Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play

Chapter 793 - 771: The Border

Ying Liu was engaged in close combat and was not with Xie Jue. Xie Jue had always been protected by Ying Er. Fang Chuning was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. The seawater was icy cold and pierced to the bone, and his eyes stung in the wind and waves. His heart felt empty. There were too many casualties in today’s battle. It was everyone’s first experience with a naval battle. They were all flesh and blood—how could they withstand such waves and stabbings? If swept into the whirlpools of the sea, what were Ting Feng’s chances of survival?

Several ships were picking up people, whether dead or alive. Almost everyone was hauled onboard. Some pirates were also saved and detained. The waves were too large to keep drifting at sea. After the nearby soldiers were rescued, they climbed up along the ropes, urgently asking for Xie Jue’s whereabouts. The ship he was on didn’t have Xie Jue. The ships were very scattered. The waves were so large it was hard to communicate. Such waves wouldn’t have overturned the ships if not encountering pirates. They surely couldn’t drift away quickly. Just now, several waves pushed many soldiers far away. All must be rescued before leaving this sea area. While worrying about Xie Jue, Fang Chuning ordered a headcount of the corpses. Every soldier had an identification tag. Among those they hauled up, sixteen were dead. Several were severely injured and unconscious in the seawater, not in a good state after being saved. The ship was full of the wounded. The storm looked like it was going to continue. An old sailor suggested Fang Chuning anchor as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Fang Chuning saw someone waving a red ribbon on the right-hand ship. Fang Chuning’s heart settled—that was the signal between him and Xie Jue when in Beiman. Xie Jue was safe, just separated from him.

Fang Chuning ordered another check not to miss anyone. After confirming all were rescued, they left this sea area.

The storm lasted for more than an hour. The closer they got to Sannan, the smaller the waves became. The storm gradually subsided. After calming down, Fang Chuning did not pursue accountability. After all, the separation of ships was not anyone’s fault, and encountering such extreme weather was incidental. Since it was a pirate attack, this matter wouldn’t end just like that.

One crew member knew the pirates’ hometown. They were bandits on a mountain fortress established on an island, where about twenty thousand people lived. The island was not all pirates, just their base. Most were ordinary civilians residing there. Pirates would look for prey at sea, returning to the island to rest. If officials sent troops to attack, they would leave by boat, drifting at sea. Their sea life experience exceeded that of the navy, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, making capture difficult. The Jiangnan Navy and Sannan attempted several sieges, all to no avail. Neither country could displace the island’s civilians. Hence, the pirates grew increasingly rampant, making it hard for trade ships to travel.

"If they think they can brush this heist off as casually as usual, they’re gravely mistaken. I will avenge my brothers!" Fang Chuning’s expression conveyed a coldness soaked in wind and rain. He hadn’t yet tallied the casualties. The exact number would be known upon landing. Even if only one person died or was injured, he wouldn’t let these pirates off easily.

"General, such rampant piracy indeed cannot be indulged, but organizing a siege is very difficult, and currently, on a mission to Sannan, it’s inconvenient to besiege them."

"I know!"

The mission to Sannan required completing tasks at the fastest speed, escorting Xie Jue safely back to the capital. Other matters had to be put aside. Even with the pirate encounter and battle, they could only temporarily let it go, enduring it for a few months, and account for it later.

Three thousand men, none of them were navy. To confront experienced pirates was unrealistic. Fang Chuning was deeply unwilling, feeling both grief and sorrow looking at the soldiers’ bodies.

For this mission, he carefully selected elite members of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, some personally led by him. After years of battles in Ningzhou, the battlefield had finally calmed, allowing them to retire and live peacefully. He never imagined encountering a slaughter so soon after setting out for Sannan, even before reaching the border. Many comrades’ lives were lost at sea, unable to return home.

He was grieved but couldn’t show it. Fang Chuning thought, Ting Feng felt even worse. He wanted to reach the Sannan border quickly, which is why they took the water route.

Everyone said pirates would avoid the Jiangnan Navy. The journey was expected to be smooth, and no one anticipated this calamity.

The ship docked. Han Ziqi had already brought people to the port to greet Xie Jue and Fang Chuning’s group. Han Ziqi was now the Sannan Crown Prince. His presence to welcome them showed how much King of Sangnan valued the mission.

As they approached the border, the mission regrouped. The ship carrying Xie Jue sailed in front.

Han Ziqi frowned and asked the official beside him, "Weren’t there five ships when Beining’s group departed from Yangzhou?"

"Yes, intelligence indicates there were five ships."

Han Ziqi wondered, then where was the other ship?