The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Chapter 100: The Ise-Nagashima Strategy (Part 2)

Spring has arrived, and the water level of the Kiso River has risen first.

Long Island City was once again surrounded by waterways, which put the monks of Yuanzheng Temple at ease.

The Maori army appears to be planning a long-term siege, and the blockade upstream seems to have been dismantled.

For the past month, Ganshoji Temple has made several attempts to recapture its outer strongholds.

Due to the shallow water and the pontoon bridges, the Oda army was able to support each other so quickly that every strong attack was met with heavy losses.

But these few times weren't entirely without any gains.

By interrogating the prisoners, it was confirmed that the true strength of Oda's army had been determined.

He initially regretted not having a decisive battle with the Mori, but then he realized it wasn't necessary.

Even Takeda Shingen was forced to retreat, so there was no need for him to fight that desperate man.

His biggest problem now is the outer outposts he built himself.

Thirty thousand men could not hold the long river, but these outposts blocked their connection with the outside world.

Secretly transporting food or requesting aid was impossible, let alone organizing a large-scale counterattack.

The evidence suggests that they do not intend to sit idly by and wait for their doom.

"Summon the neighborhood officials and leaders. I want to retake those strongholds."

The moon was shining brightly that night, and the gates of Nagashima Castle were wide open. Eight thousand men boarded various ships and launched a counterattack against Oda's army.

They split into five groups and attacked the fallen outer strongholds. These Ikko-shu followers were all fanatical, chanting "Namo Amitabha Buddha," and killing was as if they were killing evil spirits.

From a distance, they sound like a swarm of bloodthirsty flies.

These believers know nothing about Buddhist doctrines; they only know how to dedicate themselves to Buddha.

Smoke signals were lit at various strongholds one after another, and the scattered firelights in the water network formed a band of light.

When Takigawa Kazumasu arrived at the main camp, the western outpost he was in charge of was on the verge of falling. "If we don't send reinforcements soon, we won't be able to hold it!"

"No rush," Changqing said calmly.

Takikawa Kazumasu angrily retorted, "How can we not be anxious? If they take it back, all our previous efforts will be in vain!"

Sakuma Nobumori arrived at that moment.

"My lord, Lord Lin is fighting a fierce battle at our northern stronghold—our eastern stronghold is also falling, and enemy troops are still being sent up!"

After waiting another moment, the stronghold personally guarded by Takenaka Shigeharu was set ablaze with intense flames!

Changqing immediately stood up! "Send the order down to Lord Jiugui to prepare to annihilate the enemy!"

Yi Yi frowned. Sending a ship against the current to provide support was simply absurd!

"Light the beacon fires along the upstream route and tell Shengzheng to destroy the dam and release all the water?"

Yi Yi and Xin Sheng looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wasn't the weir removed a long time ago? The water level has clearly risen!

Seeing that the two veteran Oda generals were unaware of the situation, Nagayoshi smiled and explained, "Please don't be offended, gentlemen. Things are accomplished in secrecy, and ruined by leaks. I had no choice but to do this—"

Throughout the entire process, Changqing never dismantled the upstream dam; it simply released water slowly, leading the other party to mistakenly believe that the water flow had returned to the level of previous years.

As flames of war rose one after another, Sheng Zheng soon received the news.

As the weirs were dismantled, the water level downstream rose slowly, but this did not attract the attention of the monk soldiers who were engaged in fierce fighting.

On the outskirts of Long Island City, a fierce battle raged.

-

The Ikko-shu's ships were densely packed in the waterway, some besieging fortresses, others transporting troops back and forth.

The boatmen who were rowing the boats noticed something was wrong.

"What's going on? Why has the water flow become so strong?"

Before he could finish speaking, the boat suddenly lurched. The boatman quickly steadied the bamboo pole, only to find a wave about a foot high coming towards him.

Only those who row the boat know how fierce these seemingly insignificant waves can be.

"Floodwaters are rising! Be careful!"

The shout had barely begun when the sound of rushing water came from upstream.

Under the moonlight, a white line was approaching at an alarming speed.

The water carried broken pieces of wood, which crashed into the monks' boats, and the bamboo poles in the boatmen's hands were bent and about to break.

"Run! You can't hold on any longer!"

That's too late.

The floating debris increased the impact on the boat, causing many people to fall into the water and drift downstream with the boat.

The monks' chanting turned into screams, and their fervent fighting spirit turned into desperate struggles.

The moonlight shone on the murky river, revealing countless heads bobbing in the water and the sounds of countless desperate cries.

But soon, even the shouts gradually disappeared.

At the mouth of Ise Bay, Kuki Yoshitaka is waiting.

His navy has been blockading the sea for over a month, and their daily tasks are patrolling, intercepting, and occasionally arresting a few Ikko-zong followers who try to escape by sea.

This is a thankless task that yields little reward.

Just now, Mori Nagayoshi suddenly sent someone to tell him that there was a great reward for him. At first, he did not believe it, but now that he saw the monk soldiers floating upstream, he immediately smiled.

Kuki Yoshitaka drew his katana: "Give the order: block all the ships at the sea entrance. Surrender or die."

The navy's warships pounced on the surviving monks like a pack of wolves.

These people had just struggled out of the flood and were already exhausted; they had no strength left to resist.

Some were pierced by spears, some were hit by cannons, and some were simply stunned by oars and sank to the bottom of the sea.

The blood stained the waters of Ise Bay, but was quickly washed away by the turbid current.

Outside Long Island, the water level remains high.

Mori Nagayoshi had anticipated all of this. When he built these fortresses, he deliberately raised the foundations and reinforced the walls with stones.

Floods of this magnitude can submerge river channels and sweep away boats, but they cannot shake these sturdy fortresses.

At this moment, Nobumori Sakuma finally understood everything.

"My lord—so this is what you've been waiting for?"

Changqing smiled and said, "The Ikko-shu will only act if they feel they have a chance to retake the stronghold. Now, let's attack immediately. If we can capture a fortress, the outcome will be decided!"

The raft is ready.

Taking advantage of the fact that the water level had not yet receded, Oda's army rushed towards the various fortresses.

Many places that were originally difficult to climb after the expansion were now easily accessible to the Oda army.

Inside Long Island Castle, Honganji Shōyō stood atop the bell tower of Honganji Temple, gazing out at everything outside the castle.

"Zhongjiang Village————Big Bird Village————"

The voice of the witness grew softer and softer. He saw that the Oda army's rafts had already reached the riverbanks of the two fortresses.

The garrison troops at those two locations participated in the attack, and now seven or eight out of ten have fled. Those who escaped back to the fortresses are still in shock and have little fighting power.

In an instant, flames shot into the sky, signaling the fall of the fortress.

Overnight, two of the five outer fortresses fell.

Although Nagashima Castle, Yagayashima, and Shinobashi are still in his hands, they have been completely surrounded by Oda's army.

As the current slowed, Oda's army linked the rafts together to build a pontoon bridge.

Those strongholds that were originally surrounded by the river are now connected by pontoon bridges, forming a huge encirclement.

Long Island Castle, Yagaya Island, and Shinobashi—these three remaining fortresses were separated and surrounded, unable to communicate with each other or provide support.

Mori Nagayoshi moved his main camp to the newly captured Ōtori Fortress.

Takenaka Shigeharu approached him: "Sir, the prisoners have been interrogated. There are now less than 10,000 people left in Nagashima Castle, and the food supply will last for at most three months."

Changqing nodded: "What's the situation with Zhengyi?"

"He sent a letter saying he wanted to surrender."

"Surrender?" Changqing raised an eyebrow slightly. "What are the conditions?"

"Guarantee everyone's safety. As long as they aren't killed, they're willing to abandon the city and leave."

"Let me ask my lord's opinion first."

Just as Nagayoshi finished writing his letter, news arrived from Marume Nagayoshi, who had participated in the attack on Enryaku-ji Temple: Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Eizan had been burned down by Oda Nobunaga. All the monks and civilians on the mountain had been killed.