Over ten heads emerged from the waves, among them Chouyu’s face, the torches illuminating his breathless appearance.

“Damn it, those guys’ underwater skills really weren’t bad. If it weren’t for the leather clothes Brother Mo gave us, they would’ve almost captured us by holding their breath together.” He complained, but laughed carelessly with a grin.

Seeing him like this, everyone’s hearts settled.

“Is it resolved?” Mo Zi found it strange—why didn’t she see Xiao Wei and the others?

“Seeing we were formidable on this side, they fled faster than fish. It was too dark in the water, so I didn’t have the brothers chase them.” Chouyu turned his head and looked around. “Where are the Young Master and his people?”

Young Master was the most formal way Mo Zi’s side addressed Xiao Wei. Don’t be fooled by Chouyu’s casual manner—when he needed to be careful, he wouldn’t make mistakes.

The torches in hand couldn’t illuminate far. Mo Zi had people bind them to iron poles and extend them outside the ship so they could see a bit farther.

“Brother Mo?” Chouyu was waiting for Mo Zi’s instructions.

“Come up first, then we’ll talk.” Having gone through a water battle, she knew Chouyu and his men hadn’t had it easy. Moreover, the water bandits’ ships showed no signs of leaving, making her feel the enemy might have other plans.

“Miss Mo Zi, we should have them search around.” Zhong An had objections to Mo Zi’s decision.

“Send another batch of people down to search.” On the river surface shrouded in darkness, beyond the light, she could hear the sound of splashing water from time to time.

Ding Gou suddenly hushed and leaped to the other side of the ship, shouting, “There are water bandits climbing the ship, sixty or seventy people!”

Hearing this, without waiting for Mo Zi to speak, Chouyu dove back into the water.

Wei Jia shouted angrily, “They’re actually using a diversion! Which bastard is leading them—quite clever.”

Mo Zi ran toward the right flank while giving orders. “Feixia, bring a few people to watch the left flank, in case your younger brother needs to come up.” The enemy indeed had brains. But she had been careless.

Rushing over to look, dozens of black shadows were climbing up ropes. However, though they were fast, Wei Jia and his archers’ speed wasn’t slow either. In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty arrows flew out, shooting them down with screams as they fell off the ship.

Min Feng, who had been staying in the cargo hold, suddenly ran out and pulled her aside. Taking advantage of when people weren’t paying attention, he handed her three pen-like tubes. “Each contains a silver needle soaked in cobra venom. Pull off the top cap, press once, and it will shoot out. Keep them for self-defense.”

Hearing about such a poisonous thing, Mo Zi was actually reluctant to carry it on her person. What if she accidentally shot herself? But Min Feng was truly her third cousin, and his intentions were good, so she had to accept them.

Later she learned that Min Feng was the most skilled in concealed arts among this generation. Concealed arts ranked as the fourth level among the nine techniques. Min Gui was learning retrieval arts, the third level. Min Zhen was the highest, having mastered the sixth technique—mechanisms. In the Min family’s nine techniques, just mastering the first and second techniques could place one among the ranks of excellent master craftsmen. Therefore, for Min Feng to have mastered four techniques meant he was outstanding among the outstanding, and his hidden weapons would definitely have no quality issues.

“Brother Mo, I see the Young Master and his men.” Zan Jin called to her.

Mo Zi nodded to Min Feng in thanks, told him to quickly go into the cabin, and immediately walked to Zan Jin’s side. “Where?”

Zan Jin’s eyesight was naturally remarkable. He pointed at the pitch-black mass of water surface. “Just twenty zhang away, they’re surrounded and struggling. Ah, Chouyu has rushed over.”

“Do they need help?” Mo Zi squinted, staring for a long time. She could only see hair color slightly darker than the water and splashing wave patterns.

As she was concentrating fully on the battle situation there, a water bandit had already climbed right under her nose. A blade flashed and stabbed toward her.

Zan Jin didn’t even look, using the Cuixin sword to block it back, then aimed at the water bandit’s head and rapidly struck over ten times.

The water bandit dodged left and right, but his head couldn’t escape being smacked. His eyes rolled back and he fell straight back into the water.

Ding Gou, watching from the side, shouted that it was fun and told Wei Jia to spare the arrows, instead urging the water bandits to climb faster. As a result, when people obediently climbed up, he gave them a good beating, and they voluntarily wailed and jumped back into the water.

Someone called from below the ship, “Brothers, this ship is full of tough guys—retreat!”

Instantly, all the water bandits hanging on the ship jumped back into the water and swam away.

Before long, Chouyu’s voice came. “Quickly lower the rope ladder. The Young Master is bleeding.”

Ding Gou exclaimed, for once without any sarcasm.

With many hands helping, they pulled people up. Xiao Wei lay motionless on the deck, his back shoulder stained red with blood, and even the water around his body was a dark red patch.

Chouyu had fresh knife cuts on his face, and the sharkskin suit had been slashed in over ten places. Some injuries reached the flesh, and the water dripping from his hands and feet was also dark red.

The others all had injuries to varying degrees—difficult to distinguish severity at the moment, but everyone had returned.

Doctor Ji came up on deck. Not seeing Xiao Wei, he was startled by the blood-covered Chouyu and hurried to treat his wounds.

Chouyu didn’t care at all, wiping the wound on his face with his soaking wet sleeve. “I’m fine. It looks scary, but they’re just superficial wounds. Go check on the one lying there first. He took a knife for me—it went in pretty deep. If it weren’t for him, I’d have lost my life.”

Only then did Doctor Ji see Xiao Wei. Seeing his injuries were indeed much more severe, he hurried over to treat him.

Feixia himself knew some medical skills. Without a word, he pulled Chouyu to sit down and began drying his wounds and applying medicine.

Mo Zi asked, “How many people were underwater that you all got injured like this?” She had worried that underwater wasn’t like on land—internal energy and such wouldn’t be of much use.

“Damn it, I was just about to tell you about this. This group of water bandits really isn’t ordinary. On the surface there were thirty-some heads, but below there were sixty-some more water ghosts. I didn’t know at first either. Anyway, I went down and started throwing punches, just feeling like no matter how much I fought, they kept coming. Later, when I finally finished fighting, I heard Ding Gou say there were people on the right flank, so I rushed over again. Hey, there were thirty-some climbing the ship, thirty-some surrounding the Young Master, and counting the dozens below the ship waiting to cause trouble—adding them all up, it was over a hundred. Those skilled at diving, like my older brother—I always thought that was rare in the world, but I didn’t expect so many who could dive like this. And not only good at diving, their underwater skills were also good, working in groups of three with perfect coordination. You know, the ones we brought are all green. On land, each one could be somebody, but in water they were tied hand and foot, unable to perform. Nobody fed the fish—I breathed a sigh of relief.” Chouyu’s description wasn’t detailed, but it let those observing the battle hear the danger.

Feixia said, “Their diving skills aren’t necessarily impressive. They could keep rotating to get air, maintaining only thirty-some people on the surface.”

“Exactly.” Mo Zi didn’t deify the enemy. “However, their tactics are very sophisticated. Enemy in light, we in darkness. Release smoke to obstruct vision, adopt underwater combat, hide actual strength, use diversionary tactics. Upon discovering they can’t win, no attachment to battle, calmly withdraw. So methodical—I don’t think they’re like water bandits.”

“If Brother Mo says so, it really is true. The daggers they used seemed to be exactly the same. Groups of three coordinating. Their movements were very uniform—they must have trained.” Chouyu slapped his forehead. “How am I dumber than my brother? Water got in my ears.”

Feixia glanced at his younger brother. His plump palm pressed hard on his wound.

“Ow!” Chouyu jumped up. “Big Brother, don’t be sore about it.”

Mo Zi laughed. “If not water bandits, then what kind of people? Could it be—”

Xiao Wei groaned, interrupting her train of thought.

“Brother Mo, you should go over and show concern.” Chouyu pushed her. “After all, he was injured for my sake. You’re our leader—you have to be responsible for representing us in expressing sympathy. I’ll say this upfront. Although he saved me once, I went to save him first. Call it even. Don’t let him expect me to—”

“Pledge yourself to him?” Ding Gou raised his eyebrows and made a face.

“Bullshit! I mean don’t let him expect me to return any favors.” Chouyu swung a palm at him. “As expected, a dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory.”

Mo Zi shook her head and pointed at the water bandits’ ships. “You two restrain yourselves. The bad guys haven’t left yet.”

“They’re still fighting at the front and back.” Zan Jin added.

Mo Zi walked over to ask Doctor Ji, “How is Big Brother’s injury?” Because of the Emperor’s secret edict, she wouldn’t tell the Ji couple the truth for now and just pretended to be siblings.

This was the first time seeing the unconscious Xiao Wei—face pale as paper, sword-like brows tightly furrowed, lips pressed into a line. Even without consciousness, his whole body still radiated authority. This person, given time, would become a truly outstanding general, wouldn’t he? From what she could see, during this period on the ship, he had grown considerably, even learning to respect others’ opinions. He no longer frowned or showed displeasure at her orders, and more often accepted them while offering reasonable suggestions.

“Although the wound is deep and he’s lost much blood, fortunately it didn’t hit vital areas. The Young Master has a strong constitution and good foundation. With medicine and dietary supplements, after resting for a period, he’ll be fine. Let’s carry the Young Master back to the cabin first. I’ll go boil medicine right away.” Doctor Ji even planned to carry the person himself.

Mo Zi quickly stopped him. “Why would you exert yourself? Just go boil the medicine.”

Wei Jia’s men carried Xiao Wei inside.

Zhong An said something that sounded strange to her ears. “Miss, go take care of the Young Master.”

“Sir, are you talking to me?” Perhaps she had misheard.

Wei Jia laughed. “Zhong An, you’re confused. In normal times, a younger sister taking care of her older brother would be perfectly normal. But Mo Zi is different. She’s the leader on this ship, and at a time like this—how can she just leave?”

Zhong An had originally wanted to create an opportunity for Xiao Wei to be accompanied by a beauty, but had truly forgotten about Mo Zi’s exceptional status. Reminded by Wei Jia, he quickly laughed it off to cover up. “I was just joking.”

Ding Gou had already stopped horsing around with Chouyu. Hearing this, the corner of his mouth twisted. “Nice thought.”

Ding Gou saw through it, but Zan Jin didn’t understand and muttered, “The sibling relationship is fake anyway. Why would Brother Mo need to truly take care of him?” Turning to Chouyu, he said, “You were saved by him, yet our Brother Mo has to serve as his maid—you should go attend to him instead.”

Chouyu was completely baffled. “Brother Mo can’t serve tea and water to people. If I have to go, I’ll go.”

Ding Gou’s face twitched. “Zan Jin, I thought you were getting cleverer and more perceptive, but you’re still truly foolish. However, no matter how foolish, you’re not as foolish as this dumb dead fish who agreed to be someone’s manservant. Your whole body is bleeding, yet you still want to take care of others. Moreover, he doesn’t want a rough fellow like you going over to make trouble.”

Ding Gou’s mouth often made Chouyu jump. “You’re the dumb dead dog. If you have something to say, say it. If you have to fart, fart it out. Stop being all cryptic.”

“Someone has no good intentions. Don’t let Mo Zi get too close to him.” Ding Gou thought he had made it very clear.

“Who?” Chouyu’s eyes widened, his face full of vigilant expression. “Tell me, I’ll go smack him to death.”

But Zan Jin said nothing, only glancing at Ding Gou, then looking toward Mo Zi who was talking with Zhong An.

“The child can be taught.” Ding Gou nodded, giving Chouyu a look of hopelessness.

Suddenly, the water surface was ablaze with firelight. Someone with abundant vital energy called out in a loud voice, “Master Zuo, why the swords and blades? Leave the toll and be on your way.”