Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The echoes of the flintlock cannon still buzzed in the air as Lin Dahe wiped the blood from his face, peering through the rain to see the figure of the Mad Old Woman vanish from the burning barn roof. The scar-faced man lay dead in the mud, an arrow lodged in his throat, and the remaining bandits were clearly thrown into disarray.
"Pull!"
With the roar of the one-armed veteran, a trap hidden at the edge of a pit was triggered. The taut ropes suddenly sprang up from the muddy water, and sharpened bamboo stakes shot up like the fangs of a giant beast from the pit's bottom. The first five bandits charging ahead had no time to dodge, and they were pierced through their feet by the bamboo spikes, screaming as they tumbled into the pit.
"Fire!"
Lin Dahe pulled the trigger of his crossbow, sending three dart-like arrows dipped in poison flying through the air. These specially crafted arrows made from old bamboo would bend slightly in the rain, making their flight path unpredictable. One bandit, poised to strike a villager, suddenly froze, looking down at the arrow embedded in his shoulder—moments later, he swayed drunkenly before collapsing.
A strange sound suddenly erupted from the west side of the battlefield. Cui Xiaoman burst out of the grinding room with a dozen women, each wielding a red-hot iron pot. They banged on the bottoms of their pots with spatulas, creating a jarring metallic clang that echoed eerily through the rainy night.
"Thunder! Thunder is coming!" Cui Xiaoman screamed in a deliberately high-pitched voice.
The bewildered bandits indeed faltered. Some dropped their weapons and fled: "Witchcraft! They can summon thunder!"
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Dahe ignited smoke bombs filled with saltpeter. These homemade explosives contained saltpeter, sulfur, and chili powder in ceramic jars; when detonated, they released thick smoke that could make anyone weep uncontrollably. Three smoke bombs exploded simultaneously within the enemy ranks, enveloping half the battlefield in yellow clouds.
"To the grinding platform! Quickly!" The one-armed veteran commanded as he hopped on one leg with his steel knife. The remaining villagers quickly retreated to surround the stone mill, and the veteran kicked over a sack, sending golden beans spilling across the ground.
As soon as the charging bandits stepped onto the grinding area, they faced disaster. Their leather boots slipped on the round beans, causing them to fall in all directions. The young men hiding behind the mill seized their chance to strike, using hooks to sever tendons and pitchforks to stab at soft ribs.
In the chaos, Lin Dahe caught sight of a sneaky figure slipping along the wall towards the village exit—it was Zhou Liangzhang! This old fox had somehow infiltrated the battlefield and was hiding something bulky under his arm.
"Stop him!" Lin Dahe shouted just as the Mad Old Woman emerged like a ghost from the shadows. Her spindle traced an arc through the air and expertly ensnared Zhou Liangzhang's ankle.
With a thud, Zhou Liangzhang fell face-first into the mud, scattering ledgers and letters all around him. The top letter's wax seal dissolved in the water, revealing an official dragon emblem used by the Ministry of Revenue.
"A trap set by the Jinyiwei!" one bandit suddenly screamed while pointing at an official seal on a ledger. "It's a scheme by the court!"
This shout became the last straw for the remaining bandits. The few who remained fled frantically into the woods, leaving even their flintlock cannon behind. One panicked individual stepped on an iron caltrop laid by his own comrades and howled in agony while clutching his foot.
As dawn broke and rain began to lessen, Lin Dahe leaned on a broken spear to survey the battlefield; every part of him throbbed with pain. The villagers helped each other tend to their wounded while Doctor Li and several women wrapped injuries with steamed cloth strips.
"Seven dead," reported the one-armed veteran as he leaned against the millstone to catch his breath; blood seeped from his severed arm again. "Over twenty injured... including Li Zhuang..."
Comment 0 Comment Count