Chapter 430: Master Zhan Sheng and He Ping
Chapter 425 of "The Great Ming in the Box" begins with intriguing events: He Ping swung his staff wildly behind the village wall, unleashing a massacre.Though the weapon... Donât miss it!
He Ping swung his staff wildly behind the village wall, unleashing a massacre.Though the weapon in his hands was merely a blunt staff without sharp edges, it didnât slow his killing efficiency at allâone strike shattered a skull, another snapped an opponentâs neck, and yet another struck a groinâŚ
Each move could be described as vicious and ruthless, every single one a killing blow.
Seven or eight fierce bandits whoâd scaled the wall were each dispatched with just one or two precise strikes, killed instantly.
The common folk behind him watched in terror!
No one expected that the ever-gentle Master Zhan Sheng could transform into He Ping, whose fury was truly horrifying.
Someone shouted, âHe Ping? Not⌠not that He Ping, is it?â
âThe man-eating salt lord, He Ping!â
âMy heavens.â
âThey say he devours a person with every meal.â
âReally? Holy shit!â
During this brief exchange, every fierce bandit whoâd climbed the wall had already fallen to He Ping. Ten corpses lay scattered nearby, their faces splattered with blood and brain matter. With no more attackers for the moment, He Pingâs mind cleared, his blood-engorged eyes fading back to their normal black-and-white clarity.
He tilted his head and looked around. âWhat just happened? This poor monk seems to have blacked out briefly. How did so many die in an instant? You mustnât act like this! We should embrace compassion. Even if theyâre thieves, we must guide them toward redemption. Amitabha! Kindly manage the situation!â
Everyone stared silently.
âIt seems heâs become Master Zhan Sheng again, hasnât he?â
Two little monks yelled, âMaster! More bandits are climbing over!â
Master Zhan Sheng whipped his head around just as a bandit chieftain leapt down from the wall. Swinging his staff, the monk subdued the bandit in three blows and pinned him down with a foot. âDrop your blade, BenefactorâŚâ
Before he could finish, a farmer beside him drove a hoe hard into the banditâs skull, shattering it completely.
Master Zhan Sheng asked tentatively, âThis bloodshed⌠itâs not my sin, is it?â
People wiped cold sweat. âNot yours! Not yours!â
âHurry! This side canât hold much longer!â
Another cry cut throughâseven or eight fierce bandits had scaled the opposite wall. Armed with farming tools, the villagers were defenseless, fleeing wildly as the bandits gave chase.
Whoosh! Master Zhan Sheng rushed over. âLay down your blades!â
He swung his staff, blocking the seven or eight bandits single-handedly. Unwilling to kill, he restrained every lethal strike. His stance crumbled instantly, the bandits overwhelming him in a flurry of near-fatal blows.
A little monk screamed, âMaster! Youâre bleeding!â
Barely managing a momentâs pause, Master Zhan Sheng touched his face. His fingers came away dark crimson. âHuh?â
His pupils flashed blood-red. âWho? Who dares spill my blood? Have you never heard the name of the man-eating salt lord, He Ping?â
He Pingâs strikes held no hint of mercyâevery blow was a killing move. One staff swing shattered a banditâs skull. The next instant, his staff plunged into anotherâs eye socket, the eyeball bursting out in a horrifying splash.
Blurs of wood swept like a storm. Within moments, not one bandit stood alive.
With no enemies attacking him for the moment, his eyes regained their normal hue. Master Zhan Sheng scanned the carnage, clicking his tongue. âSuch savagery! Ripping out eyes till they lay on the groundâwhat monstrous sin! Amitabha! Kindly manage the situation! This poor monk must chant sutras to resolve your karmic debtsâŚâ
The cavalry camp troops still hadnât joined the fight. Their panic grew unbearable as they kept turning toward the wallâs chaotic defense. âGeneral! The wall falls! Why are we not attacking?â
âNo hurry!â
Old Nan Feng said, âIt looks dangerous, but itâs not really a problem. Not many bandits climbed over this wall, and our men are still holding steady.â
His mindset truly couldnât be matched by the people of Gaojia Village.
In previous battles, Gaojia Village folks used all their good cards the moment they struck out. This was the first time they met a leader like him: holding back the cavalry, such a strong card, without playing it, completely bewildering the riders.
Old Nan Feng said, âWait a little longer!â
His waiting caused the main force of the bandit army to advance.
Seeing the intense fight at the stockade wall, and that firearms and grenades were no longer in use, Old Zhang Fei also felt it was about time; his full strength could now be pressed forward.
He wasnât young anymoreânot a leader who personally charged with his fierce bandits. He preferred commanding from behind, staying very far back when a battle started. If the front lines lost, heâd escape easily.
Only after confirming overwhelming advantage would he push his main force forward.
This caution let him survive three chaotic years in the late Ming Dynasty. Defeated several times by government troops, he always escaped alive.
Now, watching his fierce bandits scale the wall, he felt certain of victory. It was time for his core troops to advance, or the first wave would grab all the grain. Without enough food for his own guards, theyâd grow displeased.
âForward!â
Large groups of bandit troops pressed onwardâŚ
At that moment, Old Nan Feng rushed with pride. âCavalry camp, ready to charge. Those two by the gate, pay attention: once I shout to open it, you pull!â
The cavalry rushed with pride!
Meanwhile, a large vessel raced like flight across the river.
The cannon ship had arrived!
Its captain was a servant of Bai Yuan from Bai Family Fortressâa troublemaker embodying the Bai clanâs spirit. He adjusted the bow cannon personally, aiming squarely at Old Zhang Feiâs main formation, and laughed loudly: âI learned this skill from my masterânow Iâm one-sixth of a gentleman too.â
âFire!â
The sailors aboard roared in unison.
All five cannons on the warshipâs port side, plus the bow cannon, fired togetherâŚ
âBoom! Boom! Boom! Boom!â
The cannons thundered.
Old Zhang Feiâs unit, just starting forward, immediately became the prime target for artillery fire. With bandits already climbing the wall ahead, cannons couldnât strike their own allies. But Old Zhang Feiâs neat formation advanced from behind, packed tightlyâan easy target.
Cannonballs plummeted into his main body, killing bandits by hitting them till flesh flew and blood sprayed everywhere. His ranks instantly fell into chaos.
Old Zhang Fei was stunned.
He had sent men to verify the warship vanished down the river, miles away, before launching this attack. Yet the ship returned so fast? Unthinkable! Shouldnât it have taken days to come back?
âDamn, fallen for a trick!â
Old Zhang Fei realized his foe played himâthat black smoke before battle mustâve been the signal recalling the ship.
Once back, cannons fired endlessly. Worse, strange marksmen onboard precisely picked off leaders of his fierce bandits from hundreds of pacesâtruly formidable.
Both were devastating blows to morale.
The cannons didnât kill many by hitting, but the shake to morale far outweighed the casualties.