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Although the government troops in Doumen Camp were instigated, they only dared to defend the artillery positions and had no intention of fighting the Changjing Gang head-on. This provided a basis for the army to change direction.

There was no need to worry about the navy at all. The huge fleet of the Long Whale Gang suddenly turned around like a hunting python and began to strangle the enemies hiding on the island one by one.

However, once the fighting began, some things became clear. All the fleets lurking on the island were vulnerable, rushing forward rashly and retreating in panic. Some were even blocked by the ambushes arranged by Ning Fu and were directly defeated.

This disorganized attack had no combat power at all, and it didn't seem like the work of the Red Flag Gang. It also made Ning Fu realize one thing: the main force of the Red Flag Gang had never been dispersed and was not on these islands.

Where would that be? Almost instantly, he guessed a possibility: the foreigners who stayed on Luoling Island might be the first to be attacked.

The Red Flag Gang had always wanted only to divide their forces, defeat them one by one, and weaken their fighting power. But he had over-complicated the matter, which had given the other party an opportunity to exploit.

This somewhat displeased Ning Fu, as if he'd been tricked. However, he remained calm, having a backup plan. Perhaps that young woman hadn't anticipated his intention to leave the entire Xisai Fleet behind. Destroying that massive fleet was no easy task. A fight would only put the Red Flag Gang in a difficult position, caught between two opposing forces.

Since he had guessed the other party's intention, Ning Fu would not waste time. He immediately ordered the fleet to speed up and drive the group of merchants back.

The sea merchants were so frightened that they could only flee for their lives. They could be considered a defeated army. If they could rush into the battlefield between the Red Flag Gang and the Xise Fleet, they would definitely disrupt the battle between the two sides. Then they could surround and attack them, which would truly tie the hands of the Red Flag Gang.

Except for Shen Feng, the guy who's still hiding somewhere, this battle is a foregone conclusion.

However, just when his mood had finally improved a little, worse news came back with the defeated soldiers.

"What did you say? Those red-haired barbarians defected to the Red Flag Gang?" Upon hearing this news, Xu Hei flew into a rage. "Didn't they agree with us? How could they go back on their word at the last minute?"

Seeing the leader's anger, the few who had escaped quickly kowtowed: "General, we don't know how the Red Bandits persuaded those barbarians. Anyway, they surrendered without even fighting! Most likely, they were attacked that night, and they thought it was us who did it, so they turned against us..."

Hearing this, Xu Hei became even angrier. "We sent you there to fight alongside the barbarians. Why would they be suspicious of you? Did you offend them by not putting in enough effort during the attack on Luoling Island? Besides, drifting on the sea in the middle of the night and blowing up over a dozen ships, do you think the Red Bandits had the help of ghosts or gods? Did the barbarians do this on purpose, and you took advantage of their trick and escaped with them?"

They really did not fight with all their heart. The chief's words made the deserters feel guilty. They complained one after another, cursed and swore, and exaggerated the night attack several times, saying that it was the magic used by the Red Flag Gang.

This statement made the leaders restless. Could the Red Flag Gang really have such a bloodless victory? And putting aside the treachery of those red-haired barbarians, their ships were truly formidable. If they surrendered to the enemy, wouldn't that only give the Red Flag Gang an even greater advantage?

Suppressing his shock and anger, Xu Hei turned around and asked, "Military Advisor, what on earth is this Red Flag Gang up to? What should we do now?"

Ning Fu had been clutching his folding fan tightly for a long time. Hearing Xu Hei's question, he sneered, "Since it was a night attack, and there were cannon shots, it's likely that the cannon powder was somehow transported to the vicinity of the ship and ignited. They were caught off guard, and that's why they were caught off guard. As for the foreigners defecting to the enemy, there's no need to be too nervous. They've suffered so many casualties, they're definitely not going to fight anymore. If they can defect to the Red Flag Gang now, can't they defect to us in the future?"

Since he is a fence-sitter, he will naturally side with whoever is stronger. He has been in contact with that group of barbarians for quite some time and is familiar with their character. As long as he can win on the front battlefield, there is no need to worry about this group of people.

However, Ning Fu was a little surprised and doubtful that the Red Flag Gang was able to convince the other party so quickly, and he didn't know what kind of bargaining chips they had given.

After hearing these words, Xu Hei finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, even he felt some regret and anger.

If they had followed the original plan and only left some foreign ships to attack Luoling Island, leaving the foreign flagship with them, how could such a mistake have occurred? Before this, Ning Fu had made several mistakes. He first said that the enemy was ahead and wanted to attack Panyu City, but this attracted the imperial army.

He also said that the enemy was in the rear, and he dispersed his forces to prepare an ambush, but when he turned around, he found that they were just sea merchants. With such mistakes, how could he still be a "ghost scholar"?

Was it a thirst for revenge, a trap set by someone, or a simple mistake, a stunt that left him no match? Regardless, it was enough to make him feel uneasy.

Ning Fu saw through this plot, and he immediately shouted, "General, our forces are intact now, so there's no need to worry about these little tricks. All we need to do is make the Red Bandits show up. Besides, keeping the foreigners' ships in our hands isn't necessarily a good thing. The Xisai people don't want to contribute, and they won't bet on a battle before the outcome is determined. If the Red Bandits believe them and confront us head-on, the outcome will surely be decided at sea!"

These words were spoken with such conviction that even the leaders, from Xu Hei down, felt somewhat relieved. This battle had been fought somewhat cowardly, but Mr. Ning's abilities were still there. Back then, even Qiu Sheng and his army hadn't been able to stop them. Now that the Long Whale Gang was even stronger, were they still afraid of Qiu Sheng's daughter?

After pondering for a moment, Xu Hei said, "Then let's follow the military advisor's advice and surround them. As long as we can defeat the main force of the Red Bandits, we'll be victorious. But what about the government troops in Panyu? If we charge forward and they follow us, we'll be in trouble."

Ning Fu sneered, "She has methods, but I don't? Since you're worried about Panyu City being captured from the sea, why not send troops from the shore and overwhelm them? General, don't worry, I've already made a backup plan. Once it's launched, the government troops will go to put out the fire and won't have time to worry about us."

Xu Hei suddenly realized: "No wonder you insisted on attacking Panyu City. It turns out you had made plans long ago. This is also good. Once we defeat the Red Flag Gang, we can return and plunder."

It's impossible to attack from both sides, so let's settle the current situation first and then take a bite of this piece of fat meat.

After determining the target, the army of the Changjing Gang became more and more aggressive and attacked the Red Flag Gang without stopping.

…

"They actually used mines. Lin Meng is really amazing." Li Niu couldn't help but marvel at the news when he heard it. This idea was really unique and had done a great job.

"This is the credit of the Lin brothers and sisters." Cheng Xi nodded lightly.

Upon hearing this, Li Niu immediately changed his tone: "Amo is a girl who can achieve extraordinary feats. It's better for her to help the bishop!"

Lin Mo is the gang leader's personal maid. Such a great achievement must have been taught by the gang leader earlier! How could he only praise Lin Meng and not mention this girl?

Facing the chorus of praise from the crowd, Cheng Xi simply smiled. Honestly, this wasn't something she had planned in advance; it was too risky and too hasty, and could easily lead to an irreversible situation.

However, Lin Mo had thought of it and arranged the manpower with his brother to get the job done. This was not simply "luck" that could be described. That little girl also had her own ideas and courage.

Yan Yuan coughed lightly and said, "This method has great potential. Maybe it will be effective against the Long Whale Gang as well."

It can lurk underwater and sink enemy ships, so its role in naval battles can be imagined. Anyway, the news has probably not leaked, so it can still be used again.

Cheng Xi shook his head: "This method can only be used once, not twice or three times. Besides, there are too many small boats in the Long Whale Gang's fleet. They only need to increase patrols at night to prevent mines. Sending them over would be a waste of sacrifice."

To put it bluntly, the method for this night attack still requires delivering the barrels to the enemy ships. It doesn't even require many, just a few small boats patrolling around the fleet can reveal their movements and disrupt the attack. I think a smart person like Ning Fu would have thought of this long ago.

Knowing that this plan was not going to work, Yan Yuan immediately said, "In that case, let's proceed according to the plan. The Long Whale Gang's fleet is probably arriving soon."

Because of the unexpected surrender of the Xisai Fleet, their previous arrangements had been altered, and their chances of victory were now even greater. However, facing the Long Whale Gang, especially with the ghost scholar Ning Fu's counsel, they still couldn't relax for a moment.

Cheng Xi nodded, stood up and said to everyone, "The war will begin tomorrow at the latest. I hope everyone will perform their duties, defeat the Long Whale Gang in one fell swoop, and restore peace to the South China Sea."

Her voice was calm, yet it contained a terrifying strength and confidence.

Thinking that all the previous arrangements had been fulfilled one by one and that they had achieved unexpected results, everyone immediately accepted the order.

The Long Whale Gang still has more warships, but they are no longer afraid because the outcome has already been decided outside this sea.