Chapter 1132: Calamity

As soon as he said this, a wave of unbridled, jeering laughter erupted from those on horseback and on foot. The big man pointed his podao toward the militia company commander Zheng and the others and continued shouting at the top of his lungs: "Listen up, Shandong folks inside! There's still a chance to turn your coats and rise up righteously. Kill these Liaodong savages, and we men won't take a thing — we'll just drink some water and leave. All the fields and benefits here will be yours. If not, not a single breathing thing inside will be left alive!"

"Don't listen to his nonsense! You're running wild today, but when the time comes, you'll beg for death and won't get it..." The militia company commander shot back tit for tat, but halfway through his words, the lookout on the rooftop shrieked: "The bandits have come in from the right!"

Hearing this, everyone inside the farmstead was horrified. The militia company commander whipped his head around and roared: "Why are you only saying this now?!"

"This lowly one... this lowly one... deserves death, just now..." No one listened to his frantic explanation. Everyone could guess — when the horse troop had been trading curses just moments ago, the rooftop lookout had gotten distracted and careless.

The militia company commander shouted directly at the militia behind him: "Boost me up!"

Several men heaved together and hoisted the company commander up. He stood tall, took one look, then shouted for everyone to set him down. Then, in a furious roar, he bellowed: "Stand firm and don't move! If they get close, skewer them with the tools in your hands! Don't move around — press tight against each other, stand steady, and you'll live! Stand steady and don't move, and even mounted men can't hit you! This is a battle-tested, ever-victorious method personally taught by Master Jin!"

Just then, the lookout on the rooftop shouted a warning — but there was no need for him to shout anymore. The militia and the farmstead tenants were all shouting. The bandits directly opposite were throwing down the bundled firewood and straw they'd been carrying on their backs. Even without seeing what was happening beyond the low wall, everyone could guess that the shallow trench was being filled in, and the bundles of firewood and straw were being used to form a ramp.

But then the bundled firewood and straw were even thrown inside the wall, to build a set of steps on the inner side as well. Though no one could be commanded to act anymore, watching this scene made every single person tense with fear.

"When they get close, stab! The weapons in their hands aren't even as long as yours — they won't dare get close! Hold your nerve! If we get through this trial, everyone will be rewarded! Master Jin won't treat you poorly!" The company commander's shouts had turned hoarse.

The bandit group that had entered from the right numbered several dozen men, led by a few stout fellows wielding podao. They cursed with filthy, obscene language, cursing the farmstead tenants and also cursing the comrades who had followed them in, telling them to hurry up and advance.

But nearly a thousand farmstead tenants stood packed shoulder to shoulder, each holding a ten- or eleven-chi bamboo spear, the tips sharpened to a dark black, arrayed in dense, bristling rows pointing outward. The sight alone was enough to strike fear into the heart and make anyone think twice about approaching rashly. Yet the farmstead men were just as nervous. Watching the several dozen bandits draw closer — and these weren't even elite, battle-hardened bandits — many of them couldn't stop their bamboo spears from trembling.

Yao Qi was still holding up fairly well. The few soldiers of Liaodong deserter origin beside him, however, were deathly pale. This stirred a bit of contempt in Yao Qi's heart. He could sort of understand why the Liaodong garrison had been so easily swept aside and taken by the Jianzhou Jurchens. Such weak, feeble soldiers — forget fighting, the ones around him hadn't even dared to flee once they'd come ashore, not even as bold as those few who had run off and later come running back with some reckless courage.

"These bandits actually dare to fight head-on?" The militia company commander watched the bandits and mountain brigands continuously entering by trampling over the bundles of firewood and straw, feeling puzzled. He hadn't experienced many battles and lacked much experience. Much of what he knew came from his days as a household retainer, listening to the accounts of regiment commanders, company commanders, and squad leaders. But more of his practical combat knowledge came from some old-timers in the garrison — men who had once served as low-ranking military officers and had seen and experienced many battles — as well as some former drill instructors from various militias around Xuzhou, men who had been through all sorts of private feuds and skirmishes in their localities.

These old-timers invited to lecture might not have been particularly outstanding, but their experience was incomparably rich. They had been through much and seen much. According to them, bandits and horse brigands had little fighting strength and were utterly incapable of fighting a hard battle. They couldn't even handle government troops and constables on a sweep, let alone a half-decent local militia or village braves.

Bandits fought for profit, not to throw their lives away. A mountain stronghold chief who had, with great difficulty, gathered a few dozen or a few hundred underlings relied on these men to boost his prestige and extract benefits — how could he bear to send them to a pointless death? It wasn't that there were no bandits who truly didn't fear death, but those were small bands of desperate, hardened outlaws. In any given gang or den, if such desperadoes made up even one-tenth of the force, it was already considered not weak. If they made up three-tenths or more, that was a mighty dragon whose name shook the four directions.

But such so-called desperate dragons, such major gangs of the jianghu, were utterly beneath the notice of the Zhao Battalion's household retainers and militia. Every battle this militia company commander had experienced had proven as much. Those bandits and mountain brigands were all outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly, timid rats.

Yet the bandits before his eyes now dared to swagger right in from the front, forming a chaotic, utterly unpresentable formation. The company commander, standing in the first row of the militia formation, was full of astonishment. He looked back. The large square formation cobbled together from nearly a thousand farmstead men looked quite impressive. As long as it didn't move, it looked just like a hedgehog.

Could it be that they were relying on that horse troop of nearly a hundred riders? But how could they possibly charge inside this farmstead? The militia company commander had full confidence in his own militia. As long as they stood firm and planted themselves, even a horse troop might not be able to break through. If only they had firearms and bows — this rabble before him wouldn't be any match at all. This rabble didn't even have a single bow.

Even after entering the farmstead, this bandit gang that had appeared out of nowhere didn't immediately press forward to attack. Now that the distance had closed, one could even see the fear on the faces of the old and weak among the bandits on the ground. They were the side with fewer men, after all.

The two sides stood like this, separated by a few dozen paces, neither daring to make a rash move first. Then the big man leading the horse troop raised his weapon again. The farmstead militia, thinking he was about to order a charge, hurriedly leveled their long spears and braced themselves. This frightened the bandits around the horse troop — even those riding donkeys within the troop — into hastily retreating. Some even sat down on the ground. The farmstead men weren't much better off. Many bamboo spears were dropped to the ground, and many men instinctively wanted to run. Only when they saw nothing had happened did they calm down.

Both sides were equally outwardly fierce but inwardly cowardly, neither daring to advance further. They continued in this awkward, embarrassing standoff. The stout man on horseback leading them also showed some anger on his face. Once the situation had stabilized, he raised his blade again and shouted: "Shandong folks! This land is our own! Do in these Xuzhou and Liaodong men!"

"Zhao Battalion — certain victory!" The militia company commander roared. The militiamen beside him roared in unison. The enemy's instigation was meaningless — they had to shout back and couldn't let their morale weaken.

Just as this roar was lifting their spirits, the company commander and the stewards standing in the back rows heard screams of agony and shrieks of terror. And these sounds were coming from behind them — from right within the militia ranks. What was happening? The company commander turned his head in horrified shock. By this time, the orderly militia formation had already begun to fall into chaos. What had happened?

That farmstead men's square formation, which had looked quite formidable, was already scattering. But the first thing the company commander noticed wasn't that. He saw his fallen comrades. The militia in the back rows were all turning around, and more men were falling with agonized screams. He could see a dozen or so Liaodong migrants viciously stabbing the militiamen with bamboo spears. The militiamen had trustingly turned their backs to the farmstead men, facing the powerful enemy themselves, never imagining that the first attack would come from behind — from the very farmstead men they were protecting.

This bandit gang had been shouting incessantly for the Shandong men to kill all the Liaodong and Xuzhou men, yet the ones who actually turned traitor and struck in the heat of battle were Liaodong men — and specifically those Liaodong men who had run away first and then come back later!

By now, the militia's square formation had completely collapsed. The farmstead men were scattering and fleeing in all directions. Those with a bit of courage still knew to hold onto their bamboo spears to protect themselves. Those without courage simply threw their spears away and ran wildly. At this moment, the bandits on the flanks became truly terrifying. They charged into the crowd, slashing and hacking indiscriminately, sweeping through with irresistible force.

But what was even more terrifying was at the front. At this moment, the bandit gang's horse troop began to charge. The timid, cowering rats at the back also shouted and surged forward.

Without a formation, without the mutual support and reliance of comrades, infantrymen could hardly stand against a charging horse troop — let alone when the enemy had the advantage in numbers. The militiamen could no longer attend to everything. Recovering from the sneak attack at their backs, they had already speared several of the dozen or so Liaodong migrants who had ambushed them from behind. Seeing the situation turn against them, the rest turned and fled.

Some militiamen, wild with fury, chased after them. Others remembered to stay within the formation. But none of this mattered anymore. The bandit horse troop had already charged in.

The militia company commander's face was ashen. He didn't turn to run. Instead, he roared at the farmstead head standing behind him: "Take the men and run! Go to the neighboring farmsteads and report! Go to Yizhou and report! Run first — get out!"

The farmstead head and several stewards were also holding long spears, gritting their teeth and preparing to fight to the death. Hearing the company commander's shouts, they all froze. The company commander, his voice hoarse, continued to roar: "Go! Find Master Jin and avenge us! Go quickly! We can't die for nothing!"

With those words, the company commander turned around and bellowed: "Brothers! The Zhao Battalion has no cowards! Fight them to the death!"

Yao Qi was somewhat stunned. He couldn't make sense of how the situation had changed, didn't understand what had happened. All he knew was that during the standoff just moments ago, the dozen or so men standing beside and behind him had suddenly charged outward — not to fight the bandits to the death, but to stab the militiamen in the back with their bamboo spears. And then the situation had descended into chaos.

Then the bandits had surged right up to them. Some of the militiamen were knocked down by horses, others were hacked and stabbed by the surrounding bandits. Some fled for their lives, running outward. After all, the bandits didn't outnumber the people in the farmstead.

Yao Qi, standing there stunned, was ignored by everyone. Suddenly, Yao Qi shuddered violently. In an instant, he understood — the crops he had toiled so hard to plant would never see the harvest. He would never see that golden, fragrant grain. A sudden fury seized Yao Qi. Ignoring everyone else's reactions, he roared and charged forward with his bamboo spear, stabbing it fiercely into a bandit's chest. Before he could pull it out, he felt a heavy blow to his forehead. Then everything before his eyes went black, and he knew nothing more...

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