Chapter 737 Retreat to Kyoto! The well-known secret society!
【4600】
The cannons that were roaring a second ago suddenly became quiet.
All that remains in my ears is a "buzzing" tinnitus.
"It finally stopped..."
"Well...my ears hurt..."
"Ahem! Ahem! Damn it! This must be the Sa thief's artillery!"
The smoke gradually dissipated...the true appearance of the Changzhou Army's position slowly came into view.
To put it bluntly, it has become the surface of the moon.
Looking up, there are potholes, large and small, everywhere; there are broken clods of soil everywhere; there is an unpleasant stench of blood and gunpowder everywhere...
Those tents that had not been moved out in time had their curtains torn to pieces, leaving a dilapidated scene.
Today's artillery is still very backward.
Aiming depends entirely on visual inspection, and its destructive power cannot be compared with modern artillery. It cannot even penetrate thick city walls.
In addition, it was dark, making it difficult for the soldiers of the Satsuma Army to aim, which further reduced the casualties of the Choshu Army.
When everyone was at a loss, Katsura Kogoro stepped forward and became the backbone of everyone. He quickly ordered the Choshu Army to abandon Kyoto and retreat westward to the domain.
Thanks to his prompt decision, the Changzhou Army was able to withdraw from its position in time and avoid heavy artillery damage.
Except for those who were accidentally injured by shrapnel, only 32 unlucky ones were directly hit by artillery shells and turned into a pile of pitiful meat paste.
Katsura Kogoro did not break his promise - he personally led 300 troops and became the rear guard of the entire army.
He held the knife, lowered his eyelids, and stared at the position of the Huisa Allied Forces in the distance.
The artillery fire of the Huisa Allied Forces has stopped... This is both a good thing and a bad thing.
When an army stops bombarding the enemy, it often means...that their army is about to overwhelm them!
Sure enough - click, click, click, click - the rapid sound of horse hooves, from far to near!
Katsura Kogoro frowned and suddenly pulled out the saber that was leaning on the ground.
"The enemy is attacking! Prepare to engage the enemy!"
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere around him instantly became tense!
The men from Choshu who accompanied Katsura Kogoro to the rear did not bother to complain any more and took up their weapons one after another, showing expressions of common hatred on their faces.
The troops that launched the first wave of frontal offensive were none other than the Aizu Army's world-famous cavalry!
Aizu's number one general, Sagawa Kanbei, took the lead, waving the spear in his palm and saying sternly:
"kill--!"
As soon as he finished speaking, "kill" sounded one after another! The second act of this war after the shelling began!
Katsura Kogoro raised the saber in his palm high, his eyes fixed on the approaching cavalry in front.
"Prepare...release!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The harsh sound like exploding beans dominated the eardrums of everyone present.
Thirty musketeers lined up into the "Snake of Changshan" and fired their guns together.
Being a queen is a technical job.
Without the support of powerful weapons, it is impossible to complete such an arduous task with just bravery.
Before the large force of the Changzhou Army left, they specially left behind 30 advanced flintlock rifles.
Although the quantity is small, it is definitely a weapon to win unexpectedly!
A row of barrages swept away, and the Aizu Cavalry on the opposite side suddenly began to scream and wail one after another.
The shot horse neighed, raised its hooves, and knocked off the knight on its back.
The horses, frightened by the gunfire, could not help but slow down out of fear.
The originally orderly cavalry formation suddenly became chaotic for a moment.
The results were impressive, but... with only 30 flintlock guns, the barrage was too sparse!
"Don't be afraid! Keep going! Keep going!"
After roaring, Sagawa Kanbei lightly knocked on the horse's belly, further forcing the horse to speed up.
It is true that in the recent offensive and defensive battle of Iga, Sagawa Kanbei performed poorly, which added glaring stains to his resume.
However, his bravery and courage really deserve the reputation of "Aizu's most powerful general"!
Under his loud encouragement, the Aizu cavalry cheered up and regained their strength in the blink of an eye.
Finally...the two armies met!
"Hui Hui Hui Hui Hui Hui Hui Hui——!"
One by one, the cavalry knocked away one Changzhou soldier after another.
At the same time, Katsura Kogoro and others also launched a fierce counterattack.
"You know how to commit adultery! Go to hell!"
"Look at the knife!"
"Shoot the men first, shoot the horses first! Hit their horses first!"
Katsura Kogoro raised the sword in his palm high above his head and stared straight ahead at the cavalry that was approaching rapidly.
At the moment when the two figures met each other, Katsura Kogoro shouted loudly and slashed down with his sword!
With a click, a large horse head with a complete cross-section rose into the sky!
Under the influence of inertia, the headless horse ran forward for a long distance, and then collapsed to the ground like a pounce.
The knight on his back "ejected" directly! He flew several feet away and fell onto his back.
After landing, he hummed and raised his head to the ground, like a wild boar digging into the mud.
It can be seen that he should want to stand up, but he can't do it.
The fall was so hard... even if this man didn't die, he definitely suffered serious injuries that were difficult to heal.
Katsura Kogoro is worthy of being the winner of the Shinto Muken-ryu's Immortal School and the proud disciple of "Saito of Power".
All the cavalrymen who came close to him were chopped to pieces by him!
Wherever the silver light passes, flesh and blood fly!
At this time, an eye-catching sound came from the distance again.
This time...it was the dull sound of thunderous footsteps!
The infantrymen of the Huisa Allied Forces formed a tight formation and rushed over in a roaring manner!
Compared with the cavalry team, which is powerful but has limited lethality, this large-scale infantry team is the real threat to the Changzhou Army!
Although Katsura Kogoro was red-eyed, he did not lose his due reason and judgment.
He wiped the blood from his face, stretched his neck, and shouted loudly:
"Don't be in love with fighting! Don't be in love with fighting! Our goal is not to defeat the traitors and thieves! It is to buy time for the evacuation of the large forces! Listen to my orders! Fight while retreating!"
…
…
Intercepting the enemy and buying time for the evacuation of large forces - this is an extremely difficult task.
The Huisa Allied Forces have 3,000 troops.
Katsura Kogoro's rear army only has 300 troops.
Three hundred versus three thousand...the advantage is his!
On this basis, we must try our best to save the lives of the rear army... This is even more difficult!
Katsura Kogoro made precise commands while going into battle himself, wishing he could divide himself into two people to use.
In terms of results, he did a great job.
He saw through the weakness of the Huisa coalition - insufficient tacit understanding.
After all, Aizu and Satsuma were hastily formed coalition forces and were not familiar with each other.
This makes it difficult for them to carry out coordinated actions.
At first glance, they look menacing.
But in fact, they are fighting independently, each fighting its own way.
The enemy we faced was not an army of 3,000 men, but an army of 1,000 men and an army of 2,000 men!
This sentence may seem like nonsense, but there is actually a very obvious difference between the two.
In this way, Katsura Kogoro made full use of the gap between Hui and Sa, flexibly switched offense and defense, and slowly retreated wherever possible.
For example: After seeing that the attack rhythm of the Aizu Army was slowing down and that the Satsuma Army and the Satsuma Army formed a "one in front and one behind" situation, he decisively concentrated his forces and attacked the "emerging" Satsuma Army.
Another example: There was a disconnect between the Satsuma Army and the Aizu Army. He personally led a suicide squad, resolutely inserted between the two armies, caused a big fuss, and launched a beautiful counterattack.
During this period, the 30 flintlock guns left behind by the large army played a big role.
Katsura Kogoro ordered his musketeers to fight back from time to time.
"Bang", "bang", "bang" the sound of gunfire never stopped.
Even the Aizu Army and the Satsuma Army, which are world-famous for their combat effectiveness and training, would become uncontrollably frightened and timid when faced with a black hole of gunfire.
Whenever the Huisa Allied Forces launched an offensive, the successive gunshots would cause them to lose most of their momentum.
In addition, the pitch-black sky helped them a lot.
In the absence of lighting, the actions of the Huisa coalition forces were naturally extremely inconvenient.
Countless people accidentally stepped on the ground and tripped over stones on the roadside, thus blocking their attack.
In this way, with the blessing of the above-mentioned factors, the front of the Huisa Allied Forces was extremely long, and the battlefield extended from the southern suburbs of Kyoto to the western suburbs of Kyoto.
Some troops are engaged in a desperate struggle with Katsura Kogoro's rear army.
Some troops were still stranded in the southern suburbs of Kyoto, failing to keep up with the offensive.
Katsura Kogoro's decisiveness, wisdom and bravery are indeed amazing.
But...his agility and ingenuity are not enough to bridge the huge gap between the two sides!
Relying on their overwhelming numerical superiority, the Huisa Allied Forces were biting the rear army's butt.
Katsura Kogoro kept trying to get away from the pursuit but couldn't.
The comrades beside him fell one after another...
The original "fight and go" gradually turned into "retreat and then retreat"...
After fighting countless tough battles, Katsura Kogoro finally got a chance to breathe without any enemies coming... Ah, no, correction, it should be said that there were no enemies coming to attack for the time being.
He and the remaining troops sneaked into a dense forest.
The place is lush and green, with trees and shrubs everywhere blocking the view.
Thanks to this dense forest, they were able to temporarily escape the pursuit of the Huisa coalition forces.
Taking advantage of this precious opportunity, Katsura Kogoro took off the kettle from his waist and drank greedily to moisten his throat, which was so dry that it seemed like it might burst at any time.
Until now, he has become a bloody man!
From his hair to his toes, every part of his body was covered in sticky blood.
As for the fighting knives in his palm, several of them were replaced due to fierce battles.
The knife he was holding was the one he had snatched from the enemy just now.
"Mr. Gui! This can't be done! Hurry up and retreat! If we continue to fight like this, we will all be destroyed here!"
A warrior next to him who was also covered in blood said anxiously.
As soon as he finished speaking, Katsura Kogoro said firmly!
"No! We can't retreat any longer!"
"If we withdraw any further, we will collide with the large army!"
"No matter what, we must stop the current decline!"
Having said this, he raised his eyes and looked around at the trees around him.
"This forest is very nice and an excellent location."
"From now on, we will rely on this forest to launch resistance, and we must hold on for at least one hour!"
As soon as these words came out, all the officers and soldiers present in the rear army showed awe-inspiring expressions.
The large army has not gone far, and they really can no longer withdraw.
If they continue to retreat or are defeated, the Huisa Allied Forces will definitely take advantage of the victory to pursue the victory, catch up with the Changzhou Army in one fell swoop, and deal a brutal blow to them!
Katsura Kogoro threw away the empty kettle in his palm, turned to the man just now and asked:
"How many men do we have left?"
The man showed a painful expression.
"There are only about 80 people who can move freely now and have not been left behind..."
After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro immediately raised his eyebrows and his face darkened.
Only 80 of the 300-man troops were left...the battle loss rate was nearly 70%!
The fierceness of the battle and the tragic death and injury are evident!
Fortunately, the people who stayed with Katsura Kogoro were all determined and persevering men.
Otherwise, facing such horrific battle losses, they would probably have fled long ago.
Suddenly, Katsura Kogoro's ears trembled slightly, and his expression immediately changed.
"They are coming! Prepare to meet the enemy!"
At the same time he spoke——
"Found it!"
"They're here!"
"Kill!"
"That guy with the regular features is Katsura Kogoro, one of the 'Three Heroes of Choshu'!"
"Quick! Kill him! The person who takes off Katsura Kogoro's head will be directly rewarded with 1,000 taels of gold!"
…
Looking around, hundreds of infantrymen swarmed towards Katsura Kogoro!
The battle resumes!
Under the personal leadership of Katsura Kogoro, the rear army attacked head on without giving up an inch.
Katsura Kogoro rushed left, right, and forward, unstoppable! Several people were killed and injured immediately by his sharp blade.
When the Huisa soldiers present saw this, they were all frightened and did not dare to step forward.
Suddenly! Katsura Kogoro's body suddenly tilted and fell.
It turned out that his left foot accidentally stepped into the mud, his body lost balance, and he almost fell to the ground.
Although he stabilized his body at the critical moment, a fatal flaw was exposed!
How could the Huisa soldiers around him miss this God-given opportunity in vain?
Someone jumped out from behind a tree in front of him and chopped with a knife.
He raised his sword over the top in dangerous and dangerous ways, blocking the incoming sharp edge, and then slashed diagonally, killing the attacker with one blow.
However... because the posture of drawing the knife was too forced and awkward, he could not control the force of drawing the knife. The knife in his palm cut deeply into the tree trunk in front of him, and the blade was completely embedded in it.
It's not difficult to pull the knife back.
It's just... I don't know if he is in a fierce and ever-changing battlefield, how can he be allowed to calmly draw the blade back!
Soon after, another person attacked Katsura Kogoro with a knife.
As a last resort, Katsura Kogoro could only abandon the knife in his palm, slide up, and while avoiding the opponent's attack, he extended his hands, left hand into his armpit, and his right hand around his neck, clamping down on the opponent tightly.
his upper body, and then used superb Jiu-Jitsu skills to knock the person to the ground.
One wave has not subsided, but another wave has arisen - another person has rushed over from behind Katsura Kogoro!
The new attackers were armed with short rifles.
The shining spear point pointed directly at Katsura Kogoro's back!
At this time, Katsura Kogoro's hands were still firmly pressing his opponent.
No matter how you look at this situation, Katsura Kogoro is in danger!
"Mr. Gui! Be careful!"
"Damn it!"
Even the Changzhou people around him couldn't help but scream and scream.
At this critical moment...
Poof!
The sound of blood splattering.
Plop.
The sound of a head falling to the ground.
The gunman who was attacking Katsura Kogoro stood frozen five steps away from Katsura Kogoro - no wonder he was "stunned".
After all, his head fell off.
His head rolled like a bone to Katsura Kogoro's feet.
Before he could react, another ray of silver light passed through his field of vision.
Poof!
The same sound of blood splattering.
Plop.
The same sound of a head falling to the ground.
The man who was pushed to the ground by Katsura Kogoro also had his head chopped off.
"Your boy is Katsura Kogoro, right?"
Katsura Kogoro was startled and looked up at the sound - an ordinary-looking young samurai holding two bloody swords was standing upright in front of him, casting a questioning look at him.
At this time, another voice came:
"Su Nuo, now is not the time to chat."
Su Nuo shrugged.
"Anyway, Shuten-douji is here, but there are only so many enemies. Even if we are lazy for a while, it doesn't matter, right?"
Su Nuo, Shuten Boy... Hearing these names, Gui Xiaowulang's expression suddenly changed.
"You...you are members of the Fa Zun Party?"
Su Nuo raised his eyebrows and showed a strange expression.
"How come even the people in Changzhou know about us? The image of the 'unknown secret society' that we worked so hard to maintain seems to have ceased to exist."
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