Start with a red name

Ruan Ruizhe's figure was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, suddenly rising high from underwater and leaping out of the water.

When my feet landed lightly, I was already on the deck.

The moment he emerged from the water, it was as if a completely different world had opened up before him.

The intense shouts of battle filled his surroundings and instantly reached his ears.

As he landed on the deck and observed the situation, figures leaped out of the water behind him and stood on the deck around him.

Some were still panting heavily, recovering their energy after exhausting themselves.

Some, however, followed Ruan Ruizhe's figure and charged towards the enemy ship's boarding point.

In naval warfare, as long as the ship remains safe, the real deciding factor is boarding maneuvers.

Faced with enemy ships that suddenly attacked from the Hanghe River, the Black Wind Army's response was undeniably tenacious.

Reinforcements continued to arrive from the Xuanqinghai waters in the north.

This effectively became a piecemeal tactic.

The other side, however, was well-prepared and had been preparing for this attack for a long time, making it powerful and heavy.

Although the "Black Wind Army" managed to maintain the overall situation from collapse, in terms of killing efficiency alone, it was even more effective than the enemy ships coming from the south.

However, if we look at the changes along the entire battle line, we can clearly see that the Black Wind Army's fleet is being "pressed" by the southward fleet and is constantly retreating to the northern waters.

On the other hand, as the Black Wind Army's fleet continued to retreat northward, coupled with the continuous arrival of reinforcements from the north, the situation became increasingly dire.

Both the number of ships and the size of the troops are getting stronger and stronger.

The response became increasingly relaxed.

The powerful blow that came from the Hanghe River was gradually worn down in the ongoing response.

This stalemate, with one side forcing the other to retreat, lasted for a long time.

As night fell, the two sides ceased their northward movement in the waters where they had been fighting.

One side was exhausted and out of strength, while the other side barely managed to establish a foothold.

After several gongs, both sides tacitly agreed to cease hostilities and retreated several hundred paces to distance themselves from the enemy ships.

Yet they didn't actually turn around and leave.

Both sides seemed ready to wait until dawn so they could continue their visits.

If we broaden our perspective further, we will find that the waters where the two sides are at a truce are located at the narrowest point of the "throat" of the "throat waterway".

The left and right banks were the original garrisons of the "Water Gate Army".

The temporary base and docks have been brought back to life.

With a force far exceeding that of the "Watergate Army" era, they were already on high alert.

Dong Guan personally came to the shore, followed by a group of trusted high-ranking officials, gazing at the dark water in the distance.

The firelight from the distant ship, after traversing more than ten miles of empty space, had become like flickering fireflies.

The shouts of battle carried by the wind had become as faint as mosquitoes.

If not carefully examined, this slight noise would be lost in the grand backdrop of the world.

Originally, the situation was very unfavorable to our side because the enemy ships controlled the "choke point" of the waterway, cutting off both banks.

After several days of preparation, the fleet assembled in the Hanghe River area pushed northward with all its might.

Under the relentless attack, disregarding casualties, the situation on our side suddenly became clear.

By tomorrow, our fleet will advance a further distance and connect with the forces on both sides of the strait, thus regaining control of the "choke point".

It can also form an "iron chain across the river" formation, completely locking the enemy forces within the Xuanqing Sea.

But their journey will never stop here.

After regaining control of the "choke point," they will "go further" and quickly push the battle line north to the "Night Light Island" line.

By then, the enemy's situation will become increasingly dire.

The room for maneuver will become increasingly smaller.

According to the deductions made by Dong Guan and his confidants, in order for the enemy to break out of this predicament, they would have to launch a strong attack and breach at least one side of the waterway.

This prevented the "iron chain across the river" situation from taking shape.

Only in this way can the two sides continue their "evenly matched" standoff in this area of ​​water.

Although, as time goes by, our forces continue to fill this area, the enemy, lacking any lasting foundation, will eventually lose this false support completely.

But at least they can struggle a little longer.

"This is your only chance, this one night!"

Dong Guan harbored a faint sense of anticipation for this.

After analysis, they believed that the enemy would most likely avoid the eastern bank of Xuanzhou, where he was stationed, and instead choose the more vulnerable western bank of Youzhou as their target.

But only they themselves knew that in recent days, they had been transporting troops through the Hang River waterway and continuously reinforcing the seemingly weaker west bank.

If the enemy really thinks of it as an easy target, then things will get interesting.

After gazing quietly at the distant water from the shore for a while, Dong Guan turned and walked towards the barracks.

"We can't wait for him here all night, let's go back."

His trusted confidants, who were with him, also turned and left.

After walking a few steps, Dong Guan suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Have any members of Shadowwind Hall returned?"

The people following behind him exchanged glances and then shook their heads slightly.

One person replied softly, "They're not back yet...we might have to wait a while."

"..." Dong Guan suddenly stopped, and after a few breaths, he suddenly said:
"They might not come back, right?"

"..."

No one responded, but as soon as he said that, everyone behind him lowered their eyes and held their breath, as if afraid of offending Dong Guan.

Dong Guan didn't say anything more and strode towards the barracks.

It controls the two states of Xuan and You, and governs a population of tens of millions.

Coupled with his formidable martial arts skills, he is a unique figure in the present-day Kyushu, attracting numerous talented individuals from other states who come to seek him out.

Those who are talented and skilled in cultivation, those who are not skilled in cultivation but have a good mind, are good at strategizing, planning, and managing, or those who have other special skills...

The vast majority of talented individuals can be put to good use.

However, there are always some that are not so easy to integrate into the mainstream system.

Generally speaking, cultivators are assigned to different "slots" based on their cultivation level and abilities.

However, there are always some cultivators who, apart from having exceptional talent for cultivation, possess no other abilities, or who are obsessed with cultivation and have no desire for power or status...

Those with exceptional individual abilities will be recruited into the "Shadow Wind Hall".

He was usually taken care of by Dong Guan, and apart from cultivation, he didn't have to worry about or do anything else.

Only occasionally would Dong Guan give them some "simple" tasks, like stretching their muscles, killing someone, or running errands.

These individuals are all highly capable, and in the right context, they can be used more conveniently and flexibly than mobilizing the army.

This time, before the water battle even began, Dong Guan gave "Shadow Wind Hall" a task.

——【Taking advantage of the chaos of the battle, capture some prisoners for me】 Up to now, the "Black Wind Army" is still an information black box for Dong Guan, and his understanding of it is very limited.

Dong Guan then thought that he should take advantage of this opportunity to arrange for "Yingfengtang" to capture some "terrorists" in the chaos and gain a better understanding of the enemy.

But now, the water battle that lasted from day to night has ended, yet not a single member of "Shadow Wind Hall" has returned, which is a bit—

Dong Guan silently entered the military camp.

The people following behind him exchanged glances, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts.

They knew a bit about "Shadowwind Hall" and there were quite a few strong fighters there.

Even those who have reached the second or third realm of perfection are not uncommon.

"Master of Shadowwind Hall" is also a master who has reached the peak of the fourth realm.

Now, it's as if they've all drowned in a vast expanse of water. So much time has passed, and not a single one has returned. It's hard not to have some doubts in everyone's hearts.

As everyone waited with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, the night of the 20th of the first lunar month gradually passed.

As the sky gradually brightened, the sunlight of the new day shone into the military camp and onto the water.

In a daze, everyone realized that a new day had arrived so peacefully.

Nothing happened that night.

—If the enemy attacks the opposite bank, even if there are enemy ships blocking their way and they cannot immediately provide assistance, according to the prior agreement, the other side will immediately set off a raging fire, allowing them to see the anomaly from more than 30 miles away.

But in reality, nothing happened; it was so quiet it felt unreal.

With a stern face, Dong Guan once again walked out of the military camp and headed towards the dock on the shore.

Behind him, a group of people followed silently.

Just as they were gathering on the shore, several assault boats rushed toward the shore from afar.

When the boat was still dozens of steps from the shore, a figure leaped high into the air and jumped off the boat.

As it landed, its form had already traversed dozens of steps through the void, landing at the edge of the dock.

Although this person cleverly used the momentum of the boat's charge to leap, it still demonstrates his extraordinary ability.

As soon as he stood still, he bowed deeply to Dong Guan, looking as if he were begging for forgiveness.

Dong Guan, his face grim, asked, "What offense are you apologizing for... What happened?!"

"...The enemy is gone."

"The enemy... is gone? What do you mean?" Dong Guan was stunned for a moment, seemingly still not quite understanding.

The person who was confessing said in a deep voice:
"Just now, as dawn broke, we began preparing for today's offensive, intending to completely drive the enemy out of the waterway."

But even though we had already started our operation, the enemy ships remained motionless.

I immediately realized something was wrong and rushed over to check, and that's when I discovered it.

"Apart from the dozen or so ships facing us directly, the enemy's waters were already completely empty."

...When the retreat was halted last night, the enemy fleet, including wagons and ramming boats, clearly exceeded one hundred ships.

"Those dozen or so ships were also completely empty."

It was an empty boat, not a soul in sight.

After listening to the person in front of him recount what had happened, Dong Guan realized what had occurred and felt a sense of emptiness, as if he had stepped into thin air or punched cotton, along with an inexplicable feeling of panic.

The enemy's response did not follow the expected rhythm, which inevitably made people uneasy.

His face was so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water.

Looking down at the person in front of him, a surge of negative emotions welled up from the bottom of his heart and poured directly onto that person's head.

"...Are you all brainless idiots? You didn't even notice the enemy ran away right in front of you? You're only coming to apologize to me now, where were you then?" Dong Guan cursed.

The man kneeling and begging for forgiveness, upon hearing his scolding, lowered his posture even further and explained with some grievance:

"After the fierce fighting last night and during the day, everyone's physical and mental strength were greatly depleted. In order to make progress, we disregarded casualties and suffered considerable losses."

The cessation of hostilities was both a time for rest and recuperation, and also a time to wait for a new batch of reinforcements to arrive from the Hang River.

Even so, we maintained a low-intensity naval battle with the enemy throughout the first half of the night.

We have also been paying close attention to the movements of enemy ships.

It wasn't until late at night, when the steam began to rise and everyone was exhausted, that things calmed down for an hour or two.

...Who knew they were so cunning, waiting for this opportunity to slip away right under our noses.

Dong Guan squinted at his subordinate, who was still complaining, and angrily shouted:
"Fool, you really think they slipped away an hour or two before dawn?"

The man kneeling to beg for forgiveness was taken aback. He suddenly looked up at Dong Guan, his eyes filled with confusion, and hesitated to speak.

From his perspective, there had been enemies fighting them all along. If the enemies had already fled at that time, then the ones fighting them couldn't have been a bunch of dead ghosts, right?

Seeing how dense he was, Dong Guan had no patience to explain to him in detail and immediately said:
"What are you waiting for? Immediately send someone to check the other side."

His biggest worry right now is that the other side has already fallen into enemy hands.

If this really happens, it would be tantamount to mocking him in person.

Shortly after the man hurriedly got up, boarded the boat, and quickly sailed to the opposite bank.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw several riders rushing towards them from the north.

The moment Dong Guan saw the riders appear in his sight from afar, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly settled down.

He felt a sharp "thump" in his heart, and his heart skipped several beats.

The riders stopped a short distance away and quickly dismounted from their Xuanyou horses.

From afar, one of them knelt down before Dong Guan and shouted:

"Your Majesty, all fifteen post stations, including Jianning, Shiping, and Dongdu, were attacked last night!"

The names "Jianning," "Shiping," and "Dongdu" mentioned by this person are all names of the post stations of the Iron Cavalry on the east coast of Xuanqinghai.

Although the post station had been completely destroyed long ago when the "Black Wind Army" swept through the coast of Xuanqing Sea.

However, as Dong Guan deployed more troops to the area around Xuanqinghai, these areas returned to Dong Guan's control.

Although the scale of each cavalry unit was not large, they were interconnected like beads on a chain, closely linked and responding to every single one.

If any area is attacked, the other areas will be immediately notified and respond promptly.

Like iron chains, they tightly bound the behemoth that was the "Black Wind Army" within the Xuanqing Sea.

Originally, according to his initial plan and ideal scenario, the military strength at these fifteen post stations would have been stronger than it is now.

However, considering that the fighting here was fierce and the enemy was likely to launch a strong attack and land, he transferred some troops from these post stations nearby to reinforce this place, thereby weakening the other place.

As a result, his actions created a weak point in the chain.

Dong Guan's expression changed, and he hurriedly asked, "Was the loss significant?"

"The entire army was wiped out." The person who reported hesitated for a moment before quickly replying truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Dong Guan couldn't help but sway slightly.

next moment--

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out. (End of Chapter)