MLMD -Chapter 247 Taking Action

The eight of them swiftly mounted their horses and quickly reached the ridge. Leading the group was Bai Kai, who guided them along a narrow path by the creek, exiting the mountains and heading further out.

After a few miles, the terrain flattened into open plains. The eight rode across the desolate fields. Normally, the area near the capital would have been the most prosperous, being under the emperor’s gaze, but now, the villages along the way were in ruins, and the fields lay empty. Occasionally, large groups of fleeing villagers could be seen, dragging their families westward in panic.

Since the Qing troops entered the pass, small settlements were unsafe, and large ones—dense with people and wealth—were easy targets for looting. Over the past days, the common folk had fled southwest, carrying their families with them.

Bai Kai led his team of seven or eight Night Collectors at full speed, sometimes spurring their horses into a wild gallop, sometimes reining in and scanning the surroundings on foot. He often dismounted to inspect carefully before mounting again and charging ahead. His exceptional tracking skills quickly revealed traces of the Qing soldiers.

The night was deep, but the moon shone unusually bright. Bai Kai, relying on the moonlight, continued to follow the trail left by the Qing troops.

They galloped through the night, and by the early hours, they had covered dozens of miles. Bai Kai had long abandoned the idea of returning after pursuing only twenty miles. Now, they reached a place called Nian Village. Suddenly, Bai Kai pulled on the reins, stopping his horse. The others halted simultaneously. Their horses snorted heavily, steam rising from their flanks—though they had changed mounts occasionally, the animals were clearly exhausted from the long ride.

Bai Kai surveyed the surroundings and whispered, “Everyone, the Tatars are just ahead. They’ve stopped.”

Excitement lit the faces behind him. Lengzi even licked his lips and grinned, “Excellent! Finally found these bastards. By this time next year, they’ll be the ones on the sacrificial pyres!”

“All right, dismount!” Bai Kai commanded.

The men tethered their horses to the roadside trees, then quietly followed Bai Kai, sneaking toward the outskirts of the village.

From outside, Nian Village was a small settlement of about twenty or thirty households. By the bright moonlight, they noticed a large house at its center.

Bai Kai instructed, “Spread out and scout the surroundings. Meet back here in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes!” they all replied and dispersed.

After fifteen minutes, they returned to report.

After tallying the information, Kui Ye said, “Bai Tou, according to our scouts, there are quite a few Tatars here. They’re all mounted scouts from the A-li-ha Chao-ha Battalion of the Bordered White Banner. One is a commander, three are lieutenants, and twenty-one are ordinary soldiers—a total of twenty-five men. They’re all concentrated in the large house, with only two sentries outside. Shall we strike?”

At the end of the eighth year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji had proclaimed the era name of Later Jin as Qing. To consolidate control over the Eight Banners, he drew troops from various Niu-lu units to form a new army, divided into three main battalions: the Ba-ya-la Battalion (later the Guard Battalion), the A-li-ha Chao-ha Battalion (later the Elite Cavalry Battalion), and the Ga-bu-shi-xian Battalion (later the Vanguard Battalion). Commanders of these units were appointed by Huang Taiji.

He also planned to form additional infantry, elite spear, firearms, tiger-spear, and subjugation units outside the three main battalions. Once complete, this reform would overhaul the entire military system. However, this reform touched the interests of several banner lords—including Dorgon, Daisen, and Ajige—who opposed it. At this stage, the changes remained only proposals.

Among the three battalions, the Ba-ya-la units consisted of the most elite soldiers from each banner, about 500–600 men each. These elite troops were usually reserved for wall assaults, sieges, or critical battles—not routine reconnaissance missions. Therefore, the scouts Bai Kai now observed belonged to the ordinary A-li-ha Chao-ha Battalion.

With detailed historical records, Yue Yang knew the Qing military reforms inside out and had already distributed this knowledge to each Night Collector. Every Night Collector in Yingzhou was thus well-informed about the Qing forces.

Bai Kai bit his lip and spoke to the Su brothers beside him: “Eldest and second Su, you two aren’t getting any younger. It’s about time to marry. If we annihilate this group tonight, each of us can earn at least a hundred taels of silver and third-class military merit. Once back in Yingzhou, those merits can be exchanged for ten to twenty acres of military land. With money and land, you can easily marry a wife. So, what do you say? Ready?”

Lengzi gritted his teeth. “Damn right! Fortune favors the brave. If we don’t take this chance, there’ll be no second chance. I’m in!”

Kui Ye hesitated briefly, his facial muscles twitching, then said, “Damn it. For the sake of military merit, I’m going all in. Even if I die, Lord Yue won’t shortchange my family or my son.”

They exchanged glances and simultaneously shouted, “Let’s do it!”

Each man drew his weapon and stealthily approached from different directions.

As they neared the large house, they saw two bonfires outside. Most Qing soldiers gathered around the fires, cooking, while others huddled nearby, occupied with some unknown activity.

The soldiers wore pure white cotton armor with red trim, indicating Bordered White Banner affiliation. Some wore black helmets with long red plumes; others had bare heads, revealing the smooth scalp and long braid of a queue.

Though previously defeated by Yue Yang, these Qing soldiers remained arrogant. Apart from two sentries idly keeping watch by the fires, the rest were eating or clustered in groups. From the groups came occasional piercing screams.

Closer now, Bai Kai’s eyes fell on two women being assaulted by the soldiers. Their cries of struggle and terror sent waves of anger surging through him.

“Hold it… hold it. If we act now, we’ll fail and get ourselves trapped,” Bai Kai clenched his fists so tightly his nails cut into his palms without noticing.

The soldiers continued their vile acts until, half an hour later, they had exhausted themselves. Yawning, they lay down by the fires, many stripping off their armor, sprawled carelessly on the ground.

“It’s time,” Bai Kai murmured, signaling to the others. The Su brothers had already set up a firelock at a concealed position nearby.

Bai Kai drew a longbow and nocked an arrow, while Kui Ye and the other Night Collectors aimed their bows at assigned targets. Lengzi, unlike the others, drew a heavy crossbow, the triple-barbed bolt gleaming ominously in the moonlight.

They exchanged a knowing glance and nodded. Almost simultaneously, they loosed their arrows.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!

Six bolts traced deadly arcs in the moonlight toward their targets.

The first to fall were the two sentries outside the fire. Each was struck by two bolts, and soon, their harrowing screams pierced the night…