Chapter 1036: The Brave Padi Tu
Huang Long's forces erupted in chaos.
The moment the five hundred rebel soldiers heard the flintlock rifles fire, they immediately clutched their heads and scrambled for cover.
No one wanted to be the unlucky wretch struck by a bullet, so everyone scrambled to get as far away as possible. But human minds don't synchronize easily. Some wanted to run left, others right, and they'd crash into each other in the middle with a jarring *thud*, falling to the ground together.
To their comrades, those who fell appeared to have been shot dead by the firearms.
Those nearby were terrified, their souls nearly leaving their bodies, panicking even more and scattering in every direction.
More and more people collided, tumbled, and trampled one another.
In an instant, Huang Long's five hundred men were too disorganized to even attempt a fight.
Huang Long himself was utterly terrified. He drew his saber, ready to pull back, but then he saw Padi Tu stomping forward, charging right at him, his longsword already sweeping through the air. "Rebel chieftain, halt!" Padi Tu bellowed.
Huang Long flinched in shock. *This lunatic!* he thought. *Isn't he afraid of getting shot by his own men's muskets? In this chaos, he still wants to duel me?*
Huang Long sheathed his saber and bolted. Padi Tu, longsword held high, pursued him, shouting, "Stop!"
"I'd be a fool to stop!" Huang Long yelled back.
Padi Tu let out a mighty roar and leapt forward... only for his foot to catch on a stone, sending him tumbling with a comical *thud*.
Only then did Huang Long truly "escape by the skin of his teeth." He frantically retreated several hundred meters, finally reaching Chuǎng Wang's side, where he gasped, panting, "We've been ambushed! Damn it! That 'Master Rabbit' fellow is a real brute."
The 9,500 Chuǎng Army soldiers behind Chuǎng Wang were, in truth, also greatly startled.
From several hundred meters behind, they watched as the five hundred men Huang Long had led forward were haphazardly targeted by the enemy's firearm troops, then crumbled into chaos. Many "fell from bullet wounds," and the pathetic remnants stumbled back.
From amidst a cloud of gunpowder smoke and dust, Padi Tu rose, his face streaked black.
His face was literally blackened!
When he'd tumbled earlier, his face had smacked into the dirt, leaving him with a mask of black mud.
Padi Tu placed one foot on a rebel soldier who had been gravely injured by his own retreating comrades. He raised his longsword high in his right hand, its tip piercing the sky, while his left hand gestured grandly at the Chuǎng Army in the distance. He let out a booming laugh. "Why are you running? Come back for more! As long as 'Master Rabbit' stands in this Miaogou, you'll never take another step into Shaanxi!"
Chuǎng Wang scoffed, "There's a limit to your posturing. If we just bypass this route into Shaanxi, what good is you standing there in Miaogou?"
Padi Tu: "..."
He froze.
But after a five-second freeze, Padi Tu quickly found his words again. He snorted. "Bypassing? Does that mean you're afraid of 'Master Rabbit'? Hahahaha, the famed Chuǎng Wang is nothing but an ordinary man after all, cowering before an unknown nobody!"
Chuǎng Wang: "!!!"
Liu Zhe was furious, Huang Long was furious, but despite their rage, neither dared to advance for the moment. There were clearly ambushers on the hillside ahead; that much was obvious. What's more, they were incredibly formidable firearm troops, even equipped with strange bombs...
Many of the rebel troops had experienced these weapons firsthand.
They had encountered them in Shaanxi, in Shanxi, in Henan, and most recently, in the great battle of Lu Prefecture.
Anyone with an ounce of sense knew that these strange firearm units were impossible to confront head-on, especially when they held the advantage of the high ground.
Who would be mad enough to charge headfirst into Miaogou?
"Big Brother Chuǎng Wang, we need to temporarily avoid their spearhead," Liu Zhe urged. "We can't directly clash with those firearm units."
Huang Long added, "He's right, we can't break through. Our men scatter in terror the moment they hear those firearm shots; it's impossible to fight a proper battle."
Liu Zhe continued, "And on top of that, they've got the high ground."
Chuǎng Wang nodded. "Very well, we'll withdraw for now. Let's pull back two *li* and rethink our strategy."
At Chuǎng Wang's command, the Chuǎng Army hastily fell back.
Only once they had retreated a significant distance did Padi Tu finally plop down onto the ground, gasping for breath. He waved towards the hillside. "Alright, someone! Drag these injured rebel soldiers back for labor reform!"
A group of fresh recruits and greenhorns slid down the slope, crowding around Padi Tu. "Master Rabbit, you were incredible!"
"Master Rabbit, you single-handedly drove back the entire Chuǎng Army!"
"Master Rabbit, you're my hero!"
"We captured fourteen rebel soldiers alive, all of them injured by their own men in the chaos, either from collisions or being trampled."
"What are you staring at? Think you're tough?"
A new recruit, fist raised, was about to strike a captive.
Padi Tu spoke up, "Stop that! Treat captives humanely! Haven't you learned that rule yet?"
The new recruit flinched, quickly lowered his hand, and backed away.
Padi Tu patted the captive's shoulder. "Reform yourself well, and be a good person."
Then, turning back to the recruits, he said, "Everyone, stay vigilant. Do your scouting duties properly and keep a close eye on the surrounding gullies. We can't let the rebel army sneak into Shaanxi."
The recruits' morale soared. "Understood!" they chorused.
An hour later, Zheng Gouzi arrived, leading the "Blue Army" to rendezvous with Padi Tu. They now had two hundred fresh recruits and two thousand new soldiers, but all were equipped with training weapons, not proper arms.
Another hour later, Sun Chuanting arrived.
Soon after, the Tongguan Pass garrison also arrived.
With the Tongguan Pass garrison, everyone finally had proper weapons and true combat readiness.
Sun Chuanting asked, "Where is the Chuǎng Army currently?"
Padi Tu replied, "They're in a valley a little over two *li* to the east. They can't gauge our true strength, so they're hesitant to advance. Their scouts and ours have already encountered each other several times in the forest, but since our scouts are unarmed, they don't dare to fight. And their scouts are wary of our firearms, so they don't dare to press forward either. Both sides just eye each other from a distance before retreating."
Sun Chuanting nodded, then turned to the Tongguan Pass garrison. "Did you bring the reconnaissance hot air balloons?" he asked.
"Yes!" came the reply. The Tongguan Pass garrison was now a standard Heavenly Lord militia, and for a strategic, mountainous location like Tongguan Pass, reconnaissance hot air balloons were, of course, standard equipment.
The soldiers quickly unfolded a hot air balloon, lit the burner, and sent it soaring skyward.
About an hour and a half later, a detailed topographical map of the surrounding area was laid out before Sun Chuanting. The map not only clearly depicted all the mountains and terrain, but also precisely marked all of the Chuǎng Army's encampments.
Sun Chuanting extended a finger to the map, addressing the Yellow Pole Military Academy recruits gathered before him. "Gentlemen, you are not just soldiers; you are training to become non-commissioned officers. This place before us will be the best first battlefield of your lives. For this battle, I want you all to brainstorm. Present your proposed plans to the Tongguan Pass garrison, and their general will decide whether to execute them. If anyone's strategy is approved by the garrison, and its execution leads to victory, they will be awarded a substantial amount of academic credit."
The recruits were overjoyed.
However, as fresh recruits, not veteran students, they lacked even a sliver of confidence in their own capabilities. The group gazed at the map, a slight hesitation clouding their faces...
Even if they had ideas, they wouldn't dare voice them!
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