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"It's all because the barbarians' boat was too slow, allowing those red bandits to escape!" Upon hearing that there were no Red Flag Gang boats near Luoling Island, Xu Hei couldn't help but get angry and cursed.

They were sailing against the wind and could only rely on the sails to catch the wind and take a zigzag route, which was already time-consuming. Unexpectedly, the foreigners' soft sailboat was not very effective and was even slower than their speed. The two sides could not be disconnected, so a lot of time was delayed.

How can one not be angry when one finally arrives at the destination but cannot find the enemy?

"The monk can escape, but the temple cannot. Since there are no ships protecting Dongning and Luoling Island, why don't we fight them first?" A subordinate at the side immediately encouraged.

The Red Flag Gang is no pushover. Instead of going through the trouble of fighting, it would be better to reap some benefits first.

Xu Hei turned around and asked Ning Fu, "What do you think, Military Advisor?"

It was Ning Fu's idea to send troops this time, so of course he wanted to hear what his confidant had to say.

The paper fan clattered against his palm as Ning Fu calmly said, "The last time the government troops attacked, the Red Flag Gang used the same trick. They left their camps unattended, luring the enemy into splitting up so they could defeat them one by one."

This made Xu Hei's heart tremble: "Then the military advisor means that we should not split up our forces, but first find out where the main force of the enemy is?"

Unexpectedly, Ning Fu said, "On the sea, finding a fleet to surround and annihilate them is not that easy. The key to this battle is not to suppress the bandits, but to capture Miss Qiu. As long as the Red Flag Gang is leaderless, they will immediately fall into internal strife, and then we can calmly deal with it."

This was somewhat different from what Xu He had expected, but Ning Fu had always been like this. He would usually keep his ideas secret and never tell others in advance.

After stroking his chin and thinking for a while, Xu Hei said, "That's true. She's the only one left in the Qiu family. Once we catch her and demolish Qiu Sheng's temple, not only will the Red Flag Gang, but even those who believe in General Zhenhai will be in chaos. But having said that, the place is so big, who knows where she's hiding?"

One of his subordinates immediately chimed in: "Most likely he's hiding in Dongning, right? It's their territory after all, and if things get bad they can still escape far away, which is the safest option."

This statement immediately attracted a wave of agreement. On the one hand, Dongning was a piece of fat meat at the mouth, and everyone wanted to take a bite.

On the other hand, I also feel that for a woman, most of the time she should prioritize saving her life. She can't just stay on an isolated island or follow the fleet, right?

However, these words made Ning Fu chuckle, "Since she can cause such a big scene, Miss Qiu is no ordinary woman. She is probably still on Luoling Island, or commanding a fleet, waiting for us to take the bait."

How could she be so cowardly as to be able to assassinate him in the street and ruin his plans time and again? She must have been controlling the situation for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Those cold eyes were staring at him right now, right? Ning Fu couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips at this thought, but it did affect the scar on his lip, making him look a little sinister.

Seeing him like this, no one dared to interrupt him anymore. It was Xu Hei who spoke up, "Then how are we going to fight?"

"Attack Luoling Island and send troops to Panyu City." Ning Fu no longer kept the secret and gave the answer.

This caused even more uproar. Aren't they still going to split up their forces? Didn't you just say Luoling Island was a decoy? So what's the point of fighting? Not to mention Panyu City. They're now in official positions. How could they not "suppress the bandits" but instead attack the imperial court?

Xu Hei ignored the noise below and asked directly, "Even if that girl surnamed Qiu is in Panyu, it wouldn't be a good idea for us to attack her directly? If we provoke the government troops, wouldn't we be attacked from both sides?"

Even though he was dressed in the attire of a coastal defense guerrilla, Xu Hei didn't consider himself an official; it was just a way to get things done more conveniently. However, no matter how perfunctory it was, attacking the largest official port in the South China Sea was still a bit unreasonable.

If the imperial court turns against them, what will happen to their territory in Qiongzhou? Don't send out all your troops, only to have them intercept your retreat.

The folding fan began to tap again, and Ning Fu spoke slowly, "According to the tip I just received, my arrangements in Panyu City haven't been effective. Instead, they've given the Red Flag Gang an opportunity to gather those sea merchants and lure them into sending troops to our aid, offering them several thousand stone of pepper as bait. Panyu is now completely solid, with even the imperial navy daring not to make a move. Naturally, it's become the Red Flag Gang's main base. We need to disrupt this situation and not let them take advantage."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar below.

Previously, the Red Flag Gang had blocked the sea routes, preventing the spread of information. Who could have known this would happen? Who controls the pepper trade? Needless to say, they're brazenly offering it without even a fight. And even some sea merchants are taking the bait. Are they following the Red Flag Gang and planning to kill them? How audacious!

Of course, some people secretly criticized Panyu for being in this situation, and they thought that it was your ghost scholar who had caused this situation. If he hadn't sold out a group of sea merchants before, they wouldn't have all defected to the Red Flag Gang.

Of course, Ning Fu didn't take these overt and covert discussions to heart.

For him, the most unpleasant thing was that he failed to kill Lu Jian. However, such a quick and decisive counterattack made him guess who was responsible. Since Miss Qiu had put so much effort into it, how could he not respond properly?

This time, without waiting for the boss to ask, he said, "The Red Flag Gang has taken over an island at the mouth of Panyu, facing Doumen. We will go there under the pretext of suppressing bandits, first take care of the merchant fleet, and then march straight to Panyu City.

When the city is in chaos, they will either dispatch water divisions to defend Panyu, or send troops to join us in suppressing the bandits.

Without this support, the Red Flag Gang will not be able to sit still and will most likely fight us head-on."

This method sounds crude, but if you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

The most troubling thing right now is that the main force of the Red Flag Gang is nowhere to be found. They can't engage them head-on, so they need to lure them out first. Besides, this is Panyu, and the Red Flag Gang owns properties in the city. Even if they do rush in and plunder, they can still explain it away. This is much more cost-effective than robbing Dongning.

Xu He also nodded slightly. "In that case, we should attack Panyu City. However, since we are forcing them, we must make some noise. If we do that, how can we attack Luoling Island?"

Even if Luoling Island is just an isolated island, it will not be easy to take it down. This is the lair of the bandits, and no one knows how many troops are deployed there.

If both sides really fight, won't they have to divide their forces? Their forces are more abundant, but who knows when Shen Sandao will come running over, how can they not be on guard?

The clacking of the folding fan suddenly stopped, and Ning Fu smiled: "Aren't we still there with that group of foreigners?"

…

Although they had also come from afar, the entire Cisse fleet was not feeling well.

Their ships were better suited for ocean voyages, but with so many sails and rigging, they were much more difficult to control than a rigid sailing vessel. Unfortunately, their "allies," the Long Whale Gang, hadn't even provided them with a nautical chart, so the entire fleet had to constantly maneuver their sails, observe the route, and keep up with the main force, fearing they would be left behind.

After finally arriving, they received word that the enemy had vanished and needed two days to rest and regroup. If Baron Luciano hadn't known the Long Whale Gang was also putting forth their full strength, he would have suspected he'd fallen for some treacherous scheme.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long before the man in white came in person to deliver the message.

"You want to attack Luoling Island and you need our help?" Baron Luciano almost thought he had misheard. "Shouldn't we first engage in a naval battle and defeat the enemy's main force? How can we start with a siege?"

The navy is probably the least suited to land warfare, let alone the difficult siege warfare. They brought so many naval guns, but it wasn't for attacking such an island.

Ning Fu spoke eloquently, "Sir, don't you wish to occupy an island in Panyu? Luoling Island is the perfect place. If you can help us capture the enemy camp, the island will be yours immediately."

He didn't discuss specific tactics, but instead spoke of interests. Baron Luciano couldn't help but frown. This wasn't what he had imagined. "This island is still a bit far from Panyu Port. Didn't we agree to leave an island at the estuary for us? And this must be the pirates' lair, right? Even if we capture it, they might not let it go easily."

After all, Baron Luciano was an experienced soldier who had been in charge of overseas affairs for many years. He was well aware of the importance of the location of the leased territory.

This island is good, but it is still not what he wants. Besides, if he really spends effort to take it, it is also a question whether he can hold it.

The Red Flag Gang is a big pirate group that can destroy his entire fleet. If they retaliate wildly, it will be troublesome.

The best option is to obtain official ownership of the island from Dagan, which is also the biggest reason for their cooperation with the Changjing Gang.

These words were quite well thought out and well-reasoned. Ning Fu chuckled, "That's true, but we don't know where the enemy is right now. We can't stay at sea for long, right? We still have to fight and see if we can lure them out. Of course, if you really don't want to send troops, you can also come with us to Panyu, where there's another battle to be fought."

Upon hearing this, Baron Luciano immediately became alert: "Are you going to attack Panyu Port? Isn't that your country's port?"

They were now officially recruited, so why would they turn around and start a war? And was offering them the previous option intentional, intended to mislead them and lure the fleet deeper into the fray?

Ning Fu explained nonchalantly, "A group of sea merchants in Panyu have defected to the Red Flag Gang. We plan to engage in a fight first to teach them a lesson. Of course, we won't attack Panyu Port directly. If we have the help of Xise's naval guns, we can keep those artillery batteries in check."

Hearing him mention the artillery, Luciano felt even more suspicious. If they really went to war with the authorities, their fleet would be an unavoidable target. What if the Long Whale Gang's intention was to weaken their fleet? If they followed them, wouldn't they be playing into their trap?

On the other hand, staying on Luoling Island, while a landing battle would be cumbersome, could easily preserve strength as long as they were careful. Furthermore, if they did take it, they could capture some important Red Flag Gang generals, who could then be used in hostage exchange even if they had to abandon the island.

Baron Luciano quickly understood the importance of the matter and changed the subject: "How are you planning to attack Luoling Island?"

This was exactly what Ning Fu wanted. He said, "This island is quite easy to defend but difficult to attack. We plan to split our forces into two groups and attack from both the harbor and the shallows. Without a fleet guarding it, I don't think there will be many enemies on the island. If we can use artillery fire, this battle will be much easier. We don't need so many naval guns either. Just leave a few behind to assist us."

Upon hearing this, Luciano immediately said, "As a guest army, we shouldn't split our forces. Since we're going to attack this island, we should use the Cisse fleet as the main force. You just need to send more people to coordinate the ground operations."

Ning Fu's lips revealed a subtle smile, but he pretended to be in deep thought. After a while, he said, "I will get the sea chart. If you are in charge, we will have to make detailed arrangements..."