Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 181 Twin Dragons

Early that morning, Zhao Yu mustered his troops.

In the Tang Dynasty world, Zhao Yu's core soldiers were mostly salt workers from the salt fields around Gaoyou and Hongze Lake. They were all strong and skilled in water, making them a natural source of naval troops.

And this is the foundation upon which he built his fortune.

To put it bluntly, Zhao Yu was replicating Zhang Shicheng's path to power at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. To build up a force, one must first have a base of support.

Compared to the naive protagonists of the original novel, Zhao Yu is undoubtedly much more mature.

After several days of training, this team of over three thousand people is already on high alert.

"Set off!"

At a command, the naval warships sailed away from the dock in succession and headed west along the waterway.

The infantry advanced side by side along the riverbank, their banners fluttering in the wind.

As the army marched westward, Shi Zhixuan's assassination attempts, like a persistent leech, took advantage of Zhao Yu's distraction and arrived unexpectedly.

Sometimes it was during the night when they were camping, a palm strike would come from the shadows; even worse, during the daytime march, a gray shadow would dart out from the dense forest by the roadside, strike once and then leave.

Each time they managed to catch Zhao Yu off guard, but they always managed to put the entire army on edge.

After this happened many times, Zhao Yu would inevitably end up looking embarrassed and humiliated if he made even the slightest mistake.

After several days, although Zhao Yu was physically unharmed, he was inevitably mentally exhausted.

He knew in his heart that Shi Zhixuan was trying to wear him down, and that he would deliver a fatal blow when Shi Zhixuan was mentally exhausted and revealed a weakness.

Each time Zhao Yu suffered a setback because of this, his resentment towards Shi Zhixuan grew stronger, and along with it, his dissatisfaction with Bai Qing'er also accumulated.

"Soon."

Zhao Yu sat at the bow of the flagship, gazing at the open water ahead, his eyes cold: "Once we deal with Du Fuwei, it will be your turn."

After traveling for another half day, the waterway ahead suddenly widened.

On the west bank of Gaoyou Lake, warships stretched as far as the eye could see, their banners obscuring the sun.

Du Fuwei's Jianghuai Army navy was already lined up and waiting, with hundreds of warships of various sizes densely covering the water surface.

The two armies faced each other across a lake several miles wide, the atmosphere tense and tense.

This is the Ruxukou Waterway west of Gaoyou Lake, which connects to the Huai River in the north and the Yangtze River in the south, serving as a vital waterway between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers.

Du Fuwei occupied Liyang, controlling the north bank of the Yangtze River; Zhao Yu occupied Gaoyou, controlling the Huainan canal transport.

The two forces are intertwined and have deep-seated grudges, and this lake and waterway is the front line of their tug-of-war.

Previously, Zhao Yu was being hunted down by Shi Zhixuan, which gave Du Fuwei an opportunity to test him. However, mobilizing a large army would take time, and only a little over a month later, Zhao Yu returned to fight his way back.

But the two armies have already reached this point, and a battle is inevitable.

Zhao Yu's flagship slowly moved forward and stopped in front of the formation.

On the opposite flagship, a burly man with a resolute face stood at the bow; he was none other than Li Qiankun Du Fuwei, the leader of the Jianghuai Army.

Du Fuwei laughed heartily, his voice carried on the wind, full of vigor: "Brother Zhao! I heard you've gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble lately, being chased and forced to hide. If you don't mind that I'm outnumbered, how about I lead my troops over to help you?"

He spoke with great confidence, but the meaning behind his words was quite obvious.

Kai clearly coveted Zhao Yu's territory and was always thinking of annexing it; of course, Zhao Yu had the same idea.

Zhao Yu did not respond after hearing this. Instead, his gaze passed over Du Fuwei and landed on the two young figures behind him.

Both men were dressed in Jianghuai Army uniforms, standing on either side of Du Fuwei, one with lively eyes and the other calm and reserved.

Despite his young age, he possesses an extraordinary demeanor.

Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling.

At such a young age, yet their bodies are filled with innate energy; it seems only these two could possess such extraordinary cultivation.

Zhao Yu's heart stirred slightly. What a coincidence! He hadn't expected to run into the Twin Dragons here.

However, according to the original story, these two were indeed captured by Du Fuwei and became his godson.

Du Fuwei followed Zhao Yu's gaze, his eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, subtly shielding the two behind him.

He said in a deep voice, "Brother Zhao, you've brought so many men and horses. Do you really intend to start a fight with me? We're neighbors, why ruin our harmony?"

"Brother Du, you flatter me." Zhao Yu smiled and said calmly, "I just heard that Brother Du recently adopted two new sons, young heroes, congratulations! As your neighbor, how could I not come and offer a congratulatory gift?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kou Zhong, who was behind Du Fuwei, rolled his eyes and tugged at Xu Ziling's sleeve.

"Young Master Ling, look at that guy over there. He doesn't seem friendly. If a fight breaks out, shall we run away in the chaos? Staying by Dad's side all the time, he's called an adopted son, but in reality, he's practically a hostage. He has no freedom at all."

Xu Ziling frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "That person opposite me doesn't seem simple. What if it's a trap?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Kou Zhong pouted. "Father has been keeping an eye on us. Even when we're out fighting, he keeps us by his side. If we don't take advantage of the chaos, how will we have a chance to escape? The Yang Gong Treasure Vault is still waiting for us. We can't really be good sons to him, can we?"

Xu Ziling was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Once they made up their minds, Kou Zhong immediately took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Hey! You over there! Don't waste your time! We are our adoptive father's sons. Even if you manage to take it, we will never tell you the secret of Yang Gong's treasure vault! Forget about it!"

After he shouted that, the entire lake became quieter.

Zhao Yu looked at Du Fuwei with a half-smile, and drawled, "Oh? Yang Gong's Treasure Vault? Brother Du, could these two be the two notorious thieves from Yangzhou wanted by the imperial court?"

Du Fuwei's expression changed slightly, and he turned around to glare fiercely at Kou Zhong.

Those two little brats are just causing him trouble.

After the Yangzhou incident, the two petty thugs, Shuanglong, were not exactly famous, but at least they gained some recognition.

These two individuals are known to all the major powers in the world, as they possess the secrets of the Longevity Formula and the Yang Gong Treasure Vault.

He chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "This kid is just talking nonsense after drinking too much. Brother Zhao, don't take it seriously. This so-called Yang Gong Treasure Trove is just a rumor in the martial arts world."

"Rumors?" Zhao Yu sneered. "The younger generation is muddle-headed, but is Brother Du muddle-headed too? These past few days, while I was away, you sent troops to seize my water fortress and set up checkpoints on the waterways to collect taxes. This debt can't be just a rumor, can it?"

Du Fuwei's smile gradually faded: "The world is in chaos now, and the strong rule. Brother Zhao has guarded such a large base, yet he abandoned his men for a mere enemy in the martial world, their fates unknown. What harm is there in me temporarily managing it for you for a few days?"

"Take over?"

Zhao Yu's eyes sharpened: "Then let's see if you have the teeth to swallow my territory!"

"Thump—thump—thump—"

Suddenly, the sound of war drums rang out, their deep beat echoing across the lake.

Both naval warships moved simultaneously, their bows breaking through the lake water as they charged toward each other.

The arrows rained down first, densely blocking out the sunlight, and landed on the deck of the warship, creating a series of crisp sounds.

The Battle of Jianghuai thus began.