Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 332 Street Fight

Fortunately, the second firing rate of the matchlock musket was incredibly slow. While the women of the arquebusiers were still cleaning the chambers, pouring gunpowder, and loading lead bullets, the guards quickly took out a second fixed lead bullet, loaded it, aimed at the enemy, and pulled the trigger again. By then, the arquebusiers didn't even have time to insert the firing rod into the chamber to tamp the bullet.

The flintlock muskets, fixed lead bullets, and countless training sessions proved their superiority at this moment. After withstanding the first round of firefights, the guards began to unleash a barrage of fire on the enemy.

One step slower, and the next step slower; only the continuous "bang bang bang" of gunfire could be heard. The female gunners of the arquebus team never had a chance to fire a second shot. One by one, they fell to the muzzle of the gun, and their formation gradually thinned out.

After paying a heavy price, the samurai on the other side finally charged into the ranks, raising their katana high.

However, the massacre they had anticipated did not occur; instead, the guards picked up their rifles and began to resist with bayonets.

The fierce Japanese samurai were clearly much more determined to fight than the Ming soldiers. They didn't care that their numbers were far fewer than the enemy's, and they shouted and fought a chaotic battle with the guards.

Surrounded by more than a dozen soldiers, Liu Ye calmly observed the battle. These Satsuma warriors were arguably the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants the Qiongzhou Camp had ever encountered since its formation, even more formidable than Lin San's local soldiers—while the bandit soldiers were brave, they also feared death, whereas these warriors seemed to care nothing for their own lives, only seeking to kill their opponents.

Under the onslaught of these samurai, the guards on this side also suffered casualties. The shorter the samurai sword, the more dangerous it becomes in close combat, offering a greater advantage in the face of a nearly 1.9-meter rifle with bayonets. In just one exchange, several soldiers were wounded.

After the arquebusiers' offensive weakened, Lin San ordered twenty soldiers to remain and continue firing, while the reserve force in the middle joined the battle against the samurai. The previously stalemate was reversed. No matter how fierce the samurai were, their numbers were ultimately limited, and they were stabbed to death one by one.

The ambush came quickly and seemed to disappear just as fast, about to be suppressed by the guards. Liang Xiaoming, Yan Guang, and the others beside Liu Ye breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, it was a close call.

Just as everyone relaxed their guard, several figures appeared on the rooftops of the houses along the street. They silently approached Liu Ye and the others, then leaped up at the same time and pounced on them, their samurai swords drawing a chilling arc.

Lin San was the first to react, shouting, "Protect the general!"

The guards who were originally tasked with dealing with the Satsuma Domain samurai were thrown into disarray by this unexpected turn of events. Those who reacted slowly were still fighting with the samurai, while those who reacted quickly broke away from the battle and moved closer to Liu Ye. However, the distance was too great to be of immediate help, and the dozen or so steps seemed so far away in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, Lin San had left about ten soldiers to protect Liu Ye and the others. In the rush, they raised their rifles to block, and with a few clangs, the blow from above cut several soldiers' rifles in half, but it also blocked the fatal attack aimed at Liu Ye.

After the group of people who had fallen from the sky landed, Liu Ye saw their true faces. One of them was none other than Shimazu Chiyo, the eldest daughter of the Shimazu family who had vowed to take revenge on him. Surrounding her were several samurai with menacing expressions, who seemed to be assassins specifically tasked with killing him.

Shimazu Chiyo gave Liu Ye little time to react. Having failed in her first attack, she immediately pounced, launching a second assault. Her movements were agile; her attack was like that of a leopard hunting its prey, combining speed and power. Her swordsmanship was simple yet masterful, and ordinary soldiers were no match for her. It took two or three of them working together to barely hold her off. Under her leadership, the attacks of these few elite warriors forced the numerically superior enemy to retreat, with soldiers falling one after another, wounded and defeated.

Seeing their commander make his move and, using the buildings as cover, directly penetrate the enemy's core area, the remaining Satsuma samurai on the perimeter were filled with high morale. They fought the guards with ruthless ferocity, attempting to distract the enemy and buy time for their commander.

Although Liu Ye's side had a numerical advantage, the opponent's strategy left them in a difficult position, and they also had to ensure the safety of Liu Ye and his group. They were hesitant to act for the time being.

Seeing the tense situation, Yan Guang, Li Fu, and the others began to tremble. This was the first time these civilian officials had faced such a close-range threat. Yan Guang said in a trembling voice, "General, a protracted fight is unwise. We should choose a side and break through to avoid these Japanese soldiers harming your precious body..."

Liu Ye surveyed both sides. On one side were houses, and on the other, the sea; neither offered any way out. It seemed the enemy had carefully chosen this location, as only in such a narrow space could they use a relatively small number of people to block his hundred-plus men. He then looked in the directions before and behind him. On one side were the frenzied Shimazu Chiyo and several assassins, with the Satsuma Domain samurai, fueled by adrenaline, further away. On the other side were the nearly crippled female arquebusiers. This seemed to be the weaker side, at least easier to deal with than that Satsuma Domain madwoman.

He shouted to Lin San, "Concentrate your forces and charge towards the enemy musketeers, then deal with this side with all your might!"

Upon hearing this, Lin San ordered the soldiers who were still exchanging fire with the remaining arquebusiers to cease fire and charge directly with bayonets, while the rest fought and retreated, following in this direction.

After several rounds of firing, the women's arquebus team, whose firepower was far inferior to their opponents, suffered heavy casualties, only managing to hold on through sheer willpower. When the enemy launched a bayonet charge, the arquebusiers, lacking any close-combat skills, were utterly helpless. They were defeated in a single charge, all dying under the bayonets, their lives extinguished.

Having completely eliminated the threat on this side, the guards were able to focus all their efforts on dealing with the samurai's close-quarters attacks. The soldiers, having broken off contact with the charging Satsuma samurai, passed by Shimazu Chiyo and the others without attacking, but instead quickly moved towards Liu Ye—for them, protecting Liu Ye's safety was paramount, a duty more important than any merit in killing enemies. This was a principle Lin San had repeatedly instilled in them since the guards' inception.

As a result, Shimazu Chiyo, who was originally in the middle, not only failed to get closer to Liu Ye, but was also separated by more and more soldiers, and the distance between her and Liu Ye grew further and further.