Late Ming Dynasty: From the Defeated Soldiers at Daling River to Ascending the Throne

Qin Shouyi glanced at Chen Feng and the others, then at the Tartar pursuers behind him.

Chen Feng was still unconscious, Hao Dadao beneath him was also pale, and the others were all injured and staggering.

He didn't know what had happened to Chen Qianzong and his men, but since the Night Scouts were following them and the pursuers behind them were the elite Bayara troops, the previous explosion was very likely the work of Chen Qianzong and his men.

He glanced at the dagger he had just acquired the night before, then looked at the villagers who were helping the wounded, and his eyes gradually hardened.

If this continues, the Tartars will definitely catch up with us. We must hold them off!

Qin Shouyi raised his dagger and resolutely turned around, shouting, "Turn back! Kill the Tartars!"

A dozen or so villagers stood behind him, looking at the several heavily armored Bayara riders behind them, and then at their own unarmored cotton-padded clothes. Many of them turned pale.

But no one backed down. Helping the Night Scouts cover the rear and delay the Tartars was not a first for many.

One of the older villagers gave his companion, who was supporting the wounded, a resolute look and cursed, "Fuck you Tartars! I'll fight you to the death!"

He turned and followed Qin Shouyi as they charged towards the Tartars.

The second one, the third one... a dozen or so villagers roared and rushed behind them.

When Orosechen caught sight of the group of ragged Nikans daring to rush down, a flash of fury crossed his eyes.

"Kill!" He swung his sword, and six Bayara men behind him rushed forward.

The two groups of people were only fifty paces apart when they collided in the blink of an eye.

Qin Shouyi charged to the front, his eyes fixed on the towering figures. "Attack their lower bodies! Tear them down!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers picked up their spears and began stabbing at the gaps in the Bayara's armor. Taking advantage of the two Bayara's unsteady stance, one of them pounced on them and knocked them down.

"Press him down!"

The two men pounced on him and pinned him to the ground.

Naba Yala struggled desperately, but his strength was already exhausted, and he couldn't break free.

The villagers swung their knives and spears at him, the armor plates clanging, and blood spurted from the unarmored parts of his arms and thighs.

Naba Yala screamed in agony, cursing in Manchu as he kicked and thrashed about.

Beside him, another Bayara was also dragged to the ground and pinned down by two villagers, who then hacked at him with knives and spears.

A villager's eyes gleamed with wild joy as he roared, "Killed them! Kill them..."

Before he could finish speaking, a mace came crashing down from the side. With a loud "bang," his head exploded like a watermelon, splattering red and white debris all over the ground.

Ba Yala, who had rushed to his aid, was panting heavily and was about to strike another man when a spear tip pierced his calf.

"Ah—!" he screamed and knelt on one knee.

Just as the villagers were about to rush forward, two bandits swung their knives at them. One villager couldn't dodge in time and fell to the ground with a scream.

Bayala shielded his kneeling companion, forming a protective formation back to back.

The villagers surrounded them, holding knives and spears, but they couldn't get close at all.

When another Bayara joined the battle, the villagers gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Qin Shouyi went straight for Orosechen. He was old and had many hidden injuries. For him to face a Tartar general was like an old hare facing a tired lion. If he was not careful, he would be killed by the lion's claw.

Qin Shouyi leaped up, raised his one arm high above his head, and swung it at Orosechen, intending to use his weight and momentum to knock Orosechen down.

Undeterred, Oroseson swung his sword upwards at the one-armed Nikan before him.

The two knives collided.

"clang!"

Sparks flew.

Qin Shouyi almost dropped his knife and had to take two steps back to regain his balance.

But Oroseson did not let him go, and swung his sword down with great force again.

Knowing he was no match, Qin Shouyi quickly flipped his wrist, not daring to take the powerful blow head-on. Instead, he used his shoulder to brace against the blade, using the force of the rotation to deflect most of the force.

The blade grazed the top of his head, and a few strands of white hair fell with the blade.

Qin Shouyi ducked down, slipped under Erosaichen's arm, and with a swift turn of his blade, aimed the tip at Erosaichen's armpit.

There was no armor there, only cloth and chainmail.

But the chainmail blocked it; the blade only made a small cut on the cloth, without even drawing blood.

Orošechen turned and swung his blade again. Qin Shouyi dodged to the side and slashed at Orošechen's neck with a backhand. Orošechen tilted his head, the blade grazing his ear.

The two became entangled in a fight.

Qin Shouyi was agile and, relying on his superior stamina, left several shallow wounds on Erossen.

Orosechen was like an enraged beast, each of his strikes carrying murderous intent, but Qin Shouyi always managed to dodge, deflect the force, and add another wound to his body.

However, Qin Shouyi was old and his strength soon failed him. When Oro Sechen seized the opportunity, he slashed Qin Shouyi across the chest with a knife.

With a "ripping" sound, a large gash was cut open in the cotton armor on his chest, and the feel of the knife tip slicing through the lock entered Oroseschen's hand.

A hint of surprise flashed in Oroseson's eyes.

This one-armed Nikan actually has chainmail!?

Qin Shouyi looked at his slashed chest and muttered, "Thanks to Sanfu."

Before he could catch his breath, he saw the Tartar opposite him take a mace from his waist and put it into a dual-wielding position with a dagger in one hand and a mace in the other.

Orosechen moved, sweeping his mace horizontally and thrusting straight at the blade.

Qin Shouyi dodged the mace and parried the straight knife, but with only one knife and one arm, how could he withstand two weapons attacking at the same time?

Although they dodged the first attack, they weren't so lucky the second time.

The gudu brushed past his shoulder, and he stumbled a step, only to be met by Oroseson's dagger again.

He raised his knife to parry, but was a fraction of a second too slow, and the blade slashed into his ribs.

The chainmail blocked the blade's entry, but the force made his chest feel tight, as if two of his ribs had broken.

Qin Shouyi took two steps back, panting heavily, his mouth filled with the taste of rust, and white and red specks began to appear in his vision.

Orosechen gave the enemy no chance to breathe, and swung his mace and sword repeatedly.

Qin Shouyi was overwhelmed and failed to completely block any of the attacks.

The mace hit his left shoulder, and he felt as if his body had left the ground.

Before he even hit the ground, Shun slashed a gash in his waist, breaking the lock and causing blood to gush out.

He knelt on one knee, his knife braced against the ground, panting heavily.

Orosechen stood before him, looking down at him as if he were a dead man.

Qin Shouyi raised his head; blood was flowing from his chin and the corner of his mouth, and his vision was blurred.

He glanced back at General Chen, but his vision was completely blood red, and he couldn't see anything.

The screams of the villagers seemed to be ringing in my ears, but I couldn't hear them anymore; my entire consciousness was consumed by pain.

Turning my gaze to Oroseson, I could only vaguely make out a blood-red figure.

He leaned on his knife, barely managing to sit up, and used all his strength to raise his head high.

"Drive out the barbarians!" His voice was hoarse. "Recovering..."

Before he could finish speaking, Orošechen swung his mace upwards and smashed it into his chin.

Qin Shouyi's mind went blank for a moment, and his thin body was lifted into the air, his whole body leaning backward, and his head flying out.

Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, drawing an arc in the air.

While his body was still in mid-air, Oroseson's blade slashed down on his neck.

His head flew off with a thud, landing heavily on the ground with gushing blood, rolling several feet away, his eyes still wide open, revealing an indomitable ferocity.

The entire process took less than thirty breaths before Qin Shouyi became a victim of Erosaichen's blade.

Although the villagers were fearless, they could only kill one more person when faced with the Bayara, whose equipment and training were several levels higher than their own, even if they fought to the last drop of blood.

Orossen, panting heavily, didn't look at the head he had just severed, but raised his gaze to the spies who had blown up the gunpowder depot ahead.

He was nearing his physical limit; if he couldn't bring the culprit back, he wouldn't be able to face the Khan and his family.

Therefore, he had to capture those few Nikans, dead or alive.

He picked up a spear from the ground and hurled it with all his might at the figure rapidly approaching him.