Siege

"There's no telling."

Lin Yong rubbed his head and said:

"I only saw the worst clash two years ago. Each of the three sides lost one or two high-ranking members, and their total casualties added up to over a thousand."

"What about normally?"

"Normally, a few dozen or a hundred deaths are about the limit. Battles with such heavy losses have become rare."

"What a pity!"

Lin Xiao rested his hand on the ship's railing, looked outside, and clicked his tongue.

Lin Yong looked at him in puzzlement.

"What's a pity?"

"Nothing. I just think it's a pity to see so many gang members die here."

Of course, he couldn't say that it was a waste of so many Potential Points.

At that moment, the three sides in the distance had assembled their warships and began converging toward the center of the river for a great battle. Drums thundered from the Water Fortress in support, while members of the three gangs raised their weapons and shouted at the tops of their voices. The scene was no less imposing than a proper battlefield.

Just as the three fleets were about to collide and begin fighting, the Great River Gang's side stopped. A figure swept out of the flagship like a great roc spreading its wings, flew over ten meters, and landed on the water. He walked across its surface without sinking and shouted toward the other side:

"Shi Zhongyu of the Great River Gang is here! Who dares fight me?"

A bare-chested giant immediately leaped out from the Iron Boat Gang's side and landed on the water, where he tangled in fierce combat with Young Master Peng, Shi Zhongyu.

The fleets on both sides stopped at the same time and lined up. Their men stood at the edges of the ships, cheering and encouraging their respective leaders.

Before long, a loud laugh rang out from the Salt Gang's fleet:

"What fun is there in two people fighting? Count me in!"

Another figure leaped out, landed on the water, and strode across the waves into the battle. Lin Xiao saw clearly that he was a young man not much older than Shi Zhongyu. He guessed that the Salt Gang also had a young expert like the Great River Three Heroes.

The three sides fought fiercely, and the spectators watched just as eagerly. Lin Yong watched with great interest from the side and said:

"We probably won't see a major battle today. Should we go take a look at the Water Fortress over there?"

Lin Xiao nodded, and Cheng Liang immediately called for the sailors to turn toward the forward Water Fortress.

But just as they turned in, something seemed to happen on the battlefield. The Iron Boat Gang expert who had been fighting Shi Zhongyu suddenly shouted furiously:

"Shi Zhongyu, how dare you insult our gang leader? You're courting death!"

The Iron Boat Gang's fleet then started moving and rammed straight into the Great River Gang's side. The two sides immediately erupted into a chaotic battle.

The Salt Gang saw its opportunity and decisively joined the Iron Boat Gang in surrounding them from both sides. The Great River Gang's fleet instantly fell into a pincer attack.

This sudden change shocked everyone. In particular, when a flame rose from the besieged Great River Gang fleet, Lin Yong spoke with a grave expression:

"Hall Master, we need to go support them."

Lin Xiao nodded and waved his hand.

"Brothers, prepare for battle."

The warship turned and charged rapidly toward the battlefield.

By the time they arrived, the place had already become a complete mess. The warships of the three gangs were interwoven in a chaotic melee, though the general situation of the Iron Boat Gang and Salt Gang surrounding the Great River Gang remained. As soon as their center-wing warship, flying the Great River Gang's flag, arrived, a warship from each of the Iron Boat Gang and Salt Gang charged over. Lin Xiao slapped the railing and shouted:

"Prepare the crossbows! Fire!"

A row of crossbow bolts as thick as fingers shot out and slammed into the opposite ship's side. At the same time, two rows of bolts flew from the two enemy warships. Everyone ducked beneath the railing, and the bolts all struck the ship.

In naval battles, the first few exchanges were generally volleys. Ships like theirs had no cannons, so they could only trade several volleys of arrows and bolts before boarding and close combat began.

Scenes like this unfolded everywhere. After five volleys in rapid succession, the three ships crashed heavily together. The Iron Boat Gang and Salt Gang fighters who had been hiding beneath the railings immediately leaped up and charged onto Lin Xiao's ship. His men were not to be outdone and rushed forward with drawn sabers. Even the sailors rowing the ship picked up blades and joined the defense. Cries of slaughter rang across the deck.

Lin Xiao stood at the bow as two bare-chested men charged at him, swinging oar-blades. He struck them both with two consecutive palms and sent them flying off the bow. Reaching behind his shoulder, he gripped the hilt and drew his Hundred-Forged Fine Steel Saber with a sharp clang, slicing apart a crossbow bolt flying toward him. But just as he was about to charge out and aid the battle, he suddenly stopped and whipped around toward the Iron Boat Gang ship that had crashed into them. A bald giant with four or five long scars across his head charged over, gripping a thick ship's anchor. He leaped seven or eight meters into the air and brought it crashing down at Lin Xiao.

"He's an expert!"

Lin Xiao pivoted and sprang back more than three meters. With a thunderous boom, the over-two-meter-long iron anchor, as thick as an arm, smashed into the deck and cratered it, sending splintered wood flying.

"Now!"

Lin Xiao stamped one foot down, blasting out a ring of air. He shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string and swept his saber toward the giant's chest.

A ferocious grin spread across the giant's face. He did not dodge—instead, he raised the iron anchor and smashed it back, as though he intended to perish together with Lin Xiao.

A trace of hesitation flashed through Lin Xiao's eyes. He pivoted and shifted two meters to the right, dodging the blow.

He had no choice. In a clash between a saber and a heavy weapon like this hammer-like anchor, he was the one at a disadvantage.

An ordinary person would not necessarily die from a saber wound unless a vital point was struck. Even street thugs slashed until they were covered in blood could still run and fight back. But if someone took a solid blow from a hammer, they would collapse on the spot. That was the might of heavy weapons.

If he dared trade wounds, he didn't know whether the giant would die, but he certainly could not withstand it himself. Heavy weapons could break through Internal Family True Qi.

Against an ordinary person wielding a hammer, he could rely on his inner force to take the blow head-on. But with this giant's strength driven by inner force as well... it was unwise to meet him head-on.

Having forced Lin Xiao back with one strike, the giant grinned viciously and pressed forward with his hammer. Lin Xiao gripped his saber with both hands and chopped out. Saber and hammer collided with a deafening boom. Lin Xiao did not move an inch, while the giant staggered back one step. Once the heavy weapon's advantage was neutralized, his own advantage was not great—but a notch had been knocked out of the edge of Lin Xiao's Hundred-Forged Fine Steel Saber.

"Don't clash with him head-on!"

Lin Xiao's foot slid as he shifted more than three meters to the side, circling around to the giant's right. The giant swung his hammer backhanded, but at that moment Lin Xiao suddenly leaped high, flying over the giant's head, and brought his Hundred-Forged Fine Steel Saber straight down toward the giant's forehead.

The giant's head tilted upward with Lin Xiao's leap. His gaze locked onto the descending saber, yet he showed no panic. Instead, he shouted:

"Do it!"

The shout was so loud that Lin Xiao's heart jolted. He rapidly swept his gaze from side to side and saw that a giant in a black cloak had appeared on the Iron Boat Gang's ship at some point. One foot braced on the railing, he held a great bow drawn to its fullest. As Lin Xiao looked over, the man released an arrow.

A fleeting phantom made Lin Xiao's scalp prickle. He twisted his body in midair with nearly all his strength, turning the saber aimed at the anchor-wielding giant and raising it before himself.

"Clang!"

The saber guarding his chest was struck by tremendous force and pressed tight against him. The impact shoved him nearly a foot sideways through the air. Before he had even steadied himself upon landing, he saw the ferocious-faced giant's backhanded hammer sweep around in a great arc and smash toward him.