The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Upon hearing the Mountain's roar from the center ranks, Randyll Tarly was taken aback, but he remained unfazed.

Amidst the fluttering banners of the center army, an order was dispatched to the rear. Dickon Tarly, Randyll Tarly's valiant younger son, led a thousand cavalrymen swiftly off the Kingsroad and onto the adjacent hills. The formation advanced rapidly, forming the left flank and aiming to encircle the Mountain's cavalry regiment from the right.

Randyll Tarly commanded the central thousand cavalrymen to maneuver to the right, flanking the Mountain's cavalry from the left.

With shouted commands, the three thousand-strong units split into left, center, and right formations. The cavalry vanguard became the center force, confronting the Mountain on the Kingsroad.

In short order, Dickon Tarly's cavalry regiment had outflanked the Mountain's right wing, reaching the optimal attack position. Simultaneously, Randyll Tarly's cavalry regiment had outflanked the Mountain's left wing, also reaching its optimal attack position.

The three thousand cavalry regiments formed a semi-encirclement around the Mountain.

The Mountain, tall and imposing on his mount, had long observed Randyll's central banner waving. Orderlies shouted commands, the central and rear banners fluttered, and the cavalry swiftly dispersed, leaving the Kingsroad and entering the adjacent hills to execute a rapid flanking maneuver.

The Mountain's thousand against Randyll Tarly's three thousand.

The Mountain remained motionless, and his soldiers stood equally still. Yet, their expressions were relaxed, as if they were watching children engage in a pointless pre-battle warm-up.

On the Mountain's right flank, Dickon Tarly's thousand-man regiment completed its maneuver, reaching the optimal attack position.

On the Mountain's left flank, Randyll Tarly's thousand-man regiment completed its maneuver, reaching the optimal attack position.

The Mountain watched all of this with a cold gaze.

Clang!

Randyll Tarly drew his longsword before his army: "Warriors of the Reach, prepare for battle!"

The formation was complete, and victory was assured through numerical superiority!

Clang, clang, clang!

The three thousand-man regiments drew their longswords in unison, the blades glinting ominously in the sunlight.

The Mountain stood as still as a mountain, and the heavy cavalry of Crackclaw Point remained equally motionless. No one drew a weapon; save for the occasional snort from a horse, the thousand cavalrymen were like sculptures carved from stone, exuding a formidable aura.

"Randyll Tarly, warriors of the Reach, are you ready?" the Mountain roared. His voice was like thunder rolling across the lowlands, making eardrums vibrate. It was as if the Mountain was shouting directly into the ears of the Reachmen.

The opposing three thousand-man regiments, both cavalrymen and steeds, were filled with fear, and the formation stirred uneasily.

The Mountain's single roar instilled terror! The central force facing the Mountain directly experienced a minor disruption, with some warhorses becoming startled and colliding with their comrades as the soldiers struggled to control them.

Ser Dodd Hunter of House Hunter, the commanding general of the central force, felt his sword hilt slick with cold sweat, and his back was drenched. Dodd Hunter knew he could not withstand a single blow from the Mountain, but he could not retreat or be the first to flee. Facing the Mountain head-on, his only option was to die, hoping to assist his lord in crushing the Mountain's cavalry from the left and right flanks.

Dodd Hunter's warhorse seemed to sense its master's intentions, pawing the ground nervously with one foreleg, snorting, and turning its head from side to side.

As the two armies prepared for a fierce battle, the warhorses, being sentient creatures, could sense the killing intent and the threat of death.

Randyll Tarly shouted, "Ser Gregor, I am under orders from the Hand to return to the city! Withdraw your troops, or we will crush the Clegane cavalry!"

"Hah!" the Reach cavalry shouted in unison.

Clang!

Randyll Tarly forcefully struck his chest armor with his Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, producing a loud, crisp sound.

"Victory!" Randyll Tarly yelled.

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

The Reach cavalry shouted in unison, their voices shaking the wilderness, their morale soaring!

The Mountain's two earlier roars, like thunderclaps, had severely shaken the Reach cavalry's morale. Randyll Tarly, assessing the situation, knew that although his formation was complete, their morale was weak. He dared not launch an attack rashly, and he needed to restore their morale and ignite the Reach soldiers' will to win!

The shouts of 'Victory, victory' dispelled the Reach soldiers' fear, and their battle intent ignited!

Randyll Tarly was truly worthy of his reputation as a renowned general!

Suddenly, from the hills and woods to the east, a chorus of shouts arose, and several large banners fluttered into view. The central banner was the royal standard, embroidered with a crowned stag. The banner to the right bore the sigil of House Clegane, a trio of black dogs on a yellow field. The banner to the left displayed a red salmon on a white background with a gold border.

Lord William Mooton of Maidenpool, the Mountain's in-law and the old father-in-law of Anguy the archer, appeared with the cavalry and infantry of Maidenpool. Pikemen with long spears formed a dense formation in the woods, shouting as they advanced step by step toward Dickon Tarly's left flank.

A squadron of Mooton cavalry, numbering approximately several hundred, outflanked Dickon Tarly's cavalry from behind, completing the encirclement.

With pikemen positioned to strike from the side and cavalry completing the encirclement from behind, Dickon's flank was in dire straits.

Dickon Tarly's thousand-man cavalry regiment was thrown into disarray, horses whinnying and the cavalrymen's faces changing color.

Randyll Tarly's expression also changed.

He had not anticipated that the Mooton family of Maidenpool would appear here.

When the Mountain was under orders to hunt down the Brotherhood Without Banners, he had taken up residence in Harrenhal, and Lord Mooton had been with him. The Mountain had compelled Randyll Tarly to release hundreds of captured soldiers from Lord Mooton of Maidenpool.

The morale that Randyll Tarly had just raised was dealt a blow!

It was not that he underestimated the Mountain; he simply did not know how cunning and meticulously planned the Mountain was.

The sudden appearance of Lord Mooton's army sent shockwaves through Randyll Tarly, and his expression subtly changed.

The Reach cavalry's shouts of 'Victory' diminished, eventually fading away completely. The battlefield entered an eerie quiet phase.

Lord Mooton's pikemen and cavalry placed Dickon Tarly's thousand-man regiment in an absolutely unfavorable position.

The pike formation was the best formation for countering cavalry. To defeat pikemen, one needed horse archers or foot archers, but Randyll Tarly was in a rush to march to King's Landing, and his cavalry was streamlined, lacking horse archers.

The Mountain reversed his grip on the hilt of Ice, slowly drawing the greatsword. This Valyrian steel sword was the heaviest, longest, and widest renowned sword in the Seven Kingdoms. Randyll Tarly also wielded a Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, but compared to Ice, it paled in comparison. Its width, thickness, length, and weight were all utterly inferior.

The Mountain said in a deep voice, "Lord Mooton, do not engage; watch my Clegane cavalry break their formation!" His voice rumbled, and everyone heard it clearly.

The Mountain's wild and domineering aura, his unmatched force, swept out like a gale.

Although Lord Mooton had arrived to assist and secured an absolutely advantageous position, the Mountain did not want Lord Mooton to participate.

The implication was that the Mountain simply did not regard Randyll Tarly's three thousand cavalrymen as a threat.

Regardless of your left wing or right wing, regardless of your formation or encirclement, regardless of your soaring morale or cheering, I am unmatched and see you as ants.

"As you command, Duke," Lord Mooton roared back. He exerted all his strength to shout, but he could not match the Mountain's deep and powerful voice; the difference in aura was simply too great.

Lord Mooton indeed held his forces back. The lord had summoned all his subjects to war, gathering two thousand five hundred pikemen and six hundred cavalrymen, with a significant portion of the soldiers consisting of remnants from other Riverlands nobles who had been defeated.

These remnants, who had lost their homes and been defeated by Randyll, had either surrendered to Randyll or the Westermen or gone into the mountains and forests as bandits. Now, they had a third option: joining Lord Mooton of Maidenpool and finding a place to settle.

After Lord Mooton and the Mountain became in-laws, he outwardly pledged allegiance to Tommen Baratheon I, and Maidenpool was spared from the ravages of war. He raised the banner of righteousness, accepting any desperate remnants from other Riverlands nobles, rapidly expanding his army.

*

"Wedge formation!" The Mountain drew his greatsword and raised it high, like a unique banner on the battlefield, visible to everyone on both sides.

"Hah!"

Amidst the resounding military might, the cavalry formation swiftly organized, quickly transforming into a massive triangular formation, with the Mountain as the foremost point of the triangle.

The wedge formation was the best charging formation for piercing enemy lines. The foremost point was crucial; as long as the front advanced, the two wings behind it were like the edges of a sword, while the cavalry in the middle was the body of the sword, only needing to maintain formation and not engage in combat with the enemy. They would only rapidly fill the gaps when their comrades on the outer edges fell. Or they would rotate in battle with their exhausted comrades on the periphery.

The wedge formation, a triangle, was the perfect formation for breaking through enemy lines.

The speed at which the Mountain's cavalry changed formation sent chills down Randyll Tarly's spine. Without a doubt, the Mountain deeply understood cavalry formations!

The Mountain's victories in several major battles were not merely strokes of luck. It was just that some people refused to believe that the Mountain also possessed military talent. In Randyll's mind, the Mountain was merely a villain in the Seven Kingdoms, and apart from the personal bravery of a barbarian, he was not worth mentioning.

Randyll Tarly dared not wait for the Mountain to fully complete his formation. He waved his Valyrian steel sword, Heartsbane, and shouted, "Attack!" leading the charge.

The Reach cavalry's left, center, and right armies immediately crashed forward, charging straight at the Mountain's cavalry regiment, which was still forming its lines.

Randyll Tarly led his army to strike the Mountain's left flank with a flanking attack.

However, the wedge formation had no left wing; it was a massive triangle of a thousand-man regiment, without a left, center, or right.

The wedge formation had no retreat, only advance. Once the tip of the blade was blocked, the wedge formation would be thrown into chaos and collapse.

If a knife could not pierce an enemy's body, it was useless and could not accomplish anything.

The Mountain was alone in the first row, as the sharpest point of the wedge formation's tip. The second row consisted of four fierce generals, and the third row consisted of eight… The young squire, Comm Warner, and the foster son, Landon Gar, were protected in the middle of several knights.

Dickon Tarly led his army to attack the Mountain's right flank with a flanking attack.

The Reach's central thousand-man cavalry regiment also charged forward, harboring the conviction that they would die, eager to withstand the Mountain's heart-piercing blade. As long as they concentrated their strength to block the Mountain, the wedge formation would be unable to advance, and Randyll's flanking attacks from the left and right would be able to crush the Mountain's formation first.

Amidst the shouts of victory, several thousand cavalrymen suddenly lunged at the Mountain's wedge formation, which had not yet fully formed.

The Mountain remained silent, and the Red Stallion suddenly charged out, striking first and arriving first. With a single swing of his sword, a head suddenly flew into the air…

The Red Stallion was too fast, like a wisp of red smoke or a red comet streaking across the sky, dragging a long red tail of flame…

General Dodd Hunter of the central army had been about to strike first with his longsword, but the Mountain's Ice suddenly arrived from a greater distance, first severing his head, while Ser Hunter's longsword had only been swung halfway…

The Mountain was too fast!

Amidst the rain of blood, Ser Hunter's head had not yet landed…

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the Mountain charged into the central army regiment alone. Amidst the roars, his longsword swept horizontally, severing several cavalrymen at the waist.

Their warhorses were still charging forward, with the lower halves of the cavalrymen still on their mounts, while their upper halves had flown into the air.

The Reach cavalry, who had been invincible and awe-inspiring in the Riverlands, were witnessing such a tragic slaughter for the first time.

In the blink of an eye, the Mountain had already killed more than a dozen people, including a general and several knights. His oak shield slammed wildly, turning cavalrymen and warhorses into a bloody mess of corpses. The greatsword Ice swept horizontally through the cavalry ranks, like a sharp blade cutting thin parchment, cleaving both men and horses in two with a single swing, and no one could withstand his sword.

Swinging left and right, the heavy shield slammed wildly like a door panel, and those who blocked his path were crushed. Severed limbs and torsos flew through the air, and hot blood rained down.

A magical beast, a Valyrian steel sword, an oak shield, and unmatched divine power.

He was a reaper from hell!

A startled warhorse charged toward the Mountain, and the Mountain raised his huge and heavy oak shield, slamming it violently on the horse's head. With a deafening crash, the horse's head exploded like a water bag, shattering into a bloody mess.

By the time the warhorse's corpse crashed down, the Mountain had already charged ahead.

The Reach's central thousand-man cavalry regiment collapsed before fully engaging the Mountain's wedge formation in a head-on clash.

The Mountain charged forward all the way, advancing at high speed, and the wedge formation was like an unmatched sharp sword, piercing through the enemy lines.

The wedge formation relied on an unstoppable charge to pierce through the enemy's formation at high speed.

Lord Mooton, who was watching the battle from the Mountain's right flank, was dumbfounded. All three thousand soldiers held their breath in disbelief.

The Mountain, with his own strength, had crushed the Reach's central thousand-man regiment, and the soldiers behind him in the wedge formation only needed to hack and slash at the routed soldiers in disarray, which was not challenging at all.

Randyll Tarly and Dickon Tarly desperately attacked from the left and right flanks, trying to forcibly cut open the Mountain's wedge formation. However, compared to the purebred warhorses of Crackclaw Point, the Reach's warhorses were like youths compared to strong men. Their speed, strength, height, and the horses' offensive capabilities were completely inferior.

Randyll and Dickon were blocked outside the wedge formation by the Crackclaw Point cavalry charging forward at full speed. The wedge formation was like a rapid current, and Randyll and Dickon were like fish trying to swim upstream in the rapid current. The current was too strong, making it impossible to enter the rolling rapids, let alone cut the rapids into two sections.

The wedge formation's soldiers only needed to maintain their formation and advance forward. Even if they did not manage to cut down the enemy in the engagement, they did not stop, because brothers were constantly rushing up from behind to continue the battle…

They fought and moved on, only engaging for one exchange, never stopping to entangle in a prolonged fight!

The Mountain's wedge formation easily pierced through Randyll's central army. The cavalry maintained their high speed, quickly maneuvering and turning around, forming a beautiful arc. The Mountain led the way, turning back to face south, already on the right side of the Kingsroad, with Mooton's army on either side of the Kingsroad.

Only the Mountain faced south, while Mooton's army faced west. Mooton's army faced the flank of Randyll's army.

And Randyll's army reorganized, with the left, center, and right armies becoming two armies, led by Randyll and Dickon. They adjusted the direction of their formation, facing north, toward the Mountain's army.

The Mouton army suddenly shouted in unison, cheering for the Mountain!

During the previous charge, almost everyone in the Mouton army had their eyes fixed on the Mountain alone.

The Mountain was too tall, and the Red Smoke Beast was too eye-catching. During the charge, it knocked several warhorses flying, scattering several small formations. It was like a Mountain among horses, with extreme power, leaving the Mouton army dumbfounded!

The unicorn was originally the fastest and most powerful magical creature on land, possessing great strength. As the king of land travel, unicorns could fight the most powerful beasts such as lions, leopards, and shadow mountain cats.

In the end, wherever the Red Smoke Beast went, the Reach warhorses fled frantically. The fierce aura of the Red Smoke Beast grew stronger with the blood and slaughter, causing the warhorses of the Mouton army on the other side to snort uneasily, their hooves constantly tapping the ground.

*

The Mountain faced Randyll, maintaining a complete wedge formation behind him.

Without the rigorous training of a famous general, the Crab Claw Peninsula's barbarian cavalry could not be so skilled.

The Crab Claw Peninsula cavalry's wide variety of weapons made Randyll's army and the Mouton army feel apprehensive and regard them with new respect.

The barbarians' heavy poleaxes, maces, flails, double-bladed axes, splitting axes, spiked axes, spears, short iron hammers, spiked clubs...etc., possessed far greater lethality than longswords in high-speed charges.

"Randyll, you shouldn't have crossed those two banners!" The Mountain roared, the Red Smoke Beast charging out again, this time focusing tightly on Randyll Tarly himself.

Randyll Tarly already had thoughts of retreating, but honor compelled him to raise his sword and shout, "Dickon..."

No one would ever know what else he wanted to shout...

An arrow flew like a shooting star, like a flying dragon, whistling as it shot into Randyll Tarly's wide-open mouth, the iron arrowhead piercing his throat!

Anguy unchivalrously fired this arrow, wanting to kill Randyll Tarly before the Mountain, as this would be the greatest merit. He succeeded!

The Mountain lost his most desired target, letting out a low growl, cursing Anguy fiercely, and locking his gaze on Dickon Tarly!

"Don't release the arrows!" The Mountain shouted, his reasoning not at all sufficient, "Anguy, this is not honorable."

He had originally wanted to personally chop off Randyll's head!

This was truly frustrating!

Damn it!

Anguy Clegane, his son-in-law and adopted son, had really learned the bad ways!

Randyll Tarly, the famous general of the Seven Kingdoms, fell to the ground dead, the leader of the other army corps, Dickon Tarly, was completely stunned.

Dickon Tarly, the heir of House Tarly!

His brother Samwell Tarly was a member of the Night's Watch at the Wall.

The Mountain was like a red streak of light, heading straight for Dickon!

Days ago, the Mountain's military orders and warnings had been on the flagpoles of those two banners: Those who cross the banners will be killed without mercy!

This was not intimidation, this was the truth!

The nobles of the Seven Kingdoms would all gain a new understanding from this event, and relearn the rumors about the Mountain from the death of the invincible Randyll.

Boom!

The thousand-man cavalry regiment led by Randyll suddenly collapsed, the cavalry scattering and fleeing!

Behind the Mountain, a thousand riders charged, their hooves thundering. These killing demons did not shout!

They were silent slaughterers, their shouts being the '噗噗' sounds of swords and axes cutting into the enemies' bodies!

Dickon Tarly shouted, waving his longsword, charging towards the Mountain!

The Mountain's Ice giant sword made a sword flower...

Swish!

The familiar sound of an arrow piercing through the air, a black shadow flashed, and an armor-piercing arrow struck Dickon Tarly's throat, who was bravely charging forward. In the high-speed shooting against each other, the iron arrowhead easily pierced through Dickon's neck armor.

Thanks to [Purely Domestically Produced Love My China] for the reward and support, thank you, handshake!