Qin Yu led her troops deeper into the meadow.
She urgently needed to find favorable terrain to launch a counterattack.
However, as Qin Yu looked around, the meadow was flat, with only a few streams weaving through it. These streams were extremely shallow, useless for combat.
In the distance, another of Chen Yufei’s armies appeared.
This army numbered 10,000, all infantry, slowly advancing toward Qin Yu.
“This is the prelude to encirclement!” Qin Yu feared she might be buried here.
“Pick them off one by one!” Qin Yu thought, and just like before, she charged forward at the head of her troops.
But just as Qin Yu’s cavalry engaged the enemy, nearly 20,000 infantry suddenly burst out from both flanks of Qin Yu’s army, attacking her troops from the sides.
Qin Yu’s army was cut in half. The 60,000 infantry behind her were caught in a pincer between the enemy’s 20,000 troops.
It happened so suddenly that those 60,000 were caught completely off guard and fell into chaos. Without Qin Yu’s command, they had to fight on their own.
“What should I do?” Qin Yu panicked slightly. “Should I continue attacking the 10,000 in front, or turn back to relieve my 60,000?”
Qin Yu turned and looked further behind her. Chen Yufei’s 50,000 cavalry, led personally by her, were galloping fast, preparing to join the fight.
Qin Yu calculated: Chen Yufei had mustered 80,000 troops to encircle her. Of Chen Yufei’s original 100,000, after subtracting the 20,000 already killed, transporting grain, or guarding the hills, now all Chen Yufei’s available fighting forces were here.
This was the decisive battle!
Qin Yu realized she had to make a choice.
If she turned back to rescue, her cavalry would be trapped between two enemies. Qin Yu didn’t want that. After all, these 10,000 cavalry were her capital for resisting Chen Yufei’s attack or for fleeing.
“Continue the attack!” Qin Yu gritted her teeth and ordered her cavalry to keep pressing the 10,000 enemy infantry ahead.
The 10,000 infantry opposite were under immense pressure too. They had expected Qin Yu to turn and support her 60,000, never imagining she would keep attacking them.
Against Qin Yu’s high-morale cavalry, those 10,000 were clearly outmatched.
After leaving 3,000 corpses behind, they completely collapsed.
Qin Yu rallied her troops and took stock: she only had about 8,000 left.
“Hurry, rescue our allies!” Qin Yu turned her horse and led her troops to attack the 20,000 infantry behind.
Qin Yu’s 60,000 infantry had been startled by the sudden attack, but they quickly calmed down.
Their desire to achieve merit drove them to counterattack the 20,000 that had struck them.
Without Qin Yu’s overall command, each colonel led his own 10,000 men in separate engagements. Though losses were heavy, they also inflicted massive casualties on Chen Yufei’s forces.
Qin Yu’s troops counterattacked, and in moments, Chen Yufei’s 20,000 scattered in all directions.
Qin Yu ordered her soldiers to reorganize. A quick tally revealed that of the 60,000 infantry, over 40,000 remained—nearly 50,000.
Facing the imposing 50,000 cavalry Chen Yufei had brought in pursuit, Qin Yu was troubled.
After several skirmishes, her army was down to just over 50,000.
Fifty thousand against fifty thousand—no numerical advantage. Moreover, her side was mainly infantry, while Chen Yufei’s was mainly cavalry, so Qin Yu’s combat effectiveness was slightly inferior.
Added to the previous fierce fighting, Qin Yu’s troops were now exhausted and their horses weary.
Opposite, Chen Yufei slowed her advance. The 50,000 cavalry formed ranks and faced off against Qin Yu.
Behind, the 30,000 infantry that Qin Yu had just scattered were regrouping, forming a battle array of nearly 20,000.
Now, Qin Yu was caught between two enemies. She looked up at the sky. It was nearly dusk; the light was dimming, and the horizon was tinged with orange.
“Where has Luo Shangyu gone…?” Qin Yu scanned the gaps between the surrounding hills, wondering from which direction Luo Shangyu would suddenly appear to rescue her.
“Qin Yu, surrender!” Chen Yufei rode to the front of her formation. “You’re surrounded!”
Qin Yu also rode to the front of her formation, confronting Chen Yufei between the two armies.
“My army still has 50,000 brave soldiers, still fit to fight! Why should I surrender!”
Chen Yufei sneered. “Can your 50,000 soldiers withstand a single charge from my cavalry?”
“Hmph! You’re just talking big!” Qin Yu drew her modao; the long blade was stained with dried blood. “Dare you settle this with a duel between the two of us?”
“Are you scared?” Chen Yufei pointed at Qin Yu’s troops behind her. “You know you can’t beat us, right?”
“I just want to reduce the casualties on both sides.”
Hearing this, Chen Yufei felt she had been put in an awkward position. If she didn’t accept Qin Yu’s duel, it would mean she didn’t care about her soldiers’ lives!
Left with no choice, Chen Yufei had to accept Qin Yu’s challenge.
Qin Yu drew her staff and attacked Chen Yufei directly.
Chen Yufei dodged, barely evading Qin Yu’s strike, and charged right up to Qin Yu before she could launch a second attack.
Qin Yu swung her modao, slashing at Chen Yufei. But the huge blade proved unwieldy, and Chen Yufei blocked it easily.
Seeing this, Qin Yu simply dropped the modao, drew her sword, and fought Chen Yufei with only that.
Chen Yufei wielded her long lance with fierce, whistling strokes, driving Qin Yu into a corner.
Qin Yu barely fended off Chen Yufei’s attacks while seeking a way to turn the tide.
Just as Qin Yu’s concentration wavered, Chen Yufei seized the opening, thrusting her lance straight at Qin Yu’s left shoulder.
Qin Yu had no time to dodge. The lance pierced her armor, ran through her shoulder, and exited her back—a clean skewer.
One thrust, two holes!
The sudden, searing pain nearly knocked Qin Yu off her horse. She felt her shoulder blade had shattered; her left arm hung limp and useless.
Chen Yufei was shocked too. She hadn’t expected to wound Qin Yu.
After all, Qin Yu was still the Crown Prince. Even though this was a virtual space military exercise, Chen Yufei worried Qin Yu might hold a grudge.
While Chen Yufei was stunned, the intense pain stimulated Qin Yu’s nerves, sending adrenaline surging. She had an idea.
She raised her staff and attacked Chen Yufei. But due to the pain in her shoulder, the blow wasn’t fatal—it only struck Chen Yufei’s armor, leaving no visible wound.
Chen Yufei was hit; the pain jolted her back to her senses.
In her current state, she couldn’t fight immediately. She pulled the lance out of Qin Yu’s body, turned her horse, and galloped back to her own formation.
Although Qin Yu’s attack hadn’t caused external injury, something inside Chen Yufei ached abnormally, making it hard for her to continue.
Seeing Chen Yufei retreat, Qin Yu clutched her shoulder and returned to her own camp.
Qin Yu glanced at her left shoulder—it was a bloody mess, with shards of white bone visible, blood gushing out.
Back in the formation, Qin Yu’s adjutant came to her side. “Your Highness, use this.”
Qin Yu took the object he handed her. It was a jade cong, brimming with life elements. She placed the jade cong over her left shoulder. Under its effect, the wound gradually healed.
Though the pain remained, the wound had closed. Qin Yu felt she could fight again.