Xinya's Cat (5)
The foes that the Western Liang Cavalry faced were the Qiang tribesmen, barbarians who had lived alongside their horses in barren lands. These Qiang were utterly ruthless, not only plundering Han territory but also seizing food, goods, and even people as a matter of course. They could have quietly raised their sheep and lived in peace, but instead, they used their precious horses to raid Han lands at every opportunity. To counter them, the Han learned their horsemanship by stealth. They mastered eating and sleeping on horseback, turning their mounts in an instant, shooting arrows from the saddle, and hurling spears from atop their steeds. That was the essence of the Western Liang Cavalry—vastly different from mere spearmen who just charged and stabbed.
And now, the fearsome reputation that the Western Liang Cavalry had once struck terror into the Central Plains with shone brightly on this battlefield.
"Aaaagh!!" Screams echoed from every direction. Though protected by thick iron armor, their helmets left faces and throats exposed.
Thwack-thwack-thwack! The cavalry hurled their short spears and wheeled westward. With each toss, shields crumpled; after two, spears embedded in helmets, sending men crashing down.
"This... bamboo?" Not spears at all. Bamboo stalks painted like wood, sharpened to points. No—worse: arrowheads jammed into hollow bamboo tubes. It evoked memories of someone dying in a bamboo trap. Under this barrage, Yuan Shu's troops huddled tighter, fearing they'd be next.
The spears packed real power, but no more than arrows. Protect vital spots, and you'd be fine. But could Yuan Shu's men chase the hit-and-run cavalry? No chance. The moment Yuan Shu's forces reacted, the cavalry broke off and retreated beyond arrow range.
"Th-this...!" Noh Paek and Jin Ran fumed, heads boiling with rage. The enemy's mocking maneuvers filled them with humiliation.
"You bastards! Fight fair!"
Fair fight. A noble ring to it. They were here to pave the road to Wan and plunder the surroundings, but at least in battle, they craved spear clashing against blade.
"Fair fight? Sounds good!!" From afar, a man in red warrior robes bounded toward Yuan Shu's soldiers, stepping on them as he came. Tinkle-tinkle. Bells on his weapons jingled with each leap; no soldier could stop him. By the time swords and spears thrust out, he'd already vaulted over shoulders and heads.
"Let's duel fair and square right now!"
His charge stunned not just Yuan Shu's troops but Liu Biao's as well. Before they recovered, the man gripped his twin halberds and leaped off a soldier's face into the heart of the enemy lines.
"Haaah!!"
"Kill that madman now!!" Noh Paek and Jin Ran jabbed their spears at the intruder, bellowing.
"Aw, you said fair fight, so I came for a proper duel." The man—Gan Ning—shrugged and spun his halberds.
"Scram, you extras! Unless you wanna die to me, Gan Hyeongpae!"
Gan Ning plunged straight at the blocking soldiers. One halberd parried attacks; the other slashed throats. He slashed, stabbed, dodged, hurled weapons, yanked them back by chains to kick foes aside, and cleaved through with the crescent blades. Yuan Shu's men fell like wheat.
"Th-this psycho...!" One count, one kill. His red robes soaked deeper in enemy blood; Gan Ning dispatched them like he was born for it.
"Step aside quietly, and I'll spare you!"
"B-block him!! Stake your lives!!"
"Damn it, fall back!!"
One man pierced the center. It could've been salvaged, but Gan Ning's troops followed their general, wedging through like a spike to split the core.
"Spearmen, to the flanks!!"
A woman's lion roar rang out; the spear line shoved Yuan Shu's troops left and right with their poles. Cavalry thundered through the gap.
"What now?!"
"Liu Biao's cavalry!!"
Spearmen opened paths; cavalry exploited them. The lane was too narrow for ten abreast, but spearmen stabbed and pushed, widening it. Bursting into the enemy heart, the riders didn't halt—
"Scatter!!"
Under the woman's command, they split into five prongs, lancing throats mid-gallop. None but the thick central guard around retreating Noh Paek and Jin Ran could halt them. Generals had fled first; approach, and lose your head.
Morale bottomed out; will to fight evaporated.
-Just steal rice from nearby paddies, they said. Easy mission.-
-What if Qi Ling shows up?
-Why us against these monsters?
Grumblings filled hearts; now with death looming—
"R-run!!"
"Uwaaagh! I don't wanna die!"
"Mercy!!"
Mob of rabble? Yuan Shu's army fit perfectly. They ditched spears and swords, fleeing helter-skelter.
"Tch." Gan Ning cracked his neck at the rout. Plenty still clutched weapons, edging back—but eyeing each other, frozen.
"You lot—"
"Drop your arms, and you'll live!!"
A mounted woman appeared beside Gan Ning, bellowing.
"What country are you men from?! We're at war with Zhong! If innocent Han folk conscripted, we'll spare you. Zhong traitors fighting to the end? We'll slaughter!!"
"B-but—"
"One more time! Drop weapons, live! Our real quarry's the big thieves!!"
The woman—Sima Yi—glared coldly at Gan Ning.
"Good results don't justify reckless stunts."
"Heh, sitting still makes me antsy."
"You've rampaged plenty."
"Not enough. Need a proper duel at least. This is just massacring civilians. Real battles turn on a paper-thin edge..."
"Chase them."
Sima Yi gripped her spear, pointing at fleeing generals.
"Yuan Shu's top general Qi Ling might show. Coming?"
"Pursue?"
"Why not?"
Sima Yi gestured around. Spears and halberds menaced; Yuan Shu's men tossed gear and bolted.
"Shoddy equipment means fresh conscripts. Good gear? Long-time Yuan Shu vets."
The few heavy infantry had already fled guarding Noh Paek and Jin Ran.
"Killing 7,000 here nets less than 2-3,000 leaders there."
"Heh heh heh." Gan Ning remounted.
"Thought you were a cat. Turns out tiger. Scary one."
"Tiger." Sima Yi quirked a brow, smirking. Blood speckled her face.
"Don't tell Master. Or else."
Neigh! Sima Yi spurred ahead. Cavalry, having shredded flanks, regrouped on the routed rear.
"That girl's general material." Gan Ning glanced back.
"Whoever marries her'll get hell if he pisses her off. Heh."
"General Gan!!"
"Ah, sorry. Blood's up."
"Chase! Drums from command!"
Thoom, thoom, thoom. Pursuit signal.
"...Yeah, taming a tiger like a cat? No ordinary man could."
"What animal farm nonsense?! Move!"
"Right, right. General Mun."
Gan Ning caught up to urging Mun Bing, whispering.
"...That rumor about General Geum true?"
"What rumor? Chat mid-battle...?"
"This ain't battle. Hunt."
"...Ask quick, focus."
Mun Bing sighed, nodding. Gan Ning glanced around, murmuring.
"Why women flock to General Geum..."
"Dark night that day too."
Mun Bing chuckled, galloping ahead.
"He's the god of field battles."
"Whoa." Gan Ning whistled, riding on.
"Reason the tiger turned cat. Gotta learn that later."
Thoom, thoom, thoom. Drums rolled on.
* * *
"Well done, General Geum. Pursuit'll stop soon."
"Was it?" I greeted the one woman approaching me, Jia Xu.
"Now what? If foes panic and bolt?"
"Sima girl's leading. She'll pull back at the right moment."
"No need to chase?"
"So kind."
Jia Xu sidled close, mindful of eyes.
"Kind? I started this fight. Call me kind, I'm a hypocrite."
"Letting routed foes flee without traps? Who's kinder?"
"They've lost will."
p>
"Lost will means chase harder."
Jia Xu smirked slyly.
"Smash 'em so they never glance this way again. Only then won't they regroup."
"They seek revenge?"
"Lead army each time. Qiang strong, but we don't need 'em."
Jia Xu marveled, tongue clicking.
"Grab that Sima girl tight. She'll command the realm someday."
"Woman as tiger. Hm..."
Tiger. Tiger.
"No matter how I see, she's a cat."
Suyeon Academy's Sima Yi was just a cat with a puppy soul.
"Oh? Something possess this man?"
"Possessed, yeah."
I gazed calmly at the field.
"Feels like I'm mad too."
This battle Sima Yi wrought, soldiers moving like clockwork—it was beautiful. Hardly normal.
"Strategies brewed in the head, now real."
Thrilling.