Section 79: Young Master, We Need Your Bravery!
By Gu Zhenren
February 9, 2013
The vast sea was filled with flashing blades and shouts, arrows rained down, and flames soared into the sky. This was an unprecedented great decisive battle at sea. Over a hundred thousand soldiers, under the command of their skilled generals, had formed a unified whole.
It was as if two colossal giants were fighting, with each soldier and warship being an insignificant part of them. The elite soldiers were the countless fists of the giants, with each elite unit possessing exceptional and irreplaceable effectiveness.
The warlords were the claws and teeth of the giants. Sharp and powerful, they were adept at breaking through strong defenses, but they also needed to be used with caution. Once deep within enemy lines, even the sharpest claws could be broken.
As for Huang Xiao and the Mad Confucian General, they were the brains of the giants. At this moment, everyone, including Chu Yun and Shu Tianhao, was under their command.
“Hmm? This Huang Xiao actually has some real skill. He can withstand my assault and see through my pincer tactics,” the Mad Confucian General admitted after half an hour of fierce fighting. He had to concede that, in terms of battlefield command, Huang Xiao was now on par with him.
“However, war is not just about immediate command; it’s a multifaceted confrontation. Fear! Let me show you the might of the Thunderous Tower Ship Fleet!”
To break the stalemate, the Mad Confucian General revealed his first trump card. A fleet of nine tower ships emerged from the formation.
While ordinary tower ships were only three stories high, these ships stood five stories tall. They were also constructed with unique materials, giving them a metallic sheen all over, like blue steel. Countless intricate carvings adorned their hulls, making them appear mysterious and imposing. Sailing into battle, they were clearly twice the size of the surrounding ships – absolute behemoths.
“What kind of tower ships are these? They actually possess such power!” Shu Tianhao and the others watched as the nine tower ships unleashed torrents of electrical energy, engulfing a large area of the sea. The densely packed allied ships, caught in the lightning’s fury, appeared fragile and began to disintegrate.
Amidst the thunderous roars, they brutally tore through the Shui Family’s naval lines. No warship could withstand them.
Cold sweat trickled down Huang Xiao’s forehead. “The Jianghan Kingdom has immense national power and has been researching new types of warships. Is this their latest achievement? We absolutely cannot ignore this!”
Fortunately, their slow speed gave Huang Xiao time to react. He urgently mobilized over ten warlords, ordering them to surround and attack from all directions, temporarily halting the advance of the Thunderous Tower Ship Fleet.
“Heh heh heh, you can’t even hold on when I’m just starting to get serious,” the Mad Confucian General sneered. His eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty fervor as he looked at the allied army’s formation, which had become riddled with loopholes due to the redeployment of their generals. “Do you think I’ll give you time to fill those gaps? General Ye Feng, Arrowfish Cavalry, attack!”
“Finally, it’s my turn to appear. The enemy formation is in disarray, which is a perfect opportunity for my cavalry to charge. Kill! Kill! Kill!” Ye Feng roared, leading a thousand eight hundred knights. They cut through the wind and waves, like a sharp dagger, piercing the Tie army’s formation from the left flank.
The Tie Family was caught off guard. As the Arrowfish Cavalry passed, their warships were destroyed, and thousands of soldiers lost their lives.
“They’ve committed their cavalry this early? Do they intend to completely suppress me and annihilate us? Mad Confucian General, you’re dreaming,” Huang Xiao’s eyes flashed with a divine light of wisdom. The crisis only ignited his fighting spirit further.
“Advisor Hua Ying, please lead the Flower Arrow Elite Soldiers to intercept the enemy’s Arrowfish Cavalry!” Huang Xiao waved his battle flag, conveying his thoughts.
“Don’t worry. With me, Hua Ying, here, they won’t be returning!” Hua Ying accepted the order and retreated, boarding the warship “Ferocious Fang.” All the Flower Arrow Elite Soldiers were already on board, fully prepared.
“Charge! Let the world witness the wisdom and courage of our Hua Family!” The Ferocious Fang shot forward. This warship, originally captured from the Fang Family, had been modified by Master Yu Ya, pushing its speed to the limit. It was the fastest ship in the Shu Family’s fleet.
“Damn it! They’re doing whatever they please with us!” Ye Feng was so enraged he almost spat blood. The Ferocious Fang circled around him but didn’t get too close. Arrows rained down from the ship, using specially made projectiles. The Arrowfish Cavalry, already weakly defended, suffered heavy casualties as large numbers were shot down.
“What insignificant worm dares to challenge me to a one-on-one fight?” Ye Feng’s hair stood on end in fury. He urged his mount, a Demonic Beast, into the sky and approached the Ferocious Fang.
“You court death!” Hua Ying sneered and suddenly gave the order, “Focus the ‘Chaos Heart Arrow,’ then the ‘Swift Thunder Arrow,’ followed by the ‘Leisurely Arrow.’ Triple shot, target the enemy warlord.”
Swish, swish, swish!
Over a thousand Flower Arrow Elite Soldiers moved in perfect unison. First came a volley of Chaos Heart Arrows, so fast their flight was indistinguishable, pinning Ye Feng down. Then came a volley of Swift Thunder Arrows, accompanied by gusts of wind and lightning, forcing Ye Feng to defend frantically. Finally, the Leisurely Arrows, like hundreds of swimming fish, shot at him from all sorts of tricky angles.
Ye Feng’s face turned ashen with fear. He desperately spurred the defensive Cultivation Method within his Demonic Armor. After resisting the three volleys, the demonic energy in his armor was depleted, and he was forced to descend towards the sea.
“Damn it, I almost got shot to death by a hail of arrows. In a large-scale battle, you can’t be reckless!” Ye Feng was drenched in cold sweat. Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief, an arrow shot silently from behind him, piercing his heart.
“Uh!” His eyes widened, and with his last ounce of strength, he looked back at the Ferocious Fang. He saw Hua Ying slowly lowering his bow.
This was the last thing he saw.
With a splash, he fell into the sea, his eyes wide with unfulfilled anger.
“This is the consequence of blindly believing in personal strength,” Hua Ying murmured to himself. Then, he raised his arm and roared, “The enemy general has been shot to death by me, Hua Ying!”
It wasn’t that he wanted to boast; it was because the death of an enemy general would have a powerful morale-boosting effect on his own side.
Boom!
Indeed, in the next moment, the allied soldiers in the surrounding sea areas became spirited, and their morale soared.
In contrast, the Arrowfish Cavalry’s formation had scattered. They moved about the sea like headless flies.
Ye Feng was the first high-ranking general to fall since the battle began, significantly impacting some aspects of the war.
“Well done!” Seeing this, Huang Xiao’s lips curved upward. He waved his battle flag repeatedly. Soon, several fleets were mobilized to surround and annihilate the entire Arrowfish Cavalry.
“How hateful! This Ye Feng was so reckless, throwing away an elite cavalry unit for nothing!” the Mad Confucian General gritted his teeth in anger. He had considered sending reinforcements, but the cavalry had charged too deep, and Huang Xiao had given him no opportunity, immediately encircling and quickly wiping out the elite unit.
With the Arrowfish Cavalry gone, it was as if one of his Shui Family army’s powerful fists had been severed.
The Mad Confucian General exhaled, turned slightly, and asked Zhen Youcai, who was beside him, “How is it? Are there any signs of Chu Yun being deployed yet?”
Zhen Youcai was multitasking, operating two Demonic Beasts. One was to conceal heavenly secrets, and the other was to perform calculations with all his might.
Abacus Masters held a crucial position in warfare because they could deduce the enemy’s next moves from the slightest clues.
This advantage was immense. It was like playing chess; if one side knew the opponent’s next move, they could easily counter it. It was akin to prescience. An army with an Abacus Master could literally calculate their opponents to death.
However, Chu Yun’s side also had Yi Yan performing the same task. While the soldiers were fighting to the death, the two great Abacus Masters were engaged in a silent duel.
After three breaths, Zhen Youcai finally replied to the Mad Confucian General’s question, “As of now, there are no plans for Chu Yun to be deployed. Please rest assured, General, I will notify you immediately if there are any signs of it.”
With that, he fell silent, fully concentrating on the Abacus Master’s duel. It was clear that Yi Yan was putting considerable pressure on him.
“Hmph! They can certainly stay calm,” the Mad Confucian General snorted. Knowing not to disturb Zhen Youcai’s battle unnecessarily, he refocused his attention on the battlefield and continued his command.
He wasn’t afraid of Chu Yun entering the fray; rather, he was anticipating it. He had already prepared specific measures to deal with Chu Yun.
But now, Chu Yun’s non-intervention meant these measures were useless. This effectively meant that Chu Yun alone was tying up a significant portion of his combat power.
War was a contest of not only fighting strength but also wisdom.
Chu Yun’s inaction was more effective than his action. This was a case of offense and defense, and restraint and counter-restraint.
Both sides of the war had their trump cards and strategies. They had to outmaneuver each other, considering how to counter the opponent’s trump cards, what effect their own trump cards should have when played, and what preparations were needed to disrupt the opponent’s countermeasures.
The Mad Confucian General and Huang Xiao were like two skilled chess players, not only commanding the battle but also their minds racing with lightning-fast deductions, calculating future variables and trying to fathom the opponent’s thoughts.
Time flew by in the great sea battle. The rising sun that had been in the sky earlier was now high overhead, shining brightly like the noonday sun.
During this time, the Shui Family had successively deployed elite troop formations such as the Whirlwind Shield Elite Soldiers and the Flying Monkey Elite Soldiers. Thousands of warships and over a dozen generals formed wave after wave of powerful forces, attempting to break through the front lines and strike directly at the heart of the enemy.
Under Huang Xiao’s coordinated command, the allied forces also deployed formations like the Sea Shark Elite Soldiers and the Bronze Bell Elite Soldiers, matching the enemy’s military strength and warships, and successfully repelling the Shui Family’s powerful offensive.
Bang, bang, bang!
A series of rapid sounds erupted from the Shui Family’s formation as forty-nine massive crossbow bolts were fired. Each bolt was twenty feet long and as thick as a large bowl.
These crossbow bolts flew through the air like forty-nine streaks of lightning, moving at incredible speed.
The crossbow bolts were terrifyingly powerful, piercing through more than twenty allied warships and carving a bloody path through the dense formation.
“Sky-Shattering God-Slaying Crossbow!”
“He’s finally unable to hold back and has revealed this trump card!” Seeing this, Huang Xiao’s heart sank. He made up his mind and waved the Royal Army Central Banner.
“Young Master, my command must rely on your bravery!” In the next moment, Huang Xiao’s voice echoed in Chu Yun’s mind.
(Thank you for your support and recommendations. I’ll strive for three updates today!)
