Chapter 331 - 254: Crucial Battle, Proceeding with Caution

Chapter 331: Chapter 254: Crucial Battle, Proceeding with Caution

After all, since acquiring the firearms, they had drilled countless times, specifically running many simulations against volleys of arrows.

So with a single command, his men began an orderly volley of gunfire.

The men were using iron sand rounds, each shot blanketing a wide area. They quickly blasted the incoming volley of arrows to smithereens.

"Switch ranks, advance!" Iwai Ryohi ordered coldly.

The squad that had just fired fell back to reload. The middle rank took their place, while a third squad raised their guns and fired at the surroundings to provide cover.

This was precisely the three-stage firing formation the Folangji merchants had taught them.

Moreover, as they pushed deeper, the sound of gunfire began to erupt from all directions.

Iwai Ryohi felt a surge of confidence, believing this battle would be effortless.

Buoyed by the thought, he raised his gun in high spirits and fired a shot into the distant darkness.

But the scream or crash he expected never came. Instead, only a muffled thud echoed from the darkness.

The sound was soft and feeble, as if the bullet had struck cotton.

Iwai Ryohi felt a flicker of alarm. Just as he was about to speak, a rain of fire began to fall from the sky.

It was a barrage of countless flaming arrows, all arcing toward them.

By the light of the flames, Iwai Ryohi could finally see what lay on the street ahead.

Piled on the street were sacks, stacked as high as a man. Sand trickled from a tear in one of them.

The sandbags formed a thick wall, completely blocking the gunfire.

Meanwhile, the rain of fire descended, but it didn’t inflict much damage on Iwai Ryohi and his men.

After all, the men from the East Sea weren’t fools. They knew that arrows were the only real threat to the Firearms Team, so they all wore rattan armor under their clothes, which was enough to protect them from stray shots.

Their outer garments had also been specially treated to be highly flame-retardant. Thus, while the rain of fire looked spectacular, it achieved very little.

But before Iwai Ryohi could even breathe a sigh of relief, a loud explosion erupted from amidst his men.

One of his men was killed instantly in the blast.

Iwai Ryohi’s pupils contracted. He suddenly understood Wu Liangchen’s true intent.

’These flaming arrows weren’t meant to kill people at all. Their only purpose was to hit the powder pouches the Firearms Team carried!’

As if to confirm his fears, a few more thunderous BOOMS echoed out, and several more of his men were blown to smithereens.

Fear finally gripped Iwai Ryohi. "Retreat!" he roared, turning to flee.

But just then, he discovered to his horror that a thick wall of sand had appeared, blocking the path they had just taken.

Similar scenes were playing out all across Flower Square.

On the top floor of Jufu Pavilion, Third Brother watched the intermittent flashes of explosions all around, a look of shock appearing on her face.

"Xiaowu, so this is why you had me prepare so many sandbags?"

Wu Liangchen smiled faintly. "That’s right."

It turned out that no one in Flower Square had been idle that day. Wu Liangchen had instructed Third Brother to procure countless sandbags and keep them in reserve.

Huangpu Guard was right next to the sea, so sand was plentiful.

At the time, Third Brother had been confused, not understanding why Wu Liangchen needed so many sandbags.

Only now did she understand Wu Liangchen’s plan, and she couldn’t help but be impressed.

With the protection of the sandbags, and with everyone wearing iron-lined vests, they were safe as long as they weren’t hit in the head or another vital spot.

These few tactics had effectively minimized the power of the firearms.

The rain of fire had also been an impromptu idea of Wu Liangchen’s.

He knew that the firearms of this era had a massive flaw: the reloading process was cumbersome, and the soldiers had to carry their own gunpowder.

And that made them perfect living targets.

’The results so far are good.’

’But this is far from enough.’

Wu Liangchen gazed at the massive ships floating on the sea in the distance. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke.

"Third Brother, you coordinate the battle from here. I’ll be back soon!"