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Chapter 871: Strange Enemies

Journalists were, by nature, full of curiosity, and the Chief Correspondent was no exception. "What seems amiss?" she asked.

Jiang Cheng pointed at the cargo ship. "We're far from Xiaolangdi now. Any merchant vessel operating around here must display its flag." The Chief Correspondent blinked. "Why do they have to show their flags if they're far from Xiaolangdi?"

Jiang Cheng explained, "The Xiaolangdi river bandits have been wiped out by our Gao Family Village Militia, so it's safe around Xiaolangdi; no need to show a flag there. But in unsafe areas, ships *must* display their flags for the bandits to see, indicating which merchant company they belong to."

"Some merchant companies are powerful enough that the bandits dare not provoke them. Their flag essentially tells the bandits to stay away. Like our Five-Colored Heavenly Lord Flag." Jiang Cheng gestured towards the ship's mast. The Chief Correspondent looked up, and indeed, a vibrant, multi-colored flag fluttered proudly atop the tall pole.

Jiang Cheng continued, "The moment our flag unfurls, any river bandits flee as far as they can. They know we have the strength to eliminate the Xiaolangdi bandits, so they wouldn't dare mess with us."

The Chief Correspondent suddenly understood.

Jiang Cheng went on, "Then there are weaker merchant companies. They pay off the river bandits along the route beforehand, handing over protection money. So when they display their flag, it's basically a message: 'Hey, I've paid my respects, we're on the same side, don't rob us.'"

"I see," the Chief Correspondent murmured.

The Chief Correspondent looked at the empty cargo ship ahead on the water, her voice low. "So this merchant ship, not showing its flag... that really *is* strange. Could they be bandits themselves?"

A volley of Hand Grenades was launched, some bouncing off wooden planks, others sailing over them, exploding with a thunderous "Boom! Boom! Boom!" However, only a few scattered screams followed, not the wave of agony one would expect. The Chief Correspondent gasped, "Ah?"

Clearly, seeing the grenades thrown, the enemy had retreated into the ship's cabins or perhaps into specially prepared hiding compartments.

However, the seventy Special Operations Team soldiers were at a loss; they weren't trained for naval combat. Just standing on the swaying ship was difficult enough for them, let alone fighting in such conditions. Suddenly, the strange vessel slowed, subtly altering its course, as if intending to pass by the Gao Family Village's ship. A sturdy man with bronzed skin emerged onto its bow, calling out loudly, "We're a merchant ship from downstream, not too familiar with these waters. Could you point us to the Gudu Ferry? Have we already passed it?"

The strange, flagless ship clearly maneuvered with a deliberate intent, steering towards Gao Family Village's cargo vessel. Before commands could even be given, a volley of arrows erupted from the opposing ship. A torrent of arrows rained down. Many sailors were hit, but fortunately, they had donned concealed armor for this trip, anticipating a potential betrayal from Lao Huihui. The arrows' force was absorbed by the armor, and the injured suffered only minor wounds. The ships drew closer, until in a blink, another torrent of arrows flew towards them!

With a dull thud, an arrow struck Jiang Cheng's chest, sending him tumbling backward. The enemy was clearly well-prepared and had indeed targeted Gao Family Village. They had even taken precautions against Flintlock Rifles, erecting thick wooden planks reinforced with thin iron sheets all over their deck. The enemy archers hid behind these makeshift shields.

The distance had already closed to within an arrow's flight, effectively negating the Gao Family Village Militia's Flintlock Rifles' range advantage due to the enemy's strategy. The sturdy man cupped his hands in a gesture of thanks. "Much obliged, brothers! Oh, running this route for the first time has truly made my head spin. We heard there are many good goods brought from the coast to the Gudu Ferry, and we plan to load up a ship and take it back to Yongji Pier."

Thwack!

The Gao Family Village's Flintlock Rifle bullets couldn't pierce those defenses! The Chief Correspondent was startled by the scene, exclaiming, "Commander Jiang!"

Arrows rained down in sheets. The eighty Militia sailors on board scrambled into various positions to dodge them, as the "Bang! Bang! Bang!" of flintlock rifle shots echoed.

He quickly bellowed, his voice strained, at the strange ship, "This is a cargo ship from Xiaolangdi! Where do you hail from? Do not approach any closer! If you do, we will consider it an act of provocation!"

Li Daoxuan, too, frowned.

The two parties passed each other on the Yellow River, one heading downstream, one upstream. This section of the river wasn't particularly wide, and both cargo ships were sailing in the middle, making it look like a head-on collision. The Special Operations Team soldiers acknowledged the order and escorted the Chief Correspondent back into the cabin.

The sailors lit the fuses of Hand Grenades and hurled them at the opposing ship. Jiang Cheng, who had just fallen, pushed himself up with both hands on the deck, springing back to a sitting position. The arrow still quivered in his chest. His concealed armor, worn beneath his merchant clothes, had saved his life; the arrowhead had only slightly breached the armor, leaving a small puncture wound in his chest. Jiang Cheng chuckled grimly, "From Yongji Pier, you say? Then you should be flying the Five-Colored Heavenly Lord Flag."

The strange, flagless ship continued to draw closer.

He called out, "The Gudu Ferry is upstream! You'll need to sail further in that direction..."

Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "Leave the professional work to the professionals. Just make sure you protect the boys."

Jiang Cheng turned to the Militia soldiers and ordered, "Prepare for battle."

On board were eighty Xiaolangdi Militia sailors and seventy Special Operations Team soldiers escorting the Chief Correspondent. The moment the order was given, the eighty Xiaolangdi sailors immediately snapped into battle readiness.

Jiang Cheng hesitated slightly. In a situation like this, opening fire without asking questions clearly wasn't the right approach.

"Only villains act that way. Civility before combat, that's the code of the rivers and lakes," Jiang Cheng muttered. "But they're clearly prepared," he added, his voice hardening with anger. "They're coming straight for us! Hand Grenades! Throw the Hand Grenades!"

He hadn't even finished his sentence when a swift arrow flew out from the cabin behind the sturdy man. The arrow was incredibly fast; Jiang Cheng was merely a merchant, not a martial master with quick reflexes, and had no time to dodge. Jiang Cheng shook his head. "Doesn't look like river bandits either. If they were, they'd have spotted our Five-Colored Heavenly Lord Flag miles away and turned tail. But look at this cargo ship—it shows no intention of avoiding us, continuing its advance. It'll be alongside us very soon."

Sounds carried far across the river. The enemy must have heard everything clearly. This group was truly cunning. They had perfectly timed their approach, deliberately rushing forward, gambling that the Gao Family Village Militia wouldn't attack without cause. They closed the distance, then used the "asking for directions" excuse to babble, further narrowing the gap between the two vessels. Jiang Cheng roared in fury, "Damn it! Good thing I was prepared! Fire! Fire back!" The sturdy man on the enemy ship burst into laughter. "So, it *is* the ship flying the Five-Colored Flag! Brothers, let's go! Kill every last one of those Xiaolangdi dogs!"

It was incredibly painful, but not fatal.

"They even prepared against Hand Grenades," Jiang Cheng said, greatly alarmed. "How do they know so much about us? Where do these strange enemies come from?"