dispatched a hundred-man unit to serve the Earl upon receiving the summons, in order to silence other nobles.
Clearly, without a noble commander, such a unit would often meet a grim fate, likely being used as cannon fodder once the war began.
Although Wu Ming was wealthy, he wouldn’t recklessly waste resources and naturally wanted to retrieve them.
“Report!”
At this moment, another scout returned with news: “About five miles to our left, a unit is under attack!”
Although the main battle had not yet begun, it was normal for mercenary groups, adventurers, and scouts to probe each other’s strength, gather intelligence, and harass supply lines.
“Whose army is under attack?”
Wu Ming pondered for a moment before asking.
“Judging from the banners, it’s Baron Terry from Nia Town!”
This response slightly surprised Wu Ming, but soon a faint smile appeared on his face: “How many are they?”
“About a hundred!”
“Call a cavalry unit, follow me!”
With a whistle, Wu Ming led fifty cavalrymen toward Baron Terry.
As they drew closer, the sounds of battle became increasingly audible.
After cresting a low hill, he immediately saw the scene—on the opposite plain, a force of about a hundred men was being pursued by another similarly sized force.
Though both sides were numerically equal, Baron Terry’s militia were ragged, wielding pitchforks and clubs, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty.
The attackers, however, were a combined force of mercenaries and adventurers, and even if their equipment wasn’t superior, their courage was impressive.
They drove Terry’s forces like wolves chasing prey, forcing them to run while methodically picking off the slowest.
The reason Terry had survived so far was entirely due to the presence of a knight.
At the rear of the formation, a knight clad entirely in black iron armor swung a massive bull-horned hammer, roaring and blocking most of the attacks.
Faced with a true knight, the mercenaries and adventurers naturally felt great apprehension, keeping their distance and suppressing him with crossbow fire.
Once a formation of military crossbows surrounded a knight, it could pose a significant threat even to him.
In Wu Ming’s eyes, if things continued this way, the best outcome for Baron Terry would be to escape safely under the knight’s protection while abandoning his entire army here.
“Charge!”
Seeing this, he wasted no time and immediately issued the order.
“Neigh!”
The warhorses neighed as a fifty-strong cavalry unit burst onto the battlefield, a shock to both sides’ commanders.
Then, upon seeing the cavalry’s banner, Baron Terry’s side erupted into cheers, while the mercenary group fell into chaos.
Most of them were infantry and naturally understood the devastating power of a disciplined cavalry charge.
Unfortunately, even if they wanted to flee now, it was too late.
The mercenary commander shouted orders, commanding archers to retreat and spearmen to advance, forming a simple square formation.
“Not immediately fleeing or breaking—clever move. Pity…”
Wu Ming sneered coldly and waved his hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Behind him, over a dozen knights raised their crossbows and unleashed deadly bolts.
Plop!
Blood sprayed as the spearmen were struck. Though the volley might have only killed a few outright, the casualties before even engaging caused the entire formation to begin disintegrating.
“Kill!”
Wu Ming roared, his voice nearly carrying across the entire battlefield.
He leveled his lance like a needle, piercing straight into the formation.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A few scattered arrows flew from the enemy, but against his armor, they were laughable. Even without wearing full plate, ordinary arrows couldn’t pierce his defenses, being stopped and expelled by his resilient muscles upon penetration.
His astonishing recovery rendered these wounds like mere mosquito bites—no bandages needed.
Crack! Crack!
The iron tide crushed the enemy formation, bodies flying beneath the hooves.
From the moment they met, their fate was sealed.
Wu Ming moved his spear a few times, casually flinging aside mercenaries. Seeing the enemy had completely collapsed, he narrowed his eyes and chased after several galloping horses.
Among the infantry, those on horseback were either messengers or high-ranking commanders, possibly even officers!
As for the fleeing remnants behind him, they had already lost all fighting spirit—Baron Terry could easily deal with them now.
“Power of the People, Boost!”
As his horse galloped, a flash of gold appeared in Wu Ming’s eyes, channeling a unique enhancement into his mount.
“Neigh!”
His warhorse, already a purebred, gained a significant speed boost from the enhancement, quickly catching up to the fleeing targets.
“I am James, commander of the Silver Eagle Mercenary Company. I’d like to know who defeated me?”
Circled by Wu Ming, the few cavalrymen reined in their horses, seemingly surrendering. The leader removed his helmet, revealing a handsome face in his forties, shouting loudly.
“Defeating you is Lord William Wallace of Carlos territory!”
Wu Ming declared loudly: “Surrender your armor and weapons, and I will honor the sacred pact, granting you prisoner status!”
“So it’s the legendary swordsman of the Spring Tournament, the Barefoot Sword Sage!”
James’s face showed a bitter smile: “I trust in your honor, my lord. Being your prisoner is no shame to me… but I have not yet lost my fighting strength!”
“Go!”
Without another word, he spurred his horse forward, bravely charging.
Wu Ming drew his Dragonheart Sword and rode forward as well. Their blades met midair with a resounding clang.
“Hmm?”
The force from the impact slightly surprised Wu Ming.
James was clearly at the peak of his race, though not anointed with Holy Oil, his skill was quite formidable, rivaling that of a knight.
But to Wu Ming, this was nothing.
Bang!
With a little more strength, Wu Ming struck once, sending James’s sword flying high into the air, landing point-first into the ground, deeply embedded in the grass.
Out of respect for his bravery, Wu Ming didn’t kill him, merely knocking him unconscious with the flat of his sword.
Seeing their commander taken down in just a few moves, the other two mercenaries exchanged glances. Especially noticing the encircling cavalry, they made a decision.
They dismounted and presented their swords to Wu Ming: “We surrender!”
“Good. You will be treated as prisoners of war!”
Wu Ming summoned a few men to take them into custody, then turned his horse to meet Baron Terry.
“Oh! William! You’re my lucky star. It’s so good to see you!”
The baron rode up, clad in plate armor with some powder on his cheeks, looking rather ridiculous. Upon seeing Wu Ming, his face broke into a delighted smile.
“Long time no see, Baron!”
Wu Ming greeted him.
“Thanks to you, I didn’t become a prisoner again!”
Baron Terry looked at the battlefield, his expression dark.
Then he pointed to the bull-horned hammer knight beside him: “Let me introduce, this is Sir Auf!”
“Lord William!”
The black-armored knight removed his helmet, revealing a bull-like head, speaking in a deep, muffled voice.
“Sir Auf!”
Theoretically, they were of equal rank, so Wu Ming returned the salute.
“Sigh… I left Sir Takur in my territory. Looking back now, I should have brought him along…”
Baron Terry looked regretful.
The previous war had clearly left his barony severely weakened, and it had not yet recovered. He had brought only some poorly equipped peasants, which looked quite pitiful. Upon hearing that Wu Ming had brought five hundred soldiers, the baron’s expression turned even more ashamed.
“Oh, by the way, I’ve captured the enemy commander, James of the Silver Eagle Mercenary Company. How do you plan to deal with him, Baron?”
Wu Ming quickly changed the subject.
“James?”
The baron looked slightly puzzled, but when he saw the prisoner, his eyes lit up and he exclaimed: “James Wilford?”
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