The four towering warships were drawing closer.
If the vessel they had cornered were an ordinary merchant ship, it would have been captured long ago. Unfortunately for them, this was a Gao Family Village freight vessel. It was fast, agile, and constantly weaving and maneuvering, using its superior speed to evade capture again and again, dragging the pursuit on for what felt like an eternity.
However, the Yellow River was not the Yangtze.
Its channel was far narrower, leaving little room for prolonged evasive maneuvers.
The four warships pressed inward, their encirclement tightening with every passing moment.
If even one of them managed to secure grappling hooks, the outcome would be unimaginably grim.
The sailors fired frantically, but their bullets still failed to stop the enemy from closing in.
"They're preparing to board!"
"Everyone, be careful!"
Just then, a sailor shouted at the top of his lungs, "Look upstream!"
Everyone turned at once.
Upstream, a colossal vessel was charging toward them.
It was terrifyingly massive, a true leviathan. Its towering superstructure rose like a fortress, and atop its highest point flew a vibrant, multi-colored flag. It was the unmistakable five-colored banner of Gao Family Village, the Heavenly Lord's flag.
The crew aboard the freight vessel erupted in cheers, their morale surging instantly.
At the same time, the sailors aboard Zhai Tang's four warships also spotted the approaching behemoth.
One glance was enough to scare the souls right out of half of them.
The hundred-meter-long monster looked less like a ship and more like a moving mountain.
"What kind of ship is that?!"
"My heavens, what kind of demon-built thing is that?!"
"How could anyone possibly build something so enormous?!"
"It's coming straight at us!"
"It's flying the multi-colored flag. It's Tie Niaofei's people!"
"Aaaah!"
Panic spread instantly.
The morale of Zhai Tang's men collapsed completely.
Even as they scrambled about in utter chaos, the massive ship continued charging forward. Despite its enormous size, it cut through the waves with shocking speed, moving more like a nimble skiff than a lumbering giant.
"Impossible!" Zhai Tang, who was secretly observing from the shore, felt his heart freeze. "How can such a thing exist in this world?!"
The four tower ships descended into complete disorder. Forgetting all about surrounding the flat-bottomed freight vessel, they scattered and fled downstream in panic.
The Wanli Sunshine did not slow in the slightest.
It surged forward with overwhelming arrogance and unstoppable momentum.
"How are we supposed to fight like this?!" Zhu Piaoling bounced excitedly around the deck, his eyes shining. Not a trace of fear could be found on him. From his perspective, commanding such a massive ship to bully smaller vessels felt completely risk-free.
His personal guards, however, did not share his enthusiasm. Several of them immediately surrounded him and dragged him toward the cabin.
"My lord, please be careful. Do not get struck by flintlock fire or stray arrows."
Zhu Piaoling froze.
Only then did he remember that the enemy still possessed ranged weapons.
With a yelp, he clutched his head and scurried into the cabin at top speed.
"Fire!" Jiang Cheng roared.
The flintlock riflemen aboard the Wanli Sunshine immediately opened fire.
Their gunwales stood far higher than the enemy ships' deckhouses, allowing them to rain bullets down from above. Under the barrage, the enemy sailors scrambled desperately, ducking behind wooden shields and retreating into protected compartments.
Jiang Cheng recognized the scene instantly.
These were the same men who had ambushed him before.
Old grudges and fresh hatred surged together.
A sailor reported urgently, "Commander Jiang, they're hiding behind wooden planks. Our flintlock rifles can't hit them!"
Jiang Cheng glanced coldly at the enemy vessels, a sneer forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Then we'll use the cannons."
"Instructor Jiang," an officer quickly interjected, "Mr. Bai gave strict instructions before departure. Do not reveal the ship's cannons unless absolutely necessary. These enemies are clearly targeting us. We should not expose all our cards so easily."
Jiang Cheng paused, then nodded. "Very well."
"Then we'll ram them."
"Ram them?" Zhu Piaoling's head popped out from the cabin, eyes sparkling with excitement. "I love watching that!"
Everyone fell silent.
Zhu Piaoling pressed on enthusiastically, "Don't you all enjoy watching the big bully the small?"
Silence again.
To be honest, everyone did enjoy it a little.
"Charge!" Jiang Cheng shouted. "Ram them!"
The Wanli Sunshine surged forward at full combat speed.
Its mass and momentum were overwhelming. It cut through the water with irresistible force, its vast hull bearing down like a mountain upon a pitiful enemy warship.
The soldiers aboard the tower ship screamed in terror. They raised their matchlocks and Three-Eyed Arquebuses, firing desperately.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
It was completely useless.
Their bullets could not even scratch the composite hull of the Wanli Sunshine, which was hundreds of times thicker than it appeared.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the Wanli Sunshine smashed into the side of the enemy warship.
Because of its tall superstructure, the warship's center of gravity was inherently unstable. Struck broadside, it immediately tipped over.
Screams echoed across the river.
With a tremendous splash, the entire ship capsized.
The Wanli Sunshine did not slow.
After crushing one warship, it continued forward, bearing down on another vessel that looked as though it desperately wanted to sprout legs and flee ashore. The crew rowed frantically.
It made no difference.
At full combat speed, the Wanli Sunshine closed the distance in moments.
"Stay away!"
Boom!
The two ships collided violently.
Another wave of screams and panicked shouts erupted as the second warship tipped and overturned.
The sailors aboard tried to leap into the water to save themselves, but the capsizing vessel acted like a massive spinning winnowing basket, dragging them under as it rolled.
As they plunged into the river, they saw the colossal shadow of the Wanli Sunshine looming overhead.
Splash.
They were pinned beneath it.
Shi Kefa gasped, "Ramming them all into the water certainly feels satisfying, but we didn't leave a single survivor!"
Jiang Cheng cursed under his breath. "Damn it, I forgot to take prisoners. Hurry, pull them out!"
"We'll handle the rescue," came a reply. "You continue."
The flat-bottomed freight vessel moved closer. Its crew laughed loudly as they threw out large fishing nets, hauling enemy soldiers from the river.
Meanwhile, the Wanli Sunshine continued its pursuit of the remaining two enemy warships.
However, ramming two vessels and maneuvering around the overturned wrecks had cost valuable time. The remaining warships had already fled far downstream. Catching them now was unlikely.
Shi Kefa spoke calmly, "Commander Jiang, pursuing too far would be unwise."
Jiang Cheng understood immediately.
Overzealous pursuit risked hidden shoals, shifting currents, and unseen hazards. A brief chase was acceptable, but sustained high-speed maneuvering invited disaster. One collision with a reef would doom everyone.
Enemies could be defeated.
Nature demanded respect.
Reluctantly, Jiang Cheng ordered the ship to slow to cruising speed and turned back.
When they returned, they saw that the freight vessel had already rescued several enemy soldiers. Dozens of bayonets surrounded the trembling captives.
The enemy soldiers raised their hands, not daring to resist.
The Wanli Sunshine pulled alongside.
Jiang Cheng leaned over the rail and shouted, "Have they confessed? Who is behind this ambush?!"
The freight vessel's captain shouted back, "They have! The man who hired them is named Zhai Tang, one of Shanxi's Jin merchants!"
"Zhai Tang?!" Tie Niaofei's face twisted with rage. "That vile wretch! That gutter maggot! It's him again! Sooner or later, I will skin him alive and avenge the blood of my brothers!"