Chapter 47 of 100

Chapter 47

10 min read2,545 words

The sound of bird guns firing echoed continuously, and the training they had undergone finally paid off. When the signal for shooting was given, the twenty-four bird gunners from the two banners, with the first twelve gunners, fired upon command.

After the first wave of shots, a second signal sounded, and the remaining twelve gunners fired in quick succession.

After a series of gunshots, the small dilapidated temple was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder. Liu Jun, carrying a fire gun on his back, was actually using a bow to shoot arrows. For an excellent archer, using a bow was definitely more efficient than using a bird gun. However, it was clear that while the archers were more lethal, the bird gunners had a more intimidating presence.

After two rounds of bird gun fire, the bandits who had rushed out first had about three or four of them fall to the ground from being hit.

This hit rate was only about twenty percent. And this was at a distance of about thirty steps. Such a performance could be considered unsatisfactory, very unsatisfactory.

However, Liu Jun was not angry; instead, he felt very pleased. In their first real combat, the twenty-four bird gunners managed to shoot down three or four bandits, which was already very good. At least no one forgot to remove the ramrod when firing, no one was too nervous and loaded two or three lead balls into the gun, and no bird gun exploded.

The deafening sound of the bird guns firing in unison immediately stunned the bandits. After leaving a few corpses behind, these bandits quickly retreated into the hall and closed the temple door.

"Jiye, what do we do now?" Li Chunjiang, holding a bow, asked urgently.

Liu Jiye looked at the tightly closed wooden door of the Great Hall and smiled easily.

"The situation is very good now. The bandits are trapped in the Great Hall, like fish in a barrel, ready for us to pick them off." Liu Jun waved his hand and called over the leader of the right banner, Zhang Shan, "Zhang, go and seize the bandits' horses."

"Both banners, come forward and surround the hall."

"Bring the cannons over."

Liu Jun's voice grew louder with each command, deliberately letting the bandits hear.

The bandits were now trapped in the hall. Although it was called a hall, it was just a dilapidated temple, and the Great Hall was merely a slightly larger room. The door was made of wood, and the walls were nailed together with wooden boards.

Liu Jun had brought up six tiger-squat cannons. Although each cannon only weighed thirty-six pounds and looked like a small tiger when placed on the ground with its two iron feet, its power was extraordinary. Using the tiger-squat cannon to shoot people would be inaccurate, but when used to blast such wooden doors at close range, it was a deadly weapon.

These six tiger-squat cannons were sponsored by Mei Zhihuan and were not shoddy or cheap. They were high-quality firearms purchased from Guangdong through connections, expensive but definitely good.

Each of the six tiger-squat cannons was two feet long and weighed thirty-six pounds, made of wrought iron, with seven iron hoops and two iron feet for angled firing.

Each time, eight ounces of gunpowder were used to fire one hundred lead balls weighing five cents each. To ensure the seal, a large lead ball weighing thirty ounces was slowly loaded into the muzzle, thus ensuring the seal, increasing the range and power.

The range could reach over three hundred steps, not as far as the red barbarian cannon, which could shoot two or three miles, but it was much lighter and more portable.

When fired, the large and small lead balls flew out together, the sound like thunder, with a large killing range, especially suitable for field battles and attacking dense enemy formations.

However, the tiger-squat cannon was also very useful for attacking city walls. According to Qi Jiguang's military book, fifty tiger-squat cannons could collapse a city wall in just two rounds.

Now, Liu Jun had six tiger-squat cannons, which he could bring to within twenty to thirty steps to blast the wooden doors and walls of the Great Hall. He estimated that just one round would be enough to shatter them.

The local militia from the central banner had already set up several large shields in front, with two shields side by side, followed by a team of soldiers. Six teams of soldiers surrounded the small hall, and six tiger-squat cannons had been brought up, with twelve gunners preparing.

The bandits inside the hall clearly saw the situation outside. The black and thick iron tiger-squat cannons were one of the most famous firearms in the Ming Dynasty, ranking third among cannons after the red barbarian cannon and the Frankish cannon.

Although they looked small, their power was not insignificant.

The bandits were in a panic. They had never been caught before, always elusive, but this time they were trapped by a group of well-equipped soldiers.

"There are tiger-squat cannons and so many bird guns. This is definitely not a local militia or a garrison. It might be the private army of a passing general. Damn, who is this passing god?" the bandit leader, nicknamed **zi, was both anxious and angry.

"Brother, no matter who they are, we will fight our way out."

"Right, we've encountered soldiers before, but most of them are loud at first but cowardly later. As long as we get close, they will run." Another bandit also shouted.

**zi cautiously approached the window, peeking outside. He saw no torches, but many red dots. He knew from his experience fighting with Li Zicheng in Shaanxi and Henan that these red dots were the fuses of the bird gunners. The bird guns, which used fuses, had a longer range, more accuracy, and greater damage.

It looked like there were at least twenty to thirty bird guns and six tiger-squat cannons outside, plus the archers. If they rushed out, it would be suicide.

After some thought, he shouted, "Listen, soldiers outside, we have over twenty monks and women. If you don't want them to die, open a path for us to leave. If you return our horses and let us go, we will hand over the hostages when we reach the foot of the mountain. Otherwise, you will have to collect their bodies."

**zi waved his hand, and immediately a bandit with bloodshot eyes stepped forward, holding a knife. He dragged a woman, who had been brutally abused and was covered in wounds, and beheaded her. He then threw the head out the window.

The bandits in the temple all let out howls.

Li Chunjiang, seeing the head of the poor woman, clenched his teeth.

Liu Jun, without hesitation, ordered, "Damn it, fire the cannons!"

"Fire the cannons!"

The leader of the cannon team shouted, and the gunners, who had already loaded the cannons, immediately lit the fuses. With a loud boom, white smoke spread, and over a hundred lead balls flew out, smashing into the wooden door and walls of the hall.

The wooden door and walls could not withstand the impact of the large lead balls and shattered.

The lead balls, like a rain of stones, flew into the hall. The bandits, who had not expected the soldiers to be so ruthless, were caught off guard. Most of them were standing in the hall and could not dodge in time, being hit and knocked down.

The smoke had not yet cleared when Liu Jun and Li Chunjiang drew their swords and shouted, "Form the mandarin duck formation, charge in, and kill all the bandits without mercy!"

Six teams of soldiers, along with Li Chunjiang and Liu Jun's personal guards and the night watchmen from the central banner, charged in with their knives. Many bandits had been killed by the first round of cannon fire, and those who were still alive were dazed and could not stand. They were still shaking their heads when the local militia charged in, shouting "Tiger!"

Liu Jun, holding a long version of the Qi family knife, swung it down with all his might at a bandit. The five-foot-long blade split the man in half from the shoulder, splattering Liu Jun with blood. The smell of blood and the mixture of internal organs made him almost vomit.

Shooting an enemy from a distance with a bow and arrow was a completely different experience from cutting someone in half with a knife. Wiping the blood from his face, he charged towards the next bandit.

The surviving bandits finally reacted, their eyes bloodshot, and they charged at the local militia with a desperate cry. There was no formation, just a mad rush. A few bandits still carried bows and shot arrows as they ran.

The local militia, now fully engaged, forgot themselves. In the sound of the horns and the shouts of "Tiger," they put away their long-range weapons and charged in with long knives, flags, and hooks, maintaining the mandarin duck formation as trained. Each team pursued one or two bandits, cutting them down one by one without breaking formation.

The strict daily training now paid off. Although the battlefield was chaotic, the team leaders and squad leaders shouted commands, and the team members followed closely. The bright red flags on the helmets of the team leaders were the best guides, leading the charge forward.

Even the most ferocious bandits, who could fight two or three at a time, were no match for the local militia. No matter how hard they swung their knives, the shield bearers blocked them, and the long spears and knives behind them were too much to handle.

Often, they would swing their knives for a long time without hitting anyone, only to be stabbed and cut multiple times, and finally, be hacked to death.

Dong Gouzi had his bird gun on his back. In the previous battle, he only managed to fire one shot, killing one bandit before the others retreated into the hall. After the cannons blasted open the door, he put away his bird gun and drew his long knife, following his squad leader. He and Dog Sheng, a pair, fought side by side, closely following their team's formation.

His knife skills were not as good as his bird gun, but he found it easy to cut down bandits. No matter how fierce the bandits shouted, they were helpless against the mandarin duck formation. With the protection of his teammates, he could cut down bandits without worry.

After a brief resistance, the bandits were in despair. They realized they were no match for the soldiers. **zi watched as his best fighter was killed by a team of soldiers. He trembled, panicked, and decided to flee.

"Better to keep a green hill than to have no firewood," **zi thought, and began to escape to the back of the hall.

Dong Gouzi saw the man fleeing and remembered hearing the bandits call him "Brother." He guessed this was a leader.

A reward of forty taels for killing a leader! The high reward made Dong Gouzi anxious. This was forty taels of silver, and he couldn't let him escape. In a hurry, he ignored the training rules, dropped his long knife, and took out his bird gun. The bird gun was already loaded, and he just needed to light the fuse and aim.

He completed the preparation in one smooth motion, knelt on one knee, raised the gun, opened the firing mechanism, and aimed.

His eyes locked onto the fleeing figure, and a smirk appeared on his lips. At this distance, the bandit had no chance of escaping.

He pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

A cloud of smoke rose, and blood splattered from **zi's back. He staggered, his arms spread wide, and then fell to the ground.

"Ha!" Dong Gouzi punched the air, unable to contain his excitement.

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