The Dragon Cavalry, an army where all are trained in martial arts.

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At this moment, the commander of a thousand men had already steeled himself inwardly. The previous fight had been too frustrating; in the next engagement, he was determined to exert more force. He was intent on making the enemy taste his power. Since he desired close combat, there was naturally no need to fight on horseback. After both sides formed their ranks on the ground, the commander shouted loudly, “Charge!” More than a thousand of his remaining men surged toward the Dragon Cavalry. Su Lie said nothing. He simply raised his hand and swiftly gave a signal. Following that, the Dragon Cavalry warriors launched their charge. Originally, the commander’s target was Su Lie himself. But halfway through the charge, he saw a young boy, no older than seventeen or eighteen, coming straight at him. He sneered disdainfully and raised his hand to strike with his wooden sword. Unexpectedly, the boy was incredibly agile, dodging the wooden blade with a quick sidestep. Then, the boy’s wooden sword came up in a swift upward cut, aiming directly at the commander’s wrist that held his blade. The commander let out a surprised “Huh!” and hurriedly pulled back his sword just in time to block the blow. To his astonishment, the boy’s strength was remarkable; the clash lifted the commander’s arm. Before he could react, the boy’s wooden sword followed up with a horizontal slash aimed at his ribs. Seeing the boy’s swift moves, the commander no longer dared to underestimate him and quickly stepped aside to create distance. But before he could steady his footing, another attack came—a direct thrust. The commander hastily lifted his sword to parry upwards. Unexpectedly, the boy forcibly halted his halfway thrust with the wooden sword, causing the commander’s blade to miss, only to launch a sudden straight stab. This strike came at the moment the commander was off balance from the missed parry. It was no surprise that within three moves, the commander was defeated. The commander felt utterly humiliated! He shouted bitterly, “Who is this kid? Why does he possess such skill yet pretend to be a mere soldier?” He thought the boy was deceiving him by disguising a highly skilled young warrior as a lowly foot soldier. But the answer nearly dropped his jaw. The boy replied, “Soldier Xue Rengui of the Dragon Cavalry.”

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After saying this, the boy darted off to find another opponent. The commander stood there stunned for a long moment before muttering in disbelief, “I’ve actually been defeated by a mere soldier?” He then looked around the battlefield and realized that hardly any of his men remained. The Dragon Cavalry warriors surrounded the last hundred or so of his troops like hunters closing in on prey, cutting down fiercely. With a face full of despair, he collapsed to the ground and painfully clasped his head. At this point, he no longer wished to watch the battle—it was utterly meaningless. On the viewing platform, Emperor Taizong and others were already numb with shock. From the start of the clash, they had been watching intently, only to realize that the two sides were not even on the same level. The soldiers of the Sixteenth Guard often shouted loudly to boost morale during combat. Their sword swings were broad and forceful, as if they wanted to pour all their strength into each strike. Meanwhile, the Dragon Cavalry warriors made no sound at all during the fight. Their swords moved in small, precise arcs, targeting enemy weaknesses. It was as if they feared using too much force and slicing their opponents in two. However, the experienced generals present saw this differently. They understood that such a technique was used only by seasoned veterans. It was both energy-saving and practical, especially suited for prolonged battles. Imagine if tens of thousands fought—each soldier would have to swing countless times. If every strike were full power, exhaustion would come quickly. Among the generals, the formidable Qin Qiong exclaimed in surprise, “Your Majesty, it seems every Dragon Cavalry soldier has received martial training!” Of course, by “training,” he meant martial arts, not just battlefield maneuvers. Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizong glanced at Li Jing. Li Jing smiled and said, “The crown prince’s two personal guards are responsible for instructing them.” Li Jing’s words drew astonished looks toward Li Zhi. Yuchi Jingde immediately asked, “Your Highness actually has the Dragon Cavalry practice martial arts?” This question was not out of place. Even a militaristic Tang Dynasty did not have many practicing martial arts at that time. First, martial training consumed excessive energy, requiring abundant food to replenish. Most ordinary families could barely feed themselves. Second, training risked injuries, and medicine was costly, so common folk discouraged their children from martial training. His question made others realize why the Dragon Cavalry’s expenses were so high. If every soldier trained in martial arts, the military budget had to be substantial. Li Zhi explained, “The Dragon Cavalry must be capable of fighting alone. Without sufficient self-defense ability, how could they complete their missions?” Cheng Yaojin spoke to Emperor Taizong, “Your Majesty, judging by the Dragon Cavalry’s performance today, the fourfold expense is well justified.” Emperor Taizong smiled, “What Zhi says is true. Four times the pay for such combat effectiveness is not a loss.” Li Zhi added, “Father, I’ve said before that frontal combat is not the Dragon Cavalry’s forte. Their true task is siege assault.” His words reminded everyone, and Emperor Taizong said, “Zhi is right. I almost forgot there is another challenge yet to come.” Then he addressed Li Jing and the gloomy-faced Hou Junji, “Issue orders for the troops to rest for two days.” Looking at Hou Junji, he continued, “In two days, select a strategic and defensible location in the Zhongnan Mountains and prepare the defenses. Let the Dragon Cavalry come to assault it.” Hou Junji bowed solemnly, “As you command!” Emperor Taizong smiled, “Today’s defeat is not the fault of the Sixteenth Guard, so do not take it to heart, Junji.” Although Emperor Taizong offered comfort, Hou Junji could not cheer up. What troubled him was not only the loss but that this battle marked the Dragon Cavalry’s official formation. This meant Li Zhi had fully inserted himself into the military system. In the future, the troubles Li Zhi could bring to the crown prince would only grow. After promising Emperor Taizong once more, Hou Junji went to issue orders. At the same time, he resolved to use these two days to study the terrain carefully. He was determined to choose the perfect defensive position and deliver a harsh blow to the Dragon Cavalry’s morale. Otherwise, he could not swallow the humiliation of today.

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