Gao Yingxiang led what remained of his Chuǎng Army, ten thousand men trudging forward through the winding ravine of Miaogou, their footsteps echoing dully between the steep mountain walls.
In his days of true splendor, seventy-two rebel factions had flown his banners, and more than three hundred thousand men had answered his call. Now, only these ten thousand followed behind him. They had no cannons at all, their flintlock rifles had long since run dry of ammunition, and even their once-feared repeating crossbows were nothing more than dead weight slung across their backs.
Of the seventy-two bandit leaders who had once sworn loyalty to him, only Liu Zhe and Huang Long still remained at his side. All the others had scattered to the winds, drifting away to join the Dashing General or the Eight Great Kings.
Even the Jin merchants, who had once supplied him faithfully with grain, weapons, and silver, had quietly vanished without a trace.
Only now did Gao Yingxiang fully understand the truth. The rebels had not followed him. They had followed the Dashing General and the Eight Great Kings. The Jin merchants had not traded with him either. They had traded with those same men.
Yet at this moment, none of that mattered anymore.
In his heart, he felt certain that Heaven itself favored him.
As long as he seized this rare opportunity, while the main Ming forces were dragged away to face the Manchu invaders, and successfully took Xi'an, plundering the immense, nation-rivalling wealth stored within the Prince of Qin's mansion, he would be able to rebuild a powerful army. When that happened, those who had deserted him would surely return, crawling back of their own accord.
Lost in these pleasant thoughts, Liu Zhe, who was riding nearby, spoke up in a low voice. "Big Brother Chuǎng Wang, this subordinate feels uneasy. The slopes ahead would make an excellent ambush site. We should advance with caution."
Gao Yingxiang lifted his gaze and looked ahead. Miaogou lay squeezed tightly between two mountain peaks, forming a narrow, treacherous gorge. If troops were hidden on both slopes and attacked simultaneously, the Chuǎng Army would find itself in a deadly trap, with little room to maneuver.
"It does look somewhat dangerous," Gao Yingxiang admitted slowly. "But the imperial troops have never truly garrisoned this place. Now that the Manchu invasion has drawn their main forces away, they will be even less capable of guarding such a remote ravine."
"That is true," Liu Zhe replied, though his unease did not fully fade.
Almost as soon as the words left their mouths, a figure suddenly slid down from the slope ahead. With surprising agility, he landed squarely in the center of the ravine, a polished longsword gleaming coldly in his hand.
The man raised the sword with one arm, its tip leveled straight at Gao Yingxiang. His voice rang out, loud and unrestrained. "Chuǎng rebel, you had a road to heaven but refused to take it, choosing instead to smash headfirst into the gates of hell. Hahahaha. This very place shall be your burial ground."
Gao Yingxiang startled. Liu Zhe and Huang Long were equally taken aback.
Behind them, the ten thousand rebels tensed, countless pairs of eyes sweeping instinctively toward the slopes on both sides of the ravine.
"This is bad," Liu Zhe muttered. "For someone to reveal himself so openly, they must be fully prepared. Otherwise, he would never dare act like this. We may already be surrounded."
Gao Yingxiang steadied himself. After so many years of rebellion, after so many defeats and near-deaths, what was there left to fear. He raised his voice and shouted back, "Who are you? And what nonsense are you spouting?"
The swordsman threw his head back and laughed. "I am Flat Rabbit," he declared proudly. "Known in the martial world as Master Rabbit."
For a moment, no one spoke.
No one among the Chuǎng Army had ever heard of such a person.
Seeing their blank expressions, Flat Rabbit snorted. "There is no need to strain your memories. You have not heard my name because I walk the righteous path. I am not like you lot. Your bandit dens and nests of vermin are not worthy of bearing Master Rabbit's name."
Angry murmurs rippled through the rebel ranks. "What kind of garbage talk is this?"
Under normal circumstances, the Chuǎng Army would have already surged forward and hacked this strange swordsman to pieces. But the terrain of Miaogou was too peculiar, and Flat Rabbit's sudden, theatrical appearance was too bizarre. Uncertainty held them in place.
Gao Yingxiang spoke in a deep, steady voice. "We rose in rebellion to kill corrupt officials and rob the rich to aid the poor. We are an army of righteousness."
Flat Rabbit burst into loud laughter. "Hahahaha. Do you even believe that yourself? Among those who rebel, how many are true heroes, and how many are nothing but scum? You know the answer in your own heart. From the Tianqi era until today, the only rebel hero I truly admire is Wang Er of Baishui."
Gao Yingxiang fell silent.
Flat Rabbit pointed his sword forward once more. "In short, today, right here, is your day of death."
Gao Yingxiang felt a trace of bewilderment rise within him. This man stood alone in the middle of the ravine, boasting without restraint. There had to be an ambush hidden on the slopes. There was no doubt about it.
Liu Zhe leaned closer and whispered, "Big Brother Chuǎng Wang, this fellow is definitely not alone. We must be careful."
Huang Long, however, frowned and said, "Is it possible he is using an empty fort stratagem, deliberately bluffing us?"
"Once we pass through this ravine, we will reach the foot of Mount Hua, where we can resupply," Gao Yingxiang replied calmly. "Whether it is a bluff or a real ambush, we have no choice but to push through."
"In that case," Huang Long said firmly, "this subordinate will go ahead and test them."
"Good," Gao Yingxiang agreed at once.
The main Chuǎng Army halted in place, guarding the slopes on both sides with extreme vigilance. Huang Long advanced alone with five hundred men, moving forward step by careful step.
All five hundred were fully prepared for a sudden ambush. Huang Long himself drew his broadsword, his eyes locked tightly on the longsword in Flat Rabbit's hand, ready to clash with this inexplicable swordsman at any moment.
At that instant, Flat Rabbit's palms were slick with sweat.
Watching five hundred armed men advance toward him, it was impossible not to feel fear. Yet fear alone would not make him retreat.
After all, he was Master Rabbit.
No matter how frantic his heart was, his face showed nothing. He lifted his chin, nostrils tilted arrogantly toward the sky, and laughed loudly. "Foolish rebels, you dare challenge Master Rabbit with a mere five hundred men?"
"My single sword's radiance chills forty states, its might sweeping across countless miles. No hero under heaven dares stand against me. You think five hundred men can take my life? Perhaps if ten thousand charged together, you might stand a chance."
Huang Long roared in fury. "Enough of your boasting. I am Huang Long. Let me see what you are truly capable of."
He stopped advancing slowly and instead raised his broadsword high, letting out a thunderous shout as he charged forward. The five hundred men behind him roared in unison and surged ahead.
The scene was genuinely terrifying.
Flat Rabbit's legs trembled slightly, yet he did not retreat. With a fierce roar of his own, he lifted his treasured sword high above his head with both hands and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword."
He took a great step forward and swung his blade violently into empty air.
At that moment, Huang Long was still more than five meters away. The strike hit nothing at all. For an instant, confusion flashed through Huang Long's mind. Why was this man striking the air? Did he truly believe sword-qi could harm someone?
Then it happened.
The moment Flat Rabbit completed his swing, a sharp bang rang out from the slope. One quick-thinking military academy freshman pulled the trigger of his flintlock rifle, firing the very first blank round.
The others instantly understood. One after another, flintlock rifles discharged, and the slopes erupted in a continuous chorus of bangs, the echoes crashing back and forth through the ravine.
One cadet even hurled an exercise hand grenade. It bounced down the slope and exploded beside the rebel formation with a loud boom. No shrapnel flew, but the sound was deafening, and thick white smoke billowed outward, creating a terrifying illusion of lethal force.
Already on edge, Huang Long and his five hundred men panicked at once. Like startled birds, their formation collapsed into chaos.