"Dad, that's Su Yang, former deputy director of the Songhai Security Bureau. I've checked his background thoroughly."
"Oh? Wasn't his backer Shi Wuzun? With his backer gone, he still dares to be arrogant?"
Tang Shanhe, the patriarch of the Tang family, enjoyed immense wealth and connections, leading to a smooth and prosperous development over the years.
Upon seeing Su Yang, Tang Shanhe intended to seize the opportunity to suppress him.
After all, Su Yang's relationship with the Shangguan family was currently strained. By capturing Su Yang, he could climb onto the Shangguan family's powerful tree.
A stepping stone delivered right to his doorstep, how could Tang Shanhe let it slip away?
Tang Shanhe waved his hand, and hundreds of bodyguards began to clear the area, even the security bureau soldiers were asked to leave.
On the vast dock, only two forces remained.
Tang Shanhe clasped his hands behind his back, "Su Yang, you first colluded with foreign spies, and then injured my men. Do you have anything to say?"
"Spies? Where did spies come from?"
Su Yang had returned later and had no idea how there could be spies on his ship.
Tang Shanhe pointed at the female mercenaries from Sang Country, "These women, how do you explain them?"
"A joke! Are women from Sang Country spies? Then if your mother, or any woman, goes to another country, can she also be arrested as a spy?"
"If not, then let this patriarch board the ship and search it!"
Beside him, Tang Ye secretly praised his father. This way, they could board and control the Yangwei, and also capture these female mercenaries.
Delivering Su Yang to the Shangguan family would also bring immense benefits.
Killing three birds with one stone!
Su Yang finally understood. The Tang family, after all their maneuvering, still intended to seize his ship.
"Patriarch Tang, you're looking for a grand excuse to rob. If you have the guts, just attack directly. I, Su Yang, will accept!"
Once Su Yang understood the situation, he led the female mercenaries onto the ship, preparing to depart.
Tang Shanhe looked at the imposing eight cannons and thought that his men would likely not be able to seize the Yangwei by brute force.
However, if they could rope in some others, the outcome would be different.
Tang Shanhe turned to look at the young masters and ladies beside Tang Ye. These were the direct descendants of the other seven great families of Qingcheng.
"Do you want that warship?"
"Patriarch Tang, what are your thoughts?"
"If you all join forces, this patriarch can let the Tang family charge first, and you can call for reinforcements. Once we take the Yangwei, this patriarch is willing to share the warship with everyone."
Upon hearing this, the young masters and ladies from various families fell into thought.
They weren't fools. Without warships of equal caliber, trying to take the Yangwei with sheer numbers would inevitably lead to heavy casualties.
Tang Shanhe frowned, "What are you still hesitating about? My men will go first, what are you afraid of?"
"Alright, then we'll follow Patriarch Tang's arrangement!"
With someone taking the lead, the rest also expressed their agreement.
Seeing the Yangwei raising its anchor, it was too late to hesitate.
Tang Shanhe waved his hand, "All of you, charge! You must stop Su Yang from leaving!"
"Yes!"
Over five hundred bodyguards spread out, throwing grappling hooks towards the Yangwei, while those around provided covering fire.
Representatives from various families quickly pulled out their phones to call for reinforcements. The eight great families of Qingcheng jointly cooperated to seize the Yangwei.
—Rumble!
The moment Tang Shanhe ordered the attack, Su Yang immediately ordered a counterattack.
The eight cannons on the side of the Yangwei simultaneously fired towards the shore, the powerful impact killing a large number of Tang family bodyguards.
"Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!"
Tang Shanhe himself did not dare to charge forward, forcing his bodyguards to continue their assault.
—Rumble!
With the impact of eight dark cannonballs, another large group of Tang family bodyguards fell.
Tang Ye was confused, "Dad, these people charging are causing zero damage to the Yangwei. Why are you still sending them to their deaths?"
"Hmph! I'm doing this naturally because I want Su Yang to offend all eight great families of Qingcheng simultaneously. Think about it, even if we ultimately fail to capture the Yangwei, Su Yang bombarding the Qingcheng dock will not benefit him.
Conversely, we only need to pay a minimal price to gain the friendship of the Shangguan family. No matter how you look at it, our Tang family wins!"
Tang Ye suddenly understood. No wonder his father, Tang Shanhe, had ordered the bodyguards to charge recklessly.
"Dad, Su Yang's warship is sailing towards the sea. How will our men charge?"
"It's fine. I've already contacted the navy before coming. They will stop the Yangwei."
Tang Shanhe said confidently. The next moment, more than a dozen warships appeared at sea. They were smaller than the Yangwei, but they had the advantage of numbers.
The Qingcheng navy was smart. They didn't line up like the Songcheng navy.
Instead, they sent the smaller ships forward as cannon fodder while the main force provided support from behind.
Moreover, the Qingcheng navy had ambushed them at the corner, aiming to shorten the distance so the cannons could operate within their effective range.
—Rumble!
The Yangwei was hit by the Qingcheng navy. The entire warship shuddered, and the people on board swayed and fell.
The Dragon Blood Legion members guarded the four directions. Upon inspection, they found a concave pit at a certain location, which was where the Qingcheng navy's cannons had struck.
"Boss, we're caught between a firestorm in front and pursuers behind. What do we do now?"
Su Yang leaned against a pillar, observing the situation. Behind them were the Tang family and the other families, firing from the shore.
Although their destructive power was not great, it prevented the Dragon Blood Legion members from lifting their heads.
The firepower in front was the fiercest, and the distance was extremely close.
If they engaged the Qingcheng navy head-on, the ship only had one cannon at the bow, making the chance of hitting the enemy small.
The sides each had eight cannons, but the sides were also more likely to be attacked.
Su Yang's brow furrowed, "Use torpedoes to clear the way, and ram the enemy ship head-on!"
"Yes!"
The operator in the main cabin began to adjust the direction and simultaneously set the speed to maximum.
Due to the resistance of the seawater, the Yangwei could reach a maximum speed of two hundred knots, which was enough to crush ordinary ships.
"Not good, quickly spread out! Is Su Yang crazy?"
On the Qingcheng navy ships, the commander was sweating profusely.
His ship was surrounded by other ships in front, behind, and on both sides, making it impossible to maneuver.
"Bastard! Hurry up and spread out, are you deaf?"
—Rumble!
The commander's ship, designated 006, was hit by the Yangwei in a "piercing the bull" maneuver.
Strangely, ship 004, which was in front of 006, sustained less damage than 006.
Everyone on ship 004 rolled on the ground, but there were no casualties yet.
Ship 006 had a large pit more than three meters below its bow. The deck was hit, creating a gaping abyss.
Countless streams of water poured into ship 006's cabin, terrifying the crew.
"Lieutenant Colonel, our ship is taking on too much water, and the people below have escaped. What should we do?"
With such a large abyss, it was impossible to repair it in a short time.
The commander gritted his teeth, "Abandon ship!"
"Yes!"
The commander, disregarding the fate of the ship, took a few key personnel and retreated to the rear on a yacht.
Ship 006 began to tilt, half of it submerged in water. Those on board who couldn't escape in time fell into the water.