Iron Bird Flies had already prepared himself for death!
Just then, the large ship in the distance fired its cannons.
“Boom!”
The sound of a cannon echoed far and wide.
The bandits besieging the city froze all at once, and the militia guarding the dock also froze.
Everyone was startled by the loud blast of the cannon and shuddered.
Then they saw a giant iron ball arc through the sky and land in the midst of the bandit army…
It didn’t hit the front lines directly because the smoothbore cannon was so unreliable. The sailors on board were afraid of harming friendly forces, so they aid at the center of the bandit army to ensure the shot wouldn’t overshoot onto the militia.
This cannonball was far from accurate; using a smoothbore cannon to target person-sized foes was like shooting a mosquito with a cannon—utterly imprecise.
The shell failed to hit a single person and rely dug a huge crater in the ground, spraying mud and stones everywhere. The nearby bandits all shuddered, chilled to their cores.
Then…
“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The cannons roared repeatedly!
The ship had five cannons on one side for continuous firing. Four more shells flew over, and this ti they were less off-target. One shell landed precisely where the bandits were thickest, killing one by hitting with a “thump,” then rolling along the ground and shattering the legs of two bandits.
It only struck their legs, but the massive kinetic energy transmitted through their bones, shaking them to death.
The other three shells also fell into crowded spots, imdiately reducing the bandit army to frantic, terrified cries.
Old Zhang Fei, overseeing the rear, was stunned by the sight: “Disaster! The imperial navy has arrived. Damn it, how did the navy get to the upper Yellow River?”
The fierce bandits pressing the attack on the dock also assud the imperial navy had co, a major shock. Even with infiltrated border army and garrison troops among the bandits, they rarely prevailed against regular officials, with losses outnumbering wins.
Officials remained too lofty for them.
The offensive abruptly stalled!
The twelve fierce salt smugglers under Iron Bird Flies instantly seized the chance, slashing swiftly to kill several bandits who had scaled the fence while roaring: “Hold fast! Hold the line with your lives!”
The bandits grew frantic, unsure whether to press on or flee.
Many turned to stare at Old Zhang Fei’s standard flag…
Eager to hear if their leader would beat the drum for advance or sound the gong for retreat.
But Old Zhang Fei was confusedly stuck in indecision, lost on what to do.
That hesitation bought ti for Xing Honglang and her group.
Despite its size, the ship was fast; soon it was hundreds of paces away, turning in the river to bring its other flank to bear.
Then ca “Boom! Boom! Boom!”—five more cannon blasts echoed from the ship!
Five shells flew at once into the bandit ranks, making the bandits wail for their parents again.
Moreover, at this range of hundreds of paces, rifled guns could be effective. The sailors from Bai Family Fortress upheld their master’s fine tradition; now it wasn’t an isolated battle. “Bang!” went a shot, blowing the head off a fierce bandit as he fell.
“Bang!”
Another gunshot sounded, and another fierce bandit fell.
Snipers weren’t like cannons that dared not aim at the front. They had confidence in the accuracy of their firearms, unafraid of causing accidental harm. They specifically targeted the bandit leaders at the forefront. Several chieftains, on the verge of breaking into the docks, were successively shot and dropped.
This shattered what remained of their morale.
Old Zhang Fei, sensing the situation had turned disastrous, bellowed urgently, “Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!”
The bandit army gave the signal to retreat…
The bandit army, already frightened out of their wits by the cannons, pulled back with a roar, like a receding tide.
The rchants, fishern, and farrs on the docks cheered together.
“I thought I was done for! I didn’t expect the court’s Naval Forces to co!”
“Wonderful, we’re saved!”
“The court is still mighty! Arriving with cannons and firearms – so powerful!”
Ordinary folks were happy.
But Iron Bird Flies wasn’t so joyous.
Usually, spotting the court’s naval forces miles away, he’d start scrambling to disappear. But this ti, he couldn’t run. He certainly couldn’t flee with the bandit army, could he?
Don’t be fooled; though the bandits had retreated, he dared not step half a foot outside the docks now.
Yet staying docked also spelled big trouble. Soon, the court’s naval forces would land, question everyone on the docks, and he, the salt lord, would be a dead man.
His twelve unscathed salt smugglers gathered around him. “Leader, what should we do?”
Iron Bird Flies gritted his teeth. “What can we do? If the officials are careless, mistake us for a regular militia group, and let us pass, that would be the perfect outco. If they dig out our secrets during questioning… then all we can do is fight them to the death.”
The group fell silent.
Iron Bird Flies added, “Watch my eyes for the signal.”
So, the group of anxious salt smugglers stared fretfully at the terrifying cannon boat on the river. It slowly neared the dock. The face of a woman appeared over the gunwale, though her features were rather rugged, possessing a manly, imposing stature.
The woman waved at Iron Bird Flies and laughed boisterously. “Iron Bird Flies, you silly bird! Weren’t you having a grand ti snatching business from ? Now you need this old lady to save your hide?”
Iron Bird Flies exclaid, “Huh? Yongji Xing Honglang?”
Xing Honglang roared with laughter. “That’s right, it’s !”
A look of embarrassnt crossed Iron Bird Flies’ face. “This boat…”
Xing Honglang had no desire to explain the boat’s origin— and it certainly wasn’t appropriate to discuss it publicly on the docks. News getting out would cause trouble for Gaojia Village. So, she simply claid it for herself proudly. “Earned it selling smuggled salt! What do you think? Impressive, eh?”
Iron Bird Flies cried out, “Holy shit! How much salt did you sell to afford a cannon boat this beastly?”
Xing Honglang retorted, “Is now really the ti for that? I just saved your life! Don’t you have sothing to say?”
A deeper shade of embarrassnt flashed across Iron Bird Flies’ face. But the rules of the outlaws demanded respect—one shouldn’t act too stingy. He imdiately composed himself and gave Xing Honglang a deep, formal bow. “Iron Bird Flies of Hedong acknowledges the life-saving grace bestowed upon him today by Yongji Xing Honglang. From this day forth, I, Iron Bird Flies, will never contest Xing Honglang for business again. If Xing Honglang ever has need of , one word will suffice—I will brave blade mountains and seas of fire without hesitation.”
Xing Honglang chortled. “That’s more like it! Truly deserving of saving your sorry hide. Annoying at business you may be, but at least you understand the outlaw’s code—far better than those worthless thieves with no honor.”
Iron Bird Flies’ embarrassnt deepened considerably.
Xing Honglang swept her gaze across the dock. The few hundred people there were all covered in wounds and looked utterly wretched. She recognized many faces—old business contacts. This sight caused a pang of sadness in her heart.
She quickly ordered her subordinates, “Bring out the healing ointnt. Tend to their injuries.”
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