Straddling the wall, Gou Zi looked gloomily at the large round moon overhead and said to Dan Ying, who was also straddling the wall: “On a dark and windy night, it’s time for murder and arson. Tonight the moon is bright and shining, and our clothes aren’t appropriate either. Walking on the road, we’re as obvious as lice on monks’ heads. Are you sure we’re going to break into the City Guard’s residence tonight?”

Dan Ying had just taken out a sentry lying in ambush on the wall. He’d been covering the man’s mouth to prevent any sound, and now the sentry’s head had been twisted two full turns—naturally he wouldn’t make a sound. Only after propping the corpse against the wall did he turn back to Gou Zi and say: “Our mission is to create chaos and kill a few Goguryeo people, that’s all. Are you afraid?”

“Don’t use provocation tactics on me. I’m not one of the Marquis’s greenhorns. I’ve been on the battlefield, so that won’t work on me. Killing people—what’s there to fear about that?” Saying this, he jumped down from the wall. Landing, he executed a forward roll to dissipate the force without making a single sound.

Back gardens never lack romantic affairs, and the City Guard’s residence was no different. Gou Zi’s short spear had just been pulled out from the necks of two people engaged in illicit pleasure. Hearing the cries earlier, he’d almost thought he’d been exposed. Only after finishing them off did he realize what was happening. He spat on the two naked worms—what bad luck, not afraid of catching cold even in this frigid weather.

The target was in the front courtyard. The two men vaulted over multiple courtyards, continuously feeling their way forward. Along the way, to leave themselves an escape route, they eliminated all obvious sentries and hidden posts. The fresh air carried a scattering scent of blood.

The two men alternated advancing forward until they finally reached a brightly lit room. Hearing the powerful and resonant voice inside, though not knowing what was being said, Gou Zi was certain the main target must be inside.

Just as he turned back to find Dan Ying, he saw Dan Ying had changed into servant’s attire and was walking over carrying a large wooden tray, stuffing a set of clothes and a large teapot into his hands.

The clothes fit well, fitting just right over the night walking outfit. Picking up the teapot, Gou Zi discovered a cocked crossbow under Dan Ying’s wooden tray. This was something specially made by the Academy. Apart from the imperial household having about a hundred, only the Academy had a few. He didn’t know why Dan Ying had one—he’d coveted this thing for a long time.

Fortunately, his own leather belt also held twenty-six throwing knives. With a brush of his hand across his waist, six thin throwing knives appeared in both hands. They exchanged glances, and Dan Ying, carrying the tray with head lowered, hurried toward that building. Just reaching the entrance, the guards standing on both sides reached out to stop them, preparing to take the items from their hands and not allowing them to approach.

Perhaps because it was already late at night, the guards were somewhat drowsy. Though performing their duties, they weren’t as strict as usual. By the time they realized these two people were unfamiliar, it was too late. A blade tip emerged from the back of one guard’s neck. Dan Ying’s sharp Tang sword gleamed especially brilliant in the moonlight. With each strike, a guard fell.

The teapot in Gou Zi’s hand crashed heavily onto a guard’s head. He had already curled into a ball and crashed through the door with a bang, rolling continuously while the throwing knives in his hands had already flown out…

When he stood up, three people already lay on the ground. The person sitting in the main seat had three knives embedded in his arm and had already been surrounded by his subordinates.

Seeing that this fellow had used one arm as the price to preserve his life, Gou Zi was quite angry. With a turn, the flying claw wrapped around his waist shot straight toward the elder in the main seat.

Violent shouts arose. Seven or eight long swords slashed at the flying claw together, and two more came hacking toward Gou Zi with sharp whistles. Gou Zi flicked his wrist and the flying claw retracted like a venomous snake. Making a small circle, it seized tightly onto the throat of one of the armored men.

The windpipe was torn out by the flying claw. That man was whipped into a spin as large gouts of fresh blood immediately gushed forth, forming a fountain of blood in the room.

Before the other long sword reached Gou Zi, its owner was already covering his throat with wide eyes and falling to the ground. A featherless arrow was embedded in his throat.

The throwing knives in Gou Zi’s hands flew out once more but didn’t achieve good results. Everyone in the room wore armor. As long as they lowered their heads and protected their eyes with one hand, they didn’t need to worry about being harmed by throwing knives.

Behind Gou Zi, the mechanism clicked three times, and three Goguryeo men in front fell. Featherless arrows powered by soft steel could penetrate stone and pierce gold.

A Goguryeo general shouted loudly, overturning a low table and grasping it as he charged toward Dan Ying. Two people already followed closely behind him, also rushing forward together.

Gou Zi’s flying claw once again grabbed toward the long-bearded man in the main seat. He avoided those three Goguryeo generals, single-mindedly wanting to finish off the long-bearded man.

He miscalculated. That long-bearded man actually kicked the low table while his own body retreated. In just two steps, his intact right hand had already grasped a long sword from the sword rack. With a flourish, Gou Zi’s flying claw immediately lost one finger. The powerful force from the iron chain sent Gou Zi flying sideways. The flying table crashed heavily onto Gou Zi’s back, almost knocking him unconscious.

Gou Zi controlled his form, preparing to charge forward again, when he discovered that long-bearded man had been protected behind a human wall by the other Goguryeo commanders. Just as he was about to charge out, he heard Dan Ying, who was fighting behind him, suddenly shout loudly: “Scan the dice, no!”

Yun Ye bound himself to the mast. This time there was no tornado, but the man-high enormous waves behind him, trailing white lines and roaring forward, really wasn’t a pleasant feeling. The stern rose high—he almost thought he was about to be buried underwater.

When the leading wave crashed fiercely into the river mouth, under the moon’s gravitational pull, even larger waves were forming behind. The naval soldiers standing on the wooden rafts were somewhat better off. Those army soldiers who had only learned to swim for half a month all had deathly pale faces. Even generals like Lai Chuanfeng and Xun Feng, who were accustomed to death, were quite alarmed.

The wooden rafts were connected together in large sections, effectively resisting wind and waves. Yun Ye, embracing the mast, clearly saw the square formations composed of rafts being shaken like a torn cloth by the waves, rising and falling unevenly.

Because of prior preparation, all the soldiers had firmly secured themselves to ships or rafts, gritting their teeth to struggle against the waves.

Directly across from Yun Ye was Gae Suwen, bound by ropes like a silkworm. In matters of his own safety, Yun Ye was never careless. It was best to personally guard someone like Gae Suwen.

“Marquis Yun is truly greatly talented. I, Yeon Gae Suwen, never thought there was such a method of entering the river. Today has truly opened my eyes.” Gae Suwen looked up, not knowing whether crying or laughing.

Seeing the fleet advancing rapidly overall, though lacking those giant ships, looking at this currently floating ship-city, Yun Ye felt somewhat proud. Seeing Wu She on the opposite ship grasping Liu Fang and shouting something hoarsely, the formations also repeatedly adjusted direction, always remaining in the heart of the Liao River. Cao Cao’s iron chain formation—who said it was wrong? Who said learning from Cao Cao would definitely bring bad luck?

When people are most pleased with themselves, mishaps easily occur—like Cao Cao at Huarong Road, like Yun Ye now. He had considered all factors except one person. That was a woman.

Because she was a woman, Yun Ye generously confined her in a cabin. Because she was a woman, Yun Ye had no women on hand to guard this person. Because she was a woman, Yun Ye used one lock to confine this woman in the ship’s cabin.

Now trouble had occurred. This damned woman could actually pick locks, and had cleverly used clothes as rope to twist and break the door bolt. Now she appeared stark naked on deck, using both mouth and hands to help Gae Suwen untie his ropes.

Yun Ye was greatly alarmed. Not having time to untie the ropes on himself, he raised the crossbow in his hand and pressed the mechanism toward Gae Suwen. Three arrows at once—just at this moment the boat was lifted high by enormous waves. The three arrows passed by Gae Suwen’s side, one of them hitting Ronghua Nu’s shoulder exactly. She screamed miserably and immediately fell to the ground. At this moment the deck became tilted, and Ronghua Nu slid toward the bow with a whoosh. Gae Suwen let out a heart-rending shout in Goguryeo.

Yun Ye watched with schadenfreude as Gae Suwen fell into madness. That fellow was now roaring at him like a wild beast. Yun Ye smiled and hugged the mast tightly. Loosening the ropes on himself at this moment would be purely seeking death.

Under Yun Ye’s astonished gaze, a smooth arm actually reached up from the bow. A bare-bottomed woman climbing a ship really couldn’t be connected with beauty. Seeing her climb aboard with difficulty, Yun Ye actually breathed a sigh of relief. If not for the crossbow in his hands, he might have even applauded.

This woman crawled over again like a madwoman. Her full bosom was covered with bloodstains, her shoulder bleeding everywhere. From that fall just now, that arrow had been driven completely through her shoulder. Yun Ye watched helplessly as she pulled out that arrow obstructing her movement. With blood streaming from her shoulder, she stuck her buttocks up like a wolf, tearing and biting at Gae Suwen’s binding ropes.

Yun Ye once again raised the crossbow in his hands and pressed the mechanism. Unfortunately, the three arrows on the crossbow had already been fired by him. Liu Jinbao, bound to the parapet, drew his knife to cut his own binding ropes, swaying unsteadily as he prepared to walk over and finish off that shameless woman with her bare bottom.

Yun Ye was also loosening his binding ropes. The consequences of Gae Suwen escaping were too severe—he must be stopped. Liu Jinbao struggled to control his form on the smooth deck. Just as he steadied himself, a wave rolling onto the deck washed him back to the parapet.

Half the ropes on Gae Suwen’s body had already been untied. His two hands had been freed. Yun Ye exerted all his strength to cock the crossbow again and raised it to shoot, when he saw a pair of blood-stained breasts charging toward him, tightly embracing him.

Gae Suwen finally freed himself from the ropes. Just as he was about to charge forward, Liu Jinbao desperately seized him. Yun Ye broke free of that woman and once again pulled the mechanism. Good—though this arrow was slightly off target, it still hit Gae Suwen’s arm.

Amidst the woman’s heart-rending screams, Gae Suwen broke free from Liu Jinbao. He glanced at the woman tightly dragging Yun Ye’s leg, howled like a wolf, and leaped into the great sea…