novelraw Chapter 792 - 770: Falling into Water
Chapter 792 - 770: Falling into Water
The pirates had six ships, quickly converging together to surround them. Lin Xiao’s group of archers was exceptionally skilled and accurate, causing significant casualties among the pirates. These pirates had always roamed the seas as unchecked tyrants, used to being the overlords of these waters. They had never encountered such fierce resistance before. As their comrades fell one after another, they were filled with rage, determined to annihilate the enemy before them. In such a situation, retreating was out of the question—this was a fight to the death.
The ship was violently struck, rocking and swaying uncontrollably in the storm, its structure weakened to the brink of collapse. Three pirate ships rammed it from different directions, making it nearly impossible to maintain balance. Pirates swarmed aboard relentlessly, killing everyone they encountered.
Fang Chuning gave the order, "Respond freely! Show no mercy!"
All tactics lost their meaning at this moment; their only option was to fight back and drive the attackers away. The Shadow Guards were different from the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry—they had eyes only for Xie Jue and no one else. In this surrounded and dire situation, protecting others was out of the question. The densely packed pirates storming aboard led to close-quarter combat. Xie Jue commanded deeply, "Don’t worry about me. If you only look after me, you’ll just be getting in the way. Anyone who isn’t one of our men—kill them all."
"Yes!" Ying Er exchanged a glance with the others, who then left Xie Jue’s side to fight the enemies. Ying Er, however, remained steadfastly by Xie Jue’s side. Xie Jue drew his sword and plunged it into a pirate who charged at him.
The sounds of battle roared as the ship swayed violently in the storm, making it nearly impossible to stay on one’s feet. Xie Jue was thrown to the ground several times, a rare display of such vulnerability for him since his youth.
It wasn’t just Xie Jue. Even someone as battle-hardened and steady-footed as Fang Chuning found it hard to maintain his balance, also falling repeatedly amidst the chaotic movements. Fighting in a storm at sea was unimaginably difficult.
The pirate leaders, the chief and the second-in-command, stayed far from the fray and avoided close combat. But Fang Chuning could see their flagship clearly. The mast of the pirate ship was cut down, causing them to lose control, drifting like a lone leaf in the storm, ready to capsize at any moment. The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry excelled in land battles, but this was the sea—they were out of their element. Pirates kept surging forward, and despite their initial prowess, the tide was shifting against them. For every pirate they killed, more swarmed forward in endless waves, leaving them in a desperate situation.
Lin Xiao called out, "Mr. Fang, there are too many of them! We have to abandon the ship!"
The remaining four ships had yet to catch up, and their small force couldn’t overcome the overwhelming numbers of the enemy. Fang Chuning turned to glance at Xie Jue, who was covered in blood.
Everyone was locked in battle, disheveled and battered. The ship itself was at risk of breaking apart. Fang Chuning made a swift decision. "Hold out a little longer. Bring me the bow and arrows!"
"Yes!"
Lin Xiao handed him the bow and arrows. Fang Chuning tossed his spear to Lin Xiao. "Cover me!"
"Yes!"
Lin Xiao rallied a dozen soldiers to form a protective circle around Fang Chuning. The violent rocking of the ship made even the simple act of drawing a bow to shoot incredibly challenging. The ship’s hull was perforated by chain balls, and seawater flooded into the cabin. The increasing weight made the ship begin to sink. Pirates on the enemy’s flagship burst into laughter, mocking their struggles.
Lightning flashed and thunder roared while waves pounded the ship. The storm drenched them entirely. Fang Chuning steadied himself amid the chaos, standing as firm as a weighty iron statue. He aimed his bow at the pirate leader on the flagship—a tall and striking figure who was easy to distinguish, constantly issuing orders.
Pirates charged at Fang Chuning, but Lin Xiao and the soldiers shielded him. One pirate, noticing Fang Chuning targeting the flagship, shouted, "Boss, get out of the way...!"
The storm was too loud, and the rain drowned out the sounds of battle. The pirates underestimated the determination of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, not realizing they were still capable of staging a counterattack in such dire circumstances.
As the arrow left the bowstring, a pirate ship collided with theirs again. The already fragile ship, stripped of its power and struck repeatedly, capsized instantly. Over a dozen soldiers were thrown into the sea, and Fang Chuning lost his footing, tumbling into the water with the sinking ship.
"Ting Feng...!"
In the instant he plunged into the sea, Fang Chuning had only one thought: Where is Ting Feng?
He didn’t even have time to check on Xie Jue before he splashed into the water. Fortunately, as he fell, he saw his arrow pierce through the pirate leader’s throat.
"The boss!"
"The boss is dead! The boss is dead...!"
Amidst the chaos of thousands, Fang Chuning’s arrow claimed the pirate leader’s life. In this storm and upheaval, it was a desperate counterattack. It was his one and only chance, executed decisively and without hesitation.
With their leader dead, the pirates were instantly thrown into disarray. In the same moment, the lagging four ships finally arrived. The troops onboard froze at the sight of the battle.
"Prepare for combat!" Minister Gu of the Honglu Temple gave the command, and the four ships quickly sailed toward the area where the flagship had sunk. These ships bore the flags of the Jiangnan Navy. The pirates’ second-in-command noticed this and his face turned pale. These were actual navy warships—what were they doing near the Sannan Border?
"Retreat! Retreat now!"
The pirates couldn’t be entirely blamed for their misunderstanding. The Jiangnan Navy typically stayed within their territories even during training. This area was already at the Sannan Border. If the navy crossed into these waters, it was tantamount to an act of provocation leading to war. Initially, the pirates had assumed these were merchant vessels disguising themselves as navy ships to avoid looting—a common enough occurrence. But now, they’d stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The pirates fled clumsily amidst the storm. Fang Chuning surfaced from the water, surrounded by the bodies of Ningzhou Iron Cavalry soldiers, pirate corpses, scattered debris, and other wreckage.
"Ting Feng... Ting Feng...!"
Amid the rising and falling waves, everyone bobbed helplessly. A massive wave surged past, throwing over a dozen men. Fang Chuning grabbed hold of a floating plank of wood with one hand and caught a soldier being carried away by the current with the other, pinning the soldier firmly onto the floating wood. The soldier was a landlubber, unable to swim; without someone’s help, he would’ve surely drowned.
"Hold onto this! Don’t let go! Our reinforcements have arrived!" Fang Chuning said gravely. As the ships approached to rescue them, Fang Chuning scanned the surface of the water, desperate. "Ting Feng... Ting Feng...!"
While anxiously searching for Xie Jue, he didn’t forget to keep saving other soldiers struggling in the water, managing to bring a few more back from the brink of death.
These men, all poor swimmers, were on the verge of drowning.
Some had swallowed too much seawater and were passed out, completely bedraggled.
"Has anyone seen the Prince?" Fang Chuning asked urgently.
Everyone shook their heads. The battle earlier had been too chaotic, and they had struggled just to stay alive. No one had the capacity to look out for others. Naturally, Xie Jue had been swept into the sea, but where he had gone, no one knew.
Ropes were thrown down from the ships. Mr. Gu called out, "General Fang, come up first."
"Get these men up first!" Fang Chuning, an excellent swimmer, remained in the water, more concerned about finding Xie Jue. His gaze combed over the sea’s scattered forms until he spotted Ying Liu, his heart leaping with hope. "Ying Liu! Ting Feng—where is he? Is he with you?"