Chapter 82: Chen Mu’s Molotov Cocktail

The only real difference now between battling infantry and the men from the Stick Country was that the latter stood a bit higher off the ground. Chen Mu watched the situation from within the ranks, noticing that the sticks wielded by the Stick Country’s soldiers were indeed quite effective, just as the county magistrate had said—one could not break them even with a blade. Furthermore, Chen Mu observed that the war chariots of the Stick Country were made entirely of wood, with not a trace of metal. It seemed they used sticks not because they were superior weapons, but because they lacked the technology to smelt metals. This, Chen Mu thought, was good news.

As the battle progressed, the shortcomings of relying solely on sticks became apparent for the Stick Country. Chen Mu’s troops wore iron armor, padded underneath with cotton to cushion blows from blunt weapons. When the sticks struck his soldiers, they made little impact; but when Chen Mu’s single-bladed swords landed on the Stick Country’s warriors, they left gaping wounds. Moreover, the Stick Country’s soldiers lacked proper leather armor, having only a half-body plate on the front, which made them vulnerable to attacks from behind and easy targets for cutting through their armor straps.

Yet what struck Chen Mu as odd was that, despite their clear disadvantage, the soldiers of the Stick Country showed not the slightest sign of retreat. Could they be expecting reinforcements? Chen Mu ordered a signal arrow to be fired, summoning the cavalry of Da Xia for support. When the cavalry arrived, he instructed them not to join the fight, but to disperse and search for any possible enemy reinforcements.

But even after Chen Mu’s army annihilated the three thousand Stick Country soldiers, no reinforcements were discovered. On Chen Mu’s side, only a handful had died, victims of the initial chariot charge; not a single soldier fell in the ensuing melee.

Chen Mu ordered the battlefield to be cleared, and the cavalry to continue their patrol. He himself approached one of the Stick Country’s chariots for a closer look. The workmanship was rough, the wheel hubs worn badly—a sign they had not been maintained in a long time. There were a few nails in the construction, likely purchased from the Dong Hu. Clearly, the Stick Country’s strength was quite lacking, but why, then, did their soldiers fight so ferociously? If raiding for laborers offered some profit, what purpose was there in clashing head-on with Da Xia’s army? Three thousand young men, dead in a foreign land.

Chen Mu shook his head and returned to his tent, summoning the generals and officers of Da Xia. “Tell me, why do the soldiers of the Stick Country fight so desperately?”

Those who had fought on the front lines each offered their impressions. “The Stick Country’s soldiers kept shouting something during battle, perhaps some kind of slogan.” “Before dying, they make a strange gesture—its meaning is unclear.” “Yes, when they’re about to die, they shout something as well, but we don’t know what it means.”

After listening to all their accounts, Chen Mu nodded and said, “It seems the Stick Country has a religious system similar to Dong Yue. Fortunately, their combat ability is weak, and however frenzied, their efforts amount only to dying in vain.”

“Let us prepare provisions and launch an attack on the Stick Country’s homeland.”

The officers received their orders and went off to make preparations. Three days later, Chen Mu led his army southeastward. Unlike the campaign against Persia, Chen Mu was familiar with the terrain here—the peninsula was narrow, and pushing through would be straightforward.

As they advanced and scouted, the army encountered many fishermen, hunters, and woodcutters from the Stick Country; Chen Mu paid them no heed, letting them return to report the army’s presence.

A few days later, Chen Mu’s troops came upon a town of the Stick Country, built against the mountains. Its walls, made of piled stone, looked fragile. Judging by its size, only a few thousand garrisoned soldiers were likely inside.

Chen Mu surveyed the town and decided to attack directly from the mountain. The side facing the mountain lacked a wall, only a circle of wooden fencing, which suited the skills of his Invincible Flying Army and Wudang Flying Army, masters of forest warfare.

With his plan in place, Chen Mu ordered the army to ascend the mountain from the side farthest from the town. The slopes were dense with pine trees, obscuring distant views, so Chen Mu carefully chose their path, denying the enemy any chance to roll logs or throw stones down upon them.

Reaching a peak, a scout reported: “Enemy troops sighted five li to the east, at least a thousand strong.”

Chen Mu nodded, “Ah, they’ve set an ambush on the mountain? That’s perfect—better to fight here than risk disturbing the townsfolk with a battle in the city.”

He wished to avoid civilian casualties if possible, for the people of a vassal state were almost like his own children.

Chen Mu gave the order and led his troops toward the enemy. In the forest, five li was not a short distance; after a lengthy march, Chen Mu finally spotted the Stick Country’s soldiers and immediately commanded an attack.

His troops deployed forest-fighting tactics, breaking into squads and using the trees for cover as they fired repeating crossbows. The Stick Country’s soldiers, with only half-body armor, were poorly protected, and surrounded by foes on all sides, their armor was of little use.

As the battle raged, Chen Mu suddenly noticed a strange scent emanating from the Stick Country soldiers. Why? Was it to ward off mosquitoes?

If that were all, it would be harmless; but what if it were part of a plot? Chen Mu pondered, then ordered his troops outside the battle line to assist in pulling their comrades back, shifting the front.

Just then, from the direction of the Stick Country town, came the wild cries of beasts. Could it be? The Stick Country could tame animals and use them in war?

As Chen Mu wondered, a pack of wolves burst from the forest, charging toward both armies. Chen Mu’s heart skipped a beat—he quickly ordered the withdrawal, sounding the gong to signal retreat from the woods.

The Invincible Flying Army and Wudang Flying Army obeyed, fighting as they fell back, while the wolf pack lunged only at the soldiers of Da Xia. So the scent on the Stick Country’s warriors was meant for this purpose.

Chen Mu realized he had underestimated them—they knew how to summon beasts to aid their war efforts. Fortunately, Chen Mu had a secret weapon.

He ordered a rapid retreat from the forest. Meanwhile, the Stick Country unleashed tigers, leopards, wild boars, and other animals, all attacking only Da Xia’s troops.

Chen Mu was speechless. Wolves alone would have been manageable; if the Stick Country won, they could deal with the aftermath. But so many animals released at once—regardless of victory, how could they clean up the mess?

Moreover, the Stick Country stood no chance of winning.

After a while, Chen Mu’s troops withdrew from the woods. He ordered the use of firebombs.

These firebombs were made of pottery, easily shattered when thrown. Inside was oil, which, upon breaking, met the burning fuse at the bottle’s mouth, igniting instantly.

One by one, firebombs were hurled at the beasts of the Stick Country, bursting into flame upon landing.

The animals, startled by the sudden blaze, began to panic.