Chapter 43: Fierce Battle! Advance!

On the grassland across from them, a group of Yellow Flag soldiers were desperately pushing cannons, trying to set up positions in front of the paddy fields. Facing the lingering heat in the air and ignoring the roaring gunshots, a leader with an uncovered upper body pushed the cannon while shouting, “Push it forward! Once we have it in place, we’ll win! Don’t fear the bullets—those wretched guns can’t even hit a bird!” Before he could finish speaking, another sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by the sound of bullets piercing bodies. Blood gushed from the leader’s body, and the Yellow Flag soldiers were shocked; they stopped advancing.

Three hundred meters—hit!
The Remington marksmen, who had set a record, had no time to celebrate. They suppressed their excitement and prepared to fire again.
The Yellow Flag soldiers never expected such skilled marksmen in the Xiliu Camp, capable of hitting targets from three hundred meters away. A few impulsive soldiers rushed forward to carry the wounded leader, with others already bandaging his wounds.
Although the high-powered single-shot rifles used black powder, hitting a target from three hundred meters still created a bloody hole in the shoulder, almost piercing it through. “Lao Long, how are you?”
“Scared of nothing!” Before his wounds could even be properly bandaged, the injured leader jumped up again. “I’ve taken many bullets before—what’s there to fear? Charge forward and set up the cannon!”
His shoulder seemed broken, and one of his arms was completely useless, yet this strong man with an uncovered upper body still had plenty of strength. He wanted to charge forward. “Yellow Flag soldiers, are you scared of a few bullets? Set up the cannon!”
“Set up the cannon!” Encouraged by this incident, the Yellow Flag soldiers grew even more determined. “Hurry! Whoever backs down is worthless!”
However, that miraculous hit seemed to drain much of the Xiliu Camp’s luck. They failed to achieve further success. The Yellow Flag soldiers managed to push the cannons to an open area about 240–250 meters away from the outpost, but they didn’t dare go any further.
At that distance, the Remington marksmen’s shots became even more precise. One Yellow Flag soldier was hit in the head, killing him on the spot, with blood splattering everywhere.
Faced with the whizzing Remington bullets, the Yellow Flag soldiers were forced to lie on the ground, unable to set up their cannon positions. Qiao Erchi grew frustrated. “Damn it! Just four Remington guns—just four!”
The Remington marksmen also slowed down their firing rate, aiming for more accurate hits. So far, they had fired only over twenty bullets, but they had already killed one and wounded another, preventing the Yellow Flag soldiers’ artillery from being deployed at all.
In front of them was open terrain. The Yellow Flag soldiers lying on the ground were forced to retreat slightly, but they quickly regrouped, waving their flags and shouting loudly. Some even started to run in small groups.
They thought such actions would force the Xiliu Camp’s Spencer rifles to fire recklessly, but it was still those four Remington guns firing all the time.
The Yellow Flag soldiers also had a dozen or so breech-loading guns, but they had no confidence firing at that range and needed to push forward further.
But further ahead was Spencer’s killing zone. At the thought of the firepower from those repeating rifles, the Yellow Flag soldiers’ leader felt chilled to the bone.

Even if their scalps tingle with fear, they must charge. Once their ammunition is exhausted, they won’t be able to sustain their firepower. We have eight hundred infantry, and we can also use the opportunity to deploy artillery.
The question is—who will lead the charge?
Qiao Erchi mentioned his French friend’s suggestion: “Charge in small teams! Disperse the formation and advance in several waves. Even if they can repel one wave, they won’t be able to stop so many waves.”
“I’ll take the lead!” The first to shout was Lao Long, the leader with a bullet wound in his shoulder. He was bare-chested except for a bandage wrapped around his upper body, blood covering half of his body. “Lao Qiao, I, Lao Long, am not a coward!”
“No need for a farewell drink. If we win this battle, please don’t forget all these hardworking brothers’ efforts!” Lao Long’s face was contorted in pain as the bullet in his shoulder continued to cut into his flesh. “Every member of our Yellow Flag Army is a true hero!”
Although the Yellow Flag Army had many stains in its history, it was indeed an experienced army that had fought through countless battles. From Wu Lingyun’s uprising to now, it had a history of nearly thirty years. During that time, countless officers had changed, and many soldiers had died or been injured, leaving only these remnants scattered in the mountains.
These veterans not only had extensive combat experience but also showed great determination. As soon as Lao Long spoke, the leaders of the Yellow Flag Army also pledged their full commitment: “Let’s fight! Let’s fight!”
With different teams under yellow flags, Lao Long, unharmed, grabbed a sword and shouted, “Kill them!”
He led more than twenty men in a scattered formation, charging forward toward the outpost. Right behind him were two loose groups of over ten men each, and further back were two formations stretching to the sides, slightly more compact.
The artillery units also pushed their guns forward, ready to charge through the enemy’s fire.
Zhang Biao clearly saw this scene. He grew more convinced that his defensive strategy was correct. The Yellow Flag Army truly was a formidable force, on par with the Black Flag Army in the North. Just by looking at their military appearance, one could tell of their strength.
Seeing their fearless charging momentum, many new recruits felt their scalps tingle. How many soldiers did the Yellow Flag Army have? At least a thousand.
It was a pity they didn’t have artillery. Otherwise, a single round of shells could have taken down many enemies.
The Remington rifles suddenly fired faster, but the Yellow Flag Army moved so quickly that it was hard to hit them. Although two soldiers were killed, the enemy’s vanguard suddenly reached in front of the paddy fields.
Their artillery also advanced rapidly, and it seemed they were setting up their positions.
Spencer still hadn’t fired. According to the orders, they had to wait for Zhang Biao’s command: “Spencer, keep preparing. Remington, fire freely.”
The paddy fields were right in front of them. Lao Long felt even more pain in his damaged shoulder, but when he saw the harvested paddy fields, he saw the Black Flag Army’s outpost ahead.
The distance to those paddy fields was only about a hundred meters. He waved his hand vigorously: “Brothers of the Yellow Flag Army!”
“Remember! It will be our Yellow Flag Army that leaves its name in history!”
He stepped into the paddy fields, where the water was still half a foot deep. His whole foot sank into the mud, but at that moment, the vanguard of the Yellow Flag Army had already rushed into the paddy fields.

Meanwhile, the Black Flag Army across from them already had their fingers on the triggers. Zhang Biao waved his hand and ordered, “Spencer! Ready—fire!”