Chapter 1060: Needing a Release
The White Pole Soldiers were hastily deployed.
Zhao Sheng sighed, "This doesn't bode well."
Even the embroidered Heavenly Lord on his chest seemed to frown, and he mused inwardly: "So, the rebels have finally entered Sichuan. Is this truly the path of destiny?"
Sichuan, of all places, was truly a difficult region to manage.
With its numerous mountains, diverse ethnic groups, complex terrain, and a multitude of small factions, Sichuan had always been a challenging territory to govern.
As the saying went: "When chaos brews across the land, Sichuan descends into turmoil first; when peace is restored, Sichuan is the last to settle."
Li Daoxuan told Zhao Sheng, "Keep a close watch on the situation here. I'll be checking in with you frequently over the next few days."
Zhao Sheng quickly responded, "Understood, Heavenly Lord."
Li Daoxuan's mood for petting cats instantly evaporated. He shifted his view to Luoyang, where things were relatively calm. Gao Yiye was enthusiastically overseeing a large group of labor reform prisoners, constructing an ancient pottery factory.
Fortunately, Shi Kefa's Gao Family Village Militia in Anqing Prefecture proved capable of holding their ground. Shi Kefa repelled several of Zhang Xianzhong's assaults, preventing any further harm to Anqing Prefecture.
Shifting his perspective to the imperial capital region, Wang Er, Bai Mao, and Ma Shouying were leading their forces in a fierce battle against a small Qing army unit northwest of Changping. In this home defense, protecting civilians was paramount. Wang Er and Bai Mao covered the retreat of a large number of civilians while their Flintlock Riflemen continuously fired.
The opposing Qing forces advanced, pushing massive Shield Carts to block the flintlock bullets, enduring the relentless hail of gunfire from Gao Family Village.
Just then, Ma Shouying's Iron Cavalry Battalion charged in from the flank.
The moment they appeared, the Gao Family Village Flintlock Riflemen immediately ceased fire. The Iron Cavalry Battalion sliced through the Qing army's Shield Cart formation, instantly throwing them into disarray.
After the Iron Cavalry Battalion completed its charge, emerging from the other side of the Qing army's ranks, Wang Er and Bai Mao's Flintlock Riflemen reopened fire. The Qing soldiers, their Shield Carts ruined by the cavalry, were immediately sent scattering in panic by the flintlock shots.
With his rounds of observation complete, Li Daoxuan's brow furrowed deeply.
The world truly was in utter chaos, with troubles erupting everywhere.
With the country in such a state of decay, his mood was heavy with frustration. Was there anywhere he could go to let off a little steam?
Perhaps gorge himself on a seafood feast?
They said the best way for humans to relieve melancholy and vent emotions was to eat.
Li Daoxuan's perspective swiftly jumped to the water combat-specialized Heavenly Lord avatar...
The instant he switched, he heard shouts of "Level One Combat Readiness!" in his ears.
Li Daoxuan: "???"
The water combat-specialized Heavenly Lord avatar sprang to attention, and Li Daoxuan realized he was right in the middle of a battlefield.
A colossal naval engagement.
The decisive battle between Zheng Zhilong's Fleet and the Gao Family Village Naval Forces, encircling the pirate Liu Xiang, was already underway.
In the very center of the battlefield was the Liu Xiang Pirate Fleet, with well over a hundred warships, a dense swarm of vessels, large and small, packed tightly across the sea ahead.
To the south of the battlefield, Zheng Zhilong had deployed even more ships, likely over two hundred warships. The largest among them was a Western three-masted galleon, a good forty meters long, probably captured by Zheng Zhilong from Western pirates.
Gao Family Village had also dispatched over forty ships, led by Jiang Cheng and Shi Lang, positioned to the north of the battlefield.
Battle was poised to erupt at any moment.
And Li Daoxuan arrived in that very instant, just before the battle began.
"What luck, I've found a way to let off some steam!" Li Daoxuan leaped onto the bow of the ship and bellowed, "Damn it, don't skimp on ammunition! Full firepower, blast them!"
"Ah? The Heavenly Lord himself has arrived!" The morale of the Gao Family Village Naval Forces soared.
The sailors cheered joyfully, "The Heavenly Lord is here to command us personally!"
"Brothers, let's do this!"
"The Heavenly Lord said: full firepower!"
All forty-odd warships of Gao Family Village collectively rotated their hulls, presenting their broadsides to the Liu Xiang Pirate Fleet. With a rapid succession of *thwacks*, the small wooden gunport covers flipped open, and a row of gleaming stainless steel cannon barrels emerged from the flank of each ship.
"Fire!"
"Blast them!"
The artillerymen excitedly lit their fuses, clapped their hands over their ears, and ducked down...
Immediately, a dense barrage of cannon fire erupted.
In an instant, countless cannonballs soared towards the Liu Xiang Pirate Fleet. Solid shot and explosive shells rained down alternately onto the pirate vessels.
Wooden planks splintered and flew, while columns of water continuously erupted from the sea.
The pirates shrieked in grotesque panic as they were blown overboard.
Li Daoxuan: "Phew, nothing beats a broadside volley for stress relief."
With that volley, the Liu Xiang Pirate Fleet was thrown into utter chaos.
After enduring just one round of cannon fire, Liu Xiang knew he was no match for Gao Family Village's forces. He dared not charge those terrifying behemoth ships from Gao Family Village. He roared, "Charge! We'll push into Zheng Zhilong's Fleet and engage in close-quarters combat! If those strange ships from Zhoushan don't want to hit their allies, they won't be able to fire!"
Liu Xiang let out a savage roar and steered his ships directly towards Zheng Zhilong's Fleet.
Zheng Zhilong's fleet didn't have many cannons and still relied on traditional boarding tactics. Since Liu Xiang was coming, Zheng Zhilong certainly wouldn't back down; he ordered his forces to charge head-on.
The warships of both fleets immediately collided, grappling together, and boarding actions began...
Sailors from both sides clashed, swords ringing loudly on the decks.
Li Daoxuan: "Damn it! My stress-relieving cannons are useless now!"
This was anything but stress-relieving!
Li Daoxuan simply leaped forward, plunging into the sea with a splash.
The Gao Family Village sailors on deck quickly peered into the water. They saw the Heavenly Lord, like a fish, swiftly swimming underwater towards the enemy fleet ahead.
The Gao Family Village sailors cheered, "Ooh! Charge with the Heavenly Lord!"
Li Daoxuan activated the propellers on his feet, reaching maximum speed. He darted wildly underwater like a torpedo. Ahead, a pirate who had fallen into the water was swimming stealthily towards the bottom of a Zheng ship, a knife clenched in his teeth, intending to launch a surprise attack.
He was swimming along happily when he suddenly felt something was amiss. Turning his head, he saw Li Daoxuan rapidly approaching, swimming in a way that was utterly inhuman.
The pirate gasped in alarm, "Gurgle!" almost choking on a mouthful of water.
The next moment, Li Daoxuan raised his right hand. With a whirring sound of machinery, a harpoon shot from his arm, *thunk*, striking the pirate squarely in the back.
A plume of blood spread out. The pirate's legs twitched twice, then went still...
Li Daoxuan retracted the harpoon, kicked aside the pirate's corpse, and continued swimming forward.
The surface of the sea was a chaotic mess, filled with shouts of killing and the crackle of flintlock fire. Arrows periodically plunged into the water. Pirates, and occasionally Zheng's sailors, continually fell into the sea.
Whenever a pirate fell, Li Daoxuan would swim over and spear them with his harpoon. If it was a sailor from Zheng's fleet, and they could still be saved, he would swim to them and lift them up.
Stretching his limbs and doing some righteous deeds felt pretty good!
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