Hot flashes

As midnight approached, a sudden north wind rose, sweeping across the Canglan River and pushing the waves higher. The howling wind drowned out all the slightest sounds along the riverbank.

All the lights in the north bank camp were extinguished, except for a few generals' flags fluttering in the deep night on the central hill, like the silent breathing of a lurking beast.

Xiao Jue wore an inconspicuous dark cloak over his battle robe, standing on the edge of the hill, his figure almost blending into the darkness.

Behind him, several personal guards stood solemnly like stone statues, each holding a small, colorful flag representing a different command.

Further away, Zhou Heng was strictly ordered to remain in the reinforced central command tent, guarded by a small squad of his most elite personal guards.

The tent curtains were tightly closed, isolating the outside world, but they could not block the increasingly clear aura of killing intent emanating from the river wind and the sound of the waves.

Time crawled slowly in absolute silence and tension. The water clock pointed to the third quarter of the midnight hour.

Xiao Jue raised his right hand and waved it gently.

Behind him, a small crimson flag was silently raised and swung three times to the left and three times to the right.

The commands, delivered in low whispers, spread rapidly upstream and downstream through a tight chain of communication.

Almost at the same moment—

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump—!"

"Waaaaah!"

The earth-shattering war drums and the desolate, majestic bugle calls suddenly erupted simultaneously from both "Langshan Ferry" and "Eagle Beak Beach," instantly shattering the tranquility of midnight!

Immediately afterwards, countless torches were lit simultaneously in these two areas on the north bank, the flames blazing and illuminating half of the river and sky!

Shouts, the clanging of shields, the sound of warships being launched, and the roars of generals blended into a cacophony of noise, as if a massive army was launching a desperate assault across these two traditional crossings!

On the south bank, in Zheng You's water fortress and shore defense camp, alarm gongs were blaring wildly! The south bank defense line, which had previously only had scattered lights, was instantly brightly lit, with figures moving about, and the sounds of running, commands, and bowstrings being drawn mingled together in a chaotic mess.

Zheng You was awakened from his bed by his personal guards. He quickly climbed to the lookout tower opposite Langshan Ferry and looked at the terrifying flames and commotion on the north bank with a solemn expression.

"We're going to launch a full-scale attack on these two locations!" Zheng You gritted his teeth. "Send the order! Naval warships forward to intercept them! Coastal defenses to bombard the river with crossbows! Prepare rolling logs and boulders! We absolutely cannot allow them to land!"

The attention and manpower of the garrison on the south bank were firmly drawn to Langshan Ferry and Yingzuitan.

On the river, warships in Zheng You's water fortress weighed anchor and raised their sails, hastily heading towards the seemingly overwhelming fleet on the north bank under the urging of their generals.

However, just as the defenders on the south bank were on edge, their eyes fixed on the commotion downstream—

Thirty miles upstream lies the perilous pass of "Laolongkou".

There were no drums or bugles, no firelight. Only the pitch-black river surface and the sound of waves that were even more turbulent and wailing than those downstream.

Dozens of specially modified, shallow-draft shuttle boats, like water ghosts gliding silently in the night, were quietly pushed out from the crevices of the steep rock face on the north bank.

Each small boat carried only two or three men, all of whom were excellent swimmers with sharp eyes. They had gags in their mouths, and their exposed skin was coated with waterproof black mud, making them almost blend into the nighttime river.

The leading captain raised his hand and made a gesture.

The assassins took a deep breath and rowed with all their might with the specially made short oars.

Like an arrow released from a bow, the small boat, aided by the upstream current and the north wind, silently yet swiftly rushed towards the most dangerous and whirlpool-filled channel in the middle of the river.

Behind them, at a distance, more than twenty larger, oarless, sailless "empty boats" connected only by thick ropes were pushed one by one into the rapids.

These boats were completely covered by thick tarpaulins, but if someone got close enough, they could smell the pungent odor of sulfur and kerosene emanating from under the tarpaulins.

The mission of the assassin boat is not to launch a direct attack.

Like ghostly guides on the river, they navigated the raging waves and hidden reefs with their familiarity with the currents and their extraordinary courage. Using long poles and ropes, they guided and corrected the fire ships laden with death behind them, keeping them in general formation and direction as they rushed towards Zheng You's water fortress downstream.

This is a voyage that dances with death. The waters of the "Old Dragon's Mouth" are like an enraged dragon, ready to swallow the tiny boat at any moment.

Small boats were constantly being capsized by the giant waves or swept into whirlpools by the undercurrents. The assassins didn't even have time to let out a scream before disappearing into the inky black river.

But the survivor's eyes remained calm and frantic as he stared intently ahead, maneuvering his small boat and pulling the ship of death behind him.

On the high mound, Xiao Jue stood like a frozen statue, his gaze fixed on the dark river upstream.

Although he couldn't see the specifics, he calculated the time and sensed the subtle changes in the wind and water flow. His fingers unconsciously tightened, his knuckles turning white.

Time passed, second by second.

The shouts of battle from the feint attack downstream were still deafening, but the real decisive move was silently and swiftly rushing towards the heart of the south bank from the darkness upstream, following the rapid current of the Canglan River.

Finally, at the turn of midnight and early morning, when the night is darkest and people are most tired—

Downstream, on the river behind Zhengyou Water Village, the sentries on night watch were the first to discover the anomaly.

"What...what is that?" A sentry squinted, staring at the dark surface of the river upstream.

Dozens of blurry black figures were vaguely visible, moving downstream at an astonishing speed, silent yet carrying a chilling sense of oppression.

"Is it driftwood? Or..." Another sentry raised a torch, trying to see more clearly.

The moment the torchlight appeared, the suicide bombers on the lead fire ship used their last strength to throw the tinder they were holding at the tarpaulin covering the ship!

"boom--!"

The tarpaulin soaked in kerosene was instantly ignited! The orange-red flames, like the open eyes of a demon, suddenly exploded brightly on the dark river surface!

Immediately afterwards, the second, the third... more than twenty fire ships were set ablaze one after another!

They broke free from their last vestige of restraint, transforming into raging fire dragons that, aided by the wind and water speed, lunged menacingly at Zheng You's water fortress, which was brightly lit and densely packed with warships downstream!

"Fire ships! It's fire ships! They're coming from upstream!" The shrill alarm, its tone distorted, rang out throughout the water fortress.

The defenders on the south bank were thrown into chaos! Most of the warships in the water fortress were being moved to the front to intercept and launch a feint attack. The remaining ships were caught off guard and watched as those fiery dragons crashed down with unstoppable force!

"Quickly! Weigh anchor! Give way!"

"Fire arrows! Shoot those fire ships!"

"Fire! Quickly prepare sand and water hoses!"

Chaos, terror, and desperate cries filled the air. Rockets were sporadically fired at the burning ships, only to fan the flames. Ships attempting to weigh anchor and escape collided with each other, becoming a chaotic mass of debris.

"BOOM—!!!"

The first fire ship crashed heavily into the side of a medium-sized warship, instantly igniting the sails and wooden hull!

Immediately afterwards, more fire ships crashed into the water fortress, and flames, like greedy beasts, began to spread and leap wildly across the water!

One after another, the densely packed naval warships moored on the south bank were set ablaze. The sounds of explosions, breaking wood, and the screams and wails of soldiers mingled together, turning that area of ​​water into a fiery inferno!

The towering flames illuminated the night sky, making them clearly visible even to the garrison troops on the south bank of Langshan Ferry and Yingzuitan!

"The water fortress is on fire!" Terrified cries spread like a plague along the southern bank defense line. With their rear base burned, morale plummeted instantly.

The soldiers on the south bank, who were "fiercely fighting" with the feinting attack force on the north bank, heard the chaos behind them and saw the firelight that lit up the sky, and their morale collapsed instantly.

On the high ground, Xiao Jue's eyes flashed with a cold light!

He abruptly ripped off his cloak, revealing the black armor and royal robes beneath, drew his longsword from his waist, and pointed it directly at the sea of ​​fire and chaos on the opposite bank. His voice, like thunder, resounded above the main force of the waiting army on the north bank:

"Soldiers! The enemy's lair has been burned! God bless Jingbei!"

"Cross the river—!!!"

"Cross the river! Cross the river! Cross the river!"

A roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted from every corner of the north shore! The long-suppressed fighting spirit erupted like a volcano!

The main force for crossing the river had already assembled at several pre-selected locations upstream and downstream where the current was relatively gentle and the banks were suitable for landing.

At this moment, amidst the deafening sounds of war drums and horns, countless ships, like swarms of bees leaving their hive, simultaneously set sail from the shore. With thousands of sails racing and tens of thousands of oars moving in unison, they launched an overwhelming all-out attack on the southern bank defense line, which was in chaos and panic due to the fire at the water fortress!