Start with a red name

"interesting!"

Yang Qian and Liu Mu had already left, leaving only Geng Xuan in the tent.

At this moment, recalling some of the information Yang Qian had revealed, Geng Xuan's lips curved into a noticeable smile.

It is essential for the Iron Feather Guard and the Dark Night Division to regularly exchange information to avoid "information blind spots".

However, Dong Guan was very concerned about the "purity" of the Iron Feather Guard.

Whether it's outsiders trying to find out what's going on inside, or vice versa, it's a taboo subject.

Coupled with Yu Hou's arrogant personality, he probably never took Yang Qian, who was only at the "mere" second-stage perfection level, seriously.

Therefore, in previous exchanges between the two sides, he only made a perfunctory appearance, and his communication with Yang Qian was handled by his adjutant.

This is also a way to avoid suspicion and protect oneself.

Even if something goes wrong in this step, all that's needed is to send out the adjutant to settle the matter, without harming Marquis Yu in the slightest.

Because of this arrangement, although the two sides met frequently, they never had any real communication.

Yet Yang Qian, the "intelligence chief" and "secret spy" who had always been taken seriously by Marquis Yu, managed to sketch out a "portrait of Marquis Yu" in his mind, albeit not very clear, but still quite substantial, with such limited resources.

Therefore, starting last year, Yu Hou's seemingly "subtle" change, and his "indirect" hints about the southern expedition plan...

All these changes were observed by Yang Qian.

This made the "portrait of Marquis Yu" in Yang Qian's mind suddenly much clearer.

He even used this to understand the changes in Yu Hou's mindset.

This is the true skill of the Dark Night Chief!
Compared to this, the cultivation level of the second realm perfection seems rather insignificant.

Through this incident, Geng Xuan gained a new understanding of Yang Qian's value.

Thinking this, Geng Xuan turned his attention back to Yu Hou.

According to Yang Qian's analysis, this is a guy who thinks highly of himself and looks down on everyone else.

Self-disciplined and frugal.

He had no appetite, nor did he care for beautiful women; fine clothes, mansions... nothing could catch his eye.

He was completely absorbed in his own world.

Before Dong Guan suddenly pulled him out as a "shield" on New Year's Eve last year to block the arrogance of Yang Hu'er, the "Little Tyrant" of Yangzhou, he was practically invisible.

The vast majority of people have no idea who he is, and those who do know him don't really understand him.

If these qualities were possessed by someone whose abilities did not match, they would simply be one of the masses, not even worthy of a second glance.

If all of these abilities were concentrated on Yu Hou, who was personally certified by Dong Guan as possessing the "God of Overlords," then that would be extremely terrifying.

Yang Qian had realized how terrifying this person was even earlier.

"He is not without desires; on the contrary, he has great desires!"

"I don't think he's very loyal to Dong Guan!"

"For such a person, worldly emotional entanglements are completely useless."

Let alone the fact that they are merely adoptive father and son, even if they were truly father and son, if this relationship were to become a hindrance or obstacle, I believe that Marquis Yu would sever it without hesitation!

"In the past, I thought that what Yu Hou was pursuing was only the continuous transcendence of his cultivation realm."

It signifies transcending the Five Realms to achieve perfection and breaking through to the Innate Realm.

"But from some clues that emerged last year, I also saw another pursuit in his heart!"

"Perhaps he wanted to compete with a hero of the time like Yang Hu'er."

Perhaps he was dissatisfied with his current situation. He clearly had talents no less than those of Yang Hu'er, but he had no way to use them and could only waste his time in the Iron Feather Guard.

It could be for other reasons...

"Whatever the reason, Dong Guan's words on New Year's Eve had completely ignited his passion."

Geng Xuan looked at Yang Qian and asked:

"So, what's in it for us?"

Yang Qian said:
"This is an opportunity!"

"If we can give it a push at the right moment, the Iron Feather Guard's 'armor' that Dong Guan wears close to his body and never takes off will become a 'dagger' that is within reach!"

"Dong Guan is inherently suspicious; he has never truly trusted anyone."

"All I need to do is spread my observations and analysis of Yu Hou, and I can immediately create a rift between the two of them!"

"Marquis Yu is by no means a man who would die for loyalty."

"By then, no matter how things develop, we can be a good spectator!"

At that point, there are only four possible outcomes.

Dong Guan killed Yu Hou.

Yu Hou killed Dong Guan.

The two went their separate ways and each lived a peaceful life.

The two perished together.

The possibility of maintaining the status quo, acting as if nothing happened, with Yu Hou continuing as the commander of the Iron Feather Guard and Dong Guan still trusting him as his personal bodyguard, is zero!
By targeting the character of Dong Guanyu and Hou, this is an absolutely intractable and vicious scheme.

Even if both sides knew immediately that this was an enemy's scheme, there was still no way to resolve it.

Yin gives rise to Yang, and the conspiracy becomes an open strategy.

Geng Xuan was tempted for a moment, but just like with Liu Mu's previous proposal of a "surprise attack on Canglan Bay," he suppressed it due to strategic deviation.

However, this is different from the "surprise attack on Canglan Bay," which has an extremely short window of opportunity, and once missed, it is difficult to replicate.

For example, even if Geng Xuan wanted to, it would be difficult for him to achieve this now.

However, Yang Qian's insidious plan remained effective.

It can be done whenever he needs it.

Therefore, although Geng Xuan pressed it down, he did not actually throw it aside.

Instead, I savored and appreciated it carefully in my mind.

This can be considered a trump card; it can be used when necessary.

Geng Xuan was quite flexible in this regard.

"...As for how to use it, there's no need to stick to outdated methods; it can be adjusted flexibly according to the time and situation." Geng Xuan thought to himself in the end.

……

The twentieth day of the first lunar month.

morning.

As usual, the Black Wind Army's ships continued to move back and forth in the "throat waterway".

Like guards clad in armor and wielding halberds, ready for battle.

At its narrowest point, the two banks are only about 30 miles apart. Tens of thousands of cavalrymen have gathered there, and the number is still increasing. Because of this obstruction, they have never been able to "join hands".

Any troop movement must take a much longer route around the Hang River.

Around noon, following the signaling of flags, the boats that had been patrolling in an orderly manner quickly gathered in the southern part of the waterway.

Meanwhile, patrol vessels further south in the waters were rapidly retreating northward.

Not far ahead of the first patrol boat, the once clear water was turning increasingly red, as if stained with blood.

If you look down into the water, you can see hundreds of figures moving back and forth quickly, like nimble fish.

These hundreds of "fish" are divided into two camps: friend and foe.

Each time they moved back and forth, someone was injured, or even killed.

One side was dressed in high-quality, uniform water armor, carrying a rapier suitable for naval warfare, and had tools for scuttling ships at their waist.

On the other hand, some were naked, while others were wearing casual clothes.

Some carried water spikes, while others carried willow-leaf swords.

The former appears to be significantly more standardized and professional.

However, the result of the clash was clearly that the latter had the upper hand. Among those injured or even killed, eight out of ten were those wearing standard water suits and carrying standard water spikes.

Seeing the dire situation, a man also dressed in water gear, holding a water spike in one hand and claw-shaped finger guards on the other, stepped forward.

With eyes wide with rage and his body surging with power, he hurled the water spike in his hand forward with tremendous force.

"Om-"

Those close to him could even hear a strange, humming vibration emanating from the water seeping into their eardrums.

Because of the powerful force, the water resistance had almost no effect on the speed and trajectory of the water jets.

It pierced through a person's chest in the blink of an eye.

What puzzled this man was that his attack had clearly dealt a fatal blow to the enemy in front of him. The chest was pierced through from front to back, and even if the internal organs were not completely shattered, they were basically broken, and the enemy was doomed.

But he didn't see any fear on the man's face; instead, the man winked and smiled at him.

Like a fox that has succeeded in its scheme.

The next moment, he saw a figure suddenly appear in front of him.

It appeared suddenly, like a ghost.

No, it's not a ghost.

Instead, taking advantage of his distraction, they quickly leaped out from the waters further below that he had overlooked.

Using both hands and feet, they moved with lightning speed.

A dagger was held in its mouth.

Just as the two were almost face to face and close to each other, the dagger was already in his hand.

As the two passed each other amidst the lightning, the dagger was already back in the figure's mouth.

The figure continued to move nimbly through the water, using both hands and feet.

Behind and below him in the water, a figure was bubbling from his mouth, clutching his throat and kicking desperately, but blood kept seeping from between his fingers, quickly staining a large area of ​​the water red.

Anyone familiar with him would admire his peak Marrow Refinement level strength.

And now, such a powerful being has silently and pathetically sunk to the darker, deeper depths of the water.

The figure fighting with a dagger in his hand was none other than Ruan Ruizhe, the leader of the shipyard.

He moved quickly in and out of the water, nimbly going up and down.

They kept reaping one life after another.

Naval warfare is different from land warfare.

Even if the two sides are of equal cultivation, it is difficult to determine a winner after hundreds of rounds of fighting on land.

However, in water, life and death can be decided in an instant.

Using land warfare thinking to deal with naval warfare is a major taboo.

It's not just the difference between having water and not having water.

Land battles can basically be viewed as clashes taking place on a two-dimensional plane.

However, underwater combat is three-dimensional.

It has not only front, back, left, and right distinctions, but also up and down distinctions.

Simply being a "good swimmer" and able to stay underwater for a long time is just the most basic requirement.

In the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states, the groups most skilled in naval warfare are almost all concentrated in the Xuanqing Sea, and the vast majority of them are former water bandits.

Now, this entire group is serving in the "Black Wind Army".

Soon, Ruan Ruizhe led a group of skilled boatmen to eliminate the entire group of "water ghosts" who were trying to sabotage the ship.

Among them, two of the "water ghosts" were at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage, at the same level as him.

Given his weak foundation, he lost more often than he won in land battles.

However, underwater, both of them easily lost their lives at his hands.

After completing this task, Ruan Ruizhe did not lead the group to surface nearby.

Reminded by their companions, they looked towards the waters to the south.

At this moment, ships were already coming into their view from the southern waters and were rapidly approaching them.

The nearest ship was less than 100 meters away from them.

If they were to surface at this moment, they would be met with a barrage of arrows.

Fortunately, their own boat was only about 100 meters behind them.

After retreating from this area, they have established a foothold and have not retreated further.

Furthermore, even more ships are gathering in the waters further north.

Given their swimming ability, they could easily dive underwater and then surface to board the ship.

Ruan Ruizhe, along with a group of skilled sailors and several seriously wounded men, quickly evacuated underwater before the enemy ships from the south entered the area.

As they approached the bottom of their own fleet, they passed another group of underwater escorts.

Ruan Ruizhe had some of the weaker men carry the seriously injured onto the ship from the back.

He then briefly surfaced to breathe before diving back down.

Their primary duty was to protect their own ships from being destroyed by enemy "water ghosts".

Just as Ruan Ruizhe and his men were on guard underwater, they saw that the enemy fleet was about to get close to their own fleet.

One by one, figures dressed in wetsuits leaped into the water from the enemy ship like dumplings.

Ruan Ruizhe exchanged glances with his companions, made a few simple gestures with his fingers, and then immediately darted out like a fish, actively approaching the enemy.

The underwater battle quickly unfolded.

Its brutality surpasses even that of the fierce battles on the water.

In terms of naval warfare alone, Ruan Ruizhe and his subordinates completely defeated their opponents.

But the number of people on the other side was greater than theirs.

New enemy ships continued to enter the battlefield.

The sounds of dumplings being cooked continued unabated.

After defeating several powerful enemies, he also took the opportunity to use his strength to cause devastating damage to the bottom of two enemy ships.

Despite achieving such a victory, Ruan Ruizhe had no choice but to lead his team to voluntarily withdraw from the waters.

Because he had been closely monitoring the changes in the water level, he discovered that his own fleet was retreating northward.

The others all looked somber.

Knowing the truth, Ruan Ruizhe was much calmer, but he still dared not be careless in the slightest.

Soon, he led his men into the waters beneath their own ship, where they passed another group of their own men.

The person leading this group was none other than Yu Qiuhe.

She was the only one on our side who was seriously and properly dressed in a swimsuit.

However, this "proper" water jacket looked rather improper on her.

Ruan Ruizhe couldn't help but mourn for her enemies.

Seeing such a seductive body underwater would inevitably distract any man.

However, this is absolutely fatal on the battlefield where life and death hang in the balance.

With Yu Qiuhe's shrewdness, she would never let such an opportunity slip by.

"Was it intentional? It must have been intentional, right?"

"They'll stop at nothing to win!"

Ruan Ruizhe couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

He thought of Yu Qiuhe's theory of "seductive women flirting with men," which could be considered a way of putting theory into practice—right? (End of Chapter)