Chapter 20: A Resounding Victory
If they were chased by the pirates and forced to flee with their tails between their legs, it would be far too humiliating. Morale would likely plummet. Therefore, Qi Xiao chose to fight without hesitation.
The archers took their positions, the torches were lit, and the Jianghu people drew their swords.
Qi Xiao led Fu Yunzhi to the lookout tower. In the distance, they could see a few black dots, which, upon closer inspection, revealed themselves to be ships.
Qi Xiao gave a signal to his lieutenant, Jiang Luori. Understanding, Jiang Luori sent a vanguard team to test the waters. The vanguard was composed of elite marines who were excellent swimmers and were also the bravest unit.
The ships of the two sides drew closer and closer. With an order from the enemy, a volley of sharp arrows rode the wind towards them, marking the beginning of the battle.
They exchanged volleys of arrows, while many others got into small boats and charged directly into the enemy’s formation. Naval warfare was different from land warfare. In land warfare, one side usually defended a city while the other attacked. But in naval warfare, both sides had a “city” to defend. They had to balance offense and defense, and it was a matter of who could capture the other’s fortress while protecting their own.
Qi Xiao stood on the lookout tower, observing the battle and issuing military orders from time to time, ensuring everyone moved and attacked in an orderly manner. Although Fu Yunzhi didn’t know martial arts, he had read a great deal of military strategy. He would occasionally offer suggestions to Qi Xiao, pointing out details that Qi Xiao couldn’t attend to.
Most of the Qi family army remained on the main warship and other large ships as backup, defending their “city” with swords and supporting those on the offensive with arrows. Meanwhile, Shen Linye led the Jianghu people to charge into the fray, cutting down the pirates who tried to board the Langxuan warships and using grappling hooks to board the pirate ships and engage in close combat.
Fu Yunzhi noticed the person beside Shen Linye. That person followed him closely, and the two of them cooperated seamlessly, slaying gods and buddhas who stood in their way. Shen Linye wore a black robe, while the other person was dressed in white. Not a single stain or drop of blood touched the white clothes, a testament to their high level of martial arts.
That person was Mu Linglong.
Although Fu Yunzhi had never seen Mu Linglong before, a person of such exceptional caliber was recognizable at a single glance.
After observing the pirates’ main warship for a while, Qi Xiao handed the command tally to Fu Yunzhi. “I’ll be right back.”
Before Fu Yunzhi could say “be careful,” Qi Xiao’s figure had vanished from his side. When he looked again, Qi Xiao was already standing on one of the small boats on the sea.
“Cover me,” Qi Xiao said to Shen Linye and Mu Linglong.
The two nodded.
Qi Xiao reached the pirates’ main warship. As agile as a leopard, he dodged a volley of arrows and boarded the ship, charging fiercely towards the pirate leader.
The pirate leader was, of course, surrounded by many men, but they were all cut down one by one by Shen Linye and Mu Linglong. With a swing of his sword, Qi Xiao took the pirate leader’s head.
He gathered his qi in his dantian and shouted, his voice booming, “Those who surrender will be treated with leniency! If you insist on fighting against Langxuan, this will be your fate!” He held up the bloody head in his hand.
Qi Xiao’s voice, amplified by his internal energy, spread across the entire sea. The morale of the Langxuan forces soared, while the pirates, who had little discipline to begin with, were thrown into complete chaos. Their morale shattered, and they fell to their knees to surrender.
Seeing the pirates kneeling with their heads in their hands, Fu Yunzhi sneered inwardly. These pirates were not loyal men. The fact that they became pirates proved they were cowards who feared death. Although their combat strength was considerable, a single blow to their morale was all it took to make them crumble.
The first battle with the South Sea pirates was decided in less than half a day, a resounding victory. The people of Langxuan were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, eager to fight another three hundred rounds.
The smell of blood on the Langxuan warships grew even stronger. Even burning medicinal herbs couldn’t disperse it, but everyone was proud of this blood of victory.
The number of casualties on the Langxuan side was minimal, with few injured, and the warships were still well-equipped. Therefore, Qi Xiao and Shen Linye unanimously agreed to have the fleet continue forward, heading for the small island deep in the South Sea to strike at the heart of the enemy.
After taking the pirate leader’s head, Qi Xiao had his second-in-command taken into custody.
At this moment, in the damp prison of the main warship, Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi were interrogating the second-in-command.
The man was a spineless old man. After a taste of pain, he spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
He said that the small island in the South Sea, which the pirates called “King’s Island,” was their lair. To save his own life, he agreed to be Langxuan’s guide.
“Tsk, King’s Island?” Qi Xiao said. “Is there a king on that island?”
The man trembled like a leaf. “The leader… he is our king.”
“What is your leader’s background? What do you know about him?” Fu Yunzhi asked.
“I don’t know! I… I’m just a low-ranking person. I’ve never even seen the leader…”
“You don’t know the leader,” Fu Yunzhi continued, “then tell us about the situation on the island.”
“I became a pirate two years ago through a brother’s introduction,” the man said. “When I arrived at King’s Island, there were already nearly ten thousand pirates and their families there. The pirates live by plundering and fishing. We have a martial arts competition every year, and the winner gets to be a leader and take everyone out to sea. The important people on the island all obey the king’s orders. The king’s house is the largest and most luxurious on the island, but he only meets with a few high-ranking officials and has never taken a woman, so we don’t know what he looks like…”
Fu Yunzhi and Qi Xiao exchanged a look. This king was truly mysterious.
“As the leader of the pirates, he has power and authority but doesn’t want women. Could he be impotent?” Fu Yunzhi said with disdain.
Couldn’t it be that he likes men? Qi Xiao thought silently.
However, according to the second-in-command, there were nearly ten thousand people on the island. It seemed they had underestimated the strength of these pirates.
After a moment of thought, Fu Yunzhi asked again, “Has your king made any recent moves? For example, stockpiling rations, building ships, or buying weapons.”
The man was surprised. “How did you know, sir! That’s exactly what we’ve been doing recently.”
Fu Yunzhi looked at Qi Xiao with a grave expression.
You understand what this means, right?
After leaving the prison, Qi Xiao said, “I’ll write a letter back to the capital later to report the situation with the pirates to the Emperor and ask for more troops.”
Fu Yunzhi nodded. “To call himself a king within Langxuan territory and to be so actively recruiting and stockpiling, this is no longer a simple matter of exterminating pirates. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a rebellion.”
Seeing Fu Yunzhi’s furrowed brow, Qi Xiao said, “We’ll deal with it as it comes. Whether it’s a rebellion or something else, we just need to keep moving forward. Don’t worry too much.”
“No,” Fu Yunzhi said. “I have a bad feeling.”
“Hmm?”
Fu Yunzhi looked at the smiling faces around them. “I feel like this battle was won too easily.”
“I also feel that this battle was strangely easy,” Qi Xiao said. “But that’s how war is. Anything is possible. Sometimes, a battle can last for days, or even months, and sometimes it ends in a few hours.”
Fu Yunzhi was reminded of Qi Xiao’s first military campaign.
At that time, Rong Feijun had not yet ascended the throne, and the situation in the capital was unclear. Rong Feijun’s half-brother was determined to get rid of Qi Xiao, who was loyal to him, and had caused trouble behind the scenes, leading to Qi Xiao falling into an enemy trap.
Qi Xiao and his remaining few men had fought the enemy for half a year before reinforcements arrived. When he returned, there wasn’t a single part of his body that was unharmed. Fu Yunzhi didn’t even dare to ask him how he had survived those six months.
At that time, he himself…
“Qi Xiao, when will you retire?” Fu Yunzhi asked.
Qi Xiao was stunned. What… what does wifey mean by that? Asking a great general in the prime of his life, with numerous military achievements, when he will retire, it feels very strange!
“Yunzhi,” Qi Xiao said seriously, “do you have a problem with me? It’s fine! Just say it, I won’t mind.”
“Idiot.”
As they walked, they saw servants cleaning up the bloodstains and the wreckage of the battle. Some were also repairing the damaged equipment, such as sails and small boats.
“Don’t you need to go help?” Fu Yunzhi asked.
Qi Xiao smiled. “I don’t know how to repair ships. As for cleaning, that would be too much of a grievance for a great general like me.”
Fu Yunzhi smiled. “In that case, come with me to see Duanmu Ling.”
When they arrived at Duanmu Ling’s room, they saw him lying pale on the bed, with Qi Shaoling sitting by the bedside, watching over him. The two seemed to be chatting.
Although Duanmu Ling still looked like a withered tree, his spirits were much better than the day before. At least he was conscious and could talk.
“Yunzhi, General Qi, you’re here. I heard you won a great victory?”
“Yes,” Qi Xiao smiled. “We won the first battle easily.”
Seeing Qi Shaoling’s tired expression and the dark circles under his eyes, Qi Xiao said, “Shaoling, you should go rest. Yunzhi and I can also take care of Young Master Duanmu.”
Qi Shaoling shook his head, indicating that it wasn’t necessary.
Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi were busy with the war, while he couldn’t help at all. He already felt very guilty. How could he trouble others?
Besides, Duanmu Ling often felt cold, and the best way to solve it was to use his internal energy to hold him…
“I’m sorry for being a burden to everyone,” Duanmu Ling said apologetically. “Everyone is busy preparing for battle, and not only can I not help, but I’m also lying here so miserably.”
“What are you talking about,” Qi Xiao said. “I should be thanking you, Young Master Duanmu. If you hadn’t stayed behind to kill those sea monster fish that night, those monsters would have probably already moved into the cabins by the time we found them.”
“By the way,” Qi Xiao added, “there’s an uninhabited island nearby. We plan to dock there for a while to resupply. At that time, Yunzhi and I will go to the island to see if there are any fresh fruits and vegetables we can pick to give you a change of pace. It’s best to eat those when you’re not feeling well.”
Qi Shaoling nodded slightly at Qi Xiao, expressing his gratitude.
Just as they were speaking, they heard a knock on the door. Qi Xiao went to the door and saw that it was Jiang Luori.
Seeing that Jiang Luori’s expression was not good, Qi Xiao asked, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
“Something is hitting the bottom of our ship,” Jiang Luori said.
“Something?”
“General, you should come and take a look. I also…”
Realizing something was wrong, Qi Xiao quickly turned his head. “I’m going out for a bit. You all continue chatting.”
Seeing Qi Xiao’s hurried steps, Fu Yunzhi thought for a moment and also followed him.
