Chapter 6: The Eight Banners Iron Cavalry

Dozens of mounts swiftly galloped into the birch forest. "Brother Feng, are we setting up an ambush here to attack the army of the Later Jin?" Erlaizi, having just dismounted, eagerly asked Tang Feng.

Tang Feng readied his bow and arrow, slowing the mule's pace while stealthily glancing back. He observed as the leader, who had shouted for him to stop, charged ahead, immediately shooting an arrow in his direction.

Upon seeing the cavalry behind, the people in front were unexpectedly knocked off their mules and began to run forward. The cavalry, invigorated as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline, closely pursued them from behind. However, as Tang Feng crossed this open space, he first ensured he had identified the mark he had left before proceeding. Beneath this open area lay a large pit, covered by a wooden plank that had been sawed in half. Although Tang Feng managed to pass over it without incident, the weight of the cavalry and their horses was incomparable to that of a single person.

"Today, let us die wrapped in horsehide, and let us kill all the enemies that come to invade." Forty-seven individuals raised their long knives in unison, their voices resonating fiercely alongside Tang Feng's words, soaring high into the sky

In a hurry, he loudly commanded his cavalry to regroup, intending to encircle Tang Feng and the forty-seven others. However, these forty-seven individuals were worth a hundred each. They were not so easily dealt with. Following closely behind Tang Feng, they brandished their sabers and charged into the opposing cavalry ranks.

Tang Feng led forty-seven elite team members, and behind the retreating soldiers, there was another round of frenzied ambush, driving this group of cavalry to flee like rabbits in all directions. They chased for a full forty miles before Tang Feng finally reined in his horse, allowing his subordinates to stop as well, and began to assess the casualties among his own men. Upon inspection, Tang Feng felt relatively satisfied; out of the forty-seven individuals, only about ten had sustained injuries, and those injuries were not particularly severe. The others had not even suffered a scratch on their skin.

After running for more than ten miles, they saw the dust rising high ahead, obscuring the sunlight, which clearly indicated the large number of cavalry approaching. Tang Feng turned his head to look at the group behind him; each of them was wearing armor that was crooked and disheveled, making them appear as if they had just returned from a defeat. However, this was precisely the effect Tang Feng desired. He instructed the people behind him, "Everyone, do not panic. Wait until we are at a certain distance from them; these cavalry from the Later Jin will first ask us why we were defeated. But everyone must not answer. Just wait until they are very close, then unleash a volley of arrows, and immediately follow me into the midst of their cavalry. Brothers, keep your eyes sharp. If you see anyone dressed like an official nearby, kill them all. We must win this battle; defeat is not an option. If we lose, think about our families and wives back in Fu Family Village. Brothers, what shall we do today?" As Tang Feng spoke, he drew his sword and pointed it towards the sky. "Brothers, what shall we do today?" he shouted loudly to his forty-seven subordinates.

A cavalry captain saw dozens of warhorses flying out from the village ahead, and the cavalrymen on these horses were all disheveled, with their armor askew, seemingly lying on their mounts as if they had just endured a fierce battle and were gravely injured. However, why was there no sound of fighting coming from that direction?

Who told you? War is not merely about fighting the opponent; there are other aspects, such as strategy and cunning. War is akin to a game of chess, relying on the commanders of both sides to play this game. Those who play well will naturally survive and gain room for development. Everyone, go chop some thicker branches, and hang the cloth that the village's elder women have sewn. Remember, these poles should be tied to the birch trees, but not too high; they should be positioned so that outsiders can vaguely see them. Also, take down all the bells from the horses' necks and hang them on the trees. After Tang Feng finished speaking, everyone went to chop some thicker branches and hang the cloth that the village's elder women had sewn. Remember, these poles should be tied to the birch trees, but not too high; they should be positioned so that outsiders can vaguely see them. Also, take down all the bells from the horses' necks and hang them on the trees. After Tang Feng finished speaking, he began to ponder again about what other aspects he might have overlooked.

The remaining cavalrymen could no longer hold back, their eyes red like rabbits, as they hurriedly pursued on horseback. Tang Feng noticed that he had ignited the opponent's anger, so he quickly lashed the mule's rear a few more times. The mule, having never experienced such treatment at Er Lai Zi's place, immediately jumped up in pain and bolted towards the village.

The Eight Banners cavalry had never encountered such fierce warriors before; each one seemed to be fighting as if they had nothing to lose. Upon seeing the enemy, they accepted that they might take a blow, yet they were determined to bring their opponents down. At one moment, when they truly felt overwhelmed, they began to scatter in disarray. The captain shouted desperately, trying to rally the cavalry together, but in his distraction, he did not notice that Tang Feng had been searching for him for quite some time. Just as he spotted the captain not far from him, he hurriedly urged his horse forward. The captain, realizing the situation was dire, quickly drew his sabre, intending to parry Tang Feng's blade.

More than 100 cavalrymen entered the village, and within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they were all eliminated on the spot by Tang Feng and his 47 elite team members. This battle greatly boosted the morale of these elite team members, each of whom yearned for the opportunity to engage in combat with a large cavalry force.

At that moment, the more than twenty cavalrymen behind realized they had fallen into the villagers' trap. They all halted their horses, afraid to pursue any further, and prepared to retreat to the village entrance. However, it was too late; suddenly, a whistle sounded from the rooftops all around, and with the whistle, a volley of arrows rained down. These arrows were aimed specifically at the men, not the horses. In an instant, the cavalrymen were struck one after another, unable to draw their bows or knives from their backs, and they all fell headlong from their horses. But it was too late; suddenly, a whistle sounded from the rooftops all around, and with the whistle, a volley of arrows rained down. These arrows were aimed specifically at the men, not the horses. In an instant, the cavalrymen were struck one after another, unable to draw their bows or knives from their backs, and they all fell headlong from their horses.

Tang Feng first sheathed his waist knife, then took the bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and lay low on the horse's back, charging forward with the forty-seven men behind him into the ranks of the cavalry ahead

"To the cavalry in front, who is your leader? Call him out to speak! Do not advance any further; do not disrupt the formation of the cavalry." As he spoke, the deputy commander rode his horse to block the way of Tang Feng and the others, leaning forward to carefully scrutinize the dozens of individuals before him.

Moreover, the cavalry, in a disordered manner, rushed into the open field. Suddenly, with a loud rumble, a large pit appeared on the ground, and in the center of the pit lay a long wooden plank. The eighty to ninety cavalrymen who were pursuing Tang Feng most fervently instantly vanished without a trace, all falling into the pit.

As he passed by the well, a sudden brilliance erupted from within. A cavalryman, despite fleeing for his life, was overwhelmed by his desire for wealth, which surpassed his regard for his own life. He urged his horse to the edge of the well and stretched his neck to look inside. Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the well, knocking the cavalryman off his horse

A snake cannot move without its head. This group of cavalry, accustomed to victory, had come to regard the army of the Ming Dynasty as utterly incapable of withstanding an attack. However, today they experienced the taste of defeat for the first time, especially at the hands of a group of unknown origins, each resembling a fierce and malevolent spirit. They began to panic. Initially, the sergeants gathered together, preventing a complete rout, but after Tang Feng beheaded one of the sergeants, they lost their leader. In an instant, they scattered in a desperate bid for survival, no one daring to confront this group of murderous fiends.

The cavalry, unwilling to let go of the villager who had shot their leader, followed closely behind, entering Fu Family Village one after another. Tang Feng saw that he was not far from the open space ahead, so he deliberately pulled the mule's reins forcefully towards himself. Although the mule came to a sudden stop, Tang Feng was immediately thrown off its back. As he fell to the ground, he rolled and then ran straight across the open space.

"Kill!" Tang Feng roared in anger, striking down a cavalryman from his horse with a single blow. Without a glance back, he swung his blade towards another cavalryman, also cleaving him from his mount. The forty-seven sabers behind him resembled a meat grinder, with Tang Feng as the spearhead. He plunged straight into the depths of the cavalry formation, cutting through from one side to the other, creating a path of destruction, then circled around the horse's head and re-entered the cavalry ranks. Wherever he went, the glint of his blade flashed, and cavalrymen fell from their horses in droves. He plunged straight into the depths of the cavalry formation, cutting through from one side to the other, creating a path of destruction, then circled around the horse's head and re-entered the cavalry ranks. Wherever he went, the glint of his blade flashed, and cavalrymen fell from their horses in droves

Although Tang Feng understood that this victory did not signify much and was merely a small test of strength, he did not wish to dampen the fighting spirit of his subordinates. He ordered his men to eliminate the cavalry in the deep pit one by one and devised a way to retrieve the horses from the bottom of the pit. They removed the armor, bows, arrows, and weapons from the deceased cavalrymen, distributing them among the forty-seven individuals. Together, they covered the large pit with soil before sending someone to notify the village elders to quickly return with some people to take away whatever could be salvaged from the village. He then led the forty-seven elite soldiers, disguised as cavalry of the Later Jin, out of the village and headed straight for the location where he had encountered those cavalrymen.

A few surviving cavalrymen rushed along the dirt path of the village, desperately moving forward. However, they passed through an ambush. Just as they were in front of a farmhouse, a rope was suddenly thrown down from the top of the gate, perfectly ensnaring one cavalryman's neck. The man on the other side jumped to the ground, and the cavalryman was yanked into the air by the rope, soon succumbing to asphyxiation.

Erlaizi urged his horse to come before Tang Feng, and with some surprise, he asked him, "Brother Feng, why haven't we continued to pursue them? These cavalry from the Later Jin don't seem that formidable. But why is it that the army of the Ming Dynasty cannot hold their ground against them?" After speaking, he awaited Tang Feng's explanation.

Tang Feng did not respond, and the horse continued to gallop forward at a rapid pace, showing no signs of slowing down. Hearing someone speaking ahead, Tang Feng followed the direction of the voice and shot an arrow into the air. Immediately after, he drew his saber and, wielding it, charged directly into the cavalry formation. The forty-seven individuals behind him, seeing that Tang Feng had already released the first arrow, also let loose their arrows, dozens of which sliced through the air and struck into the cavalry ranks, causing many riders to be hit and tumble from their horses. The cavalry formation was thrown into chaos, and the sergeant, being quite astute, had already harbored some suspicions about these dozens of people and had taken precautions. Upon seeing Tang Feng shoot an arrow without a word, he understood everything.

The cowherd, seeing Tang Feng's mule slow down, felt a surge of joy in his heart and shouted, "The Han man in front, quickly stop! We have no intention of making things difficult for you, we just want to ask..." Before he could finish his sentence, a feathered arrow shot into his mouth, the shaft piercing through the back of his neck, and his lifeless body fell from the horse.

Who would have thought that Tang Feng's saber, which was originally aimed to strike downwards, suddenly changed direction midway and slashed horizontally towards the waist of that captain. With a thud, the two horses passed each other, running off in opposite directions, while the upper half of the captain's body fell to the ground.

"Secondly, it is not that the Ming army is incompetent; rather, they are facing cavalry that they cannot contend with. Moreover, I have heard that the cavalry of the Eight Banners are often related to one another. In a single unit, it is common to find fathers and sons serving together. In other words, this is closely related to the court of the Ming Dynasty, where those without ability often hold prominent positions and wield significant military power. What kind of army can prevail under such circumstances? An incompetent commander can exhaust thousands of troops. This is the essence of the matter. As for why I did not continue the pursuit, do you know how many troops they have ahead? To put it another way, this is closely related to the court of the Ming Dynasty, where those without ability often hold prominent positions and wield significant military power. What kind of army can prevail under such circumstances? An incompetent commander can exhaust thousands of troops. This is the essence of the matter. As for why I did not continue the pursuit, do you know how many troops they have ahead? This time, we achieved victory precisely because it was unexpected, and the enemy did not anticipate that we would deliver such a heavy blow. However, this tactic would not work against a large force, and our original mission was to defeat this group of cavalry in order to buy some time for the villagers of Fujia Village to escape. Right now, we have another task to complete. Let’s go to the birch forest in front of Fujia Village to gather and see whose horse is faster. At that time, it will be beneficial." After Tang Feng finished speaking, he gave his horse a pat on the rear, and the warhorse sprang forward as if it were flying.