Chapter 617: Chance Encounter

Chapter 617: Chapter 617: Chance Encounter

After leaving Fish Stone, the cavalry team had been reduced by more than half, with just over a hundred men remaining, including a dozen or so Black Banner Battalion Personal Guards brought by Shen Hao.

Chen Zifang, for once, didn’t try to keep up a conversation with Shen Hao. He rode silently, jotting things down in a small notebook, his expression stern and focused.

Shen Hao was content with the quiet, waving his fan, seated on his horse and enjoying the cool breeze as the sun dipped westward.

Near Fish Stone, the weather grew hotter, but as long as the sun went down, the numerous tiny water bodies scattered around still managed to bring coolness; it wouldn’t be harsh at night. In this respect, it was much better than Fengri City.

Just like before, the cavalry kept a tight formation, while still sending out plenty of scouts, and overall the pace was slightly faster than earlier.

Shen Hao mentally calculated the time, thinking they were probably close to the Central Military Camp now?

While pondering this, a sudden, glaring light flared up in the sunset-drenched sky ahead—flashing four or five times, the color shifting from eye-piercing white to black-red—remaining visible for more than ten breaths before fading.

This is... a Summoning Talisman from the military!

The scouts ahead have been attacked?!

"Woooooo..." The rapid sound of horns tore through the calm of the cavalry, and the already vigilant group instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons—even Shen Hao was no exception.

"Signal to recall the scouts from all other directions! Everyone break formation and switch to Yanji Formation! Stow the spears, string your crossbows! Start jogging toward the northwest! Move fast!"

Captain Xu, a veteran of the Border Army, was seasoned from years of hunting outside Zhuo Huo Pass and had ample combat experience. Upon seeing the Summoning Talisman in the sky, he immediately issued several orders: first, recall the scattered men—both to minimize further losses and to concentrate forces.

Running toward the northwest was because the Summoning Talisman had flared straight ahead, in the direction of the Central Military Camp. This likely meant the Central Camp was currently engaged in battle with the Barbarian Race; if they drew nearer, they wouldn’t get reinforcement but would likely be encircled by the Barbs instead. And since the forward scouts already gave warning, it was best to avoid this danger.

The northwest, meanwhile, was toward the outer area of the Upper Military Camp. Heading there first made retreat easier in case something big happened.

As for fighting head-on? Not only did Captain Xu not consider it, not a single person in the cavalry had that intention—including Shen Hao.

It’d be madness to take a hundred-plus men and clash head-on with the Barbarian Race in the wild unless all hundred were post-Gathering Spirit Realm or Primordial Pill Realm Cultivators. Otherwise, retreat was the only smart choice.

But just as the remaining cavalry scattered, another Summoning Talisman shot into the sky from the northwest. And it seemed closer than the previous one up ahead!

Before Captain Xu could adjust again, three scattered scouts on horseback were already visible in the distance, returning from the northwest.

So Captain Xu didn’t change direction anymore and instead sped up to meet those three returning scouts head-on.

"Reporting! Wolf Riders detected to the northwest! Over two hundred strong!"

Wolf Cavalry! Captain Xu’s face betrayed nothing of what he thought. After a brief pause, he waved his hand and instructed the Order Flag Soldiers: "Keep moving northwest, gradually pick up speed, but don’t increase by more than half. Have everyone ready to change direction at any moment."

All these orders fell into Shen Hao’s ears. He couldn’t fully understand them all, but got about sixty to seventy percent of it. The problem was—he had zero confidence in his riding skills! He’d been in this world for nearly ten years and still his horsemanship had only reached the "can ride and run" stage. If the squad suddenly made a tactical turn and he couldn’t keep up, he’d be in serious trouble.

"Lord Shen, how’s your body technique?" Chen Zifang rode alongside and urgently asked Shen Hao.

"Not bad."

"If the squad starts changing formation too frequently, just step onto any soldier’s horse rump. Can you manage that?"

Shen Hao had considered jumping off and using his own legs to keep up with the squad, but on hearing Chen Zifang’s suggestion, he thought over it and realized it was a smarter tactic.

"What about you, Alchemist Chen?"

"Heh, I’m used to military life—my riding’s decent, not worse than these soldiers. I’ll manage. And what about your Personal Guards? Can they handle it?"

Shen Hao nodded. The Personal Guards he’d brought all had military backgrounds and had been training their riding—shouldn’t be a problem.

Just as they exchanged these few words, ahead, a sudden "black line" leapt from the horizon, rapidly expanding, with faint and increasingly clear howls closing in fast.

With Shen Hao’s vision now, he could see that "black line" was the Wolf Cavalry spotted by the scouts.

This area, though a bit flatter than around Fish Stone Military Station, was still littered with man-head-sized stones. Cavalry found it tough going here, and they couldn’t go too fast—if a horse misstepped and kicked a stone, it’d spell disaster. This was exactly why Shen Hao had little faith in his own riding.

"Clang!"

Shen Hao drew his Yanji Saber from his waist, and the Personal Guards behind him did the same. They didn’t carry the saber designed for swift slashing from horseback like regular cavalry—in a mounted fight, the Yanji Saber wasn’t ideal, but there was no time to worry about that now.

He glanced at Chen Zifang beside him, surprised—the normally refined Alchemist suddenly radiated murderous ferocity, even pulling a slightly longer, gleaming cavalry saber from his Storage Bag, clearly a battle-hardened veteran.

But only Shen Hao and those around him drew blades. The other cavalrymen, following Captain Xu’s orders, kept their sabers and spears secured at their sides, hands gripping loaded crossbows, controlling their mounts with the strength of their legs, eyes fixed dead ahead.

"Command Flag! In five breaths, turn southeast! Reduce speed by ten percent, maintain Yanji Formation! Once within two hundred paces of the enemy, stay in position!"

Five breaths was more than enough for the cavalry to cover a great distance, and their current speed wasn’t slow. Making a fast, tactical turn here on this terrain required top-level riding. Shen Hao wasn’t about to risk it—he boosted his body, leaped from his own horse onto the rump behind a Personal Guard, using True Qi to steady himself. A burst of wind from his movement ensured he didn’t add too much weight and interfere with the Guard’s control of the mount.

Standing atop the horse, Shen Hao’s view widened instantly, and he could clearly make out the Wolf Riders approaching head-on within five hundred paces!

"Turn!"

As soon as five breaths passed, the entire cavalry—over a hundred riders—swung to the southeast, tracing a giant arc, and meanwhile the gap between both sides had closed to just around three hundred paces!