The dock remained unusually quiet after the film ended.
No one spoke for a while. The sailors were still digesting the battle they had just witnessed. The Westerners' strength and brutality lingered in their minds like the aftertaste of strong liquor.
Finally, one sailor nudged Shi Lang with his elbow.
"Young Shi, you're from Fujian, right? Tell us honestly. Are Western ships really that enormous? They looked almost as big as the Wanli Sunshine."
Shi Lang nodded without hesitation.
"They really are that large. I saw them with my own eyes when I used to play along the coast."
The surrounding sailors immediately leaned closer.
"Each one carries more than a dozen cannons," Shi Lang continued. "Slightly fewer than the Wanli Sunshine, but still terrifying."
"They pack soldiers tightly inside. The crews fight from those towering upper decks."
"And their seamanship," he added, shaking his head, "is far ahead of ours."
The sailors erupted into noisy discussion.
Before long, Shi Lang found himself surrounded. Everyone bombarded him with questions from every direction. He clearly enjoyed the attention. After all, the first time Li Daoxuan and Zhu Piaoling noticed him had been when he entertained young noblemen in a brothel with sea stories. Now he had an even larger audience, and his enthusiasm burned brighter than ever.
He spoke endlessly about Western pirates, their ships, their tactics, their navigation skills.
Gradually, the sailors realized something unsettling. The film had not exaggerated anything. If anything, it might have softened reality.
One sailor sighed heavily.
"What should we do?"
Another scratched his head.
"Our navigation skills are far behind theirs."
"If we cannot match their navigation, we will always be stuck defending our own shores. They can cross thousands of miles to reach us, but we cannot even sail to their homeland."
"That means we are trapped in a losing position," someone muttered.
The discussion grew heated.
At that moment, the water warfare Dao Xuan Tianzun suddenly appeared before the giant screen.
The credits still rolled behind him. Names such as Lao Nanfeng, Chen Qianhu, Cai Lin, and Zheng Dazhuang scrolled across the tablet, but no one paid attention anymore.
Li Daoxuan stood before the glowing light, his figure reduced to a dark silhouette.
He cleared his throat and spoke into the tablet's microphone.
"Listen carefully, all of you."
The tablet amplified his voice so clearly that even those standing at the farthest edge of the crowd heard every word.
The dock instantly fell silent. Every sailor straightened their posture.
Li Daoxuan spoke in a firm, ringing tone.
"From this moment forward, our forces will begin the assault on Zhoushan."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The objective of Phase One is to wipe out every pirate occupying that island."
The sailors erupted.
"Oorah!"
Li Daoxuan raised his voice again.
"The objective of Phase Two is to establish Zhoushan as our forward base and secure control of the entire southeastern coastline."
"Oorah!"
His tone grew even sharper.
"The objective of Phase Three is to advance into Southeast Asia and destroy the Westerners' East India Company."
The cheers became thunderous.
"Oorah! Oorah! Oorah!"
Li Daoxuan lifted his hand.
"The objective of Phase Four is to cross the vast oceans and strike directly at the Western nations themselves."
The sailors shouted until their voices grew hoarse.
"Strike back! Strike back!"
Shi Lang felt his blood boil. Without thinking, he joined the roar.
"Strike back!"
Li Daoxuan swept his gaze across the crowd.
"What are you waiting for? Move!"
The sailors exploded into motion. Orders flew across the dock. Men sprinted toward their assigned vessels.
Meanwhile, the ground troops could only watch with complicated expressions. Some waved farewell. Others stood stiffly, their envy barely concealed.
At the docks of Anqing Prefecture, a massive fleet gathered.
With the Huangmei River pirates largely suppressed, the Gao Family Village navy finally freed its strength to carry out Dao Xuan Tianzun's Phase One objective.
The Wanli Sunshine naturally served as the flagship.
Ten additional warships, each roughly sixty meters long, lined up beside it.
Behind them floated another thirty vessels ranging from twenty to fifty meters in length.
All were river sea hybrid ships.
These ships were suitable for coastal travel but far from ideal for deep ocean voyages. True ocean going vessels required deep hull drafts to withstand violent storms and towering waves.
There was another problem.
Most sailors aboard these ships were technically river sailors rather than true ocean sailors. Their experience remained limited to coastlines. Sending them directly into deep ocean waters would likely end in disaster.
Everyone understood the truth.
Their current strength could only support the first two phases. Beginning with Phase Three, they would need to develop true ocean navigation skills.
The forty three pirates undergoing labor reform were distributed among the fleet.
After Li Daoxuan frightened them repeatedly using the talking portrait method, their attitude toward re education improved dramatically. When a portrait of what might be either an immortal or a demon constantly threatened to devour you, learning obedience became surprisingly easy.
These forty three pirates effectively served as guides.
Without them, the navy would panic the moment they sailed too far from shore. With them, an assault on Zhoushan became possible.
Li Daoxuan stood at the bow of the Wanli Sunshine and turned toward Tie Niaofei.
"You will not participate in this expedition. You are a land merchant, and you still suffer from seasickness. Return to Shanxi. The border army still requires your logistical coordination."
Tie Niaofei bowed respectfully with clasped fists before stepping off the ship.
Li Daoxuan then looked toward Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng quickly spoke.
"I lack experience in deep sea navigation, but at present I am the only one capable of commanding this fleet."
Li Daoxuan nodded and then glanced toward Shi Lang, who stood nearby.
Shi Lang instantly snapped into a salute. He already understood that the man before him held true authority. The embroidered image worn by everyone confirmed it.
"What are your orders for me, sir?"
Li Daoxuan replied calmly.
"You are young, but you grew up by the sea and possess valuable navigation knowledge. Do your best to assist Instructor Jiang."
Shi Lang nearly burst with excitement.
Is this not basically making me vice admiral, he thought wildly.
Li Daoxuan sighed quietly to himself.
Such a shortage of talent. When will I finally manage to bring Zheng Sen over? And if Zheng Sen arrives… will he and Shi Lang end up clashing?
Li Daoxuan turned toward one of the labor reform pirates standing nearby.
The man stared at him with miserable fear. His entire body trembled. Seeing the living figure from the portrait standing before him nearly shattered his nerves.
Li Daoxuan smiled at him.
The strange, unnatural feeling created by the smile only made the pirate more terrified.
"G Great Immortal… what command do you give?"
Li Daoxuan spoke in a cold tone.
"You will guide us to Zhoushan. If you attempt any tricks, I will personally devour you piece by piece."
The pirate screamed in panic.
"I would never dare. Never. This humble one truly wishes to reform and become a proper human again. Please grant me this chance, Great Immortal."
Li Daoxuan nodded.
"Good. Set sail."
The combined fleet of Gao Family Village slowly departed Anqing and headed toward Zhoushan.