Aboard the Wanli Sunshine, Jiang Cheng and Tie Niaofei were directing the battle.
One commanded the bow, the other the stern. Each led a squad of sailors, firing relentlessly at the river bandits.
Amid the chaos, Tie Niaofei suddenly noticed a small boat approaching from downstream. On board were an elderly boatman and a boy of fourteen or fifteen.
A battle was underway. Ordinary civilian boats would normally flee far away, yet this small vessel not only failed to retreat, it kept edging closer.
Tie Niaofei cursed inwardly. Where did this clueless old man and child come from, barging into a battlefield like this?
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a river bandit suddenly surfaced beside that boat. With a swift motion, he flipped himself over the gunwale and leapt aboard.
Tie Niaofei's heart sank. "Damn it. That old boatman and the kid are in trouble. At this distance, we cannot help them."
…
The bandit who boarded the small boat had just fallen into the river from a bandit craft.
Earlier, the Wanli Sunshine had unleashed a barrage of musket fire at the enemy boats. At the time, this bandit had been aboard one of them. There were six men on that boat. The other five had already been shot dead.
Realizing there was nowhere to hide from the bullets and that staying aboard meant certain death like his companions, he decisively jumped into the river.
Carried by the current, he drifted downstream and ended up right beside Shi Lang's boat.
Grabbing the gunwale, he hauled himself up. A quick glance showed him a boatman and a teenage boy. Heh.
"You two, get off the boat. This boat belongs to me now," the bandit snarled.
The boatman cried out in despair inside his heart. It's over.
He was just about to jump into the water when he heard Shi Lang snort.
"Which foolish bandit are you, spouting such nonsense?" Shi Lang said coldly. "Put down your blade now, and I might spare your life."
Bandit: "?"
Boatman: "?"
Both were stunned. This kid's tone was outrageous.
The bandit stepped forward, raising his blade. "Die."
And then…
He died.
As the boat rocked, Shi Lang moved with it, swaying in perfect rhythm. He easily dodged the strike, drew the saber from his waist, and with a single clean slash, severed the bandit's head. The movement was crisp and decisive, utterly unlike that of a child.
The boatman stood there dumbfounded. "Young master, what incredible skill."
Shi Lang snorted. "I told you I am going to join the army. This stupid bandit even delivered a head to me. That saves me the trouble. I already have my pledge."
…
Tie Niaofei's eyes widened. "Eh? That kid moves fast."
This was not solid ground, but a small skiff. The boat itself was unstable, rocking constantly. For northerners, even standing steady on such a boat was difficult. Yet that boy not only dodged and counterattacked with ease, he even made use of the boat's motion.
From this alone, his skill on the water was obvious.
Tie Niaofei could not help sighing. "Southerners truly are born water fighters. We northerners are far behind. If this kid is properly trained, he will surely become a fierce naval general."
South ships and north horses was no empty saying.
"Tie Steward, watch the port side. Someone is trying to climb aboard."
Tie Niaofei snapped out of his thoughts and rushed to the port side. He fired a musket downward with a loud bang. The bandit clinging to the hull screamed and fell back into the water.
From afar, Shi Lang witnessed this and could not help marveling. "What a powerful ship. In front of a ship like this, personal skill is useless. You cannot even climb the hull."
It did not take long before the battle ended.
The bandits' boats scattered and fled. Three cargo ships were rescued and followed behind the Wanli Sunshine like obedient attendants, heading toward Anqing Port.
Large numbers of captured bandits were hauled aboard, bound, and thrown into the hold to be taken back for labor reform. The seized bandit skiffs were all tied with ropes and dragged behind the cargo ships, forming a long trailing line.
As the sailors cleaned up the battlefield, Tie Niaofei noticed that the strange pair, the old boatman and the boy, had also come closer. They stopped beneath the ship's hull. The boy looked up and shouted loudly, "Heroes on the ship, greetings. My name is Shi Lang. Please let me come aboard. I have a letter of introduction."
The first few words drew little attention. But when he said the last three words, "letter of introduction," the people on board paused slightly. Hm?
A letter of introduction had a very Gao Family Village feel to it.
When technicians from Gao Family Village transferred jobs, they always carried letters of introduction from their original unit to the new one.
For this boy to use those words, he was immediately regarded as half one of their own.
A sailor leaned over the railing and laughed. "I will throw down a rope. Can you climb up?"
Shi Lang replied confidently, "A rope will be enough."
The sailor swung his arm, tossing down a long rope.
Shi Lang grasped it with both hands, braced his feet against the hull, and moved upward as if walking sideways. In no time, he climbed onto the deck of the Wanli Sunshine and stood firm.
The sailors could not help calling out together, "Fine skills for such a young man."
Tie Niaofei pushed through the crowd. He had already learned the boy's background earlier, so seeing his boarding skills did not surprise him. He smiled. "You said you have a letter of introduction?"
Shi Lang reached behind his back and produced a bandit's head.
The sailors fell silent.
Tie Niaofei shook his head with a smile. "That is not a letter of introduction."
Shi Lang replied, "Is a pledge not as useful as a letter of introduction?"
Everyone laughed.
Only then did Shi Lang reach into his clothes and take out the letter Zhu Piaoling had given him, handing it over respectfully with both hands.
Tie Niaofei unfolded it and clicked his tongue. It was written by that unreliable great hero Zhu Piaoling. Yet the contents forced him to take it seriously. This boy was someone personally selected by Dao Xuan Tianzun.
However…
Dao Xuan Tianzun had added a special note. "His ideological and moral education, as well as education in national righteousness, must be strengthened."
Tie Niaofei put the letter away and smiled warmly. "So you were introduced by Zhu Piaoling. Very well. On this ship, you may explore freely. There are no restrictions."
Shi Lang was overjoyed. "What? Uncle Zhu's letter is that effective? He… he is actually such an incredible person? I thought he was just an unreliable uncle. He even said he was ten times the dandy."
Tie Niaofei laughed. "It is true that he is unreliable. But unreliable people can still recommend reliable ones. Whether you can make it here depends on your own ability."
Shi Lang was brimming with confidence. "My ability will not disappoint you."
Tie Niaofei smiled. "Good. Then we shall wait and see. For now, why not take a look around?"
Shi Lang said happily, "That would be excellent."
He cheered and immediately rushed toward the interior of the ship.
The first thing he wanted to find out was exactly how many cannons this giant vessel carried. He could tell that although no guns were visible from the outside, there had to be cannons within. Those rows of small windows along the sides were clearly gun ports, merely concealed by covers.