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Chapter 431: For the Heavenly Lord's Special Prize

Old Zhang Fei's assault instantly faltered.

The bandit soldiers in the main formation began to hesitate, while those attacking the fortress wall panicked at the sound of the cannons, their offensive losing all cohesion, and their efforts to scale the walls slowing.

The seasoned bandits who had already breached the fortress walls, cut off from reinforcements, were isolated and quickly annihilated by the militia within the ramparts.

A cold dread seized Old Zhang Fei.

Just then, a gate opened on the flank of the besieged fortress. From it burst a cavalry troop, led by a formidable general in mountain-patterned armor, wielding a long spear, charging forth on horseback.

His bearing and demeanor alone screamed "imperial officer," displaying a distinct air that set him apart from the disorganized rebels—a quality no common bandit could ever mimic.

Old Zhang Fei was profoundly shocked: "Damn it! This fortress was a trap laid by the imperial army; we've fallen right into their ambush."

The moment that thought took root, the battle was already lost.

Old Nanfeng, leading over two hundred cavalrymen, charged forward with fierce determination.

The same cavalry, yet their fighting methods diverged.

Though Zao Ying had been with Gao Family Village for a while, her tactics still leaned towards that of a horse bandit: an immediate, head-on charge, spearing foes before drawing a saber for a wild, unrestrained melee. It was all about raw, audacious power.

Old Nanfeng, on the other hand, had spent years fighting Mongols on the Guyuan frontier, and, without realizing it, had adopted the tactics of Mongolian light cavalry.

As the cavalry troop surged out, Old Nanfeng roared, "Stop thinking about your spears the moment you're out there, you fools! Are your Kaiyuan bows just for show?"

At his shout, dozens of cavalrymen quickly slung their spears to their saddles and snatched their Kaiyuan bows from their backs. Yet, over a hundred other cavalrymen had no bows, instead drawing hand crossbows.

Clearly, those wielding bows were the former horse bandits, while those with hand crossbows were the newer recruits from Chengcheng County.

Old Nanfeng bellowed, "Charge! Once you're in range, fire your arrows, then circle around and keep shooting! Understand?"

The cavalry responded with a collective roar.

In a flash, they were within striking distance. The cavalry unleashed a volley of arrows upon the rebel army, a flurry of shafts whistling through the air.

Nocking a bow and firing from horseback was a true test of skill, relying entirely on gripping the horse's flanks with one's legs to stabilize the body. It was easy to lose strength while drawing the bow, and the arrows fired by the dozens of Kaiyuan bow-wielding horse bandits flew crookedly, having little effect.

Old Nanfeng mused to himself, "Ah, this won't do! Our cavalry can't use Mongolian light cavalry tactics; after all, Mongols grew up on horseback."

But just as he thought this, he noticed that the arrows shot by Gao Family Village's fresh, inexperienced cavalry recruits, armed with hand crossbows, were quite effective. Crossbow bolts didn't require constant arm tension during firing, so they weren't affected by horsemanship and retained their power.

Old Nanfeng rejoiced: "Hah! Hand crossbows have this advantage!"

The bandit soldiers, still reeling from the cannon fire, were now showered with a barrage of arrows from the cavalry, screaming in agony. Old Zhang Fei, seething with frustration, yelled, "Hold steady! Don't be afraid! Don't break ranks!"

But his frantic shouts were utterly useless. The morale of these bandit troops was no match for regular soldiers; once the tide turned against them, recovering was almost impossible.

After firing a volley, Old Nanfeng led the cavalry in a sweeping arc, reloading their hand crossbows as they rode.

Once most had reloaded, Old Nanfeng wheeled his horse around and charged the rebels once more.

The tactics of the Mongolian light cavalry had once swept across Eurasia, and that was no mere boast. They would constantly pepper you with arrows during their attack, and continue to shoot as they circled around you. If you got angry and pursued them, they would turn and flee, still firing arrows over their shoulders. If you stopped the chase, they would wheel back and charge you with another volley.

Countless invincible armies had fallen beneath the arrows of the Mongolian light cavalry!

At the time, the only force that gave the Mongolian light cavalry significant trouble was the Song army's crossbow formations.

However...

Old Zhang Fei had no crossbow formations.

Bandit forces were constantly on the move; they lacked logistics, they lacked military workshops, so where would they get crossbows or similar weapons? Their limited supply of bows and arrows were crudely carved on the run.

Facing a cavalry unit that relentlessly circled and fired arrows, they were utterly bewildered.

In moments...

Crash!

Old Zhang Fei lost control.

The bandit soldiers began to flee in all directions, unwilling to remain huddled together as targets for the cavalry. No matter how Old Zhang Fei yelled, they refused to return to formation.

Some darted into the woods, some into ditches, others galloped aimlessly northwards. Anywhere was better than reforming their ranks.

Old Zhang Fei's retinue dwindled rapidly.

A glance at his shrinking numbers told him things were dire.

Indeed!

Old Nanfeng wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity. He slung his bow over his back, reined his horse, and swiftly drew his long spear: "Brothers, put away your bows and crossbows, it's time for spears! Hehehe, let's have some fun!"

The cavalry cheered, "Aoo-aoo-aoo!"

Old Nanfeng roared, "Charge! Whatever you seize is yours!"

This was a common, provocative phrase used to rally frontier soldiers, promising spoils of war to incentivize fierce, fearless attacks. However, this didn't quite work in Gao Family Village.

One cavalryman sheepishly called out, "General, our village's military discipline stipulates that all spoils of war must be turned over to the public treasury!"

Old Nanfeng: "... ..."

That was awkward!

He quickly changed his rallying cry: "Charge! Earn a great merit, and the Heavenly Lord will reward you generously!"

Now that was the right approach!

The Heavenly Lord Special Prize was the true motivator.

The Heavenly Lord frequently bestowed unique rewards, including but not limited to silk-smooth milk chocolate, Happy Fat Water, Mixue Ice City Sweetness, Miaocuijiao, spicy strips, cumin-flavored rice crackers, jujube candy, Xizhilang jelly, small pudding ice cream, and Wangwang Snow Crackers.

What he rewarded depended entirely on what he was eating at the moment.

And those who received a reward felt like they were opening a mystery box; unexpectedly discovering a rare and precious item that could be sold for a fortune.

The cavalrymen's eyes instantly gleamed with the vibrant colors of the Heavenly Lord!

"For the Heavenly Lord Special Prize, charge!"

"Charge, charge! I want to earn great merit!"

"Miaocuijiao, here I come!"

"Small pudding ice cream is the real deal!"

The entire cavalry troop seemed to ignite, enveloped in an aura of "snack-fueled" fighting spirit, a +32% combat power buff boosting their every move.

Old Nanfeng led the charge, aiming directly for Old Zhang Fei.

The bandit soldiers, seeing the cavalry bear down on them, were truly terrified, scattering in a frantic rush, their formation disintegrating even faster.

Old Nanfeng reached Old Zhang Fei without breaking a sweat.

He raised his spear: "Rebel chieftain, don't flee! Your general has come to claim your dog head!"