Upon hearing Cheng Xu's shout, Bai Yuan's spirits lifted. Peering forward through the moonlight, he could see a large group still standing beneath the trees across the way—Seventh Team's reserve force, composed of elderly, women, and children who hadn't yet joined the fray.
Bai Yuan instantly grasped Cheng Xu's intention: Attack what the enemy must protect. The enemy will naturally turn to defend their families. Then anyone blocking our path will undoubtedly be Seventh Team—no mistake possible.
He pointed toward the group of non-combatants: "Feint attack—that direction."
The Gao Village militia roared first, charging toward Seventh Team's reserve force.
Their charge genuinely startled Seventh Team—those were their families, their vulnerability.
Seventh Team's able-bodied men abandoned their Second Team opponents, turning to intercept the Gao Village militia.
An army mid-battle most fears such sudden, chaotic shifts—only bandit forces would act so undisciplined. The situation immediately descended into utter chaos.
Gao Village's two foremost fighters, Gao Chu Wu and Zheng Da Niu, charged at the front. Both stood tall and broad, clad in heavy armor, unstoppable.
A Seventh Team fighter rushed from the side, blocking ahead. Gao Chu Wu swept his long spear, sending the man flying far away.
Seeing this, a hardened bandit under Night-Ranger's command raised a makeshift cauldron-lid shield, hoping to withstand a few strikes. But Zheng Da Niu's spear thrust forward; the man blocked with the lid—the spear tip indeed couldn't penetrate the metal, but the tremendous force behind it slammed the lid thud against the man's chest, knocking him flat.
Another Seventh Team bandit, seeing Zheng Da Niu's attention elsewhere, thrust a spear from the side. But the bamboo shaft with its sharpened tip striking Zheng Da Niu's iron armor proved utterly useless.
Zheng Da Niu didn't even pause. He leaned forward—crack!—the bamboo spear snapped against him. The spearman stumbled backward, landing hard on his rear.
A Second Team Qingjian villager leaped from beside them, swinging a stone lock that smashed the man's skull, instantly settling his account.
Thus the battlefield dynamics grew intriguing.
Seventh Team bandits desperately charged to rescue their families. The Gao Village militia suddenly became the battlefield's magnet, while Second Team pursued Seventh Team, hacking at their backs.
This battle proceeded with absolutely no discernible tactics.
Seeing his position had become the focal point, with everyone charging toward him, Bai Yuan felt genuine alarm. He disliked being the target of all attention, but having decided to feint-attack the enemy's non-combatants, he'd mentally prepared. Now, with bandits swarming recklessly, he hastily roared: "Form up tight! Raise spears! Raise spears!"
After some training, the Gao Village militia reacted quickly. They snapped into a tight formation, raising their spears.
Their spears bore iron heads—far superior to the bandits' sharpened bamboo. Clustered together with spears raised, they presented genuine defensive capability. The disorganized bandit charge proved useless against this spear formation. Even when occasional bamboo spears slipped through, the militia's armor blocked them.
Seventh Team could do nothing against them.
Meanwhile, Second Team took advantage, raining attacks on Seventh Team's backs.
Three-way melee chaos.
This situation desperately needed genuine command!
Both the bandit side and the militia side needed someone to step forward and shout what to do.
But Bai Yuan had never witnessed such a scene—inexperienced. Dian Dengzi knew nothing, merely fretting uselessly on the sidelines.
Only Night-Ranger and Cheng Xu could lead!
These two leaders still dueled one-on-one amidst the chaos.
Amid the fray, Cheng Xu had just exchanged blows with Night-Ranger—clang!—Night-Ranger's blade deflected, Cheng Xu's saber thwacked against Night-Ranger's padded armor, still unable to penetrate.
Night-Ranger grinned, heh, finally catching a breath. He prepared to utter some taunt or shout an order, but before his mouth could open...
Cheng Xu suddenly released his grip, letting his officer saber drop. Simultaneously, he lunged forward, swiftly clamping Night-Ranger's head between his hands, twisting sharply.
Crack! Night-Ranger's neck snapped. His body went limp, collapsing.
"Heh, good thing I just learned Ghost Fist Technique!"
Turns out, realizing his saber couldn't pierce armor, Cheng Xu simply abandoned it, employing the modern military combat techniques he'd secretly observed on the cliff wall. This neck-snapping move executed cleanly, beautifully—killing in an instant. What did armor matter? Could it protect the neck?
Finally eliminating the man who knew his true identity, Cheng Xu sighed in relief. Scanning the surroundings—all visions of Granny had vanished. Safe, safe—the Imperial Guard wouldn't come knocking now.
He bent, retrieved his saber, chopped off Night-Ranger's head, and raised it high, roaring: "Night-Ranger is dead!"
The shout threw Seventh Team into complete disarray.
Now no command was needed. Everyone shouted, turned, and fled.
Gao Chu Wu and Zheng Da Niu strode forward to pursue, but Cheng Xu bellowed: "Halt! Don't chase! Pursuing enemy troops in pitch-dark mountains—want to die? Even if enemies don't kill you, you'll stumble into ravines and fall to your deaths!"
Gao Chu Wu and Zheng Da Niu froze mid-step.
On the other side, Second Team also prepared to pursue, but seeing Bai Family Fort's men stop, they naturally halted as well.
Seventh Team scattered in panic, retreating down the west slope, soon disappearing into the night.
Finally over.
Cheng Xu chuckled, walking to the militia to check casualties. After tallying: aside from two militiamen with sprained ankles and several with minor scrapes, remarkably, no fatalities or serious injuries.
Li Daoxuan's "prioritize armor" development strategy—though violating The Great Ming Code—proved brutally effective. Things that weren't effective wouldn't be illegal anyway.
Cheng Xu chuckled twice, then checked Dian Dengzi's side. They'd suffered few deaths—only several—but many wounded.
Still, when you "walk the streets," injury or death comes expected. Qingjian folk remained tough, enduring without complaint, leaving wounds as they were, life or death left to heaven's will.
Bai Yuan approached: "Carry the wounded. We descend the mountain tonight. Bai Family Fort has miraculous wound medicine."
Dian Dengzi rejoiced, quickly ordering departure.
Over three thousand people, carrying children and wounded, withdrew from Huanglong Mountain overnight. Reaching Bai Family Fort's base, Dian Dengzi wisely ordered his followers not to enter the fort, resting instead in the open ground outside.
Bai Yuan promptly produced the Tianzun-bestowed "Celestial Golden Wound Medicine," applying it to the Qingjian wounded. He also dispatched men with many white steamed buns for a late meal.
These Qingjian countryfolk—since killing officials to rescue Zhao Sheng and rebelling—experienced such considerate treatment for the first time. Finally feeling what "security" meant, moved to tears, they wept openly outside Bai Family Fort.
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[Historical Context: Armor & Medicine]
Cheng Xu's observation about armor violating the Ming Code was accurate. The law prohibited civilians from possessing military-grade armor (甲), though weapons were somewhat tolerated. This reflected the dynasty's fear of organized rebellion—armor turned peasants into soldiers.
The "Celestial Golden Wound Medicine" likely refers to early antiseptic/topical treatments. In the 1630s, wound infection killed more soldiers than battlefield injuries. Basic herbal antiseptics (like honeysuckle, dandelion, or early sulfur preparations) would indeed seem "miraculous" to refugees used to untreated wounds festering to death.