“Stinky Fish, raise the sails, direction due east.” Mo Zi had no intention of fighting Yu Zhong whenever he wanted to fight.
As soon as she finished speaking, Stinky Fish shook the rope with a flourish, leaping down from the gunwale, and began shouting to the twenty-some sail handlers, “Small pennant sail northwest thirty degrees, large pennant sail northwest forty-five degrees, upper mainsail southwest sixty degrees, lower mainsail southwest fifty degrees, primary sail directly east side…”
While he shouted with great momentum over there, Mo Zi here also issued a string of instructions.
“Wei Jia, take the archers down to the cargo hold and prepare. Yang Qiao, you return to the cabin and protect yourself well. Xiao Wei, Zhong An—” She felt it would be best if they also stayed inside, but she couldn’t say it like that. “Have your people stand against the ship’s sides, don’t stand in the middle of the deck.”
Xiao Wei knew she didn’t say useless things. The situation wasn’t yet clear, and he was very curious about exactly how she would deal with that ship of water bandits, so observing wasn’t a bad thing. He thought she would ultimately ask for his help. He had brought his twenty most elite subordinates this time—whether underwater or on the ship, their combat effectiveness far exceeded Stinky Fish’s martial arts gang members, let alone that motley rabble on the opposite side.
He was originally standing right beside Mo Zi, so he didn’t need to move. He watched her grasp the wooden post behind the gunwale. That post—which he hadn’t looked at twice since boarding the ship, thinking it was just a strengthening support—she actually lifted open a round cover, and immediately she shouted down.
“Water Snake, full power on the bow rudder, reverse the wing rudders, straight back three hundred feet.”
Xiao Wei heard a humming echo in his ears, his eyes brightening. Yes, yes, she was so confident, this ship must have many ingenious mechanisms. He no longer doubted his speculation—from the paddle boat he’d stepped on to this current ship, they weren’t made by some mysterious master craftsman, but were her own handiwork. A person who could make gears and flying birds, a female official and great master craftsman given exceptional appointment by the Emperor, a Chief Director who made even the shipyard workers completely convinced—who else but her?
“Acknowledged.”
Xiao Wei heard a voice return. What was it? They could actually transmit messages up and down? Compared to the dangerous situation surging up on the river surface, he wanted to follow Mo Zi even more and uncover this ship’s secrets.
Yu Zhong saw Mo Zi’s ship actually trying to go backward against the headwind and couldn’t help laughing wildly. “Ignorant children, I originally wanted to let you live a few more hours, but things have come to this—do you think you can still run? Look to your sides—my two ships have over five hundred people. Crushing you would be like squashing ants.”
Mo Zi looked to her right and saw a ship emerging from the southern mountain gorge, ten li away from her. No wonder—even though she’d seen through them and struck first, Yu Zhong wasn’t panicking. So he still had a backup move.
Wei Jia’s voice came through the copper tube. “Five hundred against one hundred, how do we fight? Mo Zi, this voice transmission tube is interesting—I can hear the outside commotion quite clearly.”
“I really don’t know if you’re afraid or excited.” Mo Zi transmitted back, “Wait for my command. You’d better make every arrow count.”
“Acknowledged!” Wei Jia shouted.
Yu Zhong saw the other side unhurried and calm, as if still muttering away, and couldn’t help thinking—if he didn’t show them some colors, did they think he was just bluffing?
“Brothers, a hundred or eighty of you go down and completely bore through the bottom of their ship this time.” His killing intent finally revealed itself as he began to act.
Splash, splash—immediately nearly a hundred men appeared on the river surface, their thick dark arms cutting through waves sharp as knives.
Xiao Wei didn’t wait for Mo Zi to speak before having his men ready their bows and arrows.
“Wait.” Mo Zi pressed down his raised bow hand. “Wait a bit more.”
Xiao Wei tried hard to ignore the warmth on his hand. “Once they enter the water, we won’t be able to shoot them.”
“As long as we pull far enough away, they’ll definitely surface to breathe. Moreover, they’ll probably have to go back soon—wait until then to make our move.” Mo Zi smiled, taking out several colored flags from the wooden bucket beside her and began making different movements.
Xiao Wei had his subordinates hold off for now, watching the constantly changing flags, wondering how many more novelties she could bring him.
Boss Wu loudly mocked on Yu Zhong’s behalf, “That young lady—even if you dance, you can’t escape this calamity. With our chain pulling, if we want you to go west, how can you go east?”
The gang members all jeered in unison, but only halfway through their whistling, they suddenly fell silent.
Yu Zhong’s eyes widened as the other side’s seemingly solid wooden bow suddenly lowered a plank, and several people climbed out from inside, chopped down the chain and dragged it into the ship.
Boss Wu was also very surprised. “Gang leader, this… what are they trying to do? Since they could remove the chain, why did they drag it in—” Before he could finish asking, the other side had already given the answer, leaving him dumbstruck, swallowing hard repeatedly.
A large stone tied with thick hemp rope rolled out. The other side’s shipworkers, as if deliberately showing them, laughingly hooked their chain to the hemp rope, then pushed hard. Then came the second large stone, the third large stone… splashing water everywhere.
Not only could the ship not move, it was pulled down several feet by the stones.
Yu Zhong urgently summoned people. “Go down! Quickly go down and remove the chain from our stern!”
At this time, Mo Zi’s ship had already sailed three hundred feet away, and the hull had turned sideways.
Mo Zi issued the command. “Wei Jia, you can get to work now. Try not to let them remove the chain!” The flags in her hands changed again.
Boss Wu was hastily lowering rope ladders when he discovered dozens of dark holes appearing in the other side’s hull, from which arrows flew out, each one hitting its mark, shooting the brothers down into the water.
Hearing the shrill screams, the hundred or so people on the ship couldn’t help but be terrified.
“Gang leader, we don’t have enough hands. We need to call back the brothers on the water surface.” Boss Wu shouted loudly.
Yu Zhong said nothing. His eyes narrowed tightly, staring at the ship ahead.
“What is that?” A timid gang member pointed over with trembling hands.
Boss Wu turned to look and saw four enormous strange objects slowly rising from the deck of that ship, their entire bodies gleaming darkly.
Everyone forgot what they were supposed to be doing, watching helplessly as the huge monsters moved, throwing round balls at them. Two fell short, hitting the water surface. Just as they were about to celebrate, the third and fourth balls hit the sails and bow, bursting everywhere—
“Oil!” Someone screamed, clutching their clothes.
Even the dumbest person knew what this was for, and fear immediately showed on their faces.
“Gang leader?” Boss Wu wanted to ask what to do next.
“You said those on that ship were unworldly young masters and young ladies from wealthy families?” Yu Zhong’s voice turned cold as ice. He raised his hand and slapped Boss Wu six or seven times. “To hell with your unworldly! “
Bang—bang—
Four more balls, but these were fireballs!
Fire met oil and immediately blazed fiercely. Gang members who couldn’t dodge in time instantly caught fire, screaming miserably and continuously.
Oil jars and fireballs came in alternation. The water surface, the ship surface—a sea of flames.
“Gang leader, we should retreat quickly.” Boss Wu covered his face, wanting to cry but having no tears.
“If you weren’t my relative, I’d take your life right now. Quickly lower the small boats, and I’ll settle accounts with you when we get back!” Yu Zhong viciously kicked Boss Wu in the leg, watching the chaotic gang members with indifference.
The other large ship was still two li away. With only two small boats, how could people not go mad? Yu Zhong, the two Daqiu guests, and several of his own personal guards raised their blades and began killing their own people who were trying to seize the boats.
Seeing this, Mo Zi suddenly jumped down from the bow. “Stinky Fish, raise the sails, direction southwest, full speed ahead. Zan Jin, Ding Gou, come with me—chase and beat these drowning dogs!” Want to run? Hmph! Neither of Yu Zhong’s ships would see tomorrow’s sun. “Fat Shrimp, take your people down to the hold. Old Guan, when the southern ship enters firing range, aim straight and launch.”
Zhong An blinked, watching her move lightly and gracefully, like a brilliant butterfly—even after she disappeared, the splendid colors still lingered in the air.
“How is this a cargo ship?” His gaze fell once again on those ball-throwing frames. “Compared to this, even our best warships are like toddlers learning to walk. Bai Yu, did you see? These weapons clearly resemble siege weapons—such large and heavy things, yet two men can just turn cranks a few times and raise them up from below the deck. Incredible.”
“Everything is camouflage.” Xiao Wei was emotionally stirred. “We’re probably aboard the most excellent warship in the world. Zhong An, you and I need to keep our eyes wide open. If all Great Zhou warships were like this, the realm would submit.”
“I’m just afraid Miss Mo Zi won’t agree. You’ve tried before, and she rejected you.” Zhong An also wanted to use these on their water fortress ships.
“She’s now a Great Zhou female official. She’ll do her utmost for our Great Zhou.” Xiao Wei believed.
“Let’s hope so. I can’t wait to personally try out these treasures.” Zhong An shouted about his itching hands, when he suddenly heard a rumbling sound from below the ship. Leaning out his head to look down, “Good heavens, Bai Yu, there’s more… there’s more…”
Xiao Wei went to look.
Near the water surface at the ship’s side, over ten planks dropped down, and from them wheeled giant crossbow mechanisms were pushed out. Arrows as thick as arms, three per bow. Each bow had one person sitting and operating it.
“Fire!” Mo Zi’s voice.
Those arrows shot out in rapid low arcs across the water surface, flying toward Yu Zhong’s two small boats.
Giant crossbows, giant arrows—naturally they had giant power. Water trails created by the forceful energy could be seen, like terrible pythons pouncing on prey, instantly biting the opponent’s throat.
Yu Zhong stood gaping at the seven or eight heavy arrows in the hull as river water poured into the boat.
Boss Wu wailed, “We’re done for, we’re finished.”
Yu Zhong slapped him again. “Look clearly—my ship is only one li away, we can swim—”
Bang—bang—
The sound they’d already become familiar with.
Yu Zhong stiffly turned his neck to look back, only to see his second ship following the same disastrous path.
That ship was much farther from him than he’d imagined—probably seeing the companions’ misery and being frightened into fleeing. As a result, those three little bastards’ ship was shockingly fast. Passing parallel to his small boat, by the time the waves reached his side, it had already sailed out hundreds of feet. Soon it caught up and used those several monster devices to similarly beat his ship into a complete mess.
Two large balls of fire on the river surface burned so hot his whole body felt scorched. He didn’t even notice when Boss Wu and the Daqiu guests had jumped into the water, staring blankly at the water that had reached his ankles.
After who knows how long, there was a sound of paddling approaching. He raised his eyes to see a beautiful face and couldn’t help but howl in terror and fear.
Boss Wu had addressed her as Young Lady.
“What’s your name?” The water had passed his knees, his hands unconsciously gripping the planks on both sides of the boat.
“Mo Zi.” A beautiful face, an immortal’s smile.
His neck felt a chill, then warmth. Yu Zhong looked down to see blood-red liquid flowing all over his chest. Raising his eyes again, it was the Lu family’s remaining offspring.