Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Dust and smoke billowed, hooves thundered incessantly—ten thousand cavalry, led by Li Hongyun, charged from the Summer Army's grand encampment.

Of course, it was impossible for all ten thousand cavalry to spread out at once.

The terrain outside Hulaoguan Pass was naturally quite narrow, and these ten thousand cavalry were drawn from the sprawling array of various camps.

Thus, Li Hongyun could truly have only a thousand or so by his side, while more cavalry followed behind, led by officers of various ranks.

Mounted on his horse, Li Hongyun felt a twinge of regret.

Alas, I really should have made time to get a "driver's license"!

Whether one had the identity of a cavalryman made a big difference at times like this.

But regret as he might, he could, after all, choose only one identity.

At this moment, it wasn't that he couldn't ride at all.

He had spent a long time on the Cavalry Trial before, and though he hadn't cleared it, he had honed his own riding skills. Moreover, during the Liang Dynasty, horse stirrups and high saddle bridges were already widely used; since he was riding a stirruped horse, it wasn't too difficult for Li Hongyun.

Furthermore, he was now occupying the body of Dou Jiande, and Dou Jiande's own riding skills were quite decent.

After bursting out of the grand camp like a whirlwind, Li Hongyun quickly spotted the Liang Army.

As I thought, Lord Qin hasn't left!

Indeed, worthy of the title 'Master of Seeking Death,' he first lured the enemy by shouting "I am Lord Qin" upon seeing the Summer Army scouts and then shot a few of them dead; later, he didn't even flee—at a leisurely pace, as if waiting for the Summer Army's grand force to arrive.

So, at this time, how many were with Lord Qin?

Just a few, a count on two hands would suffice.

Li Hongyun knew that this was after Lord Qin had rallied some men who were reserved behind.

According to historical records, Lord Qin had initially brought only a few dozen elite cavalry, and as he advanced, he kept leaving men at different locations as backups. By the time he truly arrived near the Summer Army's camps, there were only two men left.

In such a situation, he still dared to shout "I am Lord Qin" and then engage the Summer Army in battle—truly not something an ordinary person could pull off.

By the time Dou Jiande received the news, Lord Qin had already been in a skirmish with the Summer Army's scattered scouts and small units.

Clearly, Lord Qin had no intention of running for his life; he engaged in a strategic retreat, continuously killing any Summer Army cavalry daring to pursue him while rallying with the cavalry he had placed behind in advance.

When Dou Jiande sent out thousands more cavalry to continue the pursuit, Lord Qin had already safely retreated to secure ground and led Dou Jiande's cavalry troop headlong into a pre-arranged encirclement.

One can imagine how frustrating it must have been for those Summer Army cavalry.

Throughout their fervent chase, although they kept losing men to arrows, the number of cavalry by Lord Qin's side also increased, but only by one or two, or two or three at a time. After a long chase, there were only a few dozen cavalry with Lord Qin.

Caught in a loop of vigilance followed by relaxation, then vigilance again, these cavalry were clearly overstimulated, and when they finally became completely reckless, Lord Qin's ambush was waiting for them.

A strategy targeting the mind, terrifying in its efficacy.

However, since Li Hongyun already knew the script in advance, he naturally could make corresponding changes to Dou Jiande's arrangements.

First, in the name of prudence, he increased the few thousand cavalry directly to ten thousand and then, not trusting others to lead, took matters into his own hands.

Although this was not Dou Jiande's style, Li Hongyun knew that if he took personal action, there might still be a glimmer of hope, but if he sent someone else, it would truly be a giveaway.

As expected, upon seeing the Summer Army's cavalry, Lord Qin turned and fled.

Li Hongyun hadn't managed to make out his face and could only see from a distance Lord Qin clad in the resplendent Ming Guang Armor and astride a majestic, tall Big Green Horse.

The reason he identified Lord Qin at a glance was due to the distinguishably prominent elements on him.

The Liang Army's armor at this time was not the standard Ming Guang Armor seen in later times, but considering that Lord Qin had repeatedly broken into enemy lines unscathed, changing horses several times in the process, it was clear that the armor he wore was of exceptional quality.

Furthermore, when Lord Qin fought against Dou Jiande, he rode a Black Steed. The six fine horses he had ridden were engraved on his joint tomb with the empress, which is why such feats were recorded.

Additionally, Lord Qin carried a bow visibly larger than normal on his back.

These three pieces of information were sufficient to confirm Lord Qin's identity.

Li Hongyun immediately spurred his horse and shouted triumphantly, "Chase! Whoever can shoot an arrow at Lord Qin's Black Steed will be rewarded fifty gold pieces! Whoever wounds Lord Qin, a hundred gold! The one who kills Lord Qin, a thousand gold and a title of nobility!"

Squandering another's wealth does not pain one's own heart; after all, it was Dou Jiande's riches Li Hongyun was not concerned about spending.

Moreover, had Dou Jiande known his fate in advance, he likely would have offered even more in rewards.

Under the promise of hefty rewards, surely the brave will emerge. Dou Jiande's men were from Hebei, among them no shortage of valiant warriors. With these words announced, the entire cavalry troop surged forward in speed, relentlessly pursuing!

As the distance between both sides rapidly closed, Lord Qin, who was personally responsible for rearguard duty, finally made his move.

He turned around atop his horse, drew his bow and notched an arrow, releasing it!

One of the Summer Army's cavalry in front immediately fell to the power of the bowstring.