Mount and Blade Central Asia

Li Rufeng was dumbfounded. This time he saw the angle of the crossbow arrow, which shot diagonally downward into Butubasin's neck. The crossbow arrow was thrown, and it was obviously a beyond-visual-range attack.

Li Rufeng had no idea what the probability was of two key commanders being hit by projectiles in quick succession during a skirmish. He only knew that the Taierbahe tribe was either unlucky, cursed by the Eternal Heaven, or it was a coincidence, or there was something unusual going on...

Li Rufeng subconsciously looked at Haishar, the abnormal problem solving expert he had just met. The other party had a serious expression on his face and was obviously aware of this problem.

But the situation at this point was urgent and there was no time for them to hesitate. The morale that had been gathered with great difficulty dissipated in an instant like a popped balloon.

Li Rufeng knew that he had to respond immediately, otherwise if fear took over, he would have a hard time tonight.

Complex thoughts flashed through Li Rufeng's mind in an instant. Perhaps it was the arrogance of a time traveler, perhaps it was the confidence given to him by the golden finger, or perhaps Li Rufeng was an opportunist at heart. When faced with this situation, he would not allow his fate to be decided by others.

So he stood up again... He ran like the wind to the place where Butubasin died. Before anyone could react, he jumped on his horse, took over Butubasin's mount and shouted loudly: "I am Li Rufeng, the shaman chosen by Changshengtian. I say, the Taierbahe tribe will not fall today! All warriors who are willing to stand up and fight for themselves, their families and tribesmen will be protected by Changshengtian!"

"Fight for Tengri!" As Li Rufeng's student, Bater was the first to react. He pulled Bell and shouted loudly, "For the glory of the grassland people!"

"I won't ask you to understand the essence of religion, but as a religious practitioner, you must understand that the times define you as giving people the courage and confidence to face difficulties and continue to survive by using their 'imaginary existence' when they need it." Bartel recalled Li Rufeng's teachings.

Those words that he once couldn't understand now seemed to come alive, making him suddenly enlightened.

Habashibuhua and Huluchirjia also joined in the shouting. Fortunately, Li Rufeng was an Oriental. His appearance and temperament were the type that people would never forget in this land. The herdsmen of the Taierbahe tribe all knew him and recognized his status. The military spirit and morale that had begun to collapse were once again pulled back by Li Rufeng.

If it weren't for his concerns about copyright infringement, Li Rufeng would have added, "Any warrior who dies fighting for Changshengtian will forever enjoy seventy-two raisins (Note 1), plenty of milk and honey, and a herd of fine horses."

While Li Rufeng was trying to boost morale and prevent the situation from developing into the worst case scenario, he kept hinting at Haishaer with his eyes.

The camp gate will be opened soon. He can't be the only shaman leading the charge, right?

Not to mention whether he is capable or not, the main thing is that his riding skills are not good enough, and he can't catch up with this group of people at all!

Li Rufeng had already made up his mind that if Haishaer refused him, he would have to let Huluchirjia and Habashibuhua lead the charge.

The most important thing at this time is that someone has to take the lead, just like a herd of horses must have a king horse and a herd of sheep must have a big ram.

Fortunately, Haishaer didn't let Li Rufeng look bad. He grabbed the horse from a nearby herdsman, jumped on it, and threw Parisa to Bater: "Keep an eye on her, or you will be held responsible."

Bater and Beren looked at each other. They had both seen Parisa's strength. Even though she was tied up like a dumpling now, they were still scared.

But at this time no one cared what the two young men thought. Haishar pulled the reins and rushed out first. The herdsmen along the way made way, leaving a clear path for him and the other cavalrymen behind him.

Li Rufeng also followed in the cavalry team. If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. Although he did not particularly want to wear this crown, now so many people are watching him being held captive, and too many people are counting on him. If he is not careful, the morale he has will be gone.

Now, he can only follow

Let’s give it a try, mount and blade, just five words, but the bloody smell is overwhelming!

The author says:

Author's Note: Note 1—The term "seventy-two virgins" originates from the Hadith of At-Tirmidhi, where the Prophet said those who ascend to Paradise will have 8 servants and 72 virgins. However, many Islamic scholars around the world believe that the "virgin" in the Quran is a mistranslation of the ancient Syriac word for "raisin," hence the joking term "seventy-two raisins."

Chapter 31 Ambition

Judging from his skill level and proficiency, Li Rufeng is not even as good as the militiamen in the tribe, but in fact he is a tall man of 1.85 meters. Although his figure cannot be described as exaggerated, compared with the average level of the indigenous people of this era, Li Rufeng is definitely a strong man.

Especially in the past two years or so, the life and diet on the grassland have made Li Rufeng look more capable, or at least look quite intimidating.

Li Rufeng, who was mixed in with the cavalry, was still wearing the silk robe he wore to the banquet, with his fine-crafted leather armor on the outside. He shivered when the night wind blew.

Li Rufeng was not nervous. Although he always thought that he was a wise general, suitable for strategizing and developing productivity in the rear, going to the battlefield would happen sooner or later.

There are not even a few dynasties that can rule for a long time on this land, and the situation of the emperor personally leading the army to war, which is very representative in Eastern civilization, does not exist at all.

If the rulers here are no longer capable of fighting, it means the beginning of the decline of the dynasty.

The cavalry led by Huluchirjia and Habashibuhua protected Li Rufeng firmly in the center. They knew that whether they could survive this round would determine their life and death.

Although Li Rufeng had managed to boost the morale of the Taierbahe cavalry a little, the fact that two of their leaders had been shot and killed by crossbows in succession still made everyone feel uneasy.

This can be seen from the momentum of their charge, Li Rufeng was not thrown off at all!

Even if he obtained the specialty of "Flexible Warhorse" and his riding skills were qualitatively improved, it would not instantly raise his level to this level.

In the front, Haishar, acting as the arrow, was as steady as a mountain, seemingly completely unaffected by the battle formation.

He was like a wolf sizing its prey, his eyes sweeping over the hostile cavalrymen who were responsible for harassment one by one. These cavalrymen were divided into two large groups, and it was impossible to see how many of them there were in the darkness. They occupied the grasslands on both sides of the Taierbahe tribe.

Before this, the two groups of people had been standing in place shooting arrows, and the camp with fire in the night was the most conspicuous target.

After seeing cavalry rushing out of the camp, the two groups of cavalry instantly moved back some distance, waiting for Haishar and others to make a choice.

After Li Rufeng's mobilization, the entire camp gathered more than eighty cavalrymen with horses, but most of them were armed herdsmen. Their armor was incomplete, their weapons were varied, and only half of them had bows and arrows.

More importantly, compared to the well-prepared enemy, the morale and courage of these people may collapse at any time.

Fortunately, Haishar has never fought a battle with me in his life, and he has become accustomed to this kind of situation where he has to fight for his life.

"Left!" His voice was like thunder, and everyone could hear it clearly. His movements were like lightning, and he ran away without any hesitation, without even looking back.

It was as if...even if he was alone, he would never look back.

"Left!" Li Rufeng also drew out his scimitar, shouted loudly, and followed on horseback. At this time, the entire team followed Haishar and began to charge.

Under the dim moonlight, the skilled nomadic knights, holding torches in one hand and weapons in the other, charged towards the unknown enemy.

There was no formation, no tactics, only a passion. Li Rufeng was not Taierbahe and his son. He couldn't even call out the names of the cavalrymen around him. This was a gamble. As long as the enemy could withstand one of their charges, the war would be over tonight.

However, Haishaer's presence is the guarantee of victory. Li Rufeng will never forget the opponent's heroic feat of rushing down the mountain like a tiger, firing five arrows in seventy steps, and shooting down four people.

In this era, in an encounter of this scale, such a powerful general is enough to change the situation!

Haishar charged ahead. Although the horse under his crotch was not as majestic as his own mount, it was also a top-quality warhorse. As if sensing the master's indomitable momentum, the horse neighed and accelerated again!

The group of cavalry that was selected as the target retreated in an organized manner, completing a round of volleys in the process.

However, most of these horse archers had already fired seven or eight rounds of arrows in the previous sneak attack, and their arm strength was somewhat weak, so the speed of the arrows they shot at the enemy was insufficient.

Haishar drew his sword and blocked two arrows shot at him, then took out his longbow from behind and shot an arrow at the officer who was giving orders in the middle of the enemy team!

Then, Haishar shot three arrows in a row, and three cavalrymen with torches fell off their horses, and the enemy's team instantly became dark.

Under the starlight, torches do not improve visibility much. On the contrary, torches will make it difficult for nearby cavalry to see the road conditions. These torches are used to mark positions and transmit signals. Anyone holding a torch is basically a grassroots officer.

These cavalrymen paid the price for their recklessness, and Haishar collapsed in an instant.

The command system of the entire team.

Afterwards, this team of cavalry went from an organized fight to a real rout, and Haishar alone defeated the enemy's left-wing cavalry team!

This is the risk of night battles, either you win everything or you lose everything!

"Right!" Haishar shouted again, turned first, and started charging towards the cavalry on the other side.

At this time, the cavalry on their right wing had approached Li Rufeng and his men from the side, obviously planning to attack them from the front and back, but they did not expect that their friendly forces would collapse so quickly.

The pincer attack instantly turned into a cavalry charge!

Compared with the infantry, the speed of the cavalry was so fast that Li Rufeng felt that he was still following Haishar to chase the enemy in the last second, and the next second he turned around and engaged in close combat with the enemy!

The huge body of the warhorse looks as strong as a monster under the cover of night. The countless horse hooves stepping on the grass seem to match the rhythm of the heartbeat, which makes people's blood boil!

For a moment, Li Rufeng felt as if he had lost his hearing. He could hear nothing, not the neighing of horses, the roar of men, the sound of the wind, but only the beating of his own heart. At this moment, it was as if time had slowed down...

He saw Huluchirga standing two horse lengths in front of Li Rufeng, waving a scimitar and shouting something with his mouth wide open. In front of him was another Mongol rushing over from the opposite side. His expression was equally ferocious, with a mixture of fear and excitement in his eyes, and he slashed at Huluchirga with a scimitar from the other side.

Habashibuhua still showed no emotional fluctuations. He stood in front of Li Rufeng diligently and was on the same horse as him. A short spear had already pierced the enemy's body, and blood splattered everywhere, staining his leather coat red.

Li Rufeng could not see Haishar's figure, but he could see two horse-riding warriors colliding head-on not far ahead. It was almost impossible to distinguish between the man and the horse. The sound of broken bones and screams mixed with a hint of excitement suddenly knocked him back to the real world!

"Kill!" Li Rufeng looked at an enemy who broke through the defense circle and rushed in front of him. Relying on his physical advantage, he handed the scimitar over from a distance. With the help of the speed of both sides, the sharp blade instantly cut the opponent's neck.

As a doctor, Li Rufeng had memorized the different sensations of a sharp blade cutting through skin, muscle, cartilage, and bone, just like the moment just now—

The feeling of the blade cutting through the skin is negligible, followed by the muscles and cartilage. The former feels soft and tough when cut, while the latter is slightly obstructive and has excellent elasticity. There will be a slight vibration and rebound after being cut.

(You killed the Hezhongdi tribal militia, your experience points +180)

（你的骑术+1，26/50，你的单手武器+2，11/25）

A faint system prompt appeared at the corner of his eye, but Li Rufeng had no time to observe it. He just followed the team and broke through the enemy's formation.

Viewed from the air, the two teams were like two combs combing through the thickness of each other's lineup, causing heavy damage to both sides.

Now, they finally knew who the enemy was.

"Form a team!" Haishaer no longer needed Li Rufeng's help in giving orders. All the warriors who had witnessed his bravery subconsciously obeyed his orders.

The Chagatai people were natural cavalrymen. They learned how to ride horses before they learned to walk. Even without relevant training, these militiamen quickly matured after two rounds of great victories.

According to their respective levels of bravery, they formed a goose-shaped formation behind Haishar, ready for another round at any time.

But the enemy seemed to have no intention of pursuing us, and they fled without looking back...

"Follow me! Clear the riverside!" As a soldier with rich combat experience, Haishar realized the problem from the enemy cavalry's attitude of not wanting to fight and not daring to fight.

They were only responsible for the feint attack, and their purpose was to delay time. In this way, the main attack direction would only be the riverside side.

"It must be Duosite who made the move!" Habashibuhua followed Li Rufeng and said as everyone turned around, "Now is our best chance to escape."

Habashibuhua's voice was very calm, as if they were discussing what to eat for breakfast.

"Bater is still in the camp." Li Rufeng replied in a low voice, "We can't just leave him here, right?"

Li Rufeng said this, but in fact he knew very well in his heart that it was ambition that supported him to take the risk.

Just now in the camp, Li Rufeng could convince himself that if he didn't stand up, no one would be able to escape, but now, he has a horse in his hand and the enemy cavalry has retreated... he still doesn't want to leave.

Both Taierbahe and his son were killed in the battle. The third most important person in the tribe was the unambitious shaman Wusali. If they had won this battle, he would have been the most prestigious person in the entire tribe.

The Taierbahe tribe is the largest tribe in the entire Tumed Wanhu, and its strength will be unprecedentedly expanded!

"You have the final say, Shaman Rufeng, I will listen to you." Habashibuhua nodded, still standing beside him with a serious expression, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes, as if the dead had finally come back to life.

The author says:

Author's words: There is still a lot of controversy about whether the ancient army could conduct large-scale night battles. The proportion of night blindness varies greatly in different eras, just like the height and physical fitness of soldiers.

Taking the Ottoman Empire as an example, the physical fitness of Ottoman soldiers from the mid-to-late 15th century to the 16th century was obviously stronger than that of the Ottoman Empire after the 18th century, and the proportion of night blindness also increased a lot. Generally speaking, when the country is strong and the lower-class people can have enough food, night blindness is much less common.

So as Timur's border guarding tribe, the beneficiaries and exploiters of the war, Li Rufeng and his men actually lived a pretty good life. Their nutritional intake was relatively balanced, and they had more soldiers who could be mobilized to fight at night.

Chapter 32 Mount and Blade (Part 2)

Digran Aghashyan, centurion of the Armenian Second Heavy Infantry, descendant of the conquered.

In early spring, the icy river water seeped through the makeshift raft and soaked the sole of his left shoe, but compared to his right foot, this was not a big problem.

When boarding the boat, Digran missed a step and his right foot stepped directly into the river sand, which was now filled with fine sand and his skin was almost immediately rubbed.

He had always wanted to take off his shoes, wash them in water, and then put them back on, but he was wearing two layers of armor inside and outside, and the heavy armor made him afraid to change his center of gravity easily.

The small raft carried a total of eight fully armed soldiers, including Diglan.

Digran was even worried that his movements were too big and would cause the raft to capsize. It was certain that all the soldiers who fell into the water would not be able to swim up by their own strength.

The soldiers rowed the boat silently. The flow of the Euphrates River was not fast this month, and there were no winds or waves, making it very suitable for travel.

But the Mongols didn't understand that their only need for the river was for drinking water and watering their horses.

Digran believed that as long as they reached the shore successfully, the Mongolian tribe would be powerless to recover.

The Mongols' advantage lay entirely on horseback, and now that their cavalry were no longer on horseback, they were at best a second-rate enemy.

The centurions in Diglan's hundred-man team are all veterans who have fought with him. These veterans may not be as physically fit, but they know how to adjust tactics and how to make their soldiers obedient.

Being able to do these two things is enough, Diglan can't ask for more.

At this time, they could already see the shore on the opposite bank. No one had lit a torch, and the only lighting they could rely on was the moonlight and starlight.

Diglan breathed a sigh of relief. The whole process seemed to go very smoothly. No one capsized or drowned, and everyone was close to the riverbank...

The next second, the thing that Diglan least wanted to see happened. A burst of rapid horse hoof sounds came from the distance. It was the cavalry of the Taierbahe tribe coming!

Diglan, who was standing on the river bank, had no cover or shield and could only watch as the cavalry stopped on the shore and started shooting arrows.

The arrows were not dense, but compared to the moving targets that these cavalrymen usually shot at, the heavy infantry on the rafts were undoubtedly good targets.

Digran held his shield in front of him, and it was difficult for him to use the scimitar in his hand because there was someone next to him.

One hundred meters!

He estimated the distance and felt that the losses should not be great. There were less than twenty Mongolian horse archers on the river bank, and they came in a hurry.

But Diglan soon saw the leading knight, who was aiming at a raft in front with a long bow that was obviously not suitable for use as a riding bow.

hum!

Diglan thought he heard the sound of a bowstring trembling, and then he saw the exceptionally long arrow pierce through the centurion of the raft in front of him, and the remaining force of the arrow nailed the two men together front and back.

What the hell is this!