A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

The news of the vanguard's complete annihilation, like a blood-stained gust of wind, didn't reach Ke Zhenchuan's main fleet until the afternoon of the next day.

The atmosphere inside the flagship's cabin was so oppressive it felt like you could wring water out of it.

Several sailors from the sentry ship who had managed to escape were kneeling on the ground, trembling like leaves, unable to speak coherently.

"Boss...they...their ship is like a ghost..."

Ke Zhenchuan didn't get angry, he didn't even lift his eyelids. He was slowly wiping his sword, which had been with him for thirty years, with a clean deerskin. The blade reflected a cold, eerie light under the dim oil lamp in the cabin.

"Explain yourself." His voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

He called the sailor, who was so scared he was about to wet his pants, over and, without asking about the outcome or calling him useless, simply asked him the most basic questions, like an ordinary shipwright.

"How many ships does the other side have?"

"I can see, there are six ships, and there seem to be six more blocking the road behind them..."

What type of ship?

"It was dark and narrow, and it moved...it moved faster than our fastest scout ship! It was practically silent on the water!"

"How did you throw away the kerosene?"

"They had the upper hand, and those fire pots seemed to have eyes; they hit their targets every time they threw them!"

Which way is the wind blowing?

"A northerly wind, it's...it's coming from where they threw it..."

"How long did it last?"

"The time it takes for an incense stick to burn... no, less than half an incense stick, and our ship was on fire..."

After asking his questions, Ke Zhenchuan waved his hand and ordered his men to drag the timid sailors away.

Only then did a one-eyed leader with a scar on his face finally lose his temper, slamming his fist on the table and roaring:

"Boss! This cannot be tolerated! That woman surnamed Shang, and that Liu Jingshuang, they've gone too far! This subordinate requests permission to lead men into Quanzhou Port and burn their docks to the ground!"

"burn?"

Ke Zhenchuan finally raised his head and glanced at him, his eyes as calm as a deep pool of water:

"What will you burn? Your life?"

He stood up and had a huge nautical chart spread out on the table.

The edges of the blueprint were worn and frayed, and it was covered with dense markings of waterways and hydrological information in different colored inks.

His rough fingers drew a heavy circle on the waters marked "Rough Rock Beach" outside Quanzhou Port.

"Their ships are faster than ours, that's a fact. But they have fewer ships, that's also a fact." Ke Zhenchuan's voice echoed in the quiet cabin, carrying the composure and insight unique to a veteran. "Last night, they merely won a well-planned ambush. Did they think that would intimidate me?"

He sneered and drew two completely different routes on the nautical chart with a sharp stroke of his finger.

"Pass on my orders."

His voice suddenly turned sinister: "Tomorrow, I will personally lead thirty main force ships, taking the inside route, skimming the shallows! I want to see how their dozen or so ships can stop my thirty ironclad vessels!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the one-eyed, scarred man, a cruel smile curving his lips.

"You, take the remaining twenty ships, take the outer route, and circle around behind them. Once I've drawn their attention, you charge straight into Quanzhou Port!"

"Let's attack from both sides simultaneously and see if their boats are faster, or my sword!"

That evening, when Shang Wanqing's fleet returned to Quanzhou Port for supplies, exhausted and smelling of gunpowder, Liu Jingshuang was already waiting for her at the dock.

This female commander of Xinwu did not bring any personal guards. She stood alone at the end of the dock, the sea breeze blowing the hem of her plain-colored dress, her expression as aloof as ever.

Without a word of preamble, the two reviewed the latest intelligence on Ke Zhenchuan's main force movements, which had just been sent from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in front of the sand table. Liu Jingshuang then asked directly:

"Ke Zhenchuan will definitely come tomorrow. He's out of strikers, and his main striker won't wait any longer. Do you have enough boats?"

"not enough."

Shang Wanqing shook her head, answering crisply and decisively.

She pointed to the wooden blocks on the sand table representing the opposing sides, the disparity in number was alarming:

"Eighteen against fifty, even a one-on-one fight wouldn't be enough. In a head-on confrontation, I have no chance of winning."

She knew very well that last night's victory was largely based on a surprise attack and the opponent's underestimation of her.

Once Ke Zhenchuan is prepared and a head-on confrontation takes place, my forces will be no match for him.

"But I can hold him off for a while."

A glint of madness flashed in Shang Wanqing's eyes: "As long as you can eat it."

Liu Jingshuang's gaze fell on the sand table, and her fingers traced over several mudflats on the south side of Quanzhou Bay that she had circled with a vermilion pen.

"Here, here, and here."

Her voice was soft, yet carried a resolute determination:

"These three places are all suitable for his large ships to land. If you force him into these three places, as long as he dares to send troops ashore, I can make sure he never returns."

"Even if his main force is tied up at sea, I can still skin him alive."

Under the lamplight, the two women discussed things late into the night using that small sand table.

Shang Wanqing's plan was ruthless and direct: "The Clippers will be divided into three teams. One team of six ships, which I will personally lead, will harass his main force closely and drive him into your pocket. The other team of six ships will be dedicated to attacking his troop transport ships."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, like a child who had found a new toy.

"They outnumber us, but it's impossible for everyone to crammed onto the warships. Troop transports are slow and poorly protected. Once we destroy their troop transports, even if some manage to reach the shore, they'll be isolated and without reinforcements!"

Liu Jingshuang nodded in approval of the plan, and then added another point.

"If Ke Zhenchuan splits his forces to flank from the rear."

Her finger traced the outermost edge of the sea on the sand table: "You need to send a squadron of ships to the outer line, specifically to keep an eye on his flanking fleet. You don't need to win, just stick to them. Like a leech, don't let them comfortably get behind us."

"Okay," Shang Wanqing readily agreed.

That night, the entire Quanzhou Port was brightly lit, just like daytime.

In Shang Wanqing's shipyard, barrels of kerosene and boxes of crossbow bolts were continuously loaded onto the eighteen black fast ships.

The craftsmen worked through the night to carry out final repairs on the ship, and the clanging and hammering sounds echoed throughout the harbor.

Meanwhile, in the camp behind the port, Liu Jingshuang's cavalry was also dispersed again, divided into three groups. Under the cover of night, they moved like three silent streams, quietly heading towards the three pre-planned ambush mudflats.

Before dawn, the two parted ways at the dock.

Standing by the dock, watching Shang Wanqing about to step onto the flagship's platform, Liu Jingshuang suddenly called out to her.

"Shang Wanqing".

Shang Wanqing turned around and looked at her with some surprise.

The sea breeze ruffled the hair on Liu Jingshuang's forehead. She looked at the woman in front of her, who was a few years younger than her, and at her eyes, which were bloodshot from long hours of staying up late but still surprisingly bright. Her usually cold face showed a rare moment of relaxation.

"Come back alive."

Liu Jingshuang's voice was soft, yet clear.

"You haven't given birth to Wei Zhao's child yet."

Shang Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on her lips. The smile contained self-mockery, relief, and a complex emotion that she herself could not explain.

She didn't reply.

He simply turned around and jumped onto the flagship's footrest without looking back.

The black sails were quickly raised with a rustling sound, filled with the salty, fishy smell of the wind.

Eighteen silent assassins, in the deepest darkness before dawn, slowly sailed out of the harbor, resolutely heading towards the battlefield that would soon be stained red with blood and fire.