Chapter 171 Rescue or Hard Rescue

"Shaman? Come in quickly..." Mu Xi hadn't forgotten Zhu Mingge, but she hadn't expected Jiang Meng to be so quick.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Meng brought in two young men.

One is fat and the other is thin. Liang Shuo is lean and capable with sharp eyes, while Peng Hai is slightly chubby and steady with small eyes that gleam with restrained intelligence.

The two were originally stewards of the Zhuming Pavilion in Hunan, and were old acquaintances of Mu Xun.

Although Shen Lun was still in Moyang when Jiang Meng sent the message, he had already instructed the two men to come and protect Mu Xun immediately if anything happened.

Therefore, Zhu Mingge of Hunan was the first to receive Jiang Meng's message and immediately led a team of skilled men over.

As Jiang Meng had predicted, Zhu Mingge did indeed have an informant among the pirates, and on the very night the two arrived, he received further information from Mu Xun.

Before Mu Xun was captured by Su Lan, Su Xiong was unaware of it, but he had already gone through the proper channels with "King of Wanzhu Mountain" Su Zhi, who had indeed been coveting Mu Xun for a long time.

Therefore, after Mu Xun was captured and brought back, Su Xiong clashed with Su Lan first, and it was "Sea Lord" Su Zhi who mediated the conflict.

Sugao then asked Suga to hand over Zhu Mingjun and Mu Xun to him for safekeeping.

Suga Lan absolutely refused.

The final compromise was that Su Lan took Zhu Mingjun and Mu Xun with her onto Su Xiong's "Xiongba".

Mu Xi first asked, "Do you know if the Second Young Master is alright? Is his life in danger? What have the pirates done to him?"

Liang Shuo was a talkative, thin man: "According to intelligence, the matter of Su Lan secretly kidnapping the Second Young Master has caused a great rift between them and Su Xiong. The two sides are deadlocked and neither has been able to deal with the Second Young Master. The Second Young Master should still be locked up with Zhu Mingjun and is not in any danger."

Mu Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief, then immediately asked, "Where is the Xiong Ba now? How many men and ships do we need to send to rescue them?"

Liang Shuo pointed to the nautical chart his subordinates had brought: "Jian Xiong's fleet has always been operating in the waters around Sanhuang Island. Now, it's estimated that several more 'Floating Pavilions' will appear, all of which are the most extravagant and debauched dens of debauchery among the pirates. This sorcerer Jian Lan is now in power, and his 'Worry-Free Palace' is inhabited by the 'Sea Lord' Jian Zhi year-round. If Jian Xiong doesn't forcibly drive him away, he should also be operating in that area. However... a cunning rabbit has three burrows. To prevent being plotted against from within and without, Jian Xiong frequently changes his ships. I wonder if the Second Young Master, after being captured by him, will also be changed back and forth."

In the past, Mu Xi would have asked how the pirates could be wiped out in one fell swoop.

But now that Mu Xun was deeply involved, Mu Xi was only focused on asking: "How can we accurately find out which ship the Second Young Master is on, or can we confirm whether he is on the 'Xiong Ba' tonight?"

Liang Shuo thought about it and then wasn't sure.

Peng Hai, a taciturn fat man, had probably been holding back for a while and had something to say: "I have a plan, but I don't know if it's feasible?"

"Tell me quickly," Mu Xi desperately clung to every glimmer of hope.

Peng Hai said, "The men we've brought this time are the best swimmers in the Southern Territory. If we add two of us and some more from General Shi Meng's army, we should be able to gather thirty or forty men to form an advance force. Tonight, under the moonlight, we'll sneak to Sanhuang Island in small boats, one man per boat, and infiltrate to search. Once we find the Second Young Master, we'll immediately set fire to the deck to signal him. The main force will follow closely behind, and upon seeing the fire, we'll provide immediate support and launch a concentrated attack."

"Okay, okay... This is a great idea, let's do it this way." Mu Xi didn't even think about it, as long as it could be done.

Peng Hai added, "However, this method has two dangers. First, the people sent aboard are at great risk of being exposed. If they are discovered, not only will their own lives be in danger, but it will also alert the enemy and pose a threat to the Second Young Master. Second, even if we successfully find the Second Young Master's ship and launch a full-scale attack, there are too many variables at sea. I'm afraid that if the ship sinks, the Second Young Master will also be in danger."

“And there’s a third…” Liang Shuo added, “What if they use the Second Young Master to threaten us?”

Mu Xi couldn't think of anything else: "Let's do this first. We'll reward the brothers who sacrificed their lives on this trip with a large sum of money. If we're discovered and Guan Xiong uses the Second Young Master's life as leverage, then we'll agree to whatever conditions they ask for, as long as we can rescue the Second Young Master."

Liang Shuo and Peng Hai exchanged a glance and then said in unison, "If Your Highness is determined to do so, please give the order, and we will go and prepare immediately."

Mu Xi nodded.

-----------------

The inky darkness swallowed the moonlight over the sea, with only the lights near Sanhuang Island outlining the menacing silhouette of the massive fleet.

The sea breeze, carrying the salty, rusty smell, fluttered the black flags that billowed on the mainmast of the "Angry Dragon".

Mu Xi stood at the bow of the ship, surrounded by complete darkness.

The pitch-black night reflected eyes as deep as a still pool.

To avoid detection, the main fleet behind them all turned off their lights.

Ahead, the assault team led by Bai Su, Shi Meng, Liang Shuo, and Peng Hai had already set off half an hour ahead of schedule.

Mu Xi's gaze was fixed on the flickering lights in the distance—the core of the pirate fleet.

Waiting, waiting, all we can do is wait.

Mu Xi clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles turning white, her whole body ice cold.

But she had never been so grateful that, although she couldn't swim, she didn't get seasick and was able to come along.

Time crawled by second in the suffocating wait, the monotonous crashing of the waves against the ship's side like a death knell.

Suddenly, a faint red light appeared amidst the dense, dark mass of pirate ships ahead.

"Is it? Is it?" Mu Xi had waited so long that she could hardly believe it.

Bai Su gestured back to the sailors looking out on the mast, and soon flames began to rise, finally confirming the situation.

Mu Xi's voice, like an icicle, pierced the night sky: "Charge! Full speed ahead! Charge!"

"rush……"

"rush……"

"rush……"

The orders were passed down through the ranks, and all the elite ships of the Zhennan Fleet braved the wind and waves, cutting through the inky black sea, and rushed toward the burning vessel.

close……

Closer...

Once within range, the crossbows fired in unison.

In such a situation, strategic thinking and personal integrity are required beforehand, but Mu Xi refused, insisting on handing over full command to Shi Meng.

Whether it's overstepping one's authority by interfering or an outsider giving instructions to an expert, both are the root causes of inevitable failure.

Now, Mu Xi simply stood at the bow of the ship, watching calmly, preparing for the moment when she would see Mu Xun.

It has been four days and three nights since Mu Xun was kidnapped.

The saying "A day apart feels like three autumns" is not an exaggeration.

The pirate fleet was in an uproar.

As the Zhennan fleet approached, Mu Xi could hear screams, curses, and horns blaring amidst the tsunami... a chaotic scene.

"Fire arrows, fire arrows, suppress the deck..." Shi Meng shouted the order sharply, his voice even drowning out the sound of the waves.

Finally, the "Angry Dragon" pierced through the enemy pirate ships and crashed into the burning deck.