Chapter 762
Chapter 762
Ning Qi wasn't the only one watching the Xue fleet depart from the battlements. Yan E, the former Grand Commander of the Blackwater Terrace, was also watching the scene. He was a supreme master who had reached the Grandmaster realm but had not received the title. His heart was even more conflicted than Ning Qi's. He was Ning Yuanxian's true, direct confidant, yet he was also a sworn brother to Xue Che and Yan Nanfei. For the sake of profit, Yan E had become deeply entangled with them, which led him to walk the same path as the Xue Clan.
But he truly had no intention of rebelling against Ning Yuanxian. That was why, when he went to arrest Ning Zheng and saw that Ning Yuanxian had awakened, he immediately gave up resisting and prostrated himself on the ground. At the same time, he couldn't get off the boat that was the Xue Clan and Ning Qi. Moreover, since Ning Yuanxian would never trust him again, he had no choice but to leave Ning Yuanxian's side. *Still, as good as this place is, can it compare to my home?* He only hoped that one day he could return to Heavenly Yue City.
* * *
The Xue Clan's fleet was the absolute hegemon of these waters; only upon reaching the territorial seas of the Tiannan Province would they see the fleets of other powers. Thus, as they sailed through these two thousand li of sea, Yan Nanfei felt as if he were swimming in his own bathtub. Xue Pan looked out at the endless sea and asked him.
“Uncle, the Count of Jinzhou was so powerful in the past. Why didn't he conquer all the islands in the eastern and southern seas and move the entire Jin Clan overseas?”
Yan Nanfei replied.
“First, because he was a fool. Second, because he died too soon.”
“This time, we plan to wipe out the Jin Clan, root and stem. Does that include Jin Mulan?”
“She must be included. It is the Empire's will to erase all those with special bloodlines.”
To be precise, it was to exterminate all those with special bloodlines who did not belong to the six great powers. From this day forward, only the Empire and the six transcendent powers would be able to control the power of the ancient civilization.
“That's a shame.”
Xue Pan's words were utterly vile. Jin Mulan was too beautiful, and especially after her nirvana—the transformation of her bloodline—her beauty had reached its peak. Even Xue Pan had secretly coveted her.
“The last person who coveted Jin Mulan was Ning Yi.”
Xue Pan replied to Yan Nanfei's casual remark.
“Uncle, you have a fine sense of humor.”
“This is no joke. Jin Mulan was beautiful enough before that Crown Prince Ning Yi tried to claim her for himself. But what happened? Ning Yi was destroyed. Now, Jin Mulan is even more beautiful, dazzlingly so. You must not touch her. If you do, many powerful figures will hold a grudge against you. Do you understand?”
“This nephew understands.”
“So, shatter her immediately. Only by completely crushing her can you avoid future disaster.”
At the very top of the Xue Clan flagship's mast, a lookout stood, constantly scanning the horizon for any approaching enemy. He was originally scanning his surroundings with a rather lazy attitude. This two-thousand-li stretch of sea was completely within the Xue Clan's inland sea; no enemy could possibly operate here. Besides, wasn't the Jin Clan's Raging Tide City two or three thousand li away from here?
Not only that, but the Jin Clan's navy was extremely weak. They had controlled these waters for years, yet they still hadn't managed to eliminate the pirate Qiu Hu. An army on land could be trained in a few years, but a fleet at sea required decades to build a strong navy. Therefore, the Xue fleet knew the key to this battle was besieging Raging Tide City; they had nothing to worry about in a naval engagement. If they fought at sea, the enemy would surely be crushed in an instant.
How many ships did the Jin Clan's fleet have? How many men? Compared to the Xue allied forces, their strength was but a drop in the ocean. Moreover, the Jin Clan's ships were tiny, while the Xue Clan's vessels were large and sturdy. Furthermore, the Xue ships were equipped with catapults and large crossbows, whereas the Jin Clan's small warships looked like they couldn't carry anything at all. Given the situation, the Jin Clan's fleet seemed like a mere toddler before the Xue allied forces, so frail it looked as if it couldn't withstand a single blow.
Perhaps it was because they had maintained an unrivaled fleet for so long? The warrior watching for enemy movements from the mast felt no excitement at all. For over ten years, there had been no adversary capable of truly challenging the Xue Clan. But then, a black dot appeared on the sea, far ahead. The Xue Clan warrior on the mast was startled to see it.
*'What merchant vessel is that?'*
He didn't pay it much mind. It was normal for merchant ships or Xue Clan patrol vessels to appear in this area. But in the next moment, the single black dot multiplied into dozens of densely packed dots. This was clearly abnormal. First, a merchant fleet wouldn't sail so closely together, nor would it be in such a formation. But it was too far away to see clearly. Only after half an hour had passed could the warrior finally get a proper look at the fleet.
*'Wh-what the hell! A-am I seeing a ghost? What am I looking at? The Jin Clan's fleet?'*
The warrior on the mast rubbed his eyes frantically and smacked his head hard.
*'Am I seeing things?'*
As the fleet drew closer, he could finally see it more clearly. It really was the Jin Clan's fleet. He hastily sounded the gong.
“Enemy sighted! Enemy sighted!”
*Clang, clang, clang.*
“Enemy sighted.”
Soon, the flagship's signalman frantically waved his flags, warning the entire fleet. In truth, many had already spotted the enemy before the warning was even fully relayed. Yan Nanfei and Xue Pan also saw the Jin Clan's fleet. Like the warrior on the mast who had first spotted them, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
*'Has the Jin Clan gone mad? Has Shen Lang lost his mind? We haven't even attacked your Raging Tide City yet, and you've come to attack us first? How many ships does your fleet even have? How many men? Your Nirvana Army may be invincible on land, but they're useless at sea. Even if you want to die, isn't this a little too eager?'*
Yan Nanfei could soon see them more clearly, and he simply couldn't believe his eyes. The Jin Clan's fleet had at most forty ships, none of them large, and their total force appeared to be no more than four thousand men. The ships were very flat and extremely long. But other than that, they didn't look particularly special.
*'Fine, Shen Lang. Since you're so desperate to die, I'll give you a proper burial.'*
Yan Nanfei gave the order.
“Prepare for battle! Fleet, assume encirclement formation!”
* * *
Naval warfare is an incredibly troublesome kind of battle. Especially in this era, engaging in a naval battle required a long time just to arrange formations. Although the two fleets had drawn closer, the battle didn't formally begin until more than two hours had passed.
*Thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip.*
*CRASH.*
The Xue Clan's fleet displayed its formidable long-range combat capabilities. They had over two hundred ships, large and small, with more than thirty of them being large vessels. These large ships were equipped with massive crossbows and catapults, allowing them to open fire from a distance of over three hundred meters. The sheer power of the fleet's barrage was astounding, but its accuracy was very poor. The large crossbows had some semblance of accuracy, but the catapults often just hurled stones into the sea. Landing even a single hit required incredible luck. The Xue Clan's fleet unleashed a stunning barrage, frantically launching stones and bolts, but their results were almost nonexistent. It couldn't be helped. Even in the age of cannon-firing warships, it was anyone's guess how long one would have to fire to hit an enemy vessel.
And what of Shen Lang's fleet? His fleet had no large crossbows or catapults, only one thing: master archers. Was this a joke? Was he trying to revert to naval warfare from Earth's B.C. era?
*Thwip, thwip, thwip, thwip.*
From Shen Lang's fleet, the Nirvana Army unleashed a frenzied volley of arrows. All of them were flaming arrows.
*Thud, thud, thud, thud.*
The flaming arrows traced elegant arcs through the air before fiercely striking the Xue Clan's fleet. Yan Nanfei and the others were shocked.
*'This is completely absurd, isn't it? The Jin Clan's master archers can shoot this far?'*
This astonishing range was pushing the bows to their absolute limit. Firing with all their might using two-stone composite bows, they could shoot arrows nearly three hundred meters. But what about accuracy? Well, that was entirely up to luck.
The two fleets battled for an hour, and Shen Lang's fleet unexpectedly gained the upper hand. This was because the Nirvana Army could shoot their arrows so far that they were not outmatched by the Xue fleet's large crossbows and catapults. Moreover, it was only natural that three thousand men firing bows in unison would have a higher hit rate than launching bolts and stones from large crossbows and catapults. So, what were their results? It almost went without saying. At such a great distance, even the Nirvana Army's arrows lacked much power. No matter how many flaming arrows they shot, it was difficult to set the Xue Clan's ships alight.
After an hour of fierce battle, there were a hundred casualties. And the distance between the two sides was consistently maintained at over three hundred meters. It couldn't be helped. The difference in strength between the two fleets was so stark that even Shen Lang dared not take the risk. Shen Lang's ships were light and agile, making them fast. However, they were also relatively fragile; a few hits from catapults and crossbows would inflict serious damage.
After an hour of fierce fighting, Shen Lang's fleet turned tail and fled, with the Xue Clan's fleet in hot pursuit. During the chase, Yan Nanfei finally noticed the characteristics of Shen Lang's fleet. They were fast and incredibly nimble, and the fleet's overall speed was about twenty percent faster than the Xue fleet.
Normally, the Xue fleet would never have been able to catch Shen Lang's fleet. But the despicably clever Shen Lang would deliberately slow his fleet down whenever the distance grew too great, allowing the Xue fleet to catch up. It was like a beautiful woman provoking a ruffian.
“Come on, hurry. If you catch me, I'll let you have your way with me.”
The ruffian, falling for it, gives chase like a madman but can never quite catch her. Just as the ruffian is about to give up, the beauty stops again, acting coy, and says.
“Hurry. I said if you catch me, I'll sleep with you.”
* * *
Two days and nights passed like this, with the Xue fleet constantly engaged in a frantic chase, never managing to properly fight.
“Uncle, Shen Lang must have a trick up his sleeve. He's definitely planning something.”
Yan Nanfei sneered at Xue Pan's words.
*'Of course Shen Lang is planning something. But does he really think he can lead the Xue fleet into some terrifying hell? How utterly ridiculous. Who knows these waters best? Not you, Shen Lang, but our Xue Clan. No matter how many cunning and devious tricks you have, I, Yan Nanfei, grew up on this sea. This area is our Xue Clan's inland sea; I know it like the back of my hand.'*
* * *
Aboard the Jin Clan's flagship.
Mulan stood at the prow, her eyes closed, attuning herself to the sea in this region. She heard the cries of the ocean, the sound of the sea breeze, and the noises from beneath the waves. Shen Lang approached Mulan and asked.
“My love, are you certain?”
Mulan replied.
“I'm certain. The sea is wailing mournfully, sobbing as it gathers endless power, just waiting for the moment to erupt.”
“Will the force of that eruption be great enough?”
“Whether it's our fleet or the Xue Clan's, before the heaven-and-earth-shattering force the sea is about to unleash, they will all be crushed like children's toys.”
After her transformation, Mulan had gained the sensory perception of the ancient humans, allowing her to sense the forces of nature. She could sense the earth, the sea, and the weather, and could predict when typhoons would strike, when rain and thunderstorms would come, and even when more terrifying disasters would occur. She had demonstrated this ability several months ago.
Xue Pan's premonition was not wrong.
Shen Lang was, indeed, leading the Xue Clan's fleet into hell.