Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 848 Gathering
The head steward suddenly felt the ship shake, and the next moment, the ship veered to one side.

"Hold the catapult steady, continue..."

The head steward's voice was interrupted as he slammed heavily onto the deck. If this continued, they wouldn't last until tomorrow before being scattered by the imperial warships.

"Manager, we have a fleet of ships."

A shout brought the head manager back to his senses. He immediately turned around and saw a fleet of ships heading straight towards them through a thin mist.

Are those reinforcements?

The head manager was full of anticipation, hoping that it was Lao Ba who had gone to call for reinforcements, but the next moment, he saw the Liang flag fluttering in the wind, and next to it was a large flag with the character "王" (Wang, meaning king).

The head steward's heart sank to the bottom. The only member of the Wang family in the Liang Dynasty could be Wang Yan.

With his last bit of strength drained from his body, the head steward tried to get up but fell down again. The wound on his shoulder reopened, and blood flowed down.

Not only the head manager, but everyone on the owner's fleet who saw the fleet was stunned, their faces showing a look of dejection.

No one can escape it.

The head steward clenched his fist and suddenly shouted, "Sink Wang Yan's warship! Even if we die, we'll take them down with us!"

But no one listened to his orders, because they knew that the head steward had gone mad.

Wang Yan's fleet hadn't even reached their attack range yet, and... could they really sink ships that hadn't suffered any damage? Even if they charged in recklessly, they would first collide with Zhang Heng's warships and Xie's merchant ships.

They can only die by their own choice.

"beat."

The head manager's eyes turned red, and he spoke sternly again.

Upon hearing this, the attendants around him numbly threw stones, but the stones didn't fly far before landing around their own fleet.

The rocks, helplessly sinking in the sea, seemed to be mocking them. Many people's spirits collapsed completely at this moment, and some even jumped overboard to save themselves.

Seeing that the fleet, which had just been barely holding its own against the imperial court, had suddenly lost its fighting capacity, Zhang Heng naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He shouted, "Quick...shoot arrows...keep throwing firearms!"

At a command, the fleet's attack became even more swift.

Zhang Heng smiled broadly. He hadn't expected Wang Yan to arrive so quickly. Could it be that he had already dealt with the rebels?
Regardless, it truly gave him a chance to win.

……

Wang Yan saw Guo Xiong standing at the bow of the boat. Although Guo Xiong was injured, he was still in good spirits.

"Young master," Guo Xiong said urgently, without addressing Wang Yan by his official title, "Madam has gone to arrest the master, you must go and help her."

Wang Yan frowned and asked, "Where did they go?"

Guo Xiong pointed to a small island not far away: "Madam... has landed on the island with dozens of people. Just now... I think I heard the sound of firearms exploding."

There is no doubt that there are firearms on the island, but it is unknown whether the old lady brought them or the owner made preparations in advance.

Wang Yan looked at Sang Zhi beside him: "Leave ten ships to assist Zhang Heng in battle, and the remaining ships to surround the surrounding waters. Each ship should then send manpower to try to land on the island from all sides."

"Go quickly to muster your troops, and now come with me to the shore by boat."

……

Thick smoke billowed from the island, and craters of all sizes were blown into the ground. The Er Dong chieftain and his clansmen who were leading the way had been blown beyond recognition.

Several other people were rolling on the ground screaming in agony.

The landlord had ambushed people near the second secret passage. Just as Xie Yuyan and his group were about to approach, they were about to light their firearms. Unexpectedly, Xie Yuyan suddenly ordered everyone to stop and check the surroundings first.

Fearing they would miss the opportunity, the owner of the house quickly lit his firearms and threw them at Xie Yuyan and the others.

The men Xie Yuyan brought were all able to obey her orders and retreat swiftly, avoiding being caught in the crossfire. But the islanders were different. They couldn't understand the language of Daliang and were naturally warlike. They rushed into the secret passage without waiting for instructions and were naturally hit by the gunpowder.

Su Man stepped aside and immediately looked at Madam Xie. Seeing that Madam Xie was safe and sound, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Yuyan would not rashly enter the master's hiding place. The Second Dong had made such a big commotion, the master would definitely have left some people behind to ambush them.

Just as the islanders were about to rescue their people, a volley of arrows suddenly shot out from the forest, hitting two more people.

The second chieftain shouted for his people to hide, but at that moment, even more people rushed out of the forest. Xie Yuyan saw clearly that some islanders were mixed in with the crowd.

The islanders are easy to spot: they have thin, dark faces and expressions full of vigilance and wildness.

The Second Cave Master clearly noticed this as well, his face filled with anger.

Listening to the Second Cave Chief's loud shouts, Xie Yuyan could roughly guess what he was saying. There was another, even more powerful cave chief on this island, and it was clear that the host had invited that person to help.

The owner must have money and other valuables, which will surely entice the people on the island.

Xie Yuyan had anticipated this, which is why he was in such a hurry to go to the island. With the islanders as cover, the owner was able to escape from here quietly.

The two groups of people were locked in a fierce battle.

Xie Yuyan looked at Su Man: "We need to find a boss before dark."

Even if they take over the entire island after dark, it will be too late, not to mention they simply don't have enough manpower.

Therefore, we must find a way to escape and head straight for the lair of the chieftain, where our master must be.

Su Man hesitated. He wasn't afraid of the risk of leading men to capture his master, but he was worried that no one would be there to protect Madam... what if something went wrong...

“Send someone to call Zhao Zhongliang,” Su Man said. “There’s still some time before dark. If the militia comes to help, we’ll be more confident.”

Xie Yuyan knew what Su Man was thinking and was about to speak when he heard a whistle.

Su Man's eyes lit up: "My lord has arrived."

The whistle coming from the shore was different from usual; it was exceptionally crisp and high-pitched, like an arrow "whooshing" through the sky.

Xie Yuyan immediately looked at Su Man: "Hold them off until He Chun arrives."

This time, Su Man did not hesitate and rushed into the crowd.

Xie Yuyan hid behind the rocks to avoid being injured by arrows that were suddenly shot at her. At this point, her martial arts skills were really of no use, but she pulled up her sleeve to reveal the wrist guards tied to them, which had two poisoned darts on them, which could be used to defend herself in critical moments.

The poison on the arrowhead was something Duan Dalang had concocted while making pills at Baode Temple. When Duan Dalang took it out, his master pretended not to see it, but in his heart he must have recited the Ksitigarbha Sutra countless times.

War broke out again, but unlike in her previous life, she had many people she could rely on.

“A-Yan”.

A voice sounded from behind him. Xie Yuyan turned around and saw that familiar figure. After confirming her location, he quickened his pace and rushed to her, then held her tightly behind him.

His gaze followed her, scrutinizing her from head to toe, before his furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Wang Yan had many questions he wanted to ask, but now was not the time, and he couldn't afford to waste too much time.

“I’m fine,” Wang Yan said before Xie Yuyan could speak. “I killed the Duke of Wei, the rebels were all captured, and my brother is cleaning up the mess.”

Xie Yuyan opened her mouth: "Are you injured?"

“No,” Wang Yan said, then immediately added, “I had the ships surround this area; as long as he’s here, he can’t escape.”

Xie Yuyan said decisively, "He is here. Madam Wu confirmed that the master is Jiang Ruming. He is probably hiding in the residence of the chieftain on this island."

"Wait for me," Wang Yan nodded and whispered, "I will definitely bring him here."

Xie Yuyan nodded.

The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and before they could even exchange a few words, they had to part ways again.

Wang Yan handed the bronze whistle in his hand to Xie Yuyan: "After I left the mountains and forests back then, I searched everywhere for you but couldn't find you. I was filled with regret at that time. If only I could leave you a bronze whistle."

"As long as you blow it, I will definitely be able to find you."

"Later I made this myself, and now I can finally deliver it to you."

Xie Yuyan gripped the bronze whistle tightly in his hand.

“If you discover anything suspicious, blow the whistle,” Wang Yan said, staring intently at Xie Yuyan, “and I will come back to you.”

(End of this chapter)