Just as the Ning Army was still fighting the remnants of the Yong Province forces on Yunlai Island, a spread of sails suddenly appeared on the sea.

Master Wu was leading his men forward in the assault when he heard his subordinates’ report. He glanced back toward the high ground and swiftly climbed up.

Standing on the hillside of Yunlai Island and looking east, the fleet was already not far from the island.

Master Wu borrowed a spyglass and looked carefully. Judging by the style and size of the vessels and the disorganized assortment of flags on the ships, he could determine that these were all Sang pirate ships.

So Master Wu immediately understood — the bandits on Yunlai Island had somehow, by some means, managed to contact the Sang people after all.

Since their great defeat in Yan Province two years prior, the Sang people had behaved themselves for a while. Their sudden appearance now, sailing straight for Yunlai Island, was clearly the result of collusion with the remnants of the Yu Province Army.

The fleet numbered several hundred vessels of various sizes; their troop strength was surely considerable.

The fighting on Yunlai Island had not yet ended. Though the Yong Province Army was retreating step by step, they had only lost roughly half their number and still had fight left in them.

So if the Sang naval forces were to cut off the Ning Army’s retreat at this moment — even with the narrow waterway into the island making it difficult for the Sang fleet to enter — they could still trap the Ning Army on the island with nowhere to go.

It could not be denied that Sang ocean-going vessels far surpassed those of the Central Plains. Chu had abandoned seafaring for over two hundred years; one couldn’t say that Chu had fallen behind the Sang in the craft of shipbuilding itself, but in terms of the current scale of vessels on both sides, they were far, far behind. It wasn’t even a matter of being behind — it was total defeat, for Chu had virtually no warships capable of sailing open seas. Even the vessels the Ning Army was using to assault Yunlai Island were all fishing boats conscripted from civilian use.

What mattered most was that these Sang pirates had far superior fighting ability at sea than the Ning Army. On land, the Ning Army was without peer under heaven, but on deck in close combat — they could barely keep their footing.

This was the Ning Army’s present weakness, an undeniable weakness, and so the moment the Sang pirate fleet appeared, Master Wu’s brow furrowed deeply.

A fleet of several hundred ships was more than enough to pin them on Yunlai Island with no way back to shore. The Ning Army reinforcements on the mainland had no navy capable of defeating several hundred pirate ships.

And so at this moment, Master Wu stood with deeply furrowed brow.

“Pass the order.” He turned and instructed: “Immediately raise the bandits’ flags again — quickly. Order the entire force to silence their battle cries.”

At Master Wu’s command, his personal guard scattered in all directions, and the bandit flags on the fortress walls were soon raised again.

Li Ren hurried over and stood at Master Wu’s side, watching the Sang ships.

“Sir, what do we do now?”

Li Ren asked instinctively.

Master Wu was silent for a moment, then said: “If we want to win, we have no choice but to gamble everything on a desperate move.”

Li Ren cupped his fists: “We can still fight. Give the order, sir.”

Master Wu thought for a moment and said: “The Sang pirate fleet is still on the other side of Yunlai Island — they cannot see our ships, nor can they see what’s happening on this side…”

He looked to his personal guard and continued issuing orders: “Send word to our ships — have them set sail immediately, but not back to shore. The Sang would spot that. Have them sail to the far side of a nearby island and hide there. No coming out until they see the signal. They must move quickly.”

The guard received the order and sprinted down the hill.

Shortly after, the Ning Army’s troop transports began raising sail, the vessels of all sizes making for the nearest island.

Since the distance was not very great, they would round the island before the Sang pirate warships could come around.

Li Ren said: “The Sang have obviously made prior arrangements with these bandits — they’re here to collect them — so the Sang will certainly make landfall.”

Master Wu said: “Our only chance of winning is to let the Sang make landfall…”

Li Ren looked around. In truth, the Ning forces that had landed on the island were still fewer in number than the Yong Province troops on it. The Sang on those several hundred ships might number at least ten thousand in total. If the Sang were to land, the Ning Army would certainly be caught in a pincer from both sides.

While he was thinking this through, Master Wu had already instructed his men: “Go strip the prisoners we’ve taken — however many there are — take their clothes. You all put them on.”

The Ning soldiers around them immediately went to work, pulling the outer garments off the captives.

Master Wu changed into a set himself — the armor of a Yong Province Army general, though it was still in Chu’s style.

Once changed, Master Wu waved his personal guard over: “Follow me down.”

Li Ren said: “Sir, this is too dangerous. Even if you put on the bandits’ clothes, the Sang won’t recognize you.”

Master Wu said: “Exactly — that’s the point. I’m wagering they won’t recognize more than a handful of the bandits’ commanders.”

With that, he led his guard away in long strides.

By now, his men had swiftly cleared the battlefield, dragging all the bodies into buildings to hide them. The bloodstains were another matter — impossible to scrub away quickly — but Master Wu could no longer afford to worry about that.

The Sang fleet would take some time to round the island, giving the Ning Army what little time they had to tidy the scene as best they could.

Master Wu ordered the assault to cease. The Yong Province troops, who had been falling back steadily, retreated to the rear of the hill to regroup.

Master Wu went to the fortress gate and stood there waiting. Before long, several small Sang boats came over.

Master Wu put on a smile and waved at the Sang in greeting.

The Sang didn’t recognize him — but then again, they truly didn’t know more than a handful of the rebel leaders, so they had no reason to be suspicious.

One of them, who appeared to be a leader, came ashore. He looked Master Wu up and down carefully and asked: “Where is your commander-in-chief?”

Master Wu said: “The commander-in-chief is waiting for you in the main hall.”

The leader frowned and asked again: “And Master Yuanzhen?”

Master Wu replied: “Master Yuanzhen is with the commander-in-chief. He sent me to meet you here.”

The leader asked: “Do you know who I am?”

From this single question, it was clear the Sang man was cautious. Wariness was bred into the Sang people’s nature.

Master Wu shook his head: “I don’t.”

The leader immediately pressed: “Then why did Master Yuanzhen send someone who doesn’t know me to receive me?”

Master Wu suddenly hardened his expression, let out a cold “hmph,” and said: “Master Yuanzhen only told me to wait here. He didn’t tell me why it had to be me, so I have no way of telling you why it’s me. If you feel that Master Yuanzhen ought to come receive you in person, then wait here — I’ll go back and ask whether he will or won’t.”

And with that, Master Wu turned and walked away.

“Ha ha ha ha ha… friend, why are you getting angry?”

The Sang leader broke into a smile, his tone softening considerably.

“Your Master Yuanzhen invited me here — I came to help you. So he should have come to receive me in person.”

Master Wu said: “We only just finished a battle. Master Yuanzhen is still dealing with the aftermath and had no time to come meet you.”

“A battle?”

The Sang leader’s guard clearly went up again. He looked around, and sure enough there were bloodstains at the fortress gate, though no bodies. Near the gate entrance there were also arrow shafts that had not been cleared away — the fighting had clearly been fierce.

“With whom?”

“The Ning Army.”

“The Ning Army? They broke in and you still managed to drive them off?”

“Why — do you think we couldn’t win?”

Master Wu’s expression grew more and more displeased, as though he were genuinely angry.

“You wait here then. I’ll go back and report to Master Yuanzhen and have him come to you.”

Master Wu turned and walked away again.

The Sang leader grabbed his arm. Master Wu shook him off with a sweep of his forearm.

The Sang leader smiled again: “Friend, you have quite the temper — not quite the way one receives a guest. I need to ask you right now… have the gold and silver that Master Yuanzhen promised us been prepared?”

Master Wu pointed toward the inside of the fortress gate and was about to say it was all ready, but the words reached the tip of his tongue and he changed them at the last moment.

“Not fully. A bit short, but not by much.”

Strangely, it was precisely this answer that made the Sang leader trust Master Wu a little more. He said with a touch of mockery: “You Central Plains people really are quite sly.”

Master Wu said: “Take it or leave it. Send your men in to carry it out. If you don’t want it, then forget it.”

The Sang man’s command of the Central Plains tongue was halting, but it was all comprehensible. He was silent a moment, then turned to his subordinates and said in Sang: “Go tell the general that the people here are not being cooperative — we need to take extra precautions. Ask him to dispatch forces over here, armed and ready, in case these Central Plains people have laid a trap. Also ask the general to stand by, and if these people prove to be treacherous, we can simply charge in and slaughter them all.”

Then he looked back at Master Wu and said: “I’ve sent my men back to report. They’ll come soon to carry away our gold and silver.”

Master Wu said: “Then wait here. I’m heading back.”

The Sang leader shook his head and grabbed Master Wu’s arm again: “I’m going in with you to see Master Yuanzhen.”

Master Wu said: “Suit yourself.”

He turned and walked back inside.

Li Ren and the others stepped aside to let them pass. They had all vaguely sensed that the few words the Sang leader had said to his men just now were likely trouble — but they couldn’t understand the Sang tongue, and seeing no change in Master Wu’s expression, they had no choice but to follow along inside.

The few Sang men returned to their small boats and rowed away, leaving only two men to accompany their leader through the fortress gate.

Master Wu walked ahead; the Sang leader followed behind. The deeper they went, the heavier the smell of blood.

The fighting had happened only moments ago, after all — in some places the blood was still dripping.

The Sang leader’s expression grew darker and darker, until he suddenly asked Master Wu: “When did this battle take place?”

Master Wu kept walking and answered in Sang: “Still going on. Your timing is quite lucky.”

The moment these words left his mouth, the Sang man’s face completely changed. His hand flew instantly to his sword hilt.

But before the eyes of Master Wu, there were precious few men in this world who could draw their sword in time.

Thwmp. Master Wu turned with a single stroke, and the Sang leader’s head came clean off.

His personal guard moved at once, cutting down the remaining two Sang men.

Li Ren’s eyes went wide: “Sir — you know the Sang tongue?”

Master Wu smiled: “I am the Military Governor of Qing Province. The greatest sea threat to Qing Province has always been the Sang people. If I had not learned their language, it would have been a dereliction of duty. Governing is never easy.”

With that, he swept his hand forward: “Get into position. Wait for the Sang to come in!”

—