Victory is in sight!
Wang Xiaoyi and the other pirates watched the pirates charging towards the Zhejiang Army’s formation like tigers descending a mountain, shouting and killing, their faces breaking into expectant smiles.
When the pirates reached within an arrow’s range of the Zhejiang Army, Xue Tao ordered a volley, the conical formation’s flanks halted, firing arrows at the Zhejiang position, while those with arquebuses shot at the army.
As they loosed arrows, the other pirates seized the moment to charge fiercely.
This was infantry-archer coordination!
“Not bad, not bad, Old Xue’s timing is spot on, this makes it even more certain,” Wang Xiaoyi commented.
Wang Zhi gave a barely perceptible nod.
When the Zhejiang Army saw the pirates prepare to shoot, the front row of each unit raised large shields, slanting them overhead to cover themselves and the two soldiers behind.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, thud, thud, thud…
Arrows whistled and struck the shields, though even large shields couldn’t block everything, some arrows hit unprotected areas, but the Zhejiang soldiers wore full cotton armour with ample coverage, the arrows thudding dully against it.
It caused little harm, only a few soldiers sustaining minor injuries.
Besides arrows, there were musket balls.
The pirate ranks had over a hundred arquebuses, bang, bang, bang, after a cloud of smoke, musket balls mingled with arrows shot towards the Zhejiang soldiers.
Arquebuses were far more powerful than arrows, despite the hundred-metre distance, some balls shattered the soldiers’ shields.
Fortunately, the cotton armour still offered protection against early firearms.
Especially at over a hundred metres, the arquebuses’ power was reduced, after piercing shields, they only dented the cotton armour, failing to penetrate.
But they were arquebuses, and despite shields and armour, several Zhejiang soldiers were seriously injured.
Under this barrage of arrows and gunfire, the pirates advanced to within fifty metres of the Zhejiang formation.
“Kill!”
“Kill them, die, die, die!”
Shouts in Chinese and Japanese shook the heavens, the pirates brandishing weapons, leaping towards the Zhejiang Army, now so close.
“It’s over!” Wang Xiaoyi said confidently, leaning back relaxed in his chair.
Just as he leaned back, a dense, uniform volley of arquebus fire rang out, “Bang, bang, bang…”
Almost simultaneously, screams of “Aaaah” and “Mother!” filled the air, cries of agony.
Something’s wrong!
Wang Xiaoyi couldn’t stay seated, springing up from his chair, craning to see the battlefield.
A cloud of gunpowder smoke hung before the Zhejiang Army, their front three rows retreating like water, while the rear three rows smoothly advanced, passing each other, the retreating soldiers reloading, the advancing ones raising their arquebuses.
The pirate conical formation was like a wheat field scythed down, a swathe of pirates fell.
A rough glance showed nearly a hundred pirates down, blood and brains coating the ground, with another hundred gravely wounded, missing limbs, their screams unending.
It was a slaughterhouse.
One look, and Wang Xiaoyi and the others gasped, their pupils shrinking.
This devastating blow halted the pirate formation in its tracks.
“Bang, bang, bang…”
Another uniform, dense volley of arquebus fire, more smoke.
Pirates fell like reaped wheat, screams intensifying, blood pooling into rivers.
“Bang, bang, bang…”
Another volley.
More pirates fell like cut grain.
What was once earth-shaking battle cries was now earth-shaking screams and wails, unending.
The pirate conical formation was shattered.
“Charge, they’ve fired a round, they need to reload, now’s our chance, rush them, kill them all! Charge, I’ll double the silver! I’ll sell everything to pay you!”
Xue Tao, hair dishevelled, under his guards’ protection, roared hoarsely at the stunned pirates.
This was the chance to turn the tide, the last chance, if the Zhejiang Army had time to reload and fire again, it would be a nightmare.
So, Xue Tao doubled the reward, wielding the promise of riches to seize this final opportunity.
Why did they risk their lives as pirates? For silver!
“Double the silver! Fight! Kill!”
“Firearms take ages to reload, we all know, charge while they’re reloading, kill them!”
“Brother Erhei, I’ll avenge you! Kill!”
“Charge, victory or defeat hinges on this! Don’t give them time to reload!”
True to their fierce reputation, Wang Zhi’s elite pirates, though on the brink of collapse from the Zhejiang Army’s firearms, heard Xue Tao’s call, bared their teeth, roared, and charged again.
Led by these fierce pirates, the others mustered their remaining courage, shouting and rushing towards the Zhejiang Army.
“Hesitate, and you die!”
Xue Tao, seeing some pirates still faltering, flew into a rage, I’ve doubled the silver, and you still hesitate? He swung his blade, beheading the nearest stationary pirate.
One slash, and the head flew!
“Hesitate, and die!” Xue Tao’s guards also cut down a few lingering pirates.
Double the silver for advancing, death for hesitating!
The surviving pirates no longer dared to falter, with the Zhejiang Army reloading, if not now, when?
Under the promise of silver and the threat of blades, every standing pirate roared and charged again.
The tide could turn now!
Xue Tao watched his pirates surge towards the Zhejiang Army, hope rising in his heart.
Once they broke into the Zhejiang ranks, the tables would turn, unloaded firearms were just firesticks, mere clubs that could bruise or swell, but killing with them was tough.
The Zhejiang Army’s firesticks couldn’t kill, but the pirates’ blades cut through men like chopping vegetables.
Once they breached the formation, the pirates could easily slaughter the Zhejiang soldiers, victory within reach.
