Chapter 290: Great Victory, Extraordinary Merit

The red smoke spreading across eight hundred steps was produced by the explosion of tear-gas ceramic bombs manufactured by the Firearm Supervision.

These special ceramic bombs were not filled with iron shrapnel for killing, but with an extremely pungent powder ground from dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and special medicinal herbs.

They could instantly injure the eyes and nose, and those with strong reactions might even faint.

Under these special conditions, they could prove even more potent than lethal ceramic bombs.

They provided as much time as possible for cannons and ceramic bombs to maximize their lethality.

Elly rode close beside Jia Cong, as if to let him know the guard he had hired for two taels of gold was worth every penny.

Of the five hundred firelock cavalry Jia Cong led this time, two hundred were ceramic bomb throwers rigorously trained by him.

Their target was fifty steps beyond the eight-hundred-step stone marker, for that was the optimal distance for throwing ceramic bombs.

……

……

The most loyal personal guards surrounded them, using their bodies to shield them from possible harm.

But soon the situation changed—they saw many cavalrymen pull out round objects, light them with tinder, and hurl them toward the Jurchen formation.

Li Li Manzhu shouted to Dong Shan and Faercha: "The artillery from the city walls is too fierce; hundreds of cavalry behind us are now only a hundred steps away. Though their palm thunder bombs are also deadly…"

"But their sheer numbers and density are enough for these ceramic bombs to inflict damage no less severe than the unceasing artillery from the walls."

Yet an unforeseen development occurred: the continuous explosions of the ceramic bombs dispersed the red smoke hanging in the air.

……

At this moment, the entire Jurchen force was trapped in chaotic confusion with no retreat possible, unable to organize any effective defense—only scattered arrows flew toward the cavalry.

This was no longer a battle between two armies, but a one-sided massacre.

On the city walls, only Madelun continued mechanically ordering the artillery to fire nonstop at the Jurchen formation; three of the Frankish cannons had overheated and ceased firing.

Others watched thousands of Jurchens below, thrashing helplessly in endless explosions and waves of death, as if trapped in an eternal Avici Hell.

"But we are only a few hundred. Only by breaking through their formation can we survive—if not, our Three Jurchen Guards will be annihilated today!"

Soon, explosions rivaling the artillery erupted behind the Jurchen formation, scattering iron shrapnel everywhere, inflicting massive casualties among the packed ranks.

This scene forever shattered the understanding of Liang Liang Chengzong, Liu Liu Yongzheng, and other battle-hardened generals, showing them the devastating power of heavy firearms—like divine retribution.

Amid the overwhelming density of explosions, the three Jurchen leaders—except Faercha, who remained unharmed—Li Li Manzhu and Dong Shan both suffered minor injuries.

Amid the deafening barrage of explosions, countless Jurchen soldiers were torn apart; under the ruthless fury of heavy firearms, human lives became as insignificant as grass.

From the walls of Yafu Pass, Liang Liang Chengzong and others watched as the entire Jurchen formation endured a dual assault from cannons and ceramic bombs launched from both east and west.

Five hundred cavalry charged down the ridge like a whirlwind sweeping away debris; the disorganized Jurchen formation, startled by the sudden appearance of a large Zhou cavalry unit, was left bewildered.

What puzzled them was that this several-hundred-strong cavalry unit merely galloped back and forth at a distance of less than a hundred steps, without launching a charge.

Even though each ceramic bomb's explosive force could not compare to a cannonball.

And these bomb throwers hurled dozens, even over a hundred ceramic bombs per volley.

When Jia Cong saw the red smoke in the air being dispersed by the ceramic bomb explosions, he realized the tide was turning.

The Jurchen force, no longer restrained by the red smoke, began rapidly regrouping their scattered troops under the shouts of several figures who appeared to be commanders.

At this moment, Jia Cong's bomb throwers had already hurled hundreds of ceramic bombs; just as they prepared for another volley, the Jurchen cavalry launched a fearless charge!

The hundred-step distance would be crossed in an instant!

Jia Cong gritted his teeth and shouted: "Stop throwing! Mount up and fight!"

It was his only option now—the remaining Jurchen remnants, facing death, would surely sacrifice lives to launch a desperate, frenzied assault.

A hundred-step cavalry charge left no time for gunners to complete a three-stage volley; better to mount up and charge with swords and spears, gaining greater chances of survival.

Throughout this battle, Jia Cong had always planned to maximize the firepower's lethality against the enemy—he never intended to personally engage in bloody combat.

But the battlefield is ever-changing; plans cannot keep pace with reality. At this critical juncture, even a moment's hesitation would only hasten his death.

Everything happened in haste—there was no time for further thought.

Jia Cong glanced at Elly beside him; her face glowed, her expression calm, utterly fearless. She drew her long sword from her waist and charged ahead of him on horseback.

Her slender figure rose and fell rhythmically with the galloping steed; her long sword reflected bright light in the sun, and the blue ribbon in her hair fluttered in the wind.

Elly's charging prowess stirred boundless valor in Jia Cong's heart—he raised his curved sword and followed closely behind her.

Five hundred firelock cavalry swiftly mounted up; some unfolded the folding steel blades on their guns, others drew their goose-feather knives, surging forward behind Jia Cong and Elly.

……

Far away on the city walls, Liang Liang Chengzong quickly realized Jia Cong's fire-armed troops were locked in fierce combat with the Jurchens and promptly ordered the artillery to cease firing to avoid friendly fire.

He also ordered Liu Liu Yongzheng below the walls to lead a thousand elite cavalry to reinforce them.

Of the seven thousand Jurchen troops who had attacked, nearly half had been wiped out by the terrifying, concentrated barrage of cannons and ceramic bombs—their defeat was now irreversible.

Liang Liang Chengzong opened the city gates and personally led the garrison troops in a charge against the remaining Jurchen forces.

……

Elly's superb horsemanship reached its peak amid the chaotic battlefield.

She kept Jia Cong tightly behind her, always finding the perfect gaps to charge through the surging Jurchen cavalry.

Jia Cong watched as her long sword swung left and right, cleanly cutting down two Jurchen cavalrymen.

In Jia Cong's eyes, Elly's swordplay, which looked like a dance, became the deadliest killing technique on the battlefield.

The Cossacks prided themselves on swift blades and swift horses—Elly embodied this perfectly.

Ahead, Elly cut down a cavalryman who looked like a personal guard; two more men in identical attire surged forward, blocking Elly's lethal strikes—as if protecting someone.

Jia Cong feared Elly was outnumbered and spurred his horse to assist; at that moment, a golden blade slashed toward his waist—he hastily raised his curved sword to block.

But in his haste, Jia Cong was just a fraction too slow—the blade grazed his ribs.

Elly, watching beside him, widened her eyes and cried out sharply, slashing one of her attackers to the ground.

But she could not reach Jia Cong in time; in the nick of time, she hurled her riding whip, striking the face of a tall, slender Jurchen knight wielding a golden blade.

This Jurchen knight wore luxurious attire, clearly of high status; the surrounding cavalrymen frequently glanced back at him—he must have been their protected figure.

Elly's thrown whip caused the golden-blade knight to reflexively dodge, giving Jia Cong a precious moment to recover after being wounded.

He had no time to check his wound—in such chaos, any lapse meant certain death.

He seized the instant when the golden-blade knight dodged the whip and swung his curved sword diagonally.

The sharp blade sliced through the knight's chest; it struck something strangely hard, sparking a few flashes.

The golden-blade knight wore a rigid breastplate, but Jia Cong's strike, delivered in a life-or-death moment, carried extraordinary force.

The blade cut through his chest without losing momentum, then flashed like lightning across the knight's right arm holding the sword.

This time Jia Cong clearly felt the blade sink into flesh, splitting the man's right arm nearly in half.

The golden-blade knight screamed and slumped over his horse; Jia Cong spurred forward one step and slashed him down to the ground.

The guard who had been dueling Elly seemed stunned by the scene—he didn't even notice Elly's long sword descending toward his head.

He cried out in terror: "Lord Faercha is dead!"

As a personal guard of Faercha, Deputy Commander of the Jurchen Right Guard, if their commander died, according to Jurchen tribal law, all his guards—and even their families—must die.

So he made no move to dodge Elly's sword…

At that moment, a thunderous roar of battle cries came from behind—Liang Liang Chengzong and Liu Liu Yongzheng led a large cavalry force into the Jurchen front line, swiftly splitting the remaining Jurchen troops in two.

The last fighting spirit of the fierce Jurchen tribes dissolved in an instant.

In the end, only a thousand or so cavalrymen under Jurchen Right Guard commander Li Li Manzhu and Jurchen Left Guard commander Dong Shan broke through the encirclement and fled north in panic.

……

The setting sun glowed like blood, illuminating the vast, corpse-strewn wasteland; the smoke from cannon and ceramic bomb explosions still lingered.

As if silently recounting the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place…

Elly dismounted and ran to Jia Cong; her face was pale, streaked with tears, frantically checking his chest and abdomen wounds.

But she saw he wore a strange leather armor, bearing a deep gash—yet the armor had not been pierced.

Jia Cong laughed: "Don't worry—I wore the Green Rhino Armor. I escaped death."

He reached out and wiped her tears away, smiling: "You were incredibly fierce just now—why are you crying now?"

Elly blushed and said: "I'm worried I won't have anywhere to earn gold. If you die, who'll take me back south?"

Jia Cong laughed heartily: "Don't worry—I'm just as trustworthy as you."

Elly looked up at him, her sea-blue eyes brimming with smiles.

……

On the third day after the great victory at Ya Fu Pass, after the glorious results were fully tallied, a battle report written overnight by Liang Liang Chengzong, Regional Commander of Liaodong, was sent to the imperial capital by eight-hundred-li express.

The name of Jia Cong of Lady Rongguo Prefecture was destined to resound once more through the Love Shenjing!

(End of Chapter)