Chapter 404

Fujita Goshiro was momentarily stunned.

"Quick, take cover! Ambush!"

The Japanese pirates, already in chaos, became even more panicked.

The road was narrow; in their panic and fear, they tumbled into a mess—some lay flat on the ground, others scrambled for stones to shield themselves from arrows, and still others screamed and ran wildly.

Only those clustered around the Japanese pirate leaders still maintained a degree of calm.

They at least had someone to follow.

Even so, under the concentrated volleys of crossbowmen, the Japanese pirates suffered heavy losses.

They weren't quite wiped out by half, but at least seven or eight hundred had fallen.

But this was only the beginning—the remaining crossbowmen did not stop shooting.

Although not as efficient as when the Japanese pirates had clustered together for targeted kills.

Yet on the open road, with no shields to protect them, the Japanese pirates were still struck down by crossbow bolts.

Fujita Goshiro watched his men falling one by one.

He knew that if they continued like this, they would soon be slaughtered clean.

Before the Great Ming troops charged down, if they fought desperately to break out, they still had a chance to survive.

As for revenge, with so many of his men dead or wounded?

To hell with it—his own survival was the most important thing!

Fujita Goshiro gritted his teeth, gathered the few hundred men around him, and charged desperately outward.

Song Qiao, seeing the Japanese pirates fighting desperately, immediately led his Personal Guard to block them.

The Japanese pirates were truly fighting to the death!

They knew that staying meant death; each one charged forward like a madman, relentless and fearless.

The Great Ming soldiers who had sealed the escape route were nearly overwhelmed.

Song Qiao personally led his Personal Guard to block the path where Fujita Goshiro and his men were charging.

Fujita Goshiro and the other Japanese pirate leaders, including Ogasawara, were utterly frenzied; Song Qiao himself joined the fray, taking over a dozen slashes across his body, drenched in blood.

At last, they managed to halt the frenzied charge of Fujita Goshiro and his men.

Song Qiao's Personal Guard had lost seven or eight men; the survivors were all wounded.

Fujita Goshiro and his men had organized nearly five or six hundred in a desperate charge.

All were stopped by Song Qiao; the blades in his hands were all chipped and dulled from killing.

No matter how wildly Fujita and Ogasawara fought, they ultimately failed to break out.

Instead, the final outcome was that Fujita and the other leaders, along with a dozen or so Japanese pirates, were surrounded.

"You can't escape! Drop your weapons and surrender—you'll be allowed to live—for now!"

Song Qiao, supported by others, shouted at Fujita Goshiro and the rest.

Fujita and his men were now utterly desperate; precisely because they were desperate, they grew calmer—and even more frenzied.

"We samurai do not surrender! Come!"

Fujita Goshiro's Mandarin was awkward and stiff, but his words were at least understandable.

The remaining Japanese pirates merely shrieked incoherently—no one could understand what they were saying.

One could only guess from their agitated faces and exaggerated gestures that they intended to fight to the last.

The Great Ming soldiers and civilians alike despised and hated the Japanese pirates.

Song Qiao was no exception.

After a brief attempt at surrender failed to elicit a response, Song Qiao decisively waved his hand: "Fire!"

"You don't honor the samurai code! I challenge you to single combat—are you too cowardly?"

Fujita Goshiro, wildly agitated, glared at Song Qiao, trying to provoke him.

But Song Qiao remained unmoved; his eyes showed contempt, his lips curled in a sneer, and he said dismissively: "You've got dozens left—what's the point of single combat? My lord Su is waiting for our victory report!"

The crossbowmen, upon receiving the order, fired one final volley—and the last dozen or so vicious Japanese pirates were all killed.

Of course, this was merely the main battlefield.

Not all the Japanese pirates were so frenzied or brave.

Among them were cowards, or those who panicked and fled to the wrong places, captured as prisoners.

But of the three thousand Japanese pirates, hardly any escaped.

Either captured or killed—they had been completely annihilated!

When the final tally came in, a faint flush appeared on Song Qiao and his men's pale faces.

"Hehehe, we've really earned our share of glory this time!"

"Commandant, your wounds weren't in vain—once we return, you'll surely be promoted!"

"Who knows? But every brother here earned merit. Still, credit truly belongs to Lord Su—he planned this from afar, never even left his post, yet from reconnaissance reports and maps alone, he deduced these pirates were hiding here—truly miraculous!"

"Enough," Song Qiao cut off the discussion among his Battalion Commanders and deputies. "Send word to Suzhoucheng with the good news first. Then clear the battlefield—we're leaving."

Though he was glad, his body ached.

257, victory report arrived!

Su Qiao had slept only two hours last night; today he sat in the main hall, waiting for news.

So far, not a single update had come back.

To be honest, Su Qiao was still uncertain.

He had not personally seen any trace of the Japanese pirates—his entire judgment was based on maps and reports from his scouts.

It was textbook "armchair strategizing"!

He trusted his own judgment more, but who could have absolute certainty?

Su Qiao was also commanding a battle for the first time.

He also feared something unexpected might happen.

It was already noon, and he had been sitting upright in a chair in the hall, his back rigid.

He had barely touched the tea all morning, and his meal had been just a few hurried bites at dawn.

He was indeed feeling uneasy inside.

But now he was the pillar others relied on; he could not show any sign of worry.

Otherwise, if the superior was panicked, those beneath him would be even more so.

What if real trouble came—how would they hold the city then?

……

"My lord, it's already noon. Let's eat."

Ma Kui walked in at this moment and asked Su Qiao.

Su Qiao snapped out of his thoughts. "Already noon? Have Song Qiao and the others sent any word back?"

Ma Kui shook his head. "No. The scouts haven't sent word either."

"Alright, I'm just too anxious. Let's rest and eat first—good news should arrive by afternoon."

Su Qiao encouraged Ma Kui and the others, and also comforted himself.

He had Ma Kui bring the food over, and they ate right there in the hall.

The meal had been prepared by Zhang Xueceng—fish and meat, very plentiful.

"Good news! A great victory!"

The messenger shouted as he rode in through the Nancheng Gate, galloping through the city, crying out until he reached Damenkou of the Suzhoucheng Prefectural Office.

The people and officials of Suzhoucheng had all heard the news of the victory.

Although the exact military details were still unknown.

Still, that didn't stop everyone from rejoicing and speculating.

"The Imperial Commissioner must have been right—he's wiped out the Japanese pirates!"

"Possible. Everyone says Su Qiao is young, but Su my lord was sent by the court—he must have some ability, or why would the court send him?"

Where some rejoiced, others argued.

"Who knows what really happened?" Another man rolled his eyes, speaking carelessly.

Those who had praised Su Qiao earlier grew frantic and slammed their table. "What? Are you jealous we might win?"

"I'm not! I didn't mean that…"