Mount and Blade Central Asia

Generally at such times, mercenaries' pressure on their employers would stop at a verbal promise. After all, the knife is in their hands, and they don't have to worry about the employer going back on his word after the mission.

But this time, it was different from the past. Lars felt that they were more likely to be defeated and flee in this battle, so he asked for a cash settlement for the monetary reward, and to settle it now.

Otherwise, after he loses the war, who will he ask to settle the bill based on a verbal promise?

Symes looked at the officer he trusted the most but who had set him up, his face dim and uncertain. Finally, he gritted his teeth and walked up to Lars, asking in a low voice: "So, how much do you think is appropriate?"

"According to convention, officers should be given at least one month's extra salary, soldiers at least one week, and my crossbowmen two weeks." Lars did not ask for too much.

He simply relied on his understanding of Symes' cash flow situation and called out a price that would make the other party feel a little painful but would not give up.

"I don't have that much cash on hand right now, but when this war is over, I promise to give you every penny you want!" Symes' tone didn't hold much toughness, but instead revealed a hint of weakness.

The Karaman people were originally a country that maintained nomadic customs. The large and small Karaman tribes in Karaman each relied on the military forces at their disposal to gain the right to speak.

James, an official who had no tribe to rely on but rose to a high position and became the governor of a city, always had a sense of insecurity in his heart.

The two centurions he raised at great expense and the crossbowmen trained by Lars were his trump cards.

This time, the action against Badak concerned the interests of Mehmed II. If he performed well and could please his Bey, he actually didn't mind spending more money. It was just that Lars was too eager for the money.

"My lord, that's Timur's army. You know best how terrifying they are. If you don't want to see these people collapse at the first moment of battle, you'd better find a way to boost their morale." Lars said, pointing to the scattered soldiers at the end of the team.

Symes noticed that there were several soldiers with shields at the end of the team. They should have been standing in the front, but they fell behind at some point. It was obvious that they were ready to run away at any time if things went wrong.

Seeing this, Symes finally gritted his teeth and said, "I'll have the butler go get the money now. Even if I have to borrow it, I'll get enough. But you can't stop now. You must continue marching. If Bardock runs away, no one will be left with a penny!"

Chapter 343 Crush

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Chapter 344: Brother Mengjiang, you have to take care of this matter...

"Follow me! Kill!" Shahram would not sit still and wait for death. Badak's reserve team only made him stunned for a second, and then he rushed forward.

In the Khanate's military system, an officer could be promoted to centurion at most based on his personal bravery, and to move up further he would need some talent in command.

Bardock is undoubtedly a talented person, which is why he was able to stand out from the centurions and become the captain of this thousand-man team.

Shahram is a typical negative example. He is a typical reckless man, which fits the Ottoman stereotype of Timur's soldiers.

From the outside, Shahram looks like a lion. He has a short nose, thick eyebrows, sharp eyes, a ferocious face, and appears extremely strong.

Shahram wore fitted iron armor, a ruby-studded belt, and a gleaming scimitar. He always stared at his enemies with eyes full of indifference and cruelty. His confidants obeyed his orders and were willing to fight to the death for him. His voice was like thunder, and his majesty and ferocity were enough to intimidate most enemies.

When he ran, he even gave Li Rufeng a sense of earth-shaking momentum, as if he was facing a ferocious beast that was ready to devour anyone.

A general as brave as a tiger, followed by more than thirty soldiers who were brave enough to fight and die, such power was enough to change the local situation in this war involving hundreds of people. At least in the few wars that Li Rufeng had experienced before, he rarely encountered such enemies.

The only possibility that could be similar to this was the Silent Knights under Dost, but that night he had only five Silent Knights under his command.

Unfortunately, however, standing in front of Shahram were the elite from the same army as him, as well as Li Rufeng's personal guards who were recognized by the system.

"Shoot!" Bardock shouted fearlessly.

The archers standing on the roof turned around without hesitation and fired a volley of arrows, covering Shahram's charge route.

Bardock's archers all used heavy arrows that shot straight, with enough penetrating power to penetrate the light mail armor worn by the enemy.

A few soldiers equipped with plate and chain mail tried to stand in front, but even so, seven or eight people were shot down on the road.

"Raise your shields!" Barak ordered again.

On the narrow street, the soldiers under Bardock suddenly formed a shield wall, and their tacit coordination was so good that even Li Rufeng's personal guards couldn't keep up.

"Raise your spear!" Bardock's roar was deafening.

Following his order, a dozen soldiers placed their prepared spears on the shoulders of their companions in front of them, waiting for the opportunity.

And the opportunity is coming in the blink of an eye!

"Stab!" Bardock's command was short and quick, but it hit the right distance.

When Shahram was about two meters away from the shield wall, Barak gave the order and thrust out the spear fiercely!

As the saying goes, guns came out like a forest, and this gun formation was like the tongues of poisonous snakes, which immediately blocked the charge of Shahram's team.

"Go!" Bardock shouted. This time, Li Rufeng's personal guards followed Bardock's rhythm and took a step forward together with Bardock's soldiers.

Compared with Shahram's wild charge, under Barak's command, this reserve team was steady and solid like a mountain formation.

But Shahram was a brave warrior who would risk his life to survive. He charged forward directly into the forest of guns, and relying on the toughness of his armor, he forged a path through the mountain formation!

The relatives behind him did not disappoint his bravery and rushed into the formation through the gap.

However, Bardock himself had already stood in front of Shahram, and while the other party was not yet stable, he hit him hard in the face with his shield.

The blow was so powerful that it made Shahram bleed from his nose. If Shahram had not been wearing a helmet, this blow would have killed him.

"Do you know how I dealt with the previous traitors?" Bardock pushed hard, disrupting Shahram's balance again.

In this kind of fight in a crowd and a narrow space, the most important thing is to maintain balance. Shahram obviously knew this very well, so even though he staggered and felt dizzy, he still grabbed the people around him to his left and right to avoid falling.

"I don't care how you dealt with the previous traitors. I want you to die here today!" Shahram was like a trapped beast. He relied on his own will to stand up straight and kicked Bardock's shield.

Judging from the size alone, Barak does not have an advantage, and in fact it is true. The force of Shahram's kick directly made Bardak take a small step back.

Shahram took advantage of the half-step distance and killed a guard who took advantage of the situation to attack with a sword. He hit the guards left and right to widen the gap he had just opened. Then, without even looking at how many people were left behind him, he rushed directly towards Bardock.

He knew that in today's battle, he would have to make a life-or-death choice. Either he would die here, or Bardock would die here. Even if he didn't want to die, he had to face death first and then live...

It’s a pity that today, not only their team of a thousand people are fighting here, but also Li Rufeng, the troublemaker.

Li Rufeng glanced at the front battlefield, then at the melee between Badak and Shahram, and leisurely complained to Haishar beside him: "If we delay too long and the Karaman people react, our return journey will be in trouble."

Haishar looked at Li Rufeng deeply, sighed, turned around, put on a helmet that he had prepared in advance, the same type as the one used by the guards around Bardock, covered half of his face, and disappeared into the crowd.

At this time, Governor Symes was struggling to maintain the defense line under the protection of Lars.

The Governor's money policy inspired these mercenaries to risk their lives, and the shouts and cries coming from behind the enemy lines further boosted the morale of these mercenaries, and even allowed them to stop their retreat.

Governor Symes, who was in the crowd, immediately noticed this trend and once again took advantage of his strengths, shouting, "Hold on, brothers! As long as we hold on until the enemy collapses, everyone will get an extra month's commission!"

"For the Governor! For Symes!" The morale of the mercenaries in the rear was greatly boosted and they cheered loudly.

However, Lars sensed danger because he saw that the Khanate's defense line was slowly changing. The number of enemies blocking their way was gradually decreasing, while new enemies kept appearing from the alleys on both sides of their flanks.

"Governor! The situation is not right, we must retreat now!" Lars tried to persuade Sams to leave now, but the governor at this time was already lost in thought, like a gambler who had already made all his money, he would not go anywhere until the result of the bet came out!

Chapter 345 Surrender

Haishar was mixed in the crowd. With his skills, he might not be able to extricate himself in a battlefield where cities were attacked and territories were seized, but now in this war that took place in a city with a total number of no more than 500 people, he could advance and retreat freely.

He walked among the soldiers, occasionally pushing away those who blocked his way. He did not care whether they were enemies or friends.

Haishaer has that kind of aura that can make the soldiers above him calm down instantly and realize that the person in front of them is not easy to deal with. If they want to survive, it is best not to make an enemy of him.

In the chaos, he approached Governor Samus step by step. Haishar had already seen Samus on the roof in advance. After all, a guy as conspicuous as him was easy to find on the battlefield.

Symes's armor was the most conspicuous on the entire street. It was almost 4 p.m., the hours of the day when the sunlight was most refracted.

Whenever Symes moved or turned around, the mirrored areas on his armor would reflect a dazzling light.

This kind of shine will only appear on this brand new armor. After being honed several times on the battlefield, it will no longer shine and become restrained.

Of course, for Haishar now, this is the best guidance. You don’t even need to deliberately observe the target’s position. He will always attract your attention in his own way.

The only obstacle is the old mercenary beside Symes.

Haishar did not use his terrifying bow and arrow, as the traces left by doing so would be too conspicuous, but there are usable weapons everywhere on the battlefield.

He was now carrying a bow and arrow he had picked up from the ground. Haishar was now standing less than twenty meters away from Mr. Semis, hiding himself in the shadow of the building.

If he wanted to, Haishar could kill the governor with one arrow.

But when Haishar raised the bow in his hand, he hesitated again. The long-standing creed of the Eagle of Order of non-interference in secular regimes was in serious conflict with what he was doing now.

Haishar's hesitation made Lars realize the danger that was approaching. He raised the shield in his hand and stood between Haishar and the governor.

"Sir, be careful!" Lars shouted, then pushed Symes into the shop next door.

Symes was in a state of extreme excitement and had no idea what was happening. The brand new armor gave him too much false sense of security.

So much so that after being pushed into the shop by Lars, his first reaction was to walk out of the shop with his neck stiffened and loudly questioned, "Are you crazy, Lars?"

There is an Eastern proverb that goes, "Misfortunes sent by Heaven can be survived, but those brought upon oneself cannot." Haishaer had already given him one chance, but now he was seeking death, and Haishaer could only fulfill his wish.

The sharp arrow left the bowstring, and the next moment, Governor Symes' expression froze on his face. The arrow went straight into his throat along the gap between his armor and helmet.

Lars looked at the governor in a daze as he covered his wound and refused to fall to the ground after being shot by an arrow. He was fighting against death with his last bit of persistence, but judging from the blood gushing from between his fingers, there was no hope for him.

"I told you a long time ago, sir..." Lars sighed, protected himself with his shield, and walked carefully to the governor.

At this moment, James widened his eyes, reached out and grabbed Lars' hand tightly, and seemed to want to say something, but the blood rushed into his throat, making him unable to say anything.

At this moment, Lars's face showed no trace of his former loyalty. He simply reached out and slapped Symes' hand away, killed the governor's butler with a knife, and then skillfully took out a bunch of keys from Symes' arms.

That bunch of keys was the key to the treasure chest that Semmes hid in the Governor's Mansion.

The brass treasure chest was also bought by Samus at a high price from a Genoese merchant. He was particularly obsessed with Genoa's products. He bought all his food, clothing, and weapons for the army from Genoa's high-end products.

But it turns out that no matter how advanced the armor is, it can't save a rookie who accidentally enters the battlefield.

When Lars got the key, Symes had already breathed his last, his eyes full of regret and confusion.

Everyone who is not prepared to face death probably has this kind of look before leaving. Lars has seen it a lot. He only hopes that he has enough time to return to the Governor's Mansion and take away all the wealth that Symes has accumulated over the years.

It's not that he had planned all this in advance, but Lars had already made up his mind when Governor Symes insisted on getting involved in this mess.

Lars has always had a secret crush on a maid in the Governor's Mansion. Many things were revealed to him by that maid. Now he just wants to return to the Governor's Mansion as soon as possible. Since he is destined to lose his honor, he can at least return to his hometown with wealth and love.

This is just a small corner of the battlefield. In the port of Anamur, Governor Semmes is of course a well-known figure, but I am afraid that these soldiers who are fighting for their lives will not care about the safety of the governor now.

Shahram was in a stalemate. He didn't have enough men around him, and the guards under Bardock were brave enough.

However, the most significant changes came from Li Rufeng's personal guards, who were so flexible and well-coordinated on the battlefield.

This kind of tacit understanding is different from that of Bardock's guards. The guards around Bardock have been training together all year round, and they have expectations of how others will react when facing the enemy, so they performed better than Li Rufeng's personal guards at the beginning of the war.

But as the war entered a stalemate, Li Rufeng's personal guards showed their real advantages.

Li Rufeng, who sits in the rear and rests easy, can send high-frequency commands through the mind command network, commanding these soldiers to rotate continuously in the fight. No one will be left alone, and they can always form a local numerical advantage.

Centurion Shahram's men, who were already outnumbered, fell into a carefully planned trap at the first contact and were quickly devoured.

Then Li Rufeng's personal guards, like a pack of wolves, continued to create advantages on the battlefield.

When Haishar succeeded and Governor Semis was killed, there were only four soldiers left by Shahram.

Bardock lost only nine people, seven of whom were his guards. Li Rufeng lost only two of his personal guards, one dead and one injured.

"Surrender, I'll give you a chance." Badak said in a hoarse voice. He was punched in the face by Shahram, and the teeth on that side were a little loose.

If it were up to Bardock's personal preference, he would never spare the traitor's life, but... this was Li Rufeng's plan. They needed a scapegoat to appease the Karaman people's anger.

Chapter 346 Planning

The chaos in the city of Anamur began and ended quickly. With the death of Governor Symes and the control of Centurion Shahram, the small city quickly returned to its former tranquility.

After Symes' death, the two centuries under Symes lost their fighting spirit almost instantly, and broke into seven or eight small groups, leaving in different directions.

Bardock did not waste time on these mercenaries. He spent half an hour controlling the city gate of the small town and sent people to restore order on the main road. Then about half an hour later, his first reinforcements appeared outside the city gate.

It was a team mainly composed of cavalry, with a number of about three centuries. Unfortunately, each person only had one horse, which was a rare configuration in the Khanate's cavalry.

After all, the cavalry under Li Rufeng had an average of three horses each, while the mainstream configuration within the Khanate was one person with two horses. Obviously, Badak's team was able to leave Antalya smoothly, but it was not without a price.

"Let your people control the market. We need all the vehicles that can keep up with the team, and take away all the large livestock that can move." After all, Li Rufeng had presided over two tribal migrations, and the number of people on both occasions was more than this team of a thousand people, so he knew very well that even a sheep has much stronger endurance than a human when walking.

What's more, in addition to serving as a source of animal power for transporting supplies, these animals are also a form of food reserve.

"I don't know much about Anamur, but there must be food reserves in this city. Empty them. Beyond that, I don't want to see any additional looting," Li Rufeng said to Barak. "I believe you understand that time is of the essence, my friend, so you now have one hour to complete this."

"I don't need your reminder. My people are all professionals." Badak was very dissatisfied with Li Rufeng's warning. He felt that it was an insult to his professionalism. They were the regular army of the Khanate, not a militia. How could they do such a shameful thing as looting the city at this time?

But the fact is that Bardock's guards handled at least twenty home break-ins in this hour, and these were just the ones they saw.

So even though Bardock didn't want to face it directly, the screams and fires that appeared from time to time in the city were telling him that his control over his soldiers was no longer as strong as before.

"Sometimes enemies pretend to be friends, and sometimes traps are hidden in gifts." Li Rufeng looked at the bewildered Bardock and said calmly, "You don't think the Karaman people's supplies are free, do you?"

Bardock's face looked very ugly, but he had no way to refute Li Rufeng's words now.

"I hope you have planned everything that comes next, because it's still a long way from here to the border of the Khanate." Badak could only say this in the end, and then calmly handed over his command to Li Rufeng.

In fact, he had long been overwhelmed. As a captain of a thousand men, he had taken on too many responsibilities that did not belong to him.

The sense of honor in his heart and his loyalty to Timur have supported him all the way to where he is today.