Sun Kewang led three thousand cavalrymen wheeling around in a wide arc, hooves drumming against the valley floor as they rode to intercept what he contemptuously referred to as "the Chu Prince's hired rabble."
Even from a distance, he could see the opposing force advancing at a steady but unhurried pace.
No horses.
Not even the commanding officers were mounted.
Everyone marched on foot, their formation orderly but unremarkable at first glance. From this far away he could not clearly make out their weapons, yet one detail stood out immediately.
No long spears.
Long spears were always the easiest weapon to spot from afar. During a march they had to be held upright, turning the entire formation into something resembling a giant hedgehog bristling with thorns. For cavalry, a properly formed spear wall was the one thing that demanded caution.
And here, there were none.
Sun Kewang raised his riding crop and pointed forward, laughter bubbling up from his throat.
"They do not even have spears. What is there to worry about? Cavalry, charge!"
"Charge!"
The riders howled as they surged forward, grins spread casually across their faces. In their minds they were trampling a crowd of hastily hired townsfolk who would scatter at the first sight of hooves.
They did not know they were charging straight at the First Regiment of Gao Family Village.
There is a particular sensation when one squeezes what appears to be a soft persimmon, only to discover it is a durian covered in spikes.
Cheng Xu watched the cavalry thunder toward him without the slightest change in expression. Even Granny had not bothered to show her head for this engagement. That alone told him how insignificant the threat truly was.
Beside him, however, the commander of the Chu Prince's guard was nearly shaking. He grabbed Cheng Xu's arm.
"What do we do? So many cavalry. If we run now, can we still make it?"
Cheng Xu glanced sideways, unimpressed.
"Run? Why would we run? They are the ones who should run."
The guard commander stared at him as if he had just heard madness spoken calmly.
Cheng Xu turned his head slightly.
"Open fire."
The command was simple.
The result was not.
Years ago, the Gao Family Village militia had already been capable of firing four volleys within ten breaths, breaking Mongol cavalry with disciplined gunfire. Since then, their firelock technology and drill had improved by several increments. Powder was more refined. Ignition was more reliable. Coordination was sharper.
The first volley cracked across the valley.
There was no second order required.
Sun Kewang had not even fully processed the sound before he saw men falling from their saddles. One rider pitched forward without warning. Another spun sideways and hit the ground. Horses stumbled over collapsing bodies. Within moments, what had been a charging line began disintegrating into chaos.
They had not met peasants.
They had met a wall of controlled thunder.
The charge died before it truly began.
Terror rippled through the cavalry ranks. Forward momentum dissolved into instinctive survival. Riders yanked reins, trying to turn back, but geography betrayed them. This was a narrow valley within the Dabie Mountains, steep slopes rising on both sides. Infantry might scramble uphill. Cavalry could not.
Horses crowded into one another in the confined space, spinning, colliding, blocking escape routes. Panic spread faster than bullets.
"Do not panic!" Sun Kewang shouted, voice cracking with urgency. "Hold formation!"
No one listened.
Firelock shots continued in measured rhythm. The clustered cavalry presented perfect targets. Some riders flattened themselves against their horses' necks, trying to reduce their silhouettes, clinging with both arms and not daring to lift their heads. In such a state they could not see, could not hear commands clearly, could not distinguish direction.
At last, those who remained unhit managed to turn their mounts and flee, spurring their horses with desperate heels. They rode as if chased by ghosts.
They were.
Within a short span, the valley floor fell silent except for groans. Bodies lay scattered among wounded horses and men writhing in dust.
Cheng Xu exhaled softly, then turned to the Chu Prince's guard commander.
"You clean the battlefield."
The man stared, still half frozen between fear and awe. Moments ago he had nearly lost control of his bladder at the sight of a cavalry charge. Now he had watched three thousand riders break like dry reeds.
So this was the combat strength taught under Dao Xuan Tianzun.
He could not help thinking that an army blessed by an immortal truly fought differently.
Cheng Xu nudged him lightly.
"I told you to clean the battlefield. We have already engaged the rebels. From here on we advance at full speed. We cannot give them time to react. My men have no time to linger."
The guard commander snapped upright.
"Yes. Understood."
The final words came out closer to a salute than a reply. The relationship between them had shifted quietly. It was no longer he leading a militia against bandits. It was the militia leading him.
Cheng Xu added calmly, "Cleaning the battlefield does not mean killing everyone. Treat prisoners properly. Bandage the wounded. Save whoever can be saved. These are able-bodied laborers. They will be useful later."
"Yes!"
Only then did Cheng Xu raise his voice to his regiment.
"Move out. We continue toward Yangliu Bay."
The First Regiment resumed its march without delay.
---
At Yangliu Bay, Ba Da Wang's main force remained locked in trench confrontation with Shi Kefa's troops, arrows and shots exchanged across dozens of meters in a noisy but stagnant contest.
Ba Da Wang was already irritable when the sound of frantic hooves reached his ears. He turned and saw Sun Kewang returning, not in triumph but in disorder, leading a battered remnant.
His heart tightened.
"What happened?"
Sun Kewang's face had lost all earlier arrogance.
"Firelocks. It was that firelock unit."
The words struck like a stone.
Ba Da Wang lifted his gaze toward the trench line ahead that he could not break, then imagined the same firelock troops closing in from behind. His head felt as though it had split into two.
Trenches in front.
Relentless firelocks behind.
If caught between them, there would be no path of survival.
After a long silence, he resorted to the bandits' oldest skill.
"Into the mountains. We enter the Dabie Mountains."
Pan Dugu spoke quickly, mind racing.
"The eastern slopes are steep, and Shi Kefa has prepared rolling stones and logs at key passes. The south leads to the Yangtze. We can only move northwest into the forested ridges. If we cross the mountains, we emerge in the Central Plains. But that firelock force has likely moved troops from Henan. There may be enemies waiting on the northern slope as well."
Ba Da Wang's eyes hardened.
"The Dabie Mountains are vast. They cannot seal every exit. There will be a gap somewhere."
Pan Dugu nodded.
"That is reasonable."
Zhai Tang and the Shanxi merchants had little choice. Following Ba Da Wang into the mountains was better than waiting to be crushed.
The rebel host began moving toward the northwest slopes, pouring into the forests of the Dabie Mountains. With over a hundred thousand people, even retreat required time. The front half had only just entered the mountain paths when Cheng Xu arrived at the rear.
Nearly half the rebel force had not yet made it into the hills.
"Open fire."
The First Regiment's guns roared once more. Faced with disciplined volleys and no room to maneuver, those left outside the mountains dropped their weapons in quick succession, raising their hands and kneeling.
Fifty thousand were captured on the spot.
At the same time, the Dao Xuan Tianzun emblems hanging on the chests of Gao Family Village's various commanders began speaking in turn.
"Encircle the northwestern Dabie Mountain region near Yingshan County. Close the net."
Across multiple directions, commanding officers straightened, spirits ignited, and columns began converging toward the mountain range.
The hunt had entered its final stage.