Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 301 Pentakill
Lin Erbao knew clearly that with the weapons in his hands, it was impossible to cause any substantial damage to the Qing soldiers in front of him.

This is exactly why he chose a fierce attack - to catch the Qing soldiers off guard with a swift attack, forcing the other side to fight in a hurry and unable to use real force.

At this moment, this Ming army officer who had fought in many battles for many years and the Qing army Bayara soldier who had also experienced countless battles were fighting hand to hand, and their lives were hanging in the balance.

Lin Erbao was not taller and more powerful than the Qing soldiers, but his quick reaction and ability to adapt to changing circumstances on the battlefield gave him the upper hand.

Although the two may be evenly matched in terms of pure strength, Lin Erbao is clearly superior in speed and tactics.

Especially in this kind of confrontation where both sides were exhausted and confused, a slight negligence in the battle could determine life or death, so he dared to take a gamble and use his keen insight into the battle situation to avert danger.

However, there was an element of luck involved. If the Qing soldiers had chosen the thick-backed knife in their panic, the waist knife in Lin Erbao's hand would most likely have broken in the collision.

He had no time to think about these things, and couldn't even consider his next plan. The pace of the battle left him no choice but to go all out and perform every move and every style to the extreme.

On the battlefield, what is often tested is not simply martial arts, but the ability to judge and react to the instantaneous situation.

The battlefield is cruel, and what matters most is often such subtle negligence: when the enemy makes a mistake, you do not make a mistake. When both of you make mistakes, whoever makes fewer mistakes is more likely to survive.

Lin Erbao's sword-drawing speed was unbelievable. The Qing soldier had never seen such a swift and fierce attack. In panic, he could only step back, watching the opponent approaching step by step. Although there was only the distance of the blade between them, it seemed as if he was very close.

Therefore, at the moment when he was filled with fear, Lin Erbao's sword force suddenly weakened, and seemed to reveal a flaw.

The Qing soldiers thought that the enemy was exhausted and were delighted. Just as they were about to fight back, they suddenly felt a lightness around their waists, as if something important had been pulled out.

Before he could react, a muffled groan escaped from his throat, and a sharp tearing pain suddenly came from his chest. Then the left half of his body became numb and weak as if struck by lightning. He couldn't even hold the weapon in his hand, and it fell heavily to the ground.

A trace of desperate pain appeared on his face, but Lin Erbao did not give him any chance to breathe. He moved in one go and rushed to him the next moment.

Lin Erbao exerted force with his left hand and smashed the short axe hard at the Qing soldier's body. The axe blade fell with a whistling sound and the force was fierce.

Although the Qing soldiers' chain mail was strong, it could not provide effective protection against the heavy axe blows.

Lin Erbao used all his strength in this attack. The Qing soldier was hit hard, his chest was sunken, blood spurted out of his mouth, his eyes gradually dimmed, he fell to the ground and struggled for a few times, and soon stopped breathing.

Lin Erbao took a short breath and quickly scanned the surroundings. After confirming that no other Qing soldiers were approaching, he relaxed a little, but he did not completely let his guard down.

He immediately picked up the Qing soldier's thick-backed sword, held it in his hand and felt the weight of the blade. The thick-backed sword was steady and powerful, especially suitable for dealing with enemies wearing armor.

He put the hatchet back into his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, then found the dagger that had fallen to the ground in the light of the fire and picked it up carefully.

Now, after sorting out his equipment a little, Lin Erbao was also very clear that the enemy patrol was not just the two people in front of him. There were still Qing soldiers wandering around not far away. The sound of fighting just now might have alarmed them.

He lowered his head to check his equipment, holding a thick-backed knife in one hand and a dagger in the other, ready to fight at any time.

The firelight was dim and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood. Lin Erbao knew that he could not stay there for too long.

After a short pause, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked up into the depths of the village. The front was still full of unknown dangers, but he had no way to retreat and could only move forward.

Although the battle made him a little tired, his inner alertness did not diminish in the slightest. He kept a low profile and moved slowly, close to the ground. In the darkness, his steps were as light as a cat, and he was completely hidden in the night.

The sound of the wind mixed with the flickering flames made the village look particularly quiet under the moonlight. Lin Erbao's mood gradually calmed down. He recalled the details of the battle over and over in his mind to ensure that he would not make any omissions the next time he encountered the enemy.

Lin Erbao was thinking secretly, but suddenly he heard a burst of hurried footsteps, and his heart suddenly tightened.

He quickly adjusted his movements, hurriedly tilted his body, and quietly hid in the darkness beside the wall, his back pressed against the wall. He held his breath, completely blending himself into the night, and glanced around vigilantly.

At this moment, Yue Xin's figure appeared at the corner of the village road. His steps were decisive and powerful, and he was only about ten or twenty steps away from Lin Erbao.

The burning thatch on the roof emitted a bright flame, illuminating the area where they were. The short distance left Lin Erbao with almost nowhere to hide.

The firelight flickered, illuminating the faces of the two men. Their eyes met, and there was a fierce murderous intent in each other's eyes that could not be ignored.

The eye contact did not last long. Almost in an instant, the two of them pounced on each other!

Lin Erbao held the dagger he had just picked up in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist he threw it out quickly. The dagger flew through the air and pointed directly at Yue Xin.

Yue Xin reacted quickly, dodging to the side and pulling out a flying axe from his waist, throwing it hard at Lin Erbao.

Two cold lights intersected in the air, and in the hostile collision, both sides dodged each other's attacks extremely agilely, with no intention of giving the other any chance to breathe.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Lin Erbao raised the thick-backed knife in his hand high and chopped it down towards Yue Xin, with the blade pointing directly at Yue Xin's head.

However, Yue Xin was equally agile. He raised his own sword to block the attack head-on. Sparks flew and the blades collided with each other, making a sharp metallic sound. The two men were instantly deadlocked.

The two men stared at each other with their eyes wide open, the muscles between their arms bulging, and their bodies tensed, as if they were competing in endurance and strength.

Lin Erbao immediately felt the opponent's amazing strength. Yue Xin's arm strength was far superior to that of ordinary Qing soldiers, so Lin Erbao did not dare to try to hold the knife with one hand in close combat.

He gritted his teeth and tried to find a breakthrough again, but the opponent was obviously not an ordinary opponent. He was experienced and his movements were steady.

The two men remained in a stalemate, their weapons clashing and the sword light flickered in the firelight, like the light of death flickering in the cold night.

At this moment, Lin Erbao suddenly exerted his strength and launched a quick attack in an attempt to disrupt Yue Xin's defense.

However, he had just killed other Qing soldiers and his physical strength had already been exhausted. He obviously felt unable to continue.

Yue Xin noticed that the opponent's momentum had declined, so he suddenly intensified his attack, pressing down on Lin Erbao again and again.

Lin Erbao was forced to retreat, his feet leaving traces on the ground. He was forced to take several steps back, his chest heaving rapidly.

Seeing that the situation was not good, he suddenly made a feint and pretended to attack, but actually took the opportunity to retreat and increase the distance, trying to readjust his center of gravity and restore the rhythm of offense and defense.

However, the opponent was following him like a shadow. Although Yue Xin did not completely see through his intentions, he approached step by step with his years of practical experience.

He suddenly swung the thick-backed knife in his hand again with full force, slashing at Lin Erbao without mercy.

Lin Erbao felt a dense mass of knife shadows before his eyes, and his heart trembled. He hurriedly swung his knife to block again, but Yue Xin's attacks were continuous, leaving him almost no chance to breathe.

Yue Xin's skills were as fast as lightning, and the flash of his sword was so fast that it was hard to keep up.

Lin Erbao gradually lost control under the opponent's relentless onslaught. His fatigue grew more pronounced. With every strike he blocked, his arms felt numb, his strength draining away bit by bit. Sweat streamed down his forehead. He realized he had no escape route. The intense struggle between life and death brought a long-lost coldness and decisiveness to his heart. He knew that if he wanted to survive, he had to fight with all his might, using his remaining strength to find the opponent's weaknesses.

Taking advantage of Yue Xin's knife missing, Lin Erbao quickly adjusted his pace, dodged to the flank, and stabbed Yue Xin's ribs with the knife in his hand.

Yue Xin reacted extremely quickly, turning the blade and barely blocking the attack. The two of them were entangled again.

However, Lin Erbao was meticulous and secretly prepared a fatal counterattack. Just when Yue Xin was concentrating on the frontal fight, Lin Erbao suddenly squatted down, flipped the dagger in his hand, and stabbed Yue Xin's calf fiercely.

Yue Xin seemed to notice something unusual and hurriedly took a step back, but he was still cut by the dagger and blood oozed from the wound.

Although the wound was not fatal, it was enough to affect his actions. He roared, with ferocity in his eyes, and rushed forward again with a knife.

However, Lin Erbao took the opportunity to regain the initiative. He kept moving flexibly, taking advantage of the opponent's injuries to gradually weaken his strength.

Lin Erbao concentrated his energy and steadily advanced the offensive.

Yue Xin's steps were slow due to his injury and he was obviously tired. He gritted his teeth and tried to withstand Lin Erbao's attack, but his strength gradually declined and defense became more and more difficult.

Lin Erbao seized the opportunity to attack fiercely, and the knife light once again approached the opponent's vital points.

With a dull thud, Yue Xin's blade deviated, and Lin Erbao seized the instantaneous flaw and chopped directly at Yue Xin's shoulder. The sharp blade cut through his armor and hit his shoulder heavily.

Yue Xin's body shook and he staggered back, a trace of fear and unwillingness flashed in his eyes. He tried to fight back again, but in the end he was powerless and his movements gradually slowed down.

Lin Erbao took advantage of the victory and pounced on him again with sharp and swift movements, not giving Yue Xin any chance to breathe.

"Ah!" Lin Erbao was careless and was kicked hard to the ground by Yue Xin.

The thick-backed knife he was holding lost its accuracy due to the vibration, flew several meters away, and fell heavily to the ground.

However, the moment he fell to the ground, he quickly pulled out the dagger in his left hand, aimed at Yue Xin who was approaching aggressively on the opposite side, and threw it with all his might.

The dagger slashed across the night sky, leaving a cold light in the firelight, and went straight to Yue Xin's face.

Yue Xin slightly turned sideways and quickly dodged the attacking dagger. The dagger just brushed past him and stabbed deeply into the ground.

However, Yue Xin did not stop. He turned his body, stabilized his center of gravity, and swung the long sword in his hand with a fierce murderous aura, rushing straight towards Lin Erbao who was lying on the ground, obviously ready to take advantage of the situation to finish him off completely.

At this moment, Lin Erbao came up with an idea. He raised his hand, grabbed the dirt on the ground, and threw it towards Yue Xin.

The mud and sand flew straight into Yue Xin's face, catching him off guard. The tiny grains of sand quickly filled Yue Xin's eyes, especially his right eye, which was instantly blinded and the pain was like a needle prick.

He subconsciously raised his hand to wipe it, but it only aggravated the discomfort in his eyes and his vision became blurred.

This sudden change caused Yue Xin's offensive to stagnate. His originally fierce movements paused for a moment, as if he was trying to regain his sight.

However, the severe pain made it difficult for him to concentrate, and the entire attack seemed disorganized. His posture changed from the previous overwhelming strength to a somewhat panicked one, and he was unable to continue to approach Lin Erbao.

During this moment of pause, a sharp sound of an arrow suddenly came from outside the village, echoing in the quiet night sky.

When Yue Xin heard the familiar signal, he was slightly startled and immediately realized that something might have happened outside the village.

Firecrackers are usually used to convey emergency information, and being fired at this moment means that someone outside the village must be sounding the alarm. All this happened too suddenly, and Yue Xin felt a little uneasy.

Before he could fully recover from the discomfort in his eyes, he heard a burst of dense footsteps outside. It was obvious that a group of people were approaching the village rapidly.

Lin Erbao took the opportunity to stand up, shook off the dust on his body, held a knife tightly in his hand, and stared at the enemy in front of him with a stern expression.

If it had happened just now, Yue Xin would never give Lin Erbao any chance and would have quickly stepped forward and killed him.

But the situation suddenly changed, and Yue Xin became worried - the two Ming soldiers he had just let go might have attracted reinforcements and found this place by following the fire.

Although he could still kill Lin Erbao at this time, the other party was very skilled and it would not be easy to win.

The Qing army had many scouts, and intelligence in the Fuzhou area had long been leaked. At this point, killing the Ming army in front of them would be of no avail and would not be able to prevent the information from being leaked.

Moreover, although the Ming army in front of him was not ordinary, it was not something he would take risks with. Putting himself in danger for an ordinary soldier would not be worth it.

Thoughts flashed through his mind quickly. Without hesitation, Yue Xin quickly retreated and disappeared into the night like a ghost.

He adjusted his pace and retreated towards the outside of the village, determined to withdraw to the base first and make a decision after understanding the situation.

Seeing that Yue Xin had retreated, Lin Erbao heard the sharp sound of arrows and vaguely guessed the situation outside.

Seeing this, he quickly retreated, hid in the corner, and was always alert to Yue Xin's movements.

Although he had the upper hand just now, he only had a dagger in his hand, while the opponent had bows and arrows and other weapons. Once the distance was widened, he would immediately be at a disadvantage and might become a sitting duck for the opponent in an instant.

At this moment, he was secretly glad in his heart, but he did not dare to let his guard down. His eyes were fixed on the movements outside. Lin Erbao vaguely heard more and more horse hooves and footsteps, as if reinforcements were approaching rapidly.

Lin Erbao relaxed a little, and the vigilance in his eyes gradually weakened, but he still remained highly alert, with sweat slightly oozing from his palms.

This unexpected confrontation made him realize the ferocity and cunning of his opponent, and also made him realize that he could not relax even a little on the battlefield.

Just as Lin Erbao was adjusting his breathing and stabilizing his emotions, the sound of arrows rang out again outside the village, and a flame cut through the night sky, illuminating the edge of the village.

Soon, Yue Xin retreated to the outside of the village, looked around, and saw the familiar flag - it was the reinforcements of the Ming army.

He walked towards the flag with an expressionless face, but secretly thanked himself for not letting his emotions sway and rashly starting a duel in the village.

Although he failed to kill the Ming soldier as he wished, it was obviously more important to preserve himself, especially when the enemy and our situation was unclear.

At the same time, Lin Erbao realized that this brief confrontation had finally come to an end. He took a deep breath and felt that his muscles were still tense, and sweat made his clothes stick to his body.

The night was dark, and the firelight flickered in the village. Lin Erbao gently wiped the knife in his hand, his eyes cold and firm, and he walked out of the village with steady steps.

(End of this chapter)