Chapter 1061: Who is This Divine Being?
While Li Daoxuan was decompressing in the water...
Zheng Zhilong's second brother, Zheng Zhihu, was preparing for a boarding action.
Zheng Sen, who was twelve years old this year—no, he was called Zheng Sen now—was on Zheng Zhihu's ship, learning the ropes of naval combat alongside his second uncle.
Zheng Zhihu told Zheng Sen in a low voice, "Your second uncle is about to board the enemy ship. After I jump over, you stay on this ship and command. Do not follow me into the fray, understand?"
Zheng Sen shook his head. "I want to jump over too."
Zheng Zhihu bristled. "How old are you? Your body hasn't even fully grown. Are you trying to get yourself killed by jumping over? Once I'm gone, someone needs to command the ship. You stay here and act as the forward commander in my place, understood?"
Zheng Sen could only nod. "Understood! Second Uncle, please be careful. Don't die."
Zheng Zhihu burst into laughter. "What kind of battle is this if you're afraid of death? Watch me!"
Just as he said this, Zheng Zhihu's flagship slammed into Liu Xiang's flagship with a resounding crash. Both ships rocked violently, sending Zheng Sen tumbling onto the deck.
He placed his steel saber between his teeth, clenched it, held a rattan shield in his left hand to protect his chest, and with his right hand, he grabbed a sail rope and leaped towards Liu Xiang's ship.
He was like a titan, grabbing hold of the vines of destiny, oh-oh-oh-oh!
The pirates on the opposing ship swiftly fired several arrows. Zheng Zhihu blocked them with his left-hand shield—*thunk, thunk, thunk*—the arrows all ricocheted off the rattan. He had already swung onto Liu Xiang's flagship, and with a flying kick, he sent a pirate who was swinging a saber flying backward.
Zheng Zhihu roared, "Python Two has arrived! Who dares to stand against me?"
Five pirates charged forward. Zheng Zhihu swung his saber, engaging all five. His blade flashed wildly, and in no time at all, all five pirates were hacked and sent overboard.
"Liu Xiang! Where in the hell are you hiding?" Zheng Zhihu, shield in left hand, saber in right, rampaged across Liu Xiang's flagship, cutting down any pirate he saw. No one could withstand a single blow from him.
Liu Xiang was terrified by the sight and dared not engage. He could only dodge and hide throughout the ship. "Quick, send men to block that monster!"
The pirates yelled and swarmed Zheng Zhihu.
However, it was all for naught. Zheng Zhihu was a formidable general; he simply could not be stopped. Any pirate who dared to challenge him was cut down in an instant.
Zheng Sen, watching from the ship behind, was mesmerized.
His second uncle was so fierce, carving a path from bow to stern, then from stern to bow, without even blinking.
Just then, Zheng Sen suddenly saw Liu Xiang on the enemy ship enacting a scheme. He picked up a large fishing net hanging from the stern and stealthily climbed onto the sterncastle.
Zheng Sen was shocked and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Second Uncle, look out!"
But amidst the cacophony of the battlefield, his small voice couldn't reach Zheng Zhihu's ears.
Zheng Zhihu had just cut down a pirate when he saw a huge fishing net descend from the sterncastle, covering him head to toe, trapping him.
A shock ran through him, and he cursed inwardly, "Damn it!"
From a distance, Zheng Sen let out a despairing cry. "Quick, go save my second uncle!"
The Zheng family marines on the ship immediately rushed forward with all their might.
But it was too late. Liu Xiang leaped down from the sterncastle and kicked Zheng Zhihu. Such a flying kick, Zheng Zhihu could usually easily dodge, but caught in the fishing net, he had no way to evade.
"Thud!"
With a muffled impact, Zheng Zhihu, still tangled in the net, plunged into the sea.
Zheng Sen cried out, "Ahhh! Quick, jump in and pull Second Uncle out!"
The Zheng marines rushed to the side of the ship where Zheng Zhihu had fallen. Liu Xiang leaped out from the side, swinging his saber, instantly throwing those few marines into disarray, making it impossible for them to enter the water to rescue Zheng Zhihu.
This was truly disastrous!
Zheng Sen's heart pounded. He flipped over and jumped into the sea from his own ship.
Once in the water, he quickly swam towards the direction Zheng Zhihu had fallen, using both his hands and feet, while desperately searching for his second uncle.
However, a large ship separated where he jumped and where Zheng Zhihu had fallen. Seaworthy ships had a very deep draft, so it wouldn't be easy for Zheng Sen to swim across...
He knew that a person who had fallen into the water only had a few minutes for rescue. Beyond that time, only a corpse would be recovered. He was so anxious that he couldn't help but sob in the water.
Just then, a figure shot past Zheng Sen in the water with a "whoosh." The speed of its swim was bewildering, and, more importantly, the swimming style itself was utterly incomprehensible.
Zheng Sen was stunned. "Huh? Is that a person?"
The figure that swam past him was none other than Li Daoxuan. He was like a torpedo, whizzing past Zheng Sen and instantly reaching Zheng Zhihu's side.
Poor Zheng Zhihu was tangled in the fishing net and sinking.
He possessed excellent swimming skills, but he couldn't use them at all; his limbs were useless. He stared with wide, unwilling eyes.
Just then, he saw that low-spec Zheng He—no, the Emperor's trusted eunuch Li... *cough*... Mr. Li, was swimming towards him like a fish.
Zheng Zhihu: "?"
Is *that* how humans swim?
Li Daoxuan reached him and quickly said, "Don't struggle. I'll save you now."
Zheng Zhihu: *Huh? He can talk underwater? What in the world is going on?*
Li Daoxuan reached out and grabbed the fishing net, pulling hard, but it didn't tear...
Even with his "supernatural strength," a fishing net was difficult to break with brute force.
Li Daoxuan realized immediately that something was wrong after one pull and quickly abandoned the idea of tearing it by hand. With a thought, the bone blade attached to his skeleton *snicked* out.
Zheng Zhihu watched in utter shock as a sharp blade extended from Li Daoxuan's elbow.
Li Daoxuan swung his elbow, and the fishing net was sliced open.
No, one blade was too slow!
A circle of sharp blades *swished* out from his arm...
Zheng Zhihu: "!!!!"
If he hadn't been underwater, Zheng Zhihu would have been screaming for all the gods and immortals to bear witness.
Li Daoxuan swung his left elbow, then his right arm, blades flashing rapidly. The fishing net was instantly shredded to pieces.
Zheng Zhihu's spirits lifted. Although this eunuch was becoming less and less human, he was here to save him, that much was certain.
With his last breath, he swam out of the shredded net, desperately heading for the surface.
Finally, his head broke through the water, and he gulped in a huge lungful of fresh air!
He was alive!
"Wait, where's Imperial Envoy Li... *cough*... Mr. Li, who saved my life?"
Zheng Zhihu looked left and right. Mr. Li hadn't even surfaced to breathe yet?
He was startled and quickly plunged his head back into the water, searching with wide eyes. Only then did he see that Mr. Li had already swum far away like a fish. He was reaching out, grabbing a pirate who had fallen into the water, and a blade extended from his arm, plunging into the pirate's chest.
Zheng Zhihu gasped, taking a sharp breath. *Just what kind of divine being is this Mr. Li?*
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