First Kill of Tatars, Attributes Unlocked!

May of the 20th Year of Hongwu!

Daning Prefecture!

A dark patch of woods.

Over a hundred soldiers, clad in red armor and wielding sabers and spears, fanned out and cautiously advanced deeper into the forest.

"Everyone be careful."

"Old soldiers in front, new recruits in the back."

"This group of bandits is no easy foe."

The Hundred Household Commander leading them, wearing armor and carrying a saber, spoke in a deep voice as he walked in the middle.

"Understood."

The soldiers responded in unison.

The veteran soldiers held their sabers at the front.

The new recruits held their bows and arrows at the back.

"Zhu Ying."

"Everyone has a first time."

"When you see bandits later, don't worry about anything else. Just aim your bow and arrow at their foreheads and shoot."

"Kill one, get one military merit."

An old soldier kindly advised a new recruit standing before him.

"Old Zhang, don't worry."

"I'm not scared."

A somewhat immature new recruit replied immediately.

He wasn't old, looking only about fourteen or fifteen, still a youth. He was rather handsome, appearing somewhat frail.

Despite his calm words.

His expression was still a bit tense.

After all, he had only been enlisted for less than two months, and this was his first time on the battlefield to suppress bandits.

Although the laws of the Great Ming were strict, and there were strict regulations for bandits and villains, the vastness of the Great Ming Empire meant that there would never be a shortage of criminals, no matter what kind of empire it was.

And those who turned to banditry were even more numerous.

"Damn it."

"Shen, you just wait."

"If I ever get back, you'll be the first one I kill."

Looking at the murderous and eerie atmosphere emanating from the forest, Zhu Ying cursed inwardly.

Enlisting in the army?

This was not something Zhu Ying wanted. He had been tricked into it.

In the current Hongwu era of the Great Ming, military service was hereditary. There was a military household registration, and new soldiers were recruited only when there was a shortage.

Zhu Ying was not from a military household and originally didn't need to enlist. But by chance, Daning Prefecture was recruiting new soldiers to quell the bandits, requiring them to be at least sixteen years old. Zhu Ying was thus smoothly tricked into joining. What's more, Zhu Ying wasn't even sixteen, and his information was completely falsified and entered into the military registry.

However.

At this moment, apart from cursing inwardly, Zhu Ying could do nothing else.

He could only gaze ahead, bow and arrow in hand, cautiously following the veteran soldier in front of him.

Deep in the forest.

As Zhu Ying got closer.

He could see that it was dotted with over a dozen thatched huts, as well as chevaux de frise and wooden palisades.

Clearly, this was the stronghold of this group of bandits.

As the hundred Ming soldiers approached.

"The imperial army is here."

"Brothers, grab your weapons and slaughter these bastards."

"Kill!"

"Kill these Ming army scum!"

"Kill..."

At this moment!

Angry roars erupted from within the thatched huts.

First, over a dozen arrows shot out from inside, aimed at the imperial army outside.

Ahead.

Several government soldiers didn't even have time to react before they were wounded by arrows, their arms pierced, their thighs pierced, blood flowing freely.

Howls immediately echoed through the woods.

"Damn it."

Zhu Ying cursed inwardly, knowing full well that this kind of bandit suppression was a deadly business.

"Archers."

The Hundred Household Commander leading the troops shouted.

The thirty archers behind him, including Zhu Ying, immediately drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

They aimed at the bandits within the stockade.

A volley of arrows was loosed.

"Ah... ah..."

Screams also rang out from inside.

Several bandit archers fell forward.

"Archers, hold the rear."

"Spearmen, follow me!"

"Disperse and surround."

"Bandits, leave none alive."

The Hundred Household Commander roared, drawing his saber and pointing.

"Kill!"

"Kill!!"

Over a hundred government soldiers roared.

The seventy government soldiers armed with spears immediately charged the bandits.

In this kind of battle, a weapon an inch longer was an inch stronger.

"The government troops have surrounded us."

"Let's fight them head-on."

The bandit leader shouted, brandishing his long saber.

The forty to fifty bandits beside him immediately charged out, engaging the government troops in close combat.

However, the government troops had the advantage of long spears and wore armor. The moment they clashed, it became a bloody struggle.

Zhu Ying, holding his bow and arrows, locked his gaze on a bandit.

He drew his bow with all his might.

Whoosh.

The arrow accurately hit a bandit, piercing his throat. He struggled on the ground for a moment before falling still.

"Killed one Tatar, gained 20 Strength."

Suddenly, a prompt sounded in Zhu Ying's ear.

Immediately after, Zhu Ying could clearly feel his strength increase slightly.

"This is... my Golden Finger?"

Zhu Ying was startled, then his heart pounded, and a look of ecstasy spread across his face.

He had been reborn into the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty for six years now.

When he first arrived, Zhu Ying had wondered if he would have a Golden Finger, allowing him to live a very comfortable life, if not become incredibly wealthy, in the Hongwu era.

As for becoming an official, Zhu Ying hadn't even considered it.

This was the Hongwu era.

Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, was still alive.

Becoming an official was no different than seeking death. Not only was the salary extremely low, but if anything went wrong, Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't be lenient.

Executing officials.

Was commonplace for Zhu Yuanzhang.

As a saying from later generations goes, being an official in the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty was like having your head hanging from your belt.

Zhu Ying had never considered becoming an official.

Even joining the army felt like a trap, designed to kill him.

But now.

Killing enemies to pick up attributes?

This made Zhu Ying's heart race. He finally had a way to establish himself, and even seek revenge.

With this, Zhu Ying could not only quickly pick up attributes and become stronger, but also gain power and climb the ranks in the army. One day, when he faced the Shen Family again, Zhu Ying would absolutely make them pay.

He calmed himself down.

The nervousness Zhu Ying felt on his first battlefield, fighting bandits, subsided. He watched the bandits, or Tatars, wielding swords and fighting the imperial army.

This region of Daning Prefecture bordered Jianzhou Tatars.

These bandits were undoubtedly part of their plundering of the Great Ming.

Killing Tatars.

That would be even more satisfying.

"Kill!"

Zhu Ying roared and drew an arrow from his quiver.

His gaze locked onto another bandit.

He drew his bow.

Having picked up 20 points of Strength just now, drawing the bow felt significantly easier for Zhu Ying.

He released the arrow.

With a swish, the arrow once again pierced a bandit.

"Killed one Tatar, gained 20 Strength." The prompt appeared again.

Zhu Ying felt his strength increase once more.

"Shen Family."

"You tricked me into joining the army, wanting me to die at the hands of bandits, but this time, I should thank you instead." Zhu Ying sneered inwardly.

The danger of enlisting had now become an opportunity for Zhu Ying.

"Brothers."

"Let's break out."

"Where's the leader of the imperial army? Follow me!" the bandit leader roared.

He charged forward, brandishing his saber, with the bandits around him following suit.

A bloody battle, a chaotic melee, erupted.

The bandit leader swung his saber and cut down an imperial soldier.

With a swift stroke of his blade, another soldier was slain by him.

He was incredibly fierce.

"Damn official, die."

The bandit leader roared.

He charged directly towards the Hundred Household Commander.

PS: New book, please support.