Section 10, Counterattack (3)

Captain, should we charge out from the south? Why sacrifice ourselves for Sun Dewang? Ning Shijun is an intellectual from Team Eight and has always been valued by Long Qian

"Hiding in the kitchen," Song Jingguo said

As soon as the gunshot rang out, a group from Team Eight rushed in, with Wang Mingyuan and Lu Shan at the forefront immediately shielding Long Qian behind them, their guns unwaveringly aimed at Qiu Zhicheng and the others.

After nearly an hour of fighting, Cai Chengxi was certainly aware of the threat posed by that high ground. "Thank you very much, Captain Long," he said. Cai Chengxi's Sixth Team and Zhou Yi's Third Team were both part of Liu Yucai's old guard, and Cai Chengxi felt a closer affinity with Long Qian.

"Jiang Yun, ask Lu Shan to bring something up. Also, bring my big knife," Long Qian instructed.

One team after another filled in. Cai Chengxi shivered; this was too cruel, wasn't it? Yet deep down, he understood that Long Qian's method was likely the best, but his own people might not be able to do it. Everyone was together, emboldened, and there were no complaints. If they followed Long Qian's suggestion, it was likely that morale would dissipate.

With a loud bang, Long Qian swiftly fired his gun, knocking the steel weapon from the hands of the man beside Qiu Zhicheng who was preparing to raise his gun. The bullet accurately struck the body of the guard's firearm, causing the foreign gun to fall to the ground, and only then did the man let out a strange cry, "My God"

Nonsense! Long Qianba hurried towards Duo Duo Zhai. However, he was a step too late; apart from the seven courtesans who followed Song Jingguo to gather provisions, the remaining nine women had already been slaughtered by Sun Dewang's captain, Qiu Zhicheng.

Captain Qiu, do not force me to turn against you. Go tell the chief that if he wants Team Eight to fight for him, he should not mention those women.

Time is tight, I will head back first. Long Qian also tightly握了下 Cai Chengxi's hand

"I was just looking for you!" Although still young, he was already balding, his face flushed. Qiu Zhicheng said loudly, "Sure, Captain Long, it is rumored throughout the stronghold that you practice unorthodox skills and avoid women. Who would have thought that as soon as you had the chance, you would bring seven women into your team! Hand them over, the boss has ordered that those women must not leak any secrets of the stronghold"

He, he won't come back, will he?" Cheng Erhu said with some concern, stammering.

"You! How can you bring yourself to do this!" Long Qian shouted angrily at Qiu Zhicheng, who was about to leave.

"Captain, let's do as Captain Long suggested and have them take over as soon as possible." One of his squad leaders leaned in, "If we wait until noon, we will lose at least dozens more, not to mention we need time to retreat."

"Nonsense, someone will definitely leak the details to the authorities, but it won't be those innocent women. Captain Qiu, how can you lay hands on a few women who are completely defenseless? I truly cannot comprehend how people like you exist in this world! I want those women, go back and tell Sun Dazhang, he must come personally to retrieve them!" Long Qian said coldly, "Get lost, this is my territory now." I want those women, go back and tell Sun Dazhang, he must come personally to retrieve them!" Long Qian said coldly, "Get lost, this is my territory now."

"Brothers, let us not speak as if we are from different families." Long Qian requested water to soothe his hoarse throat, "Captain Cai, we must retake that high ground; otherwise, we will suffer greatly. You direct the brothers to suppress the enemy's fire, and I will lead the team to capture it."

Returning to the main position at Tianmen, Long Qian said to Cai Chengxi, "We shouldn't have so many people here; one small team is sufficient. However, the weapons must be fully equipped. We will exhaust one team before sending in another. Having too many people is just asking for death. You all hold on for another half an hour; I will go back and make some arrangements. I will relieve you in half an hour."

The government troops did not notice Long Qian's flanking maneuver. By the time they realized it, Long Qian was already within close proximity to Lu Shan. On the high ground, there were a total of seven or eight soldiers, as no more could fit. Long Qian led the charge, swiftly rushing forward, shooting dead a government soldier who stood up and shouted. He then drew his ghost-headed knife and began to slash. In a brutal hand-to-hand combat, he killed all seven or eight government soldiers who were not skilled in close combat. Four of Long Qian's soldiers died, and two were injured.

Captain, Captain, Jiang Yun rushed over anxiously, "They are going to kill those women!"

Qiu Zhicheng glared at Long Qian with resentment, "Alright, Captain Long, you are something else. Let's go!"

The wounded from the Sixth Squad were gradually sent down, while the deceased were left on the battlefield, yet the unit maintained effective control and did not descend into chaos

Long Qianfei swiftly chambered a round, coldly facing Qiu Zhicheng and the four internal guards he brought with him

Haha, if they had the courage to come back, they wouldn't be fleeing in such a panic. Don't waste time here, Erhu, you take some people and bury these women. The rest of you, go about your own business. Long Qian listened intently to the gunfire around Tianmen, just as a loud explosion echoed from that direction, causing everyone's expressions to change.

"Captain, it seems we cannot go back," Wang Mingyuan said softly to Long Qian as he watched Qiu Zhicheng leave.

"Damn it, they're coming again, fight!" The official army launched another round of attacks, accompanied by the appearance of their figures on the mountain road, as shells began to fall once more. The members of the sixth squad shouted and fought with all their might to resist.

I have no intention of going back either" Long Qian said nonchalantly

The internal security team has already set out, and neither Sun Dewang nor Sun Deming will return to handle this matter. Liu Yucai and Zhou Huanan have always protected Long Qian, and Qiu Zhicheng is not a fool; he can see that the Eighth Team is firmly under Long Qian's control. They all understand the principle that a wise man does not suffer immediate losses.

Unable to find Cai Chengxi in time, Long Qian engaged in a fierce defensive battle with Jiang Yun. Long Qian used a single gun to suppress the government troops on the small high ground to the left of the Tianmen, killing two enemy soldiers in quick succession, thereby alleviating the firepower suppressing Team Six. After all, taking advantage of the terrain, the attacking government troops retreated after leaving behind four or five corpses.

When Lu Shan came up with ten men, Long Qian said to Cai Chengxi, "Gather a few brothers with good marksmanship, don't spare the bullets, shoot hard at those bastards. I'll go around from that side." Long Qian pointed to the hillside on the right, "Lu Shan, you take the first squad and come with me, those without guns stay behind."

As the reinforcements from the Sixth Brigade arrived, Long Qian entrusted the position to the squad leader in charge, advising him to dig trenches as much as possible. The ammunition left by the government troops was also reserved for the reinforcements from the Sixth Brigade.

Qiu Zhicheng is leading a group to kill the women of the brothel. Jiang Yun is panting heavily

No! Cai Chengxi firmly refused, "We cannot let Liu Tou and Zhou Sige down; we must strive to give them more time."

As Long Qian ascended, he coincided with a round of attacks from the government troops. The government forces did not advance solely along the main road; instead, they occupied several high points near Tianmen, using their firepower to relentlessly suppress the defending troops at Tianmen. The defensive positions of the Sixth Brigade seemed to have utilized yesterday's setup, and in Long Qian's view, they had not made good use of the terrain. For instance, the small high ground to the left front of Tianmen absolutely needed to be under their control. Fortunately, the government troops did not have machine guns; had they mounted a Maxim on that high ground, the front of the Sixth Brigade would have been breached long ago. In Long Qian's view, they had not made good use of the terrain, and the small high ground to the left front of Tianmen absolutely needed to be under their control. Fortunately, the government troops did not have machine guns; had they mounted a Maxim on that high ground, the front of the Sixth Brigade would have been breached long ago.

Long Qian left behind a group of terrified women, bringing Ning Shijun, Jiang Yun, and Gu Xiaolin to a hillside near Tianmen. Through a sparse grove of trees, they could see flashes of fire rising intermittently from the battlefield, as the government troops' cannons continued to bombard. However, Long Qian was unclear about the specific situation. He needed to inspect the defensive positions in person. Although he was very familiar with the terrain around Tianmen, and the second and fourth squads had certainly constructed defensive works, Long Qian still felt uneasy. If the sixth squad were to collapse quickly, the eighth squad must have a proper countermeasure. He needed to inspect the defensive positions in person. Although he was very familiar with the terrain around Tianmen, and the second and fourth squads had certainly constructed defensive works, Long Qian still felt uneasy. If the sixth squad were to collapse quickly, the eighth squad must have a proper countermeasure.

"Are you Sun Juan?" Long Qian looked at the woman with disheveled hair and a dirty face, "Don't kneel, get up! A battle is about to begin. You all stay here and follow Song Jingguo. We will be taking mountain paths and traveling at night, so be prepared. I will not abandon you. Shi Jun, come with me to Tianmen."

We will definitely hold on until noon. Captain Long, you are quite considerate, not disappointing what Second Brother thinks of you. Cai Chengxi tightly grasped Long Qian's hand

"Damn it, you've turned against me! I saw long ago that you are not worth anything. Do you dare to disobey the words of the leader? Come here!" Qiu Zhicheng was furious

Stepping into the small courtyard that had never been entered before, the ground was covered in fresh blood, and nine disheveled corpses lay sprawled across the yard in disarray, causing Long Qian's hair to stand on end.

No, we must hold on until dark. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to escape. They are ruthless, and we cannot be ungrateful. Moreover, now we are fighting for ourselves. You go back, Jiang Yun, come with me. Long Qian leaped up and ran towards the Tianmen position.

"Shi Jun, Jiang Yun and I will go up to take a look. You should not go up; you and Xiao Lin should return. First, let Lu Shan's team assemble and have Lu Shan bring the people here, waiting for my orders." Long Qian, hearing another round of intense shelling, felt the crisis and decided to intervene early.

Long Qian noticed that the artillery fire from the government troops was intermittent, with approximately ten shells fired each time before taking a break. Due to visibility issues, he could not clearly see the situation of the Sixth Division, but the sporadic shelling and impact points indicated that the Sixth Division was steadfastly holding its position. Long Qian recorded the intervals of the artillery fire, estimating the frequency of the government troops' attacks. The coordination of infantry and artillery is a crucial subject that modern armies must master, but Yuan Shikai's new army clearly had not achieved perfection—whether it was a gradual advance of barrages or, after the last shell exploded and the smoke cleared, the bayonets of the assault troops were already pressed against the chests of the defenders. Such techniques, which even modern European armies have not fully mastered, would likely be even less understood by Cao Kun's troops, as they require sophisticated equipment and rigorous training. Even though the Beiyang New Army was equipped with Western artillery, it lacked the funds for extensive live-fire training.

Long Qian was taken aback, "Who? Who wants to kill whom?"

What about those women

Cai Chengxi felt a surge of emotion and did not hold back. He concentrated seven or eight rifles to aim at the high ground and opened fire, providing cover for Long Qian's men as they descended the slope. Cai Chengxi himself also held a rifle and shot towards the high ground, faintly seeing gray figures amidst the smoke. The government troops, unwilling to be outdone, were also fiercely retaliating. Until he heard the shouts nearby of "We have taken it! We have taken it!", Cai Chengxi saw someone rolling on the high ground and silently praised them, quickly ordering a ceasefire and sending a squad for reinforcement.

Wang Mingyuan said softly, "I will take my team to have a look"

Cai Chengxi did not adjust his troops. While the government forces were resting, he counted his own numbers. In just over an hour, nearly forty men had been lost, among which more than thirty had died, most of them due to cannon fire

"No need, prepare to take over the position of the Sixth Defense Team." Long Qian turned and exited the courtyard, only to see a woman in her thirties jogging towards him. She suddenly knelt down in front of Long Qian, sobbing, "Captain Long, your great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten by Sun Juan and the surviving sisters. We will repay your kindness with our lives, working like oxen and horses."

Sun Dewang's decision had long since completely pushed Team Eight out. Upon hearing Long Qian's words, Lu Shan and Feng Guozhu felt a subtle excitement.

Tell them, as long as I, Long Qian, still draw breath, no one shall harm them

The current battlefield situation is relatively normal; the imperial troops do not seem to have launched a decisive charge, but are merely bombarding with artillery. The dry wild grass has caught fire, and smoke is billowing, severely impairing visibility

"Captain Long, thank you very much." Cai Chengxi, covered in gunpowder, appeared before Long Qian