"Screech! Screech! Screech!"
"Hu hu! Hu hu! Hu hu!"
"Not good, it's the barbarians!"
"Ah!"
On the snowy plains outside the city of Xuelin, the sound of arrows piercing the air could be heard, but these arrows were not shot by Zhou Fugui and his men.
Zhou Fugui, a minor general of the Great Yan Kingdom, had shot and killed the leader of the wolf pack, causing the wolves to panic and scatter.
However, as the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. Zhou Fugui and the other convicts, trying to ward off the cold, had lit a bonfire and were roasting wild game. The aroma of the game had attracted a pack of wolves. To drive them away, Zhou Fugui had fired five signal rockets into the air and seized the opportunity to kill the pack leader. But these five rockets had attracted even fiercer "beasts" than wolves – humans, or as they were called, the snowfield barbarians.
"Hu hu! Hu hu! Hu hu!"
It was now dawn. A sliver of sunlight appeared in the east, and the snow-capped mountains gradually came into view. The frosted ground became visible, and on the frosted ground, countless riders could be seen galloping on horseback.
Zhou Fugui and his men could even see the barbarians on their horses, wearing helmets like bull horns, with hair of gold, brown, or black. Their long hair was either swept back or braided. They had high noses, broad mouths, and shaggy beards, with fierce and terrifying appearances. Each of them was exceptionally burly. Riding their horses at full speed, they attacked the convicts with arrows and curved sabers, axes, and other weapons.
Caught off guard, many convicts who rushed out of the snow caves were shot down or hacked to death, their screams echoing across the snowy plains.
"Fight our way out, fight our way out!"
The situation had escalated too quickly. Zhou Fugui didn't know how to react or how to save himself. But he knew that they couldn't hide in the shallow snow caves against these ferocious barbarians.
Against wolves, the convicts could use the snow caves as a base. But now, facing humans, the snowfield barbarians, hiding in shallow caves would be fatal. The barbarians wouldn't even need to storm the caves; they could simply collapse them, burying the convicts alive.
The snowfield barbarians were called "beasts," but they were indeed humans, not actual wild animals.
So, Zhou Fugui, holding his Moon-Chasing Bow, rushed out of the cave, raising the bow high and shouting, "Gather around me, White Tiger Battalion, form ranks! Form ranks!"
The so-called White Tiger Battalion now consisted of only over twenty of Zhou Fugui's fellow villagers. In this moment of crisis, these twenty-odd villagers desperately gathered around Zhou Fugui, forming three "Seven Stars Big Dipper Formations" to defend against the barbarian assault.
"General Zhou, I am here!" The monk Xue Wentai, covered in blood, rushed over with over a hundred men from Guanzhong. Xue Wentai, wielding a large ring-hilted saber stained with blood, roared.
"Mm, Great Monk, you take your men to guard the right flank. Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, you two guard the left flank. The rest of you, stay in the center, and move towards that patch of forest ahead." Zhou Fugui issued rapid commands.
The convicts, hearing this, all gathered around Zhou Fugui and the others. At this moment, they all understood that only by staying together could they possibly withstand the barbarian attack and survive. Scattering would only make them prey.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!" Just then, Little White Bear suddenly ran a few steps forward, stood on its hind legs, looked ahead, then turned to look at Zhou Fugui. Seeing no reaction from Zhou Fugui, it ran back, its small paws clutching Zhou Fugui's trouser leg, making soft chirping sounds.
"Follow Chi You!" Zhou Fugui knew that beasts like bears always had far superior senses of smell and perception than humans. He glanced at Little White Bear and then gave the order.
Thus, with Little White Bear leading the way, the convicts, huddled together, followed it in a desperate flight.
"Hu hu! Hu hu! Hu hu!"
Seeing that Zhou Fugui and his men were trying to escape, how could the barbarian cavalry let go of such a meal? They brandished their sabers and charged forward.
Dozens of barbarian horsemen charged into the formation formed by Zhou Fugui's men, their great sabers and axes hacking down, causing people to cry out and fly through the air. The charging horses also knocked many people over.
"Kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
At this moment, Zhou Fugui's command was no longer needed. The convicts, fighting for their lives, desperately resisted the barbarian assault. Shouts of killing and roars filled the air.
Zhou Fugui fired three arrows in quick succession, bringing down three charging barbarian cavalrymen. The barbarians fell from their horses, screaming, while the riderless steeds ran amok.
"Bang!" With a crash, a barbarian cavalryman charged directly at Zhou Fugui, his horse butting him and sending him flying.
Zhou Fugui was thrown over twenty feet away, landing in the soft snow. Fortunately, he was not injured, but the impact from the horse's charge left him in agonizing pain.
Zhou Fugui immediately got up, drew his waist saber, and stared intently at the charging barbarian cavalryman, a trickle of blood flowing from his lips.
Seeing that Zhou Fugui had not been killed by the horse, the barbarian cavalryman let out a fierce roar, brandished his short axe, and charged at Zhou Fugui again.
"General Zhou!"
"Fugui!"
"Camp Leader!"
Zhou Fugui was their pillar of support, and he could not afford to fall. Xue Wentai roared, leaped high, and knocked a charging barbarian off his horse. Then, carrying his large ring-hilted saber, he rushed towards Zhou Fugui. Xu Mancang, Suo Dacheng, and others also threw themselves into the fray to save him.
"Neigh! Neigh!"
As the barbarian cavalryman reached Zhou Fugui, his horse reared up. The barbarian, grinning ferociously, swung his short axe and brought it down on Zhou Fugui's head, using the horse's falling momentum.
After being knocked aside by the horse, Zhou Fugui was in unbearable pain. He had just managed to get up, but his body was unable to move. He tried to raise his saber to block, but his arms were weak and limp.
At this critical moment, Pan Jiàn guǐ raised his crossbow and fired. The short-feathered, short-shafted bolt flew with incredible speed. With a "thump," it pierced the barbarian's back.
Despite their ferocity, the barbarians were poorly equipped, wearing only animal hide armor. How could it withstand a close-range shot from a powerful crossbow? The bolt directly struck the barbarian's heart, blood splattering. The barbarian roared, falling from his horse onto the snow. His stout body convulsed a few times, and he died instantly. A pool of blood flowed from beneath him, dyeing the white snow red.
The powerful bolt had even pierced through his body.
"Fugui, are you alright?" Pan Jiàn guǐ, after killing the barbarian, rushed over to help Zhou Fugui up and asked.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Quickly, follow Chi You!" Zhou Fugui replied, enduring the pain throughout his body.
"Brother Fugui, quickly get on the horse!" Xue Wentai, Suo Dacheng, Xu Mancang, and others also rushed over. Xu Mancang led an ownerless warhorse and said to Zhou Fugui.
"Help me up." Zhou Fugui said.
So, Xu Mancang and the others strained together, helping Zhou Fugui onto the warhorse.
Zhou Fugui lay on the horse's back, breathing deeply for a few moments. He felt much better. He moved his limbs, finding them unbroken. Then, he waved his hand and ordered, "Spearmen and shield bearers, take the front. Archers, stay in the middle. If anyone approaches, shoot them to death! Suo Dacheng, lead the way. Xue Wentai, cover the rear. Do not break formation. Follow Chi You, and don't fall behind."
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison. The remaining over three hundred convicts gathered together, forming a simple formation, and followed Little White Bear "Chi You" at a steady pace.
Xu Mancang picked up the Moon-Chasing Bow that had fallen to the ground and handed it to Zhou Fugui, then stayed close to protect him.
"Release arrows!"
With the Moon-Chasing Bow in hand, Zhou Fugui felt a surge of strength. He drew the bow and nocked an arrow, first shooting down a charging barbarian cavalryman into the snow. Dozens of convicts who could use bows and arrows also shot alongside Zhou Fugui. Although their aim was uneven, a volley of arrows managed to bring down many barbarian riders. Most importantly, the barrage of arrows made the barbarian's sudden assaults more cautious, and they dared not attack recklessly. Suo Dacheng, Xue Wentai, Xu Mancang, and others fought fiercely with sabers and spears, desperately fending off the charging barbarian cavalry. Especially the three valiant generals: Xue Wentai's large ring-hilted saber, weighing over sixty pounds, was thick-backed and sharp-edged. It swept through enemies, leaving them dead or injured. With full force, it could cleave a warhorse in two, let alone a person. Suo Dacheng's ax was immensely powerful. When a barbarian cavalryman charged, Suo Dacheng rolled to the ground, first cutting off the horse's legs, then burying the barbarian who had fallen from the horse into the snow with an ax. Xu Mancang was also exceptionally brave, constantly guarding Zhou Fugui's side.
Zhou Fugui and his men, huddled together, fought off the barbarian attacks while following Little White Bear. The barbarian cavalry continued to assault them, and the number of convicts gradually dwindled.
"We're almost there, quickly, charge past!"
The group fought desperately, advancing with great difficulty, and finally reached their destination: a cave at the foot of a mountain slope. This cave was not one that Zhou Fugui and his men had dug temporarily, but a naturally formed, large cavern. The cave was not supported by branches but by solid rock, so there was no fear of it collapsing.
To fight cavalry with infantry, one must fully utilize terrain and topography to have a chance. Only then could Zhou Fugui and his men survive.
Little White Bear was the first to rush to the entrance of the snow cave. It stood on its hind legs, its front paws dangling, looking anxiously at Zhou Fugui.
"Quick! Quick! Set up defenses! Set up defenses!" Zhou Fugui urged his horse forward and also galloped to the cave entrance, firing arrows while shouting loudly.
The convicts rushed towards the mountain cave. Those who arrived were temporarily out of danger, but some of the weaker individuals were caught by the barbarians and either hacked to death or trampled to death by horses. Their desperate, feeble cries before death were truly unbearable.
"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Shoot these dog barbarians to death!" Zhou Fugui could no longer afford to grieve; he could only roar in anger.
At this moment, Zhou Fugui had gradually transformed from a vulnerable and susceptible person into a cold and ruthless one, at least on the surface.