[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-stealing-ming":3,"chapter-stealing-ming-stealing-ming-chapter-63":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Stealing Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1220680,1614,"Chapter 63: Section Eleven","stealing-ming-chapter-63",63,"\u003Cp>Bang —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thunderous crash behind him made Huang Shi, who had been frozen in shock, jump with a start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long, agonized scream also rang out from the rear, followed by continuous shrieks and shouts. Huang Shi immediately saw his own shadow cast before him. He spun around — the back door had been kicked open, several torches had been hurled inside, and a volley of wild arrows had come through. A few soldiers who had been pierced were already writhing on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enemy attack.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the rear.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The back door, the back door.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relay station was instantly filled with panicked voices. Soldiers near the back door tried to fight back, but more and more torches were thrown in, some landing right at their feet. The glare made even Huang Shi, standing by the front door, squint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several more soldiers were struck by arrows shooting out of the darkness. Objects inside the room caught fire one after another, and the stench of blood and thick smoke assaulted the nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong, who always hid at the very back, was suddenly in the front line this time. He took an arrow in the thigh and fell to the ground, rolling and howling. The relay station was in complete chaos; the soldiers at the rear, in a panic, all surged toward the front door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No retreating! Form ranks, now!\" Amid Jin Qiude's furious bellow, the human tide had already shoved Huang Shi and him out through the front door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shield-bearers, raise shields!\" Through the din, Yang Zhiyuan organized a rear-facing shield wall, but some soldiers had already broken ranks and begun to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shi failed to grab hold of them, but just then he saw the empty main gate swinging in the wind. A terrible thought struck him and he shouted, \"Shut the main gate!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Huang Shi realized it too late. Just as he yelled, a squad of cavalry bearing torches charged through the gate from the pitch-black night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Baodao thrust his long spear and charged toward the gate, stabbing the lead enemy horse in the belly. The horse screamed and threw its rider. Without even glancing at his broken spear, He Baodao swung the shaft in a full circle and, with a great roar, lashed another rider off his horse. But before he could strike again, several cavalrymen had already swept past his flank. A casual slash cut across He Baodao's back, and he plunged headfirst into the yellow earth — clearly dead beyond saving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several soldiers who had just run past Huang Shi had already reached the gateway. They had long since thrown away their weapons. Facing the enemy troops who had appeared before them as if descending from heaven, one of them froze for a moment, then dropped to his knees and raised his hands high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Spare me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers at the gateway followed suit one after another, and they feared their shouts were not loud enough: \"Spare me! Spare me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were still cut down mercilessly. The cavalry charged straight at Huang Shi, and the personal guards around him drew their blades and stepped forward: \"Protect my lord!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop! All of you, stop!\" A shout came from the direction of the gate. Hearing this voice, the riders all reined in their horses, but the nearest horse still collided with Ma Qianzu, the captain of the personal guard, before it could halt. He flew up like a tattered playing card, soared over Huang Shi's head, and slammed into the relay station wall with a bang, producing a series of clattering, splintering sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Huang Shi notice that these riders were not Later Jin soldiers, but unmistakably Liaodong armed retainers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pass my order: the whole army is to cease!\" That shout rang out again. The riders immediately began to disperse, galloping along the wooden wall and shouting: \"Cease! All of you, cease!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sounds of battle and killing gradually died down, leaving only the crackling of flames and a few scattered screams. Huang Shi took several deep breaths to steady himself and noticed that several of his personal guards' legs were still trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which gallant men do we face?\" Huang Shi cupped his fist toward the rider who had given the order to stop, doing his utmost to keep his voice calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rider appeared to be around thirty, tall and powerfully built. The firelight cast his full beard in a bronze-brown hue. Sitting ramrod straight on his horse, he barked at Huang Shi: \"You're not Jianzhou slaves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you're not armed retainers either,\" the man stated in a tone that brooked no doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are not,\" Huang Shi answered loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I'm no gallant man either.\" At these words, the burly man grinned, raised his head, and bellowed: \"All of you, put away your weapons! We hit the wrong people! Get over here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clatter of metal sounded as the burly man sheathed his saber and slowly urged his horse toward Huang Shi. Several personal guards immediately shifted their bodies, trying to shield Huang Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move aside.\" Huang Shi roughly shoved the guards away. Where were you when it mattered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man watched the reaction of Huang Shi's personal guards and asked unhurriedly: \"You must be soldiers of the Great Ming. How should I address you, sir, and what rank do you hold?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. I am Huang Shi, Mobile Corps Commander of the Guangning Army, a replacement officer. May I ask how to address you, sir?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burly man let out an \"Ah!\" and a look of astonishment rose on his face. \"Are you, sir, that Huang Shi who struck down the traitor Sun Degong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The very same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your great name booms like thunder in my ears.\" The burly man immediately shed his earlier arrogance, dismounted swiftly, and stood firm. He respectfully returned a Ming Army military salute: \"I am Kong Youde, Mobile Corps Commander of Xining Fort, Guangning Army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a case of the flood washing over the Dragon King's temple. Secretly rejoicing at his narrow escape from death, Huang Shi quickly ordered his men to put out the fires and rescue the wounded. Kong Youde also hastily commanded his soldiers to help. Soon the fires in the relay station were extinguished. Kong Youde's men brought out a good deal of wound medicine and hurried over to help bandage Huang Shi's subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Baodao was, astonishingly, not yet dead. The slash across his back had nearly severed his spine. When Huang Shi lifted him, He Baodao struggled to speak, blood-flecked foam and sandy dirt gushing from his mouth and nostrils, leaving Huang Shi at a complete loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subordinate is truly as strong as an ox. A wound like that didn't kill him instantly — he might even survive,\" Kong Youde's voice sounded from behind. \"Spitting some blood is normal; the blade jolted his lung.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Manxiong had taken an arrow in the thigh. Huang Shi personally bandaged him while Kong Youde stood to the side. Ever since learning that their attackers were fellow Ming soldiers, Zhao Manxiong had been glaring furiously at Kong Youde. Throughout, Kong Youde did not glance at him once, as if he had not noticed his rage at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Qianzu, who had been sent flying by the horse, died the most wretched death. His ribs and limbs were shattered inch by inch, his internal organs spilled from his mouth, and when they collected the body, the corpse was completely limp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten dead, eighteen gravely wounded, and a number more with burns and trampling injuries. Three of the soldiers who had called out to surrender also survived. Jin Qiude had wanted to execute them, but Huang Shi immediately shouted him down. The three had suffered injuries to varying degrees, and Huang Shi once again personally applied medicine for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the wounded were settled, Huang Shi faced his entire force and bowed deeply: \"Huang Shi is incompetent and has brought disaster upon you all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His subordinates hurriedly protested that they dared not accept such a bow, and even the lightly wounded struggled to rise and return the courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Especially these three brothers.\" Huang Shi bowed again to the three soldiers who had shown signs of surrender. \"To encounter a mediocre wretch like Huang Shi — you have truly had the worst of luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers were the source of Huang Shi's current strength, and Huang Shi would never be stingy with his magnanimity toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" The three men instantly flushed a deep scarlet.\u003C\u002Fp>",1427,"2026-06-04T07:54:30.907Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","3f6749fccdd4721faab54eb7462b7cec863d6c92f77102b1eb7443a87d1a1db5","stealing-ming-chapter-64","stealing-ming-chapter-62",323,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstealing-ming-cover.jpg"]