Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 514 The Flames of War (Part Two)

On April 16, the first rays of dawn struggled through the thick morning fog of the Simadre Mountains, casting a faint, cold golden light upon the marching column winding through the valleys.

The long line of more than 3,000 Xinhua Army soldiers, like a black blade drawn from its sheath, is silently and resolutely cutting into this ancient and wild land.

The group followed the winding valley trail, with narrow paths trodden by mules and horses for over a hundred years underfoot. On one side was a steep mountain wall covered with dense tropical forest, and on the other side was a rushing, roaring torrent.

The soldiers marched in silence, with only the rustling of countless boots on the gravel, the snorting of mules carrying supplies, and the occasional low commands from officers echoing and overlapping in the valley, forming a solemn and oppressive marching concerto.

The mountain roads were rugged and difficult to traverse. In some narrow valleys, the engineers even had to use axes, chisels, and picks to widen the paths so that the heavy artillery could pass.

The air was filled with the earthy smell, the stench of decaying plants, and the sweltering heat characteristic of a large moving group.

The valley silently watched these uninvited guests, with only the roaring water sounding like a never-ending warning from nature.

"Squad leader, where are we going?" Private Mao Faluo asked as he walked, taking a few big gulps of water from his canteen before wiping his mouth haphazardly with his sleeve.

"Go attack Mexico City!" Squad leader Luo Daikui's voice came from ahead without turning his head.

"No way?" Mao Fallu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mexico City? That's the Spanish stronghold. I heard there are 100,000 people living there. With only 3,000 soldiers, wouldn't we just be feeding them?"

"Hmph!" Luo Daikui snorted impatiently, "I told you but you don't believe me, so why did you ask!"

"..." Mao Faluo choked for a moment, then chuckled awkwardly, "Squad leader, you probably... don't even know yourself, do you?"

“Hey kid…” Luo Daikui finally turned his head, glaring at him with a fierce face, “When you first joined the squad, you were so quiet you wouldn’t utter a sound. You’ve only been in the army for two years, how come you’re talking like a gossiping old woman in the alley? Where did all these questions come from?”

“Squad leader, I’m just not confident!” Mao Falu tightened the straps of his backpack, which were already soaked with sweat. “We only rested for two days in the Banderas Valley before plunging headlong into this godforsaken place. They say they’re going to attack a major Spanish town, but the way they’re crawling through these ravines doesn’t look like they’re going to siege a city. It looks more like…”

He lowered his voice and leaned closer: "We only left three or four hundred men behind. If the Spanish army were to outflank us from the coast, wouldn't our three thousand men be trapped in this ravine, with no village or shop in sight? Wouldn't we be like turtles in a jar? Just thinking about it makes me shudder. We wouldn't even be able to escape."

"What?" Luo Daikui suddenly stopped, glancing at him sideways, his hand on the hilt of the knife at his waist. "Trying to desert? If you dare to run away in the face of battle, I'll stab you right through the heart!"

"..." Upon hearing this, Mao Falu immediately gave a wry smile. "Squad leader, you're really arguing with me! Do you think I, Mao Falu, am a coward? I'm just... just thinking about it. You can't say things like that, if the company commander hears me, I'll be cleaning the latrines and doing physical training again!"

"You're the one being stubborn!" Luo Daikui slapped his slightly oversized helmet with a soft "thud." "The movement of the army and the arrangements for the rear are matters for the officers at the general command to worry about! What are you, a mere soldier, thinking about? Why don't you become the general commander?"

"How could I possibly be qualified!" Mao Fallu shrank his neck and reached out to straighten Luo Daikui's helmet, which had been knocked askew. "In our Xinhua Army, if you want to become an officer, you have to take an exam! Someone like me, who only knows a few hundred characters and can't even read a complete news article in the newspaper, how could I possibly be the commander-in-chief!"

"You blockhead, why are you still spouting such nonsense!" Luo Daikui laughed and scolded, "Why should we soldiers think so much? Wherever the officer tells us to attack, we just pick up our guns and charge. If you're like this, thinking about this and that all day long, you'll be worrying yourself to death before the battle even starts. Aren't you tired of that!"

"Squad leader, I remember our Army Commander Mo once said during a sergeant's address, 'A soldier who doesn't aspire to be a general is not a good soldier.'" Mao Falu said with a smile, "Look, I'm always thinking about the important things that only officers consider, which proves that I'm a good soldier, much better than you, squad leader!"

"Pah!" Luo Daikui spat disdainfully. "Then why am I the squad leader and you're just a private first class? Anyone can brag."

"..." Mao Faluo was speechless for a moment, and after a long pause, he said awkwardly, "Well... well, you started eating military rations a year earlier than me... it's all about seniority..."

"What a load of rubbish! Military skills—shooting, bayonet fighting, trench warfare, drill and housekeeping—how are you better than me in any of those?" Luo Daikui proudly raised his chin. "In our Xinhua Army, it's real ability that matters, not empty talk..."

"Squad leader, the company commander is coming!" a veteran suddenly whispered a reminder.

"..." Upon hearing this, Luo Daikui immediately turned his head to look back and saw Company Commander Tang Xiaohu walking briskly along the side of the marching column. He immediately stopped smiling, straightened his back, and said, "Everyone, pay attention to the formation and don't fall behind!"

As Tang Xiaohu passed by Class 3, his gaze swept over them like a blade, pausing for a moment on the faces of Luo Da Kui and Mao Fa Lu.

"Keep quiet! Watch out for the forests on both sides!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. Without stopping, he jogged straight toward the battalion command post at the front of the column.

His appearance was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the whispers among the soldiers of the third squad. The marching column fell silent once again, with only the mechanical and heavy footsteps and the eternal sounds of wind and water in the valley remaining.

Luo Daikui shrank his neck, glared at Mao Falu, and mouthed the words "You son of a bitch, talk too much."

Mao Faluo lowered his head guiltily, instinctively gripping the flintlock pistol on his shoulder tighter, his gaze warily sweeping across the deep, unfathomable forest on either side of the road, a forest that seemed to conceal countless eyes. Tang Xiaohu reached the head of the group and joined the battalion commander and several scouts.

They sat around a simple sketch hastily drawn in pencil, exchanging information in hushed and hurried voices.

"Five miles ahead, in an open valley, there is a medium-sized manor, which the Spanish guide said is called 'Mascota'."

The scout captain pointed to a spot on the map, “There’s smoke coming from a chimney, guards, probably a dozen or so, and dozens of Indian slaves, equipped with matchlock guns and swords… There are quite a few livestock and granaries on the plantation.”

Battalion Commander Li Cheng nodded, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Clean them out! Be quick and thorough. Don't let a single person escape, and don't start a single fire. We must cross these mountains as fast as we can, and while the Spanish are still wondering whether we will continue to raid the coastal port towns as we did ten years ago, we will have our knife pointed at their most vulnerable heart!"

The order was quickly relayed.

The marching rhythm of the entire vanguard changed abruptly. The previously relatively loose formation quickly tightened, and the fatigue on the soldiers' faces was replaced by a tension before battle.

The moisture-proof cloth on the musket was removed, and the bayonet latch made a soft, rhythmic "click" sound.

A platoon of elite soldiers quietly broke away from the main force and, under the cover of the trees, moved to encircle the unsuspecting manor.

Luo Daikui's class was also among them. Mao Falu's mouth was tightly shut, his breathing was heavy, and the playfulness in his eyes had vanished, leaving only focused vigilance.

About half an hour later, a short bird call came from ahead, which was the pre-arranged signal that "clearance completed" from the scouts.

Without gunfire or fireworks, a Spanish manor was quietly seized by the Xinhua Army.

As the main force silently passed through the manor, they saw a dozen Spanish armed guards and the manor owner already bound to one side, their mouths gagged, their eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

The granary doors were wide open, and sacks of corn and wheat were quickly unloaded and transported by a logistics mule team.

Several pigs and sheep were slaughtered on the spot, butchered, and then cooked and prepared for distribution to the various companies.

More than a dozen horses and mules were requisitioned and used as baggage trains.

There were no cheers, no celebrations, only efficient and ruthless harvesting.

The manor was silently wiped out by the Xinhua Army, as if it had never existed.

The team set off again, continuing their advance into the deep mountains.

As Luo Daikui walked past Mao Falu, he nudged him with his elbow and whispered, "You idiot, did you hear what the battalion messenger and the company commander said? Now you know where we're going and what we're going to do, right?"

Mao Falu swallowed hard, looking at the seemingly endless deep valley surrounded by towering mountains ahead. He then looked back at the quiet manor that was quickly being left behind and gradually disappeared into the mountain mist, and murmured, "Squad leader, we...we're going to attack the capital of that New Galicia province, what's it called...Guadalajara?"

"Whatever kind of melon it is, we'll smash it to pieces!" Luo Daikui snorted. "Once we take that place, the Spanish reinforcements will pounce like sharks smelling blood. Then..."

A sly and cruel smile appeared on his face. "...They'll see what happens."

“That’s a provincial capital! What if that melon isn’t easy to smash?” Mao Faluo subconsciously started to compete.

"Provincial capital my ass!" Luo Daikui scoffed disdainfully. "How many soldiers could a town of a few thousand people have? Didn't you hear the confession of that Spanish estate owner who was so scared he wet his pants? That dilapidated town doesn't even have a decent city wall, just a tattered wooden fence! We can just bring over these cannons, give it a good blast, and it'll be cracked open!"

"..." Upon hearing this, Mao Falu's eyes suddenly lit up. He subconsciously licked his chapped lips and tightened his grip on the gun on his shoulder and the backpack on his back.

Damn it, if we could really break into a Spanish provincial capital, all the good stuff inside...

This is going to be a huge windfall!
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(End of this chapter)