With 100,000 elite soldiers at the start, what should you call me?

……

In the darkness, the sound of several galloping hooves broke the silence of the night.

Three Qing soldiers ahead were sweating profusely, raising their whips and lashing their horses' rumps repeatedly while squeezing their bellies with their legs.

Five or six cavalrymen from the new army were hot on their heels.

Boom!

Several gunshots rang out, and a Qing soldier fell from his horse.

The other two soldiers were so frightened that their pupils shrank.

"Wang Mazi! Let's split up and run! We must get the message back to the Governor!"

Another Qing soldier shouted.

They were Qing spies hidden near Jianning Prefecture, monitoring its every move.

However, tonight they were suddenly attacked.

It was very sudden, as if their location had been exposed long ago.

Without saying a word, Wang Mazi fled in another direction.

Cai Hei, the captain of the reconnaissance team who was in pursuit, also reacted immediately.

"Disperse the pursuit; if you can't shoot the men, shoot the horses."

The team split into two groups, all of whom were elite soldiers in the new army who could ride horses, and the captain, Cai Hei, was particularly skilled at shooting from horseback.

He aimed at the moving shadowy figure ahead, pulled the trigger, cocked the gun, and pulled the trigger again, firing five or six bullets in less than ten seconds.

Shortly afterward, the darkness ahead suddenly stopped moving; the target had been killed.

"Captain, we've completed our mission here as well."

After a while, the scouts from the other side returned and joined them.

"Okay, come with me to that hillside over there to rest." Cai Hei pointed to the dark hillside in the distance.

Not long after Cai Hei and the others left, the figure that had been lying on the ground started moving again.

"Damn it, luckily I was one step ahead, hiss—"

Wang Mazi slowly sat up from the ground.

He was just being chased and killed by three people, and he was powerless to resist. If he didn't use some tricks, he, Wang Mazi, was doomed.

So he used his special skill, the "Hanging Bag," to flip over and hide under the horse. However, he was still shot twice and fell off the horse, landing in a ditch beside it. Only then did he escape death.

"If there are no horses, I'll walk back!"

Wang Mazi tore off a strip of cloth and quickly treated his wound. Both bullets had hit his left arm, leaving him with only one arm.

I was lucky when I fell; I didn't hit my head, but I did break my leg.

Wang Mazi picked up a wooden stick and limped toward the military camp.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Outside the Qing army camp, Wang Mazi finally limped back.

"Take me to the governor immediately, I have urgent news!"

Wang Mazi took out his identification from his pocket, and the guards immediately let him into the camp.

Several more people rushed over and carried Wang Mazi inside.

Chen Jin, with two young girls on either side of him, was still having a sweet dream when the commotion outside the tent woke him up.

"The Governor has an urgent report: a scout has been seriously wounded and has something urgent to report to you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin became much more sober, immediately kicked the woman off the bed, got out of bed, put on his clothes, and went out.

"Bring the person here."

Not long after, Wang Mazi was carried in. He had lost too much blood and was somewhat delirious.

Chen Jin was wide awake and felt uneasy, so he immediately went to Wang Mazi's side.

All that could be heard was Wang Mazi repeatedly saying the same thing: "Night attack...the rebels launched a night attack..."

Not long after, Wang Mazi fainted.

Chen Jin's pupils contracted, and his scalp tingled.

The rebels launched a night attack!

He had not received a message from Qi Wan!

In an instant, Chen Jin realized that something serious had happened.

"Wake everyone up! Assemble!"

The sound of gongs soon echoed throughout the Qing army camp.

Many Qing soldiers, still asleep, realized the danger upon hearing the urgent gong sound. They immediately donned their armor and left the camp, while torches were lit throughout the camp.

At the same time, the sound of gongs was accompanied by the sound of gunfire.

The new army had reached the vicinity of the Qing army's camp and began its attack.

The new army's attack was both very conservative and terrifying.

Maintain a distance of about 100 meters, surround the Qing army camp, and then keep firing mindlessly, getting closer little by little, like a shrinking circle of death.

The soldiers living on the outskirts of the camp quickly realized something was wrong. They were still wearing their armor inside the tents when, in the next second, the tents were torn open and the soldiers' heads were blown off.

In an instant, a sense of fear permeated the Qing army.

"Run! Run!"

"Get down! Get down now!"

"No, I don't want to die. I haven't received my pay for this month yet."

Fear spread through the army. Some people had already fled their tents in a frenzy, and some had even gone insane, rushing out to grab knives and slashing people indiscriminately.

Some camps had already begun to riot, especially the local militia and garrison soldiers. Faced with a night attack, they had only one thought: "Our army has been defeated, run!"

Meanwhile, on a nearby earthen slope, Kong Yunfei was observing the battle situation in the distance with a single-tube telescope.

In the darkness, the Qing army camp was brightly lit and stood out conspicuously.

"The commander-in-chief has ordered all units of our army to their designated positions as planned and has launched a full-scale offensive."

"Commander-in-chief, the Qing army has begun organizing troops in the rear to launch a counterattack."

Kong Yunfei listened to the report with a calm expression.

He was in full charge of this operation and was temporarily appointed as the commander-in-chief.

According to the plan, the First, Second, and Fourth Armies would surround the lower half, while the Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Armies would surround the upper half, leaving an opening at the very top for the Qing army to escape.

The most unique Longxiang First Army was responsible for the middle section, with the cavalry battalion roaming the rear to provide fire support at any time, and the Shenji Battalion bombarding the middle section with artillery fire.

"Send the vanguard battalion to the central command tent. Ten minutes later, the rearguard battalion will also rush in, tasked with cutting off the entire Qing army from the middle!"

Upon receiving the order, Yan Naichao immediately commanded his men to charge.

Huang Cai was also involved in the operation; he was a company commander in the vanguard battalion.

He had just risked breaking through the city two days ago, and tonight, he would risk his life again to be at the forefront of the battle.

But he had no complaints, because the reward for the first successful capture of the city had been issued, and damn it, it was a full fifty taels of silver!

In the past, he would have had to plunder countless households to acquire the equipment, and he would also have to pay tribute to his superiors, replace and repair his own equipment, and participate in a battle as if it were an investment.

If you're lucky, you might make some money, but if you're unlucky, you might lose everything!

Fighting alongside the Qing army might bring great wealth, but it's more akin to an unstable investment gamble.

But following the new army, he felt a sense of stability. They provided food and lodging, and the equipment was all issued by the higher-ups and was of good quality. He didn't have to worry about anything; he just needed to complete the missions.

With fifty taels of silver in his hands and a stable salary of two taels, Huang Cai suddenly felt that his future path had become clear.

May you get promoted, make a fortune, and get married!

"Brothers, follow me and kill them!"

"If we reach the central command tent, our mission will be complete!"

Huang Cai, clad in triple armor and completely covered up, charged into the Qing army camp with a knife in one hand and a round shield in the other.