Chapter 342: Demon Cannons

Four small black dots flashed by in an instant. Two struck before the battle line, soil splashing at the impact points, faint white smoke rising. The other two plunged into the rear formation. The foot soldiers on the battle line craned their heads to look, but from Xiao Wazi's distance, he could not see the effect of the strikes.

A slight disorder rippled through Cao Cao's battle line. The Roving Bandits in the front ranks near Xiao Wazi all tilted their heads to look west. Second Locust stretched his neck out long. The sound of the first cannon salvo by the paddy field had not yet faded when firelight burst forth on the earthen slope. Four cannons fired almost simultaneously, their target still the center section of Cao Cao's battle line.

Of this salvo's four cannonballs, two also landed short. One struck a small fish pond, sending a white column of water rocketing skyward. The copious, drifting water column fell back onto the surface, stirring chaotic, dense ripples. The fish pond became a scene of churning white.

This time, two also struck the formation. One hit the front rank. At that position, over ten Roving Bandits scattered and fled, only to be driven back to their original spots by several figures in red brandishing swords. Against Cao Cao's formation of several thousand men, it was barely a ripple.

Xiao Wazi let out a breath of relief. "Second Chief, look. This cannon fire is pretty sloppy. Not as big as the cannons they had at Puzikou. The government soldiers are just shooting wildly..."

His words had not yet faded when another round of roaring booms erupted from the Government Troops' side. Xiao Wazi started in alarm, thinking new cannons had arrived. Looking closely, he saw it was actually the same four cannons by the paddy field firing again. The interval between was too short; the white smoke from the first salvo had not even dispersed.

This salvo of four cannonballs scored three hits, the target still the position struck by the first salvo. The formation that had just recovered fell into chaos once more. Xiao Wazi saw figures breaking away from the formation, with red-clad figures in pursuit. Immediately after, the second salvo from the earthen slope was also fired.

Under Xiao Wazi's dumbstruck gaze, the eight cannons by the paddy field and on the earthen slope fired in rotation at a speed he had never seen before. White smoke billowed before the cannon position. The busy figures of those Cannoneers flickered in and out of view. Amidst the white smoke, orange-red flames still continuously flashed, showing that those Cannoneers were still working.

The booming sound of cannons reverberated across the battlefield. The white smoke gradually spread. Xiao Wazi began to smell a faint whiff of gunpowder. The archers engaged in the middle were clearly shaken in morale. They pulled back, widening the distance from the Government Troops, loosing arrows haphazardly. Most of the time, they were watching the opposing side's cannons. On a battlefield of tens of thousands of men, these mere eight small cannons were the main characters. Everyone was watching their performance.

Second Locust's mouth hung open, his eyes wide. The Roving Bandit foot soldiers around him were in a noisy uproar, but he did not think to suppress them. They had all seen plenty of the Government Troops' cannons and firelocks. At first, a battle was more raucous than what was before them, but once the firing was over, it was over, and they never saw many men hit. But these eight small cannons before them were completely different. They worked with a practiced, habitual rhythm. Each group of four cannons fired almost in unison. Every volley sent a violent jolt through the heart.

Firelight flickered within the increasingly thick white smoke, like phantoms looming in a dense fog. An unending stream of cannonballs flew out from it, continuously pounding the center section of Cao Cao's battle line.

Xiao Wazi tugged at Second Locust several times before Second Locust came back to his senses. Following Xiao Wazi's pointing, he looked toward Cao Cao's main formation. As time passed, the shelling grew more and more accurate. Almost every cannonball struck the massive formation. The continuous stream of cannonballs swept across Cao Cao's center line. That section of the battle line had completely broken. The collapsing crowd scattered and fled in all directions. The ground was littered with sundered limbs and corpses. The foot soldiers on hand screamed in agony, the sound carrying from afar, audible even from Xiao Wazi's position.

"I told you this bunch of government soldiers' cannons were different. I said it long ago..." Second Locust clutched the clothes at his chest forcefully. "None of you believed me."

Xiao Wazi murmured, "It's not that we didn't believe you, Chief. They fired cannons last night too, but not this fast."

Second Locust said angrily, "Couldn't see at night. Naturally, they didn't seem this fast."

Xiao Wazi had no words. Waves of unrest stirred along the Roving Bandit battle line. Chuang Tatian's unit at Chema River Market Town was the furthest away and could not see what was happening at all. But the continuous, unusual sound of cannon fire affected their will as well. Currently, no engagement had occurred on the eastern wing. The Eight Great Kings in the center likewise had no reaction. Only Cao Cao was fighting the Government Troops alone.

Cao Cao's great banner was positioned slightly behind the battle line under cannon fire. Several horn calls sounded from there. Xiao Wazi knew it was of little use. The various Ying were accustomed to mobile warfare. Orders were mostly passed verbally. Horns could convey very little information. In this kind of large-scale formation battle, they were almost useless. They still had to rely on Horse Soldiers to deliver orders verbally.

Just as he thought this, two red-clad Old Bandits dashed swiftly past in front of him, heading in Cao Cao's direction. Xiao Wazi recognized one as a High Shine from the old camp, a man under Ai Long Family. Probably Eight Master had also seen that things were amiss and sent them to contact Cao Cao.

The monotonous, dull sound of cannon fire kept on. Xiao Wazi's mouth was parched and his tongue dry. He took out his coconut ladle and drank a mouthful. Only half a ladle remained. Tens of thousands of men and horses were gathered at Chema River. The well water was simply not enough. Xiao Wazi had gone to the riverbank before dawn to fill his ladle, but the Government Troops had come too fast. Many of those returning from Fengjiadian had no chance to fetch water or eat. At this moment, there were not a few in the ranks suffering from both hunger and thirst.

After who knew how many salvos of cannon fire, the battlefield finally fell silent. Xiao Wazi felt some discomfort in his ears and unconsciously gasped several breaths. He looked carefully toward Cao Cao's side. The entire battle line on the western wing was in chaos. Collapsed, scattered crowds were everywhere. The section that had been shelled lay on a small earthen mound. Now, only a field of corpses remained. Some foot soldiers scurried about like headless flies. A Team of red-clad men had just arrived there. Clearly, Cao Cao had dispatched the old camp to barely hold the battle line together. Among them, some Old Horse Soldiers were chasing and cutting down deserters in all directions.

The archers engaged in the middle position could neither advance nor retreat. Shell-shocked and utterly disoriented by this barrage of cannon fire, they were also in a completely exposed position. Fortunately, the Government Troops' Artillery did not fire upon them.

The High Shine who had gone to deliver the order earlier came running back. Usually, he always rode a tall, fine horse. Now, limited by the terrain, he could only run back and forth, looking flustered and hurried. At Xiao Wazi and the others' position, he even took a fall, his face covered in mud, looking rather wretched. He did not bother to wipe the mud off and headed toward the Eight Great Kings' position. Cao Cao must have had urgent instructions.

"Cao Cao definitely wants the Master to help. He can't hold." Second Locust said in a low voice. Xiao Wazi turned to look at him and saw this Chief's eyes were red, but his expression had calmed considerably.

"Then how will Eight Master fight?"

Second Locust pointed west. "This thousand or so government soldiers have cannons and armor. No matter how many men Cao Cao sends, he can't break them. But we have numbers. Cao Cao will surely stretch westward, circling around to the dog officials' flank. The longer we stretch, the better we fight. At the very least, the government soldiers won't be able to attack."

Xiao Wazi nodded in admiration. Second Locust was, after all, more experienced than him, and he had not panicked either. In the past, when facing the Household Retainers of the Government Troops, a frontal assault was often disadvantageous. They always had to spread their forces out. Once the battle line was stretched long, it became easier to fight.

At this moment, the shelling had paused for a period. Cao Cao's center line was still shattered and broken, dead and wounded everywhere. Seizing this lull, Cao Cao's banner waved a few times. Another group of foot soldiers was driven up from the rear to fill the battle line. The red-clad Chiefs began cutting down the wounded on the ground, stopping their agonized screams from affecting morale.

The gunpowder smoke before the cannon position gradually dispersed. The busy figures of those Cannoneers became clear again. In front of the four cannons by the paddy field, two Cannoneers each held something like a mop. They dipped them in the paddy field water, then wiped them haphazardly inside and outside the cannon barrels. On the earthen slope side, there were men specifically carrying wooden buckets, likely also filled with water.

Xiao Wazi asked doubtfully, "Second Chief, what are they doing?"

Second Locust stared blankly for a moment without speaking. They had never seen other Government Troops fiddle with cannons like this before.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind. "The government soldiers must be casting demonic magic!"

The two turned to look. It was a Servant, but not one of their subordinates. He had a strong Huguang accent and shouted, his face flushed red, "It must be magic! Who's ever seen cannons this fast otherwise?"

Xiao Wazi was skeptical. In truth, everyone was somewhat puzzled. Looking closely at the cannon position over there again, they saw those Cannoneers waving their mops. Faint white steam seemed to rise from the cannon barrels. It truly looked like some kind of demonic magic was being performed.

The other foot soldiers voiced their agreement one after another. The Government Troops had not yet fired their cannons. Who knew where they would strike next? If it hit their own section, no one could withstand a single cannonball. Anxiously, they shouted in all directions, "Chiefs and Masters, break the magic quickly!"

Another Post Commander hurriedly went to find the Treasure Banner. He gave orders to several Team Leaders, who rushed to the rear of the formation. The foot soldier ranks were in a noisy uproar. Everyone looked extremely anxious.

The Government Troops across the way bustled about for a while, then the cannon position fell silent again. Only those scattered soldiers in the middle remained, loosing arrows across the void, completely going through the motions.

At that moment, a burst of wailing came from behind. Xiao Wazi turned to look. Over a dozen women, none wearing pants, were being escorted out by the Team Leaders dispatched by the Treasure Banner. The surrounding Servants and foot soldiers shrieked and howled, rushing forward together to drag the dozen-plus women before the formation.

Some foot soldiers began digging pits in the ground with their weapons. The Treasure Banner strode over and roared, "The government soldiers are about to open fire! Don't delay the hour for breaking the magic! No digging pits, just cut them down directly!"

Several Team Leaders immediately raised their swords and brought them down, cutting off the heads of several women. The other women let out hysterical shrieks, struggling to run outward. The mass of foot soldiers raised their weapons and chased them down, hacking all the women to death. Then they dragged them before the formation and arranged the women's corpses in a line, their lower bodies facing the direction of the Government Troops' cannon position. The cannon position remained perfectly quiet.

"The magic is broken! The demon cannons are silent!" A wave of cheers erupted in the formation. Everyone waved their weapons, cheering jubilantly.

Suddenly, a roaring boom came from across the paddy field. The four cannons began shelling again, followed by the four on the earthen slope. They were still aimed at Cao Cao's center, the target seemingly the position of Cao Cao's great banner.

The opposing cannon position was completely unaffected by the magic-breaking. Salvo after salvo fired rapidly, even more accurately than during the first bombardment. Wherever the cannonballs landed, limbs flew through the air. The foot soldiers who had just filled the battle line were struck before they could even steady themselves, instantly scattering in all directions. Even the two wings were wavering. The red-clad Team Leaders were themselves under cannon fire. They had no time to stop anyone. Cao Cao's great banner toppled twice, then was barely propped up again. The cannon position continued its sustained fire. Xiao Wazi estimated that the eight cannons had fired at least two hundred shots in a very short time. Cao Cao's entire center line swayed precariously in the wind and rain, on the verge of collapse at any moment.

The mass of foot soldiers on the Western Camp's battle line stood dumbstruck, every face pale. They could not believe the scene before their eyes. In their understanding, breaking demonic magic with filthy things was a matter of course. Yet over a dozen women had failed to break the opponent's magic. In the past, when they used this trick, the Government Troops' cannons would often burst their barrels or become unable to continue firing.

Second Locust's face was grim as he said in a low voice to Xiao Wazi, "Break your mother's donkey-ball magic. It's clearly a kind of rapid-fire cannon. If this keeps up for a while longer and the government soldiers' infantry advances, Cao Cao won't be able to hold."

Xiao Wazi's throat went dry. He had never imagined that cannons alone could shatter several thousand men. Even he thought the Government Troops might have used magic; otherwise, they could not possibly be this fast. But Second Locust's assessment of the situation was likely correct. They were at the southwest position of Tufeng Fort, closest to Cao Cao's battle line. Just watching others being shelled was already causing panic. The moment Cao Cao collapsed, this section would rout on its own without the Government Troops even attacking. It would be absolutely impossible to hold. Everyone would be trapped by the Government Troops at the riverbank. In his agitation, he tugged at his collar and said, "Cao Cao is the Old Camp Chief. He'll naturally have a method."

He had just finished speaking when a burst of horn calls sounded from the east. Dense ranks of foot soldiers surged out from Chema River, charging toward the Government Troops on the post road.

Second Locust clapped his hands. "Chuang Tatian understands the situation. By tying them down over there, the government soldiers won't dare attack Cao Cao directly."

Immediately after, a clamor arose from the west. A dark, dense mass of people surged out from a nearby area, only about thirty paces from Xiao Wazi. He could see very clearly. This group was in tattered clothes. Only a very few held clubs. The vast majority were the old, weak, women, and children. Driven by surrounding foot soldiers, they rushed toward the Government Troops' battle line.

Second Locust chuckled grimly. "As expected of the Old Camp Chief. He must have prepared this long ago. They must be Anqing natives captured at City River Stockade. Let's see if his Anqing Army dares to fire."

The crowd let out desperate wails and cries, huddling together in a crush. Those with clubs threw them away. Some people pulled at each other, collapsing to the ground to wail loudly. The foot soldiers cut them down relentlessly with swords and spears. In moments, the ground was covered with corpses. The terrified crowd fled madly. A continuous stream of people was driven out from behind, trampling over the corpses as they surged toward the Government Troops' cannon position.

Xiao Wazi had seen this scene many times. The Chiefs would often drive locals to assault a city. If the Government Troops did not fire, they would seize the chance to break through. If they did fire, it would inevitably affect the Government Troops' morale. Either outcome was beneficial and harmless to the various camps.

Xiao Wazi subconsciously glanced at Wang Dashan beside him. This man was from Ink Smoke Shop, basically also a Chema River local. He was already sprawled on the ground, sweat streaming down his head, his pale face with its gaping mouth staring blankly at those crowds.

A Signal Cannon sounded from the Government Troops' side. One of the Five-Direction Banners around the opposing General Officer's Recognition Banner waved. Xiao Wazi saw the Company Commander banner below the earthen slope responding. Then came a roll of drums. The four small square formations in front of the cannon position began advancing slowly in orderly fashion, roughly six or seven hundred Government Troops.

Horn calls rang out from Cao Cao's left wing, close to Xiao Wazi. The various Chiefs drew their weapons one after another, shouting before the formation. Another horn sounded. All the Chiefs shouted in unison. Over a thousand foot soldiers from the front ranks of Cao Cao's left wing swarmed out, following behind the commoners to meet the Government Troops' main formation.