The rise of the poor

"If only it would rain heavily," Xu Hai thought to himself, looking up at the sky with regret after deciding to fight the Zhejiang army to the death.

The timing wasn't right for us. If only it had rained heavily, the Zhejiang army's firearms wouldn't have been able to be ignited.

Unfortunately, the weather is sunny today.

"Xu Sang, we are their downpour! Hasn't the Zhejiang Army never suffered a defeat since its formation? Today is the day of their crushing defeat!"

Matsuura Mogi is brimming with confidence and a fierce competitive spirit.

“That’s right, we are their downpour, and from this day forward, we are their nemesis!” Xu Hai also raised his head.

"Before we fight the Zhejiang army to the death, we must cut down those cowardly bastards and use death and blood to awaken their courage. Otherwise, keeping them alive will disrupt the morale of the army!" Ryūzōji Takagi said, pointing to the Japanese pirates who were retreating step by step in front of the Zhejiang army.

"Kill!" Xu Hai nodded forcefully, waved his hand, and his personal guards transformed into a battle squad, slashing at the terrified Japanese pirates who were retreating step by step like wolves and tigers, cutting them down as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

"If you retreat any further, this will be your fate!"

Xu Hai flashed a gleam of white teeth, making an example of someone.

This tactic was remarkably effective; educated by death and bloodshed, the Japanese pirates once again mustered their courage.

Xu Hai, Songpu Maoye, and Longzhaoji Gaoche each selected 1,500 people, ready to go.

"I will break through the enemy lines head-on! May you all have good fortune in battle!" Matsuura Takanobu brandished his katana, his fighting spirit surging, "Kill them all!"

After speaking, Matsuura Takanobu led 1,500 Japanese pirates to charge straight into the Zhejiang army's formation.

"I will lead my troops to bypass the Zhejiang army's front and strike straight at their heart!" Xu Hai drew his sword and encouraged his Japanese pirates, "My men, defeat the Zhejiang army, and Songjiang Prefecture will not be sealed! My men, enjoy the victory to the fullest!"

After speaking, Xu Hai led 1,500 Japanese pirates to flank the Zhejiang army's formation, preparing to attack from the side.

"I'll circle around to the enemy's rear and launch a fierce attack from behind!" Ryūzōji Takagi drew his Japanese sword from his waist and led 1,500 Japanese pirates to outflank the Zhejiang army's formation.

The remaining thousand or so Japanese pirates continued their fierce attack on Songjiang Prefecture.

Zhu Ping'an noticed the movements of the Japanese pirates immediately from the central command and understood their intention to divide their forces to attack the Zhejiang army's formation.

Haha, good timing!

Zhu Pingan couldn't help but twitch his lips. No cavalry, no terrain—who gave you the audacity to charge into a firearms formation with cold weapons?

"Change!"

At Zhu Ping'an's command, his personal guards beat drums and waved command flags, and the Zhejiang army skillfully began to change formation, from a line formation of firearms to a hollow square formation.

This is a defensive formation for firearms, a formation that can withstand cavalry, let alone infantry.

Bayonets on muskets.

The hollow square formation resembles a hedgehog.

"Kill him!"

Songpu Maoye's troops were the first to engage the Zhejiang army's hollow square formation. Of course, it was a long-distance engagement. Before they even reached within thirty meters of the Zhejiang army's formation, they were met with a series of neat and dense "bang bang bang" gunshots, and they fell one by one.

"idiot!"

In this round of musket fire, Matsuura Shigeyo was also hit in the right arm. His ancestral armor was no match for the musket; the arm guard was shattered, and his arm was bleeding profusely. Fortunately, his ancestral armor was of better quality than ordinary iron armor. His arm was in excruciating pain, but he could still move it and it was not broken.

The injury ignited Matsuura Shigeyo's ferocity and bloodlust; he wished he could devour the flesh and blood of the opposing Zhejiang army's commander.

Driven by a surge of ferocity and bloodlust, Matsuura Shigeaki let out a shout and ripped off his ancestral armor.

He removed his armor and clothes, cut a strip of cloth from his clothes with his katana, and used his left hand and teeth to wrap it around the wound on his right arm twice, tying a tight knot. He then raised the katana and swung it around. Although his right hand was in a lot of pain, his movements were not significantly affected.

"Die!" Matsuura Shigeyo fiercely gripped his katana with his injured hand and slashed down a retreating Japanese pirate!

"Kill them all!" Matsuura Shigeyo, brimming with murderous intent, disregarded his injuries and charged forward with his pirates, sword in hand. "Charge! Charge! Not one of you is allowed to stop! If you stop, you're dead! I'll charge alongside you! I'm not afraid to die, so what are you afraid of? Charge forward quickly, wipe out the enemy! The gold and silver mountains and beautiful women of Songjiang Prefecture are waiting for us!"

Despite his injuries, Matsuura Shigeyo's ferocity and bloodlust in fighting naked inspired his pirates, who roared and charged at the Zhejiang army's formation again, brandishing their swords. They were fearless and their battle cries shook the heavens.

Of course, the Zhejiang army's muskets showed no mercy.

"Bang bang bang!"

After a series of neat and dense gunshots, Japanese pirates fell one after another. One of the pirates in front of Matsuura Shigeyo was also hit and fell. In the instant the pirate fell, Matsuura Shigeyo reached out and caught him, pulled him in front of him, and used him as a human shield, carrying him and continuing to charge forward.

Some Japanese pirates, seeing this, followed suit, grabbing the pirates in front of them and using them as shields, and continued charging forward.

They didn't even care whether he was hit or not.

There's a saying: "It's better to die as a friendly Japanese than as a poor Japanese." Naturally, the Japanese were not meant to be shields and fought back fiercely. Some switched roles in offense and defense, while others were hit by the Zhejiang army's muskets, losing their ability to fight back or dying, thus becoming human shields.

You know what, human shields are much more protective than their armor. The armor couldn't withstand the Zhejiang army's muskets, but these human shields could. A musket shot hit the human shield in front of him, and the Japanese pirate trembled as he touched himself. Hey, he wasn't hurt at all. He was overjoyed and charged forward, pushing his fellow Japanese pirates.

Closer, closer, they're getting closer and closer to the Zhejiang army's battle formation.

Zhu Pingan noticed Matsuura Shigeyo in the central army, summoned his personal guards, pointed at Matsuura Shigeyo, and ordered, "Did you notice that guy with his bare arms wrapped in bandages, carrying a Japanese pirate as a shield? The Japanese pirates around him are very respectful to him. He must be a big fish. Bring in five tiger crouching cannons. Once he enters the firing range, aim and fire in unison."

"As ordered!"

The guard nodded vigorously.

Soon, the Imperial Guard brought in five tiger-squatting cannons. To avoid alerting the Japanese pirates on the other side, the five tiger-squatting cannons were slightly spread out, about three meters apart, but the muzzles were all aimed at Matsuura Shigeyo.

Matsuura Shigeyo was so caught up in the excitement of about to charge into the Zhejiang army's lines that he didn't notice the approaching danger.

When he was carrying a human shield and was only a dozen meters away from the Zhejiang army's position, he suddenly heard a series of loud bangs, a burst of fire appeared in the Zhejiang army's formation, the earth shook, and five large bullets whistled through the air.

"No"

Matsuura Shigeyo's pupils contracted sharply, and before he knew it, everything went black, and the world seemed to fly up in his eyes.

Then, like a rag doll, he crashed heavily to the ground, breaking into several pieces, utterly dead. (End of Chapter)