Chapter 966 - 805: King Hui

"King Hui is here!"

"The Five Peaks Ship Master is here! So many ships have arrived, there must be thousands of soldiers!"

The ship workers ran to inform each other, shouting loudly. Before Wang Zhi’s fleet even approached, there were already thousands of people packed densely on Dinghai Port’s Berth Pier, eagerly looking out to the sea.

Xu Chuanyin turned around and saw a bunch of shirtless ship workers squeezing together behind him. He waved away the lingering fishy smell with a dismissive look in his eyes.

Chen Zhang quietly asked, "Sir, should we have them disperse?"

Xu Chuanyin sneered and looked away: "No need, let them see how the Anti-Japanese Army is defeated, then they’ll know how to do business with Mr. Xu in the future."

Chen Zhang laughed and said, "The Five Peaks Ship Master is quite reputable among the shipping guild, and many people have received his favors. With him backing you up..."

Xu Chuanyin’s expression changed: "What nonsense are you spewing? Does the mighty Xu Family need a pirate to back us up?"

Chen Zhang quickly replied, "That was an unthoughtful remark."

Xu Chuanyin squinted at the sea: "He’s merely a pirate who doesn’t dare set foot on land. On land, he’s just a bandit acting as king, nothing worthy. Besides, today, it’s the Anti-Japanese Army itself that called Wang Zhi here, it has nothing to do with us. Remember that well."

Chen Zhang quickly agreed.

Xu Chuanyin changed his tone and smiled: "Once Wang Zhi defeats the Anti-Japanese Army, Dinghai Port should consider taking a cut."

Chen Zhang pondered: "The ship owners might not agree."

Xu Chuanyin said solemnly: "If it wasn’t for my hard work managing Dinghai Port all these years, how would they even go out to sea for business? They cry poor every day, do they really think the bricks and tiles of Dinghai Port appeared out of thin air?"

He counted on his fingers: "The dock foundations, the berthing stone steps, the seawall, the port defense dams, which of these doesn’t require spending silver to repair after the autumn floods? Every year, the silt builds up, and the shallow banks, main channels, and berths’ silt need to be dredged by workers I hire. And that’s all white silver!"

Chen Zhang said no more.

At this moment, the workers behind them were loudly discussing: "Which is stronger, the Anti-Japanese Army or the Five Peaks Ship Master?"

Someone sneered: "It’s definitely the Five Peaks Ship Master. Our ships fly his water buffalo flag after paying the silver coin, and the Matsubara Clan dare not cross us, and the islands in the Southern Ocean avoid provoking us. Wasn’t that powerful Yu Yao Xie Family slaughtered by him?"

Someone countered: "The Anti-Japanese Army just killed more than four thousand pirates."

"Before the Five Peaks Ship Master, the Matsubara Clan was nothing. The Five Peaks Ship Master dared to establish a kingdom on Kyushu Island, would Matsubara Clan dare?"

"Moreover, you guys might not know, but the Anti-Japanese Army could only kill over four thousand pirates with the help of the Salt Gang and Cao Guild. They couldn’t do it on their own."

A ship owner thought for a moment: "Anyway, I hope the Five Peaks Ship Master wins. He won’t take a fifty percent cut of the profits..."

Another ship owner said impatiently, "Fighting, just hurry up and fight. It doesn’t matter who wins, finish it quickly so we can go out to sea and do business. The creditors heard the rumors yesterday and already came to my house; if I don’t leave soon, they’ll seize the goods on my ship."

Xu Chuanyin listened to the discussions, eyeing the approaching fleet, and coldly said, "Prepare the ships, once Wang Zhi wins against the Anti-Japanese Army, I will board and meet him."

Chen Zhang thought for a moment: "The Anti-Japanese Army has Folangji Cannons."

Xu Chuanyin sneered: "As far as I know, Wang Zhi also has cannons now, just watch."

...

...

On the Anti-Japanese Army’s ship, Chen Ji and Old Ears stood side by side on the deck, silently watching Wang Zhi’s fleet.

Wang Zhi’s fleet loomed over like a mountain, with clouds conveniently blocking the sun, turning the once emerald green sea into a gloomy gray, as if the overwhelming fleet had overshadowed the sky.

Jiang Chai moved back and forth on the ship with urgency, shouting: "Quick, bring the Folangji Cannons over and aim at them. Do not fire without my command, be sure to let them get close before shooting to avoid wasting ammunition!"

Chen Yu stood behind Chen Ji, counting the ships quietly: "One, two, three... eighty-two, eighty-three. Each Folangji Cannon comes with six rounds, even if every shot hits, there are still twenty-three ships left."

Yuan Xi chuckled and said: "Young master, Folangji Cannons aren’t accurate. It’s lucky if one out of three shots hits. Plus, we used three rounds earlier, only thirty rounds are left now."

Chen Yu’s mood worsened immediately: "Don’t we still have gunpowder and shot? Load new rounds quickly."

Yuan Xi shook his head: "It’s too late, the used rounds have deformed. They need to be reheated and hammered before they can be reused."

Chen Yu looked at Chen Ji. If they were defeated by Wang Zhi today, all efforts on the customs tariffs would be in vain, making it as difficult as reaching the sky for the court to lift the sea ban.

However, he saw Chen Ji standing at the ship’s prow, seemingly unflustered, wondering where Chen Ji’s confidence came from.

At this moment, Zhou Chang shouted: "Look, they have Folangji Cannons on their ships too!"

Everyone looked closely; at the forefront of Wang Zhi’s fleet, each ship had already set up a dark Folangji Cannon.

Not only that, but Wang Zhi’s ship has been modified; there are five cannon ports left on the port and starboard sides. If it turns sideways, five Folangji cannons can fire simultaneously.

The number of Folangji cannons in Wang Zhi’s fleet far exceeds imagination, incomparable to the Matsubara Clan.

This time, not only Chen Yu was uneasy, but even Jin Zhu was unsettled. He turned his head to ask Heavenly Horse, "Do your arrows fly farther, or do their cannons shoot farther?"

Heavenly Horse rolled his eyes.

On the ship, Chen Yu was circling around in anxiety, but he heard Old Ears beside him exclaiming, "No wonder he can be the overlord of the East Ocean. Previously, some even compared the Matsubara Clan to Wang Zhi; now it seems there’s no comparison at all."

Chen Ji responded with a hum, "The Matsubara Clan usually only engages in plundering and only operates in the East Ocean. Wang Zhi is a businessman; his goods are sold much farther. In terms of money and manpower, he has more people, and probably more silver."

Chen Yu puzzledly said, "Everyone, with the situation so close to conflict, do you still have the mind to chat idly?"

Just when Wang Zhi’s fleet was about to enter cannon range, they suddenly furled their sails, dropped their anchors, and stopped in place.

Jin Zhu stepped forward, squinting his eyes, and asked, "What are they trying to do? Why won’t they come over?"

No sooner had the words fallen, they saw a small boat sailing out from Wang Zhi’s fleet, with one person standing at the stern and another rowing from the rear. The person at the stern was clad in white, standing gracefully against the wind, his robes fluttering in the sea breeze, having the elegant demeanor of a scholar composing poetry in a lofty place.

Chen Yu wondered aloud, "Why is just one person coming over?"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the lone boat sailed to the front of the Anti-Japanese Army’s large ship.

The young man standing at the stern smiled and clasped his hands, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Wang Ruxian, eldest son of King Hui, here to invite the important person in charge of the Anti-Japanese Army to come aboard our ship for a discussion. You’ve come from afar as guests; there is fine wine on our ship to entertain you."

Old Ears looked down at the other party, clicking his tongue in surprise, "This young man is gutsy indeed, daring to come alone without fear that we might capture him and execute him with lingchi?"

Wang Ruxian laughed heartily, "To answer the elder, to run ships on the sea, today you might be targeted by pirates, tomorrow by local Southern Ocean tribes—you won’t make it with a timid heart, weak abilities, or fragile ships and ineffective cannons."

Old Ears teased, "Aren’t you afraid?"

Wang Ruxian chuckled, "At first, when confronting danger alone, I did fear. But later, I found out people really don’t dare lay a finger on me. If I was captured, the Folangji cannons behind me would all open fire, blowing up myself and all of you to bits. Trading myself for hundreds of you is quite worth it."

Chen Ji examined the young man below the ship, noticing he wasn’t trembling at all—he truly wasn’t afraid of them.

At this moment, Yuan Xing stared at Wang Ruxian with a sinister grin, "We have no time for your nonsense. Call your father to this ship immediately, or we’ll slaughter every last one of you."

Chen Yu looked speechlessly at Yuan Xing, and then at Yuan Xi and the others, as if they saw nothing inappropriate about what was said.

Wang Ruxian ignored Yuan Xing, instead glancing between the two masked faces of Chen Ji and Old Ears: "I reckon you two are the main persons in charge. Father is a wanted criminal by the court, and you gentlemen, being of the official army, would be held accountable later if you didn’t arrest him upon arrival. So, it’s better that you come aboard our ship."

Chen Ji looked calmly at Wang Ruxian, "Tell your father to come see me. What he wants, others can’t provide, only I can."

Wang Ruxian smiled, "Even I, a mere sea bandit, dare confront you alone. Doesn’t Your Excellency have the same courage?"

The Anti-Japanese Army’s ship suddenly fell silent, everyone looked at Chen Ji.

Wang Ruxian’s small boat, without even a mast, drifted alone in front of the large ship, challenging hundreds of people, putting Chen Ji in the hot seat.

In the next moment, Yuan Xing snorted, "Anyone else might actually be provoked by you, but we fully understand how big my foster father’s guts are. Better call your father quickly; after addressing your matter, we’ll still need to talk to that fatty from the Xu Family."

Chen Ji looked down at Wang Ruxian, speaking calmly, "It’s not so much that I lack courage, but rather the court doesn’t negotiate with sea bandits. Cooperation must have primary considerations; sea bandits can never be masters—that is something your father must understand. Dinghai Port and Songjiang Port, I have the final say."

Wang Ruxian remained silent.

Yuan Xing chuckled, "If your dad doesn’t come, we’ll fight; and after the fight, whoever breathes will set the rules."

Wang Ruxian looked up at them for a long time, finally cupping his hands, "Dear sirs, allow me to report back to my father."

With that, the small boat turned, rowing back towards Wang Zhi’s fleet.

Wang Ruxian returned to the fleet, saying something unknown to those aboard, and shortly after, the large ship lowered a boarding plank to reach him. A middle-aged man then boarded the small boat, heading towards the Anti-Japanese Army.

The middle-aged man had a sword at his waist and held a jar of wine sealed with red cloth and mud, resembling a knight of the rivers.

"Wang Zhi?" Jin Zhu was taken aback, "He really dares to come?!"

On the distant berth pier, Xu Chuanyin was waiting for Wang Zhi and the Anti-Japanese Army to fight ferociously, but neither side had started.

Now, seeing Wang Zhi go alone to the Anti-Japanese Army, he was immediately enraged, cursing, "Why aren’t they fighting? What’s Wang Zhi thinking?"

Chen Zhang watched as Wang Zhi’s small boat drew closer to the Anti-Japanese Army’s fleet, softly saying, "Master, it seems a fight won’t happen."

Xu Chuanyin suddenly looked at him, "What do you mean?"