The Hammer Falls

Lei Da was a gate guard in Fushun.

His blind, elderly mother was at home, and every day he worried about having enough to eat. Their two mu of poor farmland barely kept them fed.

When Fushun began recruiting soldiers, Lei Da heard they would provide food and signed up at once.

The military officer Lu Quan's eyes lit up when he saw the young man.

He was nearly two meters tall and carried a battered hammer. The hammer weighed a full 120 jin, and when he swung it, it whooshed through the air.

Lu Quan took an immediate liking to Lei Da. This lad would surely make a fearsome general. With the Jurchens attacking Fushun, they needed men like him.

Lu Quan was assigned to defend the south gate.

The young man's luck had always been poor. On his very first day guarding the city, the Jurchens came charging in. He was truly terrified. For all his size and strength, he had never fought in a battle or killed anyone.