Now, Gan Ning and Huo Jun had received orders to break through the enemy's scouting screen. They lowered their sails, extinguished their lights, and quietly made their way onto the river.
It was autumn, the sky high and crisp, the moon bright and the stars sparse. Moonlight shimmered upon the river, making its surface rather clear.
Seeing numerous patrol boats in the distance, Huo Jun said to Gan Ning in a low voice:
"Though we have been ordered here, the moon is bright tonight and there is nowhere to hide upon the river. How are we to break through?"
"Why not simply charge forward? Let however many troops they have come one by one, and we'll kill them all!"
Ordinarily, Huo Jun should not have been so rash, but he was consumed by his desire to avenge his brother. His heart was full of agitation, and he had naturally lost his calm.
Gan Ning, however, grinned and pointed toward the riverbank.
"Don't be impatient. Bright moonlight has its own way of being used. Though the river is bright, the shore is darker."
"We have come for a surprise attack. How can we startle the grass and alert the snake? Let me use a scheme to take one boat first, learn the password, and then advance!"
With that, he removed his armor, took several men aboard a small boat, and headed toward the distant patrol vessels.
Gan Ning had originally been a bandit. When it came to nimble tactics, Huo Jun could not compare with him.
He led his men all the way near the patrol boat, then ordered his subordinates to float behind their vessel.
Because the night was dim, the distant scouts could not make out their appearances. Only when he had drawn close did they ask for the