Sparks Illuminate the Sea
Southeast of Fuzhou, deep within the Huo family ancestral home.
In a secluded room, candlelight flickered, illuminating several faces with varying expressions. At the head of the table sat Huo Mingguang, the Grand Minister of the Huo family, his face grim, his fingers tapping incessantly on the rosewood tabletop. Below him, several other key members of the Huo family also looked deeply worried.
"With the navy established, the coastal private trade, salt permits, and even the 'secret connections' with foreign countries that we have built up over generations will all be severed! If this continues, the foundation of the Huo family will be shaken!" an elder lamented.
“The Empress is ruthless, and with His Majesty’s full support, what can we do?” another person sighed, feeling utterly helpless.
Just then, the side door of the secret room was gently pushed open, and a slender figure walked in. She was dressed in simple clothes, and her face still showed the gentle features of the past, but her eyes were no longer clear, only a heavy gloom brewed by the years and resentment, and a trace of barely perceptible madness.
It was Su Wan.
"Clan Chief Huo, uncles and elders, why boost others' morale while diminishing our own?" Su Wan's voice was gentle, yet carried a cold quality.
Huo Mingguang looked up at her, his gaze complex: "Miss Su, what are your thoughts?"
Su Wan walked to the table, her fingertips tracing the rough nautical chart, landing on the areas cleared out by Ling Zhan's fleet: "Ling Zhan... Her Majesty the Empress, relying on some strange skills and tricks, managed to win a few battles by sheer luck, and now she really thinks the East China Sea is hers for the taking. She forgot that the sea is so vast, it cannot be controlled by just a few new ships. She also forgot that the intricate web of the southeast coast is not just about the wind and waves, but also about the hearts of the people."
She raised her head, her eyes flashing with resentment: "She treated me like a sister? Ha...yes, a handout of pity, a condescending care! Did she ever truly respect me? She had everything: His Majesty's infatuation, her supreme position, her outstanding children...and power I could never comprehend! And what about me? What do I have? I'm like a shadow, living in her shadow! Even the last bit of dignity and hope I cherished was easily crushed by her!"
Huo Mingguang frowned slightly. He wasn't interested in Su Wan's personal grudges, but he was interested in the meaning behind her words: "What does Miss Su mean?"
“Although the Japanese pirates have suffered heavy losses, they have not been wiped out.” Su Wan lowered her voice, like a viper spitting its tongue, “I know there is another ruthless character, Onizuka Jubei. He is even more hidden, still has strength, and hates the Empress to the bone. He needs supplies, intelligence, and a temporary foothold.”
She looked at Huo Mingguang with burning eyes: "The Huo family needs a tool to stir up trouble, to let the court and the Empress know that the Southeast will never have peace without the Huo family! We can cooperate and each get what we need."
A glint flashed in Huo Mingguang's eyes, and he exchanged glances with the other clansmen.
The risks are enormous, but... the temptations are equally immense.
If handled properly, it might truly cripple the navy, make the court realize the importance of the Huo family, and even... make that troublesome empress...
"How do I contact Onizuka?" Huo Mingguang asked in a deep voice.
Su Wan revealed a strange smile: "I have my own channels. I didn't stay in the palace for nothing. I have some connections that can't be made public, and they always come in handy. As long as the Huo family provides the location and supplies, I can make Ghost Tomb a sharp blade hanging over Ling Zhan's head!"
As she spoke, she took out a small, oddly shaped seashell charm from her sleeve. "This is a token. When Onizuka sees this, he will naturally believe it."
Huo Mingguang stared at the talisman and finally made up his mind: "Alright! We'll do as Miss Su plans! But it must be kept secret, or else..."
“If anything goes wrong,” Su Wan replied coldly, her eyes filled with a do-or-die determination, “I, Su Wan, will be the first to be shattered to pieces. But before that, I will make her… pay the price!”
"They must not go ashore."
"I will certainly convey your message."
With the conspiracy finalized, a series of clandestine orders were issued from the Huo family ancestral home. Supplies were transported to remote overseas islands through secret channels, and "intelligence" regarding naval movements and Ling Zhan's possible patrol routes was carefully altered and leaked.
Su Wan personally wrote the letter, using coded language that only she and Guizuka understood. In the letter, she tried her best to exaggerate Ling Zhan's "arrogance" and "isolation", exaggerated the instability of the newly established navy, and painted a "wonderful" picture for Guizuka of a coordinated attack from within and without, which would severely damage or even capture the Empress of Dayong.
In one place in the letter, the ink smudged slightly due to excessive force, a testament to the uncontrollable hatred she felt when writing the words "Ling Zhan".
She remembered many years ago, in Kaoshan Village, on that cold winter, when Ling Zhan shared half of a bowl of hot porridge with her; she remembered in the palace, when Ling Zhan protected her from open and hidden attacks... Those warm scenes now felt like needles pricking her heart, turning into evidence of "charity" and "showing off".
"Treat me like a sister? What a joke! If you truly consider me a sister, why do you possess everything yet refuse to share even a sliver of your true brilliance with me? Why do you stand in my way?!"
The demons within me roared, completely devouring the last vestige of my conscience.
After receiving the letter, Onizuka Jubei's bloodthirsty eyes had already set their sights on the legendary woman who had repeatedly defeated him, even across the vast ocean.
The storm is brewing in the shadows.
At this moment, Ling Zhan was still focused on integrating the navy and was completely unaware of the poisoned blade stabbing him from behind.
On this day, the naval fleet patrolled to an unfamiliar sea area as planned.
A small scout boat ahead relayed a signal, indicating the discovery of what appeared to be the main force of the Japanese pirates.
Ling Zhan stood at the bow of the flagship "Breaking Waves," the sea breeze ruffling her battle robes.
She raised her binoculars and calmly observed the faint silhouettes of ships appearing and disappearing among the distant islands.
Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a figure at the bow of the other party's flagship.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in Japanese style, with a muscular build, a hideous scar on his face, and fierce eyes.
In that instant, Ling Zhan's pupils suddenly contracted.
A nearly forgotten scene from the depths of her memory suddenly flashed back—many years ago, outside that simple inn in Kaoshan Town, at the second-floor window, a hand with distinct knuckles lifted the bamboo curtain, and a cold, scrutinizing gaze briefly lingered on her.
Although it was just a glance, the sinister look in that eye perfectly matched the look of the person at the bow of the ship!
These are no ordinary Japanese pirates!
This is a meticulous spy who infiltrated the mainland years ago! Now he's become a bandit leader!
In a flash, Ling Zhan had already pieced together all the clues in his mind: the unusual quiet of the Huo family, Su Wan's whereabouts after her disappearance, the smooth "discovery" of the enemy's whereabouts... This was simply a meticulously designed trap!
"Pass on the order!" Ling Zhan's voice, cold as ice, shattered the silence instantly. "Fleet, assume defensive formation and retreat slowly! Shen Xiao!"
"Your subject is here!" Shen Xiao immediately stepped forward.
Ling Zhan turned his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at his eldest son, speaking rapidly: "You must immediately take the fastest patrol ship, with my token, and secretly return to the capital! Inform His Majesty that there has been a disturbance in the southeast. The Huo family may be colluding with the remnants of the Japanese pirates and the missing Su Wan, and their target may be the capital or His Majesty himself! Tell him to be extremely careful. The defense of the capital is entrusted to you in full authority!"
Shen Xiao's expression changed drastically, instantly realizing the gravity of the situation. "Mother, you here..."
"Go now!" Ling Zhan's tone left no room for argument. "I'll handle things here."
Knowing his mother's abilities, Shen Xiao no longer hesitated, clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, and said, "Take care, Mother!" He then turned and leaped off the flagship like a cheetah, quickly disappearing into the waiting sentry ship.
Ling Zhan watched the sentry ship leave, and when he turned back to look at the murderous sea, his eyes were filled with a silent, cold gaze.
"Now that the trap has been set, let's see who the real hunter is."
She took a deep breath, and her Space Marine fighting instincts were fully awakened.
Under her command, the entire fleet appeared to be passively retreating, but in reality, it was like a fist slowly closing in, with the position of each unit precisely calculated.
When Onizuka Jubei and the Huo family's ambushing ships thought they had caught their prey, they swarmed out from behind the island and underwater to try to encircle them, only to be horrified to find that the Dayong navy's formation had suddenly changed!
Rockets rained down like a precise meteor shower, engulfing their vanguard; the modified warships, now more maneuverable, cut through their formation like agile sharks, shattering their ranks; even more terrifying were the "fire dragons emerging from the water" (primitive flamethrowers/bombs) that had never been seen before, capable of spewing terrifying flames and fragments at close range, instantly igniting several enemy ships!
Flames soared into the sky above the sea, thick smoke billowed, and screams filled the air.
Ling Zhan personally took the helm, and the "Breaking Waves" seemed to extend like her arm, striking the enemy's flagship with an agility that defied common sense!
Onizuka Jubei watched helplessly as the massive warship hurtled towards him with unstoppable force. The slender yet incredibly upright figure at the bow, illuminated by the firelight and smoke, resembled a god of war.
"Impossible! How could she..." Jubei Onizuka's shocked shout came to an abrupt halt.
The moment the two ships collided with a thunderous crash, Ling Zhan leaped into the air like lightning, lightly touching the mooring ropes with her toes, and in a few bounds, she soared onto the enemy's deck. Her longsword was drawn, its light as sharp as a bolt of lightning; wherever it passed, the Japanese pirates fell like mowing grass, utterly defeated!
That was not martial arts of ordinary people; it was a killing art that transcended time and cognition!
Jubei Onizuka roared and swung his sword to meet the attack, his swordsmanship ruthless and cunning.
However, Ling Zhan simply sidestepped, blocked, and thrust, his movements concise, efficient, and devoid of any frills.
"Clang!"
Amidst the flying sparks, Onizuka Jubei's katana was forcefully severed!
The sword tip stopped precisely at his throat.
"Who...who are you?!" Jubei Onizuka asked in broken Mandarin, his face paling with shock.
Ling Zhan did not answer, but coldly looked down at him, as if he were looking at an ant.
"Where is Su Wan? How much was the Huo family involved?"
Under the overwhelming power and Ling Zhan's penetrating gaze, Onizuka Jubei's psychological defenses completely collapsed...
When they heard the name "Su Wan" confirmed by Gui Zhong, Shen Yu, Shen Chen, Shen Xing, Shen Zhangwu and others who boarded the ship to provide support immediately afterward all showed expressions of shock and heartache.
They never imagined that Aunt Su, who was once gentle and graceful and grew up with them, would fall so low as to collude with foreign enemies and bring disaster to their country!
“Mother…” Shen Yu looked at Ling Zhan.
Ling Zhan sheathed his sword, his tone indifferent: "Clean up the battlefield and tally the spoils."
Shen Chen, take a team and go 'invite' Su Wan.
"Those who resist will be killed without exception."
The battle ended quickly. The stubborn Japanese pirates and Huo family private soldiers were completely annihilated.
Shen Chen also successfully captured Su Wan, who was trying to escape, at the Huo family's villa.
During the raid on Onizuka's lair, the naval officers and soldiers discovered an astonishingly large fortune in a hidden sea cave—mountains of gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and jade artifacts, all looted by Japanese pirates over many years.
Looking at this wealth stained with the blood and tears of the coastal people, Ling Zhan ordered: "Register it all, pack it up, and ship it back!"
The threat of Japanese pirates in the East China Sea was thus largely eliminated.
The Huo family was completely eradicated.
Ling Zhan left behind some elite troops and reliable personnel who had surrendered, and together with officials sent by the imperial court, they formed the "Zhenhai Army" to be responsible for the defense of the East China Sea.
She, along with her children, escorted the prisoners Su Wan and Guizhong, and the fleet laden with the spoils of gold and silver, returning home in a grand procession.
On the sea, the rising sun casts its golden rays, illuminating the triumphant fleet and the new chapter that the Great Yong Dynasty is about to embark on.
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