Chapter 499: Northern Front

White smoke scattered in all directions. Amid the roaring blast of fire lances, the surrounding Qing soldiers screamed in alarm and stumbled over each other to flee outward.

Wu Dacai froze for a moment. The power of this shot far exceeded his expectations. He let out a meaningless yell. Several Qing soldiers behind him immediately filled the gap. Wu Dacai hastily grabbed Huang Wa's line spear with one hand and jabbed wildly forward.

In the chaos, no one noticed he was using only one hand. The Qing soldiers dared not close in and used their own weapons to swat at the line spear.

Wu Dacai propped himself up with one hand on his crutch. A Qing soldier with a long spear opposite him kept thrusting at Wu Dacai's face. Wu Dacai's line spear was not long enough. Not daring to lean against the chest rampart, he could only retreat further and further. The Qing soldiers gradually neared the chest rampart. On the left, a Qing soldier used a blade staff to keep smashing at the rampart. The topmost grain sack on the rampart collapsed. Wu Dacai shouted loudly. Heavy infantry on the right closed in, using long spears to hold off the Qing soldiers and force them away from the rampart. But the rampart still shook incessantly, and more mud bricks and grain sacks continued to collapse. Clearly, Qing soldiers were sabotaging it from below.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom. A plume of white smoke burst up from the Qing crowd. The three nearest Qing soldiers were swallowed by the white smoke. Those around them reeled left and right, creating a gap. A hoarse, furious shout came from outside. The Qing soldiers behind surged forward at once, filling the gap completely.

A figure, bent over, ran to the inner side of the chest rampart and hurled another fire thunder outward. The Qing soldiers outside immediately picked it up and threw it back. Trailing sparks, the fire thunder flew over Wu Dacai's head, heading for the mud brick wall behind him.

Moments later, an explosion sounded from behind. White smoke billowed inside and outside the chest rampart. Various long-shafted weapons clashed fiercely across the rampart, tracing streak after streak through the white smoke.

The head of Wu Dacai's line spear dropped to the ground. His entire body was soaked in sweat. Having used the line spear one-handed earlier, now that he relaxed slightly, his right arm was utterly exhausted. He could no longer grip anything. His whole body was on the verge of collapse.

Wu Dacai's mouth was parched and his tongue dry. He struggled to stay upright. From the corner of his eye, he saw the firearm soldier below the chest rampart had already readied three fire lances. He immediately dropped his line spear, pushed off with his crutch, and threw himself down beside the rampart.

That firearm soldier was loading the last Lumi musket. He was still crying and wailing uncontrollably. Wu Dacai had no time to deal with him. Instinctively, he grabbed a self-igniting arquebus first.

The chest rampart beside him shook incessantly. Someone outside was sabotaging it from below. Wu Dacai looked up. Two long spears were thrusting overhead. He paused to catch his breath, found the rhythm, and took a deep breath, preparing to stand up. Suddenly, the right section of the chest rampart collapsed with a crash, opening a breach. A Bright Armor Tartar tumbled into the defensive line along with the mud bricks. He hit the ground and could not get up for a moment.

The Bright Armor Tartar rolled twice, struggling to rise. The Anqing heavy infantry inside the rampart swung axes and blade staffs. Dust flew from the Qing soldier's body as blows rained down. His helmet was struck repeatedly, caving in at several spots. The Qing soldier's head lolled to the side, and he moved no more.

Amid the chaos, the Qing soldiers behind pushed and struck with their weapons. The collapsed section of the chest rampart grew wider and wider. With no barrier left between the two sides, long-shafted weapons clashed violently, each side seeking an opening to strike.

In the Qing crowd, an elite guard drew a step bow and shot at close range into the inner side of the wall. The thick armor-piercing bodkin arrows flew like javelins. Two Anqing heavy infantry were hit in quick succession and fell backward with miserable cries. But the Qing crowd was packed tight, leaving the elite guard no room to draw his bow. He had to keep moving and could not fire continuously.

The entire chest rampart defense line was locked in fierce battle. Wu Dacai was right at the edge of the breach. Two heavy infantrymen were holding the line in front of him. In the gap between the wall and the infantry, he aimed into the dense crowd and spotted the elite guard who was shooting arrows. The distance was only five or six paces. The elite guard had just found an opening and was beginning to draw his bow. Wu Dacai thrust the fire lance through the gap and yanked the trigger hook.

The self-igniting arquebus roared. The elite guard toppled at once. The bow and arrow in his hands shot into the sky with a whoosh. The dense Qing soldiers behind surged forward to fill the gap, trampling the elite guard underfoot. Wu Dacai shoved the spent fire lance back into the firearm soldier's hands and picked up another self-igniting arquebus.

Amid a chorus of harrowing howls, a hoarse voice could still be heard shouting loudly among the Qing troops. Several Qing soldiers carrying shields stepped onto the collapsed chest rampart and charged into the Anqing army's line. Shield-bearing heavy infantry met them head-on and held firm. The long weapons of both sides immediately surged forward. In the breach, all manner of weapons struck fiercely. Long spears thrust and retracted unceasingly. The thudding impacts of blunt instruments rang out without end. The fallen dead and wounded piled up in layers.

The Qing soldiers behind trampled over the corpses and continued their assault. Weapons stabbed and hacked without pause. Blood splattered everywhere. The combatants on both sides were like madmen. In the chaos, no one paid any more heed to the reports of the fire lances.

Amid the pandemonium, Wu Dacai thrust his fire lance through a gap and pulled the trigger hook. He was so close he could hear the enemy's agonized scream. To Wu Dacai's ears at that moment, the violent roar of the fire lance was like celestial music.

Four fire lances were fired in rotation. Wu Dacai quickly exhausted all the Lumi muskets. The surroundings were submerged in acrid gunpowder smoke. He was drenched in sweat.

"Guns! Guns!" Wu Dacai crouched on the ground, incessantly urging the firearm soldier. The firearm soldier, tears and snot streaming down his face, loaded ammunition while weeping. He finally finished loading one self-igniting arquebus.

Just as he took the gun, a boom sounded behind him. Wu Dacai turned to look. Another section of the chest rampart on the left had been pushed over. Two Qing soldiers stepped onto the wall and were immediately skewered by the heavy infantry inside. Fresh Qing soldiers charged in right after. The left side had also descended into a melee.

At the large breach on the right, many silver-white Bright Armor Tartars were now mixed in. The reinforcing Anqing heavy infantry plugged the breach but also suffered severe casualties. Wu Dacai had no time to think further. He thrust the self-igniting arquebus through a gap again. Amid the cacophony of shouts, Wu Dacai suddenly heard a hoarse voice howling. That hoarse voice had risen nearby many times.

Wu Dacai pulled the fire lance back. He took a breath where he was, clamped the crutch under his armpit, and suddenly stood up. At the same time, he aimed the fire lance over the chest rampart. His field of vision was filled with a crowd of silver-white figures. Wu Dacai immediately located the source of that voice.

That Qing general officer was fully armored. Even his auxiliary armor was exceptionally fine, and his throat guard was made of metal, completely different from the cotton armor throat guards used by ordinary Qing soldiers. He was brandishing a waist saber and shouting loudly.

The Qing soldiers nearby spotted Wu Dacai standing up and immediately turned their line spears toward him. Wu Dacai had no time to think further. He fired a shot at that general officer. The hoarse shouting turned into a miserable cry, then fell silent. Angry, alarmed shouts rose from the surrounding Qing soldiers.

Wu Dacai swiftly shrank back behind the chest rampart, waiting for the firearm soldier to load a new fire lance. As he panted for breath, he saw the guard Huang Wa lying on his back on the ground, his hand still clutching his neck. Between his fingers was nothing but bright red blood. His eyes were wide open. The feet of the Anqing heavy infantry shuffled around his head. Afraid of hindering the heavy infantry's combat, Wu Dacai dared not pull away Huang Wa's corpse.

As his gaze shifted, he suddenly saw several civilian laborers on the mud brick wall, holding torches and hurling fire thunders outward in succession. Wu Dacai hurriedly shielded his face. A series of explosions erupted from the crowd in the breach. White smoke gushed through the gaps. A chorus of agonized screams rang out. Even several Anqing heavy infantry collapsed.

Wu Dacai crawled two steps on the ground. His physical strength was nearly spent. Reaching the firearm soldier, he stretched out his hand to take the newly loaded self-igniting arquebus. It took him two tries just to pick it up.

He turned and aimed the fire lance at the breach. The heavy infantryman who had been shielding the front had fallen to the ground. Over the stacked corpses ahead, a fresh wave of Qing soldiers clambered over. Wu Dacai laboriously raised the gun to aim. Suddenly, a deafening boom thundered.

A powerful blast of air swept past. White smoke churned in all directions. Among the Qing soldiers who had just charged in, armor plates and shredded flesh flew sideways. They collapsed to the ground in droves. Wu Dacai, caught at the edge of the canister shot, was thrown onto his back. A ringing filled his ears. His head spun, and he could not stand up.

This close-range blast of canister shot from the cannon completely severed the Qing stream of troops. Without that hoarse voice to command them, the Qing offensive on this section ground to a halt.

The corpses piled in the breach had already reached seventy percent of the original chest rampart's height. The dead and wounded writhed unceasingly. The Qing soldiers behind could not gain footing when they stepped on them. The defending Anqing heavy infantry shouted loudly, desperately hacking at the remaining Qing soldiers within the wall.

Wu Dacai turned his head to look left. The small breach over there was still in fierce combat, but the Qing soldiers held no advantage. The long-shafted weapons of the Anqing heavy infantry were firmly sealing the breach.

From the pile of corpses beside him came a piercing, miserable scream. Several Anqing heavy infantry were swinging axes and blade staffs, hammering at the last Qing soldier holding a shield. That Qing soldier, his retreat blocked by the corpse pile, howled in despair.

Wu Dacai leaned against the corpse pile, panting heavily. He braced his hand on the ground with difficulty and shifted closer to the chest rampart. When he lifted his hand, it was covered in blood. He looked down. The blood on the ground was already flowing like a stream, continuously seeping out from the pile of corpses.

All around Wangzhuang, the rumble of cannon fire rolled. Smoke and mist shrouded every direction, and battle cries shook the heavens, showing that the entire line was engaged in combat.

Wu Dacai habitually looked back toward Pang Yu's general's banner. To his surprise, he found that the reserve force on standby had been drastically reduced. Only about one squad of heavy infantry remained. The reserve force in Pang Yu's hands consisted of only half a company of heavy infantry — in reality, just two banner teams. One banner team had participated in fierce fighting across several battles and suffered significant cumulative losses, now cobbled together into a single squad. The rest were the light infantry of the scout squad.

The full-strength banner team was now nowhere to be seen. He did not know where it had been dispatched. Pang Yu's great banner still stood, but amid the hazy smoke, he could not see clearly. He did not know if Pang Yu was still beneath it.

Wu Dacai seemed to forget his exhaustion. He grabbed the still-weeping firearm soldier in one motion. "Help me up!"

At that moment, a cannon shot sounded from the north. Another group of figures beneath the banner hurried northward. Wu Dacai knew there had been no Qing troops to the north at the start. Only one banner team and one cannon were stationed there. Pang Yu's deployment of the reserve force — committing one banner team of heavy infantry and the light infantry of the scout squad — meant the north was already in grave danger.

Wu Dacai stood up with the firearm soldier's support. After securing his crutch, he surveyed the defense line. The enemy offensive on this section had only been temporarily checked. Fierce fighting still raged along the entire chest rampart line. The Two Red Banners Qing troops on the east side had committed no fewer than a thousand Armored Soldiers, a force already far exceeding the Anqing Battalion's strength.

The Qing soldiers outside the large breach had not retreated in defeat. They were still attempting to pin down the Anqing battalion, but their morale was clearly flagging. Launching another fierce assault would be difficult. However, the Anqing heavy infantry here had suffered equally severe losses and could scarcely spare any troops.

Wu Dacai saw the Firearms Captain behind the mud brick wall just beyond the small breach. His field of fire was blocked by the heavy infantry, and he was pacing back and forth there.

Wu Dacai immediately said to the firearm soldier, "Go tell your captain to bring five men here."

He released the firearm soldier, hobbled on his crutch to the cannon, and said, "Bring the cannon and follow me!"

The Artillery Chief's eyes were bloodshot. When he looked up at Wu Dacai, his face was full of ferocity, but his gaze was somewhat vacant. "My Banner Captain said to guard the cannon position."

Wu Dacai aimed his fire lance at the Artillery Chief. After a moment's thought, he lowered the gun, drew his waist saber in one motion, and held it against the man's neck. "The Tartars just lost that clash. They can't attack here. I am the Deputy Chief Clerk. I order you to bring the cannon and follow me. Not coming is defying orders. I'll cut you down!"

A flicker passed through the Artillery Chief's eyes. He finally stood up. Only one Cannoneer remained. The Artillery Chief called over a few civilian laborers to carry the cannonballs. Then the group silently pushed the wheels of the cannon cart and followed behind Wu Dacai.

At that moment, the Firearms Captain arrived. He had brought five soldiers, including the firearm soldier who had been loading ammunition. All of them carried fire lances, and two even had an extra one slung across their backs.

Wu Dacai held a self-igniting arquebus himself. This was all the manpower he could muster for now. He had completely forgotten his fatigue. Leaning on his crutch, he hurried toward the general's banner. As he neared Pang Yu's command banner, another cannon shot sounded from the north. Wu Dacai could now hear the intense battle cries.

Along the way lay several soldiers who had been struck by arrows. Beside one soldier, a bucket of water had been knocked over. Another bucket of water sat on the ground.

Wu Dacai pointed at the water bucket. The Artillery Chief went over, picked it up, and poured it over the bronze cannon's head. A sizzling white steam immediately rose.

The one remaining Cannoneer went up and hastily swabbed it with the cleaning rod. The two men stopped where they were to busy themselves with loading ammunition. Wu Dacai continued forward. Just then, several figures suddenly darted out from a nearby alley entrance — two in Bright Armor and three in Dark Armor.

Wu Dacai's scalp tingled. The style of their armor clearly marked them as Qing soldiers. There was no defense line here. In a direct confrontation like this, if the fire lances misfired or missed, these few Tartars could easily slaughter his entire group.

Those Qing soldiers did not seem to notice Wu Dacai and the others on the left. They spotted the general's banner first. One of them drew his bow and shot.

The squad of heavy infantry beneath Pang Yu's general's banner charged over. One particularly tall figure among them brandished a large club. A dozen or so heavy infantry surrounded the five Qing soldiers and hacked at them. The Bright Armor Qing soldier at the front fell to the ground at once. The other four turned and fled.

The Anqing heavy infantry gave chase. They struck down the Bright Armor Tartar who was lagging behind. Then a group swarmed around him. Under the hacking and smashing, the Bright Armor Tartar stopped moving in the blink of an eye. The remaining few light-armor Tartars had already vanished from sight.

Wu Dacai breathed a sigh of relief. He hurriedly reached the Deputy General's front and heard Pang Yu's voice still shouting.

"Have Tu Dianli on the west side draw one squad of Heavy Armor Soldiers! On the east side, find Banner Captain Zhuang and have him draw two squads to report under the recognition banner! One squad at the very least! Go now!"

Wu Dacai hurried forward two steps. "My lord, your humble servant brings one cannon and six firearm soldiers to await your orders."

Pang Yu's face was fierce. He was a bit surprised when he saw Wu Dacai. He paused for a moment, then said to him, "The Qing army rode swiftly to the north side. Among them are over a hundred White Armor soldiers, no fewer than three hundred Tartars in total who have dismounted for a foot assault. They have already broken into the defense line. This squad is yours. Take your cannon and coordinate with the heavy infantry to wipe out the Tartars who have broken through. You must restore the defense line!"

No chest rampart had been set up on the north side; the defense line there relied directly on adobe walls and houses. The entire defense line was not continuous. Those few Qing soldiers just now had already reached the center of Wangzhuang. Although they might be scattered troops, it still showed that the situation had become extremely perilous. The Qing army held an absolute advantage in numbers. The Anqing Battalion's advantages were firepower and the defense line. Once the defense line was breached, the result would be the total annihilation of the entire army.

At that moment, a squad rushed over from the south side. Pang Yu immediately ordered the Wu Dacai from just now to reinforce the north side. Wu Dacai acknowledged the order, leaned on his crutch, and arrived at the mouth of the alleyway where the Qing soldiers had just charged out.

Three thatched huts on the north side were burning, belching out rolling thick smoke. The alleyway was filled with drifting smoke, and visibility was extremely blurred.

Wu Dacai wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned his head to look at the group of soldiers behind him. Apart from the firearm soldiers he had brought himself, there was one squad of heavy infantry.

"Cannon takes the front, heavy armor soldiers follow, fire lances bring up the rear."

Wu Dacai turned back to face the smoke-filled alleyway. Fierce battle cries came from deep within the alley.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Wu Dacai waved forward. "Move out."