“Sir, it’s already this late. If you have a way, hurry up and say it!”
Qing Mulian still did not believe it.
After the earlier close-quarters combat, the casualties among the veteran soldiers and the female soldiers were very severe. At this point, fewer than ten could still pick up their knives and fight.
She really could not figure out what method Jin Feng could still have.
Jin Feng glanced around and saw that the veteran soldiers and female soldiers all wore expressions of doubt. He had no choice but to walk to the wooden crate containing the heavy crossbows, open a hidden compartment, and take out three bamboo tubes from inside.
“This is my method.”
“What are these things?”
Qing Mulian looked at the bamboo tubes in puzzlement and asked, “Just with these two things, can we repel the bandits?”
The veteran soldiers and female soldiers were all extremely curious. They even stopped bandaging the wounded and all looked up at the bamboo tubes in Jin Feng’s hands.
The bamboo tubes were only one section long, about the size of the thermos cups common in his previous life. Both ends were sealed, leaving only what looked like a fuse sticking out.
Including Guan Xiaorou, no one had ever seen such things and had no idea what medicine Jin Feng was selling in his gourd.
“This is a special weapon I manufactured!”
Jin Feng held up the bamboo tubes and began explaining how to use them.
As Jin Feng explained, everyone’s eyes lit up.
“Sir, is this thing really as good as you say?”
Qing Mulian asked excitedly.
Although she had already prepared to die in battle here, if they could survive, no one would willingly choose death.
“Of course, I have already tested it.”
Jin Feng said confidently.
“That’s really great! Brothers, at most one more hour, and it will be dark. No matter what, everyone must hold on!”
Qing Mulian said excitedly, “Don’t hold back on the heavy crossbow bolts either. A-Mei, assist the brothers!”
“Roar!”
The remaining few veteran soldiers and female soldiers all agreed excitedly.
Jin Feng looked at the bodies of the veteran soldiers on the ground and felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart.
When dealing with enemies, he could harden his heart and use any means. No matter how many enemies died, he would only feel some discomfort visually and olfactorily, a bit nauseous, but he would not keep it in his heart for long and would soon forget.
But if even one person he knew died, he would feel upset in his heart.
This was one of the reasons he hated war.
Even if they won, war would not bring him any pleasure.
He was not a very ambitious person to begin with and had never thought of conquering the world, yet he was forced to keep fighting.
“Sir, what’s wrong?”
Qing Mulian saw that Jin Feng’s expression was not right and asked softly.
“I’m thinking, if I had known earlier that the bandits had archers, if I had known A-Mei was so skilled, perhaps they wouldn’t have died.”
Jin Feng looked at the bodies of the veteran soldiers and said in a low voice, “Shuanzi and San Gouzi both have two children each. I really don’t know how to go back and tell their children that they no longer have a father.”
“Sir, you told me before that the battlefield itself is barbaric and cruel, and it’s always full of all kinds of accidents.”
Qing Mulian consoled him, “This matter can’t be blamed on you. No one expected the bandits’ archers to use shields to block the crossbows. As for A-Mei, her skills are indeed good, but she gets tired too. Even with the terrain advantage, it’s impossible for one person to block all the bandits. Mercy does not command soldiers, great benevolence is not benevolence. When dealing with enemies, you absolutely cannot be soft-hearted. You must use all means to subdue the most enemies in the fastest way, otherwise it is cruelty to your own comrades. Sir, these are all things you taught me. How could you forget them yourself?”
“I haven’t forgotten. I understand the reasoning. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, I don’t feel guilty, I’m just a bit uncomfortable in my heart.”
Jin Feng squatted down, shook his head, and said, “You don’t need to worry about me. Let me be alone for a while.”
Everyone’s growth requires a process, and Jin Feng was the same.
Just a few months ago, he was still a senior office worker who worked overtime every day in the company laboratory. Now he had to pick up a knife and engage in hand-to-hand combat with bandits.
The transformation in between required him to slowly adapt on his own.
“Master…”
Guan Xiaorou and Tang Xiaobei had come behind Jin Feng at some point.
They were still holding gauze, alcohol, and such things in their hands.
After being married for so long, Guan Xiaorou had never seen Jin Feng show such a weary state, not even when he and Zhou Jin had tinkered in the laboratory for two days and two nights without sleep last time.
Both of them felt a bit heartbroken.
Tang Xiaobei bit her lip, about to hug Jin Feng, but then she saw him stand up.
“Alright, I’m not at the point where I need you to comfort me.”
Jin Feng rubbed his face vigorously and returned to his usual appearance.
But the sensitive Tang Xiaobei could sense that Jin Feng had not really let it go; he had just suppressed his emotions in his heart.
As the sky grew darker, the bandits also became anxious. The several big leaders had no choice but to assemble another suicide squad.
But this time Jin Feng had confidence in his heart. As soon as the bandits’ suicide squad reached halfway up the mountain, Jin Feng had Qing Mulian fire the heavy crossbow.
Whoosh!
The heavy crossbow whistled as it plunged into the bandits’ suicide squad.
But the suicide squad had learned from the previous lesson and was more spread out. The heavy crossbow only killed three bandits.
“Brothers, they don’t have many heavy crossbow bolts. They definitely won’t want to keep using them. Let’s charge up quickly! As long as we kill Jin Feng, we’ll be set for life!”
The small leader pressing the rear noticed that some bandits’ expressions were wavering and quickly tried to pump them up.
But just as his words fell, another bolt flew in, taking away four more bandits.
Moreover, A-Mei was holding a shield and standing at the edge of the mountaintop.
This suicide squad had been forcibly assembled by the several big leaders, and many bandits were unwilling to come up and die.
They had almost been scared to death by the heavy crossbow earlier, and now with A-Mei’s intimidation added, many suicide squad members directly collapsed and turned to run down the mountain.
Although bandits were not afraid of death, no one was willing to die in vain.
They had no pensions. If they died, they would have nothing.
Once someone took the lead, others immediately followed. The bandit small leaders could not stop them at all.
Jin Feng stood behind A-Mei, looking at the bandits fleeing in panic, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
After this intimidation, it probably would not be so easy for the bandits to assemble another suicide squad.
As long as they held out until dark, victory would be theirs!
“Sir, is this what you call attacking the heart?”
Qing Mulian stood beside Jin Feng and asked.
“You could say that. Bandits fear power but do not appreciate kindness. As long as you beat them until they tremble, they will fear you. Before attacking again, they will think more.”
Sure enough, after so many deaths without managing to charge up, many bandits developed the intention to retreat. It took another full half hour, with the several big leaders using both soft and hard tactics, before they reassembled a new suicide squad.
But by this time, the sun had already set.
“Go and talk to them.”
Jin Feng looked at Old Black, “Try to drag it out as long as possible.”
“Got it!”
Old Black tightened his belt, held his shield, walked to the road entrance, and shouted loudly, “Brothers down there, it’s almost dark, and you’ve already lost so many men. I think we should stop fighting and talk instead? We in Xihe Bay don’t have much else, but we have plenty of money. No matter how much the people who hired you promised, we’re willing to pay double!”
