Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 270 The Wise King's Victory~
"This is my mount!"

"Iron-Forged Divine Fire Thunder Beast!"

Standing atop the infantry fighting vehicle, Lin Dao shouted through a miniature megaphone, "Watch closely, watch how I, the king, defeat the enemy!"

Open the hatch to enter the cockpit and start the engine to power all subsystems.

The roar of the engine was like the howl of a dragon.

The 30mm caliber machine gun was slightly tilted forward and adjusted.

The garrison troops of the Eighteen Wings, several hundred paces away, were all somewhat flustered.

Panic stems from fear of the unknown.

One of the commanders, Minhan Nayan, rode up on his horse and shouted, "This is an illusion; it's just made of rags and wood!"

"Don't be afraid, follow me and charge forward!"

The centurion personally led the charge, and morale soared.

Hundreds of Mongol cavalry charged forward, shouting and yelling.

Its momentum was like thunder, extremely terrifying.

"The cavalry charge was indeed awe-inspiring."

Lin Dao, craning his neck and pressing his eyes against the periscope, took a breath and exclaimed, "Mongol cavalry, what a prestigious title!"

The long cannon barrels spun, pointing at the charging cavalry.

The next moment~
'Thump thump thump thump~~~'

The high-explosive incendiary bomb was ejected.

In the modern world's battlefields, this thing has degenerated into something that's just for listening to a sound and watching a spectacle.

But here, that would be a deadly weapon falling from the sky.

Although the caliber is small, the shrapnel from the explosion is extremely lethal.

Regardless of whether they were men or horses, or whether they were wearing armor.

If you are hit by high-speed flying shrapnel, you will inevitably be penetrated.

That's not the scariest part. The scariest part is that the small missile body also contains incendiary agents.

Even a small, incendiary drop can cause death or maiming if it lands on you.

The machine guns fired at a high rate, and the smoke and fire from the series of explosions quickly enveloped the Mongol cavalry.

The centurion who led the charge was the luckiest, taking a direct hit from an explosive incendiary bomb with his chest.

His entire upper body exploded and burned instantly, yet he passed away without experiencing any pain.

Those who were injured, fell from their horses, or desperately tried to extinguish the flames but could not, were the most pitiful.

The intense pain from being hit by shrapnel caused them to lose their strength very quickly.

All that's left is the agonizing countdown to death.

Those who fall from their horses usually break their bones, and many are trampled by the following cavalry horses.

Although Mongolian horses are not particularly large or tall, they can still weigh several hundred kilograms.

When the iron cavalry tramples you while you're running, they can really crush your head.

Those whose bodies were ignited by the incendiary bombs suffered the worst fate.

Unless you immediately cut off flesh or sever limbs, you can only watch helplessly as the flames spread like a leech, engulfing your body.

Such intense pain, coupled with the despair of gradually approaching death, destroys a person both physically and mentally.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea, Lin Dao fired over two hundred rounds, nearly half of his ammunition, and successfully defeated the Mongol cavalry group.

The remaining Mongol cavalrymen turned their horses around like madmen and fled in a frenzy.

The modified wide tracks kicked up mud from the ground, splashing it out.

The infantry fighting vehicle began to move forward.

The machine guns fired at a rate of one shot every few breaths at the infantry of the eighteen wings.

At the same time, the coaxial machine guns were also spitting out long hail of bullets.

The river workers who witnessed this scene from the rear were no longer filled with fear and apprehension.

Looking at the infantry fighting vehicle that was constantly spewing fire and moving forward, his eyes were full of admiration.

Shi Nai'an, having regained his senses, strode forward, raised his arms, and shouted.

"May the King of Light be victorious! May the King of Light be victorious!"

Inspired and encouraged by him, many river workers rushed out shouting "May the King of Ming be victorious!"

Compared to the cavalry, which consisted mostly of Mongols and Semu people, the garrison infantry were mainly Han soldiers.

In the eyes of the Mongols, they were still cattle and slaves.

Even when there was a shortage of manpower during river repairs, Han soldiers would be sent to do the work.

The water monsters that blocked the breach with sunken ships were all Han soldiers.

When those Semu people embezzled the rations for the river workers, they also took the opportunity to embezzle the rations for the Han soldiers.

It wasn't that harsh; it just changed the rice to a thicker porridge.

One can imagine the morale and fighting strength of the garrison troops receiving such treatment.

As expected, deserters soon began to appear.

The Mongol and Semu people, who served as captains of fifty and hundred men, brandished their weapons and killed deserters.

More and more people are escaping, and there's simply not enough time to kill them all.

Even worse, the deserters, blinded by rage, brandished their weapons and fought fiercely with the officers who tried to stop them.

The thousands of garrison troops were completely routed amidst the gunfire of infantry fighting vehicles and the shouts and pursuit of the river workers.

Lin Dao drove up a slope, got out of the cockpit, and held up binoculars to search for Jia Lu's whereabouts.

His whereabouts were not difficult to find.

Those who could still escape in groups on horseback at this time must be important figures.

Once the target was identified, he returned to the cockpit, adjusted the gun barrel, and unleashed a rapid-fire barrage, firing dozens of shells.

More than a hundred feet away, the hundreds of cavalrymen with their wide flanks exposed to the cannon muzzles were quickly engulfed in fire and smoke.

The infantry fighting vehicle slowly drove over.

Lin Dao got out of the car, carrying a Glock in his hand, and walked through the mess, finishing off the wounded one by one.

Before long, he walked up to Jia Lu, who was lying on the ground in an official robe, his legs pinned down by a dead horse.

Tilting his head slightly, Lin Dao asked, "Jialu?"

With no feeling below his knees, Jialu looked at Lin Dao with resentment and confusion, asking, "Who exactly are you?"

Such a terrifying metal vehicle was beyond his comprehension.

Even at this point, Jialu still didn't know what this thing was.

It was unclear who had defeated him. Lin Dao cautiously fired a shot into each of his arms.

Only then, amidst Jia Lu's wails, did he speak, "I will send you to see the messengers of the Eternal Heaven."

A large number of river workers came running over, panting heavily.

Although they were all exhausted, their faces were filled with indescribable excitement and flush.

Watching the Mongols and Semu people suffer, watching them be torn apart and blasted into dust, it felt incredibly satisfying.

Pointing at the screaming and wailing Jia Lu, Lin Dao instructed, "Drag him to the riverbank, tie him with stones, put him in a sack, and throw him in as a sacrifice to the river god."

“When it comes to river management, how can there be no sacrifice? All the Mongols were sent as offerings.”

Witnessing firsthand the terrifying strength that Lin Dao had displayed before.

The river workers completely believed that he was the reincarnation of the Ming King, and loudly accepted the order, stepping forward to drag Jia Lu out and away.

"King Ming!"

Shi Nai'an, who had rushed over, stared at him with shining eyes.

As I watched, tears began to fall.

Two years later in history, Shi Nai'an, at the age of fifty-seven, joined Zhang Shicheng in an uprising against the Yuan dynasty.

In addition, he had passed the imperial examination and become an official, but he resigned in anger because he stood up for the poor.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Shi Nai'an was undoubtedly a hero who cared deeply for the people and was willing to sacrifice his life for the common people.

Previously, Shi Nai'an still considered the Mongol Yuan dynasty to be terrifyingly powerful.

The unprecedentedly vast territory and the million-strong army that instilled despair demonstrated the unshakeable rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and the tragic fate of the Han people would continue.

But at that moment, boundless hope welled up in his heart.

"King Ming."

With tears streaming down his face, Shi Nai'an tightly grasped Lin Dao's arm, exclaiming, "You really are the Ming King!"

Lin Dao urged, "Calm down, this isn't over yet."

"This is just the beginning, not the end."

"Yep."

After catching his breath, Shi Nai'an nodded repeatedly to compose himself.

After careful consideration, he advised, "Your Majesty, once the Mongol Yuan dynasty learns of this, they will surely send a large army to attack."

"The best course of action now is to raise funds and provisions as soon as possible to expand the army."

"The greatest benefit in the world today is salt and iron."

“Xinghua has salt fields.”

“The local salt workers suffered greatly under the Mongol Yuan dynasty, their lives were worse than death.”

"Your Majesty should hurry to Xinghua, seize the salt profits, mobilize the salt workers, and you will obtain money, grain, and a large army!"

“I have many friends who all have the ambition to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty. I should write to them and invite them to come and serve under the Ming King.”

Hearing this, Lin Dao's heart stirred slightly.

When you passed the imperial examination, wasn't there someone named Liu Ji who passed the same exam?

"Liu Ji?" Shi Nai'an seriously recalled the events of twenty years ago.

"There is indeed such a person."

Lin Dao smiled and asked, "Could you write him a letter and ask him to come out and help me?"

Although it is unknown how King Ming learned of Liu Ji.

But Shi Nai'an bowed without hesitation.

"Receive the King's decree!"

"Your Majesty, please proceed to Xinghua immediately."

"No! No!" Liu Futong and the others rushed over, panting. "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Oh?" Lin Dao raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Your Majesty, please allow me to report."

Liu Futong, with his hands on his knees, gasped for breath, "Xinghua is too far away, more than a thousand miles from here."

"Most of the river workers here probably starved to death before they even reached Xinghua."

"They would also face interception and pursuit by the Yuan army along the way."

"Then tell me," Shi Nai'an frowned, "Where should we go?"

"Let's go to Yingzhou!"

Finally, Liu Futong stood up straight and bowed respectfully, saying, "This place is only three or four hundred li away from Yingzhou."

"Enough to arrive before the Yuan court dispatches a large army."

"I possess some assets in Yingzhou, which I wish to donate entirely to the Ming King to aid in the great cause of destroying the Yuan Dynasty!"

Shi Nai'an did not object.

He did know that Liu Futong was extremely wealthy.

At this time, what is most needed is money and food, so it is a good thing that Liu Futong is willing to bring his whole family to join him.

This has at least temporarily alleviated the immediate crisis.

No one knew that Lin Dao had no shortage of money and food.

After a moment's thought, Lin Dao made a decision.

"In that case, let's go to Yingzhou first to get money, supplies, and manpower, and then go to Xinghua."

Liu Futong's smile had barely appeared when it immediately froze.

So I've really become a sucker who only pays for food and supplies?

He wanted to express his dissatisfaction, but when his gaze fell on the infantry fighting vehicle not far away, the words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.

This person is probably a reincarnation of a wise king.

It's best not to disobey.

"you."

Lin Dao instructed Zheng Twenty-Seven, Shi Nai'an, Han Shantong, and others.

"Go and inform all the river works and the captured garrison troops."

"Those who wish to follow me shall immediately assemble and depart for Yingzhou."

"Those who do not wish to go will be given some dry rations and can leave on their own."

"Tell those who have left to return to their hometowns and make sure to spread the news of the descent of the Bright King!"

(End of this chapter)