“Master, we have discovered Hai Gang’s main navy three hundred miles ahead,” a Griffin Warrior came forward to report.
Soren closed his eyes and began calculating. Judging by the current situation, it was impossible for him to catch up with the fleeing main fleet of Yan Mo unless he pursued them all the way to the Thunder Archipelago.
But the Thunder Archipelago was Yan Mo’s stronghold, filled with countless fortresses and caves. With the fleet currently under his command, conquering the entire archipelago was impossible and would only place his own fleet in grave danger.
Therefore, it seemed impossible for Soren to completely exterminate Yan Mo by himself, unless he made use of Hai Gang’s main fleet.
Moreover, if he pursued too closely, Hai Gang would never dare fight Yan Mo, because he feared Soren would reap the benefits while the two sides exhausted each other.
Thus, Soren ordered,
“Stop the pursuit. Proceed north slowly.”
Immediately, Soren’s twenty thousand sailors and two hundred warships slowed down, allowing Yan Mo’s fleet to flee at full speed and head straight towards Hai Gang’s main force.
…
Inside Yan Mo’s flagship cabin.
He sat with his head lowered on the floor, appearing to have aged ten years overnight.
Ever since reaching a secret agreement with Zhi Li, Yan Mo had been arrogant and triumphant, enjoying every advantage over Soren.
He had watched the proud Soren bow his head before him several times, offering to help him conquer Yingzhou Island and even providing huge quantities of Heaven Shaking Thunder free of charge, all in the hope that Yan Mo would spare his life.
Back then, Yan Mo had been incredibly overbearing. He had even openly urinated in front of Soren and shamelessly demanded to sample Princess Zhiyan’s charms.
When he had led one hundred thousand naval troops southward, he had been mighty and imposing.
Once Soren was destroyed and the Chaotic Stone Salt Fields and the Secret Magic Mirror Island were seized, these two industries would be under his control, generating more than one hundred thousand gold coins every month. Most importantly, the Heaven Shaking Thunder would also be his.
At that point, conquering Yingzhou Island would become effortless.
With the territory of an entire province, millions of subjects, an invincible navy, the devastating Heaven Shaking Thunder, and monthly income exceeding one hundred thousand gold coins, Yan Mo was certain that within ten years he could extend his influence to the mainland and seize at least several coastal provinces of the Furious Wave Kingdom.
By then, he would become the ruler of a duchy.
Furthermore, the Yan Empire, the hegemon of the continent, would certainly welcome the disintegration of the Furious Wave Kingdom and the rise of the Rock Duchy.
He, Yan Mo, would accomplish an unprecedented achievement in the history of the Rock Clan, becoming a true founding monarch and the first ruler to conquer land from the sea.
And the beginning of this grand ambition was defeating Soren.
It should have been inevitable and easy.
Yet…
Yan Mo had suffered a near total defeat.
Of the hundred thousand troops he had brought, at least fifty thousand had died and more than thirty thousand had been captured. In the end, he had abandoned all dignity as a king and fled with only ten thousand Rock Pirates.
He could already see that the Rock Generals and Rock Pirates around him no longer looked at him with the same respect. Hidden in their eyes were disdain and contempt.
Although he had led them to safety, they still despised him.
Because in history there had never been a Rock King who fled, nor one who abandoned his own people.
Yan Mo painfully stretched out his hand.
He had truly been only one step away from his dream.
Now everything had become nothing more than a fleeting dream.
More importantly, what should he do next?
Yes, what should he do?
Clutching his head in anguish, Yan Mo realised that even if he returned to the Thunder Archipelago, danger awaited him.
After such a disastrous defeat, the island lords of the Rock Clan would certainly not spare him, especially since he had abandoned the main force and fled.
Fortunately, most of the island lords had been left behind and captured by Soren. Those returning with him belonged to his own faction.
Even so, a thorough purge would be necessary to eliminate all opponents and secure his position.
After that, he would have to face Hai Gang’s annexation.
That old fox Hai Gang would never let this opportunity pass. He would certainly try every possible method to absorb the remaining Rock Pirates and eliminate Yan Mo.
His only hope now was the powerful Soren.
After defeating Yan Mo and absorbing more than thirty thousand captives, Soren’s navy had expanded to sixty thousand men. Combined with the deadly power of his cannons, Soren’s fleet had become invincible throughout the Eastern Ocean.
No one could blockade his maritime trade anymore. Forget demanding protection money, no one could extort even half a gold coin from him.
Either Soren would take control of the Maritime Guild, or the organisation itself would collapse.
Faced with such a powerful fleet, Hai Gang had no choice but to ally with Yan Mo for survival.
The situation was like the Three Kingdoms.
Soren had become the powerful Cao Wei.
Hai Gang was Sun Quan’s Eastern Wu.
Yan Mo had become Liu Bei.
At that moment, a Rock General stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, Soren’s fleet has suddenly stopped pursuing us.”
“Stopped?” Yan Mo narrowed his eyes and immediately understood Soren’s intentions.
Hai Gang’s main fleet must be ahead.
Soren had halted the pursuit so that Yan Mo’s fleet would collide with Hai Gang’s main force and fight each other.
Previously, Yan Mo had suppressed Hai Gang relentlessly. Now that Yan Mo was weak, Hai Gang might seize this once in a lifetime opportunity and destroy him.
And considering the enormous rewards, Hai Gang would certainly be tempted.
Soren’s decision to stop pursuing was meant to reassure Hai Gang and encourage him to attack. Otherwise, with Soren’s fleet always in sight, all three parties would hesitate and none would dare act.
“What a sinister and cunning Soren.”
Yan Mo felt his scalp go numb.
Of course, he was hardly any better. The moment he learned Soren had stopped chasing, he immediately guessed Hai Gang’s fleet was nearby.
His own cunning was equally remarkable.
“What do I do? What do I do?”
Yan Mo was frantic.
Behind him was a tiger.
Ahead of him was a wolf.
One wrong step and he would be destroyed.
Soon, he thought of a plan.
He could claim that he had already defeated Soren and that the other fleets were pursuing the remnants.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
It was not a matter of whether Hai Gang would believe him.
Hai Gang would.
After all, everyone believed Yan Mo’s victory had been guaranteed.
The problem was that he only had ten thousand pirates left, while Hai Gang’s fleet outnumbered his three to one. If Hai Gang believed Soren was finished, destroying Yan Mo would make him the new ruler of the seas.
Temptation on that scale would be irresistible.
So Yan Mo came up with another plan.
He would claim that he was still fighting Soren and had split his hundred thousand navy into four groups surrounding Soren from every direction.
He himself was leading ten thousand men to complete the encirclement from the north.
Hearing this, Hai Gang would certainly rush to join the battle and snatch some spoils from Yan Mo.
Of course, Yan Mo would first need to turn south again and pretend to be pursuing Soren.
Without question, it was an excellent plan.
And perhaps it might even become reality.
If Hai Gang took the bait, their combined sixty thousand men would once again face Soren’s twenty thousand.
Then another thought arose.
Could sixty thousand sailors really defeat Soren’s twenty thousand?
The answer was no.
His own hundred thousand men had failed.
How could sixty thousand succeed?
Hai Gang’s fleet was slow, no faster than Soren’s.
Against Soren’s cannons, they would never even have the chance to get close.
Then a new idea emerged.
Trick Hai Gang into dying while his own fleet escaped.
The moment this thought appeared, Yan Mo could no longer resist the temptation.
After this crushing defeat, his greatest threat was no longer Soren.
It was Hai Gang.
Soren had no desire to annex the Rock Pirates.
Hai Gang did.
As long as Hai Gang’s navy was crippled, he would lose the ability to swallow Yan Mo’s forces.
Then Yan Mo could seek peace with Soren or even submit to him.
Only then would he have a chance to survive.
Being a born gambler, Yan Mo became obsessed with the idea of dragging Hai Gang to his death.
After making up his mind, he fled dozens of miles farther north before turning the fleet around and pretending to continue pursuing Soren.
…
Completely unaware of all this, Hai Gang anxiously led his fifty thousand sailors southward, afraid that Soren would be defeated too quickly and leave nothing for him.
His fleet drew closer and closer.
Two hundred miles.
One hundred and fifty.
One hundred.
Fifty.
“Father, there are ships ahead,” Hai Wuyan exclaimed.
Hai Gang looked into the distance and indeed spotted a fleet several dozen miles away.
But he could not tell whether it belonged to Soren or Yan Mo.
“Be careful. Slow down and send scout ships.”
His fleet slowed immediately and three scout ships sped ahead.
Soon they caught up with Yan Mo’s fleet, identified it, and waited for the main force.
Over an hour later, Hai Gang arrived.
The scouts reported,
“Master, it is Yan Mo’s fleet. Less than two hundred warships and ten thousand pirates.”
Hai Gang’s heart skipped a beat.
Only ten thousand?
Then they added,
“I vaguely saw their signal flags. Yan Mo ordered the fleet to slow down and wait for the other three fleets so they could attack Soren from every direction and ensure not even one ship escapes.”
Instantly, Hai Gang imagined the entire plan.
In his mind, defeating Soren had always been easy for Yan Mo.
The challenge was complete annihilation.
So Yan Mo had split his fleet into four groups.
“Yan Mo really knows how to play.”
Hai Gang had no doubts whatsoever.
He was delighted.
“I thought there would be no scraps left for me, but since you’re planning to encircle him completely, don’t blame me for stealing some meat from your bowl.”
He ordered,
“Full speed ahead. Time to grab our share.”
…
Half an hour later, Hai Gang caught up with Yan Mo’s fleet.
All the pirates were hiding in their cabins and the fleet clearly showed signs of battle.
Then Yan Mo appeared and shouted from afar,
“Father in law, this is my war with Soren. Stay out of it.”
Hai Gang burst into laughter.
“My good son in law, I heard of Soren’s wicked deeds, so I answered Prince Zhi Li’s call and brought fifty thousand men to eliminate him. Together we can destroy this villain.”
Yan Mo shouted angrily,
“Hai Gang, have some shame. Soren is mine. My fleet has already trapped him. You are stealing food from my bowl. Don’t blame me if I turn against you later.”
Hai Gang replied,
“Soren is a traitor and everyone has the right to destroy him. I am carrying out justice in response to Prince Zhi Li’s call. How can that be called stealing? With my help, victory will be even more certain.”
“We don’t need you. Leave immediately or don’t blame me for being rude.”
Hai Gang laughed.
“And how exactly will you be rude? Start a war with me and let Soren escape?”
Yan Mo gritted his teeth.
“Father in law, how about this? Return to Yingzhou now and I will give you thirty percent of the profits from the Chaotic Stone Salt Fields.”
This only convinced Hai Gang further that Soren was doomed.
Laughing loudly, he said,
“I fight Soren for justice, not for profit. You underestimate me.”
“Fifty percent. I’ll give you half.”
“Hahaha. Same answer. Justice, not profit.”
Then Hai Gang decisively ordered the fleet forward at full speed towards Soren.
This time he would seize the largest piece of meat from Yan Mo.
At least the entire Chaotic Stone Salt Fields.
And he had no worries that Yan Mo would attack him.
In his eyes, this was the crucial moment in Yan Mo’s battle with Soren.
Attacking Hai Gang would only give Soren the opportunity to escape.
He had to seize this golden opportunity.
Watching Hai Gang’s fleet advance at full speed, Yan Mo relaxed and sneered.
“Greed really makes fools of people. Idiot.”
…
At that moment, Soren, protected by Zhiyan and Zhuang Zhixuan, circled above Hai Gang’s fleet on a griffin.
“Hai Gang!” he shouted.
Surrounded by warriors, Hai Gang looked up proudly and laughed.
“Soren, long time no see.”
Soren called out,
“Yan Mo’s fleet has already suffered a crushing defeat. He escaped with barely ten thousand pirates. Such an opportunity is rare. Why not destroy him while you can?”
“Hahahaha!”
Hai Gang roared with laughter.
“Ridiculous, Soren. Even with death approaching, you still dream in broad daylight. You are surrounded on all sides and doomed. Yet you try to sow discord between me and Yan Mo so that I attack him and allow your fleet to escape. Do you really think I, Hai Gang, am an idiot?”
“When you killed my daughter and humiliated my wife on Yingzhou Island, did you ever imagine you would end up in such a miserable state?”
“Now you beg me to save your life, but it is too late.”
“Go and await your death!”