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The sea and sky were clear and the breeze was gentle. It was a rare good weather in winter and the wind direction was even more favorable. After two days of rest, the Red Flag Gang army re-formed their battle formation and was ready to go.
Standing at the bow, a man dressed in black with a red silk belt around his waist shouted, "You fought so hard these past few days, and you're all heroes! Now that reinforcements have arrived, the Long Whale Bandits are surrounded by our army. We can defeat them with one blow!"
The captain's shout lifted the spirits of the crew. The previous battle had been a truly grueling one, requiring them to not only fend off the attacks but also withstand the pressure of their own fleet's continuous divisions and weakening of their formation. However, they all knew this was the leader's tactic to lure the enemy into a trap, trapping the Long Whale Gang and allowing them to be surrounded and killed.
Only by inflicting pain and crippling those vicious enemies can they live a peaceful life.
And now, the reinforcements the gang leader mentioned have arrived, and even the officers and soldiers are on their side. What else do they have to fear?
"Just defeating the enemy isn't enough!" the captain raised his voice, his face flushing slightly. "Those sons of bitches actually dared to send troops to attack Dongning. They're taking advantage of us because there's no one on shore!"
With a bang, angry roars erupted on the boat, and the shouts of "kill the bandits" became louder.
The captain waved his hand vigorously: "That's right! We are going to kill the bandits! Not only do we want to wipe out this group of bandits, but we must also follow their example and strike down the Long Whale Bandits' lair! The foreign gunboats have already headed for Qiongzhou. We just have to defeat them and make them homeless!"
Cheers erupted everywhere. They had heard about the barbarians' surrender before, but who would have thought these men weren't an ambush, but were sent to attack Qiongzhou! Wouldn't that mean the Long Whale Bandits would have lost their lair? This was finally revenge for Dongning, a way to vent their anger!
The captain looked at his men, who were crowded and shouting excitedly, and raised his voice again: "The battle is coming, and now is the time to avenge our grievances! Kill all the long whale pirates and seize Qiongzhou Island!"
Whether it was the atmosphere that infected them, or someone deliberately guiding them, everyone shouted at the top of their lungs: "Kill all the long whale thieves! Seize Qiongzhou Island!"
This roar spread from one person to another, from one boat to another, until it shook the heavens. Drums also sounded, and amid the rumbling drums and roars, the Red Flag Gang's center army advanced, starting the battle.
The drumbeats also caused a stir among the government troops, as they were so familiar with it; it was their usual attack signal. Zhou Mi's face was somewhat grim, but he still waved his hand: "Follow the drumbeats, and let's press forward!"
This was the signal from the Red Flag Gang. If he didn't follow now, and a fight broke out, there was no telling whether the Long Whale Gang would break out from his side. If they were attacked head-on, he had no confidence he could hold his ground. Since that was the case, he could only charge with the Red Flag Gang. At least their momentum was still there, and they wouldn't be underestimated.
The actions of both sides also caused the Changjing Gang to become completely agitated.
"We are about to launch a general attack!" Xu Hei stood at the bow of the ship, his face as dark as the black whale flag above his head.
Should we fight head-on or turn around and prepare to escape?
Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "Let the right army meet the enemy, and the center army turn to the right!"
This was a sideways formation, designed to avoid the enemy's sharp edge and leave room for escape. Of course, he still hoped to fight again, at least until Ning Fu returned. If he left now, he was afraid that morale would be gone.
His response was not wrong, but when the war actually started, an unexpected situation occurred.
"General Zhenhai's blessing!"
"Kill all the long whale thieves and seize Qiongzhou Island!"
Along with the drumbeats came the incessant roars. This was Wuyuan Island, right in the heart of the Red Flag Gang. How could these guys have the guts to shout about taking over Qiongzhou Island?
Some people were angry, some were furious, but Xu He felt uneasy, as if something was not right, just like the battle situation, something was very wrong.
"General, there's a barbarian ship over there!"
Suddenly, news came from the front, and Xu Hei was startled: "But the ambush has arrived?!"
"No, there are only two. They seem to be the two that came out of Wuyuan Island before..." The messenger was also confused. He didn't know what these two ships that suddenly appeared were going to do.
Someone immediately asked, "Boss, should we send someone to drive them away?"
Xu He frowned and said, "It's just two boats. Don't worry about them for now. Let's see what they are here for."
The barbarian ships are always difficult to deal with. They have too many guns and will be attacked as soon as they get close. The only way to deal with them is to send several times the number of troops. Now is the time for fierce fighting, so there is no time to divide our forces to fight them.
However, this ship dared to approach so close, so it must have its own purpose. Could it be that it was here to disrupt the morale of his army?
Just as he was thinking about it, news came again: "General, the foreign ships on the opposite side are waving flags, and it seems they are targeting the two foreign ships in the army!"
They also had foreign ships in their army, which were originally intended to be used for communications. Later, the people of Xisai rebelled, and these two ships were seized. All the explosives were moved away, and the sailors were also disarmed, for fear that they would cause trouble.
And now, someone had summoned them. Xu Hei immediately ordered, "Send someone to keep an eye on them! Don't let the barbarians disrupt our formation!"
Unfortunately, his order seemed a little too late, and the two ships actually began to turn, trying to rush out of the battle. This sudden change caused chaos in the central army. Fortunately, there were guards on the ship, and several nearby warships also immediately stopped the movement.
Xu Hei was relieved that there was no major chaos. However, when his subordinates brought him the content of the flag signals obtained through torture, he could no longer laugh.
"The message they conveyed is to withdraw to Qiongzhou Island?" Xu Hei stood up suddenly. "The foreigners want to go to Qiongzhou Island?!"
There was an uproar below, and someone shouted, "This isn't right! Aren't they planning to ambush us?"
"How do you know it's an ambush? We didn't even see a ghost. Maybe the foreigners really went to Qiongzhou?"
"Isn't this just cutting off our retreat? Did the Red Flag Gang drug them? They have only a few boats, and they dare to seize our territory..."
A chaotic row erupted, and Xu Hei felt a vein throbbing in his forehead. Were the barbarians truly retreating? Were they not planning an ambush, but were they heading for Qiongzhou? How had that woman convinced the Xisai people? How could they attack the territory they had just captured with only one fleet?
But then, a chill ran down his spine. Perhaps the Xisai people weren't after Qiongzhou, but the Strait. Their forces were trapped in the South China Sea. If the Xisai people turned back, they might actually be able to open a passage and completely deprive them of control of the Strait. And if the Xisai people moved, would the Jiaozhi people also? What about the government troops in Hepu? What about the Qiongzhou natives?
If the phrase "capture Qiongzhou Island" was not a joke, could he still protect his retreat?
"General! What should we do?"
"The boss!"
"Boss..."
Xu Hei was startled awake by the various shouts and cries. What he saw were anxious faces. These leaders, both big and small, still had property and wives and children left behind. After hearing this news, how could they still have the heart to fight?
We have to think of a way, we have to think of a way...
Unfortunately, the last bucket of cold water was poured down mercilessly. The ship bound for Dongning hurriedly returned, bringing terrible news.
"Mr. Ning has disappeared. We can't find him. Dongning City hasn't been taken. There's no ambush at all..."
Listening to his confidant's trembling words, Xu He felt his eyes go dark. What did this mean? Why did Ning Fu want to escape? Could he have been behind this?
The entire arrangement of this battle, from beginning to end, flashed through Xu Hei's mind like a revolving lantern. All the promises and boasts Ning Fu had made became a noose around his neck. He had been fooled! A fatal trick!
With a clang, the table in front of him was kicked to the ground. Xu Hei's face was ferocious, and he shouted loudly: "Let's retreat! Back to Qiongzhou!"
He couldn't die here, and couldn't lose the foundation he had worked so hard to build. Even if he didn't want to be an official, or to leave the South China Sea, he had to protect his own territory and the Long Whale Gang!
The originally neat formation was in disarray, and a large number of ships turned their heads. Amid the familiar sound of war drums, the rout began.
…
On the official road of Dongning, a cavalry was moving slowly forward.
The black man leading the group had a troubled look on his face, looking behind him from time to time. After walking for a while, he could no longer bear it and approached the carriage: "Mr. Ning, we are about to leave Dongning. Are we really going to leave?"
"You have also heard the news. The government troops are here. What are you waiting for?" Ning Fu lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked coldly.
"It's just the navy of Panyu, maybe we can still defeat them. The boss treats us well..." The man wanted to say something, but was frightened by the sneer on the other side.
Ning Fu raised his lip. "It's not about the navy at all. It's about Qiongzhou and the strait. There's no ambush. Those foreign troops are probably on their way back, ready to cut us off."
The man was startled, sweat immediately oozing from his forehead: "This, this..."
"At this critical moment of life and death, you still led troops to rob and loot in Dongning. Do you think the boss will let you go?" The smile on Ning Fu's face deepened, like a poisonous snake that opened its mouth and spit out its core.
The man felt a surge of anger rising in his heart. This was clearly your order! If Ning Fu hadn't deliberately indulged him, how could Dongning be beaten into such a mess?
Ning Fu didn't care about his anger and waved his hand casually: "The Long Whale Gang has no chance of winning. Someone has to take the blame for this crime. Rather than being caught and skinned and hearted, it's better to take the treasure and flee. At least I have arranged a way out."
His expression was so calm, so calm that everything seemed to be natural. All those years he had spent with the Changjing Gang were just passing clouds, not worth mentioning.
However, the man was speechless. They still had the looted property and a place to stay. It was indeed better than going back and facing the wrath of the boss. At least, they survived unscathed...
He closed his mouth, bent down, and retreated without saying a word.
After lowering the curtain, Ning Fu closed his eyes again, but something in his heart was still surging.
He was defeated in this battle, a crushing defeat. But when did he stumble? Was it when he misjudged the direction of the Xisai fleet? Was it when he engaged the Doumen navy? Was it when he led his army to Panyu? Was it when he left the Xisai troops behind to attack Luoling Island? Or was it when he heard that the Xisai surrendered soldiers had been sent back by the Red Flag Gang, and he became suspicious and fell into their trap?
No, perhaps it was when the woman stabbed his face with a short blade, nearly killing him. From that moment on, his heart was in turmoil, consumed by the rage of revenge and disturbed by those cold eyes.
He'd guessed wrong too many times, and had personally cut off his own escape route. Xu Hei wasn't a truly tolerant person; he was willing to follow orders, but that was simply because he'd never failed. This time, the defeat was too tragic, too decisive; someone had to bear the blame.
There are countless people in the Changjing Gang who hate me.
That's why he chose to go to Dongning, land, and escape during the chaos. He lost this opportunity, but as long as he could survive, there was a chance of a comeback. And that woman probably wouldn't just stay at sea.
There is always a chance. The sea is too vast and not a good place for revenge. Maybe changing the occasion would be better.
The wound on his cheek started to hurt again, but Ning Fu didn't raise his hand to touch it. He just held the folding fan tightly in his hand.
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