Chapter 126: Open Fire!

The fog had thinned considerably by now. As soon as Qi Jun gave the order, a tall figure standing nearby sprang into action. With a cry of excitement, he waved his hand and led several villagers running quickly down the city wall.

Before long, the group came huffing and puffing back up the ramparts, pushing a massive iron contraption. Everyone gathered around, filled with curiosity, observing this strange iron device that none of them had ever seen before.

"Magistrate Qi, what is this?" Feng Qinian stroked his beard, leaning over to touch the cannon barrel in bewilderment. "It looks... a bit like those fire-spewing iron tubes carried by the Western Regions merchant caravans?"

Although firearms were not widespread in the Great Liang, Feng Qinian had indeed seen the matchlock muskets brought by Western merchants. Some had even offered them to him as gifts, but like the rest of the ruling class, he had dismissed them as useless curiosities and refused.

While the Western matchlocks were powerful, they were cumbersome to reload and lacked the accuracy of traditional bows and crossbows. In the Great Liang, where gunpowder had not yet seen large-scale application, there was no infrastructure to support their mass deployment.

"Magistrate Feng, this is the ultimate weapon that will help our army repel the Qiang soldiers," Qi Jun said, nodding with satisfaction as he looked at the cannon. "You can think of it as an oversized musket."

"A musket?" Feng Qinian frowned and shook his head, eyeing Qi Jun with skepticism. "I know the power of firearms, but the Qiang cavalry moves with such speed; I fear..."

"Do not worry, Magistrate Feng. I am confident we can defeat the enemy." Qi Jun understood Feng Qinian’s concerns regarding the range and rate of fire against a cavalry charge. The very reason he had chosen to forge a breech-loading swivel gun—a *fo-lang-ji*—was for its high rate of fire.

The design of the swivel gun, with its detachable breech chambers, was essentially like equipping a cannon with a "magazine." After firing a round, one could simply swap in a pre-loaded breech chamber, allowing for sustained, rapid-fire output.

Seeing Qi Jun’s confidence, Feng Qinian said no more. Suppressing his doubts, he ordered everyone to move into a defensive posture and prepare for battle.

In front of the Qiang formation, the lieutenant knelt before Bodo, trembling as he explained the failure of the siege.

Bodo stared at his lieutenant in disbelief, his face darkening. He took a few steps forward, gazing with a complex expression at the ramparts of Anqiang City visible through the thinning mist, and muttered to himself, "Impossible... Can it be that the gods are truly aiding the Liang people? My five-thousand-strong army is invincible; how could we be stopped here? How could a mere backwater town be impossible to conquer?!"

"General, it is my incompetence; I fell for the Liang people’s sorcery. Please, let me lead the troops in one more charge! If I cannot break the walls this time, I am willing to accept the tribe’s harshest punishment!" The lieutenant looked up at Bodo’s silent back, gritting his teeth. The unprecedented method of counter-attack he had faced earlier had left him terrified, yet filled with endless resentment.

Previously, he had led the elite Qiang rattan-armored infantry to slaughter the Liang soldiers like wolves among sheep. Now, beneath this unremarkable little town, they hadn't even touched the enemy before being blown into piles of shredded flesh by mysterious stones.

Had he not been in the rear, he would surely have been blasted into pieces just like the others. A veteran of over a decade on the battlefield, he couldn't help but wonder: were these Liang defenders actually reincarnated gods?

Bodo sighed deeply. The loss of his rattan-armored infantry pained him, and the two failed assaults had ignited the fighting spirit of this old general. He began to take this unseen opponent seriously, scrutinizing the small city before him.

"By now, the hundred-man units attacking from the east and west should be in position. Order the entire army to prepare for battle; follow me in a frontal assault. I want to see what other tricks they have up their sleeves!" Bodo solemnly donned his war helmet and took the reins of his horse from an attendant, preparing to mount.

"General, you must not! These Liang people are treacherous and skilled in dark arts. If any harm comes to you, I wouldn't have enough heads to satisfy the Great Chief..." Seeing this, the lieutenant scrambled over, grabbing the horse's reins and begging desperately.

"Get out of my way! If you dare obstruct me, I will punish you for this defeat along with your insolence! Do not blame me for being heartless!" Bodo glared, lashing his whip at the lieutenant. "Thousands of Qiang warriors are blocked here—do you not feel the humiliation?! Even if these Liang people have three heads and six arms, I will cut them all off!"

Seeing Bodo’s resolute expression, the lieutenant withdrew his hand, lowered his head, and stepped back with a salute.

"I refuse to believe that thousands of us cannot trample this tiny city into the dirt!" Bodo cracked his whip and spurred his horse forward. "All troops, advance! Follow me and charge!"

The thunderous neighing of over a thousand warhorses and the earth-shaking rhythm of their hooves made the hearts of everyone on the wall tremble.

In the age of cold steel, cavalry was a nightmare for infantry. The sheer momentum of a massive warhorse charging at full speed was enough to strike terror into any foot soldier. A rider’s lance, powered by that immense inertia, could easily pierce through any flesh and blood in its path; a few hundred cavalrymen could slaughter their way through thousands of infantry multiple times over.

Qi Jun was also shaken by the sight, a thin layer of sweat forming on his palms.

Feng Qinian huddled behind the battlements, trembling, casting nervous glances at Qi Jun.

Fortunately, the fog had dissipated enough that they could now use the cannons to aim more accurately.

Qi Jun estimated that the enemy had entered the firing range. He quickly took a pre-loaded breech chamber from Liu Fuyuan, inserted it into the cannon's breech, adjusted the angle, and held up his thumb to calculate the trajectory while staring at the enemy swarm.

"Sir, are we ready?" Liu Fuyuan asked, swallowing hard with anxiety as he watched Qi Jun.

"Ignite!" Qi Jun nodded and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, cover your ears! Fire!"

Liu Fuyuan lit the fuse on the cannon and immediately crouched down, covering his ears.

"Boom!" As the spark hissed into the barrel, the cannon body shuddered violently, spewing a thick cloud of acrid black smoke. The cannonball traced an arc through the air, slamming precisely into the charging cavalry.

The Qiang riders had expected the defenders to fire arrows and had raised their shields to protect their heads. Instead, they saw a black object hurtling from the walls and looked up in confusion.

Though Bodo didn't know what the black object was, he knew something was amiss and shouted to those behind him, "Scatter! Everyone, scatter!"

No sooner had he spoken than the mysterious black object landed, erupting into a flash of fire amidst the cavalry. Countless fragments sprayed out along with thick, sulfurous smoke, tearing bloody gashes into the riders nearby.

The shockwave of the explosion flipped men and horses alike, and cries of panic and agony erupted from the cavalry ranks behind Bodo.

Bodo looked back, witnessing the scene with his own eyes, and finally understood the terrifying nature of the "heavenly thunder" the lieutenant had described.

Yet, refusing to believe in divine intervention, he raised his scimitar high and roared, "Do not panic! The White Stone God protects us! Break formation and charge to the walls!"

Bodo’s cavalry were indeed the elite of the Qiang forces; they quickly steadied themselves from the initial shock and panic, reformed their ranks, and continued the charge.

On the city wall, those who had witnessed the power of the swivel gun were still stunned by its horrific impact. The lethality of this single shot was far greater than any explosive pack or stone mine.

"Don't just stand there! Reload!" Qi Jun struck Liu Fuyuan, who snapped out of his trance and hurriedly loaded the ammunition, copying Qi Jun’s movements to insert the breech chamber.

"Fire!"

"Boom!" Another shell was launched. Smoke filled the Qiang cavalry formation once more, accompanied by blood, flying limbs, and screams of agony.

Liu Fuyuan expertly removed the empty breech, reloaded, and shoved it back into the cannon, firing another round before the enemy could recover.