Chapter 29: Big Mistake
Yang Zhengshan gazed at the retreating border army, his eyes narrowing slightly. This was a cavalry unit, but they had abandoned their warhorses after entering the mountainous terrain.
Although they were fleeing, the border army’s retreat was orderly, and they would occasionally launch counterattacks, taking advantage of the terrain. It was clear that they were an elite unit.
What really caught Yang Zhengshan’s attention was the leader of the border army.
Not particularly tall, with a slightly lean build, wearing a black cotton armor, this person didn’t seem extraordinary at first glance. However, all the soldiers were protecting him, and his movements were accompanied by bursts of energy.
A Late Stage martial artist!
“Father, they’re coming!” Yang Mingzhi exclaimed nervously, standing beside Yang Zhengshan.
Yang Zhengshan stroked his short beard, saying, “Summon everyone and prepare for battle!”
According to the enemy’s movements, they should arrive at the mountain top soon, but they wouldn’t attack Yang Family Village directly. For the border army, escaping into the mountains was the best option, as they could utilize the complex terrain to avoid a catastrophic defeat.
However, if the border army escaped into the mountains, Yang Family Village would be in danger. Yang Zhengshan didn’t think the Hu riders would simply leave after finishing their business.
It was better to take advantage of the remaining elite border army to wipe out the Hu riders now, rather than waiting for them to come to the village. Moreover, they could capitalize on the terrain advantage, as the Hu riders had abandoned their warhorses, making them more vulnerable to attack.
After receiving Yang Zhengshan’s order, Yang Mingzhi ran down the mountain, blowing a sharp whistle. Yang Zhengshan divided the over 100 young men from Yang Family Village into three teams, each with around 35 members. Yang Mingzhi wasn’t part of any team, instead, he was following Yang Zhengshan as his personal attendant.
As the whistle sounded, the villagers responded with their own whistles, indicating assembly. The young men quickly gathered at the rear mountain training ground, finishing their assembly within three minutes.
“Mingzhi, what’s the situation?” Yang Minghui asked after completing the assembly.
“Father is waiting on the mountain, let’s go!” Yang Mingzhi replied, not bothering to explain.
Yang Minghui waved his hand, shouting, “Follow me, quickly!”
When they reached the mountain top, the fighting border army and Hu riders were less than 200 meters away.
“Form up!” Yang Zhengshan didn’t waste time on words, directly ordering the formation.
At this point, the young men had already seen the fighting border army and Hu riders, but they didn’t display any signs of fear or panic, instead, they seemed eager for battle.
Born to fight, these young men had been training in martial arts since they were young, and they were eager to prove themselves. With their intense training over the past month, they were itching for a fierce battle.
Even facing a bloody battlefield, they didn’t show a hint of fear.
As Yang Zhengshan gave the order, the over 100 young men swiftly formed two neat columns on the mountain top.
Their sudden appearance caught the attention of the fighting border army and Hu riders.
Looking at the group of villagers wearing coarse cloth, Zhou Lan was taken aback, her face filled with anger.
“What are you doing here? Are you waiting to die?” she yelled, her voice harsh and rough, like torn fabric.
At this point, Zhou Lan was truly enraged, even more so than when she was surrounded by the Hu riders.
She couldn’t understand why these villagers were here, standing on the mountain top, waiting to die.
In her eyes, the Yang Family Village young men were just ordinary villagers, even if they held long guns, she didn’t believe they had any fighting capabilities.
Not just her, the Hu riders behind her also thought the same.
Seeing the group of villagers, the Hu riders didn’t show a hint of fear, instead, they revealed cruel smiles.
Just as Zhou Lan was about to charge up the mountain to drive away these villagers, a short gun flew over her head, shooting into the chest of a Hu rider.
She turned to look in the direction the short gun had come from, seeing a robust man holding the gun.
Yang Zhengshan had transformed from a slightly lean physique to a strong and sturdy figure after months of nourishment and training.
His face had gained some meat, and his complexion no longer looked pale.
Within a few breaths, Yang Zhengshan had thrown out all ten of his short guns, hitting six people and buying time for the fighting border army.
“Charge!” Yang Zhengshan calmly shouted, not paying attention to Zhou Lan’s anger.
Zhou Lan was taken aback, her face smeared with dust, her expression shocked. But she quickly reacted, shouting, “Follow me!”
Yang Zhengshan’s move had proven that these villagers were not ordinary, and although Zhou Lan was still worried, she couldn’t afford to waste time.
Yang Zhengshan held an iron gun, his gaze fixed on the enemy below.
At this point, he was grateful that the Hu riders didn’t have bows and arrows. Maybe they had abandoned them when they entered the mountains, or maybe they weren’t skilled in archery, but it was a blessing for the villagers.
The young men from Yang Family Village didn’t have armor, and Yang Zhengshan wouldn’t dare to confront a group of enemies armed with bows and arrows head-on.
That’s why he had summoned the villagers to fight, otherwise, he would have preferred to defend the village.
The enemy was getting closer, and Zhou Lan had reached Yang Zhengshan’s side.
However, Yang Zhengshan didn’t even glance at her, letting her join the formation behind him.
“Kill!” Yang Zhengshan shouted, taking a big stride forward, his long gun shining with a fierce light, directly striking a charging Hu rider.
With a mighty roar, Yang Zhengshan charged forward, his gun stabbing forward, and his foot landing on the Hu rider’s face.
The next moment, the Hu rider’s chest was pierced, and his face was trampled.
“Charge!” Yang Zhengshan’s battle cry echoed, as he led the charge, followed by the young men from Yang Family Village.
At the same time, the border army soldiers who had been fleeing earlier turned back, inserting themselves between the young men, and supporting their attack.
Although the two sides had no communication, their coordination was surprisingly smooth.
Of course, this wasn’t because the young men were well-trained, but because the border army soldiers were truly elite, knowing how to cooperate and timing their counterattack perfectly.
In comparison, the young men were merely driven by their enthusiasm and simple training, far from being true elite warriors.
This left Zhou Lan stunned.
A group of ordinary villagers actually possessed such combat power; this was something she never expected.
But soon, she didn’t have time to worry about the young men. After catching a breath, she erupted like a hunting leopard, her long knife flashing with a snowy glint, sweeping horizontally.
Just as she charged out, Yang Zhengshan’s figure flew back like a sack, his face flushed, completely out of control.
Yang Zhengshan had made a big mistake. He had only thought about boosting the young men’s morale, charging forward without considering the enemy’s strength.
Even Zhou Lan, a Late Stage martial artist, had been chased by the Hu riders; what about him, a martial artist who hadn’t yet reached the Late Stage?
As he charged out, a curved knife flew towards his face, and he barely blocked it with his horizontal gun.
What a close call!
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