Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 522 The Power of the Divine Artifact! Greed!
Although the Turan Empire mobilized a considerable force to suppress the rebellion, they did not bring heavy siege artillery due to the harsh terrain.

Of course, even if they did carry artillery, Kutruk and his men would not be intimidated by it.

As is well known, the cannons of the Turan Empire were simply incapable of accurately aiming at a specific target.

To hit within a hundred feet is considered to have excellent accuracy and exceptional luck.

Moreover, the Turan Empire did not yet possess "explosive shells" capable of exploding in all directions.

A shell that is poorly aimed and fails to explode in a scattering pattern has a psychological deterrent effect that is far greater than its actual destructive power.

As bandit leaders who dared to openly confront the powerful Turan Empire and oppose the legendary and terrifying murderous maniac Timur, they were naturally not intimidated by such outdated artillery shells, nor would they waver in their determination to resist!
Kutruk stood on the high stone wall, observing the enemy's movements below through binoculars while exchanging opinions in hushed tones with the generals around him.

Their discussion naturally revolved around the formation and deployment of the Turan Empire's army, as well as how to develop effective countermeasures.

As for Huo Liancheng and the others, although Kutruk did notice their presence after being reminded by the sentries, he regarded them merely as vanguard scouts sent by the Turan Empire.

Kutruk estimated that the two sides were still far apart and that his side could not do anything to them, so he could only let them be for the time being and did not take these "spies" to heart.

However, he never expected that at this moment, Huo Liancheng in the distance had already quietly set up that deadly sniper rifle. The cold muzzle was aimed precisely at Kutruk, and the breath of death had quietly descended!
"The three core leaders of the Chaotic Scales Bandit Gang have all appeared on the city wall."

"Two sniper rifles will be aimed at one person, while the evil Kutruk will be locked on by three rifles. We must make sure that we are absolutely sure of success."

Huo Liancheng solemnly assigned the tasks.

There were more than a dozen people on this mission, but some of them were responsible for observation, lookout, and assisting in completing the mission.

The sniper team, including Huo Liancheng himself, consisted of seven people, just enough to handle this precision strike mission.

"If the first shot misses the target, the second sniper must quickly fire a follow-up shot to ensure the target falls to the ground."

"If the first shot hits, immediately turn the gun on other gang leaders and try to kill as many enemy officials as possible to completely dismantle their command system." Huo Liancheng's tone was calm and professional, and every instruction was clear and specific.

There were a total of eight generals who accompanied Kutruk on his inspection tour.

Huo Liancheng's targets this time were focused on the three most important people.

"Prepare!"

While fine-tuning the aiming scale of his sniper rifle, Huo Liancheng was intently observing the changes in wind direction and airflow, and at the same time, he did not forget to issue instructions to his teammates beside him.

In shooting at such a long distance, the subtle factor of wind direction is crucial to success or failure and must be calculated precisely.

Although bullets travel at speeds as fast as meteors, at such a great distance, even the slightest deviation will result in failing to hit the target accurately and wasting all the effort.

At this moment, Timur was directing his army, marching in unison, steadily advancing towards the mountaintop camp of the Chaotic Scales bandits.

His keen gaze was also fixed on Kutruk on the city wall ahead.

Although they were still far apart, Timur had excellent eyesight and had already recognized the man's identity.

It seems that the real purpose of those people in the Ming Dynasty sending their troops to launch a feint attack was to lure Kutruk out.

But what's the point?
As a military commander, it is perfectly normal and common practice to personally inspect the front lines before a major battle.

However, to think that one can assassinate the leader of the opposing side based solely on this point would be far too naive and simplistic.

Keep in mind that Kutruk was still standing on the solid stone wall at that moment.

A group of battle-hardened generals stood guard and protected him closely.

How exactly can we kill him?
Timur was filled with doubt and confusion.

Could it be that these mysterious Ming soldiers possess some extraordinary abilities that allow them to break the mold?
Timur was deep in thought when suddenly he saw Kutruk's head in front of him suddenly "explode" in all directions without warning. Although he could not see it clearly because of the distance, he could vaguely see unidentified objects, accompanied by blood mist, flying violently in all directions.

Immediately afterwards, Kutruk's massive body collapsed with a crash, falling heavily onto the city wall.

Timur's pupils suddenly constricted and widened instantly, filled with extreme shock and disbelief!

In the very next instant, Timur was horrified to find that the same unbelievable scene was playing out again.

The once invincible generals around Kutruk fell one after another as if struck by an invisible force.

Some people scattered in panic, but many of them suddenly collapsed and fell silent as they ran.

"What... what kind of method is this?!" Timur, the warlord of the battlefield, was stunned for a full three seconds before he came back to his senses from extreme shock.

He abruptly turned his head, looking in the direction where Huo Liancheng and the others were hiding, his voice filled with disbelief: "The people of the Ming Dynasty killed Kutruk? But... how did they do that?!"

He looked around, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment.

There were no arrows whistling past on the battlefield, nor any signs of Ming soldiers assassinating them at close range.

Why did Kutruk suddenly die on the spot?
This is simply unheard of and unseen!

"Musical guns?" The thought flashed through Timur's mind instantly.

It is a well-known fact that the firearms and cannons of the Ming Dynasty were renowned throughout the world.

Musket bullets travel much faster than arrows fired from bows and arrows, making it impossible for the naked eye to detect their trajectory.

But can musket bullets really travel that far?
And can it maintain such amazing accuracy?
Why wasn't the deafening gunshot heard at the scene?
“No…” Timur frowned, his mind racing back to the details of what had just happened.

There was indeed a sound just now, but it wasn't very loud.

Furthermore, the sound of tens of thousands of Turan Empire soldiers marching forward in a grand procession perfectly masked the faint noise, making it almost imperceptible.

Timur looked toward the location where Huo Liancheng and his men were hiding and saw that they were still aiming and firing continuously, with faint tongues of fire spitting out from the muzzles of their guns, flashing eerily in the sunlight.

But the sound they made when they fired wasn't particularly loud.

Furthermore, given the considerable distance between the two sides, the faint gunshots were easily overlooked by the massive marching sounds unless one paid close attention. Timur, of course, was unaware that this was because the Ming Dynasty's newly developed sniper rifles were equipped with advanced silencers.

After all, the principle and manufacturing process of gun silencers are relatively simple.

Since these are sniper rifles specifically designed for precision strikes, Zhu Yuntong naturally equipped them with silencer components, which greatly reduced the sound of gunfire, making them more concealed and lethal.

After firing several shots, Huo Liancheng was worried that Timur might not have fully grasped their intentions and that he might have failed to seize the opportunity to launch an attack, giving the Luanlin bandits more time to react.

Then, he took out another special device resembling a firecracker from his specially made backpack, aimed it at the sky, pulled the trigger, and launched it.

"Di!"

A sharp, piercing cry that resounded through the sky echoed throughout the entire valley in an instant.

The sound was deafening and incredibly loud, far exceeding the footsteps of tens of thousands of troops marching across the Turan Empire. It pierced through the thin air of the plateau and clearly reached the ears of everyone.

At the same time, a bright flame suddenly rose into the sky.

It is so dazzling that even under the bright sunshine, it still shines brilliantly, making it impossible to look directly at it.

The area within a radius of several hundred feet was illuminated by the sudden burst of light, and even the air seemed to become clearer and more distinct.

This is the latest flash signal flare developed by the Ming Dynasty. It not only has an amazing loudness, but also provides a brief but powerful illumination at night.

It cleverly utilizes the rapid burning characteristic of flames and employs special technology to release a brightness in just a few seconds that far exceeds the effect achieved by burning tens of thousands of torches simultaneously.

If it is nighttime and the enemy is caught off guard, looking directly at the flash of this flare can even blind the enemy for a moment.

Timur instantly realized that this was a clear signal from the Ming Dynasty, telling him that Kutruk had been killed and that he could "make the act real" and launch a full-scale attack.

"Attack! Attack!" Timur gave the order without hesitation.

No matter how complex his relationship with the Ming Dynasty was, or what schemes and ambitions he harbored, the Luanlin bandits were, after all, a rebellious force that he had managed to surround after mobilizing tens of thousands of elite troops and overcoming numerous obstacles.

Since there was an opportunity to completely annihilate them, Timur naturally wouldn't let go of this golden opportunity.

The Turan Empire soldiers, who had been marching slowly according to orders, changed their formation in an instant upon receiving the command.

As if infused with boundless power, they unleashed a thunderous force and launched a true charge.

The soldiers in the front row raised their sturdy shields high in one hand and gripped their sharp scimitars tightly in the other, charging forward like a tidal wave.

The archers behind them kept drawing their bows and releasing arrows, and the dense arrows rained down on the enemy formation like locusts.

Unstoppable!

They soon arrived at the first stone wall of the bandit camp.

At this time, the Chaotic Scales bandit gang was leaderless due to the sudden deaths of its leader, Kutruk, and several core generals.

In addition, the death of their leader caused morale to plummet, and they were no longer able to put up any decent resistance.

Apart from a very small number of die-hards who are still putting up a desperate, last-ditch resistance, most people knew that the situation was hopeless and laid down their weapons in despair, choosing to surrender.

Without the soldiers' steadfast defense, even the most treacherous terrain becomes meaningless and useless.

Soon, the soldiers of the Turan Empire broke through the many passes like a torrent, advancing with unstoppable momentum, and finally reached the top of the mountain, completely taking control of the entire camp.

Thus, the Luanlin bandit gang, which had once run rampant on the borders of the Turan Empire and caused great turmoil, was completely wiped out!

From the moment Timur gave the order to attack, Huo Liancheng decisively ordered his soldiers to put away their sniper rifles and carefully pack them into their backpacks. He then stood quietly to the side, observing the one-sided battle.

Everything went as he had predicted.

Without its leader, the Chaotic Scales bandit gang was like loose sand without a backbone, and soon collapsed completely.

The Turan Empire's elite army swept into the camp with unstoppable momentum, easily winning the battle.

Not long after the war subsided, Timur led several close generals directly to Huo Liancheng and his men.

"Honors, warriors of the Great Ming Empire, your performance has truly amazed me!"

Timur's tone was full of praise, and his eyes revealed undisguised amazement and admiration.

At the same time, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the backpacks behind Huo Liancheng and the others, his eyes flashing with intense curiosity and a hint of barely suppressed greed. He asked, "What you have in your backpacks must be the 'divine weapon' that killed Kutruk, right? I wonder if I, the Khan, will have the honor of seeing its true form?"

Huo Liancheng gave him a meaningful look and remained silent for a moment.

In the end, he did not refuse. He opened his backpack, reassembled the long sniper rifle, and then personally gave Timur a detailed explanation and demonstration.

Timur was utterly astonished by the firearm's ingenious construction, the scope's precise markings, and its chillingly intimidating power.

"The Ming Dynasty once said it was willing to provide us with conventional weapons such as bows and arrows and broadswords. Does this Khan have the opportunity to purchase such extraordinary weapons?"

After listening to Huo Liancheng's introduction and demonstration, Timur's face was already filled with undisguised greed, and he couldn't wait to ask.

He desperately wanted to possess such a "divine artifact"!
"No!" Huo Liancheng said decisively, resolutely rejecting Timur's request without leaving any room for negotiation.

"The Ming Dynasty does indeed have the capability to mass-produce a large number of such weapons, far exceeding the total number of your bows and arrows and broadswords combined," Huo Liancheng explained.

His words were also intended to dispel Timur's potential idea of ​​directly "seizing" the property.

First, clearly inform the other party that the Ming Dynasty has ample production capacity, and even if they steal a few, it will be of no use and will only lead to unbearable consequences.

……

(End of this chapter)