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"Mr. Ning, there really is a barbarian ship chasing us. Should we engage it in battle?"

Not long after the detachment set out, the enemy appeared on their tail, which made many people inexplicably excited. The name "Ghost Scholar" was indeed well-deserved. With just a flick of his finger, he could reveal the enemy.

However, looking at those boats, Ning Fu's expression became even colder: "Don't pay any attention to them, these boats are just bait, speed up and head to Dongning!"

He spoke with such conviction that the others were speechless. They immediately set sail and headed for shore. This order was still quite popular. After all, they had been waiting for a long time, and now they finally had a chance to plunder. Who cared about an ambush? Let the gunboats follow. As long as there was nothing serious, it was better to plunder thoroughly first.

Just as Ning Fu expected, those ships just followed from a distance and had no intention of moving forward. When the fleet really approached the coast, they turned around and left.

"This ghost scholar is really a prophet!"

Countless people were secretly shocked, but the confidant sent by Xu Hei was a little hesitant: "Mr. Ning, weren't we going to attack the Red Bandits' lair? How did it become an attack on the county town?"

When Ning Fu left, he had made all the arrangements with the boss, but who would have thought he would change his mind once he got there? Although this guy always said what he meant, fighting a war still requires rules. If he left the enemy city unattacked, what would he do if his retreat was cut off?

Ning Fu snorted coldly, "If the Red Bandits had ambushed us, we could still proceed as planned. But now, with not a single boat on the coast, their forces must be concentrated in the city. Taking it down wouldn't be easy. On the contrary, the Red Bandits have workshops and banks in Dongning County, and who knows how many other properties they've acquired. Only looting them can inflict pain on them."

This statement did make some sense, but the little leader was still a little worried: "What if we get blocked on the shore..."

Seeing his expression, Ning Fu said, "If you're worried, I'll lead the troops ashore myself, and you can stay on the boat and surround the enemy camp. If reinforcements leave the city, you can lead the attack. If enemy ships attack, deal with them for a while and wait for me to bring back reinforcements."

This reassured the small leader. After a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "Since you have spoken so, sir, I shall obey your orders. However, this battle is to lure the enemy, so we must not overindulge our men."

He knew what kind of people these people would be like once they got ashore. Although Ning Fu had a bad reputation and was the second in command, he was still a weak scholar. If the people below him became bloodthirsty, he might not be able to control them.

"Don't worry, I have my own plans." Ning Fu raised his eyes and looked into the distance with an indifferent expression, as if he didn't take these to heart.

Seeing him so calm, the little leader felt relieved and told everyone to prepare to go ashore, but he didn't see the sarcastic sneer that flashed across his face.

…

The enemy attacked, but they didn't attack Donglin Town, but took a detour to the county town! When this news reached the camp, it caused quite a stir.

"What's going on? They have sent so many ships, why don't they attack us, but instead go for a distant attack?" Zhong Daliang was assigned the task of guarding the camp this time. He originally thought that the Changjing Gang would not send troops to attack, but who would have thought that the fighting in front was so intense, and the other party suddenly attacked, which was really hard to defend against.

"Mr. Tian, ​​should we send troops?" Another leader, Lin Hai, asked hurriedly. There are workshops in the city, which are the foundation of the three families. What should we do if we can't defend them?

Tian Yu was not particularly good at military affairs, but he knew better than anyone what was most important in Dongning. It wasn't the workshops, the money and food, but the women, children, and young men in the city.

If Donglin Town was lost, no matter how well he fought before, it would be an unacceptable loss. And now that the enemy had arrived, he had to make this city his top priority.

"The enemy's sudden arrival must be due to unpredictable circumstances on the front lines. Our best strategy now is to hold the city securely. We have troops stationed in the county, along with government troops. Upon hearing the news, Chief Zhao will undoubtedly send troops to stop them. There's no need to distract us," Tian Yu shouted. "Order all soldiers to be on alert. Be wary of warships and possible artillery fire at sea. Victory or defeat depends on this."

Although he has disabled legs, Mr. Tian is the gang leader's confidant and the man who founded Donglin Town. All the leaders and soldiers obey his orders.

There was no rash action or panic, and everyone acted according to the original plan.

Seeing the enemy camp standing still, the bandits who had come ashore didn't care, instead secretly rejoicing. It was all about burning, killing, and looting, so who would want to pick a tough fight? They'd rather exploit the county town, where there was more money to be made and the military was weaker. And Mr. Ning had already said they needed to create a scene to force the wealthy to surrender. So they could burn and kill along the way, forcing the peasants to work as laborers filling ditches. Wasn't that a clear benefit for the brothers?

Without hesitation, the pirates came ashore and swarmed in like locusts. Some wealthy families who hadn't yet evacuated were in dire straits, their manors on fire and wails deafening, reminiscent of the pirates' rampage of the past.

News quickly reached Dongning County, and Magistrate Cao was practically terrified. Didn't they say they'd only fight at sea? Didn't they say the Long Whale Gang, now with official status, wouldn't just plunder the countryside? Why didn't they attack the Red Flag Gang's main camp, but instead came this way?

Did that lame guy trick him? He hadn't lived a good life yet, how could he die here!

Grabbing the panicked County Master, Master Yang, sweating profusely, repeatedly shouted, "Dong Weng, Dong Weng! We have to defend the city, and we have the garrison to help us. We can't abandon the city and flee!"

County Magistrate Cao was on the verge of tears after his secret was exposed by his advisor. "The thieves are coming here. If we don't leave, what if we get blocked?"

"Dongweng, you can't be foolish now! Although the city wall is not very high, it can at least hold off the enemy soldiers. If we go out of the city, we will have no support. Besides, the Long Whale Bandits have begun to slaughter the wealthy. It is time for Dongweng to raise a call and rally everyone! If those wealthy families break into the city, will they have any good results? Besides, no one knows what the fighting will be like ahead. Maybe these bandits are at the end of their rope." Master Yang really didn't dare to let go. If others ran away, it would be fine. But if they fled at the last minute, leaving the city gates wide open and the workshops robbed, how would they explain to that female devil? That would be the end of everything. Even the court would be held accountable.

Being held tightly, County Magistrate Cao finally regained his composure and asked tremblingly, "Can you really hold it?"

"Yes!" Master Yang gritted his teeth and shouted, "Perhaps the outcome depends on us. Every day we hold out is a day's merit. By then, we will all be rich and prosperous, Dongweng!"

The words "glory, wealth and splendor" finally gave County Magistrate Cao some courage. He gritted his teeth and said, "Quick, quickly invite Captain Zhang and the brave men in the city. I will defend the county to the death and will never retreat!"

Of course, that being said, if the crisis really comes, we have to retreat. I just hope that the people sent by the Red Flag Gang can hold on.

With the county magistrate leading by example, the morale of the people in the city was really boosted. When the enemy really reached the city, flags were waving and soldiers were standing on the top of the city.

The Long Whale Gang rushed forward as usual, but when they realized it was difficult to capture the city, someone approached Ning Fu, rubbing his hands and saying, "Mr. Ning, there are defenders in this county town. We don't have any siege weapons, and it might be too late to build them now. Can we first attack the large workshops around us to boost their morale?"

This would be letting the soldiers loose, letting them plunder everywhere. Once they've looted enough, they'll probably have no intention of attacking the city. However, Ning Fu nodded at this inappropriate suggestion: "This time we're going ashore, just to give the brothers some rest. Anything we can do to disrupt Dongning will be enough. Just fight, the bigger the better."

Upon hearing this, the commander was overjoyed and immediately informed his men. Unrestrained, the group acted like wolves, plundering the villages and towns surrounding the county seat. Suddenly, cries of grief filled the air, and chaos reigned throughout Donglin.

However, this chaotic scene did not shake Ning Fu at all. He just followed slowly behind in the stolen carriage and watched coldly.

…

“Kill ahhhhh!!!”

The two ships collided fiercely, and the sound of killing drowned out everything in the world. Sun Wu thrust out his spear fiercely, and with a strong thrust, he threw the enemy standing on the springboard away.

The sounds of people falling into the water continued, like dumplings being dropped into a pot. However, the sea is not a soup pot, and the boat is so close that falling in might mean death.

A narrow wooden board has now become the boundary between the Yin and Yang. If you rush forward, you can chop melons and vegetables. If you can't rush forward, you have to go into the sea to feed the fish.

Faced with the dense, constantly rushing enemies, Sun Wu did not dare to stop for a moment. No one dared to stop. Their ship was surrounded on both sides, and it had become a life-or-death situation. If this line could not be held, the deck would fall!

They were almost overwhelmed! How could the enemy be so numerous and so fierce? Apart from these veterans, the central army had few ships left. The entire fleet began to disperse. In two days, they would probably be torn apart and devoured by the enemy.

However, he was unwilling to retreat because the gang leader said that victory or defeat would be decided in these two days. If he could hold on, he would live; if he could not, he would die.

He believed in the gang leader and the big and small leaders in the gang, but when would the reinforcements they talked about come?

As he was killing, his eyes reddened, a piercing gong sound suddenly spread across the sea. The pirates who had been shouting and killing seemed to sense something and began to retreat at the same time. Without the powerful enemy and the pressure of killing, Sun Wu stood there, holding his spear, panting heavily.

The Long Whale Pirates retreated? Why?

But the next moment, someone beside him shouted, "It's a government ship! The government troops are coming!"

They had fought against government forces before, even killing countless imperial officers and soldiers. However, upon seeing the imperial ships, many of them froze for a moment before suddenly cheering. The leader hadn't panicked; their reinforcements had arrived!

Sun Wu suddenly looked up and saw the warships with navy flags flying in the distance. He threw away the bloody spear, raised his hands and laughed.