Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 57: Chapter 11: Break Out (Part 2)
Editor: Larbre Studio

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The signal flare hissed as it soared into the sky, scattering sparks blossomed into a spectacle of color, forming in the air eight larger and one smaller, ring-shaped magatama, the family crest of the Daimyo of the Uesugi Clan, to whom the thousands of Japanese pirates defending these hills swore their allegiance.

The desolate, lonely hills seemed to have been seared with a hot iron at one corner, as unrest and turmoil rapidly spread.

A cacophony of horse hooves, shouts, and bowstrings twanged in unison.

Li Yan was clad in red armor, connected with saltpeter-treated cowhide, straddling a Black Mane Warhorse at the vanguard, capturing the attention of eighty percent of the Shangshan Legion’s gaze.

The armor had been stripped from one of the Red Guards whom Diao Xiayan had killed; because they had to traverse the mountains, of the five Red Guards accompanying Kobayakawa, only this one wore the weighty armor.

Along with six red-scabbarded katanas and the family magatama found on Kobayakawa, these were the entirety of the spoils of war from the She Mountain battle, not to mention the food rations and cotton clothes.

The others were also donning the black lamellar armor plundered from the Shangshan Legion’s Cavalry, their crotches tightly clamped around the saddles, bodies hunched close to the horses’ backs, indistinguishable from the night’s inconspicuous grey geese.

Fewer than ten men, yet they drove almost twenty horses, swiftly weaving under the stars and moonlight.

A long line of torches converged into a fire dragon, the Japanese pirates with their family crest flags trailing, brandishing spears and short bows, charging toward Li Yan, only to be gradually outpaced by the horses.

The direction in which Li Yan and his men charged was a line of over a hundred black-clad Cavalrymen, disquiet horses snorting between the ranks, as squads of braided Japanese pirates raised shortbows, arrows cascading over like water.

The riderless horses hadn’t run twenty meters before they were pierced by arrows and collapsed in a heap, warm horse blood splattering everywhere.

“Pfft!”

Arrows penetrated faces with gruesome results.

The burly soldier with thick eyebrows who’d been assisting Deng Tianxiong fell backwards on his horse, the rapidly running animal’s front hooves kneeling on the ground, its large head pulled down by tremendous inertia, tumbling far out.

The whooshing of the wind swept over Li Yan’s head. He held up the makeshift shield that had been bound together from wood and vine by the group; arrows from time to time penetrated the soaked wood, making a dull thudding sound. His armor’s seams were pierced by two or three arrow feathers, and another glanced off his helmet, the metal’s mournful cry buzzing in his ears.

Wang Sheng and Song Translator ran together in the middle of the group, gritting their teeth as they parried the locust-like swarm of incoming arrows with their bows. Wang Sheng had ropes tied around him, with Diao Xiayan bound to his back.

“Wang, do you still have the Fire Thunder that the lord gave you?”

The weakened Diao Xiayan asked loudly.

“Yes, Uncle Diao, why are you asking for it?”

“Bring it to me, and give me two arrows too.”

Crouching low, Wang Sheng pulled an arrow from the quiver and handed it along with the hand grenade to Diao Xiayan behind him.

Somehow, Diao Xiayan quickly wrapped the Fire Thunder between the two arrows using strips of cloth.

“Hold it, draw your bow!”

Wang Sheng instinctively set up the bow and arrow, the two arrows bound together pointing ahead.

“Use all your strength,” the elder Diao’s arm reached forward, pulling the ring.

“Fire!”

“Whew!”

The oddly-shaped object twisted and turned through the air, flying into the formation, instantly causing a huge blast!

A large swath of Japanese pirates fell like wheat before the scythe, the middle region littered with severed limbs and disfigured flesh smeared across the hills, a sight too horrific to endure.

The cavalry lineup of the Uesugi Clan experienced a slight disturbance but quickly assembled at the call of the Flag-bearer General.

As the distance between the horses from both sides narrowed, a cavalry officer with a crescent helmet raised his katana high. The Japanese pirates abandoned their bows and drew their blades as both teams charged, looking down it seemed like a short arrow shot towards a long snake.

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder!

Li Yan charged ahead!

Beneath the bright full moon, manes flying, horses collided, the sounds of blades meeting were sharp and intense, and the sparkling beads of sweat flew out, scattering with the cool moon halo!

The brutal close combat where every slash met flesh, the agonizing screams of horses crashing into each other, the rich scent of blood and sweat in the nostrils, and the tiny tongues visible in the open mouths of the screaming Japanese pirates…

Li Yan’s blood surged like a pump, waves of heat crashed against his head, and his temples throbbed violently.

Even engaging with the most skilled martial artist in hand-to-hand combat was far less exhilarating than the scene unfolding before his eyes.

This was a brutal confrontation that the safe and secure people of later generations could not imagine, this was the irrevocable age of cold weapons!

Li Yan let out a long howl, his Han Sword sang as if it were spring water striking a rock, the leaping Ring Dragon Sword cut through the enemies with ease, unstoppable as a tiger among sheep.

The cloth wrapped around the handle of his Ring Dragon Sword was already soaked through with spilled blood, nearly flowing into his palm.

Li Yan’s grip became slippery, and he instinctively reduced his strength by a third to prevent the Ring Dragon from slipping out of his hand.

“I should have learned from Diao and the others to bind the sword to my wrist…”

Li Yan was trained in martial arts, with a Main Frame of Combat Sword that was proper and grand. Binding the sword to his hand would restrict many of the sword techniques he could perform, hence Li Yan, who had been practicing swordsmanship for over a decade, subconsciously rejected the crude method of the Binding Knife.

This was a different approach between military skill matches and civilian weapon fights. As a modern person who hadn’t experienced these, Li Yan was indeed confused. On top of that, he had been so conspicuous on his journey that no one thought General Li did not understand these things, nor did they remind him.

A Naginata slid past Li Yan’s neck, which he avoided with a lean back. Li Yan steadied his horse and focused, the cavalry officer with the crescent helmet had eyes like fire, the blade of his Naginata aimed directly at him.

“A Fleeting Glimpse, activate.”

Name: Mori Tsunemoto, Flag-bearer General.

Status: Command (Morale of subordinates weaken upon his death or defeat)

Expertise: Military Skill 71%

Ability: Command (Increases the range of subordinate archers)

Threat Level: Deep Blue

Remark: If he were to dismount, he would not be an opponent for the Red Guards Army.

This Flag-bearer General was mumbling furiously, incomprehensible to Li Yan, who just charged forward, sidestepped the Naginata, and the Ring Dragon cut off his arm; then with a flick of the blade upward, ripped through the throat of this human buff.

The Japanese pirates around were terrified. They watched their general, who just a second ago was shouting like a fierce demon, “I will be your opponent,” get slashed from his horse by the man opposite him.

Li Yan, covered in blood, snatched a long spear with a single blade, tied the Ring Dragon to his horse, and danced the long spear into the crowd like a sharp knife slicing through butter, leading his men, unstoppable.

“Break out!” His eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, and his words carried an imperious tone.

The Ming Army seemed to be inspired by him, even Song Translator was shouting at the top of his lungs, a small group of fewer than ten people yet with the momentum of thousands of soldiers!

“Break out!”