Chapter 398: Overwhelming victory (2/2)
“How many are there?” his master replied.
“I can’t see them right, but with their current strength, we’ll be in danger as soon as the winds stop!” the boatman said worriedly. Their own rowers were already doing their best to help, but if the winds stopped, the difference between the two ships would grow obvious.
The master glared at him, and the boatman immediately shut up. As the two ships drew closer to the harbor, the tension on the seas grew more and more pronounced. The master’s gaze turned ruthless for a second before he personally flew to the tail end of the ship and wrested the drumsticks from the man in charge of keeping rhythm. He pounded the drum three times and said, “All of you, listen well to your lord. Exert yourself to your limits to send us full speed ahead. Once we reach the harbor, your lord shall reward you all handsomely!”
Morale soared at his words, and the master personally started drumming a fast rhythm for the rowers to keep pace, urging them to row ever onwards. This, in combination with the wind, helped their ship speed up yet again. Meanwhile, the master kept his gaze between the drum and the other ship in the distance, his lips drawing up in a scornful smile. He knew who was standing at the prow of Tianning’s ship, but he was determined to make that man taste the flavor of defeat!
By now, Northern Li’s ship had already seen its own master join the fight, while on the Tianning side, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi were still observing from the sidelines. As they watched the other ship slowly increase their speed, the duo remained unmoved. Even General Baili quieted down by their side.
Did they have no other ideas?
For a long time, the Tianning ship had kept at a steady speed without any changes. The smile on the Northern Li prince’s face grew more and more pronounced as he burst into wild laughter. “Come, speed up even more for your lord. I want to see them lose thoroughly!”
Inspired by his words, the rowers’ speed grew to shocking heights. Even though their speed had reached maximum, the roaring of their oars created an irresistible momentum. The difference between success or failure seemed unquestionable at this point. The Northern Li prince couldn’t even stop hitting the drums in his enthusiasm to win. His impassioned encouragement made him excited to the extreme!
But when the Northern Li ship was only 100 li from the harbor, Long Feiye suddenly said, “The sum of all his efforts is nothing more than this, in the end.”
General Baili snorted and then ordered, “All rowers, to your positions!”
At his words, seats were brought down both in front and back of the ship on both sides, which were quickly seated with men. At least 100 of them had come to fill in the blanks! Added to the previous sum, there were now a total of 200 men paddling in unison, their strength more than enough to best the headwinds! The ship sprang forward like an arrow in flight!
A relentless onslaught at top speed? This was it!
Tianning’s ship was like a dark horse that suddenly began to gallop, easily closing the distance to the harbor and catching up to Northern Li’s battleship. At this distance, it was easy for both sides to see each other. Long Feiye saw at first glance the man beating the drums at the back of the ship–Jun Yixie. It wasn’t unexpected, as the only member of the Northern Li imperial clan who could leave the capital around New Year’s to go to Fishery Island would be him. Jun Yixie stopped drumming and raised his chin to look scornfully at them. His eyes didn’t stay long on Long Feiye before straying to Han Yunxi instead.
Han Yunxi had completely narrowed her eyes into twin slits teeming with killing intent. Jun Yixie, long time no see! Three pairs of eyes stared at each other with murderous thoughts. Then the Tianning battleship sped past Northern Li and rushed with overwhelming speeds to the harbor, ending up as the ultimate victor!
Jun Yixie glared at them as his hands formed into fists. He really wasn’t reconciled to this, but it was too late to salvage the situation. When the Northern Li sailors saw Tianning’s 200 strong rowers sail past them, they were so stunned that they stopped rowing altogether. This was the first time they’d seen such an imposing sight at sea, and such a magnificent team of sailors. So they had all that strength to begin with, but they were watching us make a laughingstock out of ourselves?
Despite his dissatisfaction, Jun Yunxi still had to re-evaluate the strength of his opponents. Northern Li’s battleship might look like a fighting vessel, but it was only showy without any practical use in war. Its only accomplishments were supplying the imperial clan with a place to vacation or play on the water. However, Tianning’s battleship was a true vessel equipped for war!
At this sudden realization, Jun Yixie felt disgraced. He muttered to himself, “When did Tianning start raising a navy?”
By now, Tianning’s battleship was already docked at the harbor, claiming all the land for its own. If Jun Yixie hadn’t seen the warship with his own eyes, he might have blocked the exit to the harbor and confront Long Feiye there. But if he really did that, he’d only be dooming himself to death. Not only did he fail to win the harbor, he even lost prestige thanks to Long Feiye. Depressed as he was, he ignored it in favor of his real goals.
The real contest would start after they got onto Fishery Island. “Someone, cast anchor and stop the ship!”
After issuing orders, he was about to fly onto the island himself, but was stopped by Long Feiye unsheathing his sword and aiming the blade at him. Long Feiye had never forgotten his grudge on how Jun Yixie had attempted to kidnap Han Yunxi. Although he hadn’t come knocking on the man’s door, he wasn’t going to let go of this chance to take his revenge.
Jun Yixie returned the gesture with an arrogant glare of his own, provoking in its own right. The poison that Han Yunxi had left in his shoulder, the fact that she’d exposed his alliance with Duanmu Yao and how he’d infected Long Tianmo with gu, were all things he remembered.Moreover, he hadn’t forgotten about the poison beast or the white-robed man from the Shadow Clan. Over the past few months, he’d been plagued nonstop by his fellow imperial brothers. Furthermore, the Hundred Poison Sect had been kept under constant watch by Medical City, making it impossible for him to investigate his suspicions beyond sending a few men to search in secret. He hadn’t planned to meet Long Feiye and Han Yunxi again so soon, but this wouldn’t affect his plans.