MLMD -Chapter 157 Cavalry Showdown (Part 2)

Puchi…

A dull, penetrating sound rang out. The triangular armor‑piercing spearhead, forged from fine steel, slipped effortlessly into the chest of a Later Jin cavalryman opposite him. The moment the spear pierced the enemy’s armor, Wu Chengfeng immediately released his right hand from the lance.

In such high‑speed head‑on charges, once a cavalryman’s lance strikes the enemy, he must let go at once. At this speed, if he grips the lance too tightly, the momentum of the galloping warhorse can easily wrench him right out of the saddle after the impact.

The instant he released the lance, Wu Chengfeng reached for the saber hanging from his saddle. Before he could even raise it, the corner of his eye caught a flash of cold light sweeping over his head. He knew at once that something was terribly wrong. His mind had no time to react—his body moved first. A gust of cold wind whistled past as that streak of steel skimmed over his scalp and slammed into the armor on his back with a loud clang. The force was so great it nearly knocked Wu Chengfeng off his horse.

Fortunately, the armor he wore was solid. Apart from a numb, tingling sensation spreading across his back, he felt none of the sharp pain of an actual wound.

Having narrowly escaped death, Wu Chengfeng had no time for anger or reflection. With both sides racing past each other at full speed, he did not turn back after taking that blow. Instead, he raised his saber and slashed toward another Later Jin cavalryman charging straight at him…

Two groups of high‑speed cavalry collided violently. Roars, shouts, the crash of weapons, and the sounds of slaughter blended together, forming a gruesome tableau of blood and fire.

Unlike arquebusiers who killed at a distance, a clash between cavalry was direct and merciless. Here, everything depended on a soldier’s courage, skill, and experience—there was no room for pretense.

The Later Jin cavalry were all seasoned warriors: strong, highly skilled, and rich in combat experience. By contrast, the Ming cavalry were novices who had trained for less than a year. In terms of experience and martial skill, they could not hope to match the Jurchens. Yet they had their own advantage—their equipment far surpassed that of the Later Jin horsemen. Unless struck down by heavy weapons, ordinary saber cuts and spear thrusts found it difficult to deal fatal blows to them. Relying on thick armor and heavy, razor‑sharp sabers, the two sides fought each other to a standstill for a time.

Since the cavalry had already engaged, the infantry could not remain idle. Yue Yang directed four infantry formations to continue pressing forward steadily toward the Later Jin army.

Yueto narrowed his eyes as he watched the Ming formations advance and let out a soft sigh.
“This Ming army is truly formidable—far stronger than any we’ve faced before. If all Ming troops were like this, where would our Jurchen people have room to survive? If it were possible, I would pay any price to wipe out this force completely. Alas… alas…”

The surrounding generals all understood what he meant. At present, the overall strength of the Later Jin army was roughly equal to that of the Ming, but their elite cavalry was tied down by the enemy’s horsemen. Sending infantry forward would only turn them into targets for Ming firearms. If Yueto had even one more cavalry unit at hand, he would likely spare no cost to annihilate this Ming force.

After watching a while longer, Yueto finally sighed deeply.
“Pass down my order: the entire army is to withdraw. Sound the horn to inform Kalchuhun—he must hold the Ming troops back at all costs and ensure our main force retreats safely to camp.”

Wuu… wuuuu—

Another blast of the horn echoed across the battlefield. Kalchuhun, who was directing the fierce cavalry fighting against the Ming horsemen, froze for a moment, then slowly began to pull his troops back while continuing to fight.

As soon as the Later Jin main force moved, Feng Xiaoming reacted immediately.
“Sir, the barbarians are running!”

“I see it,” Yue Yang replied calmly. “Their retreat was expected from the start. I never hoped to wipe them out in one blow. What a pity—if only we had more cavalry.”

With that, Yue Yang let out a quiet sigh. When fighting the Later Jin, whose soldiers were almost all mounted, they held a clear advantage in mobility. They could fight when they wished and withdraw when they pleased. His own forces, constrained by limited mobility, found it difficult to pursue effectively when the enemy retreated.

Still, though Yueto had fled, many Later Jin cavalry were still entangled with Wu Chengfeng’s men. At Yue Yang’s order, two infantry formations immediately broke off and advanced toward Wu Chengfeng’s position.

Unfortunately, although Kalchuhun was hot‑tempered, he was no fool in battle. Seeing the Ming infantry closing in, he accelerated the withdrawal. By the time the two infantry formations reached the battlefield, they could only leave behind fewer than a hundred Later Jin cavalry corpses.

As the Later Jin horsemen withdrew, the battlefield—once deafening with killing cries—gradually fell silent. Only then did the cavalrymen feel a wave of exhaustion wash over them. Many stared at the bodies strewn across the ground and broke down in sobs.

A warm breeze drifted past, carrying with it a heavy stench of blood.

Yue Yang dismounted and walked toward the battlefield. More than a dozen personal guards hurried after him. The field had not yet been cleared—if even one or two wounded enemies leapt up and struck their lord, they would be guilty beyond redemption.

When Yue Yang reached one part of the battlefield, Wu Chengfeng galloped over as well. He dismounted and quickly came to Yue Yang’s side.

Yue Yang asked in a low voice, “Commander Wu, how many casualties did you take in that engagement?”

Wu Chengfeng lowered his head bitterly. “Sir, the numbers haven’t been fully tallied yet, but I estimate at least two hundred casualties.”

“Two hundred?”

Yue Yang’s heart gave a violent jolt. He had brought only two thousand cavalry into this battle. To lose two hundred in a single engagement meant one‑tenth of his mounted force.

These cavalrymen were trained with enormous investments of manpower, resources, and money. In less than two hours, such heavy losses had already been suffered—no wonder Yue Yang’s heart ached fiercely.

“Have the wounded been sent back?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. The wounded have already been returned to camp.”

“Good. Take me to see our injured brothers.”

With a wave of his hand, Yue Yang set off for the camp with Wu Chengfeng and the others.

Back at camp, they arrived at an open area where rows of makeshift cots had been set up outdoors. The air was thick with the smell of blood and filled with groans of pain. Beside the cots, more than a dozen army physicians were working frantically. They had prepared boiling water, medicines, and sharp instruments, extracting arrowheads, cleaning wounds, applying medicine, and bandaging injuries.

There were over a hundred wounded soldiers being treated here. When they saw Yue Yang arrive, many struggled to sit up and salute him, but he quickly moved among them, urging them to lie back down.

Yue Yang pulled aside the lead physician and asked, “How serious are their injuries?”

The physician replied, “Most of them are manageable, but more than thirty are critically wounded and may not survive today.”

Yue Yang was startled. “How could there be so many?”

The physician sighed. “This is already considered few, sir. Thanks to the miraculous medicines you brought, not a single wounded man has died from infection. Those who perish do so because their injuries are simply too severe. I have done all I can.”

Fatigue was evident in the physician’s voice. His white robe was so stained with blood that its original color could no longer be seen, and it was wrinkled beyond measure. Since the battle began, he and the other doctors had worked without rest and were utterly exhausted.

Just then, a weak voice sounded nearby. “Lord Yue… Lord Yue…”

Yue Yang turned and saw a dying soldier lying beside him. From the armor he wore, Yue Yang could tell he was a cavalryman. His head had likely been struck by a heavy weapon—half his face was gone, blood pouring endlessly despite the efforts of two doctors.

Yue Yang hurried over, took the man’s hand, and said gently, “Brother, I’m here. Say whatever you need to say.”

With great effort, the wounded man spoke. “Sir… I was a refugee from Shandong last year. You showed me kindness—gave my family seeds, tools, and grain, and let us reclaim land. This year we had a good harvest… my family finally ate their fill. I… I was willing to die for you, sir. I only worry that after I’m gone, my old mother and wife and children will have no one to rely on. I beg you… please look after them a little… I… I will be grateful to you even if I must serve you as an ox or a horse in my next life…”

Before Yue Yang could speak, Wu Chengfeng, tears streaming down his face, said, “Brother, don’t worry. I’ll take care of your family. As long as I have food to eat, they will never go hungry.”

Yue Yang nodded as well. “Rest assured. I too will see to them. They will never be left cold or hungry.”

As he spoke, Yue Yang felt the hand in his own slowly loosen. He looked down—the soldier had already closed his eyes peacefully.

Yue Yang slowly stood up and let out a soft sigh. Gazing at the setting sun, now slanting toward the horizon, he felt it glow red as blood. He could not help but wonder how many more brave warriors would fall before this road of war finally ended.

After some time, Wu Chengfeng’s voice sounded beside him.
“Sir, the barbarians have retreated. They’ll probably withdraw their troops soon. What should we do—do we pursue them?”

“Of course we pursue!”

Yue Yang’s voice turned icy. “So many of our brothers died in this battle—they cannot die for nothing. The barbarians may leave; we still lack the means to wipe them out completely. But this is not their own vegetable patch, where they can come and go as they please. If we don’t make them leave something behind, won’t they look down on us?”