The sea wind howled, and the waters churned.
Dressed in full mourning, a deep black cloth sash tied around his waist, Shen Le stood at the bow with a sextant in hand, constantly measuring their position and marking it on the nautical chart.
Atop a mast nearby, a young sailor clung to his perch, shading his eyes as he peered ahead:
"I see them! I see the ship's lights! Straight ahead!-Sure enough, once we rounded that bend, there they were!"
"As long as we can see them, that's enough. Don't chase too closely. Stay far enough back that we can just keep them in sight," Shen Le instructed calmly.
"This time, we're going to lure the pirates out and fight them! Come on, another round of ship-handling drills! Turn! Take the windward position! Bring your broadsides toward Single-Net Boat Three and form a line! Aim the bed crossbows!"
Creaks and groans, the swish of sculling oars, the tugging of sail ropes, and sailors' pounding footsteps rang out nonstop. The sand ship shuddered, tracing a white arc across the sea as it cut into the wind.
Moments later, the sand ship behind it followed. Both ships swung their broadsides toward Single-Net Boat Three, which flew a green flag, forming a rough T.
Aboard the ships, another group of young men scrambled to turn the bed crossbows and line up their sights on the target...
"Well done! Come on, another half-circle, and take the windward position again! Show them the bed crossbows on the other side!"
Shen Le moved briskly from bow to stern, quickly checked the crossbow sights, and issued another order.
The young men let out a chorus of heavy sighs, muttering as they scrambled into action. Shen Le could only pat one on the shoulder and another on the