A knife flew out, chopping into the leg of a horse, causing the animal to neigh and collapse, stirring up a spray of snow.
The rider also tumbled onto the ground.
People surged forward from behind, about a dozen encroaching with spears and long knives, slashing toward the man who fell to the ground.
The man on the ground rolled forward.
The clang of collision once again threw up a spray of snow from the ground.
Three men were already charging on horseback to block.
"Old Eight, don't worry about me," the man on the ground shouted anxiously, "Hurry and protect the lady and escape."
Beside them, there was also a carriage.
The three men were protecting the carriage, preventing the dozen others from getting close.
While speaking, the man on the ground dodged a spear, seized it forcefully, pulled down the rider, and with a counter-push, the spear stabbed into the rider's chest.
The person screamed in agony as he fell.
"You all go, hurry, protect the lady," he shouted as he rose from the ground, followed by a grunt.
A broadsword chopped into his arm.
He staggered.
"Fourth Brother!" the three men cried out urgently, about to surround him.
The one addressed as Fourth Brother gripped the spear.
"I told you to escape with the lady," he barked, "Can't you hear?"
The three men looked at his arm, now soaked with blood, their faces mixed with sorrow and anxiety.
"Go!" one of them shouted, turning to shield the carriage.
The other two also hurriedly followed.
But for the dozen people behind them, this was like a mouse under a cat's paw; they even stopped, watching the bleeding, spear-wielding man with a mocking expression.
"You can't escape," a man shouted loudly, brandishing his long knife, "Kill."
Just then, a clamor of horse hooves came from the main road.
Could it be that the feudal authority soldiers have been alerted?
The faces of people from both sides changed, one side delighted, the other side tense.
But in the next moment, everyone saw the approaching figures, about a dozen men in padded jackets and two girls wrapped in cloaks.
Their horses were robust; although their clothes were not rich, they were definitely not those of poor folk, and their horsebacks were bulging with unknown items.
The men looked simple and rustic.
Not government soldiers, but travelers.
The joyful side became disappointed, the tense side regained their arrogance.
The approaching group seemed startled by the scene and stopped their horses on the road.
"What are you doing?" one of the girls asked.
Nowadays, passersby really have too much concern for something that's none of their business; seeing people wielding knives and guns and still not running away, instead watching with excitement.
"Scram," the lead man cursed, waving his long knife, "Haven't you ever seen a robbery?"
At his words, instead of seeing the people flee in terror, their eyes lit up.
"A robbery?" the girl asked, seemingly to confirm, "Are you robbers?"
Are these people fools?
"Yes, robbers," the lead man bellowed furiously, "Scram or we'll take your lives."
The men rushing to protect the carriage were also watching them.
"Go report to the authorities," one of them yelled, "I beg you, go report it."
But as he spoke these words, the expression of the man holding the spear, trying to block the robbers, turned grim.
Seeking help sometimes can frighten others away.
If not asking for help, perhaps the clueless bystanders would gather out of curiosity, which could intimidate the aggressors to some extent.
But calling for help makes the bystanders aware that a serious matter involving lives is unfolding, and even those who like to watch will be scared away.
Is today going to be the end here?
The man's expression filled with sorrow and resolution.
"Come then." He roared, gripping the spear in his hands and charging towards the group.
The dozen men watching the charging figure all burst into laughter.
"Just this one-armed chicken, I alone can handle you," one man shouted, leaping forward on his horse, swinging his long knife toward the man.
The three men guarding the galloping carriage did not look back, only whipped the horsewhip faster, their expressions filled with grief and despair.
They knew very well what the outcome would be, but what could they do? They had to fight, they had to flee, until the last moment.
A scream resounded from behind.
The three men clenched their teeth and did not turn back; this was a brother dying to buy them time. If only they could push forward and encounter the feudal authority's sentry.
This was a time of war, sentries were certainly stationed around.
But before the screams behind them could end, more shouting ensued.
"Who?"
This voice was filled with shock and anger.
"Who fired the arrow?"
Fired an arrow?
The three galloping men froze, instinctively raising their heads to look ahead, only to see a girl holding a bow and arrow among the people they were approaching.
A bow and arrow?
The three men involuntarily reined in their horses, instinctively turning back.
But they saw the wounded man behind them still standing steadily, while a man in front of him had collapsed, motionless.
All eyes were focused on this side, landing on the girl holding the bow and arrow.
The girl's wide hood covered her hair, and her face was also masked with cloth, just revealing a pair of eyes.
"Good," Miss Jun said, pointing at the men on that side, "Now shoot that leading fat man."
Shoot that leading fat man.
Where am I fat?
The man was somewhat irritated, and just as the thought flashed through his mind, he heard a 'buzz' as an arrow flew towards him.
The man swung his knife, with a 'clash', the arrow was knocked to the ground, yet it made him break out in a cold sweat.
"Didn't hit," Zhao Hanqing said with a face full of embarrassment.
"No worries, I alerted him," Miss Jun said, "It's not your fault."
Damn it!
Is this person sick? The leading man was embarrassed and furious, who did she think she was?
"Kill them!" he barked.
The men finally reacted, also roaring angrily, charging towards this side with their spears and knives raised high.
The man holding a spear, with an injured arm, was left behind.
These passersby were coming to help? But these were not mere bandits, these passersby seemed to be villagers...
"Kill them."
A female's voice also uttered the same words.
The man turned around and saw that these passersby did not run away, instead, ten people lifted the covers on their horseback, took out bows.
Bows!
The man's eyes instantly widened.
And the bandits charging towards them also changed color and shouted in alarm.
"They have bows!"
"Stop quickly."
"Despicable, why didn't you take out the bows earlier!"
If the girl hadn't been holding a simple and crude bow and arrow but had brought out this kind of Hard crossbow from the start, they wouldn't have foolishly charged over.
Spear and knife were no match for bows.
Who were these passersby, to have military-grade bow weapons!
But it was too late, as the woman yelled to kill them, the ten men who had taken out their bows stepped forward in a line, foot on the string, lifted the bow to fire arrows, their movements neat and synchronized. Arrows still flying, they again stepped on the string, repeating the action.
Their movements were fast, the bowstring nearly became a blur, the whirring sound of arrows slicing through air continuously paired with the consecutive screams.
The charging men, now lacking their previous momentum, fell from their horses amidst the hail of arrows.
The man wielding the spear, along with the three men guarding the carriage, were all dumbstruck.
This was no mere help, this was a massacre.
*****************************************
Thanks to Southern Ice and Known Contributor on Page 11 for the generous donation of He's Bi (づ￣3￣)づ╭?～
Thank you everyone, back to work now, let's keep working hard.