HCB Chapter 1273 Fierce Battle
Chapter 1273 Fierce Battle
Everyone nodded hurriedly: "Yes, we promise to keep our mouths shut!"
Zhan Yan and Min Ao returned to the cabin, their expressions still grave and grim.
They haven't yet recovered from the sudden disappearance of Fairy Island; it's like a dream. What exactly happened?
Lin Yiwan was able to accept it quickly because her own existence was quite inexplicable.
How can a normal person be reborn after death?
There must be something beyond her comprehension!
The ship continued its voyage, each person harboring their own thoughts.
After sailing peacefully for seven days, the two large ships encountered huge storms and torrential rain.
Lin Yiwan and Zhan Yan were awakened from their sleep and hurriedly went out to check. They saw huge waves crashing against the ship's side, and the splashing water was like broken jade hitting the deck. The damp and cold sea breeze, carrying the salty smell, filled their collars.
Lin Yiwan quickly wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, then heard a loud cracking sound from the top of the mast, which startled her.
"My lord! Three fast boats are approaching! The bows are crowded with people, I estimate there are several hundred!" Xie Jianshu's roar was shattered by the strong wind.
As Lin Yiwan turned around, she happened to see Zhan Yan stride out of the cabin. He was dressed in a black outfit that was tightly cinched at the waist, and the hilt of the sword at his waist was polished to a shine by the sea breeze. His face was ashen, and his deep eyes swept across the sea, taking in the approaching ships in the distance.
"It must be another assassin sent by the Heavenly Mandate Palace," he said coldly, without the slightest ripple, as if the crisis before him was nothing more than a common storm.
Lin Yiwan strode forward, her cloak fluttering in the wind. She raised her hand to press down her wind-blown hair, her gaze sharp as a blade: "The Heavenly Mandate Palace is indeed up to no good. They have probably been sending people to wait here all along, their goal being to prevent us from returning to Li Kingdom!"
Her fingertips unconsciously touched the silver needles hidden in her sleeve; her fingertips were slightly cool, but her expression remained calm.
Zhan Yan raised his hand and pressed down on her shoulder, his eyes filled with a chilling killing intent: "No matter who it is, no one will leave this ship alive today."
He turned to his bodyguards behind him and ordered in a deep voice, "Xie Jianshu, take men to guard the entrance to the cabin, reinforce the ship's hull defenses, and prepare rocket fuel!"
"Yes!" the guards responded in unison, their movements swift and precise, instantly taking their positions.
At this moment, the leading speedboats had closed to within a hundred meters. A masked man in black stood at the bow of one of the boats, pointing a long knife at Zhan Yan: "Today is your death day!"
Zhan Yan sneered, his voice echoing across the land: "You bunch of cowardly dogs, how dare you talk big?" He drew his sword, its cold light flashing, reflecting the chilling killing intent in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the man in black paused slightly, clearly not expecting Zhan Yan to be so fearless. Even though they were already surrounded, they remained completely unfazed.
Lin Yiwan stood beside Zhan Yan, her gaze sweeping over the enemy ship's layout, and whispered, "Their ship is fast, and there are about a hundred people on board. There are catapults at the bow, so we need to be wary of them launching a ranged attack first."
She has exceptional insight; after just one glance, she had already roughly assessed the strength of the opposing ship.
Zhan Yan nodded, having no doubt about her judgment: "You should retreat into the cabin and protect the mother and children. Leave this to me."
"No way!" Lin Yiwan immediately retorted, her tone firm.
"We are husband and wife, how can I let you go into danger alone?"
Looking into her clear eyes, Zhan Yan felt a slight stirring in his heart, and his stern face softened a little, but he still insisted: "The sea is dangerous, and swords have no eyes. I can't let anything happen to you."
Before he could finish speaking, a huge rock crashed down on the stern of the ship, causing the deck to shake violently and several guards to lose their footing and fall to the ground. Seeing this, the man in black shouted, "Fire arrows! Board the ship!" Instantly, a rain of arrows came down like locusts, whistling sharply through the air.
Zhan Yan pulled Lin Yiwan behind him, slashing his sword to parry the arrow. The blade sliced through the arrow shaft, sending sparks flying. "Listen to me!" His voice was urgent, but still steady. "There's a secret passage inside the cabin that leads to a smaller boat. If things get bad, evacuate through the passage immediately. I'll be there soon."
Lin Yiwan broke free from his grasp, dodged a stray arrow, and flicked three silver needles, accurately striking the wrists of three men in black who had climbed onto the ship's railing. "I told you, I won't leave." She looked at Zhan Yan, her expression calm. "You guard the front, and I'll clear out the attackers from both sides. Trust me."
Looking into the determination in her eyes, Zhan Yan's worries vanished instantly. He knew her nature; seemingly gentle, she possessed a tenacious spirit that refused to give up. "Alright!" he replied in a deep voice, his tone full of trust. "The left side is yours. Be careful, and if you encounter any danger, speak up immediately."
"Don't worry." Lin Yiwan nodded, her movements as nimble as a swallow, dodging the oncoming blades. Silver needles flew out from her sleeves one after another, each strike precise and accurate, forcing back the black-clad men who tried to attack from both sides.
Seeing this, Zhan Yan felt reassured and swung his sword to meet the masked leader. The blades clashed, producing a piercing metallic clang.
Min Ao immediately led his men out to meet the enemy. He was also skilled in martial arts and quickly killed several men in black.
Seeing this horrific scene, the masked man gritted his teeth and said, "We have already laid a trap, and today you will have no way to escape!"
Upon hearing this, Min Ao's heart skipped a beat, and he shouted a warning: "Ayan, be careful of an ambush! They might have more than just these three ships!"
Zhan Yan's eyes darkened, and he glanced at the sea. Sure enough, he saw dark shadows moving in the distance, as if more ships were approaching. "It seems today will be a tough battle."
He turned to Min Ao and said, "Later, I'll hold off their main force. You go and operate the crossbow at the stern to shoot down their sails and buy them time."
"Alright!" Min Ao responded, and taking advantage of Zhan Yan's entanglement with the masked man, he quickly rushed towards the stern of the ship. On the way, he was blocked by two men in black, but he ducked to avoid their blades with swift and decisive movements.
Seeing that he had safely reached the stern of the ship, Zhan Yan felt a little relieved. He wielded his long sword with even greater speed, cleaving through the masked man's defenses with a single strike and aiming straight for his vitals: "Speak! Who sent you?"
The masked man fought desperately, his face soaked with cold sweat, and pulled off his mask: "Killing me won't help; you're going to die today!"
At this moment, Min Ao had already aimed his crossbow at the sail of the lead speedboat and shouted, "Ayan, get ready!"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Yan abruptly dodged the masked man's attack and shouted, "Release!"
The crossbow bolt pierced the air, accurately severing the ropes of the enemy ship's sail. The sail crashed down, and the fast boat instantly lost power, spinning in the waves. Seeing this, the other two ships were thrown into chaos.
Just as Min Ao was about to fire another crossbow bolt, a man in black took advantage of the chaos to bypass Zhan Yan and slash at him with a knife. "Watch out!" Zhan Yan shouted in alarm, but it was too late to rush back to help.