450: Chapter 450 The Chieftain of the Shule Tribe Begins to Regret

"Prepare for mortar fire!"

At Xiao Zhuang's command, the soldiers of the mortar squad immediately sprang into action.

They searched for a suitable location for the mortar fire.

Afterwards, the Artillerymen skillfully and steadily set up the mortar on a piece of high ground that was relatively flat and offered an exceptionally wide field of view.

The ammunition handlers quickly took the shells out of the ammunition boxes.

Immediately after, the gunner responsible for calibration knelt beside the mortar, eyes fixed intently on the aiming device on the cannon body, hands constantly turning the calibration knobs, carefully adjusting the angle of the muzzle.

At this moment, the air solidified and became incomparably heavy, as if time itself had frozen.

Shi Le and Hei Di watched the Artillerymen busily calibrating the mortar with curiosity, their brows tightly furrowed, their eyes revealing deep suspicion.

This place was a full ten miles away from the Shule Tribe's Golden Great Tent; at such a great distance, could this unassuming mortar really strike the target with precision?

After all, a weapon like the mortar was completely beyond their scope of understanding.

After all the mortars had been precisely calibrated, Xiao Zhuang gave the order without hesitation: "Fire!"

"Bang, bang, bang..."

In an instant, the propellant was ignited, and the immense energy generated by the combustion, like a waking beast, launched the mortar shells from the barrel with the force of a thunderbolt.

Accompanied by deafening roars, the flames spewing from the muzzles were like the angry roars of a dragon, and the scorching heat waves surged toward them like a violent tide.

Relying on their rich combat experience, the Artillerymen quickly covered their ears the moment they fired, yet the tremendous noise struck their eardrums like a heavy hammer, causing them great discomfort.

Although Shi Le and Hei Di had heard of the mortar's power before, this was, after all, the first time they had witnessed the shocking scene of a mortar firing with their own eyes.

At that moment, they were too close to the mortars, and the massive roar, like a surging tide, instantly and mercilessly engulfed them.

The two of them only felt a "buzz" in their heads, as if the entire world had stopped spinning at that moment; all that remained in their ears was a sharp, piercing ringing, like countless bees buzzing crazily beside them.

It felt as if their eardrums were being pricked by countless sharp needles at the same time; the piercing pain was almost unbearable, leaving them both dazed and stunned, standing frozen in place as if they had lost control of their bodies, completely at a loss.

After a long while, they belatedly imitated the Artillerymen, hurriedly and clumsily covering their ears tightly with both hands, their faces filled with a complex expression of intertwined terror and shock, their eyes revealing a deep awe for this unknown power.

The two of them instinctively looked up to see shell after shell, trailing long red ballistic arcs, streaking across the pitch-black sky like meteors, racing toward the distant Golden Great Tent in graceful curves.

Those streaks of red light were exceptionally striking in the air.

At this time, inside that magnificent and solemn Golden Great Tent, the Chieftain Sajiong and a group of high-ranking officials from the Shule Tribe were engaged in a grave discussion.

Their complexions were like the sky before a storm, incomparably gloomy, as if a heavy boulder were pressing down on them, making it hard for them to breathe.

Chieftain Sajiong's brows were tightly locked, the wrinkles on his forehead crisscrossing like parched earth, his eyes revealing deep worry and helplessness.

He spoke slowly, his voice laced with a hint of regret and self-reproach: "Great Qin is far more difficult to deal with than we anticipated!"

"The Great Elder mobilized so many warriors from our Shule Tribe, yet we couldn't even take down one of their merchant caravans!"

"Thinking about it now, taking the initiative to provoke Great Qin back then was truly too reckless and too hasty."

A flash of deep regret crossed his eyes, and he silently blamed himself for why he had so easily made such an impulsive decision back then; now, he feared they would have to pay a painful price for it.