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Chapter 271: Melee

Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu had already charged out from their own military formation.

The "Three Idiots" were all assigned to He Jiu's personal guard, not integrated into the five centurion units. Thus, neither Gao Chuwu nor Zheng Daniu were assigned to spear formations, arquebus squads, or similar units.

While the other militia soldiers formed up against the enemy, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu directly "slaughtered their way into the enemy lines." Taking massive strides, they surged forward, crashing straight into the rebel formation.

In an instant, several long spears jabbed into them. But it was utterly useless. The armor plates they wore were incredibly thick, almost monstrous, making them no different from ancient, fearless warriors who charged into battle countless times and never fell. Ordinary spears couldn't hope to pierce it; iron spearheads merely clanged upon impact.

Zheng Daniu swung her spear, sweeping it with a whoosh, and sent two enemy soldiers flying.

Gao Chuwu followed suit, sweeping his spear, but to his surprise, an equally fierce general from the enemy ranks swung a spear back at him. With a resounding "thwack," the two spears collided, and then, with a sharp crack, the shaft of Gao Chuwu's spear snapped.

The man opposite him froze for a moment, then instantly discarded his broken spear and drew the sabre at his waist.

Reminded by his opponent's action, Gao Chuwu immediately abandoned his spear, reaching behind his back with a flick of his wrist to pull out a thick-backed great sabre.

A gift from Xing Honglang!

Gao Chuwu cheered, "Heh!"

Taking a massive step forward, he brought the sabre down with a whistling slash.

The sabre strike was terrifyingly powerful; the man didn't dare block it directly and retreated again and again.

Gao Chuwu swung his great sabre, relentlessly hacking after the man. While he failed to cut down his primary target, he felled a swath of other rebel soldiers blocking his path.

Zheng Daniu exclaimed, "Wow, Chuwu! You're really ferocious, I might lose to you."

Gao Chuwu grinned, "Miss Xing's gift of a sabre is truly effective!"

From a distance behind them, Cheng Xu roared, "Don't be thinking about women on the battlefield, you'll die quickly!"

Centurion Lang began to feel something was off.

Neither their training nor their ferocity could compare to the border army. He hadn't been certain before they clashed, but now that they were truly engaged, he sensed that the enemy wasn't the Guyuan Border Army. His own soldiers should have easily won, yet the battle was unfolding all wrong?

His soldiers, usually so fierce, had inexplicably lost their edge. Spears would suddenly skew off target, sabres would slip from hands mid-swing... there was none of their usual valor.

And the enemy soldiers were also strange; every one of them was exceptionally robust. One glance was enough to tell that these people ate well, dressed warmly, and were in peak physical condition, much like the private "household guards" kept by hereditary grand generals.

His own border soldiers only had an advantage in combat experience and fearlessness. In terms of equipment and physical condition, they were at a severe disadvantage.

"Damn it all."

An ordinary person would be contemplating retreat in such a situation, but Centurion Lang was, after all, a fierce border general who regularly fought to the death with nomadic tribes. There was no way he would back down so easily; cowards weren't fit to guard the frontier.

Centurion Lang's gaze immediately locked onto Cheng Xu: the opposing side was a bunch of greenhorns, entirely reliant on that "Ghost Centurion" fellow for command.

"Kill the Ghost Centurion, and the enemy army will collapse without a fight."

Centurion Lang slapped his horse's flank, shouted "Giddy-up!" and, leaping onto his mount with his spear leveled, charged toward Cheng Xu.

By this point, the front lines of both armies were thoroughly muddled, rebels and militia tangled together. Cheng Xu's position wasn't as far back as typical "civilian officials leading troops"; he generally stood somewhat toward the front.

This gave Centurion Lang the chance to reach him.

With that single charge, he instantly cut through the chaotic battlefield, appearing before Cheng Xu in the blink of an eye.

Centurion Lang wasn't like those martial artists who'd waste breath yelling "Take this spear!" before attacking; without a word, he plunged his spear straight at Cheng Xu's head.

Cheng Xu's attention was still fixed on the formation; these greenhorns kept him constantly worried. Suddenly, he heard the thunder of hooves in his ears. He turned to look, only to realize Centurion Lang's spear was already rushing towards his face.

Startled, he leaped backward, simultaneously drawing his waist sabre to parry.

"Clang!"

With a sharp ring, Cheng Xu's helmet was knocked askew. Thankfully, he wasn't injured, but the shock was considerable.

What a fast spear that was!

By then, Centurion Lang's horse had already galloped past Cheng Xu, covering several *zhang* in an instant. Then, with a turn and a swift maneuver, he came charging back towards Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu cursed inwardly, "Damn it, is he bullying me because I don't have a horse? All I have is a commander's sabre, no proper combat spear."

He hadn't intended to personally enter the fray this time, only to adjust the militia's tactics. So he had no horse, no spear, just a battlefield command post. Now, being charged by a mounted spearman, he suddenly felt an immense pressure.

In the blink of an eye, Centurion Lang was before him again.

With a whistling thrust, he aimed his spear directly at Cheng Xu's face.

Cheng Xu rapidly retreated, and with his speed, he should have been able to dodge. But he hadn't anticipated a militia soldier behind him, whose back was turned to Cheng Xu, jabbing his spear at a rebel. He hadn't seen Cheng Xu retreating.

As a result, Cheng Xu's back hit the militia soldier with a loud "thud."

This instantly blocked Cheng Xu's escape route.

Centurion Lang's spear was pointed directly at Cheng Xu's face.

"Damn it! I'm in trouble," Cheng Xu cursed inwardly.

Cheng Xu cursed inwardly. In that lightning-fast moment, he didn't even have time for his life to flash before his eyes; he could only brace for death.

Just then, a spear suddenly appeared from the side, parrying in front of Cheng Xu. With a sharp clang, both spears recoiled upward simultaneously.

Cheng Xu turned his head, "Eh?"

The person was none other than Fang Wushang!

Fang Wushang had long been restless inside the city. He had thrown open the gates and charged out with his hundred soldiers. True to his usual style, he rode ahead alone, faster than his subordinates, so those hundred soldiers were still far behind. Fang Wushang, man and horse, had already plunged into the heart of the battlefield.

Centurion Lang's gaze shifted to Fang Wushang: just a petty ninth-rank military inspector.

A Centurion was a fifth-rank military officer, and a border army officer at that; he wasn't about to be intimidated by a mere inspector. With a single sweep of his spear, he attacked Fang Wushang.

Fang Wushang parried with his spear, "Clang!" — astonishingly, he didn't lose ground.

Centurion Lang exclaimed, "Eh?"

The two warriors' horses separated...

They each galloped a considerable distance, then reined in their horses, turning to charge at each other once more.

Cheng Xu snapped, "Damn it, you ambushed me twice, and now you just run off to fight Fang Wushang? How utterly rude!"

His gaze swept the ground, spotting a rebel soldier who had been speared to death. In the soldier's hand was still clutched a small recurve bow.

Cheng Xu chuckled, picked up the small recurve bow, and nocked an arrow.

At that moment, Centurion Lang and Fang Wushang were spurring their horses closer, poised to exchange another blow. Cheng Xu raised his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed it straight at Centurion Lang's face, and let fly with a "whoosh."