Chapter 257: Appearance

*Swoosh. * A heavy arrow flashed across the bridge like lightning, pinning a rebel soldier who appeared at the bridgehead to the ground.

A hundred paces from the south bridgehead, Geng Zhongming cursed furiously. Li Jiucheng's face was grim. The retainers he had sent out half a shichen ago had only mustered three hundred soldiers. These men had bulging pockets and faces full of reluctance; within moments, several dozen slipped away again. He had to dispatch over ten retainers to guard the surrounding intersections, forcing these men to prepare for a second assault.

Li Jiucheng already knew the situation across the bridge was wrong. His original intent in sending men to force passage was to compel Wang Bingzhong to show himself. Instead, the other side blocked them and refused to let them pass. The forward squad had seven or eight men shot dead by random arrows on the bridge, and the rest retreated in a chaotic rout. Geng Zhongming then sent someone to parley. A man claiming to be one of Wang Bingzhong's retainers came across the bridge and agreed to find Wang Bingzhong immediately, but absolutely forbade any other troops from going to the north city. Enraged, Li Jiucheng sent his retainers to force their way through, and the other side immediately opened fire with cannon. Though they only had two Erjiangjun guns and some Frankish breech-loaders, the bridge was narrow with no cover, and they were beaten back at once. After that, the other side loosed arrows at the mere sight of a figure.

But this probe had revealed the enemy strength across the bridge — probably only a few dozen men. Li Jiucheng sent men to continue mustering troops while ordering the hundred-plus men behind him to prepare another assault.

Under the coercion of the retainers' blades and spears, over a hundred rebels surged raggedly into the street. Geng Zhongming stood by the roadside and bellowed, "Take that bridge for me! You can go across the ice too. Once you break through, the whole north side is yours to loot. Every man gets a big mansion, and the women are all yours."

The rebels stirred at once. They were all poor wretches who had always envied the wealthy families living in deep compounds and grand mansions. Since the mutiny began, they had thought only of seizing silver. Now, hearing the officers promise them grand houses and women, their morale soared instantly.

Geng Zhongming continued, "If you want silver and women, you've got to fight for your lives. Anyone who dares retreat south will be shot dead. Your only way is forward. There are only a few dozen men over there. Either way you die — fight and you may win riches. Now kill them all for me!"

The lead retainer let out a furious roar. Stoked into a murderous frenzy, the hundred-odd men swarmed forward. Li Jiucheng's and Geng Zhongming's retainers darted out from the street corner, firing muskets and loosing arrows at the Straw Bridge. Heavy arrows shot back from the bridge at the same time. Spurred by the promise of riches and women, the rebels surged forward wave after wave, howling battle cries as they charged toward the center of the bridge. The more cunning ones detoured through the alleys, jumping from the riverbank onto the frozen river channel and rushing toward the opposite shore.

The rebels quickly reached the bridge. The street barricade on the bridge was thirty paces from the bridgehead. The defenders on the bridge kept firing heavy arrows into the dense crowd. Men tumbled and fell continuously, but the frenzied mob trampled over their fallen comrades without pause, closing to about twenty paces. Once they entered close combat, the retainers behind them would join the fight.

Geng Zhongming waved his hand, summoning the commanding retainers to attack both flanks of the bridge. A violent volley of explosions erupted on the bridge. Clouds of white smoke billowed up before the rebel front ranks. An iron ball from an Erjiangjun cannon tore the lead rebel soldier into pieces. The near point-blank cannon fire gave the rebels a sense of the earth shaking and mountains swaying. Two large Frankish breech-loaders fired one-jin iron shot at a rate of five rounds per minute. At close range, the iron balls effortlessly tore apart every human body they touched. At the bridgehead, severed limbs and chunks of flesh flew through the air. The rebel front line looked as if swept by a meat grinder, the ground littered with dismembered corpses. The hellish scene instantly shattered the frenzied rebel assault. The rebel soldiers screamed and retreated backward, but the retainer execution squad at the rear brandished greatswords and wolf-tooth clubs, killing the first soldiers to flee.

Geng Zhongming's face was spattered with blood. The surging rebels before him were tripped and sent tumbling everywhere by the corpses on the ground. Beside him, retainers used ten-foot-long pikes to furiously stab the men who had fallen.

"Those who retreat die! If you can't take the bridgehead, death is your only way out!" Geng Zhongming shouted. The retainers formed a two-rank human wall, driving the rebel soldiers forward with greatswords and long spears.

On the brink of life and death, the rebel soldiers howled themselves hoarse, crushed together in a mass. A few whose minds had snapped slashed wildly with their blades in the crowd, trying to hack out an escape route.

While the rebel soldiers on the bridge drew the defenders' fire, the men who had descended to the riverbanks on both sides began stepping onto the ice and running toward the opposite shore. Archers appeared at the railings of the Straw Bridge, loosing heavy arrows at the rebels picking their way cautiously across the ice. Unending screams echoed from the river channel. The rebel soldiers could not run fast on the ice; whenever someone nearby was struck by an arrow, panic seized the others' hearts, and men kept slipping and falling on the ice.

Driven once more by the retainers, the rebel soldiers on the bridge charged again at the street barricade. The defenders' firepower weakened after they had fired their muskets, and the rebels once more closed within twenty paces.

Li Jiucheng, directing the battle from the rear, thought to himself that this time they would surely reach the enemy's position. But suddenly a crisp volley of musket fire crackled on the bridge. Li Jiucheng clearly saw the heads in the front rank rapidly vanish. Immediately another volley followed. Gunfire also rang out from both sides of the bridge, and more rebels fell on the ice.

Li Jiucheng cocked his ear to the sound and asked Chen Guangfu beside him, his tone tinged with doubt, "What kind of musket is that? I've never heard it before. Does the Dengzhou garrison have such firearms?"

Chen Guangfu also looked bewildered. But a retainer beside him said, trembling, "Th-this humble one has heard it. It seems the self-igniting bird musket used by the Wendeng Battalion on Shenmi Island makes this sound."

"The Wendeng Battalion?!" Li Jiucheng and Chen Guangfu both showed expressions of shock. Li Jiucheng abruptly seized the retainer by the collar. "Are you telling the truth? Have you been to Shenmi Island?"

The retainer jumped in fright and hurriedly replied, "This humble one was originally from Pi Island. My younger brother is in Commander Chen's battalion. He went ashore on Shenmi Island with Zhang Dao. The muskets used by those Wendeng Battalion soldiers make exactly this sound."

Li Jiucheng turned his head to look at Chen Guangfu. Chen Guangfu confirmed, "He is indeed from Pi Island. He only became my retainer after the Shenmi Island affair."

The muscles on Li Jiucheng's face twitched. The three words "Wendeng Battalion" stabbed at a sore spot. Sun Yuanhua's words echoed in his ears again. Watching the rebel soldiers on the bridge being thrown into chaos, he said, "That means the ones on the bridge are from the Wendeng Battalion."

Chen Guangfu hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Judging by how calmly they're holding, no ordinary troops could do this. I'm afraid… it really is the Wendeng Battalion. What do we do now?"

At that moment, the rebels at the bridgehead finally collapsed completely. Geng Zhongming was swept back by the routing troops. He arrived panting beside Li Jiucheng. Li Jiucheng glared fiercely at the just-returned Geng Zhongming and Chen Guangfu and ground the words out through clenched teeth: "Chen Guangfu, deploy your men to hold Ying'en Gate securely. Notify Li Yingyuan and Wang Zideng to come here. Have Kong Youde guard the South Gate and send reinforcements. Geng Zhongming, deploy your men to hold Chunsheng Gate. Whoever loses a city gate, I'll take his head! Both of you personally take your retainers at once and rally your units. Geng Zhongming, you attack the North Gate from Dengzhou Bridge. Wang Zideng and Chen Guangfu, both of you bring troops here — no fewer than five hundred men. Bring some general cannons and Frankish breech-loaders."

Geng Zhongming glanced at the sky and said, "My lord Li, it will be dark soon. Fighting in pitch blackness, we risk hurting our own men. The Wendeng Battalion is far off in Ninghai Department, over two hundred li away. On these icy, snowy roads, they can't get here in less than three to five days. We needn't rush this moment."

*Clang! * Li Jiucheng's Japanese sword was already pressed against Geng Zhongming's neck. He roared at Geng Zhongming, "I told you this morning to send scouts in the three directions of south, west, and east! You fucking said the scout riders hadn't returned. Now the Wendeng Battalion is blocking us at Straw Bridge. Chen Xin is certainly not far from here, and most likely he means to enter the city through the North Gate. You all know exactly what kind of man Chen Xin is — he's someone who even dared to frame Grand Coordinator Sun. If you don't bring enough troops here within half a shichen, we'll all die without a burial place! Dark or not, we must take Zhenhai Gate today, or we won't even know how we died. Anyone who dares keep looting will be beheaded immediately!!"

Geng Zhongming turned pale with fright and hastily assented repeatedly. He and Chen Guangfu both scrambled and stumbled to their mounts, leaped onto their horses, and galloped off toward the East Gate.

Li Jiucheng stared fixedly until they vanished at the intersection. He turned his head, about to force a newly arrived batch of rebels to attack across the ice, when he suddenly saw thick smoke billowing on the opposite riverbank. Crimson flames licked along the shore. At the same time, a firework rose from Zhenhai Gate and burst into a red bloom in the sky.

Li Jiucheng raised his head to watch that firework. He grew even more certain that Chen Xin was not far away. Dreadful thoughts gradually surfaced in his mind. He ground his teeth and muttered to himself, "Chen Xin — ruthless and merciless indeed."

He said to his head retainer, "Take your men and attack the bridge at once."

"My lord, they have muskets and cannons. If we just… charge like this, your retainers will suffer heavy losses."

"Even if every last one dies, you must go! If we don't take Zhenhai Gate today, it won't be a matter of heavy losses."

………

Under the black canopy of the sky, fierce flames blazed on both sides of the Straw Bridge. Li Tao retreated from the bridge carrying a wounded comrade on his shoulder. Another special service team member tossed a torch onto the street barricade. The barricade, soaked in tung oil, instantly erupted in dazzling flames. The layers of corpses from both sides piled beside the barricade were also consumed by the fire, giving off the charred stench of burning human flesh.

A steady stream of rebels converged on the north of the city from all quarters. The street barricade on the Straw Bridge, stubbornly held by the combat soldiers, had repelled several enemy assaults. The three cannons were all fired red-hot and could no longer function. The combat soldiers could only defend with their flintlocks and cold steel. As their firepower weakened, the rebels repeatedly fought their way to the barricade. The bloody hand-to-hand combat had cost the Wendeng Battalion defenders on the bridge nearly half their strength.

Several large Frankish breech-loaders of the rebels appeared on the southern street. At the same time, fighting erupted at Dengzhou Bridge to the east. The rebels began detouring from the east city to attack the North Gate.

Li Tao decisively abandoned the Straw Bridge, igniting the barricade to block the enemy's advance. They had stockpiled large quantities of tung oil at various intelligence posts beforehand, and before noon had splashed it all along the riverbank line. Now the flames spread, and even the ice in the river began to melt.

Li Tao had just run off the Straw Bridge when rebels at the barricade began beating at the flames. Some rebels used long spears to pry at the stones on the barricade, preparing to open a passage. Without looking back, Li Tao fled north along Zhenhai Gate Avenue carrying his wounded comrade. The other action team members set fire to the piled firewood along the street. The flames rapidly spread to the wooden arcade buildings lining the avenue.

A thunderous boom erupted on the Straw Bridge as a massive fireball exploded. A dense cloud of white dust billowed outward from the flames. The rebels beating at the flames on the bridge were mowed down in droves by flying stone shards. Those still alive screamed in agony on the ground. Farther away, rebels clutched their faces and blundered about like headless flies.

The rebel squad commander leading the troops staggered off the bridge and came to a halt before Li Jiucheng. His body swayed a few times as he said, "My lord, a load of lime burst open over there. The brothers' eyes have all been burned blind." With that, he collapsed face-first onto the ground with a thud.

"Chen Guangfu, your men are up next." Li Jiucheng glanced at the squad commander on the ground and gave Chen Guangfu only a curt order. Chen Guangfu, stunned by the horrific scene on the Straw Bridge, paused before saying, "The lime smoke hasn't cleared yet. This…"

"It'll scatter as soon as men charge through. Attack now!"

Under Li Jiucheng's ferocious stare, Chen Guangfu had no choice but to summon his head retainer and order him to lead the troops in another assault.

Chen Guangfu's head retainer gazed at Zhenhai Gate Avenue to the north, where flames lit up the sky, and felt his throat go dry. But he had no way out. Li Jiucheng had made it crystal clear: retreat meant death. And Li Jiucheng's own retainers were also taking turns in the assaults.

"That white stuff is lime. When you reach it, shut your eyes and charge through." The head retainer herded a group of soldiers and rioters into the street and loudly instructed them. Then, with a shout, he led the charge onto the bridge. Reaching the area thick with lime, he used the firelight to hastily glance at the ground, noted the positions of several large stones, then quickly shut his eyes and sprinted through with all his might.

"Aaargh!"

A sharp pain shot through the head retainer's foot. He clutched his foot and tumbled to the ground. The rioters and rebels charging behind him like a tide also screamed and collapsed in a tangled heap.

"It's caltrops! Stop! Stop!"

The head retainer was pinned beneath two men. His hand had already felt the objects on the ground — they were four-pointed iron caltrops linked in chains. But the fallen rebels on the ground were all howling in agony, and the rebels charging forward with squinting eyes behind them could not hear a thing. More and more men fell on top of him. Some who stepped over the fallen and passed him then stepped on more caltrops ahead. In an instant, the bridge was covered with men clutching their feet. They all dropped their weapons and rolled about, only to be pierced in other parts of their bodies by more caltrops.

Amid the panicked screams, over ten figures dashed out from an alley off Zhenhai Gate Avenue. They leveled their muskets and fired a fierce volley into the densely packed crowd on the bridge. Streams of blood sprayed forth. The chaotic rebels collapsed instantly, howling and turning to flee in a disorderly mob. The figures swiftly charged forward, swinging their blades to finish off the wounded rebels on the ground.

By now, Li Jiucheng's face was ashen. The men before him could not number more than a hundred, yet their tactics were extremely flexible, their coordination seamless, and their sinister tricks endless. They could turn anything into a weapon — even arsenic and other drugs from the medicine shop had been thrown into the bonfires along the riverbanks to create poison smoke. And all he could do was spend lives. Now, in total darkness, they had only just taken the Straw Bridge.

"Wang Zideng, your men are up."

Wang Zideng was rather fierce by nature and had long been simmering with frustration. He tore off his helmet, led his men, and charged across the bridge. Li Jiucheng saw them cross the bridge smoothly this time and breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, another red firework rose from the gate tower of Zhenhai Gate. Li Jiucheng's eyes followed the firework's trail upward until it burst into a bloom of crimson flame.

The muscles on Li Jiucheng's face twitched. Even now, he could not be certain from which direction Chen Xin would appear. But the Mishen Shan main camp was a key point. They had camped there for over ten days; the fortifications were solid. As long as they could hold it firmly and coordinate with Dengzhou, they could make things extremely difficult for the Wendeng Battalion. But he did not know whether the reinforcements Kong Youde had sent had reached the main camp yet.

Just then, his head retainer said in alarm, "My lord, there's a firework to the south too."

Li Jiucheng spun around abruptly. Sure enough, a red firework had also burst in the southern sky, right in the direction of Mishen Shan. Without a word to Chen Guangfu and the other officers, he spurred his horse and galloped toward the bell tower. He arrived beneath the bell tower like a whirlwind, leaped from the saddle before the horse had even stopped, and without pausing for a moment climbed the stairs to the top floor of the bell tower.

Li Jiucheng stopped beside the parapet wall on the top floor and looked south impatiently. Instantly, he felt as if his whole body had plunged into an ice pit. On Mishen Shan, countless points of firelight flickered. Tents set ablaze were burning fiercely. The flashes of musket fire twinkled unceasingly. On the flat ground between Mishen Shan and Kui Shan, a fiery dragon was winding its way toward the eastern city wall. (To be continued.)