The boss of a foreign organization called the police, claiming that he was defrauded by me

However, the guns and ammunition in John's fleet's hold were almost unaffected. They were neither wet from the seawater nor rusted from the dampness, so there was no risk of spontaneous explosion that Yang Xia was worried about.

This outcome filled Yang Xia with disappointment. Standing at the bow of his own ship, watching John's fleet gradually stabilize, his face was so gloomy it could drip water. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "John, I really didn't expect you to be so thorough this time. You're truly a cut above the rest."

"However, don't be too happy yet. Just because you didn't succeed this time doesn't mean you won't have another chance. As long as you're still sailing on this sea, and as long as our fleet can still meet you, I will never let go of any opportunity to stop you."

"Next time we meet, I'll make sure you experience my power and know that it's not so easy to disrupt the peace of our Yan Kingdom!"

Yang Xia silently recited these words in his mind, his gaze fixed on the newly reorganized formation of John's fleet in the distance. He saw John standing at the bow of the opposing ship, speaking to his crew. Although he couldn't hear the specifics, John's expression clearly indicated that he was reassuring the crew and arranging the subsequent voyage plan.

Yang Xia's mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts, and his mood became exceptionally heavy. He felt truly unwilling to accept it. He had clearly calculated the timing of the storm and made all the necessary preparations, but in the end, he had failed because of John's early warning. He sighed softly, gripping the railing at the bow of the ship tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, his eyes filled with both resentment and determination.

Just as Yang Xia was immersed in disappointment and resentment, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Meng Yin walking towards him in a hurry, his face showing obvious helplessness and anxiety.

Meng Yin walked to Yang Xia's side, first glancing at John's fleet in the direction of Yang Xia's gaze, then turning his head and saying to Yang Xia with a helpless expression, "Your Majesty, I just had someone secretly observe the situation of John's fleet. Judging from the reactions of their crew and the movements in the cabins, the supplies in John's cabins seem to have been undamaged, and it seems that they have not been affected at all."

He paused, his tone tinged with worry, and continued, "What do you think we should do next? I just saw that they have started to reorganize the fleet's formation, and the crew has regained order. It looks like they will be able to continue sailing soon."

"It seems that Captain John had anticipated the possibility of sudden changes in the weather at sea and made preparations in advance. He was truly prepared and thought things through very thoroughly. Our plan this time is probably completely ruined."

Yang Xia listened quietly to Meng Yin's account, his discomfort growing with each sentence. He had actually guessed this outcome long ago, but hearing Meng Yin confirm it with his own ears still brought a pang of disappointment. However, he knew that now was not the time to wallow in negative emotions; he needed to adjust his mindset as soon as possible and think about how to proceed.

Yang Xia slowly turned around, glanced helplessly at Meng Yin, and said in a calm but firm tone, "It's alright. The failure this time only shows that we underestimated John's caution. We'll just be more careful next time. We still have a chance. As long as their fleet is still sailing with us on this sea, as long as they are still carrying those ulterior motives, and as long as we can still travel alongside them, I will definitely find other opportunities to stop their plans."

"Since we didn't succeed this time, we can't be discouraged. One failure is nothing. The important thing is to learn from this experience and be better prepared next time. Don't worry!"

As Yang Xia spoke, his gaze was fixed on the rolling waves in the distance, a hint of undisguised melancholy flashing across his eyes. The sea breeze lifted the hem of his clothes, adding to his sense of loss. But his tone was unusually firm, every word conveying an unwavering determination, as if the disappointment of the failed plan was merely a fleeting cloud passing through his mind.

Meng Yin stood to the side, taking in every subtle expression on Yang Xia's face. Having followed Yang Xia for many years, he knew all too well what his master was thinking at this moment—appearing calmly accepting the outcome, but in reality, he had already begun to plan his next move. Meng Yin did not rashly interrupt, but simply stood quietly on the deck, letting the salty sea breeze caress his cheeks, patiently waiting for Yang Xia's next instructions.

After about half an incense stick's time, Yang Xia finally withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Meng Yin. His brows furrowed slightly, clearly having already sorted out the subsequent countermeasures in his mind. He solemnly instructed, "Remember this well. From now on, we must find a way to keep our Yan Kingdom's fleet as far away from the Xingyun Kingdom's fleet as possible. We must never sail side by side like before."

He paused, his gaze growing increasingly serious, and added, "Without my explicit instructions, absolutely no crew member in our fleet is permitted to have any contact with anyone from the Nebula Kingdom. Not even a chance encounter on the road, not a single word exchanged. You relay my words verbatim, and make sure all crew members remember them, understand?"

Yang Xia's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. Meng Yin was taken aback, a look of bewilderment on his face—he truly couldn't understand why the King would suddenly issue such an order. Although there had been friction between the two sides before, the crew members would occasionally exchange a few words across the ship's railing when they met at sea. Why couldn't they even say a single word now?
Meng Yin stood there, his brows furrowed as he pondered the question repeatedly. He carefully recalled the details of the storm and considered Yang Xia's previous plan, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find the reason behind the order. Doubts welled up in his mind like a tidal wave.

"Strange, what is Your Majesty thinking? Why did you suddenly stop the crew from contacting the people of Nebula Kingdom?"

"What's the point of doing this? Is it because they're worried the crew might accidentally leak some information? But our fleet doesn't have anything to hide..."

"However, since His Majesty has made this arrangement, there must be a reason for it. Perhaps I have overlooked some key circumstances."

Meng Yin pondered repeatedly in his mind, his fingers unconsciously stroking the sword at his waist. Normally, after such a long and monotonous voyage, the crew members chatting occasionally would not only pass the time but also slightly alleviate the fatigue of the voyage. Yang Xia had never objected to such trivial matters before. But now, the sudden prohibition of contact was truly baffling.

He looked up at Yang Xia, his eyes full of doubt. He wanted to ask for clarification, but he swallowed the words back. He knew that if Yang Xia was willing to explain, he would naturally do so; if he was unwilling to say more, there was no point in asking further.

Yang Xia noticed Meng Yin's confusion but didn't offer any explanation. He knew it wasn't the time to reveal the whole plan; some arrangements had to be kept secret to maintain the upper hand in future confrontations. He simply watched Meng Yin quietly, awaiting his response.

Seeing that Yang Xia had no intention of explaining, Meng Yin stopped pressing the matter and quickly straightened up, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will immediately relay your orders and ensure that every crew member strictly adheres to them, and that no one is allowed to have contact with the crew of Xingyun Kingdom." He paused, then added firmly, "I will personally patrol the fleet, monitoring the crew's movements at all times, and ensuring that the orders are never misinterpreted. Whatever your plans may be, we will follow you wholeheartedly, and we will fully support every decision you make."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xia showed a hint of relief on his face and nodded gently: "Alright, then I'll trouble you. This matter must be handled properly, without any mistakes."

Having received the order, Meng Yin dared not delay and immediately turned and left quickly. He hurried along the deck to various corners of the fleet, gathering the crew members as he went, conveying Yang Xia's orders word by word, and emphasizing the importance of prohibiting contact, fearing that someone might not take it seriously.

At this moment, Yang Xia stood alone at the bow of the ship, gazing at the distant sea. He took out the nautical chart he carried with him, spread it out on the wooden box on the deck, and gently slid his finger across the chart—at the current sailing speed, the Yan Kingdom fleet and the Xingyun Kingdom fleet were less than half a day's journey away from the Yan Kingdom's waters.

Once he successfully completed this final leg of the journey, he could lead the fleet safely into Yan Kingdom's waters. At that point, even if John had any ulterior motives, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly on Yan Kingdom's territory. Thinking of this, Yang Xia couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, and his previously gloomy mood due to the failed plan gradually improved.

He looked up and gazed ahead, the sea breeze brushing his cheeks, carrying a familiar scent of his homeland. His voice was filled with emotion as he said, "Yan Kingdom... I, Yang Xia, am finally about to return. All the hardships and scheming along the way have not been in vain, and I have lived up to the expectations of the court and the people."

"I just hope that the journey ahead will go smoothly, and that the future of Yan Kingdom and our fleet will be peaceful and safe. If that happens, then my voyage at sea will not have been in vain, and I can finally put my mind at ease."

The gloom that had hung over him due to the failed plan had long since vanished. The thought of stepping into the waters of his homeland rekindled confidence and hope in Yang Xia's eyes, and even his steps became lighter. He carefully put away the nautical chart, turned, and headed towards the cabin, intending to check the supplies one last time to ensure the final leg of the voyage would be foolproof.

On the other side, however, the scene was quite different in the Nebula Kingdom's fleet. John sat alone at the table in the cabin, a bottle of strong liquor in front of him. He picked up the bottle, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp. The spicy liquor slid down his throat, but it did nothing to relieve the restlessness in his heart.

He slammed the bottle down on the table with a loud "bang".

With a muffled thud, a few drops of wine splashed onto the table. John frowned, his face extremely grim—he never imagined that his meticulously prepared plan would end up like this. Not only had it failed to cause trouble for Yang Xia's fleet, but it had also left him seething with anger, unable to settle scores with the other party. He was like a mute eating bitter melon, unable to express his suffering.

"How unlucky!"

John grew angrier the more he thought about it, and finally slammed his fist on the table. "I've thought about it over and over again, and I'm convinced that our Nebula Kingdom's fleet was outmaneuvered by the Yan Kingdom this time! But we can't find any evidence, and we don't even have a reason to confront them. This feeling of unease is really frustrating!"

He picked up the bottle again and took a sip, his eyes filled with resentment and anger. These past few days, he had been racking his brains for ways to deal with Yang Xia's fleet. From intercepting supplies to creating accidents, he had gone through various plans in his mind again and again, but each method was either too risky or simply not feasible, and in the end, they all had to be abandoned.

Just as John was trembling with anger and wanted nothing more than to confront Yang Xia immediately, the cabin door was gently pushed open, and a figure walked in tremblingly. John looked up and saw it was Louis, the man he had kicked into the sea earlier.

Louis's clothes were still damp, clearly he had just changed. As he entered the cabin, he kept his head down, his eyes darting away, avoiding John's gaze, and his steps were extremely light, as if afraid of displeasing the other man. His previous experience of being kicked into the sea had instilled in him a certain fear of John, and now, facing the angry captain, he was even more nervous, his palms sweating.

John frowned even more when he saw Louis's appearance, and asked with a hint of impatience, "What are you doing in here? You look so timid, has something happened again? Just say what you have to say, don't dawdle here."

Upon hearing John's words, Louis visibly paused, his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes tightly. After hesitating for a while, he finally mustered the courage to raise his head and said in a trembling voice, "Captain John, I... I have some very important news that I just remembered and thought I should tell you."

His gaze swept quickly over John, then he immediately lowered his head and added, "But, but I was afraid you would be angry if you heard this, so... so I haven't dared to say it."

Louis spoke haltingly, his eyes never meeting John's, clearly still worried about what he was about to say. He stood there, his body trembling slightly, even his breathing becoming cautious, afraid that he might say something wrong and be scolded by John again.

Seeing Louis's hesitant manner, John's anger flared even more. He slammed the bottle of wine down on the table with a loud crash.

With a loud bang, John glared at Louis, his voice filled with anger: "Speak up if you have something to say, or shut up... What are you trying to do by being so coy?" John frowned deeply. (End of Chapter)