Chapter Fifty-Three: The Grand Display of Raised Spears

Zhao Sanduo had studied Plum Blossom Boxing in his youth and had once established his own martial arts school, taking on more than two thousand disciples over the years. Now fifty-eight, years of martial practice had kept him vigorous, and he appeared robust and powerful.

On October 25, 1898, Zhao Sanduo, together with Yan Shuqin, Yao Wenqi, Zhu Jiubin, Xiang Desheng, and others, gathered over three thousand Boxers at the racecourse in Jiangzhuang, Guan County, and raised the banner of “Supporting the Qing and Destroying the Foreigners,” launching their uprising with a flag ceremony. Under their leadership, the insurgents attacked the churches in their own village as well as those in Hongtaoyuan and Xiaoligu, gradually expanding their ranks. In early November, Zhao Sanduo led his followers to confront the Qing army near Hou Village in Wei County. The Boxer forces suffered heavy losses, and to avoid further disaster, Zhao Sanduo decided to break the group into smaller bands for guerrilla activity, biding his time for another uprising.

By May 1900, Zhao Sanduo and Yan Shuqin were preparing for another anti-Qing rebellion. If possible, Chen Hao would have preferred to steer clear of them, but now he had no choice in the matter.

The Red Lanterns had come from afar to lend their support, and out of respect for Lin Heier, Zhao Sanduo was willing to grant her some face. Taking her suggestion, he said with a hearty laugh, “That’s an excellent idea! Elder Brother Wang Wu’s blade skills are unmatched, so his disciples must also be remarkable. Stranger Chen Baxian, if you lead your men to break through the church defenses, I’ll teach you a few moves myself!”

“Player Chen Baxian, NPC Zhao Sanduo is issuing you the quest ‘Attack the Church.’ Quest completion requirement: lead the Strangers to break through the church’s defenses. Quest reward: skill Plum Blossom Boxing.”

Chen Hao was overjoyed—both Lin Heier and Zhao Sanduo, two powerful NPCs, had given him the same quest. Completing it would earn him double rewards. With so much to gain, he no longer cared if the imperial authorities labeled him a rebel.

After accepting the quest, Chen Hao, accompanied by Zhao Sanduo, arrived at the player camp behind the church. Zhao Sanduo pointed to Chen Hao and declared, “This is Stranger Chen Baxian. All Stranger-Boxers must obey his commands. Disobedience will not be tolerated.”

The two hundred players assigned to the mission had no designated leader. Hearing Zhao Sanduo directly appoint a captain, many felt resentful. Leadership attributes mainly affected NPC troops, while actual player combat effectiveness depended on their own skill; a leader’s stat had little impact on player armies.

Chen Hao was level 10, with both strategic analysis and tactical execution at 10 points, so his leadership attribute averaged out to 10 as well. With such a small boost, leading two hundred players made virtually no difference. After Zhao Sanduo left, one player grumbled, “Damn, a measly 1% bonus? His leadership’s probably not even as high as mine. Why does he get to be the boss?”

“Exactly! I don’t buy that he’s any better than me. NPCs are always making arbitrary decisions. I’m not listening to him.”

“We’re all players here. For a small skirmish, we can just discuss things. Why should we follow that guy’s orders?”

Chen Hao felt a headache coming on. If they were NPC Boxers, they would surely obey his commands, but those in this quest were all elite players. If they refused to cooperate, it would indeed be a problem. As he was pondering how to persuade them, a player strolled out and spoke up: “Quit your whining. Did you not hear Zhao Sanduo say the captain’s name is ‘Chen Baxian’? Doesn’t the first player to reach level 10 deserve to be captain?”

Everyone had been focused on Zhao Sanduo’s appointment and hadn’t noticed the new player’s name. With this reminder, they realized the truth. If they had to vote for a captain, no one among the two hundred would have accepted another, but knowing the NPC-appointed captain was the first to reach level 10, many fell silent.

“Damn, so you’re Chen Baxian! Weren’t you making a name for yourself in Penglai? How did you end up here in Qinghe?”

“Chen, you’re awesome! Lead us to crush those ‘second-hand foreigners’ and burn that damned church…”

Players who had joined the Boxers had suffered at the hands of players from the opposing faction, so they’d picked up the NPCs’ slang and started calling their enemies “second-hand foreigners.” Early in the game, no one wanted to die easily. After failing two charges, the remaining players were reluctant to take the lead again. But now, knowing Chen Hao was the first player to reach level 10, hope was rekindled.

“Chen, my name’s Passerby Fishing. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll give it my all.” The player who’d revealed Chen Hao’s identity grinned, stepping up beside him.

“Fishing, you sycophant. Doesn’t matter what you say—someone of Chen’s caliber wouldn’t bother with you,” a tall player shouted.

“That’s right, Passerby Fishing. Everyone knows you’re useless in Qinghe. No one even wants to team up with you for leveling. You just want to follow Chen to level up faster, don’t you?”

Chen Hao raised his hand for silence and smiled slightly. “I’m sure you’ve all seen for yourselves: there are two hundred players defending the other side, and they all have guns. If we’re not united, we’ll never break through their defenses…”

“Chen, we were united the first time we charged, but we still got beaten back, didn’t we?” a player mumbled.

Chen Hao replied calmly, “Unity is only one part. The other is finding the right method. If you’re willing to follow commands, I guarantee we’ll break through. Those who lead the charge will be at greater risk, but you should know that when the regional quest ends, the system will assess everyone’s performance. The higher your rating, the better your rewards.”

“Alright! Just tell us what to do—we’ll follow you,” the tall player who’d mocked Passerby Fishing said loudly.

Chen Hao smiled. “You’re all top players in Qinghe. Does anyone have a large shoulder gun?”

“Shoulder gun?” The tall player looked puzzled. “That thing weighs over ten kilos and needs two people to operate. Who would use it?”

The shoulder gun was a uniquely Huaxia heavy musket, about ten feet long and weighing over thirty pounds. Its structure was similar to a regular musket, but its powder charge, range, and lethality far exceeded that of ordinary firearms.

Nicknamed “the big pole gun,” it resembled a shotgun. The larger variants were practically small cannons, said to be capable of damaging light tanks, with their lead shot able to penetrate a tank’s viewing slit and injure the driver’s eyes.

Firing the shoulder gun required two operators: one in front to act as a rest, supporting the gun on his shoulder, and another behind to aim and fire. Because of this, even if players acquired one in-game, they usually sold it rather than keep it. Moreover, as an obsolete weapon, the shoulder gun was undervalued—even the deluxe versions fetched low market prices.

“Haha! I’ve got one! I knew its power would come in handy.” While the others looked at each other in surprise, Passerby Fishing quickly produced a massive weapon over two meters long from his satchel—a large-caliber, 25mm shoulder gun made by the Xishan Province Machinery Bureau.

After checking the gun’s attributes, Chen Hao laughed heartily. “Brothers, I guarantee we’ll break through the church’s defenses one hundred percent. I need twenty players with high combat stats to get ready to charge with me.”