Chapter 356: Chaos

Everyone shouted in response. They had traveled by night and hidden by day, forbidden from even speaking loudly — stifled for days on end. Today, at last, they could cut loose and fight. Every man's blood ran hot.

After shouting, Zhao Jin turned and charged deeper inside. That young Zhong ran behind him and Chen Sheng. When the commander pushes to the front, accidents happen easily, and the whole unit can lose direction and collapse. But within the entire unit, Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng were the two strongest in martial skill and defense. They charged ahead both to lead and boost morale, and because they were more effective as vanguard than anyone else.

Beside young Zhong was Zhuang Liu, wearing a half-coat of chainmail. He carried a pudao on his back and held a bow in his hands, nervously scanning the surroundings. Further back came the main force. With their level of skill, Liang San and the others should have been up front too, but they were instead surrounded by a squad of veteran household guards. At a moment like this, every precaution had to be taken to prevent mishaps.

Zhao Jin's squad had run several dozen paces into the inner stronghold before a dozen or so men finally rushed toward them, all disheveled and half-dressed. They did have weapons in hand, but upon seeing Zhao Jin's group, their first reaction wasn't to charge with a battle cry — they stood there dumbstruck and at a loss. Only after a moment did eight or nine of them roar and lunge forward, while the rest simply turned and fled.

Twang! Zhuang Liu planted his feet and loosed an arrow. The man charging at the very front took the arrow and toppled. The footsteps of those behind him faltered at once.

"This is turning out easier than we thought!" Zhao Jin shouted. His long spear thrust out and withdrew; the man before him dropped his weapon, clutched his spurting throat, and fell to his knees.

Chen Sheng strode forward in great steps. He did not use a long spear, but his customary long saber. In the architectural layout of a compound resembling a great household manor, a long saber was handier than a long spear.

The pudao in the hands of the enemy facing Chen Sheng was sent flying with a single blow. Before the man could even react, his head was lopped off with one stroke.

Blood erupted from the body. The others who had been charging forward all halted in their tracks. These enemies who had attacked at dawn were well-equipped and seemed to have numbers on their side. Yet once the fighting started, the other side didn't rely on superior numbers, nor on weapons and armor — they killed purely by martial skill. Outclassed in every way, how could anyone keep fighting? People are willing to stake their lives when they believe it can turn the tide. If the only path is death, then better to flee!

The companion behind the beheaded man was drenched in the blood spraying from his chest, his eyes seemingly blinded by it. He just flailed his weapon wildly. Zhao Jin naturally showed no mercy; his long spear pierced through the man's throat. Almost at the same moment, Chen Sheng pulled his long saber out of another man's back. The few who had charged forward all threw down their weapons and fled.

"Listen — all around there's wailing and cursing, but no sound of battle!" Chen Sheng shouted. As they spoke, Zhuang Liu stood to the side and loosed another arrow. This time the target was not a fleeing enemy, but someone who had appeared atop the wall. The arrow nailed him squarely in the forehead, and he toppled straight back down.

Before them now was Kong Jiuying's inner residence. The outer stronghold enclosed the inner stronghold, and the inner stronghold enclosed the Kong family's inner residence. The high walls of Kong Jiuying's compound were several chi taller even than the stronghold walls, and it too had watchtowers and archery platforms. The buildings were laid out on a north-south axis. Zhao Jin and his men had charged in from the east — this was the side of the great residence.

"Archers forward, pin down those platforms! Armored brothers, go to the neighboring buildings and haul out furniture — we're scaling the walls and attacking hard!" Zhao Jin bellowed.

The archers of Zhao Camp immediately advanced. Even counting the Tartar fellows, they had just over twenty men who could shoot. But they held the advantage of having seized the initiative; in fact, not a second person had yet shown their face on the great residence side.

The household guards roughly battered at the doors of the shops on both sides. No one dared open up, so the guards simply formed human ladders and climbed over. Before long, they carried out tables and chairs, one after another, and piled them directly against the main gate as steps. The nimble ones clenched knives in their teeth and vaulted over the wall. Liang San and his companions were among them.

Only then did Zhao Jin spare a moment to listen. The entire inner stronghold of Kong Family Stronghold had already descended into chaos — people weeping and shouting, household dogs barking wildly. But the sound of battle cries was extremely sparse; when it did ring out, it was very orderly. The wailing, however, was everywhere.

"This really is easy!" Zhao Jin roared. More and more household guards climbed the wall using the makeshift stairway of tables and chairs. The main gate on this side was forced open as well.

Zhao Jin raised his long spear and walked inside. Chen Sheng stepped forward to follow. They had not gone more than a few paces when Zhao Jin turned his head and said, "Rest assured — we won't become like them!"

Behind the eastern gate of the Kong family inner residence lay only a single corpse, an arrow nailed through its forehead. Other than that, there was not even any blood.

"Their only skill is riding around outside and intimidating people. Once we fight our way in here, they can't mount their horses, they can't mass together — all their nerve is gone!" Zhao Jin said with a cold laugh.

After saying this, Zhao Jin raised his voice and shouted: "Raise the call — drop your weapons and lie flat, and you won't be killed!"

The order was quickly passed down. The household guards of Zhao Camp who had flooded into the inner residence all began shouting it.

The scene was utter chaos. Many people ran about wailing, at a complete loss. Yet hardly anyone resisted to the death. Some armed guards, after one or two of their number were stabbed or hacked down, turned and fled, then fell to their knees weeping and surrendered. Once the shouting from Zhao Camp rang out, they knelt and begged for mercy with all fighting spirit gone.

"The stables are on fire!" Someone yelled. Zhao Jin turned to look and saw thick smoke already rising from somewhere in the outer stronghold.

"Sir, old thief Kong's residence is just ahead — he hasn't had time to get away yet!" Young Zhong beside him could not help but remind him, his face so contorted with excitement it was nearly deformed.

Zhao Jin glanced at young Zhong and said with a smile, "Today you're going to have your fill of satisfaction!"

Kong Family Stronghold was laid out with Kong Jiuying's inner residence at the center, one layer enclosing another. Zhao Camp had broken through from the eastern side of the inner stronghold, which gave the people on the other sides time to react.

As the leader of the Kong family's horse team, Liu Cheng naturally lived in the inner stronghold. Because he often led his men out to various places, he remained more alert than most and had a passably decent reaction time.

As soon as the clamor outside began, Liu Cheng rolled out of bed. He threw on some clothes, grabbed his blade, and rushed out of the courtyard. His trusted subordinates were also quartered nearby and reacted just as quickly, immediately gathering a dozen or so men. Liu Cheng and his men kept their mounts right where they lived; every one of them got on horseback.

"Quick, call everyone! Whoever's coming is after Ninth Master!" Liu Cheng shouted from horseback. His men acknowledged the order and rode off in all directions. Before long, several dozen more had gathered.

"Everyone head to the stables first and get mounted, then we'll drive these bandits out!" Liu Cheng heard the din of slaughter shaking the stronghold, and his heart grew more frantic by the moment.

"Master Tiger, we need to rally the outer stronghold's militia!" someone shouted. In this situation, the more men the better.

Liu Cheng was about to speak when the nearly one hundred men who had gathered around him suddenly fell silent. Every one of them was staring in one direction — where thick smoke was billowing. From here, they could faintly make out shrill, piercing whinnies.

"The… the horses… they're burning…" someone stammered, his voice hollow and utterly devoid of spirit.

Every man who had gathered wore a face like the ashes of the dead. They were the core strength of Kong Family Stronghold. The foundation of their rampages through Xuzhou and the borderlands of the three provinces was the horse team. Although they had long since grown indolent and slothful, they still held overwhelming superiority over those hard-trained militias and village braves — and that superiority rested entirely on the shock and mobility of their horses. Without their mounts, they were nothing.

They might have martial skills, and their strength might surpass that of ordinary stout men, but without their horses, every man's courage evaporated like smoke.

Liu Cheng's heart, too, turned to ice. By the time he came back to his senses, he realized that more than half of the several dozen men he had just rallied had already scattered and fled.

"Worthless curs! The bandits are after Ninth Master — if we don't go save him now, Ninth Master is in danger, and Kong Family Stronghold is in danger too!" Liu Cheng raged, shouting himself hoarse from horseback. But no matter how he yelled, he could not rein them in. In fury, he spurred his horse after two of them and cut them down with his blade.

Yet even this could not stop them. Some scattered, and many more who had been hiding in their homes came running out, fleeing mindlessly toward the other side. Zhao Camp had attacked from one direction, and many people simply ran on instinct toward wherever the sounds of battle were faintest.

"Master Tiger, let's go!" someone behind him shouted.

Hearing this, Liu Cheng spun around ready to strike — only to find it was his most trusted subordinate. He immediately cursed, "Go? Go my ass! What about Ninth Master?"

The subordinate urged his horse a little closer and said through gritted teeth in a low voice, "Master Tiger, men like us go out and fight to the death, but who's been reaping the benefits all these years? Those whores in Ninth Master's household — which of them doesn't take more than we do? Do their relatives take any less than us? We ride and kill, while they stay in the compound currying favor and kissing up. And on ordinary days, they ride roughshod over us, lording it around!"

Another man edged up beside him and said in a muffled voice, "Master Tiger, once that side goes up in flames, Kong Family Stronghold is finished. Let's go. We've got blades and horses — anywhere we go, brothers like us will find a meal. If it really comes to it, we cross the river and throw in with Zhao Jin."

Over all these years at the Kong family, the fighting spirit of deserters and fugitives had gradually faded, while the habits of a great household had taken root. Those close to the master — whether concubines and maidservants, or personal attendants and page boys — were more esteemed than those who fought and died outside. Anyone who refused to accept this was always tormented to the brink of death. As time passed, a clear hierarchy of high and low, noble and base, had formed between the inner residence, the inner stronghold, and the outer stronghold.

In ordinary times, grievances naturally piled up. But as long as everyone operated under the awe-inspiring name of Kong Family Stronghold, the group could hold together. Now, this sudden blow had brought everything crashing down completely.

"But… our families…" Liu Cheng's expression wavered.

"If we take them with us, we all die. If we go on our own, are you afraid we won't find wives and children? They might even survive this. Master Tiger, if we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Liu Cheng spat on the ground, gave the reins a fierce shake, and wheeled his horse to leave. Someone muttered, "Who would dare strike like this? Could it be government troops?"

"Impossible! Have the government troops lost their minds, daring to touch the property of a Sage's family!"

"Enough with the bullshit — move, now!"