The burly man on horseback didn't seem to take Zhang Jingfeng seriously, viewing him as someone courting death. So, as Zhang Jingfeng swung his saber at him, the man raised his weapon, a pair of bronze hammers.
Each hammer looked to weigh a hundred jin. A single blow from them would mean immediate death. But who was Zhang Jingfeng? Could he go head-to-head with this brute? It was obvious he couldn't win, so why not flee?
He feigned an attack, even tossing his great saber as a projectile. Then, twisting his body mid-air, he darted three to four meters away and ran upon landing.
The burly man swatted the flying saber aside with his bronze hammer. Just as he was about to give chase, he heard two whistling sounds. Two real projectiles shot towards him.
One arrow targeted his face, the other his chest, both vital spots. Being hit in either would mean death. The burly man leaned back, almost lying on his horse, narrowly dodging both arrows. As he was about to straighten up, a deafening explosion erupted nearby, and a wave of heat descended from above, blasting him and his horse away with immense force.
With a boom, the lives of over a hundred men took a turn for the worse.
Zhang Jingfeng lay on the ground for a long time before he could get up.
His hair and body were covered in dirt, his ears ringing as if he were deaf.
The power was immense.
Li Man'er walked over, grabbed Zhang Jingfeng by his belt, and yanked him to the side. She let go, and with a clang, Zhang Jingfeng flopped back onto the ground.
"How is it, are you okay?"
Zhang Jingfeng felt as if he had almost been smashed to death. "Be gentler, I'm still in pain."
"I saved your life, don't be ungrateful."
Zhang Jingfeng spat out sand from his mouth and climbed up indignantly. "Saved my life? If you're talking about those two arrows, I believe you. They did help me hold off that fat guy, allowing me to run further. But what did you do afterward? That sky-shattering thunder isn't free. You just threw it without checking where I was? If I didn't have good martial arts, I would have barely escaped."
Li Man'er chuckled. "I was closer to the explosion and I'm fine."
"Good heavens," Zhang Jingfeng rubbed his arm. "General, are there really reinforcements? Are we truly not leaving?"
"We're not leaving, don't worry." Li Man'er gripped her long saber tightly, then tossed another one to Zhang Jingfeng. "If you're fine, then come out with me for a few more rounds."
Zhang Jingfeng weighed the saber and, without a word, charged out with Li Man'er.
Both of them were in a killing frenzy, hacking at any barbarian they saw. With their mutual cooperation, they killed over thirty barbarians in the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Li Man'er's crossbow made Zhang Jingfeng intensely envious.
"General, where did you get such a good thing? This contraption is truly formidable."
"Less nonsense." Li Man'er swung her saber, cutting down a barbarian attempting a sneak attack, then leaped high. Her long saber flashed like lightning, striking another barbarian.
This man was extremely thin, a stark contrast to the usual tall barbarians. He was lean and dark, but his martial arts were not low. Furthermore, this person seemed to be a minor leader. When he encountered Li Man'er, he still had twenty to thirty subordinates. In an instant, only three of them remained on his side.
What made Li Man'er even happier was that she spotted A Si, and the surrounding soldiers were all familiar faces. The casualties seemed to be small.
"After we finish these few, we'll rendezvous with A Si."
"Alright!"
The thin man was fierce and rarely spoke. His long spear moved like a nimble silver snake, thrusting and parrying at Li Man'er without any fancy maneuvers. Li Man'er, too lazy to exchange pleasantries, blocked with her saber. A slight surge of internal energy made the man's arms go numb, rendering him momentarily unable to move.
Li Man'er gave a forceful swing. Her saber detached, circled the spear, and landed in Li Man'er's other hand. She extended her arm and thrust the saber forward, pinning it into the man's shoulder.
The thin man grunted, enduring the pain, and raised his spear to try and withstand Li Man'er's blade. But Li Man'er, though appearing thin, possessed great strength. The man couldn't resist, and neither could his spear.
With a crisp snap, the spear in the man's hand broke. Li Man'er, with renewed ferocity, gripped the hilt and, pushing against the man's shoulder, ran forward four to five meters.
Her blade pierced the man's shoulder blade. The man's face contorted in agony. Even if he survived, this arm was ruined. But Li Man'er would not spare his life. With a slight tremor of the blade, it disengaged from the man's flesh and blood. Then, with a sweep of her long saber, she severed his head.
The severed head rolled aside, startling A Si, who had rushed over to meet Li Man'er. "Miss, your welcome gift is a bit too gruesome."
"How are things, what are your casualties?"
"Two dead," A Si said with sadness, but then added, "That's not bad. Miss, the previous explosions and poison threw the barbarians into disarray, and their horses suffered heavy losses. Therefore, their cavalry couldn't be effective, and many were killed by the explosions. This is an excellent opportunity to break through. Once the barbarians regroup, we might not be able to leave."
Zhang Jingfeng, who had also arrived, was greatly surprised. "Even you didn't know her plan?"
"What plan?" A Si was bewildered. Weren't they already executing a plan?
"Reinforcements?"
A Si froze, his voice sharpening. "What reinforcements?"
As they spoke, the sounds of fighting grew deafening, as if the barbarians' counterattack had finally arrived. Listening closely, they could hear the thunder of galloping horses, like an army of thousands charging towards them.
A Si's expression turned grim, but Li Man'er's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Our own people have arrived! Brothers, reinforcements are here! Today, we will go on a rampage and annihilate these barbarians!"
Good heavens, over ten thousand people, to annihilate them with such confidence.
But, where did these reinforcements come from?
"Follow me, everyone." Li Man'er waved her long saber and charged forward. Seeing this, A Si didn't dare to hesitate and quickly followed Li Man'er towards the barbarians.
The group charged with immense momentum, coordinating flawlessly when they encountered the barbarians, fighting with increasing ferocity.
Just then, A Si finally saw the reinforcements.
A general with a silver mask sat on horseback, radiating authority. He wielded a bright silver spear, which, like the scythe of death, continuously reaped the lives of barbarians.
Behind him, cavalry surged like a tide, a large banner with the character 'Xiao' unfurling in the air.
People of the Xiao family.
It's the Master!
A Si's eyes lit up, and he felt strength surge through his entire body. "Charge! Annihilate the barbarians!"
With the Prince here, what was there to fear?
The others were unaware of the inside story, but seeing the 'Xiao' banner, they knew their own people had arrived.
At least, they were their own people!