Chapter 96: The Yin Tang Organization Again

That was already a sizable force. In the northeastern provinces, there were only five thousand cavalry to patrol a vast expanse of territory, so setting aside two hundred was no easy matter. Besides, they would not be facing a massed enemy within the homeland; two hundred fully armed iron cavalry should have been more than enough.

The convoy consisted of two hundred wagons, all loaded with the newest rice harvest from the northeast.

Each wagon had two drivers, taking turns at the reins. Beside every wagon rode a cavalryman, staggered left and right, one hundred on each side.

As the convoy passed through a valley, disaster struck without warning.

The first wagon suddenly plunged into a hidden pit.

Instantly, chaos erupted at the front. The nearby cavalry rushed forward to investigate.

"Bad! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Before the rear riders could react, shouts rose from both slopes. Turning their heads, they saw countless logs and boulders rolling down from the mountains toward the convoy.

The cavalry captain gave the order at once. "Fall back!"

"Drivers, get under the wagons!"

The cavalry retreated to both sides, while the drivers had nowhere to run and could only hide. Logs and stones thundered down from the slopes, smashing the wagons askew. The horses drawing them were thrown into panic, bolting in every direction, and no one knew how many drivers died beneath the wheels.

Most of the cavalry managed to escape, but at that moment the ambushers on both sides charged down with cries of slaughter, trying to cut off the riders from the convoy.

The captain shouted again, "Wheel around and charge! Do not stop!"

His decision was the right one; it allowed the cavalry to make use of their mobility. But before they could complete even a single sweep, dozens more mounted men came racing down the main road, charging straight at them.

Once again, the captain abandoned the convoy and moved to meet these riders first.

What he had not expected was that every one of them was skilled in martial arts. After the first head-on clash, more than a dozen Great Xia cavalrymen were killed, while not a single bandit was unseated.

The captain's heart sank. This shipment was certainly going to be lost, and they might even lose their lives with it.

The enemy had horses too; even if they ran, they might not escape. Better to fight them to the end.

"Brothers! We have already shamed ourselves before the Crown Prince. Why not follow me and fight to the death?"

The cavalry answered as one, "Fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death!"

Seeing that his men were prepared to die for their duty, the captain felt a little comfort.

"Kill them!"

The Great Xia cavalry charged at the riders opposite them, but the enemy's martial skill was too great; the Great Xia men were no match.

At that very moment, dust billowed up from the road as a convoy of wagons came racing toward them.

"The Crown Prince has arrived!"

The captain recognized him at a glance. At this hour, the only person who would be driving wagons with soldiers in tow was Chen Mu.

One of the mounted men robbing the grain heard this and turned to look toward the approaching convoy. Clenching his teeth, he said, "Chen Mu."

With that, he wheeled his horse around and charged straight toward Chen Mu.

Someone nearby shouted, "Right Guardian, our target is the grain!"

The Right Guardian paid no heed, spurring his horse even faster.

Seeing this, the others followed him in a rush.

Chen Mu took in the situation. Although dozens of riders were charging at him, over on the grain convoy there were still many men seizing the wagons.

He could not let them carry off the grain.

"Break through the enemy line!"

At his command, the convoy shifted from two columns into one and surged forward.

The riders organized by Yin Tang and the Great Xia Crown Prince's guard force met in their first collision.

The riders under Yin Tang were all martial experts, and the weapons in their hands were deadly when unleashed.

The men in the guard force were elites of the Invincible Flying Army, honed by countless battles into killing techniques that were just as formidable.

The riders under Yin Tang fought with bizarre, unpredictable moves, endlessly varied, while Chen Mu's guard force fought with broad, powerful strokes, relying on brute force.

And Chen Mu's men were standing atop the wagons. Each wagon was drawn by two horses, with three men aboard. That mass gave them far more momentum than Yin Tang's riders, creating a tremendous advantage when they charged.

The men of Yin Tang's faction struggled to hold them back, and for a time both sides suffered losses.

Chen Mu charged forward with the convoy as well, drawing his longsword and engaging Yin Tang's men.

Suddenly, he sensed a fierce killing intent and a surging hatred. Turning, he saw a young man with a longsword in hand, shouting as he rushed to strike him down.

Chen Mu thrust out his sword and, using the wagon's momentum, stabbed toward the young man.

The young man shifted his sword repeatedly, using a deflecting technique to absorb the force of Chen Mu's strike. Then he wheeled his horse around and charged at Chen Mu again.

Chen Mu frowned, unable to understand what grudge this man bore against him.

The guard force did not change course. After one round of fighting with Yin Tang's riders, they pressed on.

By then the grain drivers had all crouched beneath the wagons, and the men of Yin Tang were massacring them.

The guard force drove the wagons through, and with a flurry of blades and trampling wheels, they freed the drivers.

Seeing that the situation had turned grim, the men of Yin Tang hurried to regroup in one direction and prepare for battle.

The wagons of the guard force surged to the front, then once more wheeled around and came back. The riders of Yin Tang charged to meet them, led by the Right Guardian.

In the second collision, several men on both sides were again knocked from their horses.

The men of Yin Tang urgently cried out, "Right Guardian, withdraw quickly! If we keep fighting like this, we won't get a grain of rice!"

The Right Guardian's eyes were already bloodshot. "If we can kill Chen Mu, that is success! That is worth more than any amount of grain!"

Someone else shouted, "Right Guardian, Chen Mu has too many guards. We have no chance!"

The Right Guardian said nothing more. He charged ahead on his own, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Chen Mu.

He had his own idea of things. He had already exchanged blows with Chen Mu twice. Though both attempts had failed, there would be a third time, and a fourth. Sooner or later, one of them would succeed.

Chen Mu had also noticed this man and wanted to uncover the truth behind it all.

"Turn this wagon to the right. Everyone else, keep suppressing the enemy cavalry!"

When the two sides collided once more, Chen Mu's wagon quietly veered away from the main force.

The Right Guardian was overjoyed at the sight and immediately followed.

The men of Yin Tang tried to pursue, but the guard force behind Chen Mu turned with the wagons and blocked them off.

With those two turns, the fighting broke free of the cavalry charge pattern. Both sides came to a halt and began close-quarters combat.

On the other side, Chen Mu had also engaged the Right Guardian.

The Right Guardian rushed close to the wagon and drove his sword toward Chen Mu's throat. Chen Mu swung his own sword to block it. The Right Guardian's blade twisted and stabbed instead at Chen Mu's thigh. A nearby guard raised a shield to intercept, and the two horses crossed and stamped.

Chen Mu snatched the single-edged blade from a soldier beside him and hurled it with all his strength. The hind legs of the Right Guardian's horse were severed, and rider and mount crashed to the ground. After rolling several times, the man climbed up and steadied himself.

Chen Mu then ordered the wagon to turn around and charged at the Right Guardian once more.