Chapter 328: Blast Them to Oblivion
Padi Tu edged forward, a shadow slinking along the forest's perimeter.
Zheng Gouzi and Shi Jian shadowed him, barely half a meter back, their movements meticulous, each fearing the faintest rustle of a leaf.
Since their foray into Huanglong Mountain to flush out the bandits, Padi Tu had consistently excelled as their scout.
His boisterous personality would have been a poor fit for a large, disciplined force, but in a scout team, he thrived, his particular talents finding their perfect outlet.
"That's Wang Zuogua's den, right up ahead," Padi Tu whispered, his voice a mere breath. "See that cavern below? His crew's undoubtedly holed up in there."
Zheng Gouzi gave a silent nod. "Traces of movement around the entrance. No mistake about it."
"Enemy scouts are undoubtedly patrolling nearby," Shi Jian cautioned softly. "Watch yourselves. We don't want to be surrounded."
Padi Tu let out a quiet, self-satisfied chuckle. "With these ears, enemy scouts are the least of our worries."
No sooner had the words left his lips than, as he crept past a hollowed-out tree, he stumbled upon a bandit soldier slumbering within. Padi Tu’s presence jolted the man awake, who then fixed him with a pair of wide, utterly bewildered eyes.
Neither man had anticipated such an abrupt, silent confrontation.
After a beat of shared confusion, the bandit soldier's jaw dropped, a cry already forming on his lips.
Shi Jian, however, launched himself forward, swift as an arrow, slapping a hand over the man's mouth and burying a short dagger deep into his throat.
A sharp exhale.
The trio exhaled heavily, the tension bleeding from their shoulders.
Shi Jian chastened, "There, you see? If the enemy's on the move, your ears might pick them up. But a stationary target, hidden away? You won't hear a thing. Stay vigilant."
Padi Tu, chastened by the close call, nodded in rare submission.
Shi Jian cautiously edged his head over the precipice, taking in the entire valley below. He meticulously imprinted the terrain around Wang Zuogua's hidden cavern into his memory, every ridge and hollow. Then, he began his slow, careful retreat. "I must return to report to Instructor He, to sketch this topography for him."
Padi Tu announced, "I'll remain here, keeping an eye on Wang Zuogua."
"Understood," Shi Jian affirmed. "Gouzi will stay with you. Exercise extreme caution, both of you."
He receded slowly, inching back, a creeping shadow. Only after gaining a significant distance did he dare to quicken his pace, heading toward Cheng Xu's entrenched camp.
Padi Tu, meanwhile, meticulously surveyed his surroundings, eyes darting left and right. After a lengthy study, he suddenly jabbed a finger toward a cleverly concealed ditch:
"Gouzi," he whispered, "Look at that gully."
"What's so special about it?" Zheng Gouzi inquired.
Padi Tu’s eyes gleamed. "If I were Wang Zuogua, caught off guard and pelted with grenades, I'd absolutely dive into that ditch and bolt, keeping low. Once the valley entrance is sealed, that’s his only escape route."
"Ah, I see. And your grand plan?" Zheng Gouzi prodded.
Padi Tu's grin widened mischievously. "Then, naturally, we should ambush him right beside that ditch, wait for Wang Zuogua to flee this way, and eliminate him! Imagine the glory we’d win, eh?"
Zheng Gouzi's eyes narrowed. "Hold on, don't get ahead of yourself. Wang Zuogua will have his most loyal, hardened thugs right by his side. The two of us stand no chance against them."
Padi Tu scoffed, "This Rabbit Lord's blade could freeze forty prefectures and cut down ten thousand! Why would I tremble before a few favored thugs? One swing, one kill—they'll all fall!"
Zheng Gouzi held up a fist the size of a small cauldron. "No need to wait for the enemy to kill you. I’ll just pummel you myself. A death’s a death, no matter whose hand delivers it, right?"
That night, the stars offered little illumination, their light faint and distant.
Under the shroud of meager starlight, Cheng Xu guided the militia, a silent serpent slithering to the valley's rim.
The valley Wang Zuogua had chosen to evade government troops was, of course, exceptionally well-hidden. But the more secluded a spot, the more 'sealed' it often was. This particular valley boasted only a single ingress and egress, and that aperture was so choked with vines that spotting it from the outside was a genuine challenge.
Cheng Xu and his men lay in ambush some distance away, a low, predatory chuckle rippling through their ranks. "Spot those guards at the valley's mouth? Send a handful of crossbowmen. Aim for their throats; ensure not a whisper escapes them."
"Grenadiers! Ascend to the peaks on either flank. At the opening volley, unleash a torrent of grenades into that valley. Once our assault teams push inside, cease fire immediately. We don't want friendly casualties."
Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu snapped to attention, each taking fifty grenadiers and scrambling up the designated mountain peaks.
"The usual drill," Cheng Xu continued. "Once we're in the valley, the flintlock riflemen will unleash a coordinated volley. After shattering the enemy's resolve, the spearmen will push forward."
A chorus of "Understood, sir!" echoed softly.
At that very hour, Wang Zuogua was basking in a smug glow of triumph.
His intelligence network was not to be underestimated; he had already received word of the Manchu forces entering the pass and the withdrawal of five regional commanders. Now, in the depths of his cave, he was roaring with gleeful laughter, head thrown back.
"With those five regional commanders gone," he bellowed, "won't we be free to rampage across the Northwest? Hahahaha! Next time I descend from these peaks, who will stand in my way?"
A lieutenant beside him murmured, "Big Brother, that Bai Family Fortress's firearms unit is still a thorn in our side, constantly harassing us throughout the mountains. Third and Fourth Brothers were ambushed twice and suffered significant losses."
Wang Zuogua spat derisively. "Those scoundrels from Bai Family Fortress! Where in hell did they conjure up so many firearms? They're an absolute pest! No matter. With those five regional commanders gone, there's no longer any need for us to slink and cower in these mountains. We'll simply strike north, march out of Huanglong Mountain, and have ourselves a grand time in Yichuan County. Without those commanders, who in the realm can possibly oppose me?"
The lieutenant laughed boisterously. "Big Brother speaks absolute truth! No matter how formidable Bai Family Fortress's firearms, can they truly pursue us all the way to Yichuan County? We may not be able to defeat them head-on, but we can certainly evade them."
Wang Zuogua scoffed. "Hmph! Once I’ve amassed more followers in Yichuan, growing our strength into a veritable tide, then I’ll return to settle accounts with those dolts from Bai Family Fortress. I refuse to believe I can't put an end to them then!"
No sooner had the words left their lips than a bloodcurdling shriek suddenly ripped through the night outside. The sound, impossibly loud, tore through the darkness, reverberating through the valley with an agonizing, ear-splitting clarity.
It was one of the bandit sentries at the valley mouth, struck by a crossbow bolt. The assailant's aim, however, had been slightly askew, missing the throat's vital point, allowing the poor wretch to unleash that horrific scream.
The single shriek instantly plunged the entire bandit lair into chaos!
The forces of Flying Tiger and Fourth Boss Dahonglang immediately burst forth from the cavern. Leading the charge was none other than Fourth Boss Dahonglang himself, who bellowed, "What in the blazes happened?!"
Had they remained inside, they would have been safe; the valley was empty, and the grenadiers had no reason to waste their explosives on vacant ground. But Flying Tiger and Fourth Boss Dahonglang rushing out like that? They had just painted bullseyes on their backs.
The grenadiers, already patiently dug in on the mountain peaks, instantly and gleefully ignited their fuses, unleashing a devastating hail of grenades into the valley below.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A relentless, thunderous barrage of explosions tore through the air.
The moment the explosions ripped through the air, Flying Tiger and Fourth Boss Dahonglang were struck with sheer terror. This wasn't their first encounter with these infernal devices, They had, in fact, gained a grim expertise from prior bombardments, instinctively hitting the dirt the instant the sound reached them. Then, they roared, their voices hoarse with rage and fear, "Bai Family Fortress again! Damn it, how did these bastards pinpoint our location? We were utterly concealed!"
"Where are the scouts on both mountain peaks?" one of them screamed. "How did our lookouts fail to detect their approach? Curse them! They just let them seize the high ground so effortlessly?"
"Goddammit, run!" shrieked the other. "Caught in this explosion, there's nothing but certain death!"
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