Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 358 A resounding victory, a triumphant return.
Boom boom——!
The simultaneous firing of two thousand cannons from Ximentang was no joke.

Although the rebels knew that Simon's cannons were extremely powerful.

but,

But they were powerless to resist.

The artillery fire was overwhelming, with an extremely high density of fire.

Based on the 60mm mortar's kill radius of over 15 meters, this time, almost every five meters or so, a shell would land.

Although many rebels have learned from experience that lying on the ground can reduce casualties.

but,

The attack density is too high; it's difficult to avoid even when lying on the ground.

All the rebel soldiers could only watch helplessly as shell after shell rained down on their camp.

Some shells exploded in mid-air due to the powerful shockwave.

As shrapnel and lead pellets flew everywhere from the shells, the area hit by the shells turned into a living hell.

Countless rebel soldiers fell to the ground and died after being hit by artillery shells.

in addition,

Incendiary bombs burned in the camp, and solid gasoline splattered everywhere with each explosion.

Once lit, it is almost impossible to extinguish in a short time; it can only be allowed to burn out on its own.

For a while,
A raging fire broke out throughout the entire rebel camp.

With the constant barrage of ordinary shells, thick smoke billowed all around, obscuring visibility beyond ten meters.

Many rebel soldiers screamed as their clothes were set on fire. They tried to tear them off, but they could not escape the shelling.

Many people were not killed by the explosion, but suffocated by the thick smoke.

At this very moment, the main commanders of the rebel army all went to the camp of Prince Li Ben of Han to hold a meeting.

Suddenly, the entire rebel camp was thrown into complete chaos.

All the rebel soldiers were already exhausted, and after being bombarded by Ximen Tang, their mentality was completely shattered.

at this time,

Chen Jie led his army and continued to advance towards the rebel camp.

The artillery fire continued relentlessly, exerting overwhelming pressure.

The rebels had no way to organize an effective counterattack.

In less than ten minutes, the rebels' defensive positions were breached.

Under the cover of mortars, Ximentang's elite troops set up heavy machine guns at several passageways.

Da da—da da—!
As the heavy machine guns roared, Simon launched a bloody massacre against the rebels.

Meanwhile, Liu Ergou led his troops to block the passages at several other locations within the rebel camp.

at this time,
Inside the rebel camp, everything had already been blown up.

With the relentless barrage of heavy machine gun fire, it transformed into a true inferno.

With the flames raging, there was no way to hide.

Even if they lie on the ground, they will suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.

In less than five minutes, the rebels suffered heavy casualties.

Gunshots, explosions, curses, and screams filled the air in a chaotic cacophony.

At this crucial moment, cannon fire rang out simultaneously from directly in front of the rebel camp.

The Ximentang Special Operations Regiment, originally stationed in Wangjiang Town, took the initiative to launch a counterattack against the rebels, cooperating with the main force of Ximentang.

After Chen Jie arrived in Wangjiang Town, he notified Xu Xiaodao by telegraph.

Therefore,
Before Chen Jie could even begin his artillery barrage, Xu Xiaodao had already led his special operations regiment out of Wangjiang Town.

Everyone in the Ximentang Special Forces was energized when they heard that the young master had come in person.

Almost everyone wanted to make a good impression on the young master.

and,

Upon receiving Chen Jie's order, Xu Xiaodao immediately coordinated with the main force from both inside and outside to launch a pincer attack, aiming to completely encircle the rebels.

Once the rebel camp is breached, the army of Prince Li Ben of Han will be completely crushed.

This time, we must not only win, but win big.

After Xu Xiaodao led the special operations regiment out, he ordered Liu Fang to lead the artillery battalion and heavy machine gun battalion to launch a pincer attack from the front and block the exit in front of the rebel camp.

He himself led the reconnaissance troops to snipe at the rebels who had escaped from the flanks.

in addition,

Huang Qiang led 500 elite special forces troops to garrison Wangjiang Town to prevent the rebels from launching a counterattack and breaking out of the town.

Because important military supplies from Ximentang are still stored in Wangjiang Town.

If the rebels break through and seize it, it would be a huge loss.

At this time,

The rebels were still gripped by fear of being bombarded by artillery fire and were desperately trying to escape.

They were completely unprepared for the Ximentang Special Operations Regiment's counterattack in Wangjiang Town.

Liu Fang led the artillery battalion and heavy machine gunners to block the front of the rebel camp and set up a battle formation.

When the rebels tried to break out from the front, they found that they had been blocked.

By then, the tide had turned against them.

The heavy machine guns of the Ximentang Special Operations Battalion began to fire fiercely, while artillery shells bombarded the area continuously.

Many of the rebels' elite troops who tried to break through were killed on the spot by bombs, and the heavy machine guns were like wheat being harvested, constantly reaping the rebel soldiers.

The rebels who originally broke out from the front were not many in number.

After being attacked so fiercely by the Ximentang Special Forces, they suffered almost all casualties.

After a while,

Liu Fang commanded the heavy machine gunners of the special operations regiment to continue their advance toward the rebel camp.

The rebel camp had already been destroyed, with countless dead and wounded.

However, the area where they were stationed was very large, although the interior was blown to pieces.

but,

When the rebels try to break out, they still have a chance to fight their way out.

After all, the number of incendiary bombs in Ximentang was limited.

But now Liu Fang is leading the special operations regiment to attack from the front, while Liu Ergou is also blocking them from several passages on the flanks.

For a while,
The rebel camp was effectively sealed off.

Ximentang's combat principle has never advocated hand-to-hand combat.

Therefore,
Once the distance was within firing range, all those attacking stopped and ceased their advance.

At this point, the rebels had lost the ability to resist.

During their breakout attempt, they were repeatedly killed by heavy machine guns and sniper rifles, falling to the ground one after another.

Behind the rebel stronghold, Chen Jie also ordered everyone to stop advancing, stand guard outside, and engage in long-range attacks.

And then, the gunfire finally stopped!
The distance between the two sides had entered the blind spot of the artillery's parabolic trajectory.

But the gunfire never stopped.

The fierce firing of sniper rifles and heavy machine guns left the rebels dead strewn across the battlefield.

The remaining soldiers had no will to fight and fled in droves.

However, breaking out of the encirclement is easier said than done.

Those who managed to break through were all experts who had broken through from the Refining Spirit Realm to the 'Guardian of Oneness' Realm, capable of anticipating danger and avoiding the barrage of bullets.

With attacks from both sides, Ximentang completely surrounded the rebel camp.

In less than ten minutes,

Chen Jie and Xu Xiaodao's special operations team joined forces, preparing to completely annihilate the rebels within their base in the valley.

However, at this moment, Li Ben, the Prince of Han, revealed his true colors as a ruthless and ambitious leader.

He made a decision that surprised even Chen Jie.

Instead of launching a fierce counterattack against Ximentang, he led his most elite troops in a full-scale breakout attempt.

He was, after all, the King of Han, and had many capable men under his command.

In particular, his personal guards included many top-notch fighters.

A guard composed of top experts at the Iron Bone and Dark Force realm used iron armor and shields to block artillery and bullet attacks, breaking through at full speed.

When the rebel camp was bombarded by Simon's artillery.

Generals like Dong Chuan and Zhang Mou were eager to fight Ximen Tang to the death, even if it meant a fight to the death. However,

In the end, however, he was stopped by Li Ben, the Prince of Han.

As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!

King Li Ben of Han was well aware that his plan to lead his troops out of the city had failed.

Although Ximentang's elite troops did indeed leave Xianning City.

but,

The fighting power of Ximentang was too strong. They mobilized 80,000 troops to besiege a 3,500-strong elite force of Ximentang.

After playing for more than five hours, it ended in failure; they just couldn't win.

There's nothing wrong with this plan.

The only mistake was that he underestimated Ximen Tang's peak combat power.

Lost!

Li Ben, the Prince of Han, was a very decisive person.

Once he realized that the situation was hopeless, he decisively ordered all his generals to break out of the encirclement with all their might.

Now that the main force of Ximentang has arrived in Wangjiang Town.

This means that the plan has completely failed.

Continuing the fight will only increase casualties and will not shake Ximentang in the slightest.

The key is,
The main force of Ximentang has begun to counter-encircle, and it will be very dangerous if they do not break out.

Prince Li Ben of Han had already developed a fear of the firepower of Ximentang.

This time, when he attacked Wangjiang Town, he only led 50,000 elite troops and 30,000 miscellaneous soldiers.

Within the territory of Chongyang Prefecture, he also had over 100,000 elite troops.

Therefore, we must break through the encirclement, rather than engaging in a deadly battle with Ximentang here.

Although the number of people in Ximen Hall was not large, including the main support force, there were only more than 10,000 people.

but,

The fighting power unleashed by these more than 10,000 people far exceeded that of the tens of thousands of troops under his command.

After attacking for more than five hours, they still couldn't defeat the 3,500 men of Ximentang stationed in Wangjiang Town.

At this point, Li Ben, the Prince of Han, had completely lost confidence in attacking Ximentang.

Can't beat it!
He was very self-aware and knew that Ximentang's army was definitely not one he could defeat.

Therefore,
King Li Ben of Han quickly made up his mind and decided to adopt the advice of his chief strategist Sima Ming to retreat to southern Hunan and leave the Hanzhong region.

After he raised the flag of rebellion, he obtained weapons from the Japanese, which greatly boosted his confidence.

but,

After a series of battles with Simon, he quickly came to terms with reality and calmed down.

Throughout his life, Li Ben, the Prince of Han, had always fought his opponents to the death if he could defeat them.

If he can't win a fight, he'll just turn around and leave without any hesitation.

Just like when he fought the decisive battle with Prince Ning, Li Mu, in Xiangyang, he couldn't win and retreated directly.

right now,

He decided to abandon Wuchang City, and even the foundation he had built in Hanzhong and Chongyang Prefecture.

Ximentang is too powerful; avoiding his sharp edge is the best strategy.

Although the army under Li Ben, the King of Han, already possessed the fighting power to contend for supremacy.

Their fighting power increased dramatically, especially after they acquired weapons from the Japanese.

If it weren't for Ximen Tang's appearance, he would have been absolutely confident that he could have fought his way from Wuchang to Nanjing, and then headed north to continuously expand his sphere of influence.

Now abandon everything and withdraw troops to southern Hunan.

It must be said that only a powerful and ambitious figure like Li Ben, the King of Han, had the courage to give up everything he had before.

Making such a decision is no easy feat for an ordinary person.

As Prince Li Ben of Han led his elite troops, they broke out of the encirclement and charged straight to the flank.

Ximentang tried to stop him, but Chen Jie stopped him.

Don’t chase the poor bandits!

The personal guards under Prince Li Ben of Han, along with his most elite troops, numbered nearly three thousand.

These people are the cream of the crop, the best of the best.

Unless they are bombarded continuously with artillery or subjected to relentless machine gun fire on the plains, this elite force cannot be wiped out.

if not,

Even if Ximentang manages to stop Prince Li Ben of Han, he will ultimately pay a heavy price.

After Li Ben, the Prince of Han, broke through the encirclement and fled, Ximentang did not pursue him, but instead changed direction and headed to Tongshan County to join Aman's army.

Unexpectedly, the Japanese Kwantung Army retreated swiftly after Han King Li Ben's defeat.

In the following period, Chen Jie led an army of 30,000 men straight to Chongyang Prefecture.

but,

Upon arriving in Chongyang Prefecture, Chen Jie discovered that the entire prefecture was now an empty city, occupied by Guo Feng, Meng Ying, and others.

Prince Li Ben of Han had abandoned Chongyang Prefecture and led his army to withdraw from the Hanzhong region overnight.

He ordered several of his troops to abandon their respective posts, cross the river first, and retreat to Yueyang Prefecture.

By noon on the third day, all the rebel forces in the Hanzhong area had withdrawn.

The forces under Li Ben, the Prince of Han, collapsed in the Hanzhong region.

The Guandong Army, which originally assisted Prince Li Ben of Han, also withdrew to Xiangyang and joined the camp of Prince Li Mu of Ning.

After learning of Prince Li Ben's decision, Chen Jie felt a slight admiration for this vassal king.

Be able to take it on and put it down!
Although they were not on the same side, Li Ben's charisma was something not everyone possessed.

However, after Ximen Tang's several major battles in the Hanzhong region, the power of Prince Li Ben of Han was greatly weakened, and he suffered heavy losses.

It would take him several years to fully recover.

for the rest of the time,

As long as Ximen Tang has troops stationed in the Hanzhong area, it is believed that Prince Li Ben of Han will not dare to enter the Hanzhong area again.

for the rest of the time,

Chen Jie did not pursue the remaining troops of Prince Li Ben of Han, nor did he intend to seize Chongyang Prefecture and Wuchang City.

He ordered Xu Xiaodao to lead troops to garrison Xianning Prefecture and to develop Xianning Prefecture into Ximentang's base in the Hanzhong area.

With the retreat of Prince Li Ben of Han, the Daqian army achieved great success.

Guo Feng's army encountered almost no obstacles in capturing Chongyang Prefecture.

In the following period, Li Qiong led his army and directly recaptured Wuchang Prefecture.

All the territories that Li Ben, the King of Han, previously held in the Hanzhong region were continuously recaptured by the army under Li Qiong's command.

This is a chance to make a contribution, and no one can afford to miss it.

After the departure of Li Ben, the King of Han, the Hanzhong region became a vacuum.

Ximentang was only stationed in Xianning Prefecture; he had no interest in other places at all.

So far,

The suppression of the rebellion in the Hanzhong region by Ximentang has come to an end!
Li Qiong's Daqian army finished off quite well. They were very effective in winning the game and easily recaptured Wuchang Prefecture. Their swords were now aimed straight at Xiangyang!
Chen Jie ordered Xu Xiaodao to lead 10,000 troops to garrison Xianning Prefecture.

Simultaneously,

Xu Xiaodao was granted the rank of Major General of Ximentang and was required to expand the army to 50,000 men in Xianning Prefecture.

After everything was settled, Chen Jie led the remaining troops back to Shandong.

All the members of the Ximen Hall who participated in suppressing the rebellion this time earned considerable military merits.

Many of the outstanding and brave Ximentang elites were promoted one rank.

Liu Ergou was drooling with envy when he saw that Xu Xiaodao was stationed in Xianning City and had become a 'major general'.

He is currently only a lieutenant colonel.

Originally, he was at the same level as Xu Xiaodao, but unexpectedly, this time, Xu Xiaodao received special promotion from the young master.

Chen Jie naturally knew what Liu Ergou was thinking.

then,

He promised Liu Ergou that if he could make a great contribution next time, he would also promote him to major general and let him lead the army independently.

(End of this chapter)