I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 256 Trap
"Ah, those bastards finally fell for it!"

Hiding behind a coniferous tree, Xiao Dao watched the Bohemian army spread out in the distance, and saw them running all over the mountain in preparation for attacking the players. He felt a surge of satisfaction.

The enemy has formed a battle formation, making them difficult to deal with. What should we do?
Then let's prevent the enemy from forming a battle formation.

This is the "old method" that Xiaodao had previously thought of.

The enemy has open ground, allowing them to assemble an awkward infantry square formation, while the player's side doesn't have such a favorable position. Although they have a commanding view, the mountain is not only obstructed by dense trees, but the terrain is also uneven.

It can be said that, apart from three-person combat teams, players are basically unable to form large-scale formations. The knife's tactics take advantage of this, forcing the Bohemian army to disperse its forces during the attack, thus losing the advantage of formation.

However, this could not offset the Bohemians' numerical and equipment advantages. As for what to do next, Xiao Dao did not know, because he was no longer able to command the others.

The scattered tiger riders, like water spilled on the ground, quickly seeped into every corner of the forest, impossible to retrieve.

……

As evening fell, snowflakes gently landed on Aku's eyelashes. He huddled in a natural hollow formed by the roots of a fir tree, his white military cloak blending seamlessly with the snow, even turning the flintlock pistol in his hand into a snow stick.

Using the dim light that slanted down from the sky and pierced through the coniferous forest, Aku could see blue figures not far away. After carefully counting the number of people and the composition of the troops, he nodded in satisfaction.

Great, they're the ones.

"boom!"

Aku pulled the trigger, and a gunshot rang out. A group of Bohemians fifty meters below were immediately thrown into turmoil, for their lead soldier had been killed, and the blood falling on the snow was so glaring.

“There!!!”

Because of the smoke and gunfire, Ah Ku, who was well hidden, was discovered immediately. Without much hesitation, he jumped up, turned around and ran back, climbing upwards as fast as he could.

Bohemians immediately gave chase, shouting as they ran uphill, some firing crossbows and light muskets at Aku.

Bohemian pikemen were not organized into pure squads. In each squad of ten, one or two men would be equipped with a crossbow or a short-range weapon such as a grappling hook or a matchlock gun.

After entering the mountains and forests to launch the pursuit, the crossbowmen and musketmen behind these spearmen played a significant role. Regardless of how many enemies they killed, at least when attacked, the charging spearmen received fire support.

Arrows and bullets shot from behind whizzed past Aku. He could feel the wind whistling through the air from the arrows and bullets, as if the messengers of death were whispering in his ear.

He dared not pause for a moment, climbing desperately to find the next cover.

"Hurry, hurry, the planned location is not far away!"

Aku silently chanted to himself, his breathing becoming more and more rapid, but his pace did not slow down at all, because once the Bohemians caught up with him, he would have nowhere to escape and would also ruin his companions' plans.

Just as Aku was about to reach his destination, a crossbow bolt suddenly grazed his left shoulder, causing a sharp pain. He gritted his teeth, kept walking, and hurriedly glanced back.

A blue figure moved about in the birch forest twenty meters away, and the sound of snow boots crushing the ice grew closer.

However, Aku was no longer panicked, because he saw the tree stump ten steps ahead with a Bohemian-style axe stuck in it, and he couldn't mistake it for a real tree stump.

Ah Ku was overjoyed. His already exhausted body squeezed out a little more strength, took two quick steps, and then leaped over the tree stump like a fish diving, plunging headfirst into the deliberately piled-up snow behind him, hiding in the pit below.

"He's here, behind the tree stump!"

Ah Ku's blatant act of hiding could not escape the notice of his pursuers.

With shouts, the Bohemian pursuers surged forward like a tidal wave, their spearmen in front, followed closely by crossbowmen and arquebusiers. The leading Bohemian officer brandished his sword and shouted commands: "Surround him! Surround him! Capture him alive!"

Capturing a prisoner yields more military merit than simply killing an enemy, a fact not only true in the Prince's army but also in the Bohemian army.

A prisoner is far more valuable than a corpse. If you capture a nobleman, you can demand a ransom; if you capture an officer, you can torture him to extract information.

Even capturing a soldier isn't a big deal. Young and strong soldiers are sought after by ransom brokers and slave traders. A strong prisoner of war can fetch at least twenty silver coins, and if the prisoner has some skills in carpentry, blacksmithing, or horse herding, the price can be several times higher.

Therefore, the Bohemians completely surrounded the area where Aku was hiding.

They cautiously approached the tree stump, the spearmen aiming their spear tips at the snowdrifts, while the crossbowmen and musket gunners stood ready, prepared to fire at any moment.

Hidden in the pit, Aku's heart pounded. He could clearly hear the footsteps and low voices of his pursuers. He knew he was in extreme danger, but a hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Because this is exactly what he wanted to do, even if he were shot dead in a snow pit by the Bohemians with muskets, he would still have gained something.

"Three, two, one"

The moment the first Bohemian soldier's boots stepped over the tree stump, Xiaodao, who was crouching behind a bush not far away, suddenly pulled the rope.

"boom!"

The explosive charges planted all around detonated simultaneously, sending towering waves of snow, wood chips, and frozen earth gushing into the air. The spearmen at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were lifted into the air by the blast wave.

"A Grand Slam!!"

Xiao Dao, who was lying in ambush in the distance, couldn't help but exclaim. This was the trap they had set in advance... Using Aku as bait, they would lure the enemy into this natural "bowl-shaped" depression and then detonate the gunpowder they had seized from the enemy.

The plan has succeeded; a large group, at least fifty Bohemians, have fallen into the trap, making a fortune.

Before the aftershocks of the explosion had subsided, a burst of gunfire suddenly erupted from the surrounding coniferous forest. A dozen or so players who had been lying in ambush for a long time finally appeared. They worked in groups of three, using the trees for cover, and unleashed a barrage of fire on the chaotic Bohemian army.

"Don't cease fire! Reload! Fire at will!"

Knife brandishing his military knife, he stood up and roared. He had witnessed a Bohemian officer attempt to organize a defense, but was hit in the chest by three bullets at the same time the next second.

Aku climbed out of the snow pit, shaking off the ice shards covering his body. His ears were still ringing, but his hands moved quickly, reloading his flintlock pistol and aiming at a fleeing musket gunner.

"boom!"

The blue figure collapsed to the ground. Aku then realized his hands were trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't from fear, but rather a lingering effect of prolonged exposure to the freezing cold.

"Aku! Retreat towards three o'clock!"

Xiao Dao's voice came from afar.

"We've set a second trap there. The nearby Bohemians will be here soon. Let's seize the opportunity and see if we can snag a few more!"

Aku nodded and was about to move when he suddenly felt his feet sink. He looked down and saw a heavily wounded Bohemian soldier clinging tightly to his ankle, his blood-stained face contorted in pain, his other hand struggling to reach for a one-handed sword lying nearby.

"Oh, how pitiful."

Ah-Ku sighed, then raised his hand and stabbed the unfortunate man with his bayonet-equipped flintlock pistol, giving him a quick death.

(End of this chapter)