"Archers! Loose formation, fire!" At the command of the Master Knight, the peasant archers once again released their arrows.

The horned beasts, stronger than the inferior horned beasts, had rough and thick hides, and the peasant archers were not elite. Their arrows could hardly inflict enough damage on the horned beasts; after a volley, the horned beasts gradually closed in.

"Long spear circle!" The peasant infantry raised their long spears, forming a circular formation, their sharp spearheads facing the robust Beastmen.

The horned beasts charged into the military formation with large axes, impacting the peasant army, and many peasant soldiers were killed on the spot. Seeing their comrades fall, the peasant soldiers fiercely thrust their long spears, and the dense spear array caused significant damage to the horned beasts. As soon as the over two hundred horned beasts rushed into the spear array, thirty to forty were instantly pierced through vital spots and fell one after another.

More horned beasts emerged from the forest.

"Attack! For the Lady and King! For Brittania!" The sergeants charged out. These advanced soldiers, donned in chest armor and helmets, wielding long halberds or two-handed greatswords, launched a fierce attack on the Beastmen. All the sergeants had been promoted from peasants, and along with the rangers, they represented the highest achievements of the peasants. As such, these sergeants had very strong combat skills and strength, some even not inferior to knights. Their involvement quickly changed the tide of battle, and after a fierce fight, the peasant's morale gradually stabilized, and the battlefield reached a stalemate.

At this moment, the knights of Brittania finally had their armor donned, and the ranger knights abandoned their horses, dismounted, and entered the battlefield.

The appearance of the knights bolstered the peasants' morale, and the skilled, heavily armored, and well-armed knights forced the horned beasts into retreat after retreat.

"For the Lady and King! For Brittania!!!"

Despite the narrow paths and dense forests, the ranger knights eagerly charged at the Beastmen. They proudly invoked the name of the Lake Fairy and shouted their own names.

The uneven ground, dense shrubs, and thick forest slowed the knights, but did not diminish their zeal or ambition for establishing merit. Just as they were about to encircle the Beastmen completely, a horn sound echoed from the depths of the forest: "Wuu~~ Wu-wuu~~"

Upon hearing the horn, the Beastmen immediately retreated, abandoning the inferior horned beasts and Chaos war dogs, fleeing back into the forest. Within the forest, these Chaos creatures moved with remarkable speed, and though the heavy-armored knights wanted to give chase, Marquis Angxi swiftly ordered against such action.

The Marquis knew that fragmented heavy armored knights must not pursue recklessly.

In this encounter, Brittania lost over two hundred peasants and a few knights, while the Beastmen left behind more than three hundred corpses.

Many ranger knights took a deep breath, for the past two or three days they had been continuously harassed, the enemy often disappearing without a trace by the time they donned their armor.

This battle was truly frustrating!

These Beastmen really lacked honor; if they had the skill, they should have set up formations on the plains for a fair fight!

"My Marquis, our battle was a great victory! We only lost a few knights and a dozen rangers." The secretary soon reported the battle losses to Angxi.

The loss of peasants was not considered a loss, these cannon fodder were meant to soak up the damage.

"Very good, after three days of marching, we finally achieved a victory, and that was our goal! Accumulate small victories to achieve a great victory, destroy these scattered Beastman warbands bit by bit, and force these beasts to a decisive battle with us!" Marquis Angxi said smugly. This was clearly a Beastman-designed ambush that they had repelled.

This proves that even if it comes to a decisive battle in the forest, the Beastmen will not be our match.

Justice will triumph over evil, the knights of Brittania will never bow to these beasts.

"How many more Beastmen are there? Let them come, this summer will be the end for the Beastmen!" Marquis Angxi continued to issue orders: "Never let down your guard, let the rangers continue scouting, no one knows if another ambush awaits us!"

"Yes!"

After reorganizing, the knightly army continued to advance.

On the cliff several kilometers away, the Beastman Beast King "Blood Horn" Maras and Screaming Great Shaman "Heart-Eater" Groz stood together, with several Doomsday Bulls and a Cyclops behind them.

Watching the Beastmen retreat, Maras opened his massive maw: "Knights... cautious, ambush... difficult."

"Humans... many, cannot... contend."

Screaming Great Shaman brandished a magic staff adorned with numerous skulls and bones, its body covered in decay marks, surrounded by a swarm of flies, emitting a foul stench of rot and decay.

"Lure the knights... deep into the forest, decay and life guide to victory." Groz swung the staff, and a massive filthy energy gathered above, with evil green energy spreading continuously.

"Power of the Evil Moon... seasonal change... wait for the chance." Maras pointed at the blasphemous altar with its filthy runes: "Children of Chaos... destroy all... humans... pseudo-gods of the lake... all will be destroyed!"

Behind the Beast King was a terrifying altar pulled by several Razor Beasts.

This altar was once the shrine of the Lake Fairy, but now it was surrounded by countless filthy patterns and Chaos energy, with the head of a Lake God Prophet hanging on it: "Summon the Great Horned Beast group!"

From the altar, a blood-red filthy energy burst forth, imparting the Beastmen with the information they needed to know.

"Prepare for... new battles!"

......

Afterward, the knights' advance never encountered another ambush, and the over thirty-thousand-strong army soon arrived at Yulsen Castle.

This was a hilltop castle made of limestone, surrounded by valleys, with tall and sturdy walls, although the area was not particularly large. Over thirty thousand troops could not all fit inside the castle, so the peasants had to camp outside.

Seeing the arrival of the knightly army, Count Adelaide opened the castle gates, and the knights flowed in.

"Greetings, Lord Angxi!" Count Adelaide greeted as he led a few knights forward: "I heard our commander has achieved successive victories outside the castle, making the Beastman tribes dare not appear again?"

"Not at all, let's sit and talk." Several great nobles walked toward the interior of the castle, attendants hurried to feed the warhorses, and logistic personnel busied themselves delivering dinner to the knights.

The inner courtyard of the castle lay in the southwest tower, with a fortified large room inside. A map was laid on the table, armor was on racks, swords and shields hung on walls, and thick meat stew simmered in the fireplace, emitting an appetizing aroma.

Adelaide had prepared dinner, and Marquis Angxi and Baron Pierre, feeling weary, decided to sit down and talk as they ate.

"We had continuously cautioned before, and now it seems the Beastmen never intended to engage us near Yulsen Castle in a decisive battle." Marquis Angxi was the first to speak, his youthful face full of pride: "Along the way, we scared off two Beastman warbands and defeated an ambush of theirs. So, these beasts should understand our might; they're retreating, waiting for another chance to ambush us."

"I agree!" Count Adelaide nodded repeatedly, this newly titled Kingdom Knight also brimming with pride: "Since I arrived here, we've repelled three of their assaults. Their numbers always seemed impressive, yet at the slightest setback, they retreat immediately, posing no real threat."

"So, here's my plan: Adelaide, you'll lead three duchy troops along the stream paths, advancing left towards Ten Thousand Demon Rock, while I lead the main force through the middle..." Marquis Angxi and Count Adelaide elaborated on their detailed plans.

This plan was mentioned before, so it will not be repeated here.

"Adelaide, remember, we must set up many flags for the central and left forces to bolster our presence; we already have large numbers, so we just need more flags." Having said this, Adelaide and Angxi exchanged a knowing look.

"Make it seem like an accident, let them have their accidents."

Count Adelaide and Marquis Angxi exchanged smiles, understanding without words.

"All for the Lady and King! For Brittania!"

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