First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Breakout
A light cavalry soldier escorted Lian Sheng over, serving as cannon fodder in case they encountered scouts along the way.
The two arrived smoothly at the outskirts of Liu Team's checkpoint, hiding in the shadows at a distance.
"This is as far as I go," the cavalryman said, handing the reins to her.
Lian Sheng took the reins and said, "Actually, you could take me further."
Cavalryman: "Do you want me to go in with you?"
Lian Sheng: "Ah no, I want you to give me your pants."
Cavalryman: "..."
He turned his head and bolted.
Lian Sheng mounted the horse and gave her final report to the commander-in-chief: "I'm going to scout the map now. If the enemy numbers are as I predicted, I hope Chu Team's soldiers won't end up dying while clinging to the food storage."
The commander-in-chief, currently overwhelmed, didn't catch what she said. The frontline situation was unfavorable, and the troops were retreating.
Any further retreat would take them behind their camp—right where their flag was stationed. The situation was critical.
Covering his ears, he said, "I don't have time to argue with you now, I'm busy!"
Lian Sheng paid no mind. She stroked the horse's neck, the texture feeling remarkably real. Only after mounting did she realize there were two operating modes for cavalry.
The first was system-assisted stabilization—automatically clamping the legs against the horse's belly to prevent falling. The soldier only needed to control their upper body's balance. The downside was restricted leg movement and a fixed riding posture.
The second mode was manual control.
The system defaulted to the first mode. After all, in this era, no one actually learned horseback riding.
Lian Sheng switched to the second mode, trotting the horse to adjust. Gazing at the strikingly realistic ancient battlefield before her, a long-lost sense of familiarity welled up in her heart.
This was her battlefield. This was her domain.
Lian Sheng held her blade behind her back with one hand, dug her heels in, and kicked the horse's flank. The steed surged forward.
Iron hooves kicked up yellow earth, churning a cloud of dust. The wind howled past her ears as she raced ahead.
Liu Team's scout, standing atop the checkpoint wall at the camp's edge, spotted her from afar and shouted, "Someone's coming from the enemy side! Get ready!"
Liu Team's commander-in-chief had personally led the troops out, leaving Zhao Zhuoluo in charge of the flag.
Zhao Zhuoluo was surprised. Could Chu Team still spare manpower? Immediately alert, he asked, "How many?"
The scout himself seemed doubtful: "...Looks like just one."
Everyone: "..."
Fang Jianchen stood up from the ground and said, "Are you kidding me?"
"It's really just one!" the scout insisted urgently. "She's coming!"
Clear as day—only one figure. But she wasn't approaching head-on; she was galloping along the checkpoint's side, circling around.
Zhao Zhuoluo was currently guarding the flag at the camp's rear, too far to intervene. Only Fang Jianchen and the archery squad were positioned ahead.
"Whoever she is, stop her!" Fang Jianchen rubbed his hands together. "Archers, forward! Snipe her!"
The archers raised their weapons and climbed onto the wall, taking aim. They were clearly unaccustomed to this.
Upon closer inspection, they realized something was off and exclaimed, "Why is she so fast? Is that horse cheating?"
It was a fine warhorse—they just didn't know how to ride. Sitting upright while maintaining balance—how could they possibly go fast?
The system prohibited any maneuvers that might throw the rider. But Lian Sheng could.
They noticed too late, and their hesitation cost them the best opportunity. By the time they were ready to shoot, Lian Sheng had already turned her horse, skirting the wall.
Fang Jianchen and the others stood diagonally above her, making their shots awkward. They fired wildly—some missed, others were deflected by Lian Sheng's blade.
This was the drawback of crossbows: insufficient power, speed, and accuracy. For them, it was still unfamiliar.
In the blink of an eye, Lian Sheng was nearly at the entrance.
Realizing his sniping dream might be shattered, Fang Jianchen hastily ordered, "Quick, quick! Everyone down! Stop her!"
The soldiers scrambled down the wall, gathering at the gate.
They crouched, raising their crossbows. The rapid clatter of hooves was already audible—she was close. They planned to attack as she slowed to turn, taking her out in one volley.
Before they could coordinate, Lian Sheng rounded the corner at full speed.
Their fingers fumbled for the triggers, barely aiming when Lian Sheng made another sharp turn, charging straight at them.
The horse would trip!
That was everyone's first thought.
Though colliding with the horse might take out one or two of them, the rider wouldn't escape either.
So those in the middle quietly sidestepped, seeking better angles to surround her.
But as the horse closed in, it suddenly reared, front hooves lashing out. Its hind legs kicked powerfully, launching over their heads.
The well-defined muscles of the horse's legs were seared into their vision—a sight they'd never imagined.
Lian Sheng tightened the reins with her left hand, steadying herself, while her right swung the blade downward in a vicious slash.
Blood sprayed. The two archers who'd planned to trade their lives for hers were ejected from the system first, leaving behind NPC "corpses" staring blankly at the sky.
The archers could only gape as the shadow passed overhead, speechless for a long moment. Then, in unison: "Holy shit!!"
By the time they recovered, their target was already far ahead. They fired a few futile arrows at her back, utterly rattled.
"Since when could horses jump like that? I didn't know that was a feature!"
"I'm reporting that horse for cheating!"
"Stop joking, when has Sanyao ever had cheats?"
"Then how is that horse so fast?!"
"I bet she's actually riding! Who the hell learns horseback riding these days?!"
Fang Jianchen sprinted inward, yelling into comms: "Report! One intruder—Lian Sheng! A pantsless Lian Sheng!"
They were all archers, lacking cavalry—no way to catch a fleeing rider.
The soldiers inside were incredulous. The commander-in-chief, hearing the comms chatter, barked, "Hey hey hey! Alliance University guys, stop slacking off so obviously! Don't screw this up!"
Zhao Zhuoluo turned to his troops: "All units, assemble! Don't let your guard down just because it's one person. Take her down!"
The spectators outside were in an uproar—equal parts awe and disbelief.
A lone rider traversing a thousand miles? A single horse breaching fortified gates?
One woman with the momentum of an unstoppable army.
Lin Lie, watching the scene, gasped: "When did she learn to ride?"
The department head shrugged: "You can learn online."
You could—but no one did.
Lin Lie lowered her gaze, muttering: "Why would she learn horseback riding?"
Such refined horsemanship couldn't be achieved without years of practice.
Back on the field.
Lian Sheng charged ahead, finally illuminating the grayed-out sections of the map.
She spotted their tents and, beyond them, their flag.
From the checkpoint to the camp's midpoint, there were scarcely any troops—confirming her guess that their numbers were thin.
Everyone was stunned. No one expected a lone rider to get this far. Staring at the map markers, they fell into eerie silence.
Ye Buqing seized the moment to shout: "There's no large force inside—definitely under three hundred! Everyone, prepare for an all-out assault!"
Ye Buqing spurred his horse forward, leading the charge: "Target their flag! Charge like your lives depend on it! Even if only one of us stands in the end, victory is ours! Move out!"
The infantry followed, sprinting toward the enemy camp.
Chu Team's commander finally noticed the situation. Lu Mingyuan urged: "The map's uncovered! Rally the food storage troops—buy them time!"
The commander ordered: "All food storage units, assemble at camp! Immediately!"
Lian Sheng neared Liu Team's flag, unveiling the last section of the map. Lu Mingyuan confirmed the enemy count: 287.
She turned to leave but was met with two spears—cavalry had caught up, launching their assault.
Lian Sheng leaned back, pressing flat against the horse. Her blade flashed, slicing one rider's abdomen.
The rider, already leaning into his strike, toppled from his horse. His mount reared in panic.
Lian Sheng yanked the reins, backing her steed away. The other horses collided in confusion.
Witnessing this, Liu Team's soldiers collectively gasped: "Holy—shit!!"
Zhao Zhuoluo galloped over, directing from the rear: "Aim for the horse's legs!"
Infantry closed in behind, blocking Lian Sheng's escape.
Lian Sheng nudged her horse forward. As it neared the infantry, she pivoted, presenting her side.
The foot soldiers, seeing her slow, lunged with their blades. But Lian Sheng hooked a foot in the stirrup, grabbed the horse's neck, and swung halfway off, slashing at them before remounting and dodging away.
Her footing was solid as if rooted to the ground.
Lian Sheng glanced back, her impassive face radiating menace.
In horsemanship, these kids were decades too early.
Liu Team's infantry chorused: "Holy—shit—!!"
Was she some circus performer? Which unit was she from?!
Zhao Zhuoluo redirected his cavalry to encircle her. They'd left only thirty riders in reserve.
He roared from behind: "Cut her off! Don't let her escape! She's alone—get a grip! And stop saying 'shit'!"
"What the hell is going on?!" Liu Team's commander fumed over comms. "Is it one person or an entire school? Are you guys messing around? What are you doing?!"
Realizing his base was in chaos, the commander knew he had to handle things himself. Meanwhile, Chu Team's main force had reached his camp's front lines—just steps away. He pointed his blade forward: "Full speed! Don't give them time to reinforce!"
Several cavalrymen now surrounded Lian Sheng, weapons glinting as they thrust simultaneously.
Lian Sheng ducked, sliding off her horse. She smacked its rump with her blade. The horse whinnied in pain and bolted forward. The cavalry ahead flinched, veering aside—blocking their allies.
Lian Sheng sidestepped, leveraging her agility to slip past. She yanked a rider down, vaulted onto his horse, and slid her feet into the stirrups—successfully commandeering Liu Team's cavalry.
The stunned onlookers: "Holy!!—shit—!!"
Zhao Zhuoluo snapped: "Stop saying 'shit'! Focus on killing her!"
Fang Jianchen arrived, panting. Spotting the chaos, he wiped his face and bellowed: "Lian—Sheng! Your life—is mine!"
The enemy's morale was in tatters. Lian Sheng fought like a tempest, breaking free and charging straight for Zhao Zhuoluo.
Zhao Zhuoluo raised his blade, bracing for impact.
Their weapons clashed—a metallic ring. But Lian Sheng's riding was peerless, her movements fluid and unpredictable.
Her blade slid down his, leveraging torque to slip past his guard and strike his abdomen.
But her weapon, dulled from overuse, barely scratched his high-grade armor.
Lian Sheng glanced back, frowning at his unscathed state.
Zhao Zhuoluo didn't even adjust his stance—just swung down again. This blow packed real force, numbing Lian Sheng's arm on impact.
Lian Sheng refused to believe it. She'd aimed for the gaps—how could it not penetrate?
She wheeled her horse back, shaking off pursuers. The two dueled fiercely. Seizing another opening, she struck again—yet Zhao Zhuoluo lived.
Still oblivious to her weapon's condition, she pointed at him: "I've already slashed you. Please cooperate and fall down."
Zhao Zhuoluo: "..."
In that instant, a voice rang out behind them:
"Duck! Fire!"
The command was garbled, giving no time to react before arrows rained down.
Multiple shafts struck her previously unkillable foe. For a second, she thought allies had arrived—then an arrow pierced her back.
Lian Sheng: "..."
Zhao Zhuoluo: "..."
"I..." Fang Jianchen took a deep breath, grinning smugly: "Got my revenge?"
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