NCCnovel Chapter 163 Night Raid on the Jin Army Camp
Chapter 163 Night Raid on the Jin Army Camp
Fang Wei, the company commander of this squad, stroked the semi-automatic rifle in his hand and whispered to the two soldiers beside him, "Da Kui, Sheng Zi, you two take care of those two Jin soldiers standing guard at the door with your knives. Be quiet when you do it, and don't alert the Jin soldiers inside."
Upon hearing this, Da Kui immediately drew the short knife from his waist, smiled at Fang Wei, and said, "Don't worry, Company Commander, this isn't the first time. I guarantee I'll do a great job."
On a late autumn night, the moonlight was as clear as a wash, yet it carried a chill that could not be ignored, quietly seeping into every inch of the air. For the Jin soldiers who stood guard, this chill was not merely the changing of the seasons, but a silent test of their will. As night watchmen, they bore heavy responsibilities under the silent night sky, yet had to face the predicament of being poorly clothed.
This southward campaign had been unexpected, and they hadn't anticipated being transferred to the Daming Prefecture area. Their packs were filled with only the light, summer-appropriate battle robes. Night fell, and the cold wind, like fine needles, silently pierced the fabric, pricking their skin and causing them to shiver. The Jin soldiers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with helplessness and bitterness. They involuntarily stamped their feet, trying to dispel the chill, but only gained a brief moment of warmth intertwined with an even more acute cold.
Under the moonlight, their shadows stretched out, conveying loneliness and resilience. Every breath seemed to speak of their longing for their hometown and their helplessness in the face of their current predicament.
The Jin soldier on guard duty kept complaining: "Damn it, what kind of weather is this? It's so hot during the day, and so cold at night. Does this godforsaken heaven not want people to live?"
Another person whispered, "Stop complaining, or the team leader will hear you and punish you again."
"What's there to be afraid of! I've already been fined twice this month, what's one more time? It's just that I didn't give him any money last month. This money is what I earned through hard work, why should I give it to him?"
"Alright, shut up. I don't want to gossip with you."
Unbeknownst to them, a short knife was already very close to their necks.
"Pfft!"
Da Kui used his large hand to tightly cover the mouth and nose of a Jin soldier, and plunged a short knife into his back. Before the Jin soldier could even react, he died instantly.
Compared to Da Kui's brutality, Sheng Zi was much gentler. He also covered the Jin soldier's mouth and nose with his hand and directly slit the Jin soldier's throat. Soon the Jin soldier collapsed to the ground.
The two quickly changed into the uniforms of the Jin soldiers, as if silently transforming in the night, seamlessly blending into the surrounding scenery. They stood upright in the place where the two Jin soldiers had stood, their postures dignified, as if they were born to be members of this ranks.
Da Kui's eyes flickered slightly, and he subtly gave Fang Wei a gesture that was almost imperceptible. It was a tacit exchange that needed no words; everything was understood without being spoken.
As this subtle signal was transmitted, the entire team seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, quietly adjusting their formation and pace.
Under the cover of night, each soldier became an undercurrent, silently and resolutely carrying out the mission that was about to begin. The movement of the main force was silent yet powerful, like a pack of wolves hunting silently under the moonlight, every action revealing precision and decisiveness.
During the day, Fang Wei led several platoon leaders to thoroughly scout the Jin army camp from high ground and made arrangements for tonight's combat mission. Their first objective was the enemy's supplies, the second was their siege equipment, and the remainder were the enemy's warhorses and other military targets.
Fang Wei personally led about ten men, planning to take advantage of the chaos to attack the Jin army's main tent and see if he could kill a few important Jin generals.
Before long, a raging fire broke out where the grain and fodder were stored, and almost at the same time, the area where the engineering equipment was stored also caught fire.
"Fire! Get up and put it out!"
"Quickly, go and report to the general!"
"Fire!"
Countless disheveled Jin soldiers ran toward the fire, unaware that many people dressed in black had appeared beside them, undoubtedly their own men now in the camp.
The commotion startled Wanyan Yi awake. He lifted the curtain and asked the Jin soldiers guarding the door, "What's going on?"
"General, judging from the shouts, our grain supplies have caught fire, and they've all gone to put it out."
Wanyan Yi pondered: The supplies are on fire? Oh no, the enemy has infiltrated.
Just then, Zhang Zhaokun led his men to prepare to put out the fire, but Wanyan Yi called out to him loudly.
“You led your men to search the military camp; I suspect the fire was set by the enemy.”
Zhang Zhaokun was taken aback: "You mean the enemy has invaded? Don't worry, General, I'll lead the troops to search right away."
At this moment, Fang Wei quietly approached the imposing central command tent, the night seeming to drape him in a cloak of secrecy. He gripped the semi-automatic rifle tightly, its barrel gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, appearing even sharper in the moonlight.
His gaze, through the cold sights, was firmly locked onto Zhang Zhaokun, with the resolute calmness of a hunter waiting for his prey to fall into the net.
At this moment, Wanyan Yi was casually draped in a sheepskin coat. This unintentional simplicity, however, subtly diminished his general's imposing presence. It was this misconception that led Fang Wei to mistakenly regard Zhang Zhaokun beside him as the soul of this elite army, the key figure who determined the lives and deaths of countless people.
Fang Wei's fingertips trembled slightly with tension, but this tremor was quickly calmed by his unwavering will. He knew that this shot was not only a matter of personal honor and disgrace, but also a matter of the balance of power between the two armies, and the hope for countless comrades' lives. So, he took a deep breath, letting his heartbeat blend with the night, waiting for that decisive moment to arrive, to let the bullet pierce the silence, and to bring this long battle to a shocking end.
"Clap clap clap!"
Although Zhang Zhaokun was wearing armor, it couldn't stop the power of the bullets. He sensed danger as soon as the gunshot rang out, but it was too late to dodge. After three shots, one hit his neck. Blood gushed out like a burst of running water. Zhang Zhaokun tried to stop it with his hands, but it was no use. He collapsed to the ground within a few breaths.
Although he didn't know what kind of weapon it was, Zhang Zhaozhong fell right in front of him, and Wanyan Yi quickly hid in the tent.
Fang Wei kept pulling the trigger at the remaining men, quickly emptying the gun.
He shouted to the soldiers beside him, "Retreat!"
Because Li Zhen brought a limited number of modern weapons, they could only be issued to platoon and company commanders; the rest of the soldiers were forced to use composite bows, steel spears, and steel broadswords. The Dragon Tiger Battalion was an exception; they were equipped not only with automatic rifles but also with other weapons, making them a specially trained special forces unit meticulously crafted by Li Zhen.
Although this unit had few semi-automatic rifles, the platoon and company leaders always led from the front, providing fire support for their troops, whether in charges or defenses, making them a formidable fighting force. During this period, they repeatedly attacked small Jin army units, inflicting significant losses on the Jin forces.
The fire in the military camp and the gunshots from earlier finally drew the attention of most of the Jin soldiers. Countless Jin cavalrymen donned their armor and charged towards Fang Wei and his men.
Fang Wei and several other platoon leaders used their weapons to suppress the charging Jin soldiers. They fought and retreated slowly toward the camp gate, eventually disappearing into the vast darkness.