Just as the bandits heard the continuous screams from the boat and realized that the situation was not good, they were preparing to board the ship to rescue, but they saw the bow and stern of the Lingjiao ship splashing water, roaring like a manic dragon and rushing forward.
In an instant, many of the surrounding pirate ships were smashed to pieces. The pirates screamed and fell into the water, watching the huge ship rushing straight towards the Eastern Wu navy.
At this time, the Lingjiao ship in the distance had already retreated, and this Lingjiao ship rushed forward again, causing chaos among the following enemy ships. Only a dozen small boats followed, and when they saw the large formation of the officers and soldiers, they all returned.
Seeing the big ship coming towards them again, even the well-trained navy was in a panic and rowed hard to dodge.
"Get out of the way, everyone!" In the chaos, a man appeared at the bow, brandishing a sword and shouting. It was Gan Ning.
The big ship swayed, passed through the officers' and soldiers' warships, and sailed away to the rear. Waves rolled in and hit the ships on both sides, causing waves to fly.
Although the bandit army won a great victory, they were stunned when they saw this scene. They watched the loss of a warship. After retreating to the island, they stared at the lake in a daze, not knowing what was going on.
Zhou Xiong stood on the dock, furious, and cursed the person who was driving the boat. Soon a soldier came to report that someone took advantage of the chaos to rush onto the ship, killed the guards on board, and hijacked the ship.
"Who is so bold?" Zhou Xiong's forehead was bulging with veins and his eyes were red.
The Lingjiao ship was their ultimate weapon. In order to avoid being discovered by officers and soldiers, they would burn it without mercy if an accident occurred during each retreat.
The henchman still had a look of panic on his face, and replied, "It's Gan Ning, the Jinfan thief!"
"Jinfan thief?" Zhou Xiong was shocked. "Gan Xingba, who gathered in Xiling Gorge ten years ago and was known as the invincible on the water in Ba County?"
"Yes, it's him!" the lackey replied, "We saw he had a copper bell tied around his waist, and he looked invincible."
"It could be him?" Zhou Xiong gasped. He had never thought that Gan Ning would actually join Liu Qi. He ordered, "Investigate the news of the officers and soldiers immediately. Who else is leading the troops? What is Gan Ning's current position?"
The minions took the order and left. At this moment, the minions who were returning reported that more than ten people of Kisame who went into the water to build the ship were killed by water ghosts sent by the officers and soldiers.
Zhou Xiong suddenly realized that the situation might not be good, and sent someone to Shenlong Island to ask Lin Wen to discuss countermeasures.
In the past, whenever officers and soldiers were dispatched, they were basically wiped out. This time, Liu Qi brought Gan Ning with him, and not only did they lose a large ship, but also many ghost sharks died. The Jinfan Thieves were indeed worthy of their reputation.
But this does not affect anything. Even if they steal a Lingjiao ship, they have a total of twenty large ships. If the officers and soldiers dare to come again, they will be wiped out.
Zhou Xiong took a deep breath and ordered a banquet to celebrate the victory. Overall, it was still a victory and they needed to boost morale and fight again tomorrow.
The Jingzhou army retreated to the water stronghold, and several boats followed the large ship held hostage by Gan Ning to the island. Everyone came to watch and saw that the ship was equipped with wheels at the front and back, which turned very fast and drove the large ship. It was indeed ingenious.
Gan Ning jumped down from the bow and laughed, "Damn it, I haven't robbed in years, but today I did a big one."
The cabin was opened, and ten soldiers with brocade sails came out one after another, leading the sailors from the bottom of the ship. There were more than fifty of them, and all of them knelt on the ground and trembled.
Huang Zhong stroked his beard and smiled, "Gan Xingba is indeed worthy of his reputation. He only led ten people to rob an enemy ship. I admire him!"
"This is nothing. Back then, our boss could hijack a merchant ship by himself. When the bell rang, the fleet would dock on its own..."
"Shut up!" Gan Ning shouted, and then he scolded with a smile: "At that time, I was young and impetuous, and I did things in a confused manner. How can you bring such things up to the table?"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Young people are inevitably full of energy. I think of General Gan galloping across the Yangtze River, settling scores and taking revenge, and coming and going freely. He was so carefree. I envy him a little."
Which passionate man doesn’t have a martial arts dream
Gan Ning waved his hand and said, "General, you are making fun of me!"
While chatting and laughing, everyone boarded the ship together. Two sailors introduced the driving of the Lingjiao ship, and they went into the cabin to take a look.
This Lingjiao ship has not only water wheels at the bow and stern, but also three small flywheels at the bottom of the ship, which are somewhat similar to propellers.
When the boat starts, the sailors pedal in the bottom cabin, and the boat moves quickly and flexibly, which is more convenient than raising sails and rowing.
This thing looks similar to the pedal boats in later parks, except that the wheels are bigger and shaped like a waterwheel. It seems that Lin Wen got the inspiration after seeing a water mill and transformed this kind of boat.
In addition to its powerful power and smooth sailing, this ship is ten feet taller than an ordinary warship. It looks like it has two floors on the outside, but it actually has three floors inside.
The bottom floor is entirely manned by sailors, the second floor has hidden swordsmen and axemen, and is blocked by a fence made of wooden boards. Weapons can be extended from the openings for stabbing, similar to the muzzles of cannons, to prevent enemy ships from getting too close for a fight. Archers stand on the third floor, shooting arrows from a high position.
The outside was wrapped with bamboo strips, wooden boards and cowhide, making it difficult for bows and arrows to cause any damage. If Gan Ning had not taken advantage of the collision between the two ships to forcibly jump over the bow, he would have been helpless.
After leaving the cabin and looking from the outside, I saw that the bottom of the ship was actually wrapped with a layer of bamboo, with a gap in the middle. No wonder the warship could not ram it open and was instead bounced back.
Liu Qi leaned over and looked at the gap that had been broken. He saw that the bamboo strips were woven together like a mat, and were wrapped with hemp ropes, making them very flexible.
Gan Ning frowned and said, "This Lingjiao ship is really powerful. Not only is it as solid as a castle, but the bottom of the ship is protected by bamboo. Warships can't ram it open. It's really hard to deal with."
Huang Zhongyan said: "The bandits are rampant and familiar with the waters of Dongting Lake. Those water ghosts should not be underestimated. If the bandits send in thousands of water ghosts next time and the big ship sinks, how can we fight them?"
Everyone nodded silently. The enemy army's strength lies not only in the Lingjiao ship, but also in the water ghosts hiding at the bottom of the lake. They pose a greater threat to large ships. Although the tower ship can deal with the Lingjiao ship, once the bottom of the ship is destroyed, the consequences will be disastrous. Gan Ning's subordinates are not enough.
Gan Ning said: "This ship is heavily guarded and its rudder is flexible. It is not easy to destroy the water wheel. There is also a water wheel under the ship. Only fire attack can destroy it."
Liu Qi stood on the shore with his arms folded, watching for a long time, and suddenly laughed and said, "Although this water wheel is wonderful, it is not without weaknesses. In five days, I will take Wangyue Island."
Gan Ning asked hurriedly, "General, what's your plan?"
Liu Qi shook his head and smiled, "I can't tell you for now. I need to test it myself. General Gan, interrogate those thieves one by one, find out the truth about the island, and choose a day to defeat the enemy."
After Gan Ning left, Liu Qi instructed Yang Ling again: "Captain Yang, take 500 soldiers to salvage aquatic plants, and prepare 300 small boats and put them in the cabin for use."
The two generals went their separate ways. Huang Zhongyan said, "General, you have a plan to deal with the Lingjiao ship, but the enemy army has a lot of water ghosts. Without the support of the tower ship, it will be difficult for them to get close to Wangyue Island. What should we do?"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "We are not afraid of the Spirit Dragon Ship, let alone a small water ghost? Since the bandits are called ghost sharks, we can cast a net to catch them and catch them all in one fell swoop."
Huang Zhong didn't quite understand Liu Qi's countermeasures, so he offered a suggestion: "Just in case, we can also wrap bamboos around the bottom of the boat. The bamboos are flexible and can't be cut by knives. Even if the enemy soldiers get underwater, they won't be able to do anything to them for a while."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking. This is called giving someone a taste of their own medicine."