Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

Chapter 520 Garuno: Boss Chen, you really are a prophet!
The word "sneak attack" is incredibly tempting. What could be more alluring than a satisfying sneak attack?

Upon realizing this, most of the people present had their eyes light up, after all, they knew how valuable someone could be placed behind the enemy lines to launch a sneak attack in a major battle.

So all eyes were now on Du Xiong, who asked, "What else did the letter say?"

Du Xiong said, "And then there's the final signature, which is our lord's name, Chen Jiu Si!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian, Fang Susu, and Zhang Cuishan of Wudang, who had always been their background figure, clenched their fists excitedly. "Great! That's wonderful! Chen Jiu Si is alright. I knew it! How could someone like him just casually perish in this South China Sea?"

Thinking this, Zhang Dingbian looked at Du Xiong and said, "Are you sure this is the lord's notebook?"

Du Xiong said, "I'm sure. It's not that the notes are hard to imitate, but the handwriting on them is even harder to imitate. Only those trained in the Huangzhou Prefecture training system can understand it."

"If the Kingdom of Siam wants to imitate our lord's handwriting, it may not be difficult, but it is impossible for them to contact us using this pinyin unless they have a talent who has been properly trained in Huangzhou Prefecture."

"And that's even more impossible, since Siam probably doesn't even know where Huangzhou Prefecture is."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian said, "That's right, that's right, Du Xiong, you're right. This must have been written by our lord himself. He's both letting us know he's safe and trying to get in touch with us."

Standing to the side, the Zhenla National Preceptor, One-Eyed Tiger Li Bona, looked at Zhang Dingbian curiously and asked, "Mr. Zhang, who is your lord?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian said, "Oh, my lord is the notorious pirate from Southeast Asia for whom Siam has offered a bounty, and he is also the chief official of our Huangzhou Prefecture. His name is Chen Jiu Si."

After hearing Zhang Dingbian's words, Li Bona nodded slightly. He didn't really understand the prefect of Huangzhou.

But then Fang Susu spoke up, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, he's also my father's sworn brother!"

Ah!
Upon hearing this, Li Bona was immediately taken aback. Could someone who could be a sworn brother of the Dragon King be an ordinary person? Thinking of this, Li Bona also looked at Chen Jiu Si with higher regard.

Fang Susu had always known the true colors of these Southeast Asians. These guys had one flaw: they could always remember the strong, but never the weak. In other words, you could only get their respect if you were stronger and more capable than them.

If you are weaker than them, fine, then you are stinking dog shit, trash, someone they wouldn't even give a second glance.

Because she knew the habits of these people, Fang Susu knew how to deal with them. For example, when Zhang Dingbian first said that he could command battles and lead the Nanyang Allied Forces to win the war, these Nanyang people did not believe him at all and did not give Zhang Dingbian and his men a chance to prove themselves.

Fang Susu first told them that this was the Dragon King's most trusted talent, who had helped the Dragon King win many battles, and in their Divine Dragon Sect, they were called the God of War.

Do you think you know more about warfare than the Dragon King?
Most of these Southeast Asians had been taught a lesson by Fang Guozhen. Even Li Bona was a fan of the Dragon King. Although the Dragon King had blinded him in one eye, it did not stop his fanaticism towards the Dragon King.

Upon hearing that this was a war god praised even by the Dragon King, he immediately handed over command to him, letting Zhang Dingbian show off his skills.

Then they actually won one battle, and then another, which solidified Zhang Dingbian's reputation as a war god.

The same goes for Chen Jie. Fang Susu knew that only by making Chen Jie appear more formidable could these guys take him seriously.

As expected, the Zhenla National Preceptor Li Bona said, "Since he is the Dragon King's sworn brother, his strength should be extraordinary, right?"

"They must have reached the Molten God Realm by now."

At this moment, Fang Susu looked at Li Bona and said, "The first transformation of the Melting God."

Upon hearing this, Li Bona's expression changed. He turned around and realized that Li Bona was someone who was similar to himself. Just as he was about to speak, Fang Susu said, "However, he is only twenty-two years old this year."

"Sigh~"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room gasped. They weren't fools; they naturally knew what the twenty-two-year-old's first transformation into a fusion god represented—it signified extraordinary talent and opportunities far exceeding those of others.

If not born into a very high family, then such a person must possess extraordinary personal abilities. Such a person should not be underestimated!

Thinking this, Libona looked at Fang Susu and said, "At twenty-two years old, she has already entered the first stage of the Fusion God realm. She is truly gifted. I wonder what her background is?"

At this moment, Fang Susu said, "Speaking of his background, it was really quite bumpy. He used to be just the son of a fisherman. He achieved what he has today by fighting his way through with his own sword and spear."

Upon hearing this, Libona said, "Ah, it really is true that heroes emerge from among the young. But to have such an opportunity at such a young age, I'm afraid he still needs the guidance of his elders."

Hearing Li Bona's words, Fang Susu smiled: "Although my uncle doesn't have much ability, he is quite popular. Besides my father, his sworn brother, he has two other sworn brothers."

"Of course, those two are also my father's sworn brothers. They are Peng Yingyu, the Laughing Buddha at the fourth level of the Melting God realm, and Liu Futong, the Foolish Mountain Man at the peak of the third level of the Melting God realm. These two are my uncle's elder brothers. If my uncle is in trouble, these uncles will definitely do their best to help him without the slightest hesitation."

Upon hearing this, Li Bona gasped. Before he could finish speaking, Fang Susu continued, "And you also know that there are two terrestrial immortals in my Central Plains."

"One of them, Master Zhang of Wudang, greatly admires my uncle and even personally sent his disciples to follow and help him. By the way, I haven't had time to introduce him to you yet."

Fang Susu turned to Zhang Cuishan and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Zhang Cuishan, one of the Seven Heroes of Wudang under Master Zhang of Wudang."

"Ah~ My apologies, my apologies!"

After hearing Fang Susu's words, Li Bona looked at the unassuming Taoist-looking man with a shocked expression. Although Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang was a figure from the Central Plains, these Southeast Asians would occasionally go to the Central Plains to buy things, so they had naturally heard the stories of this martial arts legend. Therefore, they were also extremely shocked.

Who would have thought these people had such a powerful background?

At this moment, Libona was no longer arrogant as before, but patiently looked at Fang Susu and said, "Miss Susu, what do you suggest we do next?"

Fang Susu replied, "Hehe, with the God of War here, do I need to point fingers?"

"Listen to the God of War."

"Okay, whatever you say, God of War. God of War, what do you think we should do next?"

Libona looked at Zhang Dingbian, who then composed himself and said, "Now our allied forces are ready. The ships are well maintained, and the cannons have enough ammunition."

Zhang Dingbian inquired about the logistics situation, and Li Bona immediately replied, "Our army is ready. As long as we give the order, the army can assemble and fight."

Zhang Dingbian nodded slightly and said, "Good, that's good. If that's the case, our army can fight, and we've won three battles in a row, so our morale is high. In addition, our lord is an inside agent in the Siamese fleet. With this inside and outside cooperation, we have no chance of losing."

“However, since King Wuping and his men have closed their water fortress and are not launching any attacks, we cannot let them have peace. I suggest that we start attacking the Siamese army now and force them to fight us to the death.”

"Moreover, we don't know when the Siamese royal advisor will return. We must win this battle before he comes back."

Having understood this, Libona nodded and asked, "So what should we do?"

Zhang Dingbian said, "Tonight you should send out troops to take out all the strongholds on the outskirts of Conch Island, force them to come out of the water fortress to fight, and see their reaction first."

Upon hearing this, Li Bona said, "Alright, then I'll go muster the troops now and begin eliminating Siam's external strongholds tonight."

Zhang Dingbian nodded and said, "Then let's do it that way!"

……

That night, on Conch Island, a group of pirate leaders, singing and dancing, once again began their revelry, drinking, singing, and embracing women.

Just as they were having the most fun, they heard footsteps and then saw the military commander of the Siam, King Na Xuan, arrive at the venue.

Upon seeing Naxuan, the pirates immediately shouted, "Praise be to you, my king!"

With a smile on his face, King Wuping took a wine cup from a servant and went up to the platform that had been set up for him. Holding the wine cup, he looked down at the frenzied pirates, his eyes full of amusement. What a good bunch of cannon fodder.

Is there anyone in this world more suited to be cannon fodder than these people?
King Wuping thought for a moment, then chuckled and said with a smile, "Hahaha, pirate captains, welcome to Conch Island."

"I know what you're all thinking: all you come to Conch Island for is money, fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women!"

"Ow~"

The pirates waved their arms excitedly, they were overjoyed. King Wuping, who knew how to create a lively atmosphere, clapped his hands, and the next moment, guards walked in, each carrying a tray with a small box on it, the box covered with a lid.

Then King Wuping said, "Alright everyone, this is my gift to you."

Upon hearing this, the pirates opened the chests in front of them one by one, and found that each chest was filled with gold coins.

Gold is a universally accepted currency. Whether you mint it into coins, strike it into gold ingots, or make it into something else, its intrinsic value remains. The pirates understood the value of gold coins. At this point, their eyes turned red.

Which pirate who goes to sea isn't after money?

Thinking this, they shouted again, "Praise be to you, my king!"

With a smile on his face, King Wuping said, "Very good, it's clear that everyone likes my gift. However, this is just a small token of our appreciation. I have much more money prepared for you, and not only money, but also land, houses, a large number of wives and concubines, and even official positions are waiting for you."

"And I've placed them all on Watchtower Island across the water. Smash Watchtower Island, and they'll all be yours!"

“I have already informed the King that when our Siamese army has completely occupied Southeast Asia, we will need thirty-six new governors to govern the lands we have conquered, and the candidates for these governors will be chosen from among you.”

Upon hearing this, the pirates below immediately turned red-eyed and shouted excitedly, "My God, the Governor!"
What kind of beings are they? Does anyone understand them better than they do?

A governor is like a local emperor of an island or region. They can organize their own army on this land, collect taxes from their people, and do many things. They have a great deal of autonomy.

It can be said that once you become a governor, apart from having to pay taxes regularly, you are no different from a local tyrant.

This right is more worthy of fighting for than the titles and positions of nobility in the Central Plains. It is more similar to a concept in the Central Plains, that is, to establish a fiefdom, declare oneself king, and become a vassal king.

At this point, it was obvious that the pirates' breathing had become heavy, and the beautiful maids clinging to them were shaking their hips even more vigorously. They knew that if they could serve the pirates in front of them well, and if these pirates became governors, they would be better off even if they were given the status of concubines than as maids.

After all, being a concubine means serving only one man, while being a maid in Siam means serving different men. Apart from women who like to change men, these women prefer to have a steady man.

Therefore, King Wuping stirred up everyone's emotions with just a few words.

Looking at the excited crowd, King Wuping knew that he had successfully brainwashed these guys. Now it was time to check whether these cannon fodder were useful.

Thinking of this, King Wuping said, "Very good, captains, I know you are all eager to make achievements, to gain status and wealth. So let me tell you, I have prepared the standards for your advancement."

"There are a total of eighty-seven warships on the other side. Anyone who sinks a warship or kills a captain will be awarded fifty points. Your crew members, including yourselves, will be awarded one point for each sailor you kill. Our record clerk will record your heroic deeds, and the top ten captains among you will be selected and given the position of governor."

"So captains, sharpen your knives, clean your cannons, and whatever you manage to plunder, I've left it all there. Whether you become governors with your own fiefdoms or continue to be vagabonds at sea is up to you."

"So, captains, are you ready?"

"All right!"

As the saying goes, a great reward will surely bring forth brave men. King Wuping's reward this time was quite generous. Such a generous reward made the captains' eyes widen, and they all roared with excitement.

They were so eager to rush to the battlefield, start hacking and slashing, and steal kills; they were all incredibly passionate.

At that moment, Garuno, standing in the crowd, exclaimed, "What tempting terms! If I didn't know you couldn't win, I might have already betrayed you!"

Garuno muttered to himself, when the woman clinging to him asked, "What did you say?"

Garuno glanced at her and said, "I said, I want to be the governor, I want money, women, and wealth."

"Oh, my great captain, if you were to become governor, could I be your concubine? I would serve you well!"

Upon hearing this, Garuno laughed and said, "Why not, woman? I'm very infatuated with you."

Garuno laughed heartily as he embraced the woman and began to commit his lewd act, but his eyes were fixed on Chen Jie.

Chen Jie really admired King Wuping. He was a good leader who clearly defined the goals: how many points a warship would receive, how many points a captain would receive, and how many points a sailor would receive. This way, the pirates knew what the goal was and were naturally motivated.

What's even more impressive is that the reward they offered was truly enormous—the position of governor.

Although Chen Jie knew that becoming governor would not be easy, since the selection criteria were in the hands of Prince Wuping, and even if he were selected, there might be other difficulties.

But none of that matters. What matters is that they are willing to offer these governorships to incentivize these pirate captains. It has to be said, that's quite a generous gesture.

As Chen Jie thought this, he lowered his head, picked up his wine glass, and muttered to himself, "Money, status, and the great treasure."

This reminded him of an anime he had watched in his past life: Want my treasure? You can have it all! Go find it! The Grand Line! I've left everything in the world there!
One Piece? That's really exciting!
Chen Jie muttered to himself, sipping his wine, thinking to himself, "Maybe without my involvement, these pirates really could have gotten their wish, found their great treasure, and become the governor they all dreamed of becoming!"
Thinking this, Chen Jie chuckled. It's a pity that I'm the variable this time, so you are destined to become cannon fodder, and you, Prince Wuping, are destined to fail.

Chen Jie thought for a moment and glanced at Prince Wuping.

With just that one glance, King Wuping sensed something was amiss. His sharp eyes swept across the entire scene, and he listened intently in Chen Jie's direction.

He immediately saw a cheering one-eyed pirate: "Haha, I'm going to be the governor! Praise be to you, my king!"

Prince Wuping frowned and asked the person behind him, "Who is that fellow?"

Upon hearing the King of Wuping's question, the first mate behind him spoke up, "He, he seems to be..."

boom!
Just as Prince Wuping was speaking to his first mate behind him, a terrifying sound of cannon fire suddenly rang out, boom, boom, boom!
The next moment, the pirate captain, who was in the middle of a party, calmed down. Pirates who make a living on the high seas are very sensitive to the sound of cannon fire. At this moment, the pirates' eyes widened and they looked towards the door.

At this moment, King Wuping's expression immediately darkened, and he said to the pirates below, "Everyone, continue drinking, continue eating, continue playing. I'm going to see what's going on."

As he spoke, King Wuping walked out with his first mate, while the pirates were no longer in the mood for eating, drinking, and having fun.

They weren't fools who only knew how to eat and drink and didn't care about their own lives. They knew things weren't simple, after all, cannons had been fired, and this was a matter of life and death. So a group of pirates followed them out.

Chen Jie followed behind the pirates, watching them walk forward one by one. At this moment, he grabbed Garuno, who was walking forward.

Garuno was stunned after being arrested and looked at Chen Jie.

With a questioning look on his face, he asked, "Boss, what's the matter?"

Chen Jie looked at him and said, "In a moment, watch my gestures, show your determination, and make a scene."

"Hey boss, do you know what's happening outside?"

Chen Jie chuckled and said, "It must be the allied forces launching a counterattack. They probably attacked some of the Siamese army's external strongholds, forcing the Siamese army to come out for a decisive battle!"

"Hmm, how did you know that Boss Zhang replied? But how could I not know that he replied?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Garuno and said, "Stop asking questions and get on with it. Watch my gestures."

Garuno exclaimed, "Ah!"

How did Chen Jie know? That's a false premise. Even Garuno, who was acting as the messenger, didn't know. How could Chen Jie possibly know?
That's the interesting part. How did Chen Jie know? Of course, he guessed.

Pure guess!
It can't really be called pure guessing; there's actually some narrative logic involved.

Why have the Kingdom of Siam and the Southeast Asian Allied Forces reached this point and are now locked in a standoff in the Sosa Islands?

The reason is simple: the reason Siam was waiting there was because they were not confident that they could directly defeat the Southeast Asian Allied Forces, especially with the support of Zhang Dingbian, the war god under Chen Jie.

So they have to wait for the return of the Siamese royal advisor. That way, they can borrow the power of the Siamese royal advisor. At that time, with a first-stage Fusion God King, plus a second-stage Fusion God, and the immortal royal advisor, Basong, the two can combine to deal with the Nanyang coalition that only has one first-stage Fusion God, Libona. Wouldn't they be sure to win?
Therefore, the Kingdom of Siam was waiting for the arrival of its royal advisor.

But what were the Nanyang Allied Forces waiting for? They were simply no match for Prince Wuping. Even with Zhang Dingbian's support, they still couldn't defeat him. That was the objective fact.

King Wuping had over a hundred warships, and his personal strength far surpassed that of Li Bona. Even in a one-on-one fight, Li Bona was no match for King Wuping. Therefore, they had no other choice but to confront the Siamese army.

Moreover, they knew that the longer this stalemate continued, the more disadvantageous it would be for them, and they shouldn't drag it out.

However, they also lacked a way to defeat the Kingdom of Siam, so the two sides remained deadlocked. Chen Jie's appearance was the uncertain factor that broke the deadlock.

He even wrote a letter to Zhang Dingbian, saying that with Zhang Dingbian's intelligence, he couldn't possibly miss the opportunity. Now he couldn't wait even a quarter of an hour, because every extra day he waited meant there was a risk that the Siamese National Preceptor would arrive.

Even with Chen Jie, it would be difficult to win this battle. So the opportunity is fleeting. If he were Zhang Dingbian, he would definitely try to find a way to challenge King Ping to a duel.

So Chen Jie knew without even looking that this was definitely something Zhang Dingbian was up to, and Chen Jie decided to give it a push and help him out!
(End of this chapter)