UGB 46. Surprise attack
46. Surprise attack
At the top of Eagle's Beak Cliff, in the deathly silence, only the faint whistling of the mountain wind blowing through the cracks in the rocks intertwined with the gradually amplifying sounds of carriages and horses, creating a tense prelude.
Lin Mo stood like a boulder behind the giant rock, his gaze piercing through the last vestiges of dawn, fixed firmly on the bend in the official road. The latent power within him seemed to sense the impending slaughter, stirring slightly in his meridians, only to be forcibly suppressed by his powerful will, his aura becoming as restrained as withered wood.
Finally, the first rider's figure appeared at the edge of the shadows around the bend.
It was a knight dressed in a light blue outfit, with a long sword at his waist. He didn't rush into the relatively narrow official road, but instead reined in his horse, his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead and the steep cliffs on both sides like a hawk's. His alert demeanor clearly indicated that he was a scout for a caravan.
On the cliff top, the breaths of all the ambushers nearly stopped. The crossbowmen's fingers rested lightly on the triggers or bowstrings, while the men of the rolling stone team leaned forward slightly, gripping their cold crowbars. The assault team members held their breath, concealing themselves even deeper into the shadows of the rocks or bushes.
The scout carefully observed for a moment, seemingly finding nothing unusual. He turned and gestured, and a moment later, more figures began to emerge from around the bend.
The first thing that caught the eye were two cavalry units, about twenty men in total, lined up on either side of the official road. They wore different colored uniforms, roughly divided into four different styles, clearly belonging to the four great families jointly escorting the goods. Each knight had bulging temples, a sharp but restrained glint in their eyes, and rode exceptionally fine horses with steady gait, displaying remarkable horsemanship and skill. They vigilantly observed the cliffs on both sides, their hands never leaving the weapons at their waists.
Next up is the core of the caravan – the team that transports the goods.
Four specially made caravans, covered in thick iron sheets, slowly came into view, pulled by strong horses. The wheels rolled heavily over the road. Each caravan was pulled by four tall, strong horses, with two burly porters supporting each one. Four different colored flags, representing the alliance of the four great families, fluttered in the cool morning breeze.
Even more striking were the people guarding the caravan.
Several martial artists, their auras deep and their steps steady, stood guard on foot beside the caravan, their eyes sharp as lightning, constantly scanning their surroundings. Judging from the imposing presence they exuded, they were all skilled individuals who had opened at least several meridians. Some of them even possessed long, deep breaths, with faint signs of internal energy radiating outwards, clearly indicating that they were first-rate masters who had reached the level of opening all eight extraordinary meridians.
Lin Mo's gaze swept quickly over the guards, calmly assessing their strength. The four great families truly lived up to their reputation; they had mobilized so many experts simply to escort a shipment of goods. This security force was several times more formidable than that of an ordinary merchant caravan.
Between the second and third caravans stood several people, their attire noticeably more luxurious and their bearing more distinguished. One was an elderly man in a brocade robe, his face gaunt, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light. He toyed with two iron gall bladders in his hands, producing a slight clinking sound; his internal energy cultivation had clearly reached a state of perfection. Another was a robust middle-aged man, burly and imposing, carrying a broad-bladed longsword on his back; his every glance exuded authority. Yet another appeared to be a scholar, carrying a folding fan, but his eyes were sharp as knives, his steps light and agile, clearly indicating exceptional lightness skill. The last was a taciturn man in black, seemingly blending into the surrounding shadows, his aura elusive yet emanating an extremely dangerous aura.
These four people must be the leaders of the four great families escorting the shipment, or rather, the experts in charge.
The caravan moved at a slow pace, but with impeccable order, displaying the skill and efficiency of a well-trained crew. Cavalry controlled the route, skilled guards provided close protection, and scouts patrolled the area, creating layers of defense that virtually sealed off the four caravans. The heavy carts and the tight security indicated that the cargo inside was of extraordinary importance.
On the cliff top, the atmosphere was extremely tense. The enemy had fallen into their trap, and they were stronger than expected. Many of the ambushers' palms began to sweat, and their hearts pounded involuntarily. Most of them were refugees or low-level gang members; they had never seen such a sight before. Facing so many martial arts masters, an invisible pressure weighed on their hearts.
Shi Yong lay prone beside the rolling stones, his thick arm muscles taut, his eyes fixed on the slowly moving caravan below, calculating the optimal moment to drop the stones. Han Li, like a stone statue, remained hidden behind his crossbow, the cold arrow tip slightly adjusted, aiming at the old man wielding the iron-clad sword; he instinctively felt this man posed the greatest threat. Sun the Cripple lay in ambush near the trap's trigger point, breathing softly, awaiting the signal for the chaos to begin.
Lin Mo took in the entire caravan's configuration, the distribution of its experts, and its speed of movement. His brain worked at lightning speed, like the most sophisticated instrument, adjusting his initial attack plan. The enemy's strength was indeed formidable, especially the four leaders, none of whom could be underestimated. But at this moment, they had the advantage of terrain and the initiative.
He slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, a signal of preparation.
All the ambushers tensed up, forcibly suppressing their nervousness and fear, and focusing their attention intently. The arrow was aimed at the target, the crowbar was pressed against the boulder, and the fingers that triggered the mechanism trembled slightly but were resolute.
The vanguard cavalry of the caravan had already crossed the narrowest section of the road below the cliff, and the four caravans in the middle were slowly entering the core area of the ambush. The few experts from the aristocratic families were still vigilantly observing their surroundings, but they seemed unaware of the countless pairs of murderous eyes hidden in the darkness and disguise above them.
The moment the third caravan's shafts were fully within the designated attack range, Lin Mo's outstretched fingers clenched into a fist!
There were no shouts, no roars, only actions.
"Boom—!"
The first loud bang didn't come from rolling stones, but from the ground of the official road! The gunpowder trap that Sun the Cripple had set up, buried in the shallow soil, was triggered first. Although the amount was small, the roar of the explosion and the rising dust instantly shattered the silence of dawn, and also precisely injured the two strong horses pulling the first caravan. Startled, the horses neighed sharply and reared up, causing the caravan to shake violently, instantly disrupting the previously orderly formation.
"Enemy attack! Be on guard!" The old man who played with the iron guillotine reacted extremely quickly. The moment the explosion rang out, he shouted sharply, and at the same time, the iron guillotine in his hand suddenly stopped spinning. His eyes shot towards the top of the cliff like lightning.
However, before his warning had even faded, the rain of death began to pour down from the cliff top.
"Release!" Shi Yong roared, his voice booming like a bell, drowning out the commotion below.
The men of the rolling stone team, who were already prepared, exerted their strength simultaneously, driving the crowbars deep into the base of the boulders. "Boom—!" Several boulders, each weighing thousands of pounds, rolled down the steep cliff with overwhelming force, casting huge shadows over the official road below. The speed increased rapidly, and the sound was terrifying!
"Watch out for falling rocks!" "Scatter!"
The caravan below was thrown into chaos. The cavalrymen tried to control their frightened horses, while the foot guards dodged and weaved, some channeling their inner strength and swinging their weapons in an attempt to parry. But the force of the rolling stones was too great for human strength to withstand. A boulder struck a cavalryman who couldn't dodge in time, instantly turning him and his horse into a bloody pulp! Another boulder crashed into the side and rear of the second caravan, the massive impact denting the heavy iron carriage, shattering the wheels, and bringing the caravan to a stop, partially blocking the road.
Almost simultaneously with the falling stones, Han Li gave the order: "Crossbowmen, fire!"
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"
A dense whistling sound tore through the air! Powerful bows and crossbows, already aimed, fired simultaneously, dozens of arrows raining down from the cliff top like swarms of bees, covering the area along the official road where chaos had gathered. These arrows were not fired blindly; the crossbowmen's targets were clear—the guards trying to regain their footing and organize a counterattack, as well as the panicked porters and horses.
"Pfft!" "Ah!"
The sounds of arrows piercing flesh, screams, and the mournful neighing of horses filled the air. In an instant, more than ten guards and porters fell to the ground, either struck by arrows or trampled by frightened horses. Although the four skilled warriors from the aristocratic families used their various techniques—some deflecting arrows with their sleeves, others parrying with their weapons—to protect themselves and the nearby caravans, the sudden long-range attack still caught them off guard, preventing them from immediately organizing an effective counterattack.
On the official road, dust filled the air, men and horses fell, and blood began to stain the ground red. The once-solemn formation of the escort team had become visibly chaotic and ravaged by this meticulously planned series of attacks.
Lin Mo coldly surveyed the chaos below, as if watching a drama that had nothing to do with him. His gaze swept past the throng and locked onto the four powerful family experts and the caravans they were tightly guarding in the middle.