Chuang Wang, Li Yan, Li Guo, and Liu Zongmin were leading a force of just over a thousand men through the rugged Dabie Mountains.
After several days of "practicing benevolence and righteousness," their numbers had grown to around fifteen hundred.
Chuang Wang had forbidden looting and killing. They treated commoners kindly and only targeted official garrisons and imperial granaries for supplies. Though still small in number, the army felt different now.
There was laughter among the troops.
No more endless sighs. No more hollow stares filled with uncertainty about the future.
Chuang Wang could not help but admire Li Yan. It was Li Yan who had suggested this path of benevolence, allowing him to rise again from despair.
"Report, Big Brother. Baimao Town is just beyond the next ridge," a scout said.
Baimao Town lay on the southern slope of the Dabie Mountains, southwest of the third branch of the Tianyang range.
As Chuang Wang emerged from the mountains, he found himself approaching the town.
"Is there an official granary?" he asked quietly.
"I'm not sure about that," the scout replied, his expression turning strange. "But a large army has occupied Baimao Town."
"Are they here to suppress us?" Chuang Wang asked.
"No… it doesn't look like it," the scout said. "They're building defensive works inside the town. It seems like they're preparing to block someone."
Chuang Wang's interest was immediately piqued.
"Come. Let's take a look from the mountainside."
He brought only Li Yan, Li Guo, and Liu Zongmin. The four of them crawled to a high slope and looked down at Baimao Town.
Indeed, a massive army occupied the town, no fewer than ten thousand men.
Only a small portion wore official uniforms. The rest were dressed in mixed clothing.
Chuang Wang quickly spotted a thousand members of the Gao Family Village Militia.
He would never forget their distinctive attire.
"It's that strange firearms unit. How did they end up here?"
Li Guo frowned. "They can't be chasing us. We're too few now. It wouldn't make sense to send a specialized firearms unit just for us."
Chuang Wang glanced up at the reconnaissance hot air balloon floating above Baimao Town and nodded.
"With so few of us scattered across the Dabie Mountains, even their large Kongming lantern wouldn't easily spot us. They're definitely not here for us. Let's observe."
They lay there quietly.
The firearms unit was directing others to build defensive structures.
Baimao Town's walls were low and small. It could not possibly house over ten thousand soldiers, so defenses were being constructed outside the town as well.
Chuang Wang saw them piling stones and packed earth into low walls about half a man's height.
These were not single lines. They formed staggered layers that spread outward from both sides of the town, extending far across the open ground.
Li Guo said, "They've broken up the flat terrain with these low walls. No one can form proper battle ranks like that."
Chuang Wang nodded.
"They don't need ranks. They want staggered cover so their flintlock riflemen can fire from behind it. Arrows and bullets will be blocked. Charging cavalry will also be slowed."
Li Guo thought about it carefully and realized it made sense.
The firearms unit was also digging trenches. Rows of ditches encircled Baimao Town, forming layered defensive rings.
Li Guo stared blankly.
"How are we supposed to fight against something like that?"
Chuang Wang closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Unless you bombard them with cannons, I see no way. And even cannons might not work well. Those trenches make it easy to avoid artillery. With this setup, they're nearly invincible."
"Huh?" Li Guo blurted.
Chuang Wang sighed.
"This is the advantage of advanced weapons. Because they have flintlock rifles, they can use tactics like this. We do not. When we fight, we must form ranks. If we dug trenches or built low walls, we would only disrupt our own formations."
Li Guo remained completely confused.
But the most bewildered person at that moment was Li Yan.
He did not understand much about battlefield tactics. What he was observing was discipline.
This large army had settled in Baimao Town and was digging trenches and building walls. Under normal circumstances, government troops would force the townspeople to do such labor.
This army did not.
They did not harm a single civilian.
While some soldiers dug and built, others entered the town to reassure the people and distribute porridge to those in need.
The townspeople remained calm. The whole town felt orderly and steady.
Li Yan suddenly exclaimed, "Wait. This army is using the same method as us. They are practicing benevolence and righteousness."
Chuang Wang's brows furrowed deeply.
He had always known they were powerful in battle.
He had not expected them to be ahead in strategy as well.
This strange firearms unit seemed to have practiced benevolence and righteousness from the beginning, while he had only just started after meeting Li Yan.
Compared to them, he was far behind.
He had lost in both strength and strategy.
"Look. Another army is approaching," Liu Zongmin said, pointing west.
Chuang Wang turned his head and immediately recognized them.
"Zuo Liangyu."
Zuo Liangyu's army was easy to identify.
At the center were three thousand government soldiers in bright, well maintained armor, presenting the image of a regular imperial force.
But surrounding them were large numbers of unruly, pacified bandits.
There was no discipline.
Even Zuo Liangyu's three thousand core troops lacked strict order. The surrounding bandits were noisy, chaotic, and kicking up clouds of dust.
The army halted outside Baimao Town.
Zuo Liangyu burst into loud laughter.
"Shi Kefa! A scholar leading troops is truly laughable. Do you even know how to wage war? Building low walls everywhere and digging trenches. Are you putting on a show?"
Chuang Wang muttered, "He still doesn't understand the power of the firearms unit. He doesn't grasp how flintlock riflemen are deployed."
Zuo Liangyu's booming voice carried across the field.
"Listen well! Shi Kefa, as Governor of Anqing and Luzhou, has unlawfully brought troops into Huguang. He harbors rebellious intent! I, Zuo Liangyu, remain loyal to the imperial court. I will eradicate this rebellious faction and uphold the law!"
The bandits burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
Zuo Liangyu waved his hand forward.
"Attack!"
Two large cannons were rolled out from the government formation.
But before the artillerymen could finish loading them, Baimao Town opened fire first.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Portable small cannon barrels spat flames. Explosive grenades arced through the air toward Zuo Liangyu's artillery position.