Chapter 31: Sealing the Escape Route

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Operation Under Cover of Night

The sea breeze carried a faint tang of salt, and a chill seemed to linger over the calm waters. Standing on the deck of the flagship, Li Chuan issued his orders in a low voice. “We’ll move in three groups. Follow the plan, and do not attack without orders.”

The fishermen’s fleet quietly divided. The first group was led by Liu Hao, the young captain of the fishing village’s diversion force. Their task was to create noise and false targets, drawing the pirates’ attention. The second group, under the command of Chen Dahai, an old sailor from the village, would block the escape routes the pirates were most likely to use. The third group was led personally by Li Chuan. Hidden in the darkness, they waited for the perfect moment to deliver the fatal blow.

The Diversion Force Draws the Enemy Away

At the outskirts of the pirate stronghold, the first group scattered torches and dummy targets, then dragged stones through the water with fishing nets to create the sound of splashing. They even imitated the shadow of a large ship, making the pirates believe that the enemy had launched an all-out assault.

The pirate sentries were indeed deceived and hurriedly sounded the alarm. Enemy soldiers poured toward the perimeter of the camp, attempting to intercept the “invaders,” only to discover that the targets were nothing more than burning piles of grass and drifting logs.

“Pursue them! Catch them!” the pirate leader roared.

A large portion of the enemy force was drawn toward the diversion, creating perfect conditions for the main attack.

The Fire Attack Begins

“The moment has come!”

A sharp light flashed in Li Chuan’s eyes. With a sweep of his hand, several fire ships, their hulls soaked in burning oil, were slowly pushed toward the pirates’ main fleet by the second group. Sealed with tar and loaded with dry grass, oil, and other flammable materials, the fire ships became engines of devastation the moment they were ignited.

The sea wind fed the flames, and the fire spread with terrifying speed. The first pirate warship was swallowed by tongues of fire, and moments later the flames leapt to the vessels beside it. The pirate sailors cried out in panic, trying to douse the blaze with seawater, but to no avail.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The pirate camp was consumed by fire. The blaze formed a crimson barrier, illuminating the entire sea.

While the pirates struggled to contain the flames, Li Chuan led the main force in a surprise attack from the flank. Using the light assault boats prepared in advance, they rapidly closed in on the enemy ships, leaping aboard and engaging the pirates in close combat.

“Kill!”

Li Chuan charged at the front, driving his spear deep into the chest of a pirate soldier. His gaze burned fiercely as he shouted, “Concentrate your attacks on the enemy’s main ship! Destroy their command center!”

In the battle, the fishermen displayed astonishing courage and strength. Armed with weapons they had fashioned themselves, they used the darkness and firelight to strike down enemy soldiers with deadly precision. Several fishermen skilled in fighting at sea even slipped into the water and cut the pirates’ mooring lines with daggers, leaving the ships unable to escape.

Chaos and Panic Among the Pirates

The pirate ranks descended into complete chaos. A mid-ranking commander tried to rally the soldiers and organize a counterattack, but the flames and panic had stripped them of all order.

“Captain, our ship is on fire!”

Pirate soldiers leapt over one another as they plunged into the sea, desperate to save themselves. Many, however, were consumed by the flames or struck down by arrows amid the melee.

One of the pirates’ principal warships attempted to force its way through the encirclement, but Li Chuan’s forces struck it with oil jars hurled from makeshift catapults. With a tremendous explosion, the entire warship was blown apart, and the sea was instantly covered with burning wreckage and bodies.

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The First Light of Victory

As the pirate warships sank one after another, the tide of battle gradually turned in Li Chuan’s favor. Though poorly equipped, the fishermen’s fleet had seized the advantage through superior tactics and unyielding determination.

“Keep up the pressure! Give them no chance!” Li Chuan commanded as he directed the battle and watched the enemy’s movements. He knew that the ultimate goal of the operation was to destroy the pirates’ fighting strength completely.

The fire reddened the horizon. The surviving pirates had lost all will to fight and began fleeing toward the small boats scattered across the sea. But Li Chuan had already laid an inescapable net. They were destined to find no escape.

The pirate main force scattered beneath the firelight and the rain of arrows, but its remaining strength could not yet be dismissed. Some of the more elite soldiers quickly regrouped, attempting to mount a counterattack on a limited scale and buy time for the remnants to withdraw.

“Cover the retreating boats!”

At the pirate second-in-command’s order, several surviving boats began moving into the distance. The soldiers left behind gritted their teeth and charged Li Chuan’s assault force. Their blades gleamed with a cold, merciless light in the fire.

Li Chuan showed no fear. He had expected fierce close-quarters fighting.

“Listen to my command! Stay close to the fire ships and draw the enemy into the area we prepared!”

He shouted the order while personally taking up his blade and meeting the attackers.

Li Chuan’s assault force clashed fiercely with the pirates. Although the pirates were better equipped, the fishermen held the advantage through their flexible tactics and intimate knowledge of the terrain. Using the gaps between the ships and ambushers concealed nearby, they gradually lured the pirates into the killing zone they had prepared.

“Kill!”

Liu Hao led the diversion force in to reinforce them, forming a pincer attack with the assault force. Trapped between two fronts, the pirate soldiers gradually began to falter. A massive pirate swung his blade at Li Chuan, but Li Chuan sidestepped with practiced ease and drove his own sword into the man’s chest.

“Who else wants to come?”

Li Chuan cast a cold glance over the enemy, his voice carrying an unquestionable threat.

Just as the pirate boats attempted to escape amid the confusion, Chen Dahai’s ambush force suddenly emerged from behind a concealed reef. They sealed off the pirates’ retreat with catapult stones and flaming arrows, successfully sinking two boats that tried to break away.

“Don’t let them escape!”

With a roar, Chen Dahai led the fishermen in pursuit.

Seeing that all was lost, a pirate leader attempted a desperate breakthrough. But after rowing only a few yards, he was struck by a stone from a catapult. The boat lurched violently. Before he could regain his footing, a volley of arrows struck him, and he finally plunged into the sea.

As the situation deteriorated, the pirate leaders decided to risk everything. They ordered the remaining soldiers to concentrate their strength and attack the core ships of the fishermen’s fleet, hoping to capture the commander by striking directly at Li Chuan.

“They’re making one final stand! Brothers, with me!”

Li Chuan responded calmly, personally boarding a small boat to meet the attack. As he directed the assault force to block the enemy’s approach, he ordered the second group to continue hunting down the remaining pirates.

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“Fire the flaming arrows!”

At Li Chuan’s command, volleys of arrows flew toward the pirates’ central ships from every direction. The flaming arrows ignited the sails and decks, and the pirate soldiers cried out in agony.

The pirate flagship continued to resist stubbornly. Li Chuan decided to lead the assault personally and destroy the enemy’s command center once and for all. With an elite squad at his side, he advanced toward the flagship through the rain of arrows, threw grappling hooks over the rail, and rapidly climbed aboard.

On the deck, the pirate leader had been waiting for him. Clad in armor and holding a samurai sword, he sneered at Li Chuan.

“At last, you’ve come. Do you really think these fishermen can stand against us?”

“Even if we cannot, we still have to try!”

Li Chuan did not retreat. He raised his blade and attacked. Their swords clashed beneath the mingled light of the moon and the flames, ringing like struck metal.

After a fierce exchange, Li Chuan used his superb swordsmanship and agility to inflict a devastating wound on his opponent. With one slash, he broke through the pirate leader’s defense; with the next, he swept his blade across and brought him down completely.

“The pirate leader is dead! Lay down your weapons and surrender!”

Without their commander, the pirate soldiers collapsed entirely. Most fell to their knees and surrendered, while only a few chose to leap into the sea in an attempt to escape.

Cheers of Victory

At last, the battle ended. The first light of dawn spilled across the bloodstained sea as the fishermen raised their weapons and cheered their victory. This night raid had not only destroyed the pirates’ main fleet, but had also shattered their morale completely.

“Search the battlefield and bring back everything that can still be used,” Li Chuan told the others.

His voice was weary, yet filled with resolve and pride.

This victory marked the fishermen’s fleet’s transformation into a force capable of confronting the pirates head-on. More importantly, it gave the villagers a confidence they had never known before. They were no longer passive victims waiting to be attacked. They had become warriors capable of striking first.

Preparing for the Next Step

After the battle, Li Chuan began planning their next move. He knew that although the pirates had suffered a devastating blow, the forces behind them had not disappeared. He needed to consolidate the strength of the fishing village as quickly as possible and gather supplies for the challenges ahead.

When a group of captured villagers was rescued and returned, the villagers’ morale reached its peak. Li Chuan’s standing within the village rose even further. He was no longer merely their leader, but the hope of everyone.

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