Blood dripped from his hands onto the wooden floor as Jiang Koshing coldly stared at Yongzheng, who stood amidst the martial artists.
The Central Plains martial artists now knew they had the upper hand; even though Jiang Koshing came with many men, his pirates were proving useless when they came face to face with true martial artists.
Yong Taihua had already secured control of a pirate boat. The nine members of Sword Village, including Yan Zhanjin, had successfully boarded the boat along with five other martial artists who couldn't swim. Li Kong Bai and his four remaining disciples had carried the injured Zhou Guotin onto a second captured boat.
Xue Horan helped the injured Dong Lanying toward the front deck, joining Rao Zhengsheng and Yuan Xiurong.
Rao Zhengsheng immediately focused on his beloved. "Hao'er, are you hurt?"
Xue Horan replied, his attention on his Senior Sister. "No, but Shijie is."
Rao Zhengsheng gave the order for the immediate evacuation. "Lanying, take Xiurong and leave first."
Rao Zhengsheng began attacking the members of the Seventy-Two Islands, rapidly clearing a pathway for Dong Lanying and Yuan Xiurong. When he approached the edge of the sinking ship, he flew directly toward the injured Jiang Koshing. The pirate leader, weak and defeated, had difficulty defending himself against Rao Zhengsheng's relentless assault.
Xue Horan positioned himself in front of Dong Lanying and Yuan Xiurong, leading them toward another pirate boat that seemed empty.
Xue Horan called out, "Shijie, this boat."
As the three prepared to board the boat, Chief of Seventy-two Islands suddenly flew up and struck out at Xue Horan with a heavy punch. The attack was swift and targeted.
Before the blow could land, Yongzheng rushed forward, pulling Xue Horan into his arms and twisting his body to shield him. Chief of Seventy-two Islands punch hit directly onto Yongzheng's upper back. The force of the impact sent Yongzheng and Xue Horan flying directly into a pile of burning rice sacks on the deck.
Rao Zhengsheng witnessed the attack and cried out in rage. "Horan!" He drew out his signature butterfly swords and immediately turned to engage Chief of Seventy-two Islands.
Yongzheng groaned in pain, the combination of the powerful punch and the burning rice sacks searing his flesh. Xue Horan quickly beat out the flames on Yongzheng's back.
Yongzheng, despite his agony, asked first about his friend. "Are you hurt?"
Xue Horan, overwhelmed with guilt and terror, replied, "I'm not hurt. Sorry, you were burned."
Yongzheng, true to his nature, dismissed his pain. "Don't worry about it."
The two helped each other up, and as soon as they took the first two steps, Yongzheng suddenly vomited blood. This sight instantly panicked Xue Horan. He quickly wiped the blood from the corner of Yongzheng's mouth with the back of his hand, and the two of them gave way, meeting up with Dong Lanying and Yuan Xiurong.
At that moment, Rao Zhengsheng also regrouped with the four friends. He stood protectively between Yuan Xiurong and Xue Horan. They retreated to the edge of the deck, their backs hitting the railing. The only intact boat nearby was the one Yong Taihua had already taken control of.
A pirate leader, Wu Jinghua, who had just flown out from the rooftop, sent out several daggers and rushed straight at the five people standing on the edge of the front boat.
Reacting instantly, Rao Zhengsheng pulled Yuan Xiurong to the left, grabbed Dong Lanying's waist, and went straight for Yong Taihua's boat. With a wave of her sword, Yong Caixia cut the rope that tied the smaller boat to the sinking larger one.
Once Rao Zhengsheng landed safely with Yuan Xiurong and Dong Lanying, he turned around and shouted over the din, "Horan, jump!" The boat began to slowly move away from the sinking vessel.
As the dagger flew toward them, Yongzheng pulled Xue Horan tightly into his arms and caught one of the flying daggers. Holding Xue Horan close, he quickly jumped over to the left, landing on another smaller pirate boat where some martial artists were already present. When he landed, he immediately used the dagger he caught to sever the ropes that fastened their boat to the larger sinking ship. This boat, too, began to drive away slowly.
Just as Xue Horan heard Rao Zhengsheng calling him in the midst of chaos, he shouted back, "Zhen Ge, I'm in another boat with Yongzheng!"
Wu Jinghua-knelt on one nee befor Chief of Seventy-two Islands. "Chief, I'm sorry, I'm late."
Jiang Koshing frowned. "Are you still preparing makeup and choosing what clothes to wear?"
Wu Jinghua smiled seductively. "Well, I am known by standing truthful to my name. My entrance and exit has to be splendid every time."
Chief of Seventy-two Islands said, "Tell the other five leaders to be prepared."
Wu Jinghua smiled. "Yes, Chief."
The rest of the pirates flew onto Wu Jinghua's large boat.
Chief of Seventy-two Islands turned around, watching the three escaped boats. "Destroy two of the three escaped boats."
Wu Jinghua asked, confused, "Why, Chief?"
The Chief of the Seventy-Two Islands smiled, a cruel gleam in his eyes. "Let dogs bite dogs. Also, we need messengers. We need to let the Central Plains martial artists know that when they kill one of our leaders, they have to deal with seven of us."
Wu Jinghua bowed elegantly, her smile equally chilling. "As you wish." She added a flourish. "You are the Chief in command."
Two cannons fired from both sides of Wu Jinghua's boat. The cannons began to fire multiple shells at the three small boats, targeting them mercilessly. The barrage was devastating, and the three small boats were completely destroyed.
The Chief of the Seventy-Two Islands, the now-injured Fifth Leader Jiang Koshing, and the Seventh Leader Wu Jinghua pulled their vessel away from the scattered broken pieces and bodies, leaving behind a clear, terrible message of open war.
The rain began pouring down, adding to the violent thrashing of the waves. Rao Zhengsheng and Yuan Xiurong went into the water simultaneously. He quickly grabbed her hand and swam to a barrel, placing her hands on the wood. "Hold tight. Don't let go," he instructed. He dragged the barrel around, frantically shouting for his loved ones. "Horan! Lanying! Horan!"
Xue Horan swam and managed to grab a piece of broken wood, but the waters were pure chaos. Martial artists who couldn't swim started scrambling for anything to stay afloat. Two of them clung tightly onto the same door panel with Xue Horan. Since three people were holding a single panel, the weight was too much, and they began to sink.
One man yelled, "Boy, let go!"
Xue Horan protested, "Qianbei, I found the door panel first!"
Another martial artist was ruthless. "It doesn't matter." He grabbed Xue Horan's hands and pulled them away from the wood.
Xue Horan was yanked away toward another group of drowning martial artists. One of them, panicking, pushed Xue Horan down under the water. When he tried to swim up, his robe was caught by the edge of a submerged wooden board.
Xue Horan normally could hold his breath for a long time, but with numerous feet kicking at him from various directions, he couldn't determine where his robe was stuck. He started struggling violently.
Suddenly, someone kicked him hard on his left shoulder. He cried out in pain, and when he opened his mouth, water rushed into his nose and lungs, blocking his airway. His ability to hold his breath, which usually lasted for hours during practice, was reduced to mere minutes. He began to panic, knowing that death was within easy reach.
No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free. He knew that in less than a minute, when he could no longer hold his breath, he would definitely die.
Then he slowly opened his eyes and saw a black figure swimming toward him. He knew this person was Rao Zhengsheng, because every time he encountered danger, Rao Zhengsheng would always show up to save him. He saw Rao Zhengsheng's face next to his. He felt Rao Zhengsheng's lips sealed against his lips, and Rao Zhengsheng passed air into his mouth.
At the same moment, Yongzheng saw Xue Horan disappear beneath the waves after being pulled off the wood panel. He swam as fast as he could to where Xue Horan had vanished. He dove into the water twice and found nothing. Then, guided by the flickering light of burning debris under the water, he spotted Xue Horan stuck beneath a wooden board.
He quickly swam to Xue Horan's side, trying to pull him up, but Xue Horan was stuck. Yongzheng knew his friend was out of air, and so was he. He swam up quickly, took a big breath, and swam down again. He grabbed Xue Horan's face and pulled him close. He put his lips on Xue Horan's mouth and passed half of his single breath of air into Xue Horan's mouth. Using a surge of internal strength, he tore Xue Horan's robe, which was catching the wood, and freed him. The two men swam up together.
The rain began pouring down, turning the chaotic waters into a torrential downpour. Yongzheng and Xue Horan, fighting the current and the relentless rain hitting their faces, began swimming toward the shore. It took them nearly an hour, pushing their exhausted bodies through the storm, to finally reach the muddy bank.
Xue Horan, still recovering from the near-drowning, was relieved to feel solid ground. He turned around, his back still facing the river, and said, "Zhen Ge, we have to find a place to hide."
He heard a quiet confirmation from behind him: "Hmm..."
Then, realization struck. The voice wasn't Rao Zhengsheng's. He quickly spun around and saw Yongzheng rushing forward, gently pushing him further onto the bank, just as the Taoist knocked away a flying dagger.
Before they could react, ten men wearing black stood in front of them, their swords drawn and forming a defensive line that completely blocked Yongzheng and Xue Horan's escape route into the forest.