Chapter 343: Chapter 343 – Ambushed 1

“Ambush ahead.” Wei Jinyi said.

Ambush? How come?

Although we are close to the battlefield, this is behind the battlefield.

Even if there are bandits, they are only local brigands or desperate refugees. But these people dared not touch the army’s belongings.

Xu Zhengyong’s men wore military uniforms, and they prominently carried the army’s flag. How could anyone ambush them?

At the height of Xu Zhengyong’s doubts, several arrows came flying from the mountains on both sides, aiming at the their supply team.

Xu Zhengyong instinctively turned to protect Wei Ruo, but another figure moved even faster than him.

Wei Ruo didn’t know what happened until she fell into a sturdy embrace.

Wei Ruo looked up and saw Wei Jinyi’s profile.

Then she saw him deflecting the arrows with a knife he’d drawn from nowhere, the harsh sound of metal arrows colliding with the knife sounded in Wei Ruo’s ears.

Xu Zhengyong glanced at Wei Jinyi and found that he had exceptional martial arts skills. Once he confirmed that Wei Ruo was safe with him, he cast her aside from his worries.

Xu Zhengyong drew his sword and ordered his soldiers, “Break through with me!”

With that, Xu Zhengyong took the lead and charged toward the hillsides flanking the road.

The soldiers followed closely, drawing their swords to fight back the ambushers.

Being protected by Wei Jinyi, Wei Ruo held on tightly to Wei Jinyi’s waist, her body pressing against his chest.

She knew what she had to do was to be obedient and not cause chaos. Although Wei Ruo couldn’t do much physically, her eyes evaluated the locations and estimated number of attackers on the hillsides.

About twenty on each side, they held the high ground, giving them an advantage.

If they tried to break through by force, heavy losses would be inevitable. After assessing the general situation, Wei Ruo had a plan in mind.

“Second Brother, there’s a red wooden box on the first cart, it contains black spherical objects. Light them and throw them onto the hillsides.” Wei Ruo told Wei Jinyi.

After hearing Wei Ruo’s words, Wei Jinyi looked at the first cart behind them. Then, carrying Wei Ruo, he leapt towards the cart in a few jumps, cut open the ropes and hemp cloth covering the cart with his sword.

Inside the cart, in addition to the food, was the red wooden box.

Once he opened the box, it was exactly as Wei Ruo had described – small spherical black objects, each with a fuse on top.

Wei Jinyi put Wei Ruo down and told her to hide under the cart.

Wei Ruo obediently squatted on the ground, took out a lighter from her pocket and passed it to Wei Jinyi.

“A lighter, use it to ignite the fuse.”

Without any hesitation or questions, Wei Jinyi quickly took the lighter from Wei Ruo, lit the fuse, and launched the bomb, kicking it towards the ambushers on the hill with a flying kick.

Then there was a “bang”, and a deafening blast echoed through the narrow mountain trail.

The charging Xu Zhengyong and his team were all taken aback.

While everyone was still in shock, Wei Jinyi had already launched the second third…

One explosion after another resounded.

The sound was so loud it was as if the mountains were collapsing.

The location was between two mountains, and the mountainside amplified the sound of the explosion, making it particularly loud.

In no time at all, the hillsides on both sides fell silent.

Wei Jinyi also stopped, holding a bomb in his hand, his eyes fixated on the hillsides.

Wei Ruo peeked out from under the cart, Wei Jinyi signaled her to wait, so Wei Ruo hid her head back under the cart.

Then Xu Zhengyong led his men to the hillsides, and after confirming that all the ambushers were dead, he signaled his men.

Only then did Wei Jinyi pull Wei Ruo out from under the cart.

Wei Jinyi carefully checked Wei Ruo’s body, making sure that she was just a bit muddy, but not injured.

“Second Brother, is your foot swollen?” Wei Ruo asked Wei Jinyi.

“No.”

“This bomb is quite heavy, ya know. You kicked it with your foot. I feel a normal person would’ve fractured their foot.” Wei Ruo said, looking at Wei Jinyi’s foot.

Wei Ruo originally thought Wei Jinyi would throw it with his hand. She didn’t expect him to kick it with his foot.

If everyone had a foot skill like Second Brother, there would be no need to specially make a catapult.

“It’s fine.” Wei Jinyi answered.

“Don’t lie to me, later you take off your shoes and let me see. If it’s injured or

fractured, I’ll put some medicine on it for you.”

“Really, it’s fine.” Wei Jinyi insisted.

To divert Wei Ruo’s attention, Wei Jinyi asked Wei Ruo, “What is this round thing?”

“This is a bomb, the principle is similar to the firecrackers and fireworks we set off during festivals, except that this is much more powerful.” Wei Ruo explained.

She picked up one and weighed it in her hand, saying, “I intentionally put them in the food cart as a just-in-case measure. I didn’t expect that they would really come in handy.”

Xiaobei, who had run back with Xiumei, happened to hear what Wei Ruo said and quickly asked, “Miss, where did you get such a powerful thing?”

“Borrowed from an immortal.” Wei Ruo replied.

“Huh?” Xiaobei was dumbfounded and blinked in confusion.

Then foolishly turned back to look at his young master.

Wei Jinyi didn’t say anything, but he had figured it out.

While they were talking, Xu Zhengyong came down from the hills.

Ruo… Xu Zhengyong almost slipped up, then paused and corrected himself to

ask Wei Ruo, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“I’m fine, what about those ambushed?” Wei Ruo asked.

“All dead.”

Then Xu Zhengyong handed Wei Ruo something.

“This is the weapon they just used.”

Although it was blown to pieces, Wei Ruo instantly recognized it as the crossbow she had designed.

“Has anyone else besides the Anti-Japanese Army been equipped with this?”

Wei Ruo asked Xu Zhengyong.

Xu Zhengyong shook his head: “Only the Anti-Japanese Army in Taizhou prefecture has been equipped with these.”

At his words, everyone’s expressions changed.

If this was the case, then those who ambushed them were…

Xiumei couldn’t help but ask, “These are supplies for the Anti-Japanese Army, could there be people in the Anti-Japanese Army who would wish for the supplies to be disrupted?”

No one could answer her question for the time being.

Xu Zhengyong said, “It may not necessarily be someone from the

Anti-Japanese Army. Someone might have stolen our crossbows, or the designs of the crossbows.”

Deep down, Xu Zhengyong still hoped that this matter had nothing to do with the Anti-Japanese Army.

He wasn’t willing to believe that someone in the Anti-Japanese Army would choose to betray their comrades, their country, and the common people they swore to protect with their lives.

After a silence, Wei Ruo asked Xu Zhengyong, “How many people in the camp

knew about my supply delivery today?”