Protect Our Chief-Chapter 588 - 48 Crisis! Angry Dragon Gang Attacks_2
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At the confluence of the sea and river waters, the Angry Dragon Battleship sliced through the waves, advancing against the storm.
In Chen Fanghua’s convoy, the moment they discovered the Angry Dragon Battleship, Zhao Wuqing and his crew also spotted Chen Fanghua’s fleet.
"Grand Commander."
A man with eyes like a hawk, Lua Jinyi, said, "Judging by the flag and formation of that convoy, it should be the Hundred Islands Trading Team newly expanded by the Chen Family."
"Hundred Islands Trading Team?" Zhao Wuqing narrowed his eyes slightly, "It seems the Chen Family’s business is expanding rapidly. Just a convoy from the Hundred Islands Guard direction has as many as five large merchant ships."
"That’s right. As the Chen Family grows stronger, they’ve already suppressed the other two Ninth-Grade Noble Families from East Port, the Jiang Family and Li Family, making it hard for them to lift their heads," Lua Jinyi said. "They’ve occupied 90% of East Port’s trade share and more than 30% of cargo shipping within the Hundred Islands Guard area."
Lua Jinyi, being the permanent commander of the Jiaolong Trading Company branch in the Changning Guard, naturally had intricate knowledge of the affairs in Changning Guard. Indeed, "Jiaolong Trading Company" is the official registered trade name of the Jiaolong Gang with the government office.
This is akin to those "organizations" on Earth that usually take names such as so-and-so company, having a similar principle.
"Thirty percent, heh heh." Zhao Wuqing sneered with a greedy look in his eyes, "The mere East Port Chen Family isn’t even a Seventh-Grade Noble Family. Borrowing the fame of the Changning Guard Marriage Alliance and the East Sea Tantai Family, their appetite is so domineering and greedy, they aren’t afraid of bursting their bellies. No wonder the East Port Jiang Family and Li Family are willing to transfer East Port’s port share to our Jiaolong Gang."
"Lua Jinyi, give the order to intercept this convoy."
Lua Jinyi’s face changed, and he quickly said, "Grand Commander, it is said that the deputy commander of this convoy is Chen Xiuwu, the current eldest son of the direct lineage of the Chen Family, and this lad is the nephew of the Changning Wang Family’s Wang Shouzhe."
Although Wang Shouzhe is not a Celestial Human Realm Cultivator, his position in the Changning Guard is extremely prestigious, and even the Celestial Human Realm Cultivators of other noble families are willing to follow his command.
It is precisely because of him that the various major noble families of the Changning Guard have become almost like a united force.
However, the use of "almost" naturally means not every noble family would be convinced by the Wang Family. There’s always some smaller noble families suffering oppression and losses due to the rise of the Wang Family’s Marriage Alliance.
For instance, the Jiang Family and Li Family of East Port are usually full of resentment but remain silent. However, once an opportunity arises, they’ll attach themselves to a major power like the Jiaolong Gang.
"Wang Shouzhe?" Zhao Wuqing smirked and snorted coldly, "He was the one who negotiated with our Jiaolong Gang several times, never yielding an inch, huh? A mere Spirit Platform Realm Patriarch, just because he has someone in the Purple Mansion Academy, behaves as if he were a regional tyrant."
"First capture this convoy and seize the Young Clan Leader of the Chen Family," Zhao Wuqing’s one-eyed, scar-faced grin shook with malice, "then we can have a talk with that Wang Shouzhe about our Jiaolong Gang’s entry into East Port. We’ve been far too polite in our previous strategy with Wang Shouzhe. A mere local tyrant, given a bit of color, really thinks our Jiaolong Gang is malleable."
Lua Jinyi, though feeling quite uneasy, sensed that the Grand Commander might be underestimating Wang Shouzhe. Yet he understood well Zhao Wuqing’s temperament—defying him would have severe consequences.
Immediately, he ordered, "Grand Commander’s order: the entire Angry Dragon Battleship fleet, target the Chen Family’s merchant convoy."
The signaler waved the flag.
Three Angry Dragon Battleships simultaneously charged out in a triangular formation, like a pack of wolves striking at the five merchant ships.
...
"Has the Jiaolong Gang gone mad? How can they be so brazen to attack my merchant ships on the outskirts of East Port?" Chen Fanghua turned pale and exclaimed, "Quick, quickly seek aid from East Port."
The merchant ships also had armed forces. Besides Chen Fanghua, a Spirit Platform Realm cultivator, there were a dozen to twenty Household Generals or clan members at the Qi Refining Realm, along with six to seven hundred ordinary boatmen and sailors.
Dealing with some unorganized small-time pirates, loose cultivators, or Tier Three and Four Ferocious Beasts is relatively simple. But against the specialized combat forces of the Jiaolong Gang’s Angry Dragon Battleships, it was insufficient.
With Chen Fanghua’s command.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Fireworks shot into the sky, even in the bright daylight, they lit up half the sky.
At the same time.
The five giant merchant ships began to turn and set course diagonally towards East Port. However, these types of large sea merchant ships were designed with wide, cumbersome hulls to carry more cargo, making them clumsy in maneuvering and speed.
...
"Thinking to escape?" Zhao Wuqing sneered, "Utterly foolish, do they think our Jiaolong Gang are vegetarians?"
"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!"
At the bow of the Angry Dragon Battleship, several large mounted ship crossbows made their move first, with arm-thick arrows whistling through the air. These ship-mounted crossbows were made with spirit wood, using tendons from high-tier ferocious beasts as strings, far surpassing the crossbows of Earth in power.
They are often effective in large-scale warfare, city defense, and countering beast tides.
A single shot could usually pierce through a Tier Three Ferocious Beast. A volley of dozens can even threaten a Tier Five Ferocious Beast.
Moreover, they are quite effective in ship battles, as ships are slow with large targets.
One such volley struck a deckhand on the deck, piercing him through along with the deck.
"Damn Jiaolong Gang!"
The young and fiery Chen Xiuwu was on the verge of exploding with rage, "Counterattack, counterattack with the ship-mounted Divine Power Cannons sent by Uncle."
With his command.
The Household Generals sprang into action. On one side of the flagship merchant ship, thick waterproof tarps were pulled back, revealing several giant cannons made of refined iron. These were fixed to the deck, but the barrels could be adjusted via winches.
These meticulously developed Divine Power Cannons from Wang Shouzhe were designed by the few low-tier Artifact Refiners that the family kept supported, envisioned based on limited theoretical knowledge and blueprints crafted by Wang Shouzhe. They are secured to the ship’s deck, but can have their barrels adjusted using winches.
These Divine Power Cannons, though cumbersome, packed a punch. Even a Spirit Platform Realm Cultivator would find it hard to move them due to their weight.
The reason they continue investing resources into pioneering the introductory technology of the "Divine Power Cannon", besides its relatively low technical threshold, is because Ping’an Town is located on the frontline with the Outer Domain. In the event of a beast tide, it would be directly in the disaster zone.
This was only a mere Tier Five Ferocious Beast leading a beast tide. What would happen if it were Tier Six, or even a Tier Seven Ferocious Beast tide?
The answer is clear—the Divine Power Cannon is one of the most cost-effective methods to combat with beast tides, given its low research threshold. Of course, using it against a Celestial Human Realm Cultivator would be ludicrous, but when it comes to maritime expansion, Wang Shouzhe holds considerable expectations and ambition.
Upon initial training, each of those operating the Divine Power Cannon had already learned the skill, albeit their movements were tense and clumsy. Yet they were strong, and even a Qi Refining Realm cultivator demonstrated strength far exceeding that of Earth’s humans.
A massive iron ball weighing dozens of pounds blasted out from the first two cannons, but due to the undulating waves, it was not as straightforward as shooting from land. The balls struck water first, sending huge splashes into the air.
Still, the display startled the Jiaolong Gang crew. What on earth was that thing, they wondered? As the iron ball rebounded forward, two Qi Refining Realm gang members standing along its trajectory were struck hard, their bodies violently torn to pieces before crashing into the sea along with shredded bits of flesh and wood splinters.
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