Chapter 969: Hammer and Anvil

Before the third volley of firelocks could sound, the infantry of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army had run within bow range. The archers let out a battle cry, each drawing their bow and loosing arrows. The rain of arrows lashed forward fiercely; against such a dense target, there was no need to think much about aiming. Simply lofting the arrows in a high arc was enough — they were certain to hit the enemy.

An archer might not manage ten arrows in succession, while a firelock could fire ten times in a row, but in the time it took to fire those first seven shots, the archers had to be faster than the firelocks. In the interval of reloading, an excellent archer could loose three or four arrows, or at the very least draw his bow twice. And so, in that brief moment, the several hundred archers of Zhao's Camp could pour over a thousand arrows down onto the heads of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army. Such killing power, such density of fire, stopped the Smelling Incense Sect's charging momentum in its tracks. The entire forward unit seemed to suddenly collapse, all of them transformed into fallen corpses and wounded men.

Such casualties finally brought the main body of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army to a halt. Looking at their dead and wounded comrades, every man knew that advancing meant walking straight to their doom. Now that they had already charged and broken into a run, they could turn and flee. A wave of unrest immediately rippled through the ranks; many simply turned and ran, yet they could not escape. The entire formation of the Smelling Incense Sect was rolling forward wave upon wave, the rear waves pushing the front waves, and those who were not pushed were killed.

The main formation of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army was far wider than Zhao's Camp's formation, but the section directly facing Zhao's Camp had been beaten so badly it could not advance. Everywhere else was still running forward, so that it looked like a gigantic sack, about to envelop Zhao's Camp within it.

"The cannons will fire one volley at maximum range. The cannon unit will then withdraw. The cavalry unit will follow me in a forward charge. All regiments and squads will press forward and slay the enemy." Zhao Jin gave the order in a calm tone. Compared to his composure, the voices of the messenger riders acknowledging the order were trembling. Throughout Zhao's Camp, many were facing so many enemies for the first time, witnessing such a grand and imposing scene.

The weather was already sweltering. The cannons had been firing continuously, and their barrels were scalding hot. Though they were constantly wiped with wet cloths, the cannon retainers around them were drenched in sweat. Some had stripped to the waist, working bare-chested, hammering in wooden wedges and adding a measured amount of gunpowder. They too were soaked in sweat at this moment. Although Zhao Jin's order had been given, Meng Zhiqi did not immediately order them to open fire; the cannons absolutely had to cool down for a moment. Zhao Jin did not urge them on. The cavalry unit had already begun to form up under the direction of each squad leader. Over there, the firelocks were still cracking, and many archers were already running this way.

"Xiaoyong, our archers can shift positions at ease in several places. These roving bandits and rebel soldiers look like they're about to surround us, but in truth, they are still over a hundred paces away." Zhao Jin said with a smile.

Liu Yong had also shed his earlier anxiety and worry. He merely smiled and urged, "Big Brother, don't charge too recklessly in a moment. Your body is worth ten thousand in gold; nothing can happen to you..."

Before he could finish, the cannons ahead roared again. This time the angle was elevated. The Smelling Incense Sect rebels who thought they were beyond range were struck by cannonballs once more. In the direction the muzzles pointed, another wave of death, injury, and rout ensued.

After firing this volley, the cannon retainers picked up the tools for swabbing the bores and loading ammunition and ran quickly toward the rear of the main force. Meanwhile, the mounted retainers led by Zhao Jin began to advance. The mounted retainers were in front, and the Xuzhou Volunteers were behind. In terms of martial skill, archery, and horsemanship, one-on-one, many of the Xuzhou Volunteers were stronger than the mounted retainers. But if they were to fight in formation on the battlefield, the mounted retainers would absolutely win out.

Over a thousand cavalry were divided into ten squads. The foremost two squads were all clad in iron armor and wielding long spears. The squads behind followed in sequence. Just like that, they passed through the eight cannons and charged toward the main force of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army ahead.

At first, they exited the formation at a walk, gradually shifting to a trot, but they never increased speed or accelerated. They simply trotted along, maintaining their formation. The orderly running of nearly a thousand cavalry was a truly shocking and awe-inspiring sight, their hoofbeats like thunder, instantly drowning out the clamor and din of the refugees.

For several hundred paces in the direction the cannon muzzles pointed, no one dared remain. This was the most caved-in part of the Smelling Incense Sect's great formation, and also the part most easily punched through. As Zhao's Camp's cavalry unit began to run, while the distance was still great, the ranks of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army had already begun to fall into chaos. All confidence and courage vanished like smoke. What did it matter that they outnumbered the enemy or waited at ease for the exhausted foe? They could do nothing against these Xuzhou soldiers, fierce as demons. Just now it had been the thunderous roar of the cannons, and now this cavalry unit was charging at them again.

Looking at those men in front, clad head to toe in iron, their ten-foot-long spears flashing with cold light, their mounts all tall, powerful horses neighing without cease — the sight alone made hearts pound with terror. How could they possibly stand and fight against such a foe? They couldn't hold; better flee first!

Under fire from cannons, firelocks, and bows, men still harbored thoughts of luck, still wanted to try their fortune, thinking, "They won't hit me," and so they still had the courage to keep charging forward. But when it truly came to close combat, seeing the enemy's iron armor and long weapons, seeing the enemy mounted high above looking down, at that moment their courage truly failed them. Before, they had been swept along and pushed forward, thinking there was still a sliver of life ahead, and that turning back would mean certain death at the hands of their comrades enforcing discipline. But now they knew what was more terrifying. Rather than resist the Xuzhou cavalry before them, they might as well turn back and fight their comrades to the death.

Zhao Jin was among the cavalry unit, surrounded on all sides by guards wrapped in heavy armor. Just as they leveled their spears, preparing to charge into the enemy formation, they saw the ranks of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army ahead begin to collapse backward. Every man was turning to flee. If anyone behind tried to block them and enforce discipline, they were met with merciless slaughter and infighting. In truth, there were not that many trying to block them, because too many people could see this Xuzhou cavalry, and every man was scrambling to flee to the rear.

The cavalry unit, originally in column formation, gradually spread its wings during the run, transforming into a line formation, and pressed forward just like that. Some men on horseback drew their bows and loosed arrows in arcs into the crowd of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army. But Zhao's Camp's mounted retainers did not even need to do that much. They only had to sit on their horses, hold their weapons, and charge forward, pressing the attack. The roving bandits and rebel soldiers, their hearts dead and courage shattered, dared not face them at all and simply fled for their lives.

The Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army collided with one another, killing each other, wailing and screaming. The collapsing ranks finally met the units enforcing discipline, but those enforcers did not hold out for long before they were immediately overrun by their frenzied comrades. This kind of driving and enforcement was, layer upon layer, coercion pushing forward. When it collapsed backward layer upon layer, and the number of those fleeing for their lives far exceeded the number of enforcers, there was no possibility of stopping them.

In front of each regiment and squad, the firelocks had fired five volleys in succession. After the fifth volley, the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army still had not charged close, and there was still time to calmly reload and fire another volley. However, Zhao Jin's order had been given. The firelock retainers picked up their firelocks and ran toward the rear. At that very moment, the signal flags waved, the shrill sound of suona horns rang out, and the cadence drums began to beat in sequence. The First Regiment, the Second Regiment, the Personal Guard Unit, the First Great Squad, and the Fourth Great Squad, which had been waiting in strict readiness, suddenly shuddered, then stepped forward, pressing toward the vast and imposing Smelling Incense Sect rebel army before them.

At this time, some of the Xuzhou Volunteers had not charged to the front, but had been assigned to protect the heavy supply carts in the rear. The always ambitious Li brothers had been assigned here. They had thought that with their outstanding archery and horsemanship, and having taken the initiative to offer their allegiance, Zhao Jin would surely give them important roles. They had not expected to be assigned just like everyone else, and were naturally resentful.

Then they arrived beneath the walls of Jining City and saw the momentum suddenly erupting from within the city. When its strength was revealed, the Li brothers looked at each other, their faces changing to shock and horror. They thought they had made a mistake coming here this time. They had thought their future was limitless and they could gain wealth and rank, but never imagined they would be buried here beneath Jining City. As for the Shi family members who had just rushed back, they silently drew their weapons, preparing to fight to the death against the Smelling Incense Sect refugees.

No one had expected the power of Zhao's Camp's cannons to be so great. Watching the Smelling Incense Sect's offensive, which had surged like a towering wave, be shattered to pieces in that continuous thunderous firing, the Li brothers and the several Shi family members were all dazzled and dazed, their hearts surging with emotion. They simply moved goods and piled them onto several large carts, standing on them to climb high and gaze into the distance. On this battlefield of entirely flat terrain, friend and foe alike, they were the ones standing highest and seeing the most comprehensively.

The Shi family members could not discern much, but the Li brothers could tell what was good and bad. In the Liao garrison region, firearms were truly plentiful. Many city walls had so-called "Red Barbarian Cannons," which were those ultimate weapons said to "devastate over ten li in one blast, slaying thousands." Though their power was considerable, that power only manifested if they hit their target. If men charged through the cannon's bombardment zone, the cannon became useless. If one wanted to fire farther, one could dig pits and pile earth to elevate them. If one wanted to change the direction of the muzzle, one had to use animal power, and then spend great effort again to reinforce the cannon emplacement. It was all extremely troublesome and of little practical use, because even if you moved the cannon, it still could not aim accurately. Sometimes, moving and transporting it caused problems with the cannon itself, and adding extra powder to fire it could even cause the barrel to burst...

As for dragging cannons out of the city for field battles, that was even more impossible. These cannons could only be fixed onto wooden boxes filled with earth, and there was no real aiming to speak of. The first shot might cause casualties, but for the second shot, as long as the enemy avoided that fixed position, there was nothing you could do.

When they first saw Zhao's Camp's cannons, they had even commented privately with the air of experts: "These are just country bumpkins with no real knowledge. These cannons look impressive, but they aren't very useful."

Once the firing started, the Li brothers were utterly dumbfounded. Zhao's Camp's cannons were actually used like this. It looked almost like those firelocks — firing smoothly, and adjusting range and changing direction were both extremely easy. Standing at their high vantage point, they watched with their own eyes as the vast and imposing main force of the Smelling Incense Sect's rebel army was simply shattered by the cannons.

"It truly seems there's nothing for us to do here..." Li Sen murmured. The Li brothers all looked at each other in silence. They had thought they could sell their skills to someone who appreciated them, but now, their skills could not fetch much of a price within Zhao's Camp.

"No matter what, we must pledge allegiance and become retainers. Right now it's still just Xuzhou; we can't afford to delay!" Li Song said in a muffled voice. His voice was not low, and the Shi family members nearby heard it and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

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