Chapter 7: Courageously Facing the Battle

While running, Lü Ning looked back and saw Li You's small cavalry rushing into the trap. In an instant, chaos ensued, with people and horses tumbling over each other, and the sounds of screams filled the air. Some bandits, after falling from their steeds, directly lunged onto the wooden spikes, while others were impaled through their bodies by the spikes.

Upon discovering the traps, the bandits proceeded with caution, as most of them were born hunters and possessed a certain ability to identify traps. However, from time to time, some bandits still fell victim to the mechanical traps.

The bandits lowered their proud heads under Lü Ning's scolding, and Lü Ning estimated that they were also feeling guilty deep down inside.

Lu Ning also knew that the knife in his hand was undoubtedly a super weapon in this era, and it was unlikely that any sword could rival it. This was not only a knife of the twenty-first century, but also the command knife of the Chinese military, and its performance was beyond imagination, definitely crafted from the finest steel. Although Lu Ning's crossbow was purchased on the black market, its performance should not pose any issues, which also instilled in Lu Ning a strong sense of confidence in victory. Its performance was beyond imagination, definitely crafted from the finest steel. Although Lu Ning's crossbow was purchased on the black market, its performance should not pose any issues, which also instilled in Lu Ning a strong sense of confidence in victory

Lu Ning immediately ordered someone to behead this small leader and present his head

Li and the others were frightened; they did not dare to stay any longer and wanted to escape. How could this be acceptable? Lü Ning had gone to great lengths to invite them in, and now allowing them to flee like this seemed disrespectful to us.

Lu Ning saw Li You thrusting a spear at a villager. Without hesitation, Lu Ning stepped forward and met Li You's spear with his knife. A crisp sound was heard as Li You's spear broke into two. Then, Lu Ning gripped his battle knife tightly and struck down fiercely at Li You. Li You dared not confront him and could only retreat, while Lu Ning continued to advance and strike again.

The more than ten horses in front fell into the trap, while the bandits behind rushed forward one after another. Although they did not fall into the trap, they also fell from their horses, as their steeds could not stop and were tripped by the horses in front.

Lu Ning has reloaded the crossbow with bolts, and he leads the villagers to charge at the bandits. Lu Ning uses the crossbow to shoot down Li You's horse.

The hunters hiding in the shadows, however, unleashed cold arrows at the horse bandits with their bows. When Li You entered the village, a third of his men had already been lost; some, although not dead, had also lost their combat effectiveness. What awaited Li You and his men were lassos, stones, and clubs, as the villagers would strike and then flee.

Lv Ning went to the village entrance to welcome Li You and the other horse bandits. Deep down, Lv Ning was also very nervous and afraid, after all, the horse bandits had about 170 to 180 cavalrymen, which was no joke. Lv Ning could not avoid this; otherwise, the villagers would have even less confidence.

Lu Ning glanced at the leader, remaining silent for a long time, knowing that he would not speak. In such situations, if one does not show a bit of authority, they will not bow their heads. If one does not establish dominance through severe measures, it is likely that no one would dare to speak up.

As dusk fell, the horse bandit Li You arrived with a large group of followers. Lu Ning instructed the villagers to choose their hiding spots carefully and organized them into groups of two or three to launch surprise attacks on the bandits. The hunters were told to secretly shoot arrows at the horse bandits from the shadows.

The bandits had no way to capture them, so they had no choice but to dismount and search. The bandits split up and rushed into the farmers' homes; some stepped into traps as soon as they entered, others were struck on the head by large stones that fell from above as they opened the door, some accidentally bumped into a rope, and immediately wooden sticks and arrows were shot at them, while others were knocked down by bamboo and other traps without even knowing what had happened, and some were greeted by urine and excrement

As soon as any bandit is isolated, their horses' legs will be subjected to attacks from clubs and hoes, making the entire small village, at that moment, a veritable hell on earth for Li You and his companions

Li You saw Lu Ning fleeing and led a large group of people, including Deng, rushing towards Lu Ning. They were on horseback while Lu Ning was running on foot. If he slowed down even a little, it would be tantamount to seeking death.

Although Lu Ning has not learned any sword techniques, modern movies and television shows feature many slow-motion replays, showcasing various moves. Lu Ning does not want to think too much about it; he simply strikes with whatever feels natural. There are no flashy or extravagant techniques, resembling the swordsmanship of the Japanese soldiers, where every strike is lethal and every move aims for the vital points. Moreover, what Lu Ning wields is also a command knife.

Lu Ning stood alone at the village entrance, about ten meters behind a large trap, holding a repeating crossbow. When Lu Ning saw the cavalry of Li You approaching rapidly, approximately forty meters away, he began to shoot with the repeating crossbow. In an instant, Lu Ning fired ten arrows, taking down seven or eight bandits.

After shooting, Lu Ning turned around and ran back, because Lu Ning's crossbow was a small model that could only hold ten arrows at a time. Reloading after shooting would take some effort.

Lu Ning wielded his battle knife and charged forward, for he discovered that after arriving in ancient times, his strength had increased significantly, his hearing was more acute than before, allowing him to hear from a greater distance, and his eyesight was similarly enhanced. As long as Lu Ning focused his mind on observing, he found that his opponent's speed was exceedingly slow, which provided him with ample preparation for his strikes. These changes might be the result of Lu Ning's journey through time and space.

In the blink of an eye, the cries of agony from Li You's subordinates echoed throughout the village, with many going and not returning. Only fifty or sixty people remained by Li You's side, while at that moment, the hunters in the village were shooting arrows from the shadows towards them. The horse bandits on horseback were at risk of being killed or injured by the cold arrows if they were not careful.

Lu Ning said to them: "I will allow one of you to return for now. Go tell your leader Li You that he has two options. The first option is that from now on, he must not deceive the common people any longer. If he has the capability, he should fight against the Xianbei and the Xiongnu, and return all the goods he has plundered from the villagers behind the mountain, as well as provide additional money and grain to aid the villagers behind the mountain as compensation. If he does this, he may come to reclaim his brothers. Otherwise, he can come to collect the corpses. The second option is that if he refuses to comply, he can bring his men to fight us, and I will be here waiting for him."

Li You was thrown off his warhorse. Seeing their leader fall, his subordinate Lou Luo turned back to provide assistance, but what awaited them was certainly arrows and clubs

After listening to their words, Lü Ning said to them: "You have forgotten the pain after the wound has healed. You all come from impoverished backgrounds, you have all suffered oppression from the authorities, and your relatives have been killed by the cavalry of the Xianbei and Xiongnu tribes. Why do you not seek revenge against them? Not only do you fail to avenge your own grievances, but you also turn around and bully fellow commoners who are just like you. Has your conscience been devoured by dogs? If you have the ability and are real men, then go fight the Xianbei, go fight the barbaric Xiongnu. What kind of heroes are you to oppress the common people?"

Lu Ning then said to the group of bandits: "Whoever speaks first, if their answer is correct, I will let them go; if anyone remains silent, they will be executed."

Now, it is settled. Immediately, that group of bandits began to speak up one after another. From what they said, the leader of the bandits is named Li You, and he has more than 220 subordinates. Currently, there are about 180 people left in the mountain stronghold. They come from farming backgrounds, and most of them are hunters. The majority of their families have been killed by the Xianbei, the Xiongnu, and officials. They became bandits out of desperation. Their leader, Li You, also comes from a hunting background, and his entire family was killed by the cavalry of the Xianbei. They come from farming backgrounds, and most of them are hunters. The majority of their families have been killed by the Xianbei, the Xiongnu, and officials. They became bandits out of desperation. Their leader, Li You, also comes from a hunting background, and his entire family was killed by the cavalry of the Xianbei.

After that young scout left, Lu Ning had his men find a house to temporarily detain the captured bandits, and instructed the villagers to quickly set up traps and mechanisms. The various traps were arranged densely and extensively, specifically designed to deal with cavalry. All the villagers sprang into action, digging pits and setting stakes, employing all the methods they used for hunting.