Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

The guards were intently watching the fierce battle ahead and didn't notice Lin Fan.

Lin Fan rushed to the rocket, quickly checked the fuse, grabbed one of them, and also picked up a discarded soft bow and a long fuse used for rockets.

He surveyed the battlefield and quickly made a judgment.

Although the government cavalry was blocked on the hillside and locked in a fierce battle with the peasant army, about twenty riders behind them, led by a man who looked like an officer, retreated slightly and were reorganizing their formation. They seemed to be looking for a new breakthrough or waiting for the infantry behind them to come up and crush the peasant army's defenses in one fell swoop.

The officers were positioned relatively close together, about sixty or seventy paces apart, right at the edge of the rocket's maximum effective range.

That's it!

Lin Fan hid behind a protruding rock and attached the explosive rocket to the flexible bow.

He immediately used the long fuse to carefully connect and extend the rocket's fuse with the one in his hand, and then ignited it.

Then, he leaned out halfway, used all his strength to draw the bow, which was still too stiff for him, aimed the arrow at the officer and the cavalry gathered around him, estimated the parabola, and suddenly released it!

The rocket flew out crookedly, its initial velocity was very slow due to insufficient bow thrust, and its flight trajectory was high and erratic.

But its extended fuse hissed and burned, leaving a noticeable trail of smoke in the air, attracting the attention of many people below, including the officer.

"What is that?!" The officer looked up, surprised and uncertain.

The rocket reached its highest point and began to fall, heading directly towards the officer's location! However, its speed was too slow, and its trajectory was obvious.

"Stop it!" the officer shouted, instinctively spurring his horse to the side to avoid it.

At that moment, the extended fuse burned out!

boom--!!!

An explosion several times louder than the previous test launch suddenly erupted down the hillside!

A flash of fire, and black smoke billowed up!

Although the explosive charge was still limited, the effect of the iron shot and gravel flying through the crowd was surprisingly amazing!

"Ah! My eyes!"

"Oh my god! There's a cannon!"

"Scatter! Scatter now!"

Screams, cries of alarm, and the neighing of horses filled the air instantly!

At least four or five people covered their faces or rolled on the ground, while many more were terrified by the sudden explosion and spray, especially the infantry auxiliary soldiers, who let out a shout and retreated.

Although the officer managed to dodge, his horse was startled and reared up, nearly throwing him off, making it impossible for him to effectively command it for a moment.

The peasant soldiers who were fighting hard on the hillside were also startled by the sudden explosion and the chaos of the enemy, and their morale was greatly boosted!

"Heavenly lightning! It was heavenly lightning that helped me!"

"Kill them! The corrupt officials are in chaos!"

Wang Ziyong, covered in blood, was overjoyed at the sight and roared as he brandished his sword:

"Brothers! The government dogs can't hold on any longer! Follow me and kill them!"

The previously crumbling defensive line was temporarily stabilized thanks to the chaos and morale boost brought about by the explosion, and the government troops climbing the hillside were even forced back a few steps.

The officer finally managed to control the runaway horse. Seeing his men in disbelief and his offensive faltering, with the main force of infantry yet to catch up and the "bandits" on the ridge seemingly possessing strange firearms, he gritted his teeth and finally reluctantly sounded the retreat horn.

woo-

As the deep bugle call sounded, the government cavalry, as if granted a pardon, turned their horses around and retreated in a coordinated manner, disregarding the corpses and wounded of their comrades. They only killed the wounded but not yet dead warhorses, quickly disengaged, and retreated back to the mountain pass from which they had come.

More than a dozen human and horse corpses were left on the hillside, along with a few wounded people groaning.

On the ridge, the surviving peasant soldiers were stunned for a moment, then burst into a joyful cheer, their voices trembling with tears, as if they had survived a catastrophe.

Many people collapsed to the ground, exhausted, or leaned on their weapons, panting heavily.

Wang Ziyong walked over, supported by his personal guards. His left arm had been stabbed so deeply that the bone was visible, and blood was still flowing. However, his face was flushed with excitement.

He walked up to Lin Fan, looking at the young man with blood on his face and panting heavily with mixed feelings, and then at the mess below the mountain and the still-lingering black smoke.

"Master Lin," Wang Ziyong's voice was a little hoarse, "impressive skill! Did you shoot that exploding arrow?"

Lin Fan nodded, still shaken: "Luckily, luckily. The quantity we prepared was too small and unstable."

"What a lucky break!" Wang Ziyong patted his uninjured shoulder heavily. "If it weren't for your bombing today, which disrupted the government dogs' rear guard, we probably wouldn't have been able to hold this hill! You've done a great service!"

The surrounding soldiers also cast respectful and grateful glances their way.

That thunderous explosion left an indelible impression on many people.

Lin Fan, however, could not be happy.

Looking at the corpses lying haphazardly on the hillside and smelling the overwhelming stench of blood, he felt a chill run through his body.

He improved the arrows, built rockets, and even used explosive arrows, which may have changed the outcome of this small-scale skirmish, but the price he paid was equally heavy.

Judging by sight, our side suffered no fewer than thirty or forty casualties, and most of them were veteran soldiers who dared to fight.

Although the government troops retreated, only their cavalry suffered a setback; the main force of infantry had not yet arrived, and the threat was far from over.

Sure enough, the excitement on Wang Ziyong's face quickly faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

"We can't stay here any longer! That old dog Du Wenhuan has suffered a loss, he won't let it go! Everyone listen up: only pack the essentials, the seriously wounded... sigh, bring as many as you can! The lightly wounded can look after each other! We'll head north tonight into Huanglong Mountain! The mountains there are high and the valleys are deep, the terrain is treacherous, and the government troops simply can't deploy their large forces there!"

The order was given, and the camp erupted in chaos and mournful cries once again.

Abandoning unnecessary supplies, hastily burying the bodies of their comrades, and carrying only limited food and wounded soldiers, this battered and bruised group, like a wounded pack of wolves, silently and hastily disappeared into the denser shadows of the mountains to the north as dusk fell.

Lin Fan walked in the middle of the group and looked back. The twilight was heavy, and the mountain ridge that had just experienced a bloody battle was gradually becoming blurred. Only a few wisps of smoke that had not yet been extinguished and the carrion crows that kept circling around indicated the tragedy there.

He touched his pocket; he was running low on gunpowder, which was needed to make rockets and explosive arrows.

Knowledge is power, but in this chaotic world, power needs a vehicle, resources, and even more so... direction.

Wang Ziyong's troops retreated into the mountains after their defeat, their future uncertain.

Where is Li Zicheng, his original target, the "Chuang King" who would stir up the world in real history?

Historically, the forces of Wang Jiayin, Wang Ziyong, and others, along with those of Li Zicheng and Gao Yingxiang, should have been in northern Shaanxi at this time, sometimes united and sometimes separated, supporting each other while each having their own territory.

Perhaps this retreat, this move to deeper mountainous areas, will be an opportunity?

An opportunity that brings him closer to that goal?

The night was as dark as ink, and the mountain road was rugged.

Only weary footsteps and suppressed groans echoed as they struggled forward in the endless darkness.