Iron Dynasty Chapter 965

“Bang, bang, bang…”

The sounds of rapid gunfire reverberated through Singapore City as the once quiet night was consumed by a haze of blood and flames.

Felion, who had previously been certain of his triumph, was suddenly met with catastrophic intelligence: half of his battalion had been wiped out during three hours of brutal combat. His troops, though armed with Thornton firearms, had only managed to see success in the opening minutes before being forced into a desperate defensive stance.

“What on earth is happening? How did a smooth counterattack turn into a constant retreat?” Felion roared at his subordinate, Lieutenant Grut.

“I beg your pardon, Governor, I… I am at a loss for words. The soldiers of Great Yu refuse to engage us in traditional volley fire. Instead, they are utilizing skirmish lines to pick us apart. Their weapons appear capable of firing from any posture, and they don't seem to load from the muzzle like we do. It looks as though they are chambering rounds from the breech,” Grut stammered, his mind still reeling from the shock.

Felion’s rage boiled over. “Are you trying to mask your own failure with excuses? No military would employ such a ridiculous strategy, and no gun can be loaded from the rear. That is as absurd as trying to eat with your backside instead of your mouth!”

“But… but it is the truth!” Grut’s voice trailed off into a whisper.

Growing even more incensed, Felion shoved Grut aside. “I shall go to the front myself to see if these Great Yu soldiers are truly as formidable as you claim.”

Accompanied by a squad of guards, Felion hurried to the site of the engagement. Under the relentless pressure of the Great Yu forces, the Redcoats were being pushed back steadily, now dangerously close to the Governor-General’s Office.

“Governor, the men are at their breaking point! The enemy firepower is overwhelming, and their technology is far beyond our own. Our standard tactics are useless against them. Furthermore, they possess an explosive thrown weapon that has decimated our ranks,” an officer reported the moment he spotted Felion.

Felion’s gaze turned grim as he stared into the flickering light of the fires. All across Singapore City, the glow of the conflagration revealed Great Yu soldiers moving with lethal agility. Their firing methods were indeed alien; they could shoot from any position, and the bullets were undeniably being loaded through the breech of their rifles.

“Governor, do you see it now?” Grut asked, noting Felion’s stunned expression as proof of his earlier words.

A cold sweat broke out on Felion’s brow. He realized he had fatally underestimated the martial prowess of the Great Yu military. Despite the bravery of his own men, they were clearly outmatched in this conflict.

“Command the entire army to pull back!” Felion barked through clenched teeth. To stay meant total slaughter.

Following the command, the Redcoat officers scrambled to lead their remaining forces from the South Gate toward the docks. Five warships remained anchored there, providing a potential escape route to India.

The retreat of the Redcoats did not go unnoticed by Liu Chen, who sensed the weakening of the enemy’s fire. Seizing the moment, he ordered the Marines to press the attack. “Yu Yongliang, take your unit and hunt them down! Those Redcoats are heading for the harbor to flee by sea—don't let a single one escape!” Liu Chen bellowed.

Yu Yongliang nodded and rallied his men for a charge toward the southern district. Simultaneously, Liu Chen signaled the bugler to sound the charge. To the piercing notes of the bugle, the soldiers surged toward the South City with fierce momentum. Within a single hour, Singapore City was entirely under their control.

At that moment, Yue Yun issued orders for the fleet in the Johor Strait to coordinate with the Marines in a pincer movement against the retreating Redcoats. Meanwhile, he took charge of neutralizing the British-trained mercenaries still within the city walls. They had dealt with similar Spanish mercenaries before on Bohol Island.

In truth, when seizing colonies, European powers often lacked sufficient manpower to fight indigenous populations over long periods, as their forces were stretched thin across the globe. Consequently, they relied on training local mercenaries to maintain control. During the assault on the Spanish Royal City, they had captured over eight thousand such natives. The British had employed the same strategy to dominate India, utilizing vast numbers of mercenaries to topple the Indian princely states.

Many of these Indian mercenaries were present in Singapore City. Distinguishable by their dark skin and khaki uniforms, their gear was rudimentary at best. They lacked the iron discipline of the regular British troops and were far more disorganized. Once they realized their British masters had abandoned them, the mercenaries quickly surrendered to the Naval Marines. Approximately two thousand of them dropped their smoothbore muskets and submitted to being prisoners.

As the city was secured, Liu Chen reached the coastal battery. Yu Yongliang’s men had already successfully seized the position. In their frantic rush to flee, the British had abandoned the battery—a mistake that would prove fatal. The Great Yu soldiers now occupying the fort expertly aimed the heavy cannons and opened fire on the British fleet. Two ships that had failed to clear the harbor in time were sent to the bottom of the sea by the barrage.

The remaining three vessels desperately attempted to reach the open ocean.

“Victory! We’ve won!” The soldiers’ cheers filled the air. By now, the sky had turned a pale grey as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon.

The tension finally left Liu Chen’s face, replaced by a weary smile. The mission of the Naval Marines was a success. Over the course of a single night, they had seized Singapore City, the harbor, and the vital batteries. As a warm sea breeze brushed against him, Liu Chen looked out at the strait. The islands across the water formed a natural bottleneck for the Malacca shipping routes. He had to admit the British had a keen eye for strategy; this wide passage was the primary artery for all merchant and naval traffic. Simply by taxing passing ships, one could amass a fortune.

As he stood lost in thought, Yu Yongliang approached. “Three vessels managed to get away. What are our orders?”

“Our fleet isn't just there for decoration,” Liu Chen replied. Just as he spoke, ten hybrid-powered warships emerged from the southern side of the strait, cutting directly across the path of the fleeing British ships.

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The waiting Great Yu warships struck first. Utilizing their steam engines, the ten ships maneuvered rapidly to bring their broadsides to bear. Amidst the thunderous roar of the cannons, the three British ships were transformed into floating infernos. British sailors leaped into the waves one after another, dotting the blue water. “Hmph, you brought this on yourselves. If you hadn't backed the Merchants’ Council, we wouldn't have lost so many good men,” Liu Chen muttered grimly. Though they had emerged victorious, he was well aware that the cost of this triumph had been high.