HIAAAAAAAAA!
BAM!
With a single swing, three bodies were sent hurling back as Sol's horse took the initiative to break through the rough defensive line. Upon breaking past, he quickly noticed a second line of spearmen driving their weapons directly at his horse's exposed neck!
HIAAAAAAAAA!
HAAAAAAAAAAA!
BOOM!
Several spearmen were sent flying as Ju Li and several other members of his Ju Squad, tasked with Wang Yan's safety, bulldozed through the formation moments before their attacks could reach Sol.
"PROTECT LORD WANG!"
"UNDERSTOOD!" Dozens of voices rumbled like thunder.
For Sol, the feeling of leading a charge from the front lines, receiving the unwavering protection of strangers, and experiencing the unbreakable loyalty of people willing to die for him was intoxicating. The stark contrast from the life he came from made the moment even more thrilling.
BOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Sol's train of thought was shattered by the sound of a horn, alerting every other patrol team within and outside the forest to the presence of intruders. Their swift strike strategy had been meant to prevent this, but due to sheer numbers, the patrol team captain had found an opening to raise the alarm.
'This means the patrol teams we meet from here on will only get larger!' Sol's eyes tightened.
Even as his soldiers slaughtered patrol members like chickens, he felt no joy. He knew this might be the last encounter they walked away from unscathed.
— Southern Camp, Lord Yao's Tent —
Thud! Thud!
The sound of hasty, rapid footsteps did not escape the old lord even deep in the night. Without hesitation, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a dagger, only to turn and see his most loyal servant, drenched in sweat, kneeling on one knee with fists cupped.
"Take my life for my carelessness!" the servant roared before slamming his head against the ground several times, leaving Lord Yao confused.
The old lord was about to demand an explanation when the distant sound of a horn echoed through the night, signaling an attack. His mind went blank as his gaze slowly shifted to the kowtowing servant, a single thought crossing his mind.
"Where is Wang Yan?!" Lord Yao tried to remain calm, but his voice trembled on the edge of fury.
The servant froze, his face pale with fear. That was why he dared not look Lord Yao in the eye. "H-he… he snuck o-out with fifty of his soldiers… I believe he is the reason for the alarm."
Listening to his stammering servant, Lord Yao felt both lost and shaken. Wang Yan had predicted his intent and planned an escape in advance?
When did brutes start having brains?
The old general was deeply troubled. When Wang Yan first proposed the plan, Lord Yao had been shocked by the sudden display of strategic acumen and had quickly decided to snuff it out. Even though Wang Yan presented an excellent plan, the image of a brute remained fixed in his mind. That was why it never crossed his thoughts that Wang Yan's brilliance might not have been a fluke.
Now it seemed that underestimating the young commander would cost him more than just his son's career—it might cost him his own life.
If Wang Yan succeeded and reported this event to His Majesty, Emperor Tai Zhao would be extremely receptive to any plea to execute the Yao family for treachery. With the Wang Family now possessing a tactician capable of seeing opportunities even he had missed, why would the emperor bother protecting the Yao family?
Lord Yao knew the emperor better than most. Tai Zhao had no loyalty to even his most devoted subjects. He valued only talent. Once someone became useless, he would discard them without hesitation.
"No! We can't let him reach the mountain! GATHER THE TROOPS! WE MUST KILL THAT BOY BEFORE HE REACHES THE MOUNTAIN!" Lord Yao roared in fury.
— Meanwhile —
Swoosh!
Peng!
Sol's sword flashed like lightning, slapping aside another arrow hurtling toward his left flank with ease. His brows knitted as he noticed several torches appearing in the distance. A sizable force—about twenty soldiers—stood stationed on high ground with a clear view of the cavalry.
Pa! Pa!
Pa! Pa!
In an instant, dozens of arrows were loosed, soaring through the sky toward their small group. Sol remained calm. Looking over his shoulder, he noted the remnants of the last patrol team they had smashed through, still chasing them. His gaze then shifted to the right, where more torches were beginning to appear on the horizon.
If they were dragged into a fight here, they would be surrounded and cut down.
"CHARGE STRAIGHT AHEAD. WE RIDE THROUGH THIS STORM!" Sol barked after quickly assessing the situation.
HIYAH! HIYAH!
HIYAH! HIYAH!
In response, everyone tightened their grip on the reins. They stayed low and surged forward, maneuvering through the forest under a rain of arrows.
Bam!
Sol gritted his teeth as an arrow pierced his left shoulder, blood spraying outward on impact. He didn't make a sound. He heard the cries of his men falling one after another, but he dared not lose focus, not even for a moment.
'We are doing it!' Sol's eyes burned with excitement.
Like the wind, Sol's group burst out of what could have become a deadly encirclement, at the cost of over five riders. An entire squad was lost, but it was nothing compared to the casualties they would have suffered had they stayed to fight.
Now at the center of a forty-five-strong cavalry force, Sol grabbed the wooden shaft lodged in his shoulder, snapped it cleanly, and tossed it aside without batting an eye. Injuries like this were familiar to him.
"Preserve strength and arrows. Avoid patrol teams whenever possible," Sol ordered.
"Understood!" they thundered back.
Following Sol's command, the force deliberately avoided patrol torches. With superior mobility, enemy archers could only fire from a distance, occasionally killing one or two riders. This was far preferable to fighting through multiple patrol teams of thirty soldiers or more.
The worst encounters were with mounted patrol units. Their numbers were small, making them easier to deal with once isolated, though Sol's side still suffered casualties.
One by one, Sol watched loyal soldiers fall to enemy arrows, their numbers slowly dwindling. He issued no further orders and rode in silence with his men. They had all been prepared for this outcome, and their morale did not waver.
For over an hour, they traversed the forest, which grew brighter the deeper they rode. Eventually, the entire area was bathed in dazzling golden light, visibility nearly as clear as daylight.
Then came the gut-wrenching sight.
Hundreds of soldiers stood in formation, stretching endlessly across the forest's edge, forming a massive defensive wall. Behind them stood even more troops armed with bows, swords, spears, and shields, all ready for battle.
This was far beyond expectations.
Sol's grip tightened on the reins. He had anticipated two to three hundred soldiers at most, but with a glance, he counted well over five hundred.
His gaze swept left and right, yet he could not see the end of the formation. Worse still, dozens of mounted soldiers waited behind the lines, while Sol's remaining force numbered barely twenty-five.
How was he supposed to fight five hundred soldiers with twenty-five men?
How was he supposed to survive this?
Sol felt the gazes of his riders upon him. They were searching his face, looking for fear, for doubt—any sign of weakness.
He gave them none.
Dying here would bring him more satisfaction than rotting away in an old, filthy Texas cell. The few days he had lived in this world had given him more thrill, joy, and meaning than his seventeen years on Earth.
NO REGRETS!
"Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!"
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Sol burst into wild, hysterical laughter.
"JUST A LITTLE OVER FIVE HUNDRED TO KILL THE GREAT WANG YAN?! YOU ARE COURTING DEATH!"
Bam!
Before anyone could react, Sol spurred his horse forward, shooting past his allies and charging ahead in the blink of an eye.
"CHARGE!"
For a moment, the world fell silent. Allies and enemies alike were stunned by Sol's audacity. To the enemy, Wang Yan looked like a demon—a madman eager to drag as many souls as possible to the grave.
They feared him.
To his allies, he was a blazing torch in a dark, abandoned hall, his fire igniting every heart behind him.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!
Overwhelmed by emotion, they roared in unison, spurring their horses and joining Sol in a suicidal charge.
Rumble!
Under the charge of just twenty-five men, the ground trembled as a massive cloud of dust rose behind them. The commander of the final patrol line watched with narrowed eyes as several riders instinctively positioned themselves ahead of Sol to shield him.
"For some reason… this feels like a thousand-man cavalry charge," the captain gasped, shaken by the overwhelming morale of the Wang Family elites.
Even with an army ten times their size, fear crept into his heart.