My Cultivation Starting from Archery

"Assemble——"

"Buzzing——"

Over nine hundred officers and soldiers assembled at the Great Martial Arts Arena with the fastest speed, amidst the chaos in the barracks yet without losing the most basic order.

"Report!"

"The border has lit two beacon fires, one signal tower indicates 'one,' and one pile of firewood has been burnt, indicating that a raid of more than ten but less than a hundred cavalry is imminent!"

Xiang Tingchun made a swift decision, "Zhao Kang, heed my command, you are to lead a hundred light cavalry and rush to the aid of the Great Wall immediately. If the number of raiders is a hundred cavalry, hold the fort and do not venture out. If it's around fifty cavalry, pursue for thirty li outside the city regardless of whether the pursuit is successful or not, you must not exceed thirty li."

"Liu Jinkui, Xiong Qiuan, Wang Zhi, the three of you are to lead your men to the Great Wall to reinforce our defenses and report any situation promptly."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Several Hundred Households immediately set about their tasks.

Especially when Zhao Kang's hundred light cavalry burst out of the barracks, they kicked up dust that filled the sky, a sight that was nothing short of spectacular.

"Lord Thousand Households."

Chen Sansi clasped his fist, "Allow me to accompany Hundred Households Zhao."

"You?"

Xiang Tingchun hesitated for a moment, "Go, but you must follow orders and must not act on your own initiative."

"I obey!"

Chen Sansi mounted his White Swan Horse.

Within two minutes, he had caught up with the main force and came alongside Zhao Kang.

"What a fine horse!"

Zhao Kang said with envy, "Your white horse must be even faster than that of Lord Thousand Households!"

Chen Sansi could clearly feel that the speed of the White Swan Horse was increasing as his mastery of Horse Control improved.

But he was not the commander of this operation and did not dare outpace the main force, so he stayed close by Zhao Kang's side.

"This is really something!"

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Zhao Kang pulled on the reins, "It's been so many years since we've had cavalry raiders in the Po Yang Territory!"

"Hundred Households Zhao, have you fought in wars before?"

Chen Sansi asked.

"Three or four times," Zhao Kang said with a deep voice. "The first time was nine years ago when eighty barbarian cavalry launched a surprise attack, breached the city wall, and slaughtered a village.

"At that time, Households Commander Xiang was a Deputy Thousand Households, and the discipline of the Thousand Households troops was even looser than when you arrived, with virtually no combat capability. After the raiders had killed and looted, they left, and we couldn't keep them.

"That afternoon, Households Commander Xiang's mother and siblings, his entire family, happened to be returning from the county town after making purchases and encountered the barbarians halfway. Not one survived.

"The next year, the then Lord Thousand Households was promoted and transferred, and after Mr. Xiang took over as the Households Commander, the military discipline began to improve.

"Later when the barbarian cavalry came again, most of the time they suffered heavy losses and eventually ceased their raids.

"Today's attack was indeed sudden."

"..."

Chen Sansi understood.

So Xiang Tingchun's insistence on campaigning against the Xi River tribes was not just about getting a promotion; it seemed there were also personal vendettas involved.

"Hya——"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The Thousand Households was naturally located close to the Great Wall, as it was meant to defend it.

They arrived at their destination while they were talking.

Since every peace negotiation between the Central Plains and the barbarian tribes often led to trade, the Great Wall was not completely sealed off and normally had gates left open.

The location where the signal fires had been lit was right next to one of the gates.

Looking up, they could see two officers' bodies hanging from the battlements, pierced by arrows.

"Old Zhao, you guys arrived?!" Feng Yong leaned out and called out loudly, "The enemy doesn't have many troops, just a Bone Training Hundred Households leading over fifty elite cavalrymen!"

The barbarian tribes emulated Dasheng, also implementing a system of military households.

Moreover, all adult males on the grasslands were expected to serve in the military, embodying a system where every man was a soldier ready for battle and a herdsman when off duty, combining military and pastoral duties.

"Open the city gate!"

Zhao Kang did not waste words, "I am acting under the orders of Lord Thousand Households to sally forth and slay the enemy, quickly open the gate!"

"Creak——"

The heavy and solid gate opened.

A hundred light cavalry swarmed out.

"Chase!"

Zhao Kang brandished his sword.

However, as they were opening the city gate, the barbarian cavalry began to retreat. By the time the Sheng Dynasty soldiers chased out, the enemy had already fled a considerable distance. At this point, it became a contest of whose horses were faster.

The warhorses Xiang Tingchun painstakingly acquired were not bad, but they were not necessarily better than the horses from the grassland.

As the chase prolonged, the distance between them and the barbarians grew further and further.

It seemed chasing any longer would only result in a fruitless return.

A white horse surpassed all other Sheng officials like a shooting star, closing the gap to the barbarian cavalry to about a hundred and twenty paces within a few breaths.

The tiger bone big bow was quietly drawn, and a willow-leaf arrow shot forth, piercing through the back of a light barbarian cavalry, who fell stiffly from his horse.

Zhao Kang was shocked beyond measure.

You see, shooting an arrow from the ground and from horseback are completely different things.

Unfortunately, this arrow did not close the distance between the two sides, and the Sheng officials were still far behind.

"Giddyup—"

Chen Sansi put away the tiger bone big bow and switched to a reed-leaf long spear. He spurred the horse's belly, and the White Swan Horse beneath him picked up speed again, charging straight at the barbarian cavalry.

"Dangerous!"

Ahead was a slope, and Zhao Kang was too late to stop him as the long spear and white horse vanished from their sight.

He couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart.

Although there was only one barbarian hundred households, there were still over fifty cavalrymen. Charging in alone like this was bound to meet with encirclement!

"This kid's talent is good, but his actions are too rash."

"He can't die! If he dies, Wang Zhi will likely think that I colluded with Luo Dongquan to deliberately kill him!"

"Chase, chase for me!"

...

The barbarian officer clad in armor spurred his horse to gallop at the front of the troop.

He looked back and asked, "Have we shaken them off?"

"Lord Hundred Households, one man on a white horse is incredibly fast and has actually caught up!"

"How many?"

"Just one!"

"Such audacity, could it be Xiang Tingchun himself?"

"No, judging by the armor it seems to be a hundred households!"

"A hundred households dares to chase after our fifty men? He's seeking death!"

Judging the speed at which the rest of the pursuers might catch up, the barbarian hundred households felt he had enough time and ordered, "Clear the way, I'll personally sever his head!"

"Hyah—"

He reined in his horse, turning to look back.

He saw a white horse military officer approaching with a long spear, who with a raise of his hand, plunged the spear directly into a Blood Refining Officer, killing him instantly.

"What ruthless spear technique!"

The barbarian hundred households immediately changed his mind, "Surround and kill him, you swine; surround him until he's dead!"

Cavalry is different from infantry.

With the boost of warhorses, their strength and speed far exceed that of infantry.

Ordinarily, to exhaust a Bone Training Great Success martial artist, it would take twenty light infantrymen, but if you switch to cavalry, then merely over ten riders would suffice. With charge after charge, a mere martial artist could hardly withstand several rounds.

Furthermore, among the more than fifty riders, there were not only Array Soldiers but also Blood Refining Great Success martial artists and military soldiers. Even a bone training martial artist would likely be exhausted to death.

After the barbarian hundred households gave the command, the barbarian cavalry immediately turned around, spread out to a suitable distance, and then charged from all directions, encircling the white horse. Then they all pressed on to attack.

"Puchi—"

Chen Sansi thrust his spear, killing the enemy who approached face-to-face. He had just withdrawn the spear when he heard the whistling of a sharp weapon tearing through the air behind him. He immediately bent low on the horse's back to dodge a slash, then his waist twisted like a water snake, rotating 360 degrees as he swept his long spear in all directions, forcing back the enemies trying to ambush him from various angles. The White Swan Horse neighed and continued to charge forward. Seizing the brief opportunity, he thrust his spear through another enemy cavalry blocking the way and broke out of the encirclement.

No matter how strong a martial artist is, they still only have two arms and two legs.

This is the reason for the existence of an army; with enough people and sufficient time, combined with special combat skills, they can always find an opportunity to kill the enemy leader.

This kind of life-and-death struggle, this critical and stimulating moment, made Chen Sansi's blood surge throughout his body. His Qi-Blood, meridians, and even the meridians themselves were operating over their limits under the instinct to survive. The residual toxins in his meridians began to rapidly deplete, and his proficiency in spear technique improved significantly.

Meanwhile, the barbarian cavalry adjusted their formation and launched a second round of encirclement and attack.

"Bring it on!"