Chapter 36: The Forest of Guns (Continued)

Upon hearing these words, Ye Mengran collapsed, kneeling by the road and shouting, “My lords, don’t touch the foreigners! Don’t touch them at all! Under no circumstances!”
Unfortunately, Sima Tai refused to believe this. Under Colonel Jackon’s orders, the entire Xiliu Camp marched forward in perfect military formation.
Bayonets like a forest, crowds like an ocean.
The French missionaries also refused to believe it. They thought no one in Tonkin, Annam, or the entire Far East would dare oppose them. Waving their tricolor flags and holding Bibles, they prepared to subdue this barbaric army.
“Ready!” Zhang Biao pulled out his beloved revolver. “Whoever shows weakness will face immediate military punishment.”
Both sides were so determined that Sima Tai felt as though they might collide at any moment—he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
But then, he felt like vomiting blood.
The five French missionaries finally saw the flag carried by this army. It was very striking—two willow leaves and three prominent Chinese characters, “Xiliu Camp,” creating a powerful visual impact.
They quickly realized what the flag meant. Then, recalling the visual shock they had just experienced—seeing those bayonets that could pierce flesh with a single thrust, lining up to charge—they grew fearful.
Though they had received training for invading inland areas, they were not professional soldiers. Facing the bayonet line, they instinctively stepped back, then were forced to retreat further.
Sima Tai was furious. He had prepared various contingency plans for escalating conflict, but they simply turned and fled.
According to the plan, it should have been a progression from verbal disputes to physical fights, ending with the use of bayonets. But before anything could happen, they ran away.
They had no choice but to flee. As experienced missionaries, they knew this flag represented the most barbaric army in the entire Far East—even more savage than Attila the Hun.
In Haiyang, they had done things that any civilized person would find shameful: attacking the legitimate Vietnamese government, massacring loyal Annamite Catholics, disrespectfully insulting the French flag, and even inflicting severe harm on neutral foreign missionaries.
Normally, they would resolutely fight against any bandits who threatened the church’s interests. But today, they were terrified by the presence of these barbarians. These were armed to the teeth, unreasonable creatures. If captured, they would lose half their lives even if they survived.
They still retained a shred of dignity as civilized people. Holding their Bibles and rolling up their tricolor flags, they fled under the watchful eyes of Xiliu Camp, scurrying away like beaten dogs.
They refused to engage in pointless armed battles with these barbarians; they had more effective methods.
The morale of the entire Xiliu Camp soared. Everyone shouted “Kill!” in unison, followed by thunderous laughter.
In the distance, Shen Sheng, an experienced soldier, was stunned. “Is this really possible? Can this really scare away foreigners?”

Cai Yunnan seized the opportunity to persuade Shen Sheng, a highly influential leader in the Tiandihui in Bac Ninh, to join their camp: “Our Xiliu Camp even scares the foreigners. Surely Master Shen will consider it.”
The foreigners fear your strength, but if you keep acting like this, it won’t last long!
He shook his head, but the panicked appearance of the French missionaries earlier remained in his mind. Finally, he spoke up: “I know you have three hundred foreign rifles, which makes you quite powerful in Bac Ninh.”
“But do you know that, not to mention further away, the French in Cochinchina already have several thousand foreign rifles? I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It’s said that France is a vast country in the far west; with just a slight effort, they could have tens of thousands of foreign rifles. Your strength is far too weak.”
However, he didn’t make things absolute: “If everyone in your Xiliu Camp could fight as well as the Ting Army, plus the three thousand soldiers of the Black Flag Army, maybe you could achieve something. But I’m afraid the Black Flag Army isn’t on your side.”
Cai Yunnan felt there was a turning point: “Don’t underestimate our commander despite his young age—he possesses strategies beyond ordinary people’s reach. What we see today is the result of his training plans.”
“A child? What great things can he accomplish?”
“No, our commander is a genius at training troops. Right now, our camp is thriving and improving every day. Given time, Xiliu Camp will become the strongest force in Bac Ninh. Even if the French send troops to attack, we’ll have the strength to defend ourselves.”
Shen Sheng grew angry: “Given time? How many years will it take for your Xiliu Camp to train a strong army? Liu Er has been leading the Black Flag Army for ten years yet hasn’t achieved anything.”
“Three months!” Cai Yunnan raised three fingers. “Our commander has set a bold goal—to transform Xiliu Camp into a powerful force in Bac Ninh within three months.”
“Laughing! This time, Shen Sheng was truly furious. He too had led troops and knew well that building a strong army wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight: “How can a strong army be formed without experiencing life-and-death battles? I’ll wait three months. Let’s see what Xiliu Camp will become.”
Though he felt his words were too harsh, he softened them slightly: “But this month, I’ll ask the members of the Tiandihui in Shanxi to help you. If you need anything, just say so, and we’ll do our best. If in three months you can train a strong army that satisfies me, then fine—our Tiandihui in Bac Ninh will be one family with your Xiliu Camp.”
This was the most crucial decision Shen Sheng made in his life, and also the one he regretted the most.
Meanwhile, in their sight, Sima Tai stood tall, leading his troops, who seemed to have won a great battle, forward.
Their goal was just beginning. Liu Yu had arranged this training to have them travel to every Tiandihui village in Shanxi.
They didn’t need to stop or make any demands—they only needed to raise the banners of Xiliu Camp over every inch of Shanxi.
If they could complete this impressive training, Xiliu Camp would have enough resources to survive in Shanxi.

The bullet’s full power is always greatest inside the barrel.
All raised their heads, armed, and moved forward.
Ye Mengyan knelt on the ground, tears and saliva streaming down his face as he stared in shock as the Xiliu Camp advanced relentlessly. Wiping his eyes, he finally spoke, “That’s impossible! There must be a mistake—could the foreign lord really be such a coward?”