Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 300 Jedi Counterattack
With the faint moonlight, Lin Erbao quickly turned right and entered a dilapidated courtyard.

The yard no longer has any doors, and the walls are mottled and almost collapsed.

In such a pitch-black night, the village was overgrown with weeds, and the slightest movement would startle the birds hiding in them. Everything around was shrouded in eerie silence, and the occasional sound of birds flapping their wings made the silence seem even more eerie.

Lin Erbao knew that if he rashly left the abandoned village and entered the wilderness outside, he would be more likely to be discovered by the Qing army's spies, or even be ambushed.

The most important thing at the moment is to repel these Qing troops who are pursuing us relentlessly.

He could not risk leaving the village, so he had to find a relatively secluded place to hide and wait for an opportunity to act.

By waiting in this deserted village, perhaps we can use the cover of night to launch a fatal attack on the enemy, just like "sitting by the tree and waiting for the rabbit".

As he walked forward in the dark, he had already formulated a coping strategy in his mind.

But reason told him that in this situation where neither side knew the other's background, the outcome of the gamble might just be determined by luck.

The Qing troops chasing him were elite soldiers who had experienced many battles. All the Eight Banners soldiers were experienced in battle and had extraordinary fighting power.

More than half of the thirty or so elite soldiers that Lin Erbao brought ashore had been killed. All of these comrades fell in the fierce battle with the Eight Banners soldiers.

The training and endurance of the Tartar Bayala soldiers have long been top-notch, and each of them is a veteran fighter.

Even so, Lin Erbao remained calm and quickly calculated in his mind. In a head-on confrontation, he was not sure of winning against three enemies at once, not to mention that the enemy had more people.

There are five people on the other side, but if they split up and I hide in the dark, the situation will turn around.

His plan was clear - he could only rely on a surprise attack.

With the cover of night, he would defeat them one by one and never let these Tartars act in groups. Only in this way would he have a chance to turn defeat into victory.

In the darkness, Lin Erbao held his breath and walked very lightly, for fear of breaking branches on the ground or touching debris and alerting the enemies around him.

In this deserted village, any sound may be amplified and echo in the silent night sky.

Before entering the courtyard, Lin Erbao scattered the last two caltrops at the door, moved carefully along the wall until he reached the deepest corner of the room, and sat down with his back against the corner.

In this way, there are no blind spots behind him, and the front is the only battlefield.

He had his last sword hanging around his waist and two sharp daggers tightly grasped in his hands, but he knew very well that these weapons would find it difficult to penetrate the enemy's heavy armor in a head-on confrontation.

He could only hope that the caltrops would make the enemy relax their vigilance and give him an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

In the village, except for the area that had been set on fire by the Tatars, the rest of the village was still pitch black.

Lin Erbao could hear the cries of crows from time to time, which sounded particularly shrill in the night wind.

He held his breath in the darkness. The silence around him was broken by the quack sounds, making it seem even more eerie and terrifying.

Soon after, a whisper was heard outside, which was an instruction communicated in Manchu.

Lin Erbao stood up suddenly with alertness. His combat instinct made him immediately put on defense. His palms were slightly sweaty and his fingertips firmly gripped the hilt of the knife.

He quickly squatted down, slowly moved along the wall to the half-collapsed wall on the left, and gently stuck his head out.

Sure enough, in the darkness not far away, a ray of light was slowly approaching, and Qing soldiers holding torches were approaching.

Lin Erbao stood still, staring at their actions.

Every step the Qing army took was among the broken bricks and stones of the village. The firelight stretched their figures into slender shapes, and the light and shadow in the darkness intertwined and flickered on the walls.

Someone in the Tartar team whispered an order, and the others quickly dispersed, seemingly searching every corner carefully.

Lin Erbao's heartbeat suddenly quickened, and the tension made his breathing heavier.

The enemy was getting closer and closer, and everything around him seemed to be still. Only the faint sound of his own heartbeat could be heard in his ears. He had to take action before the enemy discovered him.

Lin Erbao gripped the dagger tightly in his hand, leaned over and walked close to the ground, quietly moving towards the door. The fire flickered outside the door, and he could almost hear the sound of armor colliding.

As the fire was getting closer, he held his breath and stared at the flames that were about to enter the house.

His fingers trembled slightly, but without hesitation, he suddenly jumped out of his hiding place and stabbed the dagger towards the throat of the Qing soldier in the front.

Before the man could make any sound, he fell to the ground under his swift and decisive attack.

Lin Erbao immediately retreated and disappeared into the darkness again. The remaining Qing soldiers would surely react quickly, so he had to move immediately.

He moved to the other side of the house and looked outside through the broken window. He heard several hurried shouts and the flames regrouped. The Tartars seemed to have noticed something unusual and began to intensify their search.

The air was filled with a tense atmosphere. Lin Erbao hid deep in the shadows, gritted his teeth, and watched the movements outside coldly.

He had no way to retreat and could only use his last bit of strength to fight the enemy. He remained calm, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly, waiting for the next opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

Every nerve of Lin Erbao was stretched to the limit. The enemy was getting closer and closer to him, and he could clearly hear the sound of their footsteps stepping on gravel and dead branches.

Judging from the sound of footsteps, Lin Erbao guessed that they were two Qing soldiers. He did not understand Manchu and could only guess their location from the sound of them gradually approaching.

The brightness of the fire was increasing, and the protection of darkness was gradually disappearing. If he continued to escape, he would probably be surrounded by the enemy.

Once surrounded by five Qing soldiers, there is no doubt that he would die.

To make matters worse, the Qing soldiers were not only equipped with bows and arrows, but also powerful armor-piercing arrows and heavy axes.

Although the chain mail on his body could withstand attacks from ordinary weapons, it provided no protection against these heavy weapons.

Lin Erbao thought to himself that this was not good. Although chain mail could slightly increase his chances of survival in close combat, in this situation, the advantage was almost zero.

Not long after, the two Qing soldiers approached and were only thirty steps away from the wall where Lin Erbao was hiding.

A man holding a torch held the flame high, occasionally bringing it closer to the roof, trying to ignite the remaining thatch. The bright light cut through the night like a sharp blade, completely exposing their position.

Lin Erbao narrowed his eyes slightly. He realized that the two Qing soldiers seemed to have noticed the bow and quiver he had abandoned behind the wall.

Strangely, they showed no fear at all. Instead, they swaggered around searching with torches in hand.

The two men walked steadily, scanning their surroundings with sharp eyes. Although they were experienced veterans, they remained highly vigilant against the Ming army scouts that suddenly appeared.

Lin Erbao felt their oppression. These two Qing soldiers were obviously elite soldiers. He slowly retracted his head, bent his legs slightly, and tried to breathe as lightly as possible without making any sound.

His fingers tightly gripped the dagger, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his heart was beating like a drum.

The fire outside the wall was getting closer. As long as the two Qing soldiers walked past the corner where he was hiding, he could quickly launch a sneak attack, kill one of them first, and then quickly duel with them before the other enemies could react, in order to fight for a chance of survival.

"One, two, three..." Lin Erbao counted silently in his heart, staring at the direction of the fire.

He used this to calculate the speed of the enemy's steps and waited for the moment when the fire turned to attack.

However, just as he was about to take action, the two Qing soldiers stopped at the corner of the wall.

The sudden disappearance of the footsteps made Lin Erbao's heart tighten. He quickly held his breath and stared straight ahead. The momentary silence was suffocating. Fortunately, they had only stopped to set fire to the thatched roof. As the flames spread, thick black smoke began to billow from the house.

Lin Erbao slowly retreated under the cover of smoke, hiding in another more secluded corner with the help of the shadow of the wall.

The flames gradually engulfed the entire hut, and the blazing fire illuminated the entire village road. The cold night wind mixed with smoke made him feel more and more nervous.

I could still hear the Qing soldiers talking in Manchu, their tones tinged with pride and anxiety.

Obviously, they did not realize that Lin Erbao was lurking here.

Lin Erbao gritted his teeth, cold sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks, and the dagger in his hand flashed coldly in the firelight.

He knew that if he didn't take this opportunity to launch a sneak attack, he would most likely be completely exposed.

The fire outside was getting more and more intense, and the roof was crackling with sounds as the flames licked it. Lin Erbao's eyes became more and more stern, and he silently counted the decreasing numbers in his heart.

Finally, at the moment when the firelight slightly shifted, Lin Erbao suddenly jumped out from the shadows, his steps like a tiger descending the mountain, his two swords unsheathed, and rushed straight towards the Qing soldiers holding torches.

His movements were agile and decisive, without any delay, and the dagger in his hand accurately pierced the opponent's side neck.

With a muffled groan, the Qing soldier fell to the ground, and blood gushed out from the blade and spilled onto the ground.

Another Qing soldier reacted quickly and immediately raised his axe to chop at Lin Erbao. Lin Erbao suddenly dodged to the side and narrowly avoided the fatal blow.

He swung his sword back without hesitation. The sharp blade drew a cold light in the air, forcing the Qing soldiers to retreat again and again.

However, this enemy's fighting skills were obviously very sophisticated. He quickly adjusted his pace, holding the axe in front of him, ready to counterattack.

The two men quickly engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and the flashes of swords and sabers seemed particularly dazzling under the light of the fire.

Lin Erbao responded calmly, dodging the opponent's heavy blows with flexible footwork, while looking for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

However, the sound of fighting attracted the attention of Qing soldiers in the distance. They were rushing towards this side, and time was running out.

Lin Erbao knew that he had to fight quickly and decisively, so he took advantage of the narrow space of the terrain to constantly pressure his opponent, forcing him to retreat to the corner.

After a hasty horizontal slash by the Qing soldiers, Lin Erbao seized the opportunity, rushed forward, grasped the opponent's axe handle with his left hand, and stabbed the enemy's chest with the dagger in his right hand like lightning.

The Qing soldier opened his eyes wide, groaned in pain, and then slowly fell to the ground.

Not far away, more Qing soldiers had noticed the movement here and were approaching rapidly.

Lin Erbao didn't bother to wipe the blood off his hands. He quickly tore off a horsehide cloak from the fallen Qing soldier, trying to cover his whereabouts.

He hid again in a corner out of the firelight, his heart beating like thunder, his chest heaving violently, and in his ears he heard the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer and the crackling of flames.

In the light of the fire, Lin Erbao's eyes flashed with coldness, and the dagger tightly grasped in his hand exuded a chilling coldness.

He took a deep breath and continued to lurk in the darkness, waiting for the next opportunity to strike back.

Even as fragments of burning thatch from the roof continued to fall, he remained motionless, as if he had merged with the darkness.

The two Qing soldiers who arrived did not notice his presence and quickly turned and left, disappearing into the dim night.

Hearing the footsteps gradually fading away, Lin Erbao slowly moved his body and quietly emerged from his hiding place.

However, just as he climbed over the low courtyard wall, there was a sudden crisp "crack" sound under his feet - a dry branch broke under his feet.

His face changed slightly, and before he could react, two Qing soldiers less than three steps behind him turned around and quickly locked eyes with him.

In this critical moment, Lin Erbao didn't hesitate. He raised his hand and swung out two daggers quickly, his movements as smooth as the wind. Then, he unsheathed the knife at his waist, and the cold light of the blade flashed in the night, as fast as lightning.

"Clang—" A metal collision sounded, followed by a scream.

One dagger was deflected by the Qing soldier's armor and bounced to the ground, while the other one accurately pierced the opponent's throat.

Accompanied by a low "puff" sound, the tall body of the Qing soldier stiffened, and then fell on his back, and the torches and weapons in his hands slipped to the ground at the same time.

He covered the wound with both hands, blood gushed out from between his fingers, and he fell into a pool of blood, twitching in pain.

Before the enemy's body completely fell to the ground, Lin Erbao rushed up like an arrow.

However, another Qing soldier had also reacted at this moment, quickly dropped the longbow in his hand, and drew his sword to fight back.

The two knives collided, sparks flew, and accompanied by the harsh sound of metal friction, the two men quickly entangled with each other.

Although they were all wearing chain mail, which greatly reduced the attack power of their waist swords, the battle situation was clearly in favor of Lin Erbao's side.

Lin Erbao's movements were as fast as lightning, his sword was sharp, and his attack was impenetrable. The Qing soldier was defeated step by step in front of his dazzling sword light, and looked embarrassed while defending himself.

His attack was steady and experienced, with each strike aimed directly at the vital points, as if there were no loopholes.

The opponent can only be forced to defend, with almost no room to fight back.

Seeing the Qing soldiers retreating step by step, Lin Erbao seized the opportunity, exerted force suddenly, and chopped the opponent's shoulder with a knife.

However, the Qing soldiers were wearing chain mail, and the sharp blades were blocked the moment they touched the armor.

The opponent grinned ferociously and took the opportunity to strike back horizontally, but Lin Erbao was prepared and dodged the opponent's counterattack by moving sideways.

During this brief stalemate, the Qing soldiers suddenly realized that they had made a fatal mistake:

He originally had a short axe and a thick-backed knife, which could have easily suppressed Lin Erbao in terms of strength and defense.

However, in his panic just now, he actually drew out his sword, which was not suitable for frontal combat.

This mistake put him at a complete disadvantage in this close combat.

A gleam of light flashed in Lin Erbao's eyes. He turned his pace, and the momentum of his knife suddenly changed, and his attack became more fierce.

With a series of swift attacks, the Qing soldiers gradually couldn't hold on and their movements became more and more clumsy.

Only then did he realize that he was in a desperate situation and there was no way to retreat.

At the moment when the Qing soldier's sword was about to hit the air, Lin Erbao suddenly rushed forward, turned his wrist holding the sword, and chopped the opponent's throat with a precise and swift diagonal move.

The Qing soldiers' pupils shrank suddenly, and they were too stunned to fight back. In an instant, the blade pierced the night sky, a flash of cold light, and blood splattered.

The Qing soldier's body swayed, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed, the hand holding the knife dropped weakly, and then the whole person fell backwards stiffly.

Lin Erbao slowly put away his knife, took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, his cheeks splattered with blood, his eyes still as sharp as an eagle, the surrounding darkness seemed to be silent for a moment under his feet.

Lin Erbao quickly bent down to pick up the weapons and torches left behind by the Qing soldiers, and looked up at the burning village not far away. The firelight made his figure a little blurry.

He rearranged his equipment, gripped the knife tightly, and walked towards the depths of the night with a determined look.

(End of this chapter)