Chapter 326: The Contemporary Flying General

The eighteen riders quickly moved the items that had been on the two‑horse carriage, bundled them and placed them on the horses' backs. Bai Lang, holding a Zao Yang spear, looked rather bored as he watched the chaotic, blood‑soaked camps they had broken into—full of corpses and shredded flesh. These camps were still dozens of zhang from the riverbank, set aside to give the crossing enemy a half‑crossing attack, and also to leave room for our own charge.

The horses carrying the goods were driven onto a boat, but one boat couldn't hold everything, so a signal arrow was fired to summon a second boat. Bai Lang signaled Wei Zhenzhen to board first; he himself planned to stay on the shore until the end. In fact, there was no need for guards—Zhu Can's right army had already scattered, and no one would rush near the killing god Bai Lang. Half an hour later, everyone split onto the two boats and headed toward the opposite riverbank.

On the opposite bank, Shang Xiuxun, the market owner, was already waiting. When Bai Lang saw the woman from the boat behind, he noticed she had slimmed considerably and exuded a mature aura—different from the girl who spent every day looking for Wei Zhenzhen to make special delicacies. Bai Lang thought of himself and realized he seemed to have undergone no psychological change at all. Everything felt as if it were flowing naturally, including killing.

When he killed, he felt nothing, as if it were no different from drinking water or eating a meal. As for the subsequent charge and sword‑cutting, even after countless killings he sensed nothing abnormal, only a feeling of exhilaration—nothing more. "I guess I was mature from the start," Bai Lang thought. When Shang Xiuxun came to see him, Bai Lang didn't bother with formalities: "Since you came for rescue, I'll go help cut down that Zhu Can fellow."

These heads had already been identified as Zhu Can's officers, and the right‑army commander was outright slain by Bai Lang. "Shall we take the initiative? Build a floating bridge, then you send elite cavalry to follow me into the trap, and we'll crush Zhu Can's central camp. With such a beastly army, once the camp is broken the whole force collapses, and a relentless pursuit will make beheading Zhu Can a non‑issue." Bai Lang offered the suggestion.

However, Shang Xiuxun gave no response, and several stewards of the Flying Horse Ranch on the other side kept urging a cautious approach. Since the host acted that way, Bai Lang didn't mind and followed them to the rear Flying Horse Ranch. As the highest‑ranking official present, he naturally took the seat of honor; the banquet was lavish, filled with praise for Bai Lang. Bai Lang chatted idly with the others, but the performer who took the stage turned out to be the renowned Shang Xiufang, which struck Bai Lang as odd.

"Master Shang is here too? I thought you were still in Luoyang. This place is about to become a battlefield; don't you think it's too dangerous for you to come?" Bai Lang knew the woman's martial skill was merely average, probably inferior to Wei Zhenzhen, yet she still dared to roam the world, her background being quite influential. But Zhu Can was a beast, and Bai Lang didn't think any background could protect her for long.

Upon hearing this, Shang Xiufang gave a charming smile and bright eyes, and sat directly beside Bai Lang, causing Shang Xiuxun to cough repeatedly as if her throat suddenly went dry. Shang Xiuxun said nothing, and after the banquet ended and the performances withdrew, Shang Xiufang could only smile at Bai Lang before leaving—the Flying Horse Ranch had a courtyard where she could stay temporarily.

Now is the time to discuss military matters; Shang Xiuxun summoned Bai Lang for rescue, not just for a feast, though some seemed displeased with his arrival… Bai Lang no longer brought up his earlier remarks, merely listening to their words and tactics. He could roughly guess that they intended to hold a static defense and would never go on the offensive.

In fact that's normal; Zhu Can has badly ruined his own territory and hasn't seized the old Sui granaries—he's already resorted to cannibalizing his own troops for food, so his predicament is obvious. Thus simply holding a static defense, waiting for Zhu Can's supplies to run out and his forces to collapse on their own, is the safest approach. The strategy is feasible, the only concern is whether the Flying Horse Ranch can withstand the inevitable attack from Zhu Can.

That problem is serious: the Flying Horse Ranch has fewer than three to four thousand troops, and the ranch lacks any defensible terrain. Almost all of those troops are cavalry—light cavalry. In a defensive battle they would be at a disadvantage; given their unit type and the terrain, a proactive mobile campaign is more suitable. One solution is to ally with Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's Double‑Dragon Army, which consists mainly of infantry and holds terrain that opposes Zhu Can's.

Let Kou Zhong bear the main assault while the Flying Horse Ranch's cavalry strike from the flank, hitting Zhu Can's rear; this would give a fairly high chance of breaking the enemy. Yet the stewards also refused this strategy… Shang Xiuxun's intentions were unclear, and Bai Lang was too lazy to bother. "It's not my war; the primary goal is to keep Shang Xiuxun alive, and now adding Shang Xiufang's life is fine." Bai Lang toyed with a piece of paper he had found and thought.

The others were still indecisive; Bai Lang smiled, "In that case, each household can bring its own subordinates to fight; you only need to prepare the boats for crossing. I doubt Zhu Can can cross the river with a single boat—besides, he already has boats…" How could Zhu Can's stronghold lack boats? When Bai Lang said that, the others could only nod. Shang Xiuxun gave Bai Lang a glance, "Thank you, Lord Bai, for your assistance."

Bai Lang was unperturbed and left to make preparations. The Flying Horse Ranch is abundant in horses, so Bai Lang swapped for a strong steed—his previous horse needed a period of rest and supplemental feed, at least five or six days to regain strength. His eighteen riders also changed horses, but their armor could only cover part of the body: a neck guard, a chest plate, and a head veil—no protection elsewhere.

Given Bai Lang's bravery, these cavalry were unlikely to be hit on the horse's body or hindquarters. Bai Lang's warhorse was similarly outfitted, also forgoing protection for the body and rear. This time, as usual, Bai Lang did not wear full armor; he only donned decorative brocade armor, and in the heat of battle he might tear it off, exposing his upper body—after all, some have called him a tiger‑madman, and his tiger‑like courage is well known, so fighting bare‑torso is perfectly normal.

The Zao Yang spear was too heavy, so to save the horse's strength Bai Lang planned to change weapons. Switching to a Pu Dao would make the mounted combat too short, so he opted for a trident—three blades, each double‑edged, thick and sharp. The trident weighed just under thirty jin and measured about one zhang six chi, ample for killing. Bai Lang carried no side weapon; after all, he himself is a weapon.