Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 57: Ambush (2)

“We’re under attack!”

The flaming arrows launched into the air resembled bright fireworks in the night sky as they rained down on enemy territory in the rugged hilly terrain.

The land burned orange and red as chaos ensued.

Frantic sounds of horseshoes and panicked screams melded together like an orchestra.

Li Yan’s bronze armor was painted red and pieced together by leather. He straddled his black horse and charged forward, nearly attracting the attention of the Nagao troops.

He had stolen armor from a Japanese soldier killed by Blind Diao. Perhaps because they were travelling through rough terrain, only one of Kobayakawa’s troop of five men was wearing heavy armor.

Six Samurai swords and Kobayakawa’s magatama beads were the only war trophies looted in the Battle of Haengju.

Along with the other men clad in black armor looted from the Nagao troops, Li Yan and his fleet entered the battlefield without raising much suspicion.

Less than ten people were herding over twenty horses under the moonlit night sky.

Their torches burned bright, resembling a fire-breathing dragon as the Japanese army charged towards Li Yan in a row, armed with spears and arrows, only to be dispersed by their large fleet of horses.

Li Yan’s troop was heading in the direction of a hundred men in black, holding down their defensive perimeter with their bows and arrows.

The unbridled horses didn’t even make it twenty meters before being shot down by the arrows. The blood of the horses splattered and flooded the scene.

The storm of arrows was destructive to say the least.

Deng Tianxiong’s right-hand man slumped on his galloping horse after he was hit by an arrow. The horse went down on its knees, throwing the soldier off its back.

Gusts of wind blew against Li Yan as he held up his makeshift shield, which his men had put together by tying together wooden blocks with rattan. The arrows hit the damp piece of wood with a dull thud. Some struck his armor and his metal helmet, which was still whirring from the previous shot.

Wang Sheng and Interpreter Song ran in the center of the fleet, trying to fend off the arrows using a bow. Blind Diao was tied to Wang Sheng as they ran for their lives.

“Wang Sheng, do you still have the grenade given to you by General Li Yan?” A weak and frail Blind Diao asked in a surprisingly strong tone.

“Yes, Uncle Diao. What do you need it for?”

“Take it out and give me two arrows,” said Blind Diao as Wang Sheng dug around for the arrows and grenade and handed them over to Blind Diao.

Blind Diao haphazardly bound the grenade between the arrows with a piece of cloth, then ordered, “Take it, raise your bow!”

Wang Sheng subconsciously raised his bow and aimed the arrow-grenade hybrid at the enemy.

“Give me your best shot, young man,” said Blind Diao who reached forward to remove the firing pin, “Shoot!”

The oddly shaped object flew through the sky, picking up some turbulence on the way.

Groups of enemy soldiers fell to the ground in the wheat fields, covering the land with busted limbs and dead bodies. The bloody aftermath was beyond gory as blood and flesh littered the hills.

There was quite a commotion among the Nagao troops as they quickly gathered under the general’s orders.

Their fleets of horses were coming closer together when a general in a Kabuto helmet waved his Samurai sword high, prompting his men to abandon their bows and arrows; pulling out their shiny white blades,close-quarter combat ensued. From above, it looked like a short arrow firing toward a long snake.

The galloping horses were audible as their horseshoes clanked against the earth.

Li Yan took the lead as he ventured into the enemy’s defense line.

Under the full, bright moon, horses crashed against one another, weapons clanked, droplets of sweat flew off the men, and the chilly moonlight dispersed as the battle peaked.

Blood and flesh splattered in the air as humans and horses fell to the ground in pain. The metallic scent of blood mixed with sweat sent the Japanese soldiers into overdrive as they bellowed in aggression.

Li Yan was also on an adrenaline rush, blood pulsing through his veins and temples throbbing.

The sight was incomparable. Not even sparring with the best martial artists could have made him more agitated than this.

This was a sight that future generations living in peace and stability would never be able to imagine. This was the era of cold weapon warfare that would never be brought back.

Li Yan roared in agitation as he whipped his Ring of Dragon sword in the air and took out four soldiers at once. He was unstoppable.

The cloth wrapped around the handle of the sword was soaked in blood, so much that it almost dripped down his arm when he gripped the sword tightly.

He could barely recover his grip as his sword slipped at the blood-soaked handle.

Should have tied the sword to my wrist, like Diao and the others…

Li Yan was a martial artist first, and the art of duelling meant that his movement would be restricted if he were to bind the sword to his wrist. Therefore, he had subconsciously rejected the idea as a result of his years of martial arts training.

The difference in martial arts sparring and warfare became apparent in this context. Living in the modern era without prior warfare experience, Li Yan made obvious missteps in his thought processes. But no one called him out on it, given his outstanding performance earlier.

He leaned back to avoid a naginata coming for his neck. After he regained his composure, the general in a Kabuto helmet had his naginata pointed right at him.

“Initiate: A Strong Impression”

Name: General Mori Terumoto

Status: Leader (troops will suffer in his absence)

Skill: Military Combat 71%

Speciality: Strategy (high success rate with bow and arrow attacks)

Treat level: Dark blue

Remark: He does not stand a chance in the Japanese army without his horse

The general was bellowing unintelligibly when Li Yan charged forward on his horse and avoided the naginata. He cleaved off the general’s arm with the sharp blades of the Ring of Dragon, then slashed him across the neck.

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The surrounding Japanese were horrified by the sight of their general falling to the ground just after he had challenged Li Yan to fight single-handedly.

Li Yan was soaked in blood as he snatched a yari spear from the enemy and proceeded to fasten his Ring of Dragon Sword to his horse. The long range spear danced around, from one enemy to another, slicing through them like a hot knife in butter. His men followed close behind him.

With immense focus and determination, Li Yan commanded, “Ambush!”

His energy was so infectious that the rest of the Chinese soldiers, including interpreter Song, howled after him.

“Ambush!” The ten-man troop sounded like an army in full force.