"Reporting, General! Our scouts have encountered the enemy, and we've confirmed that there are 2,000 cavalry lying in ambush ahead," the scout leader reported to Zhao Yun. "They appear to be under Zhang Liao, part of Lü Bu's forces."
"Lü Bu's forces?" Zhao Yun raised an eyebrow. "Order the army to prepare for battle. Infantry, form up to protect the strategist. White Horse Volunteers, await my command!"
Although Zhao Yun found it surprising that Lü Bu's army would attempt an ambush, the battlefield is full of unexpected events.
"Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, huh? Let me see if you truly deserve the title of one of the Three Great Cavalry Forces, alongside the White Horse Volunteers," Zhao Yun muttered as he gazed at the horizon. He could already see the dust rising in the distance—a sign that thousands of horses were thundering toward them.
"They're not bothering to hide their movements. Are they planning a direct confrontation? That makes sense. Among the Three Great Cavalry Forces, the White Horse Volunteers are the weakest in close combat," Chen Xi remarked as he received the information from Zhao Yun. However, he was puzzled by why Zhang Liao would attack at this time. It didn't make sense from any angle.
"A man and two horses, huh? Yuan Benchu certainly has the advantage in this regard," Zhao Yun mused to himself, though he felt no fear.
With a single thrust of his spear, Zhao Yun led his White Horse Volunteers forward like a rolling tide, surging toward the enemy. The lead white horse shot forward with an almost unnatural speed, like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Prepare to die!" Zhang He roared as he unleashed a burst of silver inner energy. A massive silver shield appeared over the Wolf Cavalry, and with a mighty shout, Zhang He slashed out a blade of light hundreds of meters long, aimed directly at Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun frowned, focusing on Zhang He's direction. He found it odd—Zhang He shouldn't be this weak. While the attack was powerful, it wasn't enough to scatter Zhao Yun's army's energy, nor could it even harm him.
With a simple thrust of his spear, Zhao Yun deflected the light blade without even tapping into the White Horse Volunteers' collective energy. The blade was effortlessly redirected and sent flying.
Zhang He was left stunned by the sight. He finally understood why Yan Liang had warned him not to play tricks with Zhao Yun. This was beyond ordinary techniques!
As Zhang He stood there in shock, the White Horse Volunteers had already closed to within a hundred paces of the Wolf Cavalry's front lines. Then, to Zhang He's amazement, the White Horse Volunteers raised their bows and shot arrows that flew the hundred paces and struck true!
"White Horse Volunteers!" Zhang He exclaimed in shock. If there was one cavalry force Zhang He both knew and hated the most, it was the White Horse Volunteers. Back when Yuan Shao's vast armies had been unable to defeat Gongsun Zan, it was all because of the White Horse Volunteers. They were just too fast—absurdly fast!
Had it not been for Ju Yi's victory at the Battle of Jieqiao, when all the conditions favored him, the White Horse Volunteers would have been unstoppable across the land. Their speed was unparalleled. As one of the most elite units in the world, they didn't boast superior defense, attack, or endurance—everything was focused on speed. They were the fastest cavalry!
"Thud, thud, thud!" In the first exchange, Zhang He's Wolf Cavalry lost a dozen riders, with many more being hit by arrows. However, the Wolf Cavalry wasn't easily intimidated. As soon as the arrow rain subsided, they drew their own bows and began to return fire.
Zhao Yun glanced at Zhang He's side, estimating their losses. The Wolf Cavalry wouldn't be easy to take down. The White Horse Volunteers' attacks weren't particularly powerful since their energy was primarily focused on speed, but the Wolf Cavalry's defense wasn't that thick either.
"Thud, thud, thud!" Another volley of arrows rained down. Unlike the versatile Wolf Cavalry, the White Horse Volunteers specialized in mounted archery.
In terms of archery on horseback, the White Horse Volunteers had absolute confidence. As soon as the enemy loosed their arrows, they responded with a second volley of their own. Then, as if acting on instinct, the entire White Horse force veered to the sides at incredible speed, drawing more arrows from their quivers for a third volley.
"Spread out and engage!" Zhang He ordered, confident that his Wolf Cavalry could withstand the White Horse Volunteers' archery and close the distance to engage them in melee combat.
The Wolf Cavalry, infuriated by the White Horse Volunteers' repeated volleys, spread out and charged without hesitation. Compared to large-scale battles, the Wolf Cavalry excelled in wolf-pack tactics.
"Thud, thud, thud!" The White Horse Volunteers, relying on their incredible speed and rapid shooting, continued to inflict damage on the Wolf Cavalry.
However, the continuous shooting meant the White Horse Volunteers had to keep stabilizing their formations, giving the Wolf Cavalry a chance to close in. Despite the White Horse Volunteers' superior speed, the Wolf Cavalry doggedly pressed on, flanking, cutting off, and chasing down their foes.
The Wolf Cavalry's relentless pursuit and counterattacks gradually hemmed in the White Horse Volunteers. After a series of arrow volleys, the Wolf Cavalry finally managed to catch up, and the two forces became locked in fierce combat.
The battle quickly turned into a chaotic melee. The Wolf Cavalry's wolf-pack tactics aimed to wear down the enemy bit by bit, while the White Horse Volunteers' strategy of encircling and harassing the enemy with arrows followed a similar philosophy—both sought to grind down their opponents.
As a result, the battle between these two forces became a true contest of equals. Whenever the White Horse Volunteers unleashed a volley of arrows, the Wolf Cavalry would retaliate in kind. When the White Horse Volunteers dodged at high speed, the Wolf Cavalry would seize the opportunity to launch a countercharge.
Likewise, whenever the Wolf Cavalry attempted a flanking maneuver, the White Horse Volunteers would respond with a rapid volley, disrupting the Wolf Cavalry's movements. The Wolf Cavalry, equally skilled in mounted archery, would then return fire, and the cycle would continue, with both sides trading blows in a relentless exchange.
Seeing this, Zhang He couldn't help but sigh. If only Xun Shen and the others had completed the Bingzhou campaign earlier and brought the Wolf Cavalry back into the fold, the history of the Battle of Jieqiao wouldn't have been dismissed as a mere stroke of luck for Yuan Shao!
"Zhao Zilong! Do you dare face me in single combat?" Zhang He shouted, leading a group of dozens of Wolf Cavalry as they charged toward Zhao Yun's position.
With the energies of both armies entangled and the fierce fighting between the two forces suppressing inner energy techniques, Zhang He wasn't afraid to challenge Zhao Yun. After all, his defeat at Le Ling by Guan Yu's hand had driven him to push his abilities to new heights, and now, he was not to be underestimated!
Zhao Yun glanced at the fierce battle between the White Horse Volunteers and the Wolf Cavalry with a hint of regret. He knew that only through such brutal battles could his troops become more elite. But facing off against the truly formidable Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry? Damn Zhang Liao!