Meng Hu and Du Hu, the two brothers, were completely routed.
Leading what remained of their troops, they fled in panic down the opposite slope, scrambling away from Zhougong Mountain and retreating toward the main rebel army that was still besieging Luzhou.
On the other side, Cao Bianjiao returned victorious. As he looked at the Gao Family Village Militia, admiration surged uncontrollably in his chest.
This was terrifying.
This level of combat strength could no longer be called a militia. Even the Divine Engine Battalion, famed throughout the empire, was inferior by comparison.
He only thought this in his heart, but Gao Jie had no such restraint and blurted it out directly.
"Mr. Bai, this militia of yours is far too strong. Good heavens. Storming a mountain peak packed with cannons and making it look effortless."
Bai Yuan laughed. "Nothing special, really. Just about the third best in the world."
Cao Wenzhao raised an eyebrow. "That line sounds familiar."
Bai Yuan grinned. "Dao Xuan Tianzun said it. I picked it up from him. I don't know why, but saying it feels incredibly refreshing."
A strange silence descended.
No one dared say it out loud, but everyone thought the same thing.
Dao Xuan Tianzun is corrupting public morals.
Gao Jie continued, "Mr. Bai, is it because Dao Xuan Tianzun favors you that he assigned such a powerful militia to your command?"
Bai Yuan puffed out his chest slightly. "Naturally. I am well versed in the Six Arts of a Gentleman, and I am, without question, a gentleman myself. Dao Xuan Tianzun recognized my refined character and therefore bestowed his exceptional favor upon me."
Silence again.
For some inexplicable reason, every single person present felt an overwhelming urge to punch him.
Cao Bianjiao could not stand it anymore. "Enough nonsense. Move faster. Luzhou is still waiting to be saved. Does anyone here understand how urgent this is?"
At the same time, inside Luzhou City.
The rebel cannons finally smashed a massive breach into the city wall.
Dust filled the air as bricks collapsed inward. Rebel soldiers erupted in cheers.
"The wall is down!"
"The wall is down!"
Li Zicheng, the Dashing General, shouted loudly, "Prepare to storm the city through the breach!"
The Chuang King, Gao Yingxiang, did not issue a single command.
In truth, his leadership abilities had never been outstanding. As time passed, he spoke less and less during major decisions, his presence gradually fading into the background.
Li Zicheng, on the other hand, had grown increasingly prominent. Everyone acknowledged his rising authority on the battlefield.
Whenever a battle erupted, Li Zicheng naturally stepped forward to direct the fighting, while the Chuang King remained behind the lines like a decorative banner, serving mainly to boost morale.
Even so, Gao Yingxiang noticed nothing amiss. In his heart, he still believed himself invincible, convinced that the world already lay within his grasp.
Once he became emperor, he would return home in splendor, ennobling his relatives from Gao Family Village, making them marquises and ministers.
As he indulged in these pleasant daydreams, a thunder of panicked voices suddenly rose from the west.
Then Meng Hu and Du Hu appeared, leading their shattered remnants in desperate retreat. As they ran, they shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Cao Wenzhao is here!"
"And he brought an incredibly powerful, strange firearm unit with him!"
The entire rebel camp was shaken.
Cao Wenzhao.
That name alone stirred old hatred and fresh resentment in countless hearts.
Only Li Zicheng remained unmoved by the name itself. His focus locked onto the words "strange firearm unit."
He rushed forward and grabbed Meng Hu by the arm. "What did you say? A strange firearm unit?"
Meng Hu gasped for breath. "Yes. They're terrifying. They start firing from extremely far away, and their shots are fast and accurate. We didn't even get the chance to fight before we were defeated. Their commander's name was something Bai…"
Du Hu immediately added, "Bai Yuan."
"That's it," Meng Hu shouted. "Bai Yuan from Luoyang."
Li Zicheng's heart sank.
This is bad.
That firearm unit again.
He knew this unit well. It could not be confronted head on. It had to be dealt with through strategy.
But there was no time.
Should they retreat?
Just as he was considering withdrawal, Meng Hu added another piece of information.
"That strange firearm unit is following Gao… Gao what was his name?"
"Gao Jie," Du Hu said.
"Yes," Meng Hu confirmed. "Gao Jie is leading them."
The instant Li Zicheng heard Gao Jie's name, his eyes turned blood red.
The hatred of a slain father.
The humiliation of a stolen wife.
It was unbearable.
Only moments ago, he had been thinking about avoiding their edge and regrouping later. Now, rage completely overwhelmed his reason.
"Forget Luzhou," Li Zicheng roared. "Turn the entire army around. Prepare to meet Gao Jie. Whoever kills Gao Jie will be rewarded with one hundred catties of gold."
Who could resist such a reward?
In an age where most people struggled just to eat, even a scholar would throw down his brush and pick up a blade for that kind of bounty.
The rebel army erupted in thunderous cheers.
The massive force that had been besieging Luzhou instantly turned westward.
Li Zicheng was so impatient that he refused to wait for Gao Jie to come to him. He personally led the Old Eighth Squad, charging toward the approaching enemy.
Every moment of waiting felt like torture.
Fortunately for him, the Gao Family Village forces advanced quickly. He did not have to wait long.
Soon, the combined army of the Gao Family Village Militia and the Guanning Iron Cavalry appeared on the western plains.
The two sides were still several li apart, barely visible to the naked eye, yet Li Zicheng was already boiling with impatience.
"Who will bring me Gao Jie's head?" he roared.
Mantianxing stepped forward. "I'll engage them first."
"I'll go too," Waguanzi shouted.
The two men howled as they led their troops charging forward.
Such a reckless assault was no different from presenting live targets to the Gao Family Village Militia.
A dense volley of flintlock fire erupted.
In an instant, the armies of Mantianxing and Waguanzi collapsed, scattering and fleeing to the edges of the battlefield.
"Cannons," Li Zicheng roared. "Bring the cannons forward."
By now, the rebels possessed more than a dozen cannons, freshly used to breach Luzhou's walls. They hurriedly attempted to reposition them, preparing for a cannon duel.
But cannons were not so easily moved.
Men and horses strained desperately, yet the adjustments dragged on endlessly.
At that moment, war drums thundered from the north.
He Renlong charged out, leading the Qin army.
He Renlong was a complete madman. He never directed battles. Instead, he charged at the very front alone, spear in hand, leaving his troops scrambling to follow behind him.
His fighting style was utterly reckless. The fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.
The sudden attack startled the rebels.
Li Zicheng frowned. "Who will stop that madman He?"
He asked, but no one stepped forward.
The reason was simple.
Gao Jie was worth one hundred catties of gold.
What was He Renlong worth?
Anyone who volunteered to block He Renlong would be giving up their chance at that reward.
Only an idiot would do that.
The idiots glanced at one another, eyes shifting, all waiting for someone else to move.
No one did.
The battlefield shifted in an instant.
Seizing the opening, He Renlong tore into the rebel army's northern flank. Spear flashing, he killed without restraint, sending the outer rebel forces into screaming chaos.
After a long while, someone finally sighed and stepped forward.
Cao Cao said reluctantly, "Fine. I'll go."
Leading his troops north, Cao Cao moved to intercept. He commanded many soldiers and capable subordinates and was a formidable bandit leader in his own right.
His intervention finally halted He Renlong's rampage.
Fierce fighting erupted in the north. For the moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.