Chapter 487 Master, I've Reformed
The Manchu cavalryman's words offered Huang Yunfa a sliver of reassurance.
That's right!
I have powerful, unrivaled elite cavalry from beyond the passes right here with me. These men have spent their lives on horseback; they’re far more skilled than any Central Plains cavalry, their horsemanship a cut above, and their combat effectiveness on horseback miles apart.
Even if the enemy is numerous, by spreading out into a vast pocket to encircle us, they've thinned their lines. All we need to do is gather our elite cavalry at one point, slice through their formation like a dagger, and we'll break free.
Once we've burst through their encirclement and built up speed, the Central Plains cavalry will never catch us.
The warhorse beneath Huang Yunfa was a prime steed from beyond the passes as well. He was confident that once they were truly in motion, the ambushers' horses wouldn't stand a chance.
“Alright, don’t be afraid!”
“Prepare to break through.”
Just as the Manchu cavalry were itching for a fight, readying themselves for a counter-charge, they suddenly witnessed the three hundred riders encircling them all dismount at once, dropping to the ground.
Then, in unison, the three hundred riders reached behind their backs and drew flintlock rifles...
Huang Yunfa was utterly bewildered.
But the Manchu cavalry recoiled in alarm: “Wait! So, the enemy wasn’t cavalry after all, but... riflemen who used horses for transport?”
In the blink of an eye, the three hundred cavalrymen transformed into three hundred riflemen, fanning out into a pocket formation. They raised their flintlock rifles, their sights locked on Huang Yunfa and his entourage at the center.
The Manchu cavalry, with their extensive experience fighting border armies, finally felt a cold dread settle in their hearts. They didn’t fear Central Plains cavalry, but Central Plains riflemen were a different matter. Now, surrounded like this, what were their options?
Surrender was out of the question. Their only path now was to charge.
The Manchu cavalry let out a chorus of wild howls, spurring their horses forward in a desperate, suicidal charge.
And so, they truly died!
“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The flintlock rifles blazed. The Gao Family Village Militia, whether armed with smoothbore or rifled guns, all employed flintlock technology. There was no need to fuss with a matchcord; a pull of the trigger meant instant fire, a bullet launched.
Hundreds of lead bullets flew towards the several dozen Manchu riders. There was no suspense.
In an instant, men and horses alike were shredded, shot through like sieves.
Lifeless bodies tumbled from their saddles to the ground.
Zao Ying watched the scene from a distance, letting out a long sigh. “What a waste of good horses, truly a waste! My cavalry battalion should have been sent in. We could have taken down the Manchu riders and seized these magnificent steeds.”
Lao Nanfeng, standing beside her, spread his hands. “Didn’t you see the way those Manchu cavalry charged just now? They are far superior to your own cavalry. If we had engaged them cavalry-to-cavalry, they might actually have broken through our encirclement, and we could have lost some of our brothers. It’s always safest to mow them down with flintlock rifles.”
Zao Ying nodded. “You’re right. Compared to a few dozen horses, our brothers’ lives are far more valuable. Eliminating the Manchus with rifles is indeed the safer and more reliable approach.”
With the Manchu cavalry eliminated, Huang Yunfa’s household guards were effectively useless.
They stood no chance against the overwhelming power of the rifle formation.
They knew they were utterly finished!
Huang Yunfa, hidden amongst a cluster of his remaining guards, suddenly erupted into boisterous laughter. “Hahaha, don’t celebrate too soon... Do you actually think you’ve won? No, you haven’t! I’m not Huang Yunfa at all; I’m just his body double, hahahaha... You can’t kill him!”
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
“Damn!” Tie Niaofei poked his head out from behind a distant hillside, exclaiming in astonishment, “He’s that slippery?”
Even the Puppet Heavenly Lord couldn't help but pause, surprised. “Like in 'Let the Bullets Fly'?”
A few miles away, hidden in the dense woods, the real Huang Yunfa watched the unfolding chaos through a Western telescope. He scoffed. “I knew this whole affair was suspicious. Good thing I prepared a backup. What a pity, though; no more body doubles available. I’ll have to be even more cautious from now on.”
He lowered his telescope, turning to his ten loyal personal guards. “Let’s go. We’ll retreat to a safe location, then assemble our people, bring in our Jin merchant allies, and capture this Tie Niaofei. We’ll interrogate him thoroughly to discover exactly what force is behind this opposition.”
The moment he turned, a resonant Buddhist chant echoed from nearby. “Amitabha, bless your soul, bless your soul! Donor Huang, look, if you commit evil, there will always be those who wish to take your life. Though you’ve escaped this time, what about the next? And the time after that? Alas! Only by living with a clear conscience will you never fear ghosts knocking at your door at midnight. Heed this monk’s advice: turn back. If you truly repent and reform, those who seek your death today might well be your friends tomorrow.”
Huang Yunfa’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Master Zhan Seng, you were following me?”
Zhan Seng replied, “I am merely following a donor who has lost his way.”
Huang Yunfa sneered, “I have no desire to kill a man of the cloth. Now, get lost.”
Zhan Seng responded, “Amitabha! Turn back.”
“Damn it, didn’t you hear him tell you to get lost?” one of the guards snarled, rushing forward. He brandished his saber, bringing it down in a whistling arc towards Zhan Seng’s head.
But Zhan Seng was not so easily subdued. With a swift flick of his staff, the guard crumpled to the ground with a dull thud.
Huang Yunfa’s heart lurched. *This monk’s combat skills are formidable? Something’s not right!*
Once suspicion took root, he no longer cared if the man was a monk. He’d kill him all the same. Waving his hand, he commanded, “Go, cut him down.”
The remaining ten guards all surged forward.
Ten against one—the advantage was clearly theirs.
Zhan Seng only wielded a single staff, and he was unwilling to kill, insisting on his “Divine Martial Art of Non-Killing.” How could he possibly withstand the relentless assault of ten guards? In just a few chaotic rounds, Zhan Seng was overwhelmed, stumbling backward in disarray.
“Donor, turn back!” Zhan Seng cried out urgently. “It’s still not too late to abandon your wicked path!”
Huang Yunfa snapped, “Kill him quickly. His preaching is infuriating.”
One guard, seizing an opportunity, lunged with his saber, sweeping it towards Zhan Seng. The monk, already evading another assailant’s blade, had no time to parry this attack from behind. With a wet thud, a bloody gash opened on his arm.
In the midst of the frantic melee, he glanced down...
His eyes flashed, turning crimson!
“Who? Who the hell dared to draw my blood? Haven’t you ever heard the name He Ping, the Man-Eating Salt Owl?!”
Huang Yunfa: “???”
The guards: “???”
The amiable Zhan Seng was gone, replaced by the murderous He Ping. He flicked his staff with brutal force, and with a sickening thud, it plunged into a guard’s temple. The man shrieked, then crumpled to the ground...
Then a whirlwind of staff blows erupted. Guards screamed and fell, one after another, each struck in a vital spot with a single, instantly fatal blow!
In mere moments, only Huang Yunfa was left standing.
He trembled all over, fear seizing him. “You... you... Master Zhan Seng... I... I’ve laid down my butcher’s knife! I’m reforming now, immediately, right this instant... I’ll never sell anything to the Manchus again!”
“Zhan Seng? Who’s Zhan Seng?” He Ping bared his teeth, a feral grin spreading across his face. “My name is He Ping. Whether you reform or not, what the hell does it matter to me?”
With a sickening crack, his staff slammed down on Huang Yunfa’s head...
Red and white splattered across the ground with a gruesome splatter.
Comments