Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

At this moment, Akechi Hidemitsu had just led his troops to attack. Akai Naomasa's remaining hundred or so guards were fighting desperately to buy time for his own group to escape. In an instant, the entire force was in chaos and could not be separated.

"Mitsunosuke, quick, chase after them and stick to Akai Shigeki!" Shichibei immediately gave the order when he saw the hundred Ryūburagi standing around him.

Although Shichibei didn't understand warfare, as a former merchant, he knew human nature all too well. When fighting to the death, they were truly ruthless, killing anyone who stood in their way. But now, after fighting to the death, the Akai army only thought about fleeing to Kuroi Castle—that's human nature.

Meanwhile, the Akai army had been fighting all day, and their stamina was probably on the verge of exhaustion. Charging forward with only their last breath, if a large force of cavalry appeared behind them, they would probably be terrified.

"Yes!"

Namie Sadaharu was straightforward: he took Shichibei's money and worked for Shichibei. Pursuing enemy troops wasn't a difficult task; at the sound of the whistle, a hundred horsemen charged out.

Fortunately, they were arrayed in a neat formation around Shichibei. If they had scattered like other infantrymen while running and fighting for heads, they would not have been able to move out immediately.

After the Akechi Army and Kawamura Army on the battlefield finished annihilating the Akai Army that was covering the rear, Akai Naomasa and the Ryūbura cavalry had already disappeared into the mountain valleys.

Mitsuhide had clearly seen Shichibei send out his yakubura horse in pursuit. As he spurred his horse past Shichibei, he even nodded to him. Without time for further idle chatter, he led several hundred elite soldiers to pursue Akai Naomasa.

The situation became somewhat awkward. Shichibei led his troops to follow Mitsuhide and arrived at a small hill called Awajikayama. The hill wasn't very high, only a little over a hundred meters, but it was more than enough to accommodate two or three thousand Akai soldiers.

The situation was clear: halfway there, Akai Naomasa realized he couldn't shake off Kawamura Yabura, who was relentlessly shooting down Akai's troops. Seeing his soldiers exhausted and on the verge of death, and with his gaze fixed on Kuroi Castle, which was still at least five days' journey away, Akai Naomasa had no choice but to make a difficult decision and retreat to Mount Awaka.

At least let the army rest, lest a tragedy occur where a large army is literally run to their deaths. If they don't die in battle, but are eventually chased to death by a hundred or so cavalrymen, that would be truly unjust.

As darkness fell, most of the soldiers were night-blind, making a hasty night battle impossible. Even Akechi Mitsuhide could only lament his predicament. The only good news was that Akai Naomasa had not fled into Kuroi Castle, meaning the battle could still continue.

What's the best course of action now?

The main army will undoubtedly surround Mount Akushika, effectively encircling Akai Naomasa on all sides. A few defeated soldiers fleeing back to Kuroi Castle is no big deal; Nobunaga wouldn't care. However, if a large military force of hundreds of men escapes back to Kuroi Castle, the crime will be just as grave.

Despite the fact that the small fortresses surrounding Kuroi Castle were easily captured by the Oda army, Kuroi Castle itself was not to be underestimated. Even with only a few hundred men inside the castle, relying on the terrain of the three-hundred-meter-high mountain, it was enough to withstand repeated attacks from an army of tens of thousands.

If a few hundred more escape, Kuroi Castle will become impossible to capture. The only option, like in the historical case of Mitsuhide, would be a siege lasting a year and five months, requiring complete cutoff of external aid and exhaustion of food supplies before it would finally surrender.

To frighten the Akai army, Mitsuhide ordered several large bonfires to be lit around Mount Awaka to illuminate the path down the mountain. Then, at the foot of the mountain, wooden shields and bamboo bundles were erected, and arquebuses were fired at the mountain throughout the night. The firing continued without rest, ensuring the Akai army on the mountain was unable to rest and became utterly exhausted.

On the mountain, Akai Naomasa ordered the felling of bamboo and trees to build a fence, and at the same time ordered his arquebusiers to fire at the Akechi army below.

Taking advantage of their superior position, the Akechi army fought haphazardly but failed to kill a single Akai soldier. On the contrary, the Akai army's arquebusiers continuously fired upon the Akechi troops below the mountain.

Helpless, Mitsuhide could only order his arquebusiers to retreat back into their ranks. Even the campfires surrounding the mountain went out because no one was there to add fuel. They had no choice but to set up new campfires further out on the mountain's perimeter to surround the Akai army on Mount Awashika.

Shichibei, standing at the foot of the mountain, gazed at the bonfire burning on Mount Awaka and fell into deep thought. The Akai army was right there, but it was already dark, making a direct assault impossible. Although the bonfire on the mountain provided a clear view of many of the Akai soldiers, it only illuminated the Akai troops on the mountain, not the path leading up it.

and many more!

It only photographs the top, not the bottom.

"Mitsunosuke, do any of you have night blindness?" Shichibei looked at Namae Sadaharu, who had already withdrawn his troops and removed the saddles from his warhorses to rest.

"Probably none..." Namie Sadaharu wasn't very sure either, his tone somewhat vague.

"None of them!" Shichibei was overjoyed upon hearing this answer.

Chapter 341 A Hundred Riders Raid the Camp and Take Roll Call

I'll give each of you thirty silver coins. Do you dare to have a wild sex match with me?

Nami-e Tadaharu and his men were originally mercenaries. As soon as they heard there was money involved, they immediately said it wasn't good to ride horses at night. It's unclear whether this was bargaining or something else.

Shichibei told him that there was absolutely no need to ride a horse. The hundred archers present were all students of the Ogasawara-ryu archery and Hioki-ryu archery, and were not only good at mounted archery but also very good at foot archery.

We'll divide our hundred men into thirty or forty teams, two or three at a time, and have them lie in ambush at the foot of Mount Sulu. We'll keep them about twenty or thirty meters apart, and shoot whenever we see a shadow. Killing them is best, but wounding them is also great. These days, the mortality rate for injuries on the battlefield is incredibly high, no exaggeration.

That's it?

Yes, that's it.

Each person is to carry ten heavy arrows and sneak down the mountain in the dark to shoot at the Akai army above. Success or failure, the reward will be paid in full.

After you've finished shooting, go back to sleep. Don't linger in battle or make any rash moves. Shoot one arrow and then move to a different spot. Shoot while moving, focusing on shooting and then running away.

"Do you understand?" Shichibei patted Namae Sadaharu on the shoulder. Their father was quite prolific, having seven brothers, the youngest of whom was already receiving half a salary and fighting alongside them. These seven gourd brothers alone could form a mobile firing squad on the battlefield.

With more training and replenishment, Shichibei's Ryubi horse unit, which was originally a little short of 500 men, now has over 600. This is all thanks to everyone's ability to generate and train, constantly replenishing and updating themselves.

Send someone to inform Akechi Mitsuhide that I'm going to give Akai Naomasa a "roll call" overnight. Don't mistake me for an Akai army soldier running away from the mountains.

Then the group quickly donned their armor, carrying only a bow and ten arrows, and crouched low as they hurried down to the foot of Mount Sulu. Because the Ming soldiers constantly patrolled around the large bonfires surrounding the mountain, the movement of about a hundred people did not attract the attention of those on the mountain.

Naturally, Shichibei was also in this raiding squad. Although Shichibei's archery skills were very mediocre, it didn't stop him from participating.

At this hour, everyone should be sleepy, but Shichibei not only doesn't feel sleepy, but is also a little excited and thrilled.

Beside a roadside tree at the foot of the mountain, Shichibei finalized the tactics with the seven Namie brothers. "Absolutely no hand-to-hand combat, just archery." After having the seven Namie brothers repeat the orders to him, Shichibei instructed them to spread out as much as possible and climb Mount Awaki from different directions.

The birds and beasts that had been resting in the mountains had long since been frightened away by the Akai army. Even those few that remained hid in caves, trembling with fear.

Good, at least Kawamura's mountain climbing operation won't be exposed.

Following closely behind Namie Sadaharu, Shichibei also carried a Japanese bow, firing three shots haphazardly. We're not skilled, but we're not incapable.

Crouching low, he climbed a short distance uphill, where the Akai Army soldiers standing guard by the campfire halfway up the mountain were clearly visible. Namie Sadaharu, having steadied himself, took aim briefly and fired an arrow. The distance of about twenty meters was covered in the blink of an eye. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the Akai Army guard fall to the ground with a cry.

It's said that the heavy arrows used by soldiers in pure armor were like small iron shovels; being hit by one was like being sliced ​​by an iron shovel. Forget making a sound; dying intact, without a scratch or tail, was considered lucky.

After shooting an arrow, Namae Sadaharu leaped away. Shichibei, who had told him to shoot an arrow and then move on to a different spot, was even slower to react. He only started running after Namae Sadaharu had already run away.

The Akai soldier, struck by an arrow on the mountain, screamed several more times, waking everyone around him, before finally dying. The entire mountaintop quickly descended into a state of panic.

This scene unfolded simultaneously across the entire Awaka Mountain. Before long, the two to three thousand Akai soldiers on the hill were awakened, and some even began firing their arquebuses randomly in the dark.

Firearms are generally not very accurate, and firing blindly, what could they possibly hit? By the time the people around them were hit by arrows, the archers from Kawamura down the mountain had already run away and moved to another location.

Standing next to Namae Sadaharu, Shichibei managed to fire four or five arrows, but unfortunately, three of them missed. However, one arrow, perhaps by sheer luck, must have hit an Akai soldier. As Shichibei turned to run, he heard a scream.

I hit one.

I wonder how future history books will describe our Shichibei? Shichibei is quite handsome. Then I saw Namie Sadaharu tuck his bow under his arm and leap off the mountain.

Wow, they've fired all ten arrows without missing a single one, and have most likely killed ten Akai soldiers. Shichibei, following behind, has only fired five arrows, and only hit one. It's really hard to compare people like that.

However, Namie Sadaharu relied on his archery and horsemanship skills to make a living during the Sengoku period of Japan; it was his specialty. Shichibei didn't need that skill; if the money was right, talented people with both literary and martial arts skills would naturally come to serve him.

On the gloomy Mount Sukaku, a steady stream of Kawamura archers, having finished shooting their arrows, returned to camp for roll call. All one hundred riders were present.

They raided the camp with a hundred horsemen and escaped unscathed.

I'd consider myself half a Gan Ning!

Having already received the notification, Mitsuhide Akechi did not rest, but waited outside the campfire for Shichibei's guards to return. He had witnessed the shouting, the paranoia, and the constant commotion on Mount Awaka.

This Kawamura Shichibei Nagayoshi before me is probably not someone who is completely ignorant of military strategy and tactics.

Shichibei, who had followed Namie Sadaharu all the way down, told everyone he met that he had also hit one. The archers on either side of him all smiled, thinking, "Not bad," since Kuwayama Shigeharu had already come over with a basket, ready to give them silver coins. "Ready-made silver coins, shouldn't you praise your boss?"

You're awesome!

Shichibei was quite pleased with himself for receiving the praise; indeed, mental pleasure is more satisfying than ordinary sensory stimulation.

"What a brilliant plan by the King's Court!" Akechi Mitsuhide came over and joined in praising Shichibei without any hesitation.

"No, no, no, it was just a flash of inspiration." Shichibei tossed the bow to his attendant, repeatedly saying, "Thank you for the bow."

"The effect is astonishing." Mitsuhide pointed to Mount Awaka, which was now in complete chaos.

Even though the hundred cavalrymen who raided Kawamura's camp had already retreated, the commotion on the mountain had not ceased. Professional samurai like Namae Sadaharu, well-fed and clothed, naturally did not suffer from night blindness. However, the Akai army still had a large number of mobilized peasant soldiers and ordinary foot soldiers, all of whom were night blind; otherwise, Akai Naomasa would not have lit bonfires on the mountain.

Many peasant soldiers and foot soldiers, having been hit by arrows, were now in complete panic, terrified by the slightest sound. Some of those shot by Kawamura's army were not yet dead, and their screams pierced the night sky, making them even more horrifying.

Naomasa Akai naturally hoped to quell the riot, but he needed to protect himself even more to prevent his own troops from breaking through his lines of defenses amidst the panic.

Miscellaneous soldiers and peasant soldiers can always be recruited again as long as there is money and land. But if the core samurai die, then they are truly dead. After all, samurai who have received normal samurai education and have a certain level of literacy are not exactly a dime a dozen.

So initially, Akai Naomasa considered sending trusted men to quell or suppress the unrest on Mount Awaka. Seeing that the unrest showed no signs of abating, Akai Naomasa immediately made a decision: to gather his core few hundred samurai into a group. He ignored the other miscellaneous soldiers and planned to break out at dawn.

When people are in a state of chaos, they lose their minds. Seeing the samurai gathering around Akai Naomasa, the Akai Army, which had begun to scare themselves and felt that there were enemies behind them, all wanted to hide in the core of the Akai Army on the mountaintop.

The presence of Akai's troops in all directions, people from the same village and with the same accent, gave them a sense of security. They wouldn't be targeted by random stray arrows and lose their lives.

What would happen then? People from the same village would call out each other's nicknames and common names, pulling and tugging at each other, desperately trying to squeeze into that small spot on the mountaintop.

Without even needing Oda's army to drive them away, these Akai soldiers themselves overwhelmed the already panicked core samurai of the Akai army. Once the human wall collapsed, the first thing that happened was trampling.

The number of people trampled to death by the Akai Army alone must have been in the dozens. While turning them into mincemeat might be an exaggeration, they were certainly pulverized.

The terrifying cracking sounds and cries further fueled the fear in Akai's army. Ultimately, Akai Naomasa was forced to make a drastic decision, leading about two hundred samurai who still had the strength and were not terrified to flee down the mountain.

Before dawn, we must fight our way through. Once we enter Blackwell City, everything will be fine.

The Oda army came from afar, carrying at most a month's worth of provisions. If Kuroi Castle were garrisoned by elite troops, it would be difficult to breach it, let alone a month, or even a year.

At this point, they stopped shouting, took a twig in their mouths, bit down hard, and charged down the mountain toward Black Well City, trying to get as many as they could.

He knew this was the way back; didn't Akechi Mitsuhide know that too?

Akechi Hidemitsu had already completely blocked the valley entrance, with layers of arquebuses and archers arrayed. When he saw Akai Naomasa leading his troops charging in like pigs, he immediately opened fire, killing dozens of Akai samurai on the spot. The Akai army had no choice but to turn around and burrow into other gullies.

As locals, these Akai soldiers certainly knew the terrain and its intricacies. But by now, they had been fighting all night, and it was broad daylight.

Oda's army numbered eight thousand, while Akai Naomasa was left with only thirty to fifty men.

"This success is all thanks to the governor of the capital." Mitsuhide finally breathed a sigh of relief on his horse; his mission of blocking the enemy was essentially complete.

"Hahaha, it's Hyuga's command that's so decisive." Shichibei was still immersed in the excitement of hitting one with his own hands, grinning from ear to ear.

"Alright then, the heads on Mount Aru will belong to the capital, and the rest will be mine. As for Akai, whoever captures him will be responsible." Mitsuhide smiled at Shichibei as well.

Hundreds of people died on the mountain, and if you include the others who were killed, the number is probably over a thousand. Mitsuhide didn't gain any advantage over Shichibei, and as for Akai Naomasa, well, that depends on who among those present is lucky.

"As you wish." Shichibei readily agreed.

"Search the mountain. Whoever captures Akai Akuemon, dead or alive, shall be rewarded with 1,000 koku of grain." Mitsuhide nodded and gave the order to the 8,000 people present.

Akai Naomasa's head is certainly worth a thousand koku, after all, his family fortune is as high as 100,000 koku. If he can be killed in battle, at least the Hikami District will immediately collapse, and 50,000 koku will all go to Mitsuhide.

The mountains and fields echoed with cheers, and the soldiers divided into groups of about a hundred men each, searching in all directions for Akai Naomasa. The rest of the troops also searched everywhere for the remnants of Akai's army, cutting off their heads.

The head of a samurai was worth five kan, while that of a general or higher was worth twenty-five kan. Foot soldiers, being the lowest rank, received only one kan. As for nameless and faceless soldiers, they died and received nothing.

Shichibei wasn't in a hurry at all. Even if Akai Naomasa's remaining few men managed to escape into Kuroi Castle, they wouldn't be able to help with the defense. He just needed to wait for good news from his subordinates; surely they wouldn't have fallen into a ditch and died and couldn't be found?

In fact, Akai Naomasa had been shot in the thigh and was losing too much blood to run. He was resting against a cedar tree. Four or five of his personal guards were on either side of him, loudly encouraging him that everything would be alright once they returned to Kuroi Castle.

Akai Naomasa laughed out loud, indicating that he was going to die here today. He really didn't expect Akechi Mitsuhide to be so cunning and resourceful, managing to make the Akai army collapse without being defeated.

While this approach can hardly be described as that of a "true samurai," it is undeniably effective. They've reduced the Akai army to just five men.

Can they escape? Probably not.