Chapter 97: The Clash

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In the online game "Empire Rising," it was obvious that the sentry standing at the cave entrance, after spotting the numerous players, had rushed inside to inform their leader. Li Zhan immediately commanded over forty main players and his own soldiers to take the lead and advance toward the precipice. Over a hundred players of levels twelve to fifteen formed the flanks, while the remaining players below level twelve, led by Ruoyan and the female players, followed at the rear.

Under Li Zhan's leadership, the players steadily advanced toward the cave mouth at the cliff’s base. The surrounding area was barren grassland with no advantageous terrain, forcing them to confront the enemy head-on.

When they were about 300 meters from the cave entrance, Li Zhan raised his hand at the front to signal the players to halt. The entire formation immediately froze; dust and grass fragments stirred at their feet and drifted forward.

After about half a minute, the sound of drums echoed from within the cave, and two squads of red-haired bandits charged out. Each squad consisted of twelve men wielding iron knives. They hurriedly took positions at the foot of the cliff, splitting left and right. Soon, a second and then a third squad emerged in the same manner. Each of the three squads numbered twelve, forming two lines facing the players with the cave entrance dividing them. Each line consisted of three rows.

Li Zhan and the players were astonished by the bandits’ discipline, but then two squads of red-haired bandits emerged from the cave wielding short crossbows—a type of crossbow classified as short, hard, or powerful. These short crossbows had the following characteristics:

Attack: +5
Accuracy: +0
Range: 3 (150 meters)
Durability: 8
Additional attributes: None
Weight: 5
Features: Compared to a bow, the short crossbow has a shorter range, higher accuracy, and longer firing intervals.
Equipped requirements: Level 12, Archery [Basic]

As all the crossbowmen emerged, the bandit leader—a burly man wielding a long black staff—strode proudly from the cave, flanked by four sword-bearing guards.

Seeing every bandit clutching an iron knife, the players were initially eager, thinking they might snatch a weapon in the chaos. But upon noticing the crossbowmen behind them, their expressions turned to shock. When the fierce-looking, robust bandit leader made his imposing entrance, the players involuntarily drew breath sharply. This leader’s two-meter-long staff alone made it impossible for thirty or forty players to approach him closely. Coupled with the crossbowmen’s suppression, this battle promised to be exceptionally difficult.

Unlike the players’ simple apprehension, Cheng Ling and Cong Zhi exchanged surprised glances upon observing the bandits’ formation. They nodded subtly. This gang of red-haired bandits, in terms of weaponry, numbers, and the leader’s strength, far exceeded the usual bandit standards. Previously, these bandits only wielded ordinary iron knives and had no archers or crossbowmen. Their leaders traditionally carried nine-ringed broadswords; this was the first time they had encountered one wielding a long staff like this.

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Cheng Ling and Cong Zhi nodded in agreement: this group of red-haired bandits was likely a concentrated stronghold within a hundred-mile radius. Eliminating this nest would scatter the bandits under its control, restoring peace to the region.

Having made their decision, they chose not to reveal their strength prematurely and instead sought the right moment to act. They parted from the players blocking the path and approached Li Zhan directly.

Li Zhan, troubled by the unexpected strength of these bandits, was surprised to see the "Butler" and the "Scholar" come up beside him.

"Why have you two come forward? This is dangerous," Li Zhan said.

Cong Zhi glanced at Cheng Ling, who remained calm, then smiled at Li Zhan and said, "No need to worry, Chief Li. We are confident in our ability to protect ourselves. But we wonder what tactics you plan to use against these bandits?"

Li Zhan shook his head, frowning. "Their strength far exceeds what I anticipated. I have yet to devise a suitable tactic."

Cong Zhi said, "If I’m not mistaken, there are only two reasons these bandits surprised you: one, they have crossbowmen; two, their leader is unusually powerful."

Li Zhan felt the “Butler” was speaking to his heart and looked him over carefully. The "Butler" smiled and said, "Don’t be surprised, Chief Li. Though I am a butler, I have a keen interest in military tactics. These are clearly the strengths and weaknesses between us and the enemy."

Hearing this, Li Zhan no longer doubted him, especially since there was no time to second-guess. After another burst of drumbeats, the two lines of red-haired bandits began advancing toward the players. The ordinary bandits with iron knives were in front; the crossbowmen formed the rear.

Fortunately, the bandit leader and his four guards remained near the cave entrance, which somewhat reassured the players.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly and glanced at Li Zhan, wondering what command he would give next. Seeing the bandits closing in, Li Zhan asked the “Butler,” who was passionate about tactics:

“How do you think we can minimize the damage from their crossbowmen? We want to use our numerical superiority to engage them in close combat.”

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Cong Zhi quickly surveyed the surroundings and replied:

“The best way is to use the seven war wolves. Once our formation enters the crossbowmen’s range, the wolves should charge in a dispersed and rapid manner. Given the wolves’ speed, most of the crossbowmen’s first volley will miss, leaving them unharmed. However, when the crossbowmen are reloading, Chief Li, that’s the moment for you and the players to charge. With the wolves breaking into the enemy ranks, we can strike from both inside and outside, throwing their formation into chaos.”

Li Zhan considered this swiftly and, finding no better plan, immediately ordered Jin Xue to communicate with the lead wolf. Meanwhile, he instructed his soldiers and players to solidify their formation and prepare for the attack.

Having recently communicated frequently with the lead wolf, Jin Xue’s exchanges were now rapid and seamless. No longer relying on prolonged mental connection, a mere glance was enough to convey meaning. After less than ten seconds of eye contact, all instructions were exchanged. The lead wolf then briefed the other six war wolves. Under Jin Xue’s lead, the seven wolves moved from the rear to the front of the formation, settling down on either side of Li Zhan.

The two lines of bandits continued advancing slowly until about 150 meters from the players’ formation, then suddenly halted. The front three rows of iron-knife wielders crouched low, while the crossbowmen in the last row spread their legs and stood upright. From their quivers, they drew unfeathered bolts—the most primitive type, with poor long-range accuracy—nocked them onto their crossbows, and took aim at the players.

The players clenched their weapons, bracing themselves, eyes frequently flicking to Li Zhan, waiting for his signal to charge.

Before the bandits had fully stopped, Li Zhan exchanged a glance with Jin Xue, who nodded confidently. He knew the seven war wolves fully understood their task and his hand signals. As the crossbowmen readied their weapons and prepared to fire, Li Zhan swiftly waved his right hand forward.

The seven war wolves shot forward like arrows released from a bowstring, dashing through the tall grass, which barely obscured their approach.

The sixteen bandit crossbowmen panicked and fired simultaneously, but the wolves’ speed was too great, and the hurried shots all missed. As the crossbowmen reached to reload, the players’ formation, under Li Zhan’s battle cry, surged forward like a rolling thunderclap, crashing into the bandits’ ranks.

The seven wolves, led by the alpha, leapt into the enemy lines. The alpha swatted away an iron knife aimed at him and, almost simultaneously, sank his fangs into a bandit’s neck. The bandit screamed, dropping his knife, desperately trying to pry the wolf off, but the wolf bit harder and tore fiercely. Above the bandit’s head, bright red damage numbers appeared: “-154,” followed by “-178,” “-160,” and “Critical Hit -722.” Within seconds, he was dead.

The other six wolves snarled and bit, fiercely engaged with the bandits, throwing their once orderly ranks into chaos. The sixteen crossbowmen, just having reloaded, barely had time to notch another bolt before the players’ overwhelming numbers overwhelmed them like a tidal wave.

For a time, the roar of battle deafened the players. Grass and dust flew in the air above the fray, while bright red damage numbers floated like blood clouds, blanketing the players and bandits alike. Bandits fell with agonizing screams, while players vanished in flashes of white light amid the chaos.

Ruoyan led over thirty female players “protecting” Cheng Ling and Cong Zhi, tens of players below level twelve stood nearby anxiously watching. Unlike the others, Cheng Ling and Cong Zhi’s eyes remained fixed on the bandit leader and his four sword guards near the cave.

At this moment, the bandits were clearly faltering, retreating while trying to fend off attacks. The players, unwilling to relent, pursued relentlessly without waiting for Li Zhan’s command.

The bandit leader at the cave mouth curled his lips into a cold sneer as he watched the noisy players.

Does anyone have classic novels with extensive descriptions of ancient warfare to recommend to Old Wu? Thanks in advance!

P.S. In the previous chapter, the mad NPC mentioned “Dragon Staff and Blackbird Halberd together kill Wuji.” It would be better to change “kill Wuji” to “break Wuji.”