Warring States Survival Guide
Chapter 146 - 95: Taking the General’s Head Among 100 Armies!

Chapter 146: Chapter 95: Taking the General’s Head Among 100 Armies!

In the darkness of night, arrows flew in all directions at the South Gate of Takeshige Manor. The Lang Faction and Ashigaru of the Lin Family made use of the cover provided by the buildings, closing in while continuously harassing with arrow fire.

Ah Man rammed the lead bullets and gunpowder tight with a ramrod, hoisted up the Iron Cannon and fired straight ahead. In that instant, a long blaze of flame cut through the night, exploding with a thunderous crack and transforming into a white dragon of smoke. The three lead balls tumbled through the air, traversing thirty to forty paces in a blink, easily tearing through flesh to blow open a huge hole—the powerful cavitation effect made the victim’s blood spray out in torrents, splattering ten feet or more.

As soon as she fired, she shrank behind an overturned ox cart. Immediately, seven or eight arrows either stabbed into the wagon or whistled over her head, adding a few more white shafts to a patch of ground already sprouting arrows like porcupine quills.

Harano stood farther back, observing the situation with cool detachment. Pulling his Pulley Bow, he used the sighting device to pick off any enemy who dared to rush forward one by one. The carbon line, originally designed for modern sport fishing, had become a deadly weapon.

Behind him was the gateway of Takeshige Manor. Above it in the gate tower were seven or eight archers with the advantage of elevation and cover; arrows rained down in ceaseless bursts, dealing steady casualties to the Lin Family.

The Lin Family was having a hard time of it. The street itself wasn’t suitable for forming up, and beforehand Harano had commanded people to throw all sorts of junk onto it. In the dim light it was even harder to mount a charge—one misstep could leave a man sprawling at the enemy’s feet, ready to die for nothing.

The two sides traded fire for a few moments longer. The Lin Family Samurai quickly realized they weren’t gaining any ground; even though deaths were few, the wounded were many, forcing them to fall back temporarily and sound the Dharma Conch, calling up reinforcements.

Harano shook out his hands and glanced around. Apart from two or three poor souls who’d taken arrows to the head or face, his side was largely unscathed. After all, soft bows had trouble piercing armor, and everyone with him was Armored Lang Faction—just a matter of stamina spent.

Meanwhile, Qing was not participating in the firefight; she was rolling oil barrels. These were the bean oil barrels the South Gate garrison of Takeshige Manor used for torches and lamps. She was stashing them away, just as Harano had instructed, bringing them down from the gate tower above.

The street turned quiet again. The Lin Family’s Lang Faction and Ashigaru withdrew into the shadows, and Harano’s people hunkered down as well.

A short while later, several dozen more people arrived, led by a Mounted Samurai. Soon, a booming voice rang out from behind a house wall: "Is Lord Harano Saburo there?"

Ah Man glanced back at Harano and, seeing him nod, immediately bellowed, "If you’ve got something to say, out with it!"

"My lord says, sir, you’re not a Household Retainer of the Oda Family. There’s no need for you to die with that Oda blockhead! If you lay down your arms now, my lord guarantees you’ll be treated with honor."

"Who’s your lord?"

"Lord Lin Zhenzheng! (Known as Shichiro Jiro)"

Ah Man backed up a few steps and whispered at Harano’s side, "He’s Lin Xiuzhen’s nephew, supposed to be quite skilled in Martial Arts."

Harano nodded slightly, shooting another glance toward the Okurakiyebi residence, where the whole sky glowed red from the flames and the sounds of battle were fading fast. The place looked nearly lost, doubtless everyone within was trapped or already failed to escape. He said to Ah Man, "We can give up the South Gate. Have them pull back and swear not to pursue."

Swearing might not mean much, but in this situation, he’d have to gamble on the enemy still caring a little about their own reputation, and not hounding him to the death.

Ah Man immediately relayed the words in a piercing voice, but received no reply from Lin Zhenzheng’s side—the street lapsed back into silence.

......

"My lord, it’s definitely the Nozawa family!" whispered a low-ranking Samurai behind the house. "What now?"

In his view, the best thing was to let them go. The Nozawa clan’s people were excellently armored, and especially with that Strong Bow and Iron Cannon, their power in this cramped terrain was doubled. Just charging over would cost ten lives, and even if they closed in to take them out at close quarters, losing another thirty or fifty men would be normal—not worth the price.

Lin Zhenzheng, eighteen or nineteen years old, wore full contemporary Armor and looked every bit the bold warrior. He shook his head at the suggestion. "Prepare to attack! The head of the family has ordered that Harano Saburo should be captured alive if at all possible. If that’s not doable, then capture the craftsmen by his side—as many as possible. Try not to kill a single one."

This was an additional task. He’d originally assumed Harano would hunker down and defend his residence; it shouldn’t have been too hard, seeing as most Earth Warriors put their homes and fields above their lives and would always try to hold out if they could. But this Wandering Samurai from the Western Country simply wouldn’t play by the rules—he abandoned his house without hesitation, left behind most of his wealth, even crates full of copper coins, and made for the South Gate immediately with his whole household in tow.

If it hadn’t been for all the careful planning to make sure Nobunaga’s main force was completely trapped and finished off in Takeshige Manor—splitting off sixty or seventy men at once to block the South Gate as soon as the North Gate was opened—he wouldn’t have been able to pin Harano down. Had Harano slipped away along the lagoon, the mission would have failed outright.

So tonight’s night raid had its ups and downs—too many surprises. Okurakiyebi had received so much kindness from his uncle and by rights should have surrendered at the first persuasion, but instead turned traitor, barricaded himself in his own house, and fought to the last man—even as the outer wall was breached, he wouldn’t give in, still fighting and retreating inside, killing themselves to resist. If Harano slipped away now, there’d just be too many loose ends; it’d be hard to explain to the head of the family—his uncle—afterwards.