Mythical Three Kingdoms

In the jungle, seeing the Hun Elite Cavalry galloping past like thunder left Li Yan both shocked and wary.

The Elite Troops of Danyang spared no casualties to curb the charge speed of the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry just for this moment. Li Yan’s Legion Talent, along with the Elite Talent of the Danyang troops, was enough to swiftly deploy the units where he desired.

Upon confirming that the speed of the Hun Elite Cavalry had visibly decreased due to intermittent assaults from the left and right flanks and attacks from the Wuhuan Cavalry behind, Li Yan didn’t hesitate any longer. He had already seen that the core of the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry’s combat strategy is swift aggression!

As long as one element is crippled, restricting their movement, it would be extremely difficult for them to effectively deploy any further abilities.

”Boom!” A dull sound echoed as the arms of the Danyang Elite Troops holding the Great Shield were snapped, sent flying. And the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry, unable to evade, crashed into them, breaking through several layers, and significantly slowed down.

Unlike the Xiliang Iron Cavalry which can only choose one path, the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry can engage in melee, range attacks, mounted archery, and charges. After breaking through several defensive lines, their speed was completely reduced. Meanwhile, the Danyang Elite Troops, awaiting the opportunity, had surrounded them, not letting the Northern Huns gain any acceleration distance.

Having failed the onslaught, forcibly restrained in speed, the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry actually understood the outcome. Once any cavalry loses speed, other results are unlikely. When their proud steeds become burdens, this cavalry is just a step away from defeat.

”Kill!” Seeing the success of his tactical encirclement, Li Yan roared fiercely. Over three thousand Danyang troops, grouped in fives, spontaneously penetrated from both sides toward the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry trapped in the center.

Soon, nearly two thousand Northern Huns Elite Cavalry were sliced and surrounded into small chunks by over three thousand Danyang troops. Yet the ensuing battle revealed to Li Yan the resilience of the Hunnic Elites; even dismounted in infantry combat, they were not inferior to the Danyang Elite Troops.

Of course, Danyang Elite Troops are not famous for individual combat power. This elite group typically grows stronger in combat power as numbers increase, thanks to their organizational power and teamwork, making their combat power climb remarkably once it reaches a certain scale.

Nevertheless, the powerful dismounted combat strength of the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry was no more than a brief splendor. Zhou Yu, not just watching from the sidelines, had ordered all soldiers to prepare their bows once Li Yan appeared with the Danyang Elite Troops.

Although most of Eastern Wu’s infantry were weaklings, Zhou Yu had considerable confidence in the combat capabilities of the Danyang troops. Even if they couldn’t rout the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry, Zhou Yu believed Li Yan could hold them off.

Li Yan’s subsequent performance was a pleasant surprise for Zhou Yu. Although Zhou Yu didn’t see clearly what transpired due to the chaotic battlefield, Li Yan not only halted the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry but also restricted them within the encirclement of the army. This scene was crystal clear to him.

Thus, after confirming the situation, Zhou Yu made a decisive move, leading the entire army to charge directly while organizing elite archers to clear the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry piece by piece.

This method of employing archers soon bore results. Wen Pin and Cheng Pu immediately led a unit of archers to begin clearing the Huns surrounded in the center piece by piece.

In this battlefield completely enveloped in a hail of arrows, having lost the speed of their steeds and unable to swiftly exit the battlefield, the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry was firmly confronted by Li Yan from the front, thereby losing any chance for retreat.

With more reinforcements arriving, the Northern Huns Elite Cavalry, trapped in layers of encirclement, fell frustratedly on the path of their charge. Of course, this was merely a setback for the Northern Huns. For Zhou Yu, it was a stroke of luck.

However, when calculating losses afterwards, Zhou Yu’s expression turned grim. Not to mention the near ten thousand arrows expended; just the manpower loss exceeded six thousand. Meaning this battle, despite eliminating three thousand Northern Huns Elite Cavalry, resulted in losses in almost all aspects aside from achieving strategic goals.

In essence, this battle did not yield any tangible assets for Zhou Yu beyond the experience gained in cavalry combat; all other expected gains were merely illusions, achieving nothing substantial.

”Were the losses truly that heavy?” Zhou Yu said, his face somewhat dark.

”Had General Li not held off the Northern Huns’ offensive, the result could have been far worse; the strategic retreat of the Northern Huns might have been very likely.” Wen Pin said, bowing his head in slight reverence. Zhou Yu rarely showed a grim expression, yet when he did, it signaled great trouble.

”First, let’s set up camp and rest; I need to discuss with the aristocratic family that accompanied us, and this approach needs revision. Mere three thousand Northern Huns actually took down double the infantry I led, and this was under our unexpected ambush.” Zhou Yu pressed his thumb against his index finger, his expression heavy.

For Zhou Yu, the justification for participating in the Northern expedition was not as evident as the profits; he had essentially obtained what he wanted. Now, the actions following were primarily to fulfill a deal with Chen Xi, and ultimately for Sun Ce.

However, right after landing, Zhou Yu fought such a fierce battle. It could be said that ever since the southward conquest of Eastern Wu and the seizure of Jing-Xiang, Zhou Yu had never lost so many troops in any single battle.

[I need to devise another approach; continuing this kind of war, aside from revenge, has no real meaning. The Northern Huns cavalry is exceedingly troublesome.] Zhou Yu thought silently.

Wen Pin nodded and left the tent, ordering to notify the leaders of the aristocratic family who came with them to the Liaodong Peninsula. The ferocity of this battle was also apparent to him; the Northern Huns are indeed difficult adversaries.

[I need to make an effort too. My Legion Talent is only significant during defense; I need to change my combat style. A general who cannot even block an attack is close to losing his relevance.] Wen Pin thought heavily.

Unlike Li Yan, Wen Pin had been following Sun Ce and Zhou Yu for a very long time. Yet comparatively, the newcomer Li Yan far outshined Wen Pin, especially since in this battle, Wen Pin led troops to withstand but was easily defeated, whereas Li Yan forcibly secured victory. This placed considerable pressure on Wen Pin as a senior.

On the other side, Li Yan and Cheng Pu were also summarizing the experiences of this battle. However, Li Yan’s thoughts focused more on how to better showcase his abilities. Using his talent together with the Elite Talent of the Danyang Troops gave him a commanding feel over the legion, sparking many tactical ideas.