Just as Shi Zhen's guard had relaxed slightly, Hou Junji and his men quietly and slowly approached.
Closer.
Even closer.
When they were about a hundred paces away, Hou Junji waved his hand, and a group of archers emerged from behind him!
Swish, swish, swish!
A volley of arrows flew, with no regard for the outcome.
Hou Junji shouted, "Kill!"
Shi Zhen was stunned.
The sudden volley of arrows caught him completely off guard.
Although he had been vigilant, the defense forces and the Skyfire Army wore the same uniforms made of fine linen, which offered no protection against sharp arrows.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
After the sound of arrows piercing flesh, many of the soldiers beside him let out muffled groans.
Then, Shi Zhen watched helplessly as they fell to the ground.
This volley of arrows had taken away nearly half of his brothers!
If the remaining men hadn't been shielded by their comrades and the buildings, this single attack would have wiped out the Second Company!
Before he could recover, he heard the shouts of battle not far ahead.
"Quick! Quick! Fire!"
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The remaining fifty-odd soldiers opened fire.
However, they couldn't form a suppressing barrage.
Watching the enemy troops charging out from the shadows, Shi Zhen quickly changed his strategy.
"Grenades! On three!"
At close range, there wasn't enough time for a timed fuse.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, dozens of grenades were thrown towards Hou Junji with a three-second fuse.
Shi Zhen had no idea that the enemy leader already had a countermeasure.
"Shield wall!"
The worn-out shields were taken from behind the enemy soldiers, forming a shield wall to block the grenades.
"What the hell! Where did these bastards come from!"
"Send a signal to the Third Company! Quick!"
A soldier beside him activated a signal flare.
"Continue with the grenades, throw them higher!"
"I don't believe this shell can't be cracked!"
"Blast them hard!"
Another wave of grenades was thrown directly at the heads of Hou Junji's soldiers.
Hou Junji's side, as if rehearsed, quickly adjusted.
Watching the grenades flying overhead, they swiftly adjusted the orientation of their shield wall.
Boom, boom, boom!
After a series of grenade explosions, Shi Zhen watched helplessly as only a few enemies fell.
Covered by the shields, the enemy continued to advance!
"Damn it!"
Shi Zhen grew anxious: "I need someone to stuff the grenades inside the shields!"
"Company Commander, I'll go!"
A soldier with a disfigured face stepped forward.
His face had been disfigured outside the city of Pyongyang.
Shi Zhen looked at him and said through gritted teeth, "Godspeed, brother!"
The soldier nodded heavily.
He took the remaining two grenades from his body.
He also asked for a few more from others.
He wrapped the round grenades in his clothes, gathering all the fuses in his left hand.
Holding the grenades in his right hand, he charged towards the enemy.
Shi Zhen roared, "Cover me!"
The soldiers of the Second Company raised their guns and fired at the shield wall.
Anyone who tried to move the shields to shoot at their charging brother would be targeted by several guns.
The soldier sprinted, his legs pumping, looking at the shield wall ahead.
Closer, even closer.
Suddenly, just as he was within reach, two long spears thrust out from the gaps in the shield wall, piercing directly into his chest.
Puff!
A mouthful of blood spurted out.
He mustered the last ounce of strength in his body.
He pulled the fuses, and the grenades stuffed in his clothes began to emit white smoke.
"Come on! Let's have some fun! After all, there's plenty of ti~me!"
Before he could sing the last word, he closed his eyes.
But he succeeded.
A whole pocketful, eight grenades, were stuffed into the gaps of the shield wall!
Through the very gaps from which the spears had thrust out!
Hou Junji's men behind the shields were engulfed by a fierce explosion before they could even cry out.
The shield wall instantly fell into chaos.
"Grenades! Send our brother off!"
Shi Zhen's eyes welled up with tears as he shouted with all his might.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
One grenade after another was thrown into the gaps created in the shield wall by the explosions.
At this moment, he didn't care about the fallen brother's body; let these enemies be his funeral escort!
Wave after wave, the remaining soldiers of the Second Company threw all their grenades at once.
Hou Junji was stunned by the explosions!
These men were so fearless of death!
"Charge through! They've run out of grenades! Hurry!"
Seeing the grenades stop, Hou Junji didn't dare to miss such a good opportunity.
If the enemy reinforcements arrived, it would be uncertain how much longer it would take to have another chance to charge.
Of the thousand men he had brought, only seven hundred remained!
Seven hundred men charged desperately towards the Second Company.
These men, like sacrificing warriors, pressed forward with shields, enduring the hail of bullets. After a distance of several tens of paces, having left nearly two hundred bodies behind, they finally engaged in close combat with the Second Company.
"Draw swords!"
Shi Zhen roared, discarding his Yun Yi-style firearm and drawing the long saber at his waist.
The saber was a Tang dao.
A fine steel Tang dao produced by the workshop.
"Blade formation!"
The soldiers of the Second Company were less than forty now.
They dropped their guns in unison, drew their swords, and formed a back-to-back blade formation.
"Chop!"
More than forty Tang daos were raised high and then brought down instantly!
Swish!
Clang!
Ah!
The Tang daos shattered the enemy's weapons and severed their arms. The terror they inflicted was greater than that caused by firearms.
The superiority of these cold weapons made them even more fearful.
The fact that even standard weapons could be so well-made further solidified Hou Junji's resolve to abduct the craftsmen and workshop equipment!
"Hold them off, the rest of you, follow me!"
Hou Junji gave the order.
The remaining five hundred men split into two groups. One group engaged the Second Company, while he himself led over two hundred men straight towards the craftsmen's dormitory.
He had visited the workshop several times before and had paid attention to its layout.
Therefore, as he kicked open the door, he saw a group of terrified craftsmen huddled together, trembling.
They had never experienced such a scene before!
Most of these craftsmen came from the Ministry of Works. They were excellent at making things.
But when it came to killing! Few of them had ever seen it.
As Hou Junji, carrying a blood-stained long saber, entered the dormitory, their faces were filled with horror.
"Get up, all of you! Come with me, and I'll spare your lives!"
"Anyone who resists, I'll send you on your way right now!"
"Take them all away!"
After speaking, Hou Junji waved to the men behind him.
The soldiers he brought swarmed in, directly tying up the craftsmen, then pairing them up, and escorting them out.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly echoed from outside.
A rough voice reached Hou Junji's ears.
"Who dares to cause trouble in Fang Family Village!"