In just the time it took to exchange a glance, Liu Yutang's more than 30 warships had already lost seven directly.
Though his heart ached unbearably, he could only grit his teeth and continue to charge forward.
At this moment, he desperately wanted to understand where all these "Ba Niu" crossbows on the merchant ships had come from!
"Accelerate, accelerate!"
In truth, he no longer needed to give commands. The sailors themselves had begun to furiously row their oars.
After all, this was the deep sea, and if a ship took on water, it meant utter destruction for them all.
They weren't here for a feast. If they were captured by those Song people, the only outcome would be to be tortured to death and thrown into the sea to feed the sharks. Out here on the ocean, there was no room for benevolence or morality, nor any trace of warmth.
It was the naked law of the jungle: the strong preyed on the weak, and only the fittest survived.
Their only chance at this moment was to reach close quarters, latch onto the ships with grappling hooks, and board them for close-quarters combat.
However, another volley of shots that followed immediately sent all their hopes plummeting into the abyssal depths.
They had only advanced about fifty paces when the enemy's second wave of arrows descended once more.
This time, the distance was closer, the enemy's aim was clearly much improved, and their power had become even greater.
"Bang—"
When the chaos finally ceased, another ten warships had been sent directly to the seabed.
And it didn't stop there. After this round of arrows was fired, he could already see the Song soldiers on those ships picking up their sabers.
Seeing this, if he still didn't realize he had been tricked, he wouldn't have been fit to be the naval commander.
"Pfft—"
Spitting out a mouthful of blood towards the heavens, Liu Yutang collapsed onto the deck, his body completely limp.
"Flee, quickly flee..."
His courage had been utterly shattered, and there was no longer any room for wishful thinking in his heart.
If they fled now, they still had a sliver of hope for survival. But if they charged onto the enemy ships, they might lose even that last hope.
Upon receiving his command, the remaining soldiers no longer dared to advance. They immediately turned their ships' heads, intending to flee. However, escaping was not so easy at this moment. Although their ships did have a speed advantage, this advantage was pitifully weak against the headwinds.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!"
Seeing them attempt to escape, Zhe Shijiu let out a cold laugh.
"Aim and fire!"
Liu Yutang never dreamed that the prey they had pursued for a day and a night would suddenly transform, shifting from weak lambs into mighty lions.
Under this drastic reversal, he truly felt an urge to vomit blood.
At this moment, he truly hated those who had gone to gather intelligence.
Judging by the current situation, the "Ba Niu" crossbows equipped on these Song ships numbered at least fifty.
"My lord, look quickly, what is that?"
However, as they desperately tried to flee, a subordinate suddenly pointed towards the direction of the sun.
After squinting in that direction, Liu Yutang suddenly sat down heavily on the deck.
Less than five miles ahead of them, a line of over twenty warships, their sails raised, were heading directly towards them.
"What ruthless planning! What venomous scheming!"
After spitting out another mouthful of blood, Liu Yutang fainted completely.
At this point, there was no longer any suspense...
An hour later, only Song warships remained on the vast expanse of the sea.
And the schools of sharks, drawn by the scent of blood, were constantly circling.
The Jiaozhi people who had fallen into the water had now become their best fish food.
"With just their few broken ships, they dared to pursue us all the way. And now they're completely annihilated!"
The sailors around Zhe Shijiu's side were filled with smugness.
"Alright, put this fool in a small boat. It's time for me to take him back to report to Master!"
Looking at the half-dead Liu Yutang, Zhe Shijiu wore a faint smile on his face.
The fact that this guy was still alive was truly a testament to his luck.
"Yes!"
After this battle, the path forward was now clear.
While they were exultantly fighting and slaughtering, in Mingzhou City, Han Mo was looking at a transfer order with a heavy heart.
"Husband, what is troubling you? Since this morning, you haven't even had a sip of tea. You've been sitting here all morning!"
Zhe Yourong spoke as she looked at Han Mo with a worried expression.
"There's something on my mind, and I can't make up my decision right now..."
With a wry smile, Han Mo spoke again.
"Can't make up your mind? That doesn't sound like you!"
Zhe Yourong spoke as she glanced at the document Han Mo was holding.
"Transfer General Wang's unit to Taiyuan? What's wrong with that?"
Although Wang Bing had a good relationship with Han Mo, he was, after all, a general of the imperial court.
Moreover, this time, he had been promoted from a general of the Shengjie Army to a commander, which looked like a promotion. It was a double promotion. Zhe Yourong really couldn't understand what Han Mo was hesitating about.
"Before Master Shao left, he cast a divination for him. He has a destined death tribulation in his life, and its location is in Taiyuan..."
Han Mo couldn't explain many things to her, so at this moment, he could only use Shao Bowen as a shield.
"This..."
This time, even Zhe Yourong was stunned. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
"However, this transfer order was issued by Commander Tong. You've already blocked it twice. If you block it a third time, I'm afraid..."
People are selfish. Even after hearing Han Mo's words, Zhe Yourong was still deeply shocked. But thinking about what Han Mo had done, she couldn't help but worry for him.
"I know as well as anyone that Tong Guan is narrow-minded, but this matter..."
Han Mo sighed again as he reached this point.
"Actually, I think, husband, you might as well listen to General Wang's own thoughts. Even if he has a destined death tribulation, these supernatural matters are always vague and uncertain. After all, this is a promotion. If you keep blocking it like this, I'm afraid he will harbor resentment towards you..."
After a brief hesitation, Zhe Yourong spoke again.
"You're right. It seems I'm being a bit too worried about nothing..."
After hearing Zhe Yourong's words, Han Mo was also stunned. Thinking about it carefully, it was indeed the case.
After all, he should discuss this matter with Wang Bing...