Chapter 79 The Divine Might of the Duke Protector of the Nation

"Thump—thump—thump—"

The sound of war drums exploded like thunder on the calm lake surface.

Dozens of warships, entirely black with sharp prows, emerged like ghosts from the morning mist.

They were extremely fast, with low-slung hulls, leaving white streaks in the water, like a group of true aquatic predators.

The guests on the "Wan'an" ship screamed in terror.

"They're river pirates!"

"So many ships! We're surrounded!"

"It's over, it's over! We're doomed!"

Xiao Beichen roared, "Don't move! Stay where you are! Xuanjia Army, protect us!"

The well-trained Xuanjia soldiers quickly formed a human wall, protecting all the guests in the middle. Their gleaming swords and spears faced outwards, instantly stabilizing the chaotic situation.

"Release the arrows!"

With Xiao Beichen's command, the windows on both sides of the "Wan'an" suddenly opened, revealing the crossbows that had been ready to fire.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Arm-thick crossbow bolts, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, rained down on the leading scorpion ships.

"Boom! Boom!"

Although the scorpion ship was sturdy, it could not withstand the terrifying penetrating power of the crossbow.

Two small boats were shot through, splinters of wood flew everywhere, and the pirates on board screamed as they fell into the lake.

However, the enemy commander was clearly also very experienced.

The remaining scorpion boats immediately dispersed, snaking at high speed in a strange "S" shape, greatly reducing the accuracy of the crossbows.

Meanwhile, the small catapults on their ship also began to prove their worth.

One by one, burning oil tanks were thrown into the sky, tracing deadly parabolas, before crashing into the "Wan'an".

"Raise your shields!"

The Xuanjia soldiers raised their specially made large shields, forming a steel dome above their heads.

The oil tanks crashed onto the shield, raging fiercely, yet they couldn't harm the guests below in the slightest.

"That's interesting."

On the largest and most ornately decorated black flagship, a one-eyed man with a sinister face and a hooked nose licked his chapped lips.

He is Jiang Tao, the leader of the "Black Water Scorpion".

"This tortoise shell is harder than I imagined."

"Pass on my order!" A ruthless glint flashed in Jiang Tao's eyes. "Use 'mother-and-child mines'! Blow off its rudder!"

Several scorpion ships immediately broke away from the battle and circled around to the stern of the "Wan'an".

Inside the cabin, Mu Yu's small hand was resting on a huge geomantic map of the lake area.

"Ninth Brother, five small boats are running up behind us!"

"They're hiding something that'll explode inside them!"

"What?" Chu Chongjin's eyes narrowed.

"Uncle Mu!"

"clear!"

Mu Fang had already donned his armor, wielding a long sword, and strode out of the cabin.

"Xiao Beichen, it's your turn to face him head-on!"

"Rest assured, my lord!"

Mu Fang arrived at the stern and saw that the five scorpion ships were already very close.

The pirates on the boat were working together to throw into the water a series of black, gourd-shaped iron lumps chained together.

"It's a series of mines!" Mu Fang, with his extensive experience, recognized it at a glance.

These mines are extremely insidious; once one is detonated, it will trigger a chain reaction that could shatter the rudder of the Wan'an.

"Dream on!"

Mu Fang's eyes turned cold. He grabbed a bundle of spare ropes from the side, channeled his inner strength into his arms, and hurled them into the water!

The thick cable, like a dragon emerging from the sea, precisely caught the string of mines that were drifting towards the rudder.

"rise!"

With a shout, Mu Fang's arm muscles bulged, and he actually managed to lift the chain of water mines, which weighed hundreds of kilograms, out of the water!

With a twist of his waist and a burst of strength in his arm, he swung the string of mines around like a meteor hammer, sending them hurtling towards one of the scorpion ships!

The pirates on the boat were terrified, but it was too late to escape.

Boom!!!

A deafening roar!

Flames shot into the sky as the scorpion ship was blasted to pieces by the mines it had created!

The violent explosion created towering waves that capsized two other scorpion ships nearby.

"good!"

The Xuanjia Army soldiers on the Wan'an erupted in thunderous cheers!

Jiang Tao, aboard the flagship, was filled with shock upon witnessing this scene.

"That's... Duke Mu Fang, the Protector of the Nation?"

He recognized the figure that looked like a god descending to earth.

"Damn it! The intelligence was wrong! Wasn't he just a civil official who only knew how to talk in court?"

Jiang Tao felt a bit of a predicament.

Unable to break through with a direct assault, their attempt to sneak up on the ship's rudder was also foiled.

His eyes lit up and he immediately had a new idea.

To catch the thief, first catch the king!

As long as Chu Chongjin or Mu Fang are killed, the enemy army will surely be thrown into chaos!

He whispered the order to the flagship's helmsman.

The massive black flagship suddenly broke away from the battle, bypassed the front of the Wan'an, and rammed into the side of the ship!

Its target is Mu Fang, who has just unleashed his divine power!

Mu Fang has just resolved the mine crisis and his footing is not yet secure. It is a time when the old forces have been exhausted and the new forces have not yet emerged!

"Father, be careful!" Mu Yu cried out anxiously from inside the cabin.

Mu Fang felt a chill run down his spine and looked up to see the enormous flagship charging towards him like a monster.

He wanted to retreat, but the space at the stern was too cramped, and there was nowhere left to retreat!

At this critical moment!

A figure, faster than the flagship, leaped from the deck of the Wan'an!

It's Xiao Beichen!

He suddenly had an eighty-pound giant hammer in his hand!

"Get the hell out of my way!"

While in mid-air, Xiao Beichen let out a deafening roar, and with immense force, he slammed the giant hammer in his hand down on the high-raised bow of the flagship!

"clang--!!!"

A deafening roar that seemed capable of shattering eardrums!

The flagship's prow, which was wrapped in fine iron, was smashed so hard that a large dent was formed!

The enormous impact caused the entire flagship to shake violently, momentarily halting its momentum.

Jiang Tao was jolted and nearly fell. He roared in shock and rage, "Kill him!"

The archers on the flagship immediately unleashed a volley of arrows at Xiao Beichen in mid-air.

Xiao Beichen was in mid-air with nowhere to grab hold of, and he was about to be shot into a pincushion!

Mu Fang's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed a large shield from the stern of the ship and hurled it out!

The large shield spun rapidly in the air, like a flying disc, deflecting most of the arrows with a clanging sound.

With the cover of the large shield, Xiao Beichen safely landed back on the deck of the Wan'an.

Jiang Tao's sneak attack failed once again.

He was so angry that he yelled, but he also realized that he had met his match today.

This ship is teeming with monsters!

"Retreat!" Jiang Tao ordered decisively. "Maintain distance, use rockets and catapults to wear them down!"

The Blackwater Scorpion fleet immediately changed tactics, no longer approaching but instead patrolling at a distance, constantly harassing the enemy with long-range weapons.

Although the Wan'an was sturdy, it became a target for passive attacks, and the situation became unfavorable.

Inside the cabin, Yan Ziche frowned as he looked at the enemy ships' movements on the map.

"No, this is too passive."

"We must find a way to break the deadlock," Chu Chongjin said in a deep voice.

Just then, Mu Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly tugged at his sleeve.

"Ninth Brother".

"Um?"

"That biggest scorpion boat, it's so noisy."

"It scared away all the small fish in the lake."

Mu Yu's little face was full of unhappiness, as if "my territory has been disturbed".

"I want to quiet them down."