Chapter 1145

When they saw the thirty enemies below arrayed in three ranks at about seventy paces, the men atop the Lü Family Village's earthen wall felt their confidence surge. Then a great shout rang out from below, and a dense crackling like popping beans erupted. In the area directly facing them atop the wall, no one remained standing—dead and wounded littered the ground. In the wake of that volley, an eerie silence fell over the village for a brief moment, before panicked screams and chaotic shouts tore through the air, and the sound of gongs and drums suddenly swelled.

The firearm retainers behind them advanced slowly in squads of ten. Whenever a head appeared above the stockade wall, they opened fire. After two volleys, no one dared to stand up anymore. They had seen firearms before, had even used them, but they had never imagined firearms could be this devastating. Anyone struck looked as if they had been hit by a sledgehammer or a flying boulder. The dead were the lucky ones; the survivors could only wail in agony as they waited to die. Who had ever witnessed such lethal power? Who would dare show their head again?

What's more, they never expected the shooting to have virtually no interval. By all logic, the greater the power, the more time-consuming the loading and tamping should be. Some tried to seize a gap to rise and counterattack or simply see what was happening, only to be cut down by the firearms below. After this happened once, twice, who still dared to peek out? Those who tried to flee through the back gate or escape over the surrounding stockade walls found men waiting there too. Those men had no firearms, but judging by their bearing, no one dared to go out and fight them in the open. Looking at their armor and weapons, it would be suicide.

Under the cover of the firearm retainers, a dozen or so riders approached step by step until they reached the edge of the stockade wall's trench. The Lü Family Village's construction had followed regulations; the trench outside the earthen wall was dug both deep and wide, its bottom bristling with wooden spikes and bamboo spears. A horse could not leap across it, and anyone climbing down into the trench would be easy prey for those on the stockade wall. Even though no one dared show themselves now, the stones piled atop the wall could be pushed down to crush a man.

The mounted retainers paid no heed to the trench. They dismounted in unison, taking from their horses ropes fitted with iron claws and hooks. Standing at the trench's edge, they hurled these flying claws out, catching them squarely on the edges of the drawbridge. They tugged the ropes to secure them, then tied the other ends to their horses, turned the horses around, and drove them forward with shouts.

Over ten ropes, over ten sturdy horses, all pulling with force at the same instant—the ropes snapped taut in a flash. Such immense power—in the next moment, the connections between the drawbridge, the village gate, and the surrounding wall were torn clean away. The drawbridge, lashed together from bowl-thick tree trunks, crashed down directly onto the trench.

The moment the drawbridge gate swung open, the village guards of the Lü Family Village were still behind it, not even having time to react. They stared dumbfounded at this unit of Zhao's Camp outside, and were immediately cut down by gunfire. The shooting did not stop; over a hundred firearms fired a rotating volley straight at the gate, then formed up and delivered a unified volley. This dense, unceasing fire thoroughly cleared the Lü Family Village guards near the gate. No one dared to come forward to throw their lives away or try to block the entrance.

Zhao Jin, leading this unit of retainers, did not mount up and charge in. Instead, they formed up by their respective companies, coordinating long spears, long halberds, and long sabers, and marched company by company into the Lü Family Village. The firearm retainers first sealed off and kept watch on the stockade wall, then followed the main force inside.

They had brought five companies in total, but only three were committed to the main assault. Zhao Jin and Ji Xiang were in the foremost ranks, clad in iron armor and bearing weapons. Around their company, over twenty archers roved, ceaselessly drawing their bows and loosing arrows, picking off panicked enemies. Zhao Jin and his men pressed steadily deeper into the Lü Family Village.

A mere village could not organize any real resistance. Once the gate was breached, chaos engulfed the Lü Family Village. As the retainers marched in, those who had stayed hidden tried to attack. One man stood up from concealment to draw his bow, and three arrows instantly struck him. Another, brandishing a podao, tried to charge forward, only to be shot through the eye socket. The archers were all eager to perform well in front of Zhao Jin, much to Ji Xiang's displeasure. He grumbled, "Is there even anything left for us to fight?"

But the Lü Family Village today was not the same as usual. Normally, it could muster over two hundred able-bodied men. Now, with that band from the outer village returned, the number capable of fighting exceeded five hundred. Despite the heavy losses on the stockade wall, they could still rally their strength. At this moment, the people of Lü Family Village still did not believe they would lose. The enemy had fewer men than they did—this fight was far from over!

After advancing several dozen paces into the village, they saw several hundred men surging toward them, shouting battle cries. At their head were a few sturdy fellows wielding podao and long spears, who bellowed, "Declare your name! We have no past grievances, no recent enmity—could there be some misunderstanding?"

"The men of Xuzhou have come for revenge!" Zhao Jin roared, pointing his long spear forward. All his men answered with a shout and stepped forward in unison. Zhao Jin's roar threw the opposing ranks into turmoil. They understood perfectly well the reason behind those words, but no one had imagined it would come so quickly.

Zhao Jin's shout was brimming with force, but he did not charge immediately. Instead, the archers rushed forward, closing to within range. They drew their bows, loosed their arrows, then swiftly scattered and returned to the rear of the formation. Only then did the ranks of Zhao's Camp retainers surge forward to attack.

The first volley of arrows rained down, killing or wounding over a dozen men. In the midst of the ensuing chaos, Zhao Jin and his men were already upon them. Facing row upon row of long spears and long halberds, there was not a single gap to parry or counterattack. In their haste, they could only turn and flee or scatter to the sides, but the comrades behind them had not yet reacted. The long spears and halberds plunged straight into their chests and bellies. The ranks were so dense that those in the back saw the spear tips burst through the backs of their comrades in front before piercing into their own bodies. There was no time even to dodge.

Village braves and bandits cannot fight a hard battle. The Lü Family Village's resistance collapsed the moment the two sides clashed. Those in the rear turned and fled. Many in the front, finding no way to escape, simply dropped to their knees and begged for mercy. The only reply they received was the downward slash of blades and axes, and a spray of blood.

The enemy scattered and fled in all directions, but the retainers led by Zhao Jin did not break ranks to pursue them. In squads of fifty, they blocked the escape routes from every direction inside the Lü Family Village. Many inside the village tried to flee beyond the earthen wall, only to climb up and then come right back down—they, too, could not cross that trench. Some, heedless of everything, leaped desperately from the earthen wall, but they could not jump far enough and plunged straight into the trench, landing on the wooden spikes and bamboo spears. Several bloody holes were punched through them; they were certainly dead. As for the back gate, there was no need to mention it—the drawbridge there had been lowered, and the company lying in ambush behind it simply blocked the gate and slaughtered them as they tried to flee.

By this point, all resistance had ceased. The people of Lü Family Village were either kneeling in the streets begging for mercy or hiding inside houses and compounds, refusing to come out. Next, they would have to search through every single location. Zhao Jin did not charge forward with the main force; he merely stood outside, observing everyone's movements.

Just then, someone suddenly vaulted over the wall from a nearby compound. The man was dressed like a martial artist, gripping an iron-banded long staff, his movements agile, his build powerful and lean. The moment he landed, he shouted, "Dare to fight me one-on—"

He never finished his sentence. The instant he landed, the twenty firearm retainers guarding Zhao Jin reacted immediately. Of the twenty firearms, over a dozen fired at the man. Though these firearms lacked accuracy, at this distance it was more than enough. In that instant, over a dozen blossoms of blood burst across the man's face and body. The impact lifted him off his feet, and he crashed heavily onto his back, dead beyond any doubt. As he fell, several arrows also struck him in the neck, eye socket, and chest.

Zhao Jin smiled faintly. He truly could not be bothered with such a brainless brute who had listened to far too many storytellers' romances. He swept his gaze roughly over the surroundings and said, "The Fourth Company, mount up. Any man still fleeing inside the village is to be killed without exception. For those who have fled into the compounds, there's no need to go in and search—just set them on fire. Tell them if they want to live, they must surrender, throw down their weapons, come out, and kneel!"

The retainers below promptly acknowledged the order. The Lü Family Village's fields were all outside the village; inside were only residences, storehouses, training grounds, and the like. Fighting in the open at the start had been one thing, but after a few exchanges, who still dared to charge forward and fight head-on? They had all fled into courtyards and houses. Some hid in cellars and such places. The spaces inside the compounds were cramped. Even clad in iron armor for protection, Zhao's Camp retainers could not fully cover each other and were vulnerable to ambush. But Zhao's Camp had not come here to take prisoners, and they would not get bogged down with them.

The order was given. The Zhao's Camp retainers who had sealed the back gate and cordoned off the perimeter all began pouring into the Lü Family Village. The sack was drawn tight. Those still running wildly through the village had no room left to maneuver. For those who had not fled into the compounds and houses to hide, only two paths remained: kneel and surrender, or be killed.

As for the compounds, once the retainers tossed in their torches, no one dared to cling to false hope. The weather this season was dry, and to prepare for winter, every household had stored ample firewood and straw. Once ignited, the flames instantly roared into a fierce blaze. Even if someone could evade the fire inside a building, the smoke would suffocate them. Surrender was the only option. The first to open their doors were those from the main Lü Family residence, because they had the most people there, and likewise the most firewood and straw. Once a fire started, they would suffer the worst of it.

As people came out, they were herded toward the open ground of the drill field and storage yard. The fires, however, did not stop. The Lü Family compound, considered quite respectable in the area, blazed fiercely. Among the crowd of those who had fled and surrendered, some wore expressions of terror, while others beat their chests and wailed in anguish. Every face bore uncontrollable fear.

"Who laid hands on the Xuzhou farmstead? Who belongs to that village to the east? Confess quickly, or you'll all be killed together!" The retainer shouting these words did not speak loudly, but that cold, indifferent tone was even more terrifying. The people of Lü Family Village did not hesitate long before making their choice.

In truth, it was easy to distinguish. Those in the area of the Lü Family compound were all people of the village, while the ones running wild near the drill field and storage yard were the bandits from that outer-village gang. Beyond these, over a dozen men, mixed among the Lü family members, were singled out and identified. Some cursed them bitterly for betraying their own kin; others wore ghastly, bitter smiles. Just like that, they were dragged out directly.

Thanks to old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Yiliao Squad Leader, Summer Without Wind, Dragon King of the Wind" for your tips. It's the last day of the month—monthly tickets will go to waste if not cast. Give them all to Great Ming Wufu!