The moonlit, sparse sky of one night gave way to overcast gloom by the next morning; the heavens were so dark it was difficult to see. Ah Si worriedly said, "Your Highness, Sir, I fear a major downpour is coming, which is not good news for us."

Ma Xiaoda replied, "Our campsite is chosen on rather high ground; it should be fine, right? Would horse bandits dare attack the camp in this weather?"

I said, "Whether they choose to attack or not, the rainy weather is disadvantageous to us in many ways. Think if there’s any way we can enter the city quickly."

Shi Shan suggested, "Why not have the siege battalion move up to the city walls and attempt an assault? Perhaps the trebuchets could be of use."

I shook my head, "Unless we commit our full strength to a single assault, we must not use the trebuchets lightly. They are too large and difficult to dismantle; if the enemy cavalry sorties out to destroy them, we could suffer heavy losses."

Ma Xiaowei chimed in, "An all-out assault doesn't seem suitable for this weather, does it? Besides, the soldiers have marched all night; they need rest."

Resignedly, I instructed, "Order all units to prepare for flood defense, and at the same time, remain vigilant for surprise attacks from the enemy in the rain. How exactly we take Black Dragon County will be decided after we further analyze the intelligence."

Not long after the meeting dispersed, Ah Mao arrived at the command tent. "Sir, the situation seems quite grim. The horse bandits have mobilized over five thousand cavalry from White Dragon, Yellow Dragon, and Flying Eagle Prefecture. They are moving fast. If it hadn't rained, they might arrive here this afternoon. By then, with both cavalry forces combined, their numbers will approach ten thousand. I fear our situation is becoming critical."

This was truly terrible news. Ma Xiaoda anxiously urged, "Quickly send for reinforcements from Flying Dragon Prefecture!"

I countered, "No. If Flying Dragon Prefecture is left lightly defended, it might give the horse bandits an opportunity. Their marching speed far surpasses ours, and the possibility of them bypassing Black Dragon County to strike directly at Flying Dragon Prefecture exists. Let the soldiers rest in shifts, and deploy our greatest strength to dig horse traps—the deeper and larger, the better. Ideally, we should dig a moat surrounding our camp."

Ma Xiaowei inquired, "Are you planning to defend instead of attack?"

I confirmed, "That's the only way for now. However, you don't need to worry; we have the airships. They cannot starve us out. A risky forced assault would not only cause heavy casualties but would also easily allow the reinforcing bandit cavalry to encircle and crush us."

Ma Xiaoda conceded, "In any case, I trust you. Do everything as you've directed."

The gloomy sky began to rain around noon. Fortunately, the rain wasn't heavy, nor was there a storm. But considering the oppressive darkness of the weather, which even the people of Shuangcheng rarely witnessed, we still strengthened our preparations against a storm. The location chosen for the camp initially took waterproofing into account; unless Black Dragon County itself flooded, we should be fine here.

The soldiers spent the entire day digging horse traps in the rain, and then, following my design, they excavated a defensive trench two meters deep and wide around the camp. However, as the rain intensified, this trench filled up with water soon after it was completed near midnight. If we hadn't known beforehand, we might have accidentally stepped into it, merging with the surrounding puddles.

Although the afternoon rain gradually increased, the bandit reinforcements Ah Mao mentioned arrived by evening. They did not detour to Flying Dragon Prefecture but entered Black Dragon County in the rain. Due to our limited troop numbers, we did not completely encircle the city; otherwise, they would not have entered so easily.

The mood throughout the night felt somewhat somber, much like the weather outside. The rain fell intermittently all night. By the next day, although it remained heavily overcast, it had turned into a fine drizzle. Before breakfast was even finished, a messenger came panting into the command tent.

"Your Highness, Sir, bad news! The horse bandit cavalry are assembling; they might be launching an attack!"

Upon hearing this, everyone dropped their chopsticks. It was unexpected that they were even more eager than us. Thinking it over, it made sense: nearly ten thousand bandit cavalry—the small Black Dragon County absolutely could not sustain the consumption of so many men and horses. They had to end their mission here with a swift battle and then return to their respective garrisons to sustain themselves.

Following the messenger came officers of various ranks. Everyone asked, "Sir, what should we do? Should we sally out and strike them hard?"

According to my plan from yesterday, the vast majority of our forces had withdrawn to the camp to set up defenses. Since we couldn't encircle Black Dragon County anyway, dispersing our forces was detrimental to defense. After a moment’s thought, I said, "Go out and assess the situation first. If there is an opportunity, we will fight."

There was a small hillock in the main camp, upon which rested a massive granite boulder. Everyone climbed it in the rain. Linglong held an umbrella for me behind my back. Despite the intensely gloomy weather and the fine drizzle falling from the sky, looking out, one could still see everything in Black Dragon County. There were no fewer than two thousand enemy cavalry assembling and forming up, their horses pointed directly toward our main camp.

All four gates of Black Dragon County were wide open, with cavalry continuously pouring out. Perhaps two thousand cavalry were not the total force intended to attack the camp; more men and horses simply needed time to assemble.

The horse bandits were being far too audacious, believing that at this distance, our infantry could not engage them, and even archery would cause little damage. Therefore, they only sent out a few hundred riders to patrol the perimeter. They didn't know we possessed trebuchets and cannons. If they did, they likely wouldn't be so complacent. When the five thousand cavalry entered the city last night, darkness had already fallen, and the rain was too heavy, so we took no action. But now, we could not let them get away with this.

I turned to Shi Shan behind me and asked, "Estimate the range of the trebuchets within the camp."

Shi Shan held up his fingers and gestured twice toward Black Dragon County, apparently using his self-invented estimation method. "Sir, although our long-range giant trebuchets cannot breach the city walls, they should be more than enough to damage the cavalry below the walls."

I then asked Ma Da, "What is the range of the cannons?"

Ma Da replied, "The canister shot definitely won't work, but the great cannons loaded with solid iron balls should have a range comparable to the giant trebuchets."

I told them both, "Prepare for battle immediately and await orders."

They acknowledged the order and left. I then instructed Ma Chong, "Prepare your cavalry battalion as well. Wait for the signal to move out, but absolutely do not get bogged down in fighting. Act according to the signal."

Ma Chong accepted the order and departed. Ma Xiaoda said to me, "Zhao Qian, are you preparing for a fight to the death with the horse bandits? Should we send infantry to assist?"

I responded, "Of course we need them. We can't just watch them charge our camp. However, our objective is not to clash head-on, because the strength of the horse bandits inside Black Dragon County now surpasses ours. Our goal is simply to kill as many enemies as possible—to deplete their strength while preserving our own. Haven't I told you this before?"

Ma Xiaoda scratched his scalp. "I vaguely remember, but I forget everything once we're on the battlefield. Honestly, I know my position as Marshal of the Troops is just for show. Why worry when you are here?"

Several chiliarchs nearby visibly changed their expressions. They didn't understand the relationship between Ma Xiaoda and me. Since joining the border reinforcement unit, I had never made a habit of seeking Ma Xiaoda's approval for my actions. Had it been someone else, they would probably have been beheaded by now.

I ordered Ah Si, "Deploy ten thousand infantry outside the camp to form ranks and prepare. How is the progress on laying the mines from last night?"

Ah Si reported, "The minefield outside the camp is set. If we had been given another night, we would have laid them even outside Black Dragon County's walls. Then they wouldn't be able to assemble their forces so brazenly."

Compared to the war with Huyang Prefecture, the time constraint was indeed straining us. This was due to the difference in our opponents' means of transport. I instructed Ah Si, "Go. Have the soldiers carry the cheval de frise stakes and lay down many tripwires. Do not engage their vanguard forces directly; let them charge in, and then we'll close the door and fight the trapped dogs."

"As you command!" Ah Si left with two division commanders and a group of chiliarchs to make arrangements.

The structure of the General Headquarters was abolished when I handed over military authority, but the Army and Division systems were still in use. Logically, a unified set of troop formations should have been established, but with the repair date of the airships approaching, this matter became irrelevant. Once we had modern high-tech, I figured the military forces of the Shuangcheng Nation could all be abolished anyway.

More and more horse bandit cavalry arrived, estimated to number five thousand. Ma Xiaowei said from behind me, "Zhao Qian, order the attack! Otherwise, if they manage to form up, we will find it incredibly hard to resist. It makes my heart so anxious."

In truth, I was hesitating myself. I wanted more of them to emerge so that the target for the attack would be larger, and the killing effect of our weapons would be more pronounced. But the enemy cavalry were assembling while simultaneously preparing their attack formation. If a large contingent of cavalry completed their assembly and surged toward our main camp all at once, those ten thousand infantry would be in grave danger.

Standing on the large granite boulder, observing the completion of our infantry deployment on the battlefield, Shi Shan and Ma Da returned to report. I said to Ma Xiaoda, "This time, I'll let you be the Marshal; you give the order."

Ma Xiaoda had been itching for action. He happily declared, "Great! In the name of the Crown Prince, I order everyone: Attack! Hit them hard!"

The outcome of this battle was uncertain. Everyone, because of my presence, had their confidence bolstered, but I felt deeply uneasy inside, secretly instructing Yun Yao to prepare the airships to fend off the enemy for a while if needed at a critical moment. Even using them to escape would be quick—this was preparing for any eventuality.

The signal flags passed down by Shi Shan and Ma Da were displayed. At this moment, a command banner had already been raised atop the hillock’s granite boulder. At least tens of thousands of eyes were fixed upon it. As long as the banner stood, they had the confidence to win this fight.

The horse bandits' plan was to use eight thousand cavalry to completely smash through the Shuangcheng Nation's encampment. After losing one thousand five hundred cavalry, they realized their only advantage lay in rapid impact charges, requiring a substantial number of riders to attack together. Once dismounted, their combat effectiveness was far inferior to the Shuangcheng soldiers.

Based on this realization, the leader in Black Dragon County quickly reported the situation, and soon they decided to reassemble ten thousand troops to prevent the Shuangcheng forces from continuing their southward march to secure the border. In terms of battle strategy, the horse bandits unanimously agreed on using a massive number of cavalry for rapid shock tactics. Although the enemy's cheval de frise spears were formidable, if they abandoned their horses to fight on flat ground, even the fifty thousand horse bandits gathered at the border might not be a match for the enemy.

The number of cavalry assembling outside Black Dragon County had reached six thousand, while the infantry in the Shuangcheng main camp had also completed their deployment. Both sides were nursing their own hidden agendas. The horse bandits had originally worried that the enemy would refuse to fight; in that case, their target for the charge would have to become the main camp. They saw the cheval de frise stakes surrounding the camp from afar; their warhorses absolutely could not jump over those stakes. And if they dismounted to move the stakes, whether they could safely remount and live was another question. Thus, charging the camp was best avoided if possible.

Chattering horse languages erupted—it was the leading commander directing the horse bandits to prepare to charge in a 'human character' () formation. Suddenly, a buzzing wind sound echoed from overhead, followed by a series of earth-shattering booms that seemed to make the very ground tremble. The horses beneath the bandits cried out long and loud, and some nearly bolted in panic.

Thud! The sky darkened momentarily as a massive piece of rock suddenly plummeted from above, shaking the earth again. The horse bandits directly beneath the boulder were instantly smashed into bloody pulp. That wasn't all; the boulder rolled backward with inertia, leaving behind a scene of chaos and panic wherever it went. Those who failed to dodge were crushed to death. Finally, the rock lodged against the city wall, shaking loose plaster and dust before coming to a halt.

Following the massive rock from the sky came the pitch-black iron spheres. These iron balls moved incredibly fast; smashing one man's head, they could still kill another bandit behind him. However, the iron balls’ lethal area was far smaller than the giant rock in the sky. For a moment, the bandits crowded together, their eyes fixed overhead, terrified of being struck by accident.

The leading commander roared, urging his horse and leading the mass of bandits to begin the charge. He knew they had underestimated the enemy's weaponry; this thing that could throw giant stones had a range far exceeding their expectations. At this point, retreating back into Black Dragon County wouldn't avoid losses; it was better to attack early, perhaps achieving some success.

The horse bandits were exceptionally fierce. After a brief panic, they immediately reformed their ranks and followed their leader, charging furiously toward the Shuangcheng infantry. The first thousand charging warhorses were clad in armor. Five volleys from the Shuangcheng infantry inflicted minimal casualties on them. Seeing these warhorses rush closer, the soldiers quickly hid behind the cheval de frise stakes.

The commander's warhorse was exceptionally powerful and actually kicked over the heavy cheval de frise stake with one kick. Following suit, the other warhorses did the same. Gaps were opened in the line of stakes protecting the front of the formation. However, the horse bandits' charging advantage was completely lost at this moment. To regain speed amidst the dense infantry formation would be difficult, they thought.

What the bandit leader did not expect was that the infantry seemed to be a group of cowards afraid to die; none stepped forward to block them, but instead, they all moved aside to let the warhorses pass. The bandit leader shouted, swung his saber, and cut off the head of a Shuangcheng soldier before riding straight into the formation.

The bandits behind were surprised at how easily the enemy's first line of defense was broken. They cheered and followed their leader, continuing the charge. According to their usual combat experience, after the mass of horses broke through to the infantry's rear, they would turn back and encircle and consume the ten thousand infantrymen.

The charging warhorses suddenly stumbled. The bandit leader lost his balance and fell headfirst from his saddle, while his warhorse collapsed onto the ground. Two Shuangcheng soldiers suddenly appeared before him holding spears. They fired shots directly at the warhorse's head, cursing, "You son of a bitch, thinking you're so tough! You run fast, but I’ll send you to the West!"

Bang! Bang! With two loud reports, the warhorse, which the bandit leader considered his life, was dead. Besides feeling heartbroken, the bandit leader was seeing such strange weapons for the first time. But there was no time for reflection; the two soldiers rushed toward him after killing the horse. One soldier shouldered his spear and started aiming, while the other knocked his spear aside.

"Leave him! This guy might be an officer; we can trade him for money later. If we get a chance, brother, I'll take you to play with women—didn't you want to try a four-way [sex act]? Brother will arrange a four-way for you!"

This bandit leader understood the Shuangcheng language. Having fallen to the ground, his limbs were numb, and he temporarily lost the ability to move. Hearing these vile soldiers planning to trade him for women and engage in a four-way act—he, a dignified leader, reduced to such a state—made him so angry he nearly spat blood.

Tap-tap-tap. The horse bandits behind charged up. Swish! A saber strike sliced past, shaving the hat off the Shuangcheng soldier who had mentioned the four-way act, frightening the two men into flinching back into the formation behind the cheval de frise. The bandits rushing to the rescue bent down and pulled their leader back onto his warhorse.

The leader who had just been on the ground now saw clearly that what tripped him were sturdy ropes nailed into the ground. Because of the mist and rain falling from the sky, visibility was somewhat blurred, coupled with the muddy ground conditions, many bandits were caught off guard. Those who were tripped and killed numbered no less than three to five hundred.

There was an even more serious issue: the ground had been dug up unevenly by the Shuangcheng soldiers overnight. In some places, it looked like just a small puddle, but when a horse stepped on it, it became a large pit, deep enough to swallow a man whole. Even worse, there were things like bamboo knives stuck point-up in the pits. Because men and horses fell in, a spurt of bloody water would emerge.

The Shuangcheng soldier who had almost fired his gun said to the one whose hat had been cut off, "Look at you, you let him get away, what's the point of playing games? I bet he's a big official. Getting his head might even earn a reward of a dozen iron coins. You insisted on capturing him alive, and now we haven't even got his damn hair! I say forget the four-way, you won't even get a single partner!"

The soldier whose hat was cut off wiped the cold sweat mixed with rainwater and cursed, "That son of a bitch is too shameless! Watch me knock him down!"

The bandit cavalry continued to charge forward. Their fronts were armored, but their rears were completely bare. That soldier fired his gun. He missed the bandit leader but hit the hindquarters of the horse of another rider next to him. That horse, in pain, suddenly went wild, kicking up clumps of mud with its four hooves, splattering mud all over the heads of the two men behind. The two men stood there stunned for a long time before spitting out mouthfuls of dirty mud. Several soldiers wielding hook-and-sickle spears nearby burst into loud laughter.

The bandit leader, having narrowly escaped death, switched to a fresh warhorse and took a look at his own formation. At least two thousand men were about to break through behind the Shuangcheng infantry. Once those men turned back to flank the remaining several thousand cavalry, they could definitely crush the ten thousand infantry and then charge into the lightly defended main camp. Victory seemed within reach.

The bandit leader spurred his horse and shouted, leading the cavalry to continue charging toward the Shuangcheng infantry. The enemy infantry seemed terrified by the cavalry and actually parted ways, letting the warhorses charge through—it almost felt like they were being welcomed between the lines. Everyone wore a smile, worried the bandits weren't moving fast enough.

Exiting the infantry formation, they entered an open field. They only needed to turn their horses around here, and then they could launch a pincer attack, ensuring the infantry's demise. The warhorse the bandit leader had just switched to was of mediocre quality, causing a dozen stronger warhorses to rush ahead. They circled into this open area, preparing to maneuver for an envelopment.

Boom! Boom! The scene before them shocked the bandit leader. There seemed to be strange objects under the ground. Wherever the horses' hooves stepped carelessly, a ground-shaking explosion would occur. The explosions not only kicked up shrouds of mud but also blasted men and horses into bloody shreds. What was worse, the violent noise terrified the warhorses. Behind them, groups of charging cavalry tried to rein in their horses and turn back, but the frightened horses completely ignored their commands and blindly bolted into the minefield—including the leader's own horse. Luckily, he managed to jump off in time, otherwise, he too might have taken the 'earth plane' back to the West. Even so, he was wounded in the left chest by shrapnel flying from the explosion.

Standing on the granite boulder inside the main camp, the scene on the battlefield was perfectly clear. Both Ma Xiaoda and his sister were delighted. "Zhao Qian, are we about to achieve a great victory? Order the remaining ten thousand infantry to form up and attack too! Let's fight a decisive battle with the horse bandits!"

"No," I waved to stop them. "The enemy cavalry still has about five thousand combat effective troops. Attacking at this moment is likely to cause excessive losses to our army. Send the signal flag: lure the enemy cavalry to attack the camp!"

The orders were quickly relayed to the infantry formation on the battlefield. Under the command of the chiliarchs and centurions, the spearmen formed tight groups to protect their own infantry and retreated toward the left and right flanks. Thus, a clear muddy path opened before the horse bandit cavalry—this path led directly to the Shuangcheng Nation's main camp.

Just to make the act more convincing, the infantry on the battlefield did not stop retreating but continued to spread out widely to the flanks, intentionally or unintentionally cutting off the horse bandits' retreat path. Now, it was difficult for them to exit the battlefield and return to the city.

The horse bandit cavalry leader switched horses again. He clearly saw that the enemy was retreating to both sides, meaning their hidden traps must have been exhausted. Now was the time for them to counterattack.

The bandit leader waved his saber and directed the cavalry around him to pursue the flanks. However, they were met with fierce resistance from the cheval de frise spearmen. The cavalry tried to advance and kill the spearmen, but as soon as they got close, mysterious weapons behind the spearmen opened fire. These things made bang-bang sounds and fired iron balls with astonishing power; some even pierced the armor of the warhorses, let alone those with light shields.

A deputy beside him suddenly warned the bandit leader, "Sir, this is bad! Our retreat path seems to have been cut off. It looks like they are trying to encircle us!"

The bandit leader surveyed the scene once more. To his dismay, the enemy infantry had positioned themselves squarely on the path back to the city. He turned to his deputy, "Are they serious, using only ten thousand foot soldiers to block the path of our several thousand cavalry? Those strange things that detonate at a touch have all been used up, and the horse traps are mostly cut away. As long as we are careful of those puddles on the ground, what can they do to us?"

A Qianhuzhang beside him offered a suggestion, "My Lord, I suggest we strike by surprise. Let us charge straight into the enemy camp, trample them underfoot, and show them the true power of cavalry. Once the camp is in chaos and no one can issue orders to the infantry, victory will be ours."

Another Qianhuzhang countered, "That is unwise, My Lord. They are clearly baiting us by leaving their camp exposed like this. What if there is a trap inside?"

The first Qianhuzhang retorted, "What trap could there be? Nothing more than those explosive thunder-bombs, or perhaps more horse traps and pit traps. We charged through their previous setup to get here; surely they wouldn't hollow out their own living quarters? If not that, do you have a better suggestion?"

The opposing Qianhuzhang fell silent. He disagreed with charging the camp but could offer no alternative. The bandit leader decided, "If I had any choice, I would also not agree to storm the camp; it is too risky. Send a signal to the city, have them send another thousand cavalry. We can then perform a pincer movement from front and rear and let the infantry of the Shuangcheng Kingdom taste the might of our warhorses' iron hooves!"

The order to fight was swiftly passed down. The remaining five thousand bandit cavalry began to adjust their direction, preparing to sandwich the enemy once reinforcements emerged from Black Dragon County City. However, as soon as their formation took shape, several dark, bulky objects shot out from the nearby enemy camp, trailing smoke, and landed among the cavalry ranks.

Boom! Boom! Another series of deafening explosions erupted. The densely packed bandit cavalry suffered catastrophic casualties, men and horses alike. A single piece of shrapnel was enough to inflict a wound. Moreover, the enemy camp began throwing these devices with increasing frequency. The panicked warhorses lost control, and the formation they had just drawn up immediately dissolved, with some horses bolting aimlessly in all directions.

This had reached a point of desperation. The bandit leader gritted his teeth and commanded, "Charge! Into the enemy camp! We must destroy their monstrous machines, or if they use them to attack the city, we are doomed!"

The Qianhuzhang who had suggested the charge earlier looked smug, while the other was ashen-faced. The two spurred their horses to rally their scattered troops, and under the leader's watchful eye, they thundered toward the enemy camp. Swish! Swish!

Not far from the camp, many warhorses suddenly found their front hooves sinking into emptiness. It turned out the Shuangcheng Kingdom’s main camp was encircled by a ditch. Hundreds of horses could not rein in and plunged in. Fortunately, there were no sharp wooden stakes driven into the ditch; although the horses struggled to climb out, the riders could swim free.

"My Lord, you can pass where the flagpoles are planted!" one Qianhuzhang noticed the trick. The Shuangcheng Kingdom forces had marked their passable routes with flagpoles.

Having discovered the secret, the bandit cavalry quickly crossed the moat. However, after this delay, charging the camp was out of the question; their goal was now reduced to simply breaking in and destroying the enemy weapons. Still, the bandit cavalry numbers were substantial, and they surged toward the gate.

Buzz, buzz, buzz! A rapid sound of air being torn filled the air. Innumerable arrows, black and menacing, shot out from the perforated enemy barracks, resembling a dense rainstorm. These included long spear-arrows and short iron arrows. The wooden spear-arrows were manageable; some, striking the warhorses' armor, caused no damage. But the iron arrows were lethally sharp, fired with incredible velocity, capable of piercing even the horses' heavy armor. A chorus of agonizing horse cries rose as hundreds of cavalrymen were struck down.

The Shuangcheng Kingdom's Imperial Stable Guard’s siege division had improved their Thromos (spear-throwers) after the large-scale expansion of the Royal Iron Works. They now used more advanced iron launchers that were smaller and could fire more powerful iron arrows. At the right range, these could pierce even thick iron shields because the metal used in the arrows was far superior to the often-inferior iron in standard shields. Although somewhat extravagant, these iron arrows could be reused after sweeping the battlefield post-combat.

"My Lord, bad news! The infantry behind us are beginning to encircle us," a deputy exclaimed to the bandit leader in a panic.

The bandit leader closed his eyes, unable to watch the tragic scene—warhorses and riders alike shredded to pieces. Even the hardest heart would well up with tears. Moreover, the enemy camp defenses were deeply set; short of using the gate, cutting through the wooden palisades was nearly impossible. Hearing his deputy, the bandit leader looked back. Indeed, more than half of the ten thousand enemy foot soldiers were advancing toward their rear.

"Why haven't the reinforcements from the city arrived yet!" the bandit leader growled in frustration.

The deputy replied, "My Lord, I fear it’s too late. The enemy detached that force specifically to tie down our reinforcements. You must find a solution quickly, or our cavalry will be wiped out before their camp!"

Who could have known the Shuangcheng Kingdom forces would deploy so many bizarre weapons? They wouldn't have been driven to attempt a desperate cavalry charge had they not been cornered. Even though the initial plan was to storm the camp, that plan had been scrapped once they faced the ten thousand enemy infantry.

"Keep charging forward! We must get into the camp and destroy their weapons, preferably capturing some to reverse-engineer!" The bandit leader knew hesitation was impossible. Gritting his teeth, he gave the order.

The bandits were not a cowardly lot. Swish! Thousands of iron cavalry surged into the Shuangcheng Kingdom camp, trampling over the corpses of their comrades underfoot. They paid a cost of at least a thousand horsemen just at the gate. This time, the bandits tasted bitter defeat.

The bandits achieved their objective—at least they saw what the enemy weapons looked like. The Shuangcheng soldiers were not eager to fight; they dropped their weapons and retreated en masse into the camp. The bandit cavalry, focused solely on destruction, paid no immediate attention to the fleeing soldiers.

Boom! Boom! Another series of familiar earth-shaking roars sounded, but this time there were no dark iron spheres. Instead, an overwhelming shower of iron grit rained down, the sheer quantity rivaling the previous spear-arrows and iron arrows. Another wave of warhorses collapsed, while those slightly wounded bolted away in pain. Even the mounted riders stabbing them in the hindquarters could not stop the spooked horses.

The bandit leader finally saw clearly: it was rows of black, gaping iron tubes firing. Although the gun mines were waterproof, the cannons remained fragile. Luckily, it was only a light drizzle, so rainwater hadn't seeped into the barrels yet. Fuses were lit successfully, and men even held umbrellas for protection, so their use was temporarily unaffected.

Forty or fifty cannons fired in succession at the dense cavalry mass. Then, the gunners quickly withdrew with a whoosh. The surviving bandits charged forward, but the devices were too heavy and hard—impossible to chop or move. They could only spit in impotent revenge.

The sky suddenly darkened further. The bandits instinctively looked up to see a monster, huge as a bird, hovering in the air. It opened a hatch and began wildly tossing black spheres out as if they cost nothing. By now, all the bandits understood: those things exploded, and anyone hit would be crippled, if not killed.

Whoosh! The bandits could no longer maintain formation, scattering in every direction. Some maddened horses even bolted deeper into the camp, either collapsing with broken legs from the horse traps or having their hooves severed by hooked Goulianqiang spears. The majority of the cavalry fled the camp toward the flanks.

The deputy cried out to the bandit leader, "My Lord, we must retreat, or it will be too late! This time it wasn't a lack of courage, but the enemy's craftiness. With so many advanced weapons hidden, even ten thousand more men might not stand a chance against them."

Retreat they must, because a tremendous explosion terrified the bandit leader's horse into complete disobedience. With a long neigh, it bolted out of the camp, utterly ignoring its master’s curses.

"Oh dear brother, that son of a bitch is back!" Two spearmen, who had just taken a mud bath, spotted the bandit leader.

The spearmen, disheveled with their hats gone, brushed their long hair back and spat a curse, "Damn it, dared to knock off my hat and make my brother and me eat mud! A true gentleman cannot let this pass. Brother, move aside, your elder brother will give him another shot!"

The younger brother disagreed with that approach. He grabbed a Qianhuzhang who was busy hacking at an enemy cavalryman and urged him, "General Qianhuzhang, that charging cavalryman might be an officer! We must stop him quickly!"

The Qianhuzhang finally managed to chop off the horse's head. He wiped the spray of blood from his face and shouted at his personal guards behind him, "Listen up, all of you! Spearman, form a line! A single file, two ranks deep, no, three ranks deep in a line! No matter the cost, stop this man! Shooters, prepare to aim for the horse's legs! Quick, quick!"

The soldiers who were enjoying butchering the fleeing bandits dared not disobey. Swish! Three ranks of over two hundred pikemen formed to meet the charge. The bandit leader clearly saw the enemy formation, but his mount was beyond control. He could only watch helplessly as the horse charged straight toward the sharp Jumashu stakes.

Bang! Bang! The kneeling shooters fired. Although accuracy was limited on the chaotic battlefield, several bullets struck the horses' legs. The wounded horses bolted even faster, accelerating their own demise. With a boom, the horse crashed into the Jumashu stakes, shattering three or four of them. The bandit leader leaped off and began running backward. The bandits further away spotted their leader trapped and began converging to attempt a rescue.

"Damn it, run more!" A’Ge slung his spear over his shoulder and threw himself onto the bandit leader recklessly. The leader was surprisingly strong and used a back throw to slam A’Ge into the mud. A’Ge, whose hair was already loose, was now covered head to toe in sludge, unable to open his eyes, and was pinned beneath the bandit leader.

Since the Qianhuzhang had ordered them to capture the leader alive, no one dared to fire wildly. Seeing A’Ge in danger, A’Di shouted "Oh!" and lunged forward to help. The bandit leader, attacked from the rear, fell into the mud again but immediately kicked out, sending A’Di flying backward to land squarely in the mire. The three men were instantly transformed into mud monkeys.

The Qianhuzhang threw down his saber. "Stop dawdling back there and grab the man! Anyone who doesn't put effort in won't even get dog hair from my reward pile!"

Hearing that the man on the ground might be a high-ranking official, who among these soldiers did not love wealth? Especially soldiers who lived on the edge of a knife. A dozen men dropped their weapons and plunged into the mud with the Qianhuzhang. The scene became no less fierce than the main battle outside, with mud flying everywhere, making it impossible to distinguish anyone. They could only ask, "Who is it?" after tackling someone. Fortunately, the dozen men eventually subdued the bandit leader.

A’Ge viciously kicked the bandit leader twice. "Damn you, making us brothers a laughingstock! This time you’ve had your fill of mud too, satisfied?"

A’Di asked the Qianhuzhang anxiously, "General Qianhuzhang, our brothers discovered this man, so even if the dog hair reward is divided, shouldn't we two get two extra shares?"

The Qianhuzhang replied, "We hand him over to the Crown Prince and the Lord for interrogation later. If he really is a high official, you two can have the dog’s private parts along with the hair. But if he’s just some nobody, fine, you two can wash our clothes later."

A Spearman called out cheekily, mocking the Qianhuzhang, "General Qianhuzhang, bad news! Why are those bandits acting like frenzied mad dogs? They are charging toward us!"

Everyone had been preoccupied arguing over capturing the bandit leader. Looking up, they indeed saw about twenty cavalrymen charging wildly toward them like rabid dogs. The Qianhuzhang roared, "Damn it! We didn't specifically provoke them! Pikesmen, you eating mud? Hurry up and form a circular defensive line! Have the nearby infantry squads move toward us!"

The bandits were shouting something unintelligible, but the scattered bandits nearby heard the cries and came charging back desperately. Their shouts were contagious, and although the bandit cavalry was routed and disorganized, they still had nearly three thousand men. If they managed to regroup, the six or seven thousand Shuangcheng infantry currently deployed might not be enough to stop them. Although they had two thousand reserves behind them, they had to guard against reinforcements from Black Dragon County and could not easily turn back to assist.

Two layers of Jumashu stakes couldn't hold back the charging cavalry. The Qianhuzhang, wielding his Goulianqiang, slashed off a horse’s leg. "Pikemen! Hurry up and form a larger formation, four layers of defense! They’ve gone mad; this bandit leader must be a high official, or why would they charge like they don’t value their lives? Send flags for help from surrounding Qianhuzhang squads! Bring more pikemen here quickly!"

The soldiers on the battlefield understood mutual aid; if you don't help me, I won't help you when the critical moment comes. Everyone knew this truth. So, as soon as the signal flags went up, two Qianhuzhang squads rushed over. Thick Jumashu stakes were set up layer after layer. The bandits broke through one layer after another. Soon, the ground was littered with corpses—some of bandits, some of Shuangcheng soldiers.

The arriving reinforcement Qianhuzhang exclaimed, "They've gone crazy! This is a fight where they don't value their lives! We are barely holding on."

The mud-caked Qianhuzhang pointed at the securely bound bandit leader. "They must be trying to rescue him. Damn it, if we can't benefit, neither can they! I’ll just take his head first! Gotta take one down with me, even in death."

Another Qianhuzhang restrained the mud-covered officer. "No! This is too important a figure. We must deliver him to the main camp, even if we lose every last man here. If you’re worried about your own squad being wiped out, deploy mine! If I so much as frown, I’m no hero! I can always start over as a common soldier."

A personal guard stepped out from behind the mud-caked Qianhuzhang. "General, we cannot let the brother unit look down on us! I will lead my men to fight! You escort this fellow back toward the main camp."

"Cavalry! It’s our cavalry!" someone suddenly shouted, jumping up.

Indeed, two groups of warhorses adorned with yellow ropes entered the fray from the flanks. The yellow ropes were tied to the horses and riders to prevent friendly fire in the chaos; the Jumashu stakes and Goulianqiang spears were too dangerous if friend and foe were indistinguishable. Though these two cavalry groups numbered only a thousand or so, they were well-rested, while the bandits were exhausted from continuous fighting. As soon as the two forces clashed, the bandit cavalry was scattered under the cooperation of the infantry.

The area where the bandit leader was captured had too many bandits gathered. The Shuangcheng cavalry naturally noticed this. With a wave of his saber, Ma Chong led several hundred horsemen to spearhead into the bandit mass. After a few quick skirmishes, only two or three enemy riders escaped; the rest were annihilated. The infantry on the ground saluted the mounted cavalry as a sign of gratitude.

Ma Chong returned the salute. "Your infantry did well! Brothers, don't let them look down on us! Let's hunt down the rest of these bandits!"

Inside the camp, Da Qing on the small hillock was so excited she almost hugged me. "Zhao Qian, I can't believe you turned a potential defeat into a massive victory with your command. You are truly incredible! I admire you so much."

Although Ma Xiaowei remained silent, I clearly saw the admiration in her eyes. Since she was already considered mine, I didn't want to overdo the showboating in front of her. Yet, today, showing off was unavoidable, as a single poor command could have led to complete ruin.

The communicator on the Qingqing ship could receive my mobile phone signal; the other two ships were temporarily down due to malfunctions. I used my phone to instruct Yun Yao to pilot the Qingqing to breach the gate of Black Dragon County City, then scatter landmines and bombs along the battlements to cover the infantry assault!

This was seizing the moment, as opportunities once lost never return. The bandits had stationed about ten thousand troops to defend the city, and they had deployed around eight thousand to sweep us away. Now, fewer than a thousand of those eight thousand cavalry remained, dead or fled. They were on the verge of surrender, and the city defenses were weak—this was the perfect chance for a counterattack. If they received reinforcements later, the war could drag on indefinitely.

The ten thousand infantry inside the camp poured out, quickly linking up with our cavalry to eliminate the remaining thousand bandits. Then the entire army rushed toward the gate of Black Dragon County City. At this moment, the Qingqing used the laser cannon on its shuttle to smash the city gate and continuously dropped landmines nearby, blasting the area so effectively that the bandits dared not approach the breach. Soon, the infantry flooded into Black Dragon County City, and fierce street fighting erupted.

By dusk, Black Dragon County City was completely taken. Of the two thousand defending bandits, three or four hundred escaped; the rest were all slain. The Shuangcheng Kingdom forces achieved a great victory, but the cost was immense: over two thousand infantry were killed, and the number of lightly and seriously wounded exceeded ten thousand. Yet, the spoils were proud: over six thousand bandits killed in battle, over two thousand captured, and nearly two thousand remaining bandit cavalry fled piecemeal.

Compared to the casualty ratios in Zhang Guan's previous battles, this result was a massive gain. However, to me, the cost felt heavy. Based on the current situation, this was the limit of what I could achieve unless I could build airplanes and tanks in sufficient numbers. Otherwise, I still couldn't secure an absolute victory with minimal casualties as I could on Earth. Another point: these bandits were not the rebellious forces of Huyang; their combat capability was far superior to Zhu Shou’s subordinates. Winning today’s battle was, in my opinion, largely due to luck.