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Chapter 1132: The Guanning Iron Cavalry's Tactics

The Qing army's two sneak attack fleets were utterly destroyed.

Meanwhile, the Qing forces engaged in the frontal assault were still completely unaware. They were waving banners and shouting, feigning a full-scale attack on the main harbor.

Ajige did not personally join the naval battle, but stayed on the nearby coast, remotely directing the engagement. The one leading the frontal charge was named Ma Futa.

Ma Futa had long overseen interactions and conflicts with Joseon for the Qing forces. Thus, for this invasion of Joseon, he was considered the vanguard general.

Presently, Ma Futa was supervising fifty Joseon warships as they launched a fierce assault on Pi Island's main harbor.

Shen Shikui, the Regional Commander of Dongjiang, had also stationed his main forces at the main harbor, making it, in effect, Pi Island's most heavily fortified point.

"Fire!"

The Joseon warships were equipped with a few cannons, though not many, but the Joseon sailors' gunnery was passable. With a thunderous roar, a shot struck the bluestone wall beneath Pi Island's battery. The impact gouged a large hole in the stone, sending the Pi Island gunners tumbling backwards several times in fright. Realizing they were unharmed, they scrambled back to their feet, dusting themselves off, and hurriedly reloaded their cannon barrels.

Someone cursed loudly, "Damn those Joseon dogs."

Just then, the dismounted Qing cavalry, under the cover of Joseon turtle ships, had begun landing at the main harbor.

The defenders quickly swung their cannon barrels around and fired indiscriminately at the beach.

Solid cannonballs were remarkably ineffective against infantry. At most, a single shot might kill a few soldiers, offering extremely poor cost-effectiveness. Meanwhile, the Joseon ships on the sea continued to relentlessly pound the battery.

The defenders, on one hand, had to contend with the Joseon shelling, while on the other, they needed to attack the forces on the beach. They were utterly overwhelmed.

"Musketeers!"

"Archers!"

Shen Shikui roared.

The defenders brought out their matchlock muskets and three-eyed arquebuses, and unleashed a hail of fire upon the Qing soldiers assaulting the beach...

But after years of fighting the Ming army, the Qing soldiers had long developed ample defenses against firearms. Only in unprepared skirmishes or small-scale encounters in the wilderness would they suffer losses. Whenever large armies clashed, the Qing forces always took precautions against Ming firearms.

Large shields were erected on the troop transports. The shields were thick and sturdy, capable of deflecting matchlock muskets and three-eyed arquebuses. Arrows, meanwhile, were utterly useless.

The Qing soldiers advanced slowly, forming steady lines on the beach, and, under the cover of their shields, began to assemble into battle formations...

Shen Shikui's expression grew grim. He felt things were becoming rather difficult.

The Qing army's ferocious assault on the island would set a dangerous precedent for the Han and Joseon auxiliary troops following behind. If the Han and Joseon soldiers also pressed their attack with such desperation, then Pi Island would be lost.

Just then, Cao Wenzhao emerged from the side. "Let us hold this position for a while."

Shen Shikui was overjoyed. "If the Guanning Iron Cavalry are taking action, there'll certainly be no problem."

The Guanning Iron Cavalry were seasoned adversaries of the Qing forces!

When it came to engaging the Qing army, the Guanning Iron Cavalry could be described as highly experienced.

Shen Shikui quickly stepped aside, eager to observe the Guanning Iron Cavalry's fighting methods.

Cao Wenzhao asked, "Bianjiao, are the new weapons bestowed by the Heavenly Lord all ready?"

Cao Bianjiao replied, "All the men are carrying them."

Cao Wenzhao declared, "Good. Guanning Iron Cavalry, advance!"

Shen Shikui got ready, eyes wide, prepared to learn.

He watched as two thousand five hundred Guanning Iron Cavalry, led by Cao Bianjiao, began to march towards the beach.

Both uncle and nephew of the Cao family were renowned fierce generals. They were the kind who often personally wielded spears, charging into battle alongside their soldiers, their names shaking the world. Shen Shikui now had the perfect opportunity to witness the splendor of these famous generals and see exactly how they 'chopped people down.'

But then, Cao Bianjiao reached into his breastplate and pulled out a strange black cylindrical object in his right hand, which had a wooden handle attached for him to grip.

A small question mark slowly materialized above Shen Shikui's head.

With his left hand, Cao Bianjiao then produced a tinder stick.

The question mark above Shen Shikui's head inflated rapidly like a pufferfish, transforming into a gigantic, bewildered query.

Cao Bianjiao used the tinder stick in his left hand to light the fuse on the strange object in his right hand. Sparks fizzed as the fuse burned, then, with a sudden burst of speed, Cao Bianjiao charged towards the Qing soldiers, roaring, "To hell with you all!"

With that, he flung his right arm, and the strange black object soared into the midst of the Qing formation.

Shen Shikui exclaimed, "What the hell? What's going on? What kind of tactic is this?"

The Qing soldiers were utterly baffled too...

The dark object flew into the Qing formation, collided with one soldier's helmet with a clang, then bounced and landed at his feet.

The Qing soldier touched his head, grumbling, "No harm done! This thing doesn't hurt at all when it hits you. I thought it would be something impressive..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

"BOOM!"

Blown sky-high!

Several Qing soldiers nearby were simultaneously knocked down by shrapnel.

Cao Bianjiao cheered, "Oh yeah, a direct hit!"

At the same time, the Guanning Iron Cavalry were almost all performing the exact same actions as Cao Bianjiao: lighting the small black spheres with their tinder sticks, and fiercely flinging them with a shout of, "To hell with you all!"

Some, as they threw, were also letting out strange cries: "Wahahaha, finally got my chance to play with these myself! When I saw the militia using them, I was damn jealous!"

"It's like throwing a giant firecracker."

After throwing their black sphere, one soldier even made an impolite gesture at the Qing soldiers in front, muttering, "Die, you scum."

A sky full of black spheres flew towards the Qing battle formations that had just arrayed themselves on the beach.

Then, the sounds of "Boom! Boom! Boom!" from explosions rang out incessantly.

The Qing army was instantly scattered and shattered by the explosions.

Only then did Cao Bianjiao suddenly draw his long spear, and roar, "Charge!"

The two thousand five hundred Guanning Iron Cavalry simultaneously drew their weapons: Kaiyuan bows, matchlock muskets, three-eyed arquebuses, long spears, great sabers...

"Charge!"

This was the true fighting method of the Guanning Iron Cavalry.

Matchlock muskets firing, Kaiyuan bows shooting, three-eyed arquebuses blasting again, spears wildly thrusting in formation, and then drawing their blades to hack you to hell.

Shen Shikui exclaimed, "Damn, *this* is the Guanning Iron Cavalry! I must have been seeing things just now. The Guanning Iron Cavalry definitely aren't like *that* before, definitely not."

The Qing forces, who had only just managed to surge onto the beach, were instantly driven back into the sea by the Guanning Iron Cavalry.

Ma Futa, the Qing army's vanguard general, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Everything had been going so well initially. They had scrambled onto the beach, their formations had been assembled under the cover of shields. Just one more wave of attack, and they would have secured their foothold. The Han and Joseon auxiliary troops would have followed.

But who would have thought...

With just one such maneuver from the enemy, everything had been rendered moot.

"Aaoo! I won't accept this!" Ma Futa roared in fury, "Charge, you bastards!"

He swiftly drew his long spear, leading by example, and once again charged furiously onto the beach.

Beachhead landing battle 1637, version 2.0!

Cao Bianjiao declared, "Excellent timing!"

He brandished his spear and met Ma Futa's charge.

The two fierce generals clashed on the beach. Their spears swept and collided with two dull thuds. Both felt their wrists go numb from the force of the other's spear, and inwardly thought, "Damn, I've met my match."