Niao Ni
Chapter 526: The Chase (II)
Well, I looked around and shouted at the mountains: What about the last part? What about the last part? The mountain echoed back to me: It's respect...respect...ect... for the author's confusion... Ah!
ps: Please give me some monthly tickets, everyone.)
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Milk-like white fog spread smoothly across the sea. The surroundings were silent, save for the faint sound of rippling water not far away. The sound grew clearer and clearer, and three warships emerged from the fog like specters, gradually revealing the entirety of their black hulls.
Xu Mao Cai stood at the bow, whispering instructions to his adjutant. These three ships had been ordered to pursue north along the coastline. It didn't take long for them to reach their designated position. They were about twelve *li* away from Danzhou. The white-sailed ship of the Overwatch Council was docked at the southern wharf of Danzhou.
Concealed by the thick fog, the three warships could approach the Overwatch Council's ship without anyone noticing. However, this also brought unforeseen troubles to their search. By this time, the navy soldiers already knew that the black-clad man who had escaped from Mount Dadong at night was their target: Fan Xian, the Supervisor of the Overwatch Council. They didn't know why their superiors had sent them to southern Danzhou, because they didn't know that Yan Xiaoyi had determined that Fan Xian, after escaping, would contact his trusted subordinates on the white-sailed ship at the first opportunity.
Fan Xian was wearing a somewhat oversized guardsman's uniform, which concealed his black night clothes and equipment. He hid in the forward cabin of the warship, not worried about being discovered by the crew. His eyes narrowed slightly as he peered through the gaps in the window, worried about the ship on the other side of the fog.
The three ships sailed north, maintaining an ideal distance from the coastline. Xu Mao Cai tried several times to move the ships closer to the shore, but he was afraid of making too much noise and arousing suspicion. So, Fan Xian was unable to go ashore during that hour.
Fan Xian had also considered escaping alone, but he was worried about his subordinates left in southern Danzhou. There was still a small team from the Qi Nian Group on board, and Hong Changqing, whom he liked very much, was still in charge of the ship's affairs. If the three navy warships attacked, what would happen to his subordinates if he ran away?
He didn't know if Yan Xiaoyi was on any of the three ships. A feeling of anger and helplessness surged in his heart. He always thought his luck was extremely good, but now he realized that luck was a double-edged sword.
If he didn't show himself, the Overwatch Council's ship would definitely become the navy's primary target, and no one on board would survive.
If all three warships were controlled by Xu Mao Cai, Fan Xian would certainly have a better way to deal with it. The problem was that Admiral Qin Yi didn't make such a mistake; the three warships were dispatched from the subordinates of three deputy generals.
More importantly, Fan Xian didn't think Yan Xiaoyi would be negligent to such an extent. If the other party thought he would seek out his Overwatch Council subordinates in southern Danzhou after escaping, how could he not follow him?
He sat down in the chair by the window, regulating his breathing, knowing that he was about to face a dilemma—Yan Xiaoyi was sending troops to attack southern Danzhou, using the lives of his subordinates to force him to show himself—Yan Xiaoyi probably guessed that he was hiding on a ship, but he didn't know which ship he was on, and it wasn't convenient to disrespect the Jiaozhou navy and search.
The problem was that Fan Xian didn't know which ship Yan Xiaoyi was on at this moment. If he knew, that would be great.
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The fog grew thicker, but the sea breeze grew stronger, gradually scattering the mountain-like fog to both sides. Through the window, he could faintly see the cliffs and green trees on the shore. And the white sailboat, quietly docked by the sea, as pure and lovely as a maiden, the white sailboat that had accompanied Fan Xian for so long, gradually came into view.
Fan Xian's heart tightened. The cliffs and green trees on the shore were too tempting to him. If he abandoned the ship and landed directly, even if Yan Xiaoyi was on the ship and chased him ashore, he was confident that he had a 60% chance of escaping, blending into the crowd, and reaching Kyoto.
But... the ship was even more tempting to Fan Xian. The lives of his subordinates on board were also very important to Fan Xian. In the end, even after living two lives, he still hadn't cultivated himself to Chen Pingping's level—he had to board that ship, he had to warn those subordinates who were still immersed in their dreams before the navy rebels launched their attack.
The sound of tightening ropes gradually rang out on the three navy warships. Fan Xian's heart tightened again, knowing that the catapults on board were being prepared. The people on the white sailboat in the distance were obviously somewhat relaxed and unwary because they were deep within the Qing Kingdom and didn't have any important figures to protect. They hadn't noticed the unusual movements on the sea.
Fan Xian's pupils constricted. He flicked his finger, summoning Xu Mao Cai back into the cabin. He whispered a few words, preparing to gamble.
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The three warships slowly surrounded the Overwatch Council ship in a "品" shape. When they were still some distance away, the warship where Xu Mao Cai was suddenly seemed to be agitated by a wave. The helmsman's operation had a slight problem, and the angle of the bow had a slight deviation.
The rebel generals on the other two ships frowned slightly, thinking that General Xu had been away from the battlefield for too long and had actually made such a mistake. But seeing that it hadn't alarmed the target on the shore, they didn't take it to heart.
It was this moment of negligence.
With a muffled thud, which seemed to be the sound of some heavy machinery being triggered, a shrill, piercing sound tore through the air on the foggy beach!
Several sharply edged stones were launched from the catapult on Xu Mao Cai's warship. With their enormous weight and terrifying speed, they flew across the sky above the water, ignoring the gentle embrace of the fog, and struck the navy warship closest to the shore without warning!
With several loud bangs!
One stone struck the side of the warship, right on the waterline, smashing a dark hole.
Another stone struck the main mast of the warship. With a cracking sound, the thick main mast broke in the middle, revealing sharp, towering wooden stubs. The large sail crashed down, not knowing how many navy officers and soldiers it had knocked down. The ropes connected to the canvas also became soul-reaping ropes at this moment, being swept across the ship by the mast. With a tearing sound, they swept past the dazed navy officers and soldiers, severing their waists in half...
It could only be said that the stone was very lucky, causing a tragic death on that warship in an instant. Countless blood and gore splattered out.
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These were three warships preparing to launch a surprise attack, so when they were ambushed from the inside by their own people, everything seemed so sudden, leaving them no time to prepare. It seemed that in this instant, the three warships in the "品" formation all froze. Time stopped, and only the terrifying sound of boulders tearing through the air could be heard.
"Fire arrows!" Xu Mao Cai said in a low voice with an iron face. Following his order, countless fire arrows soared into the sky at the same time, shooting towards the already heavily damaged warship...
The fire arrows rained down on the heavily damaged warship. The officers on that ship were either dead or alive, and no one organized a counterattack, let alone a rescue. In an instant, the entire ship was engulfed in flames, especially the canvas covering the ship, which became the greatest fuel.
Xu Mao Cai's expression was extremely complex. The warship was full of his colleagues. He wouldn't have chosen to attack in this way unless it was the most dangerous moment. If he hadn't been operating in the Jiaozhou navy for twenty years, if the officers and soldiers on this ship weren't all his confidants, he wouldn't have dared to imagine such a good result.
He frowned, looking at the white sailboat on the shore. From the unusual movements on the ship, he realized that the people from the Overwatch Council should have reacted. And he had done what he had promised the young master.
He clenched his right fist slightly and gestured behind him.
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On the right side of the warship that had launched the sudden, despicable attack, the crossbow used for close-range sea attacks suddenly fired. With a muffled sound, the entire warship shook slightly. The crossbow bolt with a grappling hook shot out quickly, directly hitting the Overwatch Council warship on the shore.
The rope pulled by the huge crossbow bolt connected the two ships.
The members of the Qi Nian Group on the Overwatch Council warship bravely rushed to the side of the ship, intending to cut the rope, but they heard a command arrow in the sea fog. They couldn't help but be stunned, and then turned around and ran, abandoning the ship with incredible speed, climbing ashore along the sea-facing ladder, disappearing into the fog on the shore like countless shadows. Their movements were so swift that they were astonishing.
This was the reason for the strength of the Overwatch Council. The reaction of all officials and secret agents from the eight departments to the sound of the command arrow had been deeply rooted in their hearts. They didn't need to ask why, they just needed to do it.
A ship was burning fiercely at sea, with occasional screams of agony. The ship that had launched the surprise attack stopped at sea, connected to the white sailboat on the shore. After the people on the white sailboat had escaped with shocking speed, they left behind a dead ship, and the last ship...
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Accelerate!
A trace of fear flashed in Xu Mao Cai's pupils. He watched as the intact navy warship suddenly accelerated, with incredible speed, and surged forward from the lower left, directly entering the sea area where the "品" formation was headed, straddling between his ship and the coastline. He could also see that the ship had already made preparations to launch an attack.
Xu Mao Cai had already thrown all the stones and fire arrows on the ship in one go, only to achieve such results. At this time, watching the other party prepare to launch an attack, his first reaction was...
"Turn the rudder! Ret..."
Before the word "retrieve" could be uttered, Xu Mao Cai's mouth was open, but he couldn't say a word—because a gust of wind forcibly entered his lips, making it difficult for him to speak!
Arrow wind!
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A foot slammed hard on Xu Mao Cai's hip, the powerful force directly kicking him away and crashing into the ship's side, shaking up a few pieces of broken wood.
It was precisely because of this that he managed to avoid the oncoming arrow wind!
Just as Xu Mao Cai's body was slightly deviated by that kick, the arrow wind flew past his cheek. The arrow wind was as strong as the wind blowing through the pine trees in the mountains, but it didn't make much noise, just a chilling yin.
With a soft whoosh!
Xu Mao Cai lay in the pieces of broken wood, staring blankly at the scene before him, his terrified body trembling.
A total of five navy officers and soldiers, with delicate little holes in their bodies, still maintained their last expressions in life, standing there dumbfounded, but they were no longer breathing. Blood gushed out of the delicate little holes in their throats, chests, abdomens, and heads.
A slender black arrow was nailed into the front wooden panel of the warship, the arrow feathers vibrating rapidly, making a buzzing sound. Blood stained the arrow feathers, and with a drip, a drop of blood fell downwards.
A drop of blood.
A land of dead people.
What kind of arrow was this?
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Withdrawing the foot he had kicked Xu Mao Cai with, Fan Xian knew that he had lost the bet. Yan Xiaoyi was indeed on the ship, but he wasn't on the burning ship that Xu Mao Cai was desperately attacking. He knew that his whereabouts had fallen into Yan Xiaoyi's eyes, and it was useless to hide any longer.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the warship still rushing towards the shore with extremely fast speed, watching Yan Da, the Grand Governor, dressed in black light armor and holding a bow indifferently like a heavenly god at the bow of the ship. He flipped his hand over, putting on the light-colored side of the Overwatch Council uniform.
He glanced back at Xu Mao Cai, half of whose face was in a pool of blood and who had lost one ear. His right foot, wearing small calfskin boots, was already on the rope connecting his ship to the white sailboat.
With a sway of his body, the disguised Fan Xian slid along the rope in the fog towards the other side. His body was slightly arched, like a civet cat, silently disappearing into the white fog.
With a whoosh! An arrow did not shoot at Fan Xian's body, which had disappeared into the fog, but at the crossbow rope tied to the right side of the warship. The arrow tip instantly shattered the knot into powder!
The rope between the two ships drooped weakly into the sea, but no one heard the sound of someone falling into the water.
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Yan Xiaoyi coldly retracted his longbow, watching the ship under his feet rushing towards the Overwatch Council warship with incredible speed.
On the other side of the fog, Fan Xian had already floated into the familiar cabin like a ghost, holding a severed rope in one hand. He didn't have time to see if any of his subordinates were injured, and he didn't care that the huge navy warship less than an arrow's distance behind him was about to crash into his ass.
He kicked a box in the cabin fiercely with one foot. With a crisp cracking sound, the solid, hard wooden box was kicked by his foot, which contained endless domineering *zhenqi*, sending wooden pieces flying in all directions and silver light radiating everywhere.
Yes, silver light radiating everywhere.
One hundred and thirty thousand taels of silver poured out of the cracked box, like a ripe pomegranate that had been split open.
Revealing a corner of that long, narrow black box.