Chapter 47: Reverse Inference

Fierce gunshots and sounds of combat soon came from afar. About twenty minutes later, good news arrived: “Commander, we’ve taken control of Fuchey Village.” The soldier bringing the news emphasized, “We haven’t suffered any casualties.” Such results were within Liu Yu’s expectations. How could these armed believers compare to the meticulously trained Xiliu Camp he had built? Their skills were merely at the level of using simple firearms; in a real battle, they would collapse instantly.

Xiliu Camp had already taken control of the entire Fuchey Village. On the wall at the village entrance, Liu Yu saw several corpses of the believers, along with pools of blood. The villagers had fled as soon as the battle began, and now only a few dozen remained, driven together in front of the small chapel.

Cai Yunnan’s deputy rushed over, his face filled with murderous intent. “Commander, we’ve avenged our platoon leader. Next, we’ll attack the main defensive areas. We’re still willing to serve as the vanguard platoon.” This platoon had been fired upon by the firearms in Fuchey Village, and Cai Yunnan’s injury had further fueled their anger. Once the battle started, they charged like tigers descending from the mountains.

Even Li Yangcai’s position with three hundred men couldn’t stop them. Even though the villagers in Fuchey Village were equipped with a few Mini rifles, what good was that? Within just five minutes of the battle, over thirty armed believers were killed or wounded, too terrified to show their faces.

They broke through with unstoppable force. Religious faith meant nothing against such brutal firearms. A single assault by their platoon took control of Fuchey Village, followed by a sweep through the village, forcing any remaining villagers out.

Now, in the darkness, nearly a hundred villagers of Fuchey Village stared at the fourteen-year-old boy with utter fear.

“Heretics!” one brave believer cursed. “Damn you, heretics!”

Liu Yu heard it clearly. Holding his revolver, he stepped forward. That believer was a devout Catholic. “God will protect us! France will protect us! You heretics!”

“Bang!” Liu Yu pulled the trigger, shooting him in the head. He gave those villagers a cold glance—a look of hatred. Though at a disadvantage, they still hated Xiliu Camp for ruining their peaceful lives.

They didn’t deserve pity or sympathy.

He said to those enraged believers, “Please don’t forgive my crimes, not even in a hundred years.”

Liu Yu turned to the soldiers who had long awaited revenge. “Avenge Platoon Leader Cai. Anyone who resists will be executed, unless they abandon their faith, embrace barbarism, and become heretics like us, submitting their surrender.”

“Fuchey Village, remember today!”

He waved his hand, and Cai Yunnan’s deputy understood his intent. “Light the fire!”

A few torches were thrown. The thatched houses and stilted buildings were highly flammable, and the fire spread rapidly with the wind.

The soldiers rushed around, lighting more fires. Even from afar, Liu Yu could feel the intense heat in the air.

The entire village was ablaze.

All the believers cried out.

The fire burned brilliantly—the most magnificent fire of destruction.

“Tell those villagers in the village—this is their fate!”

“We are pagans, we are barbarians, we are the greatest enemies of God!”
“Let them send twenty laborers from each village to help us attack the city. If there’s one less, I won’t mind adding ten coffins to their village.”
“For every shot they fire, I’ll take one cow from them; if they wound one of my soldiers, I won’t hesitate to demand a hundred lives in return!”
“Remember this hatred—never forgive me.”
Liu Yu, standing in the darkness, was even more terrifying than the great demon king in the Bible.
Accompanying his voice were the merciless shots of those being executed in line.
“Half an hour later, launch a full-scale attack on the main defensive areas.”
……
What Ye Mengyan saw was the fire set by the Xiliu Camp in Fuchey Village. His heart turned as cold as iron, and he could barely stand: “It’s the Church Village.”
Indeed, it was the Church Village, the one repeatedly protected by the French.
The heavens seemed to have collapsed.
He felt his blood boiling, as if his wife had cheated on him: “Heaven! Heaven!”
The flames burned brilliantly in the night. Ye Mengran collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. But even heaven wouldn’t spare him: “Sir! The Xiliu Camp is too brutal!”
“We’ve just approached the old camp. We didn’t say anything, yet they already started shooting!” The soldier bringing the news had dropped his rifle, was covered in blood, and cried, “Many of our brothers have been killed or wounded. Their firepower is fierce—so many of us have died or been hurt.”
Ye Mengyan took a deep breath before asking, “Are you sure you didn’t do anything before they fired?”
“We had intentions, but we didn’t even touch a single hair of theirs. They set up countless rows of guns in the old camp and fired, killing or wounding dozens of people. Our brothers were scattered without even firing a shot.”
Ye Mengyan smiled bitterly: “So these are truly the real villains!”
They dared to burn the French Church Village and even threaten Western missionaries. Such villains couldn’t be trifled with, yet he had only realized this now.
Near the old camp, no Vietnamese troops could be seen. Anyone who dared to stay there would face attacks from the Xiliu Camp.
The Xiliu Camp fired without even a warning. Yet after those shots, the Vietnamese soldiers repeated the scene from the riverbank once again.
Liu Haohao stood on the wall, looking at the distant flames, and praised, “What a wonderful fire.”
……
“Remember this hatred—never forgive me.”
A rare smile appeared on Luo Yanqiu’s lips. She saw this cruel yet beautiful scene clearly.
Among those who resisted, some had abandoned their faith, torn up the Bible with their own hands, and become executioners of their fellow believers. They could no longer stay in Fuchey Village or the Catholic Church. Liu Yu glanced at her and said, “Leave these scum to you. If any believers try to help us fight, you’ll be in charge of commanding them.”
At the moment Fuchey Village was engulfed in flames, the gunshots coming from all directions suddenly stopped.
Soon, the night sky became silent, as if these armed believers had never existed at all. Only the flames of Fuchey Village remained, serving as a reminder to everyone.
This was the consequence of provoking the Xiliu Camp.

The nearby sea of fire illuminated Li Yangcai’s camp as if it were day. Li Yangcai’s legs gave way, and he nearly lost his balance. This religious village, adorned with tricolor flags and featuring a small chapel, had been a key stronghold for him, yet the Xiliu Camp burned it down without hesitation, showing no regard for the French people’s feelings. The sounds of gunfire ceased; now they were fighting alone. Unbeknownst to him, after the fire was lit in Fuchey Village, those armed believers abandoned their mission and ran back to their homes. The significance of this fire was even greater than Liu Yu had imagined—no one dared to defy the great demon king who destroyed a village, not even the believers in the Lord. The fire burned in their hearts, and they regretted their reckless actions that night. Even the usually authoritative Western missionaries could no longer control them. They didn’t want this fire, but how could they not? Behind them lay Fuchey Village, engulfed in flames. The village was ruined. Although most of the able-bodied villagers had escaped, the fire destroyed the entire village. By next spring, Fuchey Village would likely become a wasteland. The Western missionaries wanted these usually obedient believers to attack again, but the believers closed their doors, holding Bibles and driving away the demon king: “God! How could I be so blinded by greed as to provoke such a madman?” The chapel was empty, with a few missionaries still resisting: “Believers, come out quickly, come out…” The doors suddenly opened, and the missionaries were overjoyed. Soon they heard a voice: “Each religious village must send twenty able-bodied workers to help the demon king attack the camp. For every person missing, there will be ten more coffins in the village.” “From now on, for every shot fired, the demon will claim one cow; for each soldier injured, the demon king will demand a hundred lives!” “Whoever dares to defy the Xiliu Camp will face the same fate as Fuchey Village! This is the threat of the great demon king.” The messenger, released from Fuchey Village, was covered in tears, his pants soaked, but he had no time to tidy himself up: “Hurry! If you’re late, the village will be slaughtered.” Threats were a highly effective weapon. “Ready!” One after another, infantry units reported that they were ready to attack the main defensive areas. But the once quiet night was suddenly disturbed by crowds: “Reporting to the commander, forty workers from Zhengjia Village are here and ready.” “Our village has also sent forty workers. We will gather the ransom you demand by tomorrow.” “Please, do not slaughter the village; we can send more.” Crying believers knelt at Liu Yu’s feet: “Please forgive us!” Liu Yu ignored them: “All units, prepare to attack the main defensive areas and save our comrades!” This reincarnated demon king stepped into darkness: “I don’t mind slaughtering a few more villages.” The believers wept and even kissed the footprints he left behind: “Thank you for your forgiveness.” The Western missionaries did not see this, but they were utterly defeated. The Shanxi Church had failed.

This was a persecution. The most painful persecution in the history of the Shanxi Church. This disaster was comparable to the severe blow dealt to the Shanxi diocese after Lord Anye was killed by the evil Black Flag Army—no, even worse than that time.
The Shanxi diocese had lost all its dignity.
All they could see was the believers from various church villages pouring out, with unprecedented enthusiasm, to take on the role of vanguards for Xiliu Camp.
“Begin the assault!”
It was still Cai Yunnan’s platoon leading the charge, but now they had steadfast guards behind and on their flanks. Even before they attacked, believers from several villages had already circled around to attack them from the sides. Now, Li Yangcai was experiencing what it meant to be attacked from all sides.
Thanks to the flames, Li Yangcai could see Xiliu Camp’s deployment clearly.
“Kill!” They charged forward, making use of the terrain familiarly, while behind them, Sima Tai shouted orders: “Remington, take out those mountain-crushing cannons!”
At the most prominent position of the mountain-crushing cannons, there were still over twenty of Li Yangcai’s men. Initially, Cai Yunnan’s volley of shots had killed or wounded several of them, and now this volley was just as deadly.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!” The Remington rifles knocked down several enemy soldiers operating the mountain-crushing cannons. These veterans tried to fire another shot, only to be met with a barrage of Spencer rifles.
Though they were pistol bullets, the Spencer rifles still had considerable lethality at medium range. After this barrage, only half of the men at the mountain-crushing cannon positions remained—either they had fled or been shot.
Meanwhile, Cai Yunnan’s platoon at the forefront had already engaged the enemy forces at the first line of defense again. This time, they were well-prepared, with an additional Remington rifle squad and a Spencer rifle squad added. Their firepower immediately prevented the enemy forces from making any progress.
They realized that all the training arranged by Liu Yu was now useful—whether it was Practice 1 and Practice 2 of rifle use or practical field training—they became more and more skilled with each battle.
Li Yangcai’s men found that, aside from their firepower, their marksmanship was also astonishingly accurate. Often, as soon as they showed themselves, they were shot in the head by the enemy. And whenever they showed any weakness, the enemy would seize the opportunity to attack.
“Support! Support!”
This time, Li Yangcai’s mobile support wasn’t as effective as before—not only because the battlefield was as bright as day but also because any sign of movement would draw sniper fire from the Remington rifle squad.
The Remington rifle squad members had undergone Infantry Practice 2, and their marksmanship was terrifyingly precise—far surpassing even that of the Spencer riflemen.
Xiliu Camp had deployed almost all its forces, bringing with them terrifying firepower. In any direction, Li Yangcai clearly had a numerical advantage, yet he was completely suppressed. As for the mountain-crushing cannons, they failed to fire even a single shell.
The intense gunfire even gave Li Yangcai an illusion: “Damn it! They said there were only over a hundred people—just hearing this gunfire tells me there are hundreds here!”
He had thought he could hold out thanks to the fortifications he had built, but as soon as the gunfire from the believers stopped, they lost confidence.

They were already pawns, so that the defenders in many strong positions retreated after firing just a few shots.
The Xiliu Camp’s attack was fierce, but more importantly, their advantage in firepower was utilized effectively—three waves of arrows gradually breached the first line of defense, after which a group of Spencer rifles moved to the flanks, posing a severe threat to the defenders in the second line with intense volleys.
“We can’t hold on!” Li Yangcai also realized this problem. “Damn it!”
As soon as he said this, everyone knew they couldn’t resist—the enemy force ahead was too strong and numerous, far beyond what their side could withstand.
“Go!” Li Yangcai was disheartened. “I never thought I’d die at the hands of a young brat after decades in the military.”
“Quickly take Lord ZhenTai away!” one of his nephews ordered loudly. “Drag him away if necessary—I’ll cover your retreat!”
The nephew laughed loudly. “Uncle, thank you for your favor over the years. As your nephew, I’ll leave first!”
“I’ll bring men to cover the retreat. The Xiliu Camp is eager to rescue the outpost and won’t chase after you!” This nephew was a complete scoundrel—addicted to drinking, gambling, and women—but he remained a tough man in critical moments. “We’ve enjoyed enough blessings; it’s time for us to repay your kindness!”
“Let go of me!” Li Yangcai was forcibly dragged away by his subordinates. “I’ll cover the retreat! I’ll do it!”
“Uncle, when you rise again and become emperor, don’t forget us!”
The Xiliu Camp fought more and more smoothly, while Li Yangcai’s forces grew weaker and weaker. Soon, shouts rang out: “Lord ZhenTai, retreat!”
After such cries, the remaining soldiers either surrendered or fled, with only a few continuing to resist before being quickly subdued.
“The battle was resolved in 26 minutes. Our army lost four men!”
Although it was the Xiliu Camp attacking, their casualties were astonishingly low—no one died, only four were injured.
In front of them were dozens of prisoners, along with a large amount of weapons, flags, and fortifications abandoned by the enemy. But Liu Yu valued something else more: “Soldiers of Cai Yunnan’s platoon, you are my vanguard. Even with your platoon leader injured, you remain my sharpest edge. Now, you have one last mission!”
“Save our comrades!” Cai Yunnan’s platoon lost three more men, including their deputy platoon leader. Now, the platoon leader was temporarily replaced by a squad leader. “We are the vanguard! Let’s clear a path!”
Their determination was unstoppable. Cai Yunnan’s platoon indeed saw it through—reaching the Red River Outpost in just one hour.
Behind the mud walls, the Yellow Flag Army was still figuring out how to reward suicide squads. After brief fighting, they finally decided to charge forward—completely because their retreat was blocked by the Xiliu Camp.
Except for Qiao Erchi, who led some men to flee, the Yellow Flag Army was defeated this time.
There were over a hundred prisoners alone. From the rice fields to the front walls, everything was covered in Yellow Flag Army corpses. The Xiliu Camp had no intention of taking care of their wounded.
But burying the bodies would likely not be completed before dawn.
By dawn, the main force and the soldiers guarding the outpost would reunite, hugging each other and cheering.

“The soldiers of Xiliu Camp, you are the best!” Liu Yu praised his troops, saying, “The Yellow Flag Army gathered three thousand soldiers to attack our outpost of just thirty-seven, while Li Yangcai led a thousand regular troops to block our advance.”
“But we are the victors! Just thirty-seven of us defeated three thousand Yellow Flag soldiers. Platoon Leader Cai Yunnan led two squads to storm Li Yangcai’s camp, and Sentinel Sima Tai defeated a thousand enemies alone—what remarkable achievements! Only the most outstanding troops can accomplish such arduous tasks.”
There was cheers like a tidal wave.
A great victory for Xiliu Camp.
Below their feet lay piles of corpses everywhere.
Liu Yu stood atop the piles of bodies, the most prominent figure.
Luo Yanqiu’s gaze toward him was as bright as stars.
Though the battle was over, there was still much to deal with.
Liu Yu didn’t finish handling everything until near noon before going to bed. He slept in the best house in the village, originally the residence of a French missionary, in pure French style. Now he slept soundly in bed.
He didn’t have to worry about anyone daring to harm him.
He was the Demon King.
History had shown that the people of this country had the courage to challenge the Demon King—but only when they had external support did they dare to confront him.
He slept deeply in the French-style bed until after dinner, then got up.
Another pile of documents awaited him. He dealt with them while eating and even found time to take a bath afterward.
He had no problem enjoying himself. As someone who had crossed through time and defied historical trends, he didn’t mind putting on his best clothes and savoring the sweet fruits of power and slaughter.
He still thought about this victory, this battle, this great triumph of Xiliu Camp, which had drawn more attention than all previous victories combined. It was said that many missionaries had already found excuses to go directly to the headquarters in Hanoi to report.
But what to do next required further consideration. “I’ll rest a bit more. Don’t wake me unless it’s urgent!”
“Yes, Commander!”
Wearing silk clothes was very comfortable. This reminded him that his foundation was still weak, his strength insufficient. More importantly, this village only cooperated with Xiliu Camp out of fear of his power.
This was like a tree without roots or water without a source. Only by weaving a web from the bottom up, turning every person and village into a firmly controlled stronghold, could he ensure invincibility. In another era, this was called “state-building.”
As he pondered, the door was pushed open. With his eyes closed, leaning back in his chair, he didn’t get up. “What is it?”
The other person quietly closed the door and came over with light steps. “It’s me! I know you don’t want them to disturb you.”
Seeing a beauty was also a pleasure. Liu Yu opened his eyes but saw Luo Yanqiu’s cold expression, wearing a rare black cloak in Vietnam. “Yanqiu? What’s wrong?”
Luo Yanqiu stepped in front of Liu Yu, ignoring his gaze and saying nothing.
She was beautiful, but the air felt somewhat foul.

She leaned close to Liu Yu’s ear, bit his ear, and resolvedly said, “I want to see your body. Of course, you can see mine too…”
He suddenly hugged Liu Yu, who had already realized she was wearing nothing under her cloak.