In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

In other words, the coordinates are correct, and the route is also correct; it's just a matter of how to operate it.

Also.

The pirate crew also began to frequently send out men to monitor and reconnoiter the refuge.

It seems that because of what happened last time, many of their people died, and they couldn't hold back any longer, wanting to take revenge when the opportunity arose.

This also became an accelerator for Li Yuanchang to seize control of the island. As the saying goes, the first to strike wins. After planning many times, he decided to take action!

December 1st.

A light drizzle was falling on Tsushima Island, making the roads extremely muddy. A gloomy atmosphere enveloped the entire island, and the damp, cold air caused mist to rise from the dense forest.

This morning, the Imperial Guards of the Tent Palace were officially mobilized!

This does not include the seriously wounded and the sailors.

A total of sixty people were mobilized, divided into three teams, while the rest stayed behind at the shelter.

The sound of mud splashing everywhere rang out, the branches of the dense forest swayed constantly, and figures like cheetahs darted past, more agile than primitive humans.

Led by Li Yuanchang, the team traversed dense forests, climbed slopes and ridges, and took a detour the entire way.

Each person was tied with a rope to prevent them from falling or falling behind.

Meanwhile, the pirate crew's hideout was completely unaware of this.

The first half of the road is the same as entering the residential area, but the second half is different. Li Yuanchang needs to go from the east side of Tsushima Island all the way to the northwest corner.

They couldn't take the normal route because the island was full of pirates, and if they were discovered, the locals would tip them off.

Once the enemy is tipped off, the objective of the surprise attack becomes difficult to achieve.

This resulted in a longer travel time; the team spent the entire morning traveling before finally arriving at their destination.

The drizzle continued, the fog lingered, and the sky was overcast.

Li Yuanchang and his men appeared on a mountaintop, with binoculars sticking out from the grass to look down.

Through the mist, a huge stone cave could be vaguely seen, resembling a skull, which was extremely eerie.

"Your Highness, this is it."

"Last time, when I scouted the route, I stopped here. If we continue down, we'll encounter those pirates."

"This rainforest is full of traps, and there are some sentry posts over there."

Li Yuanchang nodded, his whole body soaked through, and he was now observing carefully.

"Is there another entrance?"

Everyone looked at the one-eyed man whose hands were tied.

The one-eyed man said cautiously, "On the side, that road is narrower, and no one usually goes there, but there are quite a few people guarding it."

Li Yuanchang tried hard to see, but this direction was blocked.

"Guo Chao, take a team of men and go around to that cave entrance. If any pirates try to escape, use crossbows to block them."

"They are unarmored; twenty repeating crossbows are enough to suppress one exit."

"Once we arrive, hang a piece of cloth on the tree so I can see it through my telescope."

"yes!"

Guo Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute, then acted swiftly, leading a group of men and disappearing down the wet mountain path.

Li Yuanchang, along with his two teams, waited quietly in place.

Due to the bad weather, he was unable to spot the pirates outside the cave, only vaguely sensing that some people were going in and out.

About an hour later, a black flag suddenly appeared on a large tree on the opposite hillside.

The flag is barely noticeable on such a cloudy day unless you look closely, but it cannot escape the detection of a telescope.

Upon receiving this signal, Li Yuanchang acted decisively and immediately.

"Walk!"

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of mud from the ground and smeared it all over his body, trying to make himself look like a pirate as much as possible.

At medium to long distances, if the other party sees it, they will assume it's one of their own.

Unless you're very close, you can't see anything at all on a cloudy day like this with light rain.

Forty guards followed suit, disguising themselves with mud and vines to make themselves look more like pirates.

Then everyone descended the mountain and officially entered the final stretch of the journey.

This short stretch of road is also the most dangerous, with traps and sentry posts; you can be detected if you're not careful.

Li Yuanchang held the one-eyed dragon down with one hand to prevent him from suddenly running away and calling for help, and also to make him clear the way in front of him so that he wouldn't be led into a trap.

The patter of rain, along with the soft sounds of footsteps and heartbeats, became the main melody in everyone's ears.

Everyone was watching their step carefully, wary of pirates that might suddenly appear ahead.

The two-mile stretch was walked with unusual tension.

Unexpectedly, with the one-eyed man leading the way, they avoided a single trap and made great progress, encountering only one sentry post.

The pirates inside were also dozing off, and were easily dealt with by the guards.

A huge natural stone cave gradually came into Li Yuanchang's view. The entrance to this natural cave was a masterpiece of nature, and it was basically half the size of the main gate of Xuanwu Gate.

Warhorses and carriages can almost all drive in.

A group of samurai pirates were stationed here, guarding the entrance, surrounded by piles of bones and debris.

Li Yuanchang gestured for everyone to squat down, but he accidentally stepped on a bone, which broke instantly after being decayed for many years.

boom!

The sound, neither too loud nor too soft, drew the attention of the pirates at the cave entrance.

Immediately, everyone tensed up and hid in the rainforest.

The one-eyed man's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes darted around, and he stared intently at the pirate at the cave entrance, but the cold touch on his neck made him dare not move an inch.

From the pirates' perspective, the dense forest appeared normal, with nothing out of the ordinary.

They only glanced at it a few times and ultimately did not come over to search, seemingly not wanting to get wet in the rain.

As they continued with their tasks, crossbows slowly emerged from the rain-soaked weeds, the overcast sky obscuring the gleam of their arrowheads.

Li Yuanchang also drew his bow, preparing to fire a follow-up shot, just in case.

He nodded slightly.

Bang bang bang!

Dozens of crossbows were pulled simultaneously, and a dense and rapid barrage of arrows was unleashed in an instant, giving the enemy almost no chance to react.

When they hear the piercing sound, their brains react, but their bodies haven't yet made any move, and the arrows are already at the ready.

puff puff puff...

Blood splattered everywhere as nearly twenty pirate warriors were riddled with bullets and collapsed to the ground, their faces contorted in pain.

The sound of falling to the ground is almost negligible on rainy days.

Only one pirate, who was urinating behind a rock, heard the commotion. He turned around in surprise, and before he could even pull up his pants, he saw all his companions lying in pools of blood, convulsing.

His eyes widened in horror; he didn't even bother to pull up his pants before he was about to call for help.

In that instant, the guards of the inner palace tensed up, and none of them noticed that there was a pirate behind the rock.

At the last second, whoosh!

puff……

An arrow, like a rainbow piercing the sun, precisely struck the pirate, piercing his neck and silencing him from his gaping mouth.

He clutched his throat tightly with both hands, his eyes filled with unbearable pain, and collapsed to the ground.

"quick!"

Li Yuanchang put away his bow and arrows.

The guards' eyes sharpened, and they decisively rushed out of their cover, slashing at the struggling pirate on the ground.