Two hundred warships formed an arc around Jadeheart Mountain. The Siege Crossbows and Stone-Throwing Carts mounted on them took turns bombarding the mountain. The rain had begun to ease; once it stopped, they would launch an attack with fire arrows.
Blackwater Stronghold fought back, but under the enemy's ferocious assault, its resistance looked like little more than a dying struggle.
Hu Xiaotian and Yu Tianxing stood on the deck of the Flagship beneath a hastily erected rain canopy. The downpour had raised the water level of Cloud Marsh considerably. Gao Yuan strode up from behind them, stopped before Hu Xiaotian, and saluted. "Greetings, my lord!"
"How did it go?" Hu Xiaotian asked.
"There's been no movement from Yunyang, just as expected," Gao Yuan said. "Su Yuchi has kept his troops stationary throughout. It seems he doesn't dare act rashly. He must be wary of the Xingzhou rebels at his rear."
Hu Xiaotian nodded. Su Yuchi in Yunyang had been his greatest concern. If Su Yuchi made no move, he would have no threat at his rear, and taking Jadeheart Mountain should pose no difficulty.
The river pirates on Jadeheart Mountain had suffered devastating losses when they colluded with Jiang Zhengyang to seize the grain shipment. Most of their warships had been destroyed, and now they could not even assemble a respectable fleet to counterattack.
The rain gradually stopped. Yu Tianxing gave the order for the forward fleet to advance toward Jadeheart Mountain and prepare to fire their fire arrows.
Just as fifty warships drew closer, the water gate on the eastern side of Jadeheart Mountain opened, and a small boat sailed out. Someone aboard waved a white flag, signaling surrender. Yu Tianxing ordered the attack suspended and allowed the boat to approach, then sent men to bring its envoy aboard