Chapter 46: A Hundred Riders Battle a Thousand Troops

Wooo—
The unique horn of the Langya army echoed at the south gate of Xinye City. Cao Xin sat atop his black stallion, clad in full armor, gripping a massive iron spear, exuding power and dominance.

Behind him, more than a hundred and sixty Langya cavalrymen lined up in neat rows, armored and armed with long spears, radiating murderous intent.

"Open the gate!"
Cao Xin shouted, raising his iron spear.
"The general orders—open the gate!"
A voice roared from atop the city wall.

With a creaking sound, the south gate of Xinye slowly opened. Looking from the gate toward the wilds outside, the dark mass of troops had not yet dispersed; densely packed, the scene from ground level was far more daunting than from the city walls, making the crowd seem even more overwhelming.

"Langya Cavalry!"
"Present!"
All one hundred sixty-five Langya cavalrymen shouted in unison.

"Charge with me!"
Cao Xin swung the iron spear and urged his black stallion, accelerating toward the open field.

"Hurry, open up! The general is leaving the city!"
On the gate tower, the soldiers pressed against the battlements, watching as General Cao, draped in a bright red cloak, led more than a hundred Langya cavalry out of the city. Clad in shining silver armor, they shot forth like a silver arrow toward the distant black tide.

"The general is mighty!"
"The Langya Cavalry is mighty!!"
Niu Jin, Wang Shuang, and others shouted at the top of their lungs.

"The general is mighty!"
"The Langya Cavalry is mighty!!"
Thousands of city guard soldiers thundered, their voices shaking the heavens and earth.

—

"Report! General, Cao Xin has led more than a hundred cavalry out of the city and is charging toward our army."
A messenger shouted loudly in the Jingzhou camp.

"The traitor Cao seeks death! Zhongye, issue the order: all soldiers, at any cost, kill that traitor!"
Kuai Yue roared in fury.

Wen Pin waved the command banner, shifting the rear army to the front, rallying all three divisions to block the Langya cavalry's charge.

"Kill!"
Upon receiving the order, the Jingzhou army formed defensive lines, their cries shaking the sky.

"Soldiers of Jingzhou!"
From the front lines, Cao Xin shouted, "Jingzhou soldiers, stand aside! I, the Grand Administrator, come out only to eradicate the Xiliang bandits and avenge the people of Nanyang. This has nothing to do with you. Withdraw at once!"

The Jingzhou soldiers gripped their weapons, hesitating.

"Curse that traitor Cao!"
Within the ranks, Zhang Xiu, leading the Xiliang cavalry, cursed bitterly. This traitor was insufferable. While the Xiliang army had committed some misdeeds in Wancheng, it was a time of chaos—such acts were only natural.

What irked Zhang Xiu even more was that the Jingzhou army actually opened their ranks, allowing Cao Ziyu and the Langya cavalry to charge straight through, heading directly for the Xiliang lines.

"General Zhang, the commander orders you to lead the Xiliang army as the vanguard and annihilate Cao Xin and the Langya cavalry."
A messenger rode up shouting.

Zhang Xiu's expression shifted, recalling Jia Xu's advice. He laughed aloud, "General Wen, you jest. I have only five thousand men; how could I destroy the Langya cavalry? Go tell Wen Pin and Kuai Yue that the Xiliang army is too few for such trials—I'm not meddling in the battle for Xinye. Xiliang troops, we withdraw!"

With a loud command, Zhang Xiu led eight hundred Xiliang cavalry and over four thousand infantry out of the formation at speed.

"Zhang Wei You!"
Cao Xin shouted on horseback, "My words remain true: if you and your Xiliang army lay down your arms and cease harming the people of Nanyang, I, the Grand Administrator, will grant you a way out. Otherwise, Liu Biao of Jingzhou cannot protect you."

—

"Cao Ziyu, you damnable scoundrel! We’ll settle our score another day!"
Zhang Xiu shouted furiously from a distance.

"Haha, I await you!"
Cao Xin called out in disappointment.

On Xinye’s city walls, thousands of Cao’s soldiers watched as their grand general frightened off thousands of Xiliang troops with only a hundred men, each filled with deep admiration.

—

"General! Zhang Xiu has fled with the Xiliang army."
Within the Jingzhou ranks, Deputy General Cai He pointed and shouted from afar.

Wen Pin and Kuai Yue stood atop the central command platform, gazing at the western flank. There, the Xiliang troops in yellow uniforms streamed out like a mudslide from the green-clad Jingzhou ranks. Amid the entire western wing, more than a hundred Langya cavalry in bright silver armor stood out sharply against the green sea of Jingzhou soldiers.

Wen Pin and Kuai Yue’s faces grew grim. The enemy, barely over a hundred men, moved about freely within an army of fifty thousand, flaunting their prowess—an insult far greater than any harm. If they did not retaliate, Jingzhou’s morale would plummet.

"Order!"
"All infantry phalanxes on the western flank, press forward—encircle and kill all invaders."
Wen Pin waved the command banner and roared.

On the high platform, a messenger brandished a giant flag toward the western wing.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The drums of attack thundered.

"Kill!!"
More than twenty phalanx leaders, armed with spears and swords, simultaneously drew their blades and roared toward Cao Xin and the Langya cavalry.

Shouts echoed—
Over ten thousand infantry surged forward, closing in on the center.

Seeing the encirclement, General Cao dared not linger in the formation any longer. If surrounded by ten thousand spearmen, the Langya cavalry would suffer greatly. With a furious shout, he led the charge toward the most vulnerable part of the Jingzhou formation.

"Kill!!"
Thousands of spearmen formed the Eight-Trigram Golden-Lock formation, blocking from all directions.

"Stand aside! All of you, move! I do not wish to slaughter the innocent!"

General Cao swung his iron spear with agility, smashing dozens of spears, toppling hundreds of men. Like a primordial beast, he crashed through the Jingzhou ranks, scattering men and horses, as the Langya cavalry followed, carving a bloody path.

Other soldiers watched Cao Xin and the Langya cavalry fight with such ferocity, none dared approach, fearing the iron spear might toss them aside.

"Stop!!"
Just as the Langya cavalry broke through, Jingzhou generals Lou Fa and Shen Mi led two thousand cavalry to attack from both flanks.

"Move aside, I do not wish to kill!"
General Cao roared, waving his nine-and-a-half-foot iron spear.

"Traitor Cao! Today is the day you meet your end!"
Lou Fa wielded his crescent blade, slashing toward him. General Cao blocked with his iron spear.

Clang!
Sparks flew.

"You’ve forced my hand!"
"Overlord Sheds His Armor!"
General Cao roared, swinging his iron spear down upon Lou Fa. The blow was heavy as Mount Tai. Lou Fa shouted, blocking with his blade.

Clang!
The crescent blade snapped. Lou Fa screamed and fell from his horse.

With a single move, Cao Xin slew a Jingzhou general.

"Kill!"
The other general, Shen Mi, thrust his spear at Cao Xin’s back.

"Well met!"
Cao Xin roared, raising his spear to block. Clang, clang, clang—within three exchanges, he unleashed a move, "Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix," sending six chilling flashes into Shen Mi’s vital spots. Shen Mi fell from his horse.

As Cao Xin battled the two Jingzhou generals, the Langya cavalry engaged the Jingzhou horsemen. More than a hundred Langya cavalry charged into their midst, each fighting ten at once, scattering hundreds of enemies in moments.

After dispatching Shen Mi and Lou Fa, Cao Xin turned and plunged into the Jingzhou cavalry formation. In less than the time it takes to brew tea, he and the Langya cavalry scattered over a thousand horsemen.

The remaining Jingzhou cavalry, terrified by such ferocity, shrank back. Before Cao Xin and his men could charge again, they fled in disarray.

"Archers! Fire!"
Just as the Jingzhou cavalry collapsed, a roar came from their formation.

Immediately, more than twenty phalanxes of Jingzhou archers drew their bows, loosing arrows at Cao Xin and the Langya cavalry.

"Brothers! Withdraw!"
Cao Xin shouted, leading his men and the wounded northward.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Tens of thousands of arrows flew from behind, most striking the ground like rows of seedlings, only a few catching up and wounding dozens of horses and over ten riders.

Cao Xin leapt from his horse, whirling his iron spear to deflect the rain of arrows, blocking every gap. The other cavalrymen seized the chance to carry away their wounded and retreat. By the time the next wave of arrows arrived, Cao Xin and his men had vanished more than two miles away.

"The general is mighty!!"
"The Langya Cavalry is mighty!"
On the city walls, Xinye’s soldiers watched the battle below with their own eyes.

Seeing the general and his men surrounded by tens of thousands of Jingzhou spearmen, their hearts raced. Watching the general and the Langya cavalry slaughter hundreds of horsemen, they shouted with excitement—it was exhilarating. Seeing the Langya cavalry break through the arrow storm, they roared in celebration, their cheers unending.

"Scoundrel!!"
In the Jingzhou formation, Wen Pin fumed.

Despite their numbers, they could not keep a hundred cavalry. The blow to the Jingzhou army was immense.

Kuai Yue gazed at Cao Xin’s retreating figure, his face grim.

"A single man can stand against a million—this one’s strength might not be inferior to Lü Bu."

"Cao’s martial prowess may not rival Lü Bu, but the Langya cavalry far surpasses Lü Bu’s Bingzhou Wolf Riders."
Deng Ji sighed.

"General, I am willing to lead two thousand cavalry to pursue Cao Xin."
Deputy General Cai He cupped his fists.

"General, I am willing to accompany General Cai to hunt down the traitor."
Deng Long and other officers immediately stepped forward.

Kuai Yue shook his head, saying to Wen Pin, "General, today morale is scattered and spirits are low. It’s best not to pursue further. Let the army rest for two days before confronting the traitor again."

"Withdraw!"
Wen Pin roared, waving his command banner.

Rumble—
Fifty thousand troops hastily retreated, gradually disappearing from the south of the city. As the black tide receded, the clouds over Xinye dispersed, sunlight once more illuminating the earth.

Cao Xin, leading more than a hundred Langya cavalry, stood atop a western hill, watching the enemy withdraw. He raised his iron spear and shouted:

"Return to the city!"

【Battle Ended】
【100 vs. 50,000—forced enemy retreat of 8,000, killed or wounded 800, rating: Outstanding, reward: 2 free attribute points】
Success!