Novels online

Chapter 1062 Palace Secret Arts

Zheng Zhihu was still reeling when another head popped out of the water beside him, none other than Zheng Sen.

"Uncle Second! Are you alright?"

Zheng Zhihu replied, "I'm fine. Mr. Li saved me."

Zheng Sen's face was also filled with astonishment. "I saw it. His... his way of saving people was so strange. Is he... truly human?"

Zheng Zhihu shook his head. "I don't know, and now's not the time to think about it. You hurry back to the ship and take command. Uncle Second is going to chop up that bastard Liu Xiang."

Zheng Sen called out, "Be careful, Uncle Second! Don't get caught in a fishing net again!"

Zheng Zhihu declared, "A trick used on Zheng Zhihu won't work a second time."

With that, he swam a couple of strokes, clinging once more to Liu Xiang's flagship. The smooth hull was impossible to climb, but now several ropes hung down from the deck. He grabbed one, and in a swift blur, he scrambled up.

By this point, the battle on Liu Xiang's flagship was already nearing its conclusion.

Since Zheng Zhihu had single-handedly slaughtered almost all the pirates on Liu Xiang's ship, Liu Xiang was left practically defenseless, with no one to command. Meanwhile, Zheng Zhihu's own men were continually leaping aboard.

Liu Xiang was a cornered beast.

A group of sailors roared at him, "Liu Xiang, prepare to die!"

Liu Xiang let out a wild laugh. "Even if I die, I'll drag a Zheng Zhihu down with me! A worthy death, hahahaha!"

Mid-manic laughter, he saw the sailors in front of him suddenly part. Zheng Zhihu pushed aside his subordinates and stood before Liu Xiang, asking, "Who exactly is dragging you down as a sacrifice?"

Liu Xiang was utterly stunned. "How is this possible? You didn't drown?"

Zheng Zhihu chuckled twice. "I had a powerful benefactor."

Liu Xiang fell silent.

Zheng Zhihu continued, "Alright, now. All our past and present grudges can be settled right here, right now."

He advanced step by step, closing in on Liu Xiang.

Liu Xiang's heart began to pound with dread. He knew he was no match for Zheng Zhihu.

He took two steps back, then lunged towards the ship's rail, intending to vault over and dive into the sea.

However, just as he reached the rail, someone suddenly burst out of the water with a "splash"! This person, like a flying fish, leaped directly onto the ship's side, his head connecting with a "thump" right under Liu Xiang's chin.

The impact sent Liu Xiang sprawling backward, his escape into the sea thwarted.

He shook his head, then clearly saw a man in a swordsman's garb standing before him. The material of the man's clothes was rather peculiar; it seemed to dry the moment it left the water. What kind of strange fabric was this? Did it not absorb water?

Li Daoxuan perched on the ship's rail, dangling his feet. "I've decompressed. Now I'm quite relaxed. I'm just here to watch the show. You may continue."

Liu Xiang was speechless.

Zheng Zhihu lunged forward. Liu Xiang spun around, meeting him with a saber strike.

"Clang!"

The two exchanged a blow, then instantly clashed in a fierce duel.

Li Daoxuan watched for only three seconds before he knew Liu Xiang was doomed.

Sure enough, in fewer than ten moves, Zheng Zhihu brought his saber down on Liu Xiang's neck, sending blood spraying far and wide.

"Liu Xiang is vanquished!"

"Liu Xiang is vanquished!"

"The last great pirate of the Southeast coast is gone!"

"Peace reigns across the land!"

The Zheng family sailors all erupted in cheers.

With Liu Xiang's death, the remaining pirates still stubbornly resisting on the sea slowly began to calm down. Some raised their hands in surrender, while others steered their ships to escape the battle zone...

But escape was impossible.

Zheng Zhilong's fleet and the Gao Family Village navy had launched a pincer movement from north and south precisely to prevent Liu Xiang's pirates from fleeing. Those pirate ships attempting to escape were quickly encircled by the combined forces and all forced back.

Ultimately, the Liu Xiang pirate gang met its end here.

This marked the demise of the last chieftain from the "Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars" pirate syndicate. His downfall signified that all major pirate groups along the Southeast coast had finally been pacified. From now on, only small fry would be left, and they were nothing to fear.

That evening...

The work of clearing the battlefield proceeded methodically.

The pirate ships were gathered together, and the surrendered pirates were assembled on their decks, their weapons confiscated, and ordered to operate the fleet themselves.

There were still small boats on the sea, salvaging drifting wooden planks. Any fallen comrades whose bodies could be recovered would certainly be brought back for burial. As for the pirate corpses, they were left in the sea as sustenance for the fish and shrimp.

On the deck of Zheng Zhilong's flagship, a banquet was laid out.

Zheng Zhilong, Zheng Zhihu, Zheng Sen, Mr. Li, Jiang Cheng, Shi Lang, and others sat in a circle around the table.

Zheng Zhilong was also a robust, unpretentious man, not the refined scholar-general type. Of course, he appeared slightly more educated than his second brother, Zheng Zhihu.

He raised his wine cup. "In today's battle, we were fortunate to have Mr. Li intervene and save my second brother. Zheng, I am truly at a loss for words to express my gratitude, so I can only offer you this toast, benefactor."

With a decisive "crack," Li Daoxuan snapped a crab leg, slurping the meat from inside, too engrossed to drink...

Zheng Zhilong's gaze lingered.

Jiang Cheng quickly interjected, "General Zheng is too kind. Mr. Li isn't much of a drinker; he just has a particular fondness for seafood."

Zheng Zhilong thought, "These palace officials truly are something else!"

Beside him, Zheng Zhihu chuckled. "Big Brother, we're from pirate stock ourselves; we despise all those formal courtesies. Isn't it just to our liking that Mr. Li doesn't bother with such superficialities?"

Zheng Zhilong laughed. "Haha, you're right. No need for pretense, just eat!"

"Crack." Li Daoxuan bit open the shell of a large lobster.

Zheng Zhilong leaned in close to Zheng Zhihu's ear and whispered, "Second Brother, this palace official eats a lot."

Zheng Zhihu whispered back, "His fondness for seafood really helps us out. The nautical clock I brought back for you last time, I traded seafood for it."

Zheng Zhilong suddenly recalled the matter and whispered, "That truly is an excellent divine clock. To trade a few ships of seafood for it, what a massive profit, a massive profit indeed."

At this moment, Zheng Sen's head also leaned in, whispering, "Uncle Second, don't you feel that Mr. Li isn't quite human?"

Zheng Zhihu nodded. "He certainly doesn't seem to be."

Zheng Zhilong mused, "Oh? Is that so?"

The three of them huddled together, whispering. Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Sen recounted what they had witnessed underwater to Zheng Zhilong.

After listening, Zheng Zhilong gasped in disbelief. "Are you saying what you saw is true?"

Zheng Zhihu insisted, "I may be uncultured, but my eyes aren't blind."

Zheng Sen added, "I am cultured, and my eyes aren't blind either."

Zheng Zhilong pondered for a long while with a bewildered expression, then whispered, "Perhaps it's one of the imperial secret arts. You know, for generations, the palace has harbored many masters, always skilled in some miraculous martial art. I heard the Grand Eunuch Zheng He was an unmatched master, using a hammer technique similar to Li Yuanba's. He fought in battles, journeyed to the Western Oceans, encountered pirates, suppressed rebellions, and even toppled nations, yet never suffered a single injury."

The three of them frightened themselves for a while. Then, turning to look at Li Daoxuan again, they felt his image grow taller and more radiant.