chsdbacks Chapter 11 Double Critical Hit
Chapter 11 Double Critical Hit
With other people present, Zhou He's subordinates could no longer gossip.
When Lu Yuan arrived at the city gate, everyone was finally gathered.
There were twenty-two people in total. Zhou He had actually brought all the horses, which were all military warhorses, plump and strong, without any problems.
After Wei Yong and the others came up to pay their respects, Lu Yuan asked Zhou He, "In what direction is the scout you want to hunt down?"
He selected a horse, and as he tied the bundle and wine flask to it, he turned his head and said.
"Yesterday's news was that they were in Gujingzhuang, and they should still be active in that area today. It's about fifty miles from the city. These people are bold, and they usually plunder after scouting. They won't leave for the time being."
If we're lucky, we can be back tomorrow. Whoever kills the enemy gets the head and the loot. If it was a coordinated kill, the two of us will split it 50/50, and the others will split it 50/50. Does that sound reasonable to you?
An ordinary Northern Barbarian warrior's head is worth two taels of silver, while a Northern Barbarian warrior who enters the country is worth five taels of silver. Moreover, their armor and warhorses can be brought back and exchanged for money. If you're lucky, some people may even carry looted items with them.
Because Zhou He was under his command and was known for his daring and ruthless nature, three out of his ten subordinates managed to enter the country.
Lu Yuan's side is a bit weaker, consisting mainly of himself and Wei Yong.
There are a total of five people entering the country. As long as they are careful, there will be no danger if they move within a 50-mile radius of the city.
"Alright, it's settled then, let's go." As Lu Yuan spoke, he leaped onto his warhorse.
A group of dozens of people headed towards the wilderness. Although it was already spring, the northern border region was known for its slow-burning heat.
Therefore, the ground was covered with withered yellow grass, and patches of white snow could be seen from time to time. It was only this year that things were a little better, as there wasn't much snow. Otherwise, you would have to walk to get out of the city.
Along the way, we saw a few scattered villages, all inhabited by people from Dayong.
They were also prisoners who had been exiled here. Because they had no money and could not afford to spend it, they lived outside the city.
Life was tough, and they were often raided by the northern barbarians. Although they were garrison troops, their fighting strength was still inferior to that of the regular army. As for the troops stationed outside the city, there were always times when they couldn't take care of so many villages and towns.
Therefore, in a sense, these people can be considered the first line of defense in the northern frontier.
The group stopped to eat some dry rations around noon.
Lu Yuan glanced around and saw that most people were carrying brown rice buns.
Those who carry fine noodles are all skilled at entering the country, and as for those who can also eat large chunks of meat, only Lu Yuan and Zhou He can manage it.
After eating and drinking some alcohol.
The other person pointed to a village that was faintly visible ahead and said, "That's Gujing Village. There are probably several dozen households there. The Northern Barbarian scouts are not too far from us. There are fifteen of them in total. Once you complete this mission, you won't need to leave the city for the next ten days or so."
A group of fifteen people should have three to four people entering the country according to standard procedures.
They have the advantage.
"Alright, let's find someone first," Lu Yuan said softly.
Just then, Old Huang, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Sir, I know this well."
Last night, Lao Huang happened to be drinking with Lu Yuan. Although he didn't go, he told Lu Yuan about leaving the city and asked Lao Huang if he would like to come along.
To my surprise, the other party agreed immediately, so I came along today.
Moreover, they even brought their own horses.
As soon as Old Huang finished speaking, everyone looked over. He scratched his head sheepishly and said, "I've been around Icefield City for decades. Although I'm not very strong, I know the roads well."
Everyone knows where people are most likely to be hiding.
"Hey, brother, you've found a treasure! If that's true, I'll give Old Huang an extra five taels of silver," Zhou He said with a smile.
Lu Yuan glanced at him and said, "Don't I have any money? You can give me some. Old Huang, lead the way."
If we can really find him, then Old Huang is a real treasure, and no one can take him away from us.
"You're stingy," Zhou He said with a smile, not annoyed at all.
Then, the whip lashed the warhorse, and it galloped forward with Old Huang.
About an hour later, they arrived behind a mound.
Old Huang reined in his horse, jumped down, made a shushing gesture, and nimbly climbed the mound.
The others exchanged glances and then followed.
Then, they saw a dozen or so people drinking around a campfire. Their attire was different from that of the people of Dayong. Each of them wore thick but slightly rough leather armor, and they did not have helmets, revealing their bald heads, or only a tuft of hair.
They had various totems embroidered on their faces and were all quite robust.
"It's definitely them," Zhou He said softly.
Lu Yuan nodded: "Should we charge in?"
His current true strength is such that he is not afraid of even a Bone Forging expert. Among the Northern Barbarians present, the strongest seems to be only at the Entry Level.
However, the number was more than they had guessed, about seven or eight people.
Whether they were barbarians or the Dayong people, once they entered the country, their armor would be different from that of others. Although it was not as exquisite as the armor of the Shichang people, it was still qualified to be inlaid with iron plates.
"There are quite a few inbound travelers. My men can only handle one at most at the same level. How about you?" Zhou He turned to look at Lu Yuan.
Wei Yong quickly replied, "I can handle one too."
Opportunities to kill the Northern Barbarians are rare, and killing one would earn merit points. With so many people gathered today, he didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.
Lu Yuan glanced at them and said, "If you have the capacity, you can come and help out if you are a family of four who have entered the country."
Zhou He nodded.
Li Xing, who was standing next to him, was not entirely at ease, but he opened his mouth, then swallowed his words after meeting Zhou He's gaze.
After all, with this Bone Forging technique as a safety net, and since the other party was going to bring Lu Yuan along, he, as a subordinate, wouldn't dare to question it at this time.
"Mount up and charge!" Zhou He said, then decisively turned and rode off on horseback.
The others followed closely behind.
The next moment, everyone rushed up the mound.
As Lu Yuan ran, he shouted to Wei Yong and the others, "Wedge Formation!"
As soon as his voice rang out, more than a dozen subordinates instantly found their positions and, led by Lu Yuan, formed an arrow-shaped charge and headed forward.
The sound of horses' hooves rang out, but the northern barbarian scouts, upon hearing the commotion, did not panic. Instead, they found their own warhorses, mounted them, and brandished their weapons as they approached.
They were mostly armed with heavy weapons, including spiked clubs and battle axes.
Zhou He used two octagonal warhammers. As soon as the two sides made contact, he smashed a Northern Barbarian expert to the ground.
Lu Yuan disregarded everything else at this moment.
"brush!"
After sheathing his longsword, he directly met the spiked club of a Northern Barbarian expert who had entered the country, who revealed a ferocious smile on his face.
When an ordinary longsword collides with one's own weapon, there is only one outcome: the weapon will be knocked away.
Of course, the opponent's skull will also be smashed at the same time.
"Don't fight them head-on!" Zhou He saw this and couldn't help but warn him. At the same time, he swept his warhammer and repelled several barbarian soldiers who were approaching him.
But by the time they came to help, it was too late.
Lu Yuan remained completely calm.
"when!"
When the longsword clashed with the spiked club, it did not slip from the hand as expected; instead, it swung the opponent's long weapon aside.
Taking advantage of the barbarian soldiers' unsteady center of gravity, he mounted his warhorse and slashed forward, the blade grazing the handle of his club towards the barbarian soldiers.
Sparks flew everywhere.
"laugh!"
The barbarian's hand was severed instantly, and he had just let out a scream.
Lu Yuan raised his blade and slashed down the neck, blood flowing down the blade. A large hand had already firmly grasped the head and then tossed it into the net bags on either side of the warhorse.
All of this was difficult to explain, but it was accomplished almost in an instant. Lu Yuan's skill earned Zhou He's thumbs up.
At the same time, the system's voice also sounded in the former's mind.
[The host swings the sword once, increasing the proficiency of the "Eight Styles of Breaking the Edge" by 10.]
......
[The host absorbs one impact from an opponent, increasing their proficiency in "Golden Bell Shield" by 10.]
......
[The host launches an attack using military formations; Proficiency in "Wedge Formation" +10 (Beginner level "Wedge Formation," increases the combat power of subordinate warriors by 30%)]
......
"Fighting with others on the battlefield definitely gives you more experience," Lu Yuan thought to himself, ignoring the system and focusing solely on killing enemies.
The battles that followed were much simpler.
They already had the advantage in numbers. Although they had fewer experts than the Northern Barbarians, they were able to proceed very smoothly thanks to Lu Yuan and Zhou He, both Bone Forging experts.
The battle lasted less than half an hour before it was completely over.
When counting the spoils of war, no one expected that Lu Yuan had killed the most people. Three intruders died at his hands, plus two ordinary scouts. Wei Yong was stabbed in the arm and had not been able to defeat the intruders from the Northern Barbarians. If Lu Yuan hadn't helped him, he probably would have been killed in battle.
Zhou He was a step too slow, only managing to kill two skilled fighters who had entered the country.
However, he didn't take it to heart. He rubbed his hands together, looked at the corpse on the ground, and said, "The people are all dead. Let's count the spoils. I'm telling you all to find your own things. If anyone dares to touch someone else's and breaks the rules, don't blame me for being impolite."
After saying that, he winked at Lu Yuan, and the two of them began to count the items.
The latter was also quite expectant, and stepped forward to reach out and touch the bodies of these northern barbarian scouts.