Ma Chao and Yan Xing felt a heavy weight settle in their hearts upon seeing this. Only top-tier martial artists could sense each other's strength.
This was a sense of alertness, telling them that their opponent wasn't just a show-off, but someone with real power.
Both of them instinctively assumed fighting stances. At the opponent's charging speed, a safe retreat was impossible. The only thing they could do now was to fight with all their might and kill the imposing man before them; only then would they have a chance to survive!
Whoosh!
A powerful aura erupted from his body, seemingly freezing the surrounding sandstorm.
Lu Ming's eyes were firmly locked on the two men ahead. He raised his spear high, aiming at the two leading generals. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind before he finally determined his target.
A feeling of perfect harmony between man and horse returned. His horse moved as if it were an extension of its own arm. Leaping, bounding, advancing, retreating, accelerating—all in one fluid motion!
Thud!
Yan Xing desperately parried with his spear, hastily changing his original attack.
Lu Ming's speed was simply too fast, leaving him with a frustrating feeling of being overtaken and intercepted. He was sent flying, his eyes gradually losing their luster, growing increasingly drowsy. The last thing he saw was a lone rider charging in, blood and flesh flying everywhere, swords shattering in his wake.
Thump! Yan Xing crashed into a carriage, losing consciousness.
Ma Chao, still somewhat stunned, remained in his thrusting spear stance. Lu Ming easily dodged his attack with a twist, and combined with the horse's speed, he didn't even have time to change his move before Lu Ming swept past.
Ma Chao, wreaking havoc behind him, even saw his cousin being lifted five meters into the air before crashing down, blood gushing from his mouth, clearly beyond saving.
"You traitor! I'll kill you!"
"You audacious traitor, daring to spout such nonsense! Die!" A deep voice boomed. Ma Chao turned to see a rider and a warrior wielding long-handled axes, hacking at him.
The sheer force of the attack startled him. He hastily raised his spear to parry, striking the axe with the spearhead and using the force to deflect it.
The two engaged in a hasty fight. Ma Chao and Xu Huang, two first-rate generals who had never clashed before, were now locked in combat.
Meanwhile, Lu Ming had already begun directing his cavalry to hunt down the rebels still scrambling for the gold!
This so-called gold was nothing more than stones coated with fuel, easily identifiable.
The short time frame, combined with the weight of the stones, made the crude disguise easily overlooked. Furthermore, lax discipline and the forced conscription had led to a breakdown in discipline, allowing Lu Ming to seize the opportunity for a surprise attack!
After the arrowheads tore through the enemy lines, Lu Ming began to use his healing magic to treat his own soldiers from the center.
The rebels weren't lacking in courage and fighting spirit, but they were horrified to discover that even when they slashed at the government troops, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds, not a single drop of blood flowed. It was utterly bizarre, and the enemy soldiers continued their tireless charge, seemingly oblivious to pain and death.
Faced with soldiers who seemed like demons, even Ma Teng and Han Sui's elite troops were terrified, howling and fleeing in panic, wishing they had more legs.
Normally, in a one-on-one fight, Ma Chao and Xu Huang would need at least half an hour to show who had the upper hand, and a true victor wouldn't be decided for at least an hour.
Unfortunately, Yan Xing's men were almost all dead, and Ma Chao's men had also suffered heavy casualties. Therefore, they had no choice but to use a feint to force Xu Huang back, taking a blow to the back themselves. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, otherwise they certainly wouldn't have survived.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Ma Chao shouted, spurring his horse as he fled in pain. He no longer cared about winning; he only wanted a chance to escape and return alive.
Lu Ming drew his composite bow from his back. This was a super-powerful bow he carried, made from logs, sinews, and glue, far more powerful than ordinary bows and arrows.
He took a polished flint arrow from his quiver and aimed at Ma Chao.
However, he didn't aim at Ma Chao, but at his warhorse.
Shooting the horse is worse than shooting the man; the horse can't dodge!
He aimed, drew the bow, but didn't fire. Otherwise, it would have been a single, fluid motion! Having transitioned from a marksman to an illusionist, he still gained the trait of "Divine Archery."
Divine Archery: After a five-second chant, an arrow is fired, capable of locking onto any object or body part within a kilometer, causing a kill or injury. Guaranteed to cause bleeding and paralysis, and always a hit!
When Ma Chao had escaped to within seven or eight hundred meters, Lu Ming released the arrow. The flint arrow streaked across the ground like a meteor, striking the warhorse directly in the rump, exiting through the neck.
Caught off guard, Ma Chao fell flat on his face, his face scraped and dazed, not knowing what had happened.
The arrow's speed was so fast that he didn't even have time to react before he fell!
"Young General! Someone, quickly help the Young General!" A personal guard immediately shouted for help, but froze on the spot the next second.
He had been cleaved in two. The cavalrymen slipped past him, and he collapsed to the ground.
The rout of infantry on the plains is fatal, especially when facing pursuit by cavalry—it's tantamount to suicide!
"Kneel on the ground! Those who surrender will not be killed!" Lu Ming took a deep breath and roared forcefully, his voice echoing for kilometers.
The rebel soldiers on the battlefield felt as if they had been struck hard in the heart and ears by a hammer, leaving them stunned and kneeling on the spot.
An hour later, Lu Ming arrived at Pengyang County. The six-meter-high city walls seemed neither high nor low, and the city gates were tightly closed.
His personal guard, Lin Rong, stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Governor Lu of Liangzhou has arrived! Open the gates immediately!"
"Open my ass! I don't know any Governor of Liangzhou! Get the hell out of here! Or I'll shoot you dead!" A county constable, reeking of alcohol, cursed and roared, seemingly drunk and insane.
The battle in the distance was over; why hadn't he opened the gates? No one knew what he was thinking.
Lu Ming frowned, then ordered the troops to leave. Since they wouldn't open the gate, he would have to use a more unconventional method.