Chapter 42: The Great War (Part 2)

  A general engaging in single combat, something that only exists in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is almost impossible to see on a real battlefield, especially during the late Ming era. If any general were to rely on their martial prowess and dare to come out alone, as soon as the enemy's firearms arrive, they would likely be turned into a sieve.

  However, in this private fight, it is still possible to see such a scene, especially Song Qing and Su Xiao Yi are the kind of people who think they have high martial arts skills and want to establish their prestige in front of everyone. The two clashed, and as soon as they touched, they immediately separated from the main team and started fighting.

  Su Xiaoyi's long knife was a modified version of the Japanese sword style used by the Qi family army, and it was extremely powerful. The knife technique that went with it emphasized a single, unstoppable attack. If she encountered an opponent who was slightly weaker than her, she would almost always dominate from start to finish, leaving them no chance to counterattack, and ultimately beheading them with one stroke of her knife.

  Song Qing's momentum was in no way weaker than his, the iron spear in his hand thrust forward, its tip seeming like a poisonous dragon emerging from a cave, directly targeting Su Xiao Yi's heart. Su Xiao Yi didn't panic either, and with a fierce determination, he charged forward. Just as the spearhead was about to pierce him, he suddenly spun around on one foot, swinging his long knife horizontally in a slashing motion. However, Song Qing had already withdrawn his iron spear, using its shaft to block this swift and deadly slash. The two villains simultaneously retreated two steps, then once again charged at each other, engaging in a fierce battle.

  The two of them met their match, but the battle was somewhat one-sided. On the surface, Su Xiao Yi's subordinates were fearless and charged forward with various weapons, but if you looked closely, the gun array seemed like a giant rock in a raging sea, unmoving no matter how hard the wind blew or the waves crashed. No matter how fiercely Su Xiao Yi's subordinates charged, they couldn't break through the gun array, and instead more and more people were injured in front of the long guns, rolling around on the ground in agony, some even too afraid to continue advancing.

  In the intense melee, the young soldiers in the gun array were excited, and several times someone wanted to rush out to fight, but was stopped by Luo Xiaobei and others, and had to continue to stay in the formation to play their role. Fortunately, at this time, more and more enemies came rushing up, and the first row of people didn't even have time to withdraw their guns before new enemies arrived. The people behind were not idle either, but after several rounds, more and more people were stabbed, and the bloody atmosphere became thicker and thicker, with some unable to hold back and vomiting.

  Vomiting was a chain reaction, especially in this situation, the smell of blood, sweat and vomit mixed together, quickly becoming a scale, the gun array gradually became chaotic. Su Xiao-yi's department saw an opportunity and rushed several times, but unfortunately, they were unable to break through the front line. The ten children in the front row followed Song Qing for the longest time, trained the most, and obeying orders had become second nature. With Luo Xiaobei's commands never stopping, they continued to mechanically do their own thing, thrusting the long guns in their hands towards the enemy again and again, pulling them out again and again, forming the most solid barrier in the gun array.

  Luo Xiaobei's heart was burning like a fire, he was originally just an ordinary military household boy, because of his weakness, he was bullied outside and not valued at home. The long-term repressed life made the child become somewhat silent and taciturn, until he met Song Qing, who was only slightly older than himself but seemed to be a giant always standing upright, his life trajectory also changed with it.

  His gradually strengthening physique, earning reward money for the first time, being praised by his parents for the first time, even when walking on the street, those children who used to bully him didn't dare to provoke him anymore, and some would even come over to fawn on him. All of this was given by Song Qing.

  In the midst of the battle, he kept in mind what Song Qing had just told him to issue orders. As Song Qing's confidant, he knew how important this war was today. Such an important war, and yet Song Qing could let him take command, this feeling of being trusted was something that this fifteen-year-old boy had never experienced from childhood to adulthood. For the sake of this adult who had pulled himself out of a muddy life with his own hands, he also wanted to do well in commanding. Luo Xiaobei gritted his teeth and pulled the long spear out of another enemy's body, glanced at his comrades who had completed the same action, and again gave orders in an icy tone: "Raise your spears, thrust..."

  The troops reassembled, including those who had been vomiting earlier, and they all gritted their teeth to overcome their nausea and returned to the formation. Under Luo Xiaobei's command, Su Xiaoyu's subordinates once again fell into their previous state. The previously somewhat loose formation of guns once again became that hedgehog-like thing that was impossible to get a grip on. Everyone had a feeling in their hearts: today's battle would be even harder to win.

  However, these people always had some resentment in their hearts. They were not reconciled to being defeated by the military dependents who had always looked down on them before, and they were even more unwilling to give up the land that was already in their hands. The previous battles in the east and north of the city gave them endless confidence. If they could overcome a battle with over 500 people, how could they not take down these tens of military dependents? In a daze, someone finally spotted the weakness of the gun array and shouted loudly in the crowd: "Brothers, don't rush forward from the front! Go around to the side and chop them!"

  The so-called brothers, not many can move now, but these seasoned fighters believe that as long as they find the weakness of their opponents, with just this handful of people, it is enough to wipe out all the military households and leave only twenty or thirty people, who will be divided into two groups and rush towards the left and right sides of the gun array. According to their plan, the gun array should appear scattered or even collapse, after all, as long as they are rushed up close for hand-to-hand combat, the opponent's long guns will not be convenient to use, and there will only be a situation where they can only take a beating.

  Just then, another commotion broke out in the mule stable, and a group of soldiers rushed out. These people were obviously more robust than the previous batch, and their age was also older. Although they were disorderly and had no rules, the five leaders looked familiar, and those who knew them immediately recognized that these seemed to be small flags under Song Lao Hu's command. As for the others, they should also be Jianghu Hanzi who listened to Song Lao Hu's orders. This is a father-son soldier on the battlefield. You broke through your son's gun array, and naturally, his men will come up.

  Su Xiao Yi's men had completely collapsed, the kind of desperate and heavy casualties that ultimately yielded nothing, the sense of helplessness that had already suppressed everyone's heart, now the opponent added this obviously difficult to deal with fresh force, today's defeat was already inevitable, I don't know which one shouted, just a moment ago still with a few points of view death as return momentum team, suddenly like a rabbit turned around and ran away, no matter how the several leaders scolded, they could no longer stop it, once the wolf pack collapses, they often run faster than rabbits...

  One who escaped was Su Xiao Yi, the King of South City, who had fought Song Qing for over a dozen rounds without being able to gain the upper hand. Exhausted and at a disadvantage, he turned around and fled, already planning in his mind to return to South City and gather more troops, bringing all the capable fighters with him to crush the young man's forces before him, so that he could maintain his reputation and continue to be the boss of South City. However, he was unaware that his old nest in South City was also in chaos, and Song Qing had no intention of letting him return safely, chasing after the fleeing troops closely.

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