Di Ming

Chapter 60 Is it him?

Seeing the father and son's emboldened attitude, Ning Caiwei couldn't help but offer a slightly worried reminder:
"Father, Zhihu, the confession says that Huafo has over a hundred armored pirates, making them a force in Zhoushan. Even if most of the pirates left on large ships, there are probably still several dozen left, right?"

"We...only a few of us have the fighting ability. Isn't that a bit too risky?"

Zhu Yin shook his head repeatedly, not even bothering to explain the question.

Instead, Qi Jiguang comforted the little girl, saying:
"Caiwei, don't worry. Even if there are still dozens of soldiers on the island, they are nothing to fear."

"Unless these bald bandits are all fearless warriors."

"A bunch of chickens and dogs, not worth my tricks or schemes; I can defeat them by force."

His tone was as calm as a white cloud, yet it exuded a powerful confidence.

After Qi Jiguang finished speaking, he turned and went into the cabin.

The upper deck of the ship was more than two zhang long and more than one zhang wide, where a large horse-drawn carriage without harnesses was parked.

All of everyone's luggage and valuables were in the large wagons. As for the horses, they were in the lower deck.

Qi Jiguang opened his suitcase, revealing a magnificent and exquisite set of Ming armor.

It was his general's armor!

Although he was dismissed from his post and stripped of his salary, he was, after all, a hereditary military officer, and his official and military status remained, so he could of course continue to keep his armor.

As Qi Jiguang touched the magnificent armor he had worn for many years, which had accompanied him through countless battles, a flame seemed to ignite in his eyes.

Zhu Yin looked at the armor and became a little excited as well.

As a man, he also loved Jia.

The standard armor of the Ming army was divided into four categories: cotton armor (red armor), heavy cotton armor (blue armor), iron armor, and Ming armor.

Southern Ming soldiers were generally equipped with red cotton armor, with waist-length armor, but no helmet, armor skirt, or neck armor; they only wore straw hats.

The armor was lined with thin iron plates, which offered some protection against muskets and arrows, but the protection was only so-so.

This type of lightweight padded armor is often mistaken for a "Mandarin Duck Battle Jacket," which is a huge misconception. The Mandarin Duck Battle Jacket is not armor; it is a cold-weather military uniform worn on the outside.

The most abundant equipment was actually heavy padded armor, also known as blue armor. This included not only helmets and neck armor, but also arm armor and skirt armor.

The soldiers of the Ming army in the north were generally equipped with heavy padded armor, which was very similar to that of the Yuan army. It weighed up to 30 catties and was equipped with it because of its strong protective power.

Then came the standard iron armor, a combination of chainmail and lamellar armor. The Ming army's iron armor was also highly similar to the Mongol Yuan dynasty's, with only minor differences.

This type of armor weighs as much as 45 jin (approximately 22.5 kg) and is generally only equipped by lower-ranking military officers from the ranks of garrison commanders (hundred households), garrison captains (battle officers), garrison commanders (thousand households), and garrison captains (thousand officers).

The highest rank is Mingjia.

The so-called Ming armor is actually the Mingguang armor, or simply Ming armor.

The Mingguang Armor is extremely well-made and very expensive. It offers better protection than ordinary iron armor, yet it is lighter.

From the bright armor worn by high-ranking military officers such as lieutenant generals and guard commanders to the emperor's great armor, all belonged to this type of bright armor.

They offer the same level of protection: breastplate, iron arms, faceplate, and phoenix-wing helmet.

The only difference is the decoration.

Qi Jiguang was the Left Commander-in-Chief, Junior Guardian, and General, a first-rank military officer. The decoration of his Ming armor was second only to the great armor of the emperor and princes.

So it looks very gorgeous. But this gorgeous armor is actually far more protective than padded armor.

Qi Jiguang unfurled the Ming armor, which weighed over forty pounds. The armor clanged with a resounding sound and looked incredibly high-quality.

The old general said, "My son, Young Tiger, put on my armor!"

"Yes!" Zhu Yin accepted the order and took on the role of a personal guard, helping the commander-in-chief put on his armor.

Qi Jiguang was already tall and robust, with a magnificent physique; in Zhu Yin's opinion, he was at least 1.85 meters tall.

Zhu Yin could only help him put on his armor by standing on a stool.

Zhu Yin discovered that there were many dark red bloodstains in the grooves of the armor, with a faint rusty smell.

This is the aura of iron and blood. Just smelling this scent and touching this cold iron armor gave Zhu Yin goosebumps.

Why were ancient military generals required to be tall and strong? It wasn't just for combat strength, but also to have the strength to wear armor.

The Ming armor, weighing over forty pounds, was worn effortlessly by a fierce man like Qi Jiguang.

When Qi Jiguang put on his armor, he was like an iron tower, not only more imposing, but also exuding a battle-hardened aura that was impossible to conceal.

Finally, with the mask on, only his bright, piercing eyes were visible, and he showed no signs of aging.

Then, he took out a long-handled Miao knife and a bow and arrow.

"You stay on the boat, and I'll take three guards with you to the island."

Qi Jiguang spoke as he walked out.

Zhu Yin nodded, knowing that he was too young and that if he came to the island, he would not only be of no help but would also become a burden.

"Lancha, Meh, Niman!"

Zhu Yin spoke in Jurchen.

"Take your bows and arrows, your swords and spears, put on your padded armor, and follow my godfather."

"Your enemies are on this island. Although they outnumber you, they are just a flock of lambs to the slaughter!"

"The God of War, Cho Ha Zhan Ye, will bless you to return! Remember, protect my godfather, and protect yourselves as well."

"Yes, sir!" the three replied with thunderous approval. "We can rest assured!"

Immediately, they put on the cotton armor given to them by Nurhaci and picked up their weapons.

The four did not immediately appear on the deck to avoid attracting the attention of the enemy on the island.

Soon, people on the island discovered the human traffickers' black ship.

"It's Cai Mazi's boat," said several "Buddhist disciples" who spotted the approaching vessel. "They're coming ashore to deliver women to the Buddha again, aren't they?"

The Buddhist monks responsible for coastal guarding showed no sign of vigilance.

Because they were very familiar with this semi-new sand barge with its dragon-headed bow and the diamond-shaped cinnabar painted on the surface.

Who among the island owners of the Zhoushan Archipelago doesn't recognize this ship?

So they just lay lazily on the beach, without reporting to the "Buddha Father" in the slightest.

Soon, the sand barge docked.

Then, a person dressed in magnificent armor suddenly appeared on the deck.

When the Buddhist disciples saw Qi Jiguang in his armor, they trembled with fear. Those with muskets immediately tried to light the fuse as a warning.

However, before the musketeers could even light the fire, a sharp twang of the bowstring rang out, and Qi Jiguang's iron bow shot out an arrow that struck him squarely in the face.

It pierces only the brain, killing instantly!
At the same time, Lancha, Meh, and Nima also drew their bows and shot arrows.

The arrows from the three Jurchens were equally fierce, all aimed at the face.

"Whoosh—" Several "Buddhist disciples" were shot dead before they could even shout.

Qi Jiguang and his men disembarked and rushed ashore like tigers towards Huafo Temple!

...

Inside the Flower Buddha Temple.

Having drunk his fill of sea turtle blood, the Flower Buddha felt hot all over. He couldn't wait to stand up, take off his robe, and go into the meditation room to convert the female benefactor.

But at that moment, he suddenly heard several screams coming from outside the temple, followed by his son shouting in alarm:
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The Flower Buddha was so frightened that his fiery body instantly turned cold, and without thinking, he went to retrieve the musket hanging on the wall.

Outside the temple at that moment, most of the pirates had no time to put on their armor. Seeing the enemy's sudden attack, they could only wear their everyday clothes and brandish their swords to fight back.

There were only a dozen or so people with the A rank.

"They only have four people! We outnumber them ten to one! Kill!"

After all, they were pirates who lived on the edge of a knife; who hadn't shed blood and killed people?

Although seven or eight people had been killed, seeing only four enemies, they became even more ferocious and rushed forward to attack.

But once they surrounded and attacked, they were in big trouble.

Clad in armor, Qi Jiguang wielded his Miao sword like a tiger among sheep, killing as easily as weeding grass, with heads flying into the sky wherever he went.

His Miao sword was very long, and the Qi family sword technique was known for its ability to kill large groups of enemies on the battlefield. This sword technique had killed countless Japanese pirates.

Before the Buddhist disciples could even feel fear, four or five more were killed!
Their encirclement collapsed completely before it could even be completed.

"Who is this person?!"

"who is he!"

Holding a blood-stained longsword, Qi Jiguang descended like a god of war, charging directly towards the area with the most pirates, cutting down everything in his path with a whirlwind advance, invincible in his path.

Seven or eight armored pirates, their eyes red and roaring, rushed forward, but how could they possibly stop them?

Before the group could even regroup, two heads flew up and instantly tore apart, ripped apart like paper.

As soon as the two heads hit the ground, two more heads flew up.

In the blink of an eye, Qi Jiguang killed four armored pirates without suffering any harm himself.

The veteran's formidable martial prowess and defense, coupled with his ferocious, tiger-like killing ability, utterly terrified the bandits.

"We can't stop him!"

"Run away!"

"We can't stop it!!"

Lancha was like a tiger, killing several people in succession, invincible. Meh and Nima were also like ferocious gods.

It's a long story. But from the moment Qi Jiguang arrived at the temple gate until now, less than ten breaths have passed.

In just a short while, more than thirty pirates were killed by the four men. Among them, more than a dozen were killed by Qi Jiguang.

He was truly like a god of war.

This was not only because Qi Jiguang's martial arts skills were too strong, but also because he wore iron armor.

The remaining pirates turned and fled into the temple like madmen.

Qi Jiguang and the other three chased after the remaining dozen or so pirates and stormed into the Flower Buddha Temple, their blood splattering everywhere they went.

Having just stormed into the Buddhist temple, Qi Shaobao killed several more people.

With the results of Lancha and others' efforts, only two bandits remained.

"Buddha! Buddha! Help!" The two remaining pirates screamed hysterically, their courage completely shattered.

Both of them had killed more than one person, but they had never been so afraid as they were today.

This general of the Ming army was truly terrifying; he was practically a match for a hundred men!

His knife was so fast that with a single sweep, it precisely sliced ​​through the throat, easily beheading the person.

A large group of people couldn't stop him!

Suddenly a flash of light appeared, followed by a loud "bang," the sound of a musket firing.

Qi Jiguang was a veteran of countless battles; how could he not know how to guard against firearms?
As soon as he entered the temple, he kept glancing at the flashes of the muskets out of the corner of his eye.

Based on his experience, a musket produces a flash and smoke first, followed by a sound.

By the time you hear the sound and react, it's already too late.

But if you see a flame, you should react accordingly. As long as you are quick, it is not difficult to dodge it.

For him, that was even simpler.

He caught a flash of light ahead and deduced that someone was shooting at him from behind the Buddha statue.

So, he instinctively shifted his body to the left, and a bullet grazed past his breastplate.

In fact, with that armor, even if he were hit by a musket, it wouldn't do any good.

The armor of high-ranking generals is very difficult to penetrate by musket bullets.

He dodged the musket fire simply because he was worried about his armor.

The Flower Buddha, hiding behind the Buddha statue, was terrified when he saw that the shot had no effect.

He saw the Ming general wearing a mask and felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

Who is it?

Ordinary Ming military officers did not possess this type of Ming armor.

"Could it be...him?!" Hua Fo thought of a name and felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Pfft! Pfft!" Two streaks of blood flew up, and his last two disciples were also killed by Meh and Niman.

Of all the pirates on the island, only Flower Buddha remains.

Hua Fo's eyes were bloodshot, his body was ice-cold, and with a "thud," the still-smoking matchlock gun in his hand fell to the ground.

The tall and imposing Qi Jiguang, dragging a blood-stained long sword, walked slowly toward the Flower Buddha with the clanging of his armor, exuding an imposing aura.

"Ka...ka..."

Hua Fo was terrified, and his knees buckled, causing him to kneel down.

"General Qi... have mercy!"

He finally guessed who this god-like Ming general was.

It was his enemy, Qi Yuanjing, who had once been in charge of the anti-Japanese military affairs of Shandong, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces!
P.S.: I'm begging you! I'm practically rolling on the ground! We already have three patrons, and I'll give a special thank you speech at the release event. The patrons' bonus chapters will have to wait until September 1st when the book is released.

(End of this chapter)