Under the urging of Shannan Keisuke, the strong team members responsible for pushing the carriage mustered up their strength and pushed the carriage forward slowly despite the dense barrage.
After the distance between the two sides became closer, Shannan Keisuke yelled:
"Grenade!"
In an instant, grenades leapt out from behind the carriage.
Because the "rock wall" is very high, only a small part of it successfully fell to the top of the "rock wall".
But even so, it was enough to cause chaos to the enemy.
Along with a series of explosions, smoke and screams floated from the "rock wall".
As if intending to retaliate, the next moment, grenades fell one after another from the top of the "rock wall".
Throw it from top to bottom... there is no problem of "not being able to throw it if you don't have enough strength".
Therefore, all the grenades thrown by the Raiders landed around the carriage.
A grenade happened to fall at Shannan Keisuke's feet.
He picked it up with quick eyes and hands, and then threw it back hard - with a bang, the grenade turned into a fleeting spark in the air two seconds after it was released.
"Don't be afraid! These grenades won't explode so quickly! If a grenade falls at your feet, just throw it back! If you don't have time to throw it back, lie down!"
Shannan Keisuke raised his voice and shouted a warning as loudly as he could.
However, as soon as his words left his mouth, they were drowned out by the noisy gunshots and explosions.
How to deal with grenades - this is one of the "compulsory subjects" of the Shinsengumi.
Logically speaking, even without Shannan Keisuke's reminder, the soldiers would have been able to deal with these grenades that were falling directly.
But... "peacetime" and "wartime" are two completely different situations.
There are no problems in normal times, but when wartime comes, things fall apart - people like this are everywhere.
In fact, this really cannot be blamed on others.
This is the first time for the Shinsengumi team members to fight such a bloody battle with hot weapons.
Looking back at the previous battles, they were basically one-sided crushing. Have you ever tried to shoot at the enemy with a musket and throw grenades at such a close distance?
The sound of gunshots and explosions filled the ears - the psychological pressure this brought to people was far greater than the clanging of swords.
In such an environment, you will feel at a loss, feel dizzy, your mind will go blank, and you will forget all your usual training content. This is completely normal and human nature.
In order to avoid this situation, Shannan Keisuke specially selected veterans with actual combat experience when selecting soldiers to participate in the war.
Even so, some people were still confused.
Shannan Keisuke raised his eyes and saw that several people were stunned and unresponsive. When he saw the grenade dropped at their feet, they neither threw it back nor lay down, so that they were injured. He couldn't help but feel angry and anxious.
The carriage can stop bullets, but not grenade explosions.
A grenade happened to fall into a certain carriage, and there was a "bang" sound. Although the carriage was not blown to pieces, its structure was damaged. It kept making "squeaking" and "squeaking" sounds, as if it would fall apart at any time.
.
"Don't stop! Keep going!"
After roaring, Shannan Keisuke stretched out his upper body, steadied the flintlock gun in his hand, faced the dense muzzle on the "rock wall" and the countless grenades flying in the air, and pulled the trigger hard.
…
…
The side of the "rock wall", somewhere in the corner——
The gunshots one after another, the explosions one after another...even though they were far away, they still reached the ears of Qingdeng and others.
The general manager followed the sound worriedly:
"...The fighting over there has begun."
"Xiao Si, don't be distracted."
Qingden said without sadness or joy.
"Keisuke is fulfilling his duties. Now, it's our turn."
The commander-in-chief's face was stern and he nodded vigorously.
As he finished speaking, Qingdeng raised his head to look at the towering "rock wall" nearly 20 meters high in front of him.
One of the keys to conquering this "rock wall" lies in the mobility of the "Qi Soldier".
Bringing too many people will make the team look bloated and affect the speed.
Therefore, Aoto selected the most skilled swordsmen from the 1st and 3rd divisions, and ordered Souji, Saitoichi and Niimi Nishiki to accompany them, totaling a hundred people.
It is no exaggeration to say that basically all of the strongest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi Right Wing Army are here!
After Qingden took a few cursory glances at the "rock wall", he turned to look at Souji and the others behind him.
"The enemy's general is the 'Three Heroes of Choshu' Takasugi Shinsaku, and his military advisor is the famous 'rare military advisor' Omura Masujiro."
"Based on their abilities, there is no way they wouldn't have thought that we would adopt the strategy of 'attacking the east and attacking the west'."
"It's hard for me to imagine that they wouldn't push back on this."
"In other words, I don't think our surprise attack will go well."
"So, please cheer me up and be more careful."
After that, Qingdeng said no more, faced the "rock wall" again, grabbed the protruding stones on the "rock wall" with both hands, and climbed up using his hands and feet.
Everyone followed closely behind.
The group of people clung to the rock wall like ants, moving in an orderly manner.
Although this "rock wall" is very tall, fortunately there are many protrusions that can be grasped.
Even Qingden and others who have never learned rock climbing can climb smoothly.
The General Secretary and others all kept in mind Qingteng's instructions, kept an eye on all directions, listened in all directions, and always paid attention to all movements.
At first, everything was very peaceful and there was no enemy in sight.
But when they climbed to a height of 10 meters, that is, in the middle of the "rock wall"... a sudden change occurred!
The first person to discover the abnormality was Qingdeng.
I saw the tips of his ears trembling slightly, and then he raised his head and looked up - large and small dotted shadows were falling towards them like raindrops!
"Rockfall! Take cover!"
What a coincidence. At this moment, there was no protruding stone above Qingdeng's head.
In other words, these falling rocks will hit Qingdeng’s head straight!
At this critical moment, Qingdeng caught a glimpse of a thin crack not far away from the corner of his right eye.
There is a large, very strong stone protruding from the top of this small gap, which can completely resist falling rocks.
It's just that... this thin slit is less than half an inch wide and can barely accommodate half a finger.
This doesn't look like a place to grab.
Despite this, Qingdeng's body has already taken action one step ahead of his awareness!
I saw him accumulating strength in his waist and suddenly jumping to the right.
At the moment when he moved under the slit, he stretched out his right arm and clasped the slit tightly with his index finger, middle finger, and ring finger.
In this way, all the weight of his body rests on these three fingers!
The talents "Skilled Hands +6" and "Nine Bulls and Two Tigers +3" are activated!
Although he was a little reluctant, and the joints of his three fingers turned white from the excessive exertion, he managed to hide in a safe area before the rain of stones fell, and escaped the wave of stone rain with no risk.
The soldiers brought by Qingdeng are indeed carefully selected elite soldiers and strong generals.
After hearing Qingdeng's warning, they immediately fled in all directions like a conditioned reflex.
Thanks to Qingdeng's timely warning, only two unlucky people died.
One was that the stone hit his Tianling Cap, blood mixed with brain matter overflowed from the wound, and he died on the spot.
The other was hit in the hand, lost his balance, fell down, and fell heavily to the ground.
This wave of rockfall is just the beginning.
Piles after piles of stones fell from the top of the "rock wall", making a clattering sound, and there seemed to be no end.
Above the "rock wall", more than fifty members of the team were shouting excitedly:
"Mr. Omura is right! The Shinsengumi really came up from this place!"
"Smash! Smash them hard! Smash them to death! There are so many rocks!"
"You pigs and dogs of the Shinsengumi! Go to hell!"
There is not much else in Nangong Mountain, but there are all kinds of hard stones.
To deal with people who are climbing rocks and whose movements are restricted, there is no need to use guns and cannons; just rocks can make them unable to lift their heads.
Qingdeng further issued instructions:
"Move to a dangerous place! Don't poke your head out! Try to stick to the rock wall as much as possible! Hide under the protruding rocks!"
The director-general glanced below:
"It's so insidious... He waited for us to climb to the middle area before throwing stones down. If you fall from this height, you will be seriously injured even if you are lucky enough to survive."
Qingto and Souji were at the front of the queue, so the enemy soldiers on the "rock wall" quickly discovered them.
"I saw it! It's Niou and Tianjian!"
"Keep an eye on them! These two are the only ones who need special attention!"
"Based on the abilities of Niou and Tianjian, it's not surprising even if they attack despite the rain of stones, don't be careless!"
After discovering the specific locations of Qingden and Souji, countless stones poured down.
Stone rain of this intensity...not to mention continuing to climb, even reaching the top was very difficult.
Even as strong as Qingdeng, it would be difficult to cope with the constant rain of rocks while climbing.
What's more, he is still under fire and can hardly move.
Because they had expected that the surprise attack would not go smoothly and had made adequate psychological preparations, neither Qingdeng nor anyone else was too panicked.
The general secretary and others clung to the rock wall and hid under the protruding rocks, quietly waiting for Qingden's instructions.
Qingdeng looked around, looking for a breakthrough.
Soon, his eyes locked on a cliff on the left.
There are no enemy soldiers on top of this cliff.
In other words, as long as you manage to climb over this cliff, you can directly reach the top of the "rock wall"!
but……
There is naturally a reason why the team of surprise troops did not set up defenses here.
The reason is very simple - this cliff is no longer a question of whether it is steep or not!
The cliff looks like an eaves, with the corners of the eaves extending outward.
It is very difficult to climb such a towering rock wall, but to climb such a roof-shaped cliff... It is not an exaggeration to call it "as difficult as climbing to the sky".
I'm afraid only the most professional climbers dare to challenge this kind of cliff.
The enemy must have expected that Qingdeng and others would not be able to climb over this cliff, so they did not set up defenses here.
The rain of rocks above showed no sign of stopping.
I don’t know how many people will die and how much time it will take to climb the rock under this dense rain of rocks.
However, as long as you climb over that cliff, you can attack the enemy soldiers from the flanks, stop the rain of stones, and minimize casualties... Although it is very difficult and dangerous, it is worth a try!
Qingden had made up his mind and wanted to go into battle himself.
But now he and the director-general have become the target of public criticism.
The enemy soldiers on the "rock wall" were all watching his every move.
Being watched by so many people... In this situation, there is no way to talk about a "surprise attack".
So, at this moment, besides him and the DG, who is the best person to take on this important task?
Regarding this question, Qingdeng almost turned his head without hesitation and looked at someone below.
The man noticed Qingdeng's gaze and turned to look.
The two looked at each other.
Qingdeng raised his chin towards the cliff.
The man turned his head to look at the cliff and nodded understandingly.
In this way, the two sides completed the silent communication.
"Pay attention to protecting your hands and head! Find a place where you can block the stone! Follow me closely!"
After giving the instructions in a concise and concise manner, Qingdeng braved the rain of rocks and nimbly walked on the rock wall, dodging and getting closer to the top of the wall.
Seeing Qingdeng start to take action, the others did not dare to disobey and immediately followed.
While Qingdeng was personally attracting the enemy's firepower and attention, the figure was covered by the shadow of the rock and quietly moved to the left. In just the blink of an eye, he successfully reached the eaves-shaped cliff...
…
…
Nangong Mountain, the top of the mountain, the team’s main formation——
Noisy movement from the direction of the "rock wall" came from afar:
Omura Masujiro listened attentively and grinned:
"Mr. Takasugi, listen! There's a fight at the 'High Wall'!"
Takasugi Shinsaku nodded:
"Yeah, I heard it."
Masujiro Omura crossed his arms, held his head high, and looked like he had a chance to win:
"That 'high wall' is my proud work!"
"Unless they bring in cannons, there's no way they can break through this wall head-on!"
"Ju Qingden and the others will most likely adopt the tactic of 'attacking in the east and attacking in the west'."
"If that's the case, it's exactly what I wanted!"
"I've explored every corner of that rock face beforehand."
"Wherever it's easy to climb, I've laid ambushes wherever it's easy to climb."
"If an enemy shows up, he will be baptized by a rain of stones!"
"I don't believe that Ju Qingden can climb to the top despite the rain of rocks!"
"If nothing else happens, this 'high wall' should be able to support at least 2 days - this is the time it takes for the Shinsengumi to transport the cannon up the mountain and complete the firing preparations."
Looking at Omura Masujiro, who is full of confidence, Takasugi Shinsaku showed a meaningful smile.
About 5 seconds later, he said quietly:
"...Omura-kun, I don't doubt your talent."
"But, there is one thing I must remind you."
"You underestimate Tachibana Aoden too much, and you also underestimate the Shinsengumi too much."
As soon as he said this, Omura Masujiro's smile froze.
After a while, he gathered his emotions a little, looked seriously, and said to Takasugi Shinsaku with a serious expression:
"Mr. Takasugi, I have no intention of looking down on Tachibana Aoden or the Shinsengumi."
"Rather, it's quite the opposite."
"I value Tachibana Aoden very much and the reselection team very much."
"Because of this, I will do my best to carefully lay out this tight and perfect line of defense."
"What I said above is not to be conceited, but to state the facts."
Faced with Omura Masujiro's rebuttal, Takasugi Shinsaku smiled slightly and suddenly asked a question:
"Omura-kun, in your opinion, who is the person in the Shinsengumi who should not be underestimated the most?"
Omura Masujiro heard this and replied without hesitation:
"Of course it's 'Nioh' Tachibana Aoto."
Takasugi Shinsaku asked:
"What else?"
Omura Masujiro continued without thinking:
"'Deputy Commander of Demons' Hijikata Toshizo."
"Although Hijikata Toshizo is a merciless disciple, I have to admit that he is indeed a talented person."
"It is really a great blessing for Tachibana Aoden to have such a capable deputy with both civil and military skills."
Takasugi Shinsaku nodded slightly, expressing his agreement with Omura Masujiro's point of view.
As soon as the opponent finished speaking, he asked the same question again:
"So, what else?"
Omura Masujiro frowned slightly.
This time, he didn't do it without thinking.
After thinking for a moment, he slowly replied:
"'Tianjian' Okita Souji."
"Although Souji Okita is born as a girl, his strength and potential are immeasurable."
"Like Tachibana Aoden, she has the ability to create advantages on local battlefields and even directly reverse the situation by herself."
Takasugi Shinsaku nodded again:
"Well, that's right. Souji Okita of 'Sky Sword' should not be underestimated. So, what else is there?"
"What? More?"
Omura Masujiro frowned and couldn't help but exclaimed.
He thought longer this time.
Nearly 10 seconds later, he shook his head:
"there is none left."
"In my opinion, the only people worthy of attention in the Shinsengumi are the three mentioned above."
"Although Commander-in-Chief Shannan Keisuke is also a talented man with both civil and military talents, he is still far from being the 'talent of a king' and the 'talent of world management'."
"Director Isamu Kondo is just a reckless man who can only do the hard and tiring work of arresting violators and charging into battle."
"As for the other captains, assistants, and vice-captains, I admit that they are all excellent, but they are not qualified to meet my eyes."
Takasugi Shinsaku listened quietly.
After Omura Masujiro finished speaking, he chuckled "haha".
"Omura-kun, after listening to your words, I am even more convinced: you really underestimate the Shinsengumi too much."
Being commented like this by Takasugi Shinsaku, a look of displeasure appeared on Omura Masujiro's face.
"In that case, I am all ears! Mr. Takasugi, in your opinion, who else in the Shinsengumi should not be underestimated?"
Facing the other party's keen gaze, Takasugi Shinsaku said calmly:
"Mr. Omura, please be patient."
"You just joined the Raiders not long ago and have little contact with the Shinsengumi, so your understanding is not comprehensive enough. This is normal."
"I have dealt with the Shinsengumi in many ways a long time ago."
"Although I dare not claim to know how well I know the details of the Shinsengumi, I do have a good understanding of the captains of the Shinsengumi."
"In my opinion, besides Tachibana Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Souji, there is another person who deserves our more attention."
"Sun Tzu said: 'Don't be arrogant when you win, don't be discouraged when you lose, and those who have thunder in their hearts and faces like a flat lake can worship the general.'"
"That man's swordsmanship and talent are not top-notch among the Shinsengumi."
"It's just that his character is extremely rare."
"No matter where he is, no matter what kind of task it is, no matter how terrible the crisis is, he can handle it calmly and then hide his merit and fame."
"It is precisely because of this that he remains hidden and his reputation is far inferior to that of Souji Okita, Shinpachi Nagakura and others."
"Both swordsmanship and talent can be cultivated, but a character that is not afraid in the face of difficulties, neither arrogant nor impetuous, and always maintains a calm mind is a rare thing."
"If he is well-trained, he might not be able to become a general like Tachibana Aoden and Hijikata Toshizo!"
…
…
"Throw it! Throw it quickly! Hit them to death!"
"Move more rocks quickly!"
"Work harder! They have been suppressed by us!"
The members of the surprise team on the top of the cliff were throwing stones vigorously.
Faced with the rain of rocks, Qingdeng and others' climb became extremely difficult.
Although they saw the opportunity and tried every means to climb up, they were still a long way from the top of the cliff.
During this period, a few unlucky ones were accidentally hit by stones and were either killed or injured.
The enemy soldiers on the top of the cliff were all focused on Qingteng and others, thinking nothing of "killing King Ni" without caring about anything else.
Therefore, they did not notice at all - a large hand stretched out from under the eave-shaped rock wall on their side and grasped the rock wall tightly.
He clasped his fingers tightly on the ground, veins popped out, and pulled upward——
The next breath, a tall figure jumped out from under the rock wall! It fell to the ground silently!
"..."
After successfully climbing over the eaves-shaped cliff, Saito did not stop for a moment. He turned his eyes and locked on the enemy soldiers not far away who were still throwing stones down. His left hand touched the saber on his waist.
The fingers of his hands were soaked in blood, with blood seeping out from the cracked nails - these were the scars left by him trying his best to climb over the cliff.
Fingers connected to the heart... It's hard to imagine how painful this is.
However, Saitoichi acted like a normal person, his face expressionless as always, and his expression extremely focused - from just now, his whole body and mind were focused on the enemy in front of him!
Choking, choking, choking…
At the moment when the sword was unsheathed, an enemy soldier finally discovered him.
The man opened his eyes wide and exclaimed:
"It's the Third Division..."
Before he could finish speaking, his head was cut off by a flash of cold light.
However, his companion finished the sentence for him:
"It's Captain Saitoichi of the Third Division!"
*******
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Seeing that this chapter has nearly 6,000 words, please vote for me monthly! Please vote for me! Please vote for recommendations! (Leopard Head Cries)
PS: In historical facts, Saito Ichi has actual combat records of breaking into the enemy's formation and taking away two cannons. Therefore, Saito Ichi in this chapter is a realistic description.