Chapter 553: Desperate Battle in a Desolate Village

Under the night sky of Liaodong, the ruined, desolate village lay in pitch-black darkness. Beyond the village, a few caws of crows rang out, adding a touch of dread to the already dark backdrop.

This was a hamlet of fewer than a Company Commander. The last time he infiltrated with Gao Hongzhong's men, they had come by way of the Sancha River mouth, where patrols were not so tight. But he had been to this desolate village before with the Special Operations Unit. His astonishing memory for terrain gave him an edge in the Intelligence Bureau.

Zhou Wu groped through the darkness. A throbbing pain came from his left foot; the sole of his shoe was slick with blood, giving a slippery, greasy sensation with every step. After shaking off pursuit, Zhou Wu first walked a stretch along the village's main road, then swiftly used a leg wrap to bind the wound on his left leg tightly to avoid leaving an obvious blood trail. He then backtracked for a while before turning onto a side path leading west.

By now the sky was completely black, so dark he could not see his own hand in front of him. Zhou Wu could not leave the village yet. The wind tonight was very faint, and the fields all around were silent. Walking through the overgrown, withered grass of the wilderness would make noise. There were many birds in the nearby wilds, and that would give away his position. The Later Jin soldiers might have left men outside. In his current wounded state, if he were discovered in the open field, escape would be difficult. So he planned to hide in the village first, then look for a chance to flee.

Zhou Wu moved slowly, relying on the touch of his hands and feet to recall the layout of the village. His foot struck a stone slab. Zhou Wu immediately crouched down, following the direction of the slab until he touched the rammed-earth wall on the west side. He rapidly recalled this angle — it was exactly the place he was looking for.

Zhou Wu stood up and moved cautiously, following the rammed-earth wall until he found a courtyard gate with no door leaves left. He stepped inside quietly. He was terrified of making the slightest sound. In such a silent, desolate village, any small noise would carry far and allow the several Later Jin soldiers to pinpoint his location.

He certainly did not think the several Later Jin soldiers would give up just like that. From what Zhou Wu could sense, those several Later Jin soldiers were all Bayara. The Bayara of the Later Jin were known for their tenacious nature, and that reputation was not unearned. They were often the primary opponents of the Special Operations Unit. Over the years, the two sides had clashed many times, and in skirmish-level combat they were not inferior to the Dengzhou Special Operations Unit. So Zhou Wu would never underestimate these men.

After entering the village, Zhou Wu had already spotted a marker of two stacked stones beside the village road. That meant at least for now, there were no Special Operations Unit personnel here. He would have to escape on his own. And with his left foot injured, his chances of escape were not great. But he could not stay until daylight either, or the Later Jin soldiers would easily find the blood trail.

In the northwest corner of the courtyard, under a pile of firewood, Zhou Wu felt a storm lantern wrapped in black cloth. He lifted the lantern and underneath it found a wrapped fire striker. This was a contact tool left by the Special Operations Unit. There were also two traps in this village, but in the darkness Zhou Wu dared not lure the Later Jin soldiers toward them, lest he himself fall victim.

After retrieving the storm lantern, Zhou Wu hesitated for a moment, then put the lantern back down, keeping only the fire striker. He then groped his way to the main entrance and quietly entered the main room of this household. The floor was littered with broken wheat stalks, farming tools, back-baskets, and the like. He moved his steps carefully; the crushed wheat stalks on the ground made a rustling sound.

Reaching the west wall, Zhou Wu crouched in the corner. After readying the fire striker, he felt for the Yunti knife at his waist — that was his primary weapon. His bow and saber had been lost when his horse fell. If he had a bow on him, those several Later Jin soldiers would not dare to so brazenly carry torches and make themselves targets. In his pouch were still a few throwing knives and some caltrops. The throwing knives were something Zhou Wu had practiced on his own; the Intelligence Bureau did not restrict the weapons its operatives used, so some very peculiar items often appeared. But Zhou Wu had no real intention of using them against armored soldiers. These throwing knives were basically useless against chainmail.

At that moment, a shout in a barbarian tongue came from outside. Zhou Wu immediately crouched down and hid in the darkness. He quickly located a hole in the wall, ready to escape from this courtyard through it at any moment.

The sound came from the east, where the village's main road lay. If the Jurchen were unfamiliar with this place, they would pay the most attention to the two sides of that road. Zhou Wu had deliberately walked an extra stretch there, temporarily stopped the bleeding, and then doubled back. If the Later Jin soldiers searched for blood trails with torches, they would be led in the wrong direction.

A glimmer of firelight appeared in the darkness. Zhou Wu craned his neck to look out from the doorway. There were two clusters of light to the east — likely two torches. From afar came a voice speaking the barbarian tongue. Zhou Wu had also learned some of that language. Though not proficient, he still made out the words "Don't set fires."

It seemed these several Later Jin soldiers were also worried about alerting any Dengzhou Special Operations Unit that might be nearby. If there were no Special Operations Unit activity, these several Later Jin soldiers would probably have long since set fires everywhere in the village — first, to deny Zhou Wu any place to hide, and second, to provide light to make their search easier. Now they could only use torches, which gave poor illumination.

Since the Later Jin soldiers were afraid of setting fires, Zhou Wu intended to start one. If there were Special Operations Unit personnel operating nearby, then according to the unit's combat habits, there would definitely be someone on night watch. As long as the Special Operations Unit came to support him, his chances of getting away would be much greater. Zhou Wu decided to take the risk. He picked up the fire striker and quietly listened to the sounds outside. Beyond the village, crows still occasionally let out cawing calls, usually two or three at a time. Zhou Wu silently noted the intervals between calls and waited for the next caw.

"Caw..." A crow's cry rang out. Zhou Wu calculated the interval and struck the fire striker hard. The striking sound coincided exactly with the second caw. The hoarse crow call masked the striking noise. The first falling sparks failed to ignite the tinder. The voices of the Later Jin soldiers talking came from afar; they seemed about to spread out and search. Zhou Wu paid no heed to their voices, maintaining his posture in the darkness, waiting for the next crow call.

When it sounded again, Zhou Wu finally ignited the tinder. The wheat stalks and dry grass on the ground were the best kindling, and above there was still a half-collapsed thatched roof. Zhou Wu lit a small pile of wheat stalks on the ground, then grabbed a few handfuls and spread the flames to the thatched shed. Once he saw the fire take hold, Zhou Wu left the courtyard through the hole in the wall and vanished once more into the darkness of the desolate village...

"Squad Leader, there's firelight in the direction of Village Jia."

Li Tao was woken from his dreams by the sentry. He immediately pulled out his spyglass and looked toward the light. The buck-toothed face soon appeared beside Li Tao.

As the Special Operations Unit member who had performed most outstandingly during the night raid on Zijinliang, Bucktooth had left a deep impression on Chen Xin. When he was transferred back to Wang Mafu, Chen Xin specifically requested that he bring back the elite Special Operations Unit members from the Wuchang branch. Bucktooth was one of those transferred back to Liaonan with Wang Mafu.

The Special Operations Unit used Lianyun Island as a base and had recently increased the frequency of their sorties along the coastal area north of Gaizhou. As the unit commander, Li Tao did not necessarily have to participate in combat, but he had come ashore anyway. The day before, they had raided a grain transport convoy, and the squad had made considerable gains.

The Later Jin soldiers had recently increased the number of patrol cavalry, making it difficult for the Special Operations Unit to contend with Later Jin patrol riders during the day. This area was behind the Later Jin battle lines, where the Jianzhou bandits' strength was overwhelmingly superior. So Li Tao and his men had been extremely cautious lately. Li Tao had deliberately reduced the intensity of their strikes, spending less time near the official roads and camping in the wilderness at night instead of staying in villages. He was deliberately scaling back in order to plan a major raid; this trip ashore was also for on-the-ground reconnaissance.

Through his spyglass, Li Tao saw a bright cluster of fire in the village. He muttered, "There are definitely Jianzhou bandits."

Bucktooth said in a low voice, "Could be a trap."

"We'll know once we look. No rush to enter the village when we get there." Li Tao handed the spyglass to Bucktooth, then let out a series of squeaking sounds like a rat. Rustling noises came from about ten paces to either side, and two more dark figures emerged from the undergrowth. Li Tao gave a few low-voiced instructions. Among the five, one point man moved to the front, while the other four spread out in formation and headed toward the firelight...

At the edge of the firelight's reach in the desolate village, the faces of three White Armor Soldiers flickered between light and shadow from the flames. Even though the three were battle-hardened veterans, this spy had given them a massive headache. North of Gaizhou, although the Later Jin troops held the advantage, there were not many troops in this stretch of wilderness at night. The fact that this spy had so recklessly set a fire suggested that Dengzhou soldiers were likely nearby to provide support. All of them had clashed with the Dengzhou Special Operations Unit before. Compared to those massive, mechanical army formations on the battlefield, their fear of the Special Operations Unit was somewhat less — but they still knew the unit was not easy to deal with.

Dasang'a on the left was the White Armor Soldier whom Zhou Wu had cursed at on the official road. He said urgently, "That spy set a fire here; he must have already run somewhere else. Let's split up and search immediately."

Batu on the right said coldly, "On a night this dark, if he randomly finds a place to hide, how could we possibly find him? If his leg weren't injured, he would have run long ago. Outside there's only Ashdarhan and Huniqi, at most guarding the west side. If the spy circles around from the east and leaves, how are we supposed to find him?"

"This area has many birds; leaving the village would always startle them." Xingna stared fixedly at the cluster of flames and said firmly, "He came from the official road to the north. If a rendezvous had been arranged here, the Dengzhou soldiers would have appeared long ago. The fact that he's setting a fire now instead proves there's no prearranged support — or perhaps he's just trying to intimidate us... Since he's setting fires, let's help him out. We'll set fires from east to west, have Ashdarhan ignite the grass and trees to the west, and smoke him out."...

Zhou Wu poked his head out from a cattle pen south of the fire point. Multiple fires had now ignited in the village. The Later Jin soldiers were burning their way from east to west, and the undergrowth to the west was also ablaze. The several Later Jin soldiers occasionally shouted to each other. When Zhou Wu peered west from behind a half-collapsed rammed-earth wall, he even spotted the figure of one Later Jin armored soldier. By now, most of the vegetation was dry and withered. The area around this village happened to be thick with undergrowth, and the fire quickly spread, the surrounding light growing brighter and brighter.

Zhou Wu groaned inwardly. With the light outside now so bright, escape from the west was impossible. The fire would soon spread into the village as well. With light present, his movements inside the village would be easily spotted. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Wu planned to flee from the north. There should be one Later Jin soldier at the northwest corner, but Zhou Wu deemed it worth the risk. There might not be any Special Operations Unit personnel nearby. If he waited until daylight, more Later Jin soldiers might arrive, and then hiding would be impossible.

Using what light there was, Zhou Wu ran swiftly north. Using the ruins of houses as cover, he soon reached the northern edge of the village. Zhou Wu stopped and felt his calf. The pain was worse now, affecting even his walking. Ahead lay a stretch of road with no ruins for cover. This stretch from here to the undergrowth was the most dangerous part. Shadows cast by the firelight to the east flickered unsteadily on the ground.

After carefully observing for a moment, Zhou Wu gritted his teeth and dashed toward that uncovered stretch of road. Those brief moments felt as long as ten thousand years. Just as he was about to reach the edge of the undergrowth, a thrumming sound rang out behind him. A heavy arrow accurately struck Zhou Wu's shoulder blade. The ferocious force sent Zhou Wu tumbling to the ground. With a miserable cry, Zhou Wu rolled twice at the edge of the undergrowth, startling several wild birds nearby, which flew up with fluttering, alarmed calls before dropping back into the grass.

With searing pain in his back, Zhou Wu could no longer flee. He slowly sat up, gripping his Yunti knife tightly in his hand, and faced the direction from which the arrow had come.

Immediately after, a whistling arrow was shot. Following its sharp cry, four armored figures converged from different directions against the sky full of firelight. The one approaching from the front was Xingna. Carrying his composite bow, he observed the surroundings for a moment before walking over slowly. He was in no hurry to close in, instead staying on guard at the perimeter.

The other three also gradually stopped over ten paces away. Only Dasang'a came running over with curses, a one-handed axe in his grip, intent on hacking the spy who had humiliated him that day into a thousand pieces. Zhou Wu raised his Yunti knife to his own neck, a hint of a cynical smile on his face, as if still taunting Dasang'a. He had long been prepared for this — no matter what, he could not fall into the Tatars' hands alive.

Dasang'a was only a few steps away. Just as Zhou Wu was about to exert force on his hand, bowstrings twanged continuously behind him. Several heavy arrows flew out from the darkness to the north. Two thudding sounds struck Dasang'a's body. His forward momentum halted; he swayed twice, then collapsed face-first onto the ground with a thud. Another armored soldier was also hit by an arrow, but the chainmail blocked it, preventing serious injury.

Under this sudden attack, the several Later Jin soldiers fell into brief chaos. The three Later Jin soldiers ahead swiftly drew their bows, but the darkness to the north was impenetrable to their sight, while their own figures stood out starkly against the backdrop of firelight.

"Nikan ambush! Move left!" Xingna shouted loudly. Under his command, the several White Armor Soldiers moved quickly, running toward the northwest to first escape the disadvantageous lighting.

After Dasang'a was shot, Zhou Wu immediately crawled a few steps into the undergrowth. He knew the Special Operations Unit had arrived. Among the twanging bowstrings just now had been the sound of the unit's specialized heavy crossbows. The wound on his shoulder blade might prevent him from carrying out missions in the future, but it would not kill him.

Commands in Chinese came from the undergrowth to the north. Zhou Wu was overwhelmed with emotion. He had escaped from the jaws of death. Never in his life had these ordinary Chinese words felt so dear.

The sound of running came from the darkness. The Later Jin soldiers reacted swiftly, moving toward the northwest. The Special Operations Unit abandoned ranged attacks and launched a rapid charge, exploiting the Later Jin soldiers' confusion. The Later Jin soldiers, their formation scattered as they moved, were forced to fight back in haste.

Soon came the sound of clashing blades, interspersed with cries of agony. Zhou Wu could not help but crane his neck to watch. Streaks of light flashed through the darkness to the west; the dancing blades reflected the surrounding firelight. A brutal close-quarters fight was underway.

The five Special Operations Unit members split into two groups, concentrating their attack on the scattered Later Jin soldiers as they ran. Li Tao, with one team member, formed one group. The first Later Jin soldier they encountered head-on was just ten paces away. With no time to dodge, the Later Jin soldier immediately turned to fight. Li Tao and his teammate both hurled throwing axes. The Later Jin soldier also threw a flying dart. In the darkness, such small objects were impossible to see clearly; both sides randomly chose a direction to dodge. The Later Jin soldier and the other Special Operations Unit member grunted at the same time, both wounded. The Later Jin soldier was struck in the left chest by a throwing axe, half his body going numb from the impact. But he was fighting alone against two. Li Tao gave him no time to recover, using his charging momentum to raise his thick-backed blade and bring it down in a head-on slash. The Later Jin soldier raised his tiger-tooth saber to block with all his might, but the injury on his left side weakened him, and Li Tao's thick-backed blade forced him back a step. Li Tao's charge was not yet spent. Before the armored soldier could readjust his center of gravity, Li Tao was already upon him. The dagger in his left hand stabbed twice in quick succession at the side of the armored soldier's chest. The Dengzhou-made dagger demonstrated its extreme lethality. The armored soldier immediately lost the ability to fight back. The Special Operations Unit's attack was as swift as lightning. By now, the other group had also killed one armored soldier. Of the five Later Jin soldiers, only two remained in the blink of an eye. One of them, with no time to use his bow, was surrounded and attacked by Bucktooth's group of three.

Li Tao did not stop. His wounded teammate also followed. The two quickly charged toward the last remaining Later Jin soldier. That Later Jin soldier was positioned furthest back, over ten paces from the armored soldiers ahead. By the firelight, Li Tao could see the infantry bow in the man's hands. He had planned to use his high-speed charge to force the opponent to abandon the bow, but that figure's movements were extremely practiced and swift. With the sound of a bowstring, the teammate beside Li Tao let out a miserable cry and toppled over backward.

Li Tao's heart jolted in alarm. The skill and speed with which that man drew his bow were unlike anything he had ever seen, and it was lethally effective. But Li Tao was certain that no matter how fast he was, he could not loose another such arrow before Li Tao reached him. Just then, he heard the sound of a hammer being cocked. Li Tao could tell it came from the direction of that Later Jin soldier. Then he saw the Later Jin soldier's motion of drawing a short gun. Li Tao made a split-second decision and hurled the thick-backed blade from his hand. The bright blade reflected the firelight as it cut through the ten-pace distance. The Later Jin soldier nimbly crouched to dodge. This brief delay slowed Li Tao's speed and freed his right hand to draw a short gun from his waist, cocking the hammer as he pulled it.

The two men raised their short guns simultaneously and aimed at each other. Li Tao knew that at this moment, no number of teammates could help him. In a flash, he recalled the shouting voice of that Later Jin soldier from earlier — it sounded very much like that ferocious Bayara they had encountered while scouting at Dongping Mountain.

Two muzzle flashes lit up the ten-pace space between them. In the firelight, Li Tao saw the face opposite him — it was indeed that Later Jin White Armor Soldier with the scar beside his mouth. The gun flashes died in an instant, and the surroundings returned to darkness. At that moment, the slaughter in Bucktooth's group also ended. The small village fell silent once more. The figure of the Bayara opposite stood motionless for a moment, then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Li Tao took two heavy breaths, then walked over to the Bayara. Hearing the sound of the other man's labored breathing, he drew his dagger and ruthlessly stabbed him twice more. Only then did he pick up the short gun that had fallen to the ground and say, "This is my gun. I've come to take it back."

〖∷Fast Updates∷ ∷Plain Text∷〗