Chapter 21: Fleeing for One's Life

The Qing soldiers sleeping in Luoding were woken by the scorching heat of the great fire. When they opened their eyes, flames surrounded them on every side, and thick smoke, driven by the fierce wind, poured into their tents, choking them until they coughed violently without stop.

"Fire! Fire!"

The Qing soldiers, still dazed, thought it was only a camp fire. Some of the first to rush out even carried wooden buckets, ready to fight the blaze, but the wind was far too strong, and the towering flames were beyond any human power to extinguish.

Seeing the thick smoke about to sweep over them, they gave up on fighting the fire and fled toward the camp gate, shouting and screaming.

"Brother, save me!"

Some Qing soldiers, still unaware of how serious things had become, were foolishly putting on their clothes inside their tents. By the time they came out dressed, the fire had surrounded them on all sides, and they cried desperately to their comrades fleeing the camp for help.

But with fire and smoke everywhere, no one could spare a thought for saving others. Even the boldest dared not go back to rescue anyone now.

One step too slow meant death!

Over a hundred Qing soldiers were trapped within the flames. They scurried about like headless flies, yet no matter where they ran, they could find no way out. In despair, some began to weep and wail; others knelt blankly on the ground, staring dazedly at the fire.

"Save us! Save us!"

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Qing soldiers clutched their chests and coughed violently, one after another, tears streaming uncontrollably from their eyes as the thick smoke stung them.

Those unwilling to die in the sea of fire charged madly straight into the flames, imagining they could burst through in an instant and escape to safety.

But one after another, they were swallowed by the fire, and apart from a brief moment of leaping and thrashing in the flames and a few dying shrieks, there was no further movement.

The great fire rapidly drained the moisture from their bodies and made their heads swim and pound. Their foreheads, faces, and hands were scalding hot, flushed bright red, as if bursting with blood.

"Huuuh... hrrr..."

The remaining Qing soldiers could no longer endure the searing smoke. With no way out, they could only lie flat on the ground and desperately gasp for every breath of air through their noses.

As time passed, gradually they could no longer breathe, nor see. Though everything around them was clearly a blazing red, to them it had become pitch black.

After successfully setting several great fires on the east side of the city, Ge Wu shed his Daoist robe and ran toward the east gate with his younger brother Ge Liu, shouting as they went.

"The old-bandit rebels are here! The old-bandit rebels have broken into the city!"

The two brothers' voices carried from the city center all the way to the east side. As they neared the east gate, they spotted several other companions disguised as woodcutters and shouted urgently, "Quick, seize the gate!"

"Right!"

At once, those men pulled weapons from the firewood they had carried into the city. Ge Wu and Ge Liu took one each as they were handed over — a long blade apiece — and charged toward the gate.

"Kill the Tartars!"

Only twenty-some Qing soldiers guarded the east gate. They had already been stunned by the great fire inside the city and the war cries outside.

As they stood there at a loss, they saw several figures charging toward the gate with weapons in hand. One soldier reacted immediately, drew his blade with a shout, and moved to block the attackers from seizing the gate.

"Die, you Tartar dogs!"

Ge Wu's feet flew. Before the Qing soldiers could rush over, he had already closed in on the gate. Before the first soldier to react could raise his blade and strike down, Ge Wu let out a shout and swung his long blade at the man's head.

With a "splat," the poor soldier, loyal to his post, had no chance even to defend himself — his entire head was lopped off. At the sight, the hearts of the remaining Qing soldiers gave a violent lurch.

"Run for your lives!"

With great flames soaring inside the city, war cries shaking the heavens outside, and desperate, death-defying men at the gate, the remaining Qing soldiers had lost all will to fight. At someone's shout, the twenty-some gate guards quickly scattered and fled.

Seeing the Qing soldiers about to run, Ge Liu hastily raised his blade to give chase, but Ge Wu grabbed him and barked, "Chase what?! Open the gate and let Big Brother and the others in!"

"Ah? Right!"

Ge Liu came to his senses and hurriedly led the men into the gate tunnel. Together, several of them lifted the great iron-wrapped bar from the gate, then with a single shout, hauled the gate backward.

With the creak of the turning hinges, they saw Boss Hu and the others already charging up outside the gate.

"It's done!"

The moment the gate opened, Boss Hu's heart nearly leaped out of his chest; he could not contain his excitement.

"Brothers, into the city! Luoding is ours!"

"Luoding is ours! We're rich!"

"Brothers, we're getting rich!"

Amid the bandits' cheers, Boss Hu charged into the city at the head of the men. Seeing Ge Wu, Ge Liu, and the others safe and sound, his heart settled at once. He threw his sweat-soaked right arm around Ge Wu and shouted excitedly, "You damn Ge Laowu, well done!"

Kong Guoliang, who had been sound asleep with the Lin family's daughter in his arms, was dragged bodily out of bed by Shao Jiugong. The girl was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale.

She did not even dare reach for the blanket to cover herself; she could only clutch her fair bosom and shiver uncontrollably, her face drained of all color.

Seeing the beauty so startled, and himself hauled out bare-assed before others, Kong Guoliang was both mortified and furious. He slapped the terrified Shao Jiugong across the face and cursed, "Damn it all, has the sky fallen in? Dragging me out in the middle of the night to make a fool of me!"

"Battalion Commander, bad news! The old... old..."

Shao Jiugong was so aggrieved he stammered. His inability to get the words out only made Kong Guoliang angrier, and he kicked him, cursing, "Old, old what? Spit it out, damn you!"

That kick instantly cured Shao Jiugong's stammer, and he shouted, "Battalion Commander, the old-bandit rebels have broken into the city!"

"What?! The old-bandit rebels have broken into the city!"

Now it was Kong Guoliang's turn to stammer. He stared at Shao Jiugong as if turned to wood, his cheeks twitching, and said in utter terror, "Li... Li... Li Dingguo has... has broken in?"

Shao Jiugong grabbed Kong Guoliang and urged, "It's Li Dingguo attacking! Run, Battalion Commander, run now — if you delay, you won't get out!"

"Run... run..."

Kong Guoliang's face was frighteningly pale. He muttered to himself, "How... how could Li Dingguo attack? Didn't he withdraw to Guangxi...? How could this be...?"

Seeing Kong Guoliang still standing there in a daze, Shao Jiugong grew frantic and, without further argument, began dragging him out.

"It's a bloodbath out there!

If you don't run now, you'll lose your life!" As he spoke, they could faintly hear war cries outside, mixed with shouts of "old-bandit rebels" and "the Great Ming Prince of Xining."

Kong Guoliang finally came to his senses. His first thought was not to lead his troops in a counterattack, but to run at once!

He was no fool — even the Manchu soldiers could not defeat Li Dingguo's troops, let alone a petty Green Standard battalion commander like himself. Judging by the sounds outside, the Ming army had surely already entered the city.

Luoding was certainly lost. Better to run now — delay any longer and his life would belong to someone else!

"Quick, go get the horses!"

Kong Guoliang stumbled as he ran out, but after a few steps he stopped abruptly, pointed at the clothes thrown on the floor, and cried anxiously, "My clothes! My clothes!"

Only then did Shao Jiugong realize that Kong Guoliang was stark naked, that dark thing swinging back and forth between his legs — truly damn ugly to look at.

Not bothering to study just how ugly Battalion Commander Kong's thing was, Shao Jiugong snatched the clothes from the floor and tossed them over.

With escape the priority, Kong Guoliang paid no more heed to the bashful little beauty in the bed. He pulled on his clothes as he ran out.

Outside, firelight was everywhere, and so were screams and shouts. There was no telling how many Ming soldiers had attacked, nor how many of his own men remained.

It's over! It's over!

With a bitter face, Kong Guoliang gritted his teeth and, supported by Shao Jiugong, mounted his horse. With a few personal guards who had arrived in panic at the news, he charged out of the compound.