Chapter 798

"Firearms?" Bai Lang was also in a bind. He hadn't considered a head-on charge against a formation of musketeers. The key was that at close range, firearms could truly break his defense—although he hadn't tried it, Bai Lang didn't want to test it. However, there was one issue: distance. Based on his own estimation, he might not be able to block lead bullets within seventy paces, and definitely couldn't within fifty paces. But at a hundred paces, it should be no problem—though at that distance, they wouldn't hit anything anyway.

However, Bai Lang's footsteps didn't stop, because he was now within seventy paces. The opposite side indeed fired impatiently—don't talk about how the Qing soldiers liked to send troops to lure the Ming firearms to fire when fighting the Ming army, only to have the Ming soldiers waste their shots beyond a hundred paces and then fall into chaos, being wiped out in one wave by the Qing soldiers. It was the same for the Manchu Qing's own musketeers; they were just slightly better. Firing at a distance of seventy paces, these hundred-plus musketeers didn't hit a thing, even though Bai Lang had crouched down and used his Purple Gold Halberd to protect his body.

Then Bai Lang was overjoyed and strode directly toward the musketeers. By this time, the musketeers were already in a mess and starting to run. The Niru soldiers holding the line waved their swords in threat, but it was useless because even they wanted to run. Before them was the human-shaped weapon of destruction from the storybooks, the kind that was impervious to blades and arrows; who would risk their life to stop him? Thus, the cavalry was sent out. These were the Gebu Xien Chao Ha, elite Eight Banners cavalry in heavy armor on horseback, with man and horse weighing over a thousand catties, pounding the earth as they charged toward Bai Lang.

These people were quite clever, charging in waves of three riders. Bai Lang also charged toward the cavalry, and the distance between the two sides closed rapidly.

At this time, Ming soldiers on the city walls were also watching the battle. Bai Lang's charge had scattered the Qing soldiers below the city, and these Ming soldiers quickly restored their defensive lines, while the Commander-in-Chief saw Bai Lang's bravery from the city tower. Basically, everyone was speechless; such ferocity shouldn't appear in the human world, it was more common in storybooks. "Quick! Quickly go reinforce the other city gates! The other gates are about to be breached." At this moment, the other city gates were also reporting emergencies one after another.

Although Bai Lang had the courage of a tiger, how could one person defend a city? Even with his divine strength and the Golden Bell Shield making him impervious to blades and arrows, he would eventually get hurt—this divine strength wasn't too exaggerated; if dozens of people held grappling hooks and flying claws to snare him, Bai Lang would probably have a hard time. However, now as he charged toward the cavalry, he swung the Purple Gold Halberd in his left hand, and the Gebu Xien Chao Ha soldier's long spear was immediately deflected. Before the soldier could draw his long sword, he was met with the Purple Gold Halberd in Bai Lang's right hand smashing down on his head.

Both man and horse were shattered.

The cavalryman, weighing over a thousand catties, was forcibly stopped along with his horse, and the horse's head and the rider's body were almost completely smashed. Bai Lang stepped aside, and the Purple Gold Halberd in his left hand thrust out, immediately impaling the cavalryman to the right of the one he had just killed. The tip of the halberd was like an armor-piercing awl, with four edges forming a slightly sharp point. Usually, it wouldn't even prick a hand, but under his divine strength, even though this Gebu Xien Chao Ha soldier wore double-layered armor, he was easily pierced through.

The cavalryman, spewing blood from his mouth, was thrown to the ground, basically struggling in his final moments. The cavalry on the other side hadn't hit anything and naturally hadn't been hit by Bai Lang, so they just charged past. In front of Bai Lang lay a horse and a shattered man on horseback; the cavalry's charge would likely have to detour around here. Thus, the second wave of cavalry was also smashed off their horses; in one go, two more were killed. The third wave stopped their charge and fired heavy arrows from horseback—of course, two missed, and the remaining one was knocked down by Bai Lang swinging his Purple Gold Halberd.

Bai Lang continued to push forward, heading straight for the Qing generals on horseback. The guards couldn't stop him at all; those who stood in his way were merely offering their heads.

However, it seemed someone had come up with a plan. Dozens of people rushed over with grappling hooks, flying claws, and fishing nets, intending to snare Bai Lang. When Bai Lang saw this, he turned and ran, and no one dared to pursue him. A cavalryman came over with a flying claw and hook, but as soon as it flew over, Bai Lang grabbed it and gave it a tug; not only did the man fall off, but the horse also collapsed. Then, with a single strike of the halberd, the man was smashed to pieces, and he even gifted Bai Lang a horse.

"A pity about the heads, and if I charge alone... well, I'll just charge." This guy controlled his horse with his legs—that's how good his martial arts were; he had complete control over his own body and could sense the rise and fall of the horse's back to adjust himself even while mounted. Wielding his twin iron halberds, Bai Lang began to charge the formation. This move directly shook the Qing soldiers' formation. Bai Lang's martial arts were skillful, his eyesight and reaction were superior, and he leaned down to block the arrows aimed at the horse's body with his twin halberds, urging his warhorse to crash directly into the army formation.

Wherever the Purple Gold Halberds blocked, the long spears thrusting at the horse's body flew up and snapped, followed by the reaping of lives; men were swatted away by Bai Lang like blades of grass. "Retreat!" With this command, a long horn sounded, and the Qing soldiers began to withdraw from Yanzhou rapidly. On Bai Lang's side, not a single person dared to come over to retrieve the corpses.

Once the Qing soldiers in front retreated, Bai Lang drove his horse toward the other city gates, also killing quite a few Qing soldiers, causing them to suffer losses and gain almost nothing. Later, some Ming soldiers left the city to pursue them, but ultimately achieved little.

Except for the main gate of Yanzhou, all other gates were breached. The Qing soldiers set fire to many places inside the city, and if it weren't for the horn sounding the retreat, the city might have truly fallen. Even so, over a thousand civilians died in the city, and the Ming army lost over a thousand men, with the commanders of several gates killed in action. However, the Prince Lu's mansion remained safe and sound, and Prefect Deng did not die in battle. Bai Lang had killed over a hundred Qing soldiers, a true "hundred-man slayer" on a single horse.

He captured three cannons abandoned by the Qing soldiers, dozens of sets of armor, several warhorses, and a dozen mules and horses, as well as various belongings left behind by the Qing soldiers. Most importantly, he had cut off seventy-three identifiable heads on the battlefield, many of which were true barbarians and of the Bayala class. When Bai Lang re-entered the city, the soldiers and civilians looked at him as if he were a god; such a fierce general was truly rare in the world.

Bai Lang dismounted and bowed to the Commander-in-Chief, "Fortunately, I did not fail the mission. I killed dozens of the Jianlu, and thanks to the planning and fighting of all you gentlemen, this Yanzhou City has been preserved." In his words, Bai Lang directly pushed the task of writing the battle report to the Commander-in-Chief and the Prefect. Who would ignore his military merits? How many such fierce men were there even in history books? He would likely be ranked among the greats of the Han, Tang, and Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The Ming army's merit system for Jianlu heads was very high. Although Bai Lang wasn't very clear about it, he knew he would likely be able to secure an official position. "Maybe I can become a Thousand-Household? Perhaps a Guerrilla General or Assistant General is also possible."