Chapter 79: Flames of Intense Heat

Chapter 79: Flames of Fury

Over twenty ships from the Chen pirate fleet charged into the Great Yan naval formation, only to find themselves trapped like lambs among tigers. By the time they realized their allies hadn't budged, it was too late. The Great Yan's cannons rained down relentlessly, forcing them into a desperate fight.

Liang Zhen was escorted onto the main ship, where he met the commander the foreigners had spoken of. His name was Porand, a tall man with a prominent nose and deep-set brown eyes, typical of a foreigner, and a high-ranking general among the Javanese, as well as a viscount in his own country.

Scanning the foreigners before him, Liang Zhen recognized one – an envoy who had visited the capital to pay respects to Zhu Yunxuan and curry favor with Great Yan, only to be dismissed with a casual excuse.

Porand spoke in fluent and accentless Great Yan: "This is His Majesty, the Emperor of Great Yan?"

Though addressing Liang Zhen, his gaze remained fixed on Ren Ge, adopting a condescending and disdainful demeanor.

Ren Ge lowered his head even further, clenching his fists to suppress the trembling in his body, fearing exposure would lead to his execution.

Before embarking, Liang Zhen had warned him that this was his only chance to redeem himself. He had previously divulged the emperor's whereabouts for personal gain, deserving death a hundred times over. Even his brother's plea couldn't save him. If not for his face having some value, he would have already been dead. On this ship, any further misstep would not only cost him his life but also that of his brother.

Liang Zhen's lips curled slightly. "Indeed, this is Jing Rui, the Emperor of Great Yan."

Ren Ge stammered, "I... I am... the Emperor of Great Yan. What do you... what do you want? Let... let me go... and I'll give you anything."

The envoy who had once visited Great Yan nodded to their supreme commander, seemingly confirming that the person standing before them was indeed the emperor of Great Yan. Liang Zhen wasn't worried about being exposed, for this man had only caught a distant glimpse of Zhu Yunxuan seated high on his throne in the grand hall years ago.

Porand examined Ren Ge with a mocking gaze and said disdainfully, "If His Majesty had been honest with us from the start, he wouldn't have ended up in this situation. Now, it's not up to you to decide anymore."

Under Ren Ge's pleading look, Liang Zhen ignored him and instead chuckled at the foreigners, "This emperor is still useful for now. I can assure you that when the Ninth Prince ascends to the throne of Great Yan, your country will become our most honored ally."

The foreigners were delighted. "You're great. We like making friends with straightforward people like you who show genuine sincerity."

"That's mutual. I also admire a sincere and valiant knight like yourself."

Flattered by the compliments and holding the emperor hostage, they felt confident of victory and immediately opened fine wines to celebrate.

Liang Zhen lowered his eyes, hiding the sarcasm in them.

The pirates' fleet couldn't hold out for more than an hour against Great Yan's naval forces. Most of their ships were sunk, and the survivors scattered, becoming fugitives without a home.

While the foreigners continued reveling on their ship, Porand, drunk from drinking, slammed down his cup and laughed at Liang Zhen. "To be honest, I've always disliked those pirates. They're just a bunch of sycophantic rats, secretly plotting who knows what underhanded schemes. Assuming they could control the Ninth Prince, who could become the emperor of Great Yan, they started acting haughty towards us. A pack of ungrateful wolves that can never be tamed. Letting them exhaust the strength of Great Yan's navy was a good idea."

Liang Zhen seized the opportunity to flatter him. "Your Excellency is right. You would eventually be bitten by such people if you continued working with them. Anyway, they're no longer of any use now, so let them fend for themselves."

The man's turbid eyes rolled around before he added, "However, I think it's about time now. There's no need to wait any longer. Let's take the Great Yan emperor out."

Ren Ge's face paled instantly. Liang Zhen nodded with a cheerful smile. "It's all up to you, sir."

Ren Ge was escorted to the bow of the ship, with cannons pointed directly at him. Upon hearing the news, He Huailing immediately ordered the attack to cease. The foreigners' demands were clear: they required the Great Yan navy to surrender, with the soldiers on board immediately abandoning ship and leaving the empty vessels for them. They would only release the Great Yan emperor after the official surrender agreement was signed.

These were all suggestions made by Liang Zhen and Porand. Not only would they gain hundreds of Great Yan warships effortlessly, but they could also force the Great Yan to agree to all their terms. As for any accidents that might happen when the Great Yan came to rescue their emperor later, that would be none of their concern.

The Great Yan quickly dispatched a messenger, agreeing to all their demands, as long as they released the emperor.

In the darkness, countless soldiers leaped one after another into the turbulent sea. Porand stood on the deck, watching through his telescope, thrilled. He couldn't care less if the soldiers managed to swim back to shore or drowned in the sea. His eyes gleamed greedily as he stared at the gradually emptier warships.

Half an hour later, the messenger returned with news, confirming that the Great Yan ships were indeed abandoned. Porand's face flushed with excitement. "Let's go! Set sail for those ships now!"

The foreigners on board cheered and applauded, one ship after another charging towards the Great Yan fleet.

Just as they thought victory was within reach, deafening cannon fire erupted once more. Shell after shell landed on the foreign ships. The gunners, who had been celebrating and even resting, scrambled to their feet in panic, hastily reloading their cannons to retaliate. In this brief moment, three of their ships were sunk by the Great Yan navy.

Porand's eyes widened in disbelief as he screamed in rage, "This can't be! Why are there still people on the Great Yan ships? Where did they come from? Damn it! They actually abandoned their emperor!"

Of course, the fire ships had been strategically placed in hidden compartments beneath the vessels beforehand. Liang Zhen, standing behind, gave a silent mocking smile but had no intention of enlightening him.

In the same moment, hundreds of ghostly fire ships suddenly pierced through the dense night fog, speeding towards the foreign fleet under the cover of cannon fire.

The fire ships were small and nimble, and with the wind direction changing in the latter half of the night, they sailed swiftly with the wind at their backs. The frenzied foreigners, already struggling to fend off the Great Yan warships' bombardment, were now also confronted with these unfamiliar fire ships. They found themselves overwhelmed, trapped within the encirclement of the Great Yan naval forces, presenting an opportunity for a surprise attack.

Initially, the scattered pirate fleet could have offered some resistance, but the Chen pirates now numbered less than ten ships. Fueled by resentment over being used as cannon fodder by the foreigners earlier, they had initially stayed behind, unwilling to escape during the negotiations between the Great Yan and the foreigners. Hoping to reap some benefits from the chaos, they now saw the tide turning against them. Instead of assisting, they immediately turned their ships around, preparing to flee.

However, Liang Zhen was not about to let them escape so easily. His men had been waiting for this moment. Two dozen ships formed a wall across the sea, blocking the pirates' retreat.

Soon, the Great Yan fire ships approached the foreign vessels. The soldiers on board were none other than those who had leaped from the Great Yan warships earlier. They wildly flung iron hooks, latching onto the sterns of the enemy ships, setting them ablaze. The flames, fueled by the wind, rapidly spread, engulfing each ship in a towering inferno.

At this point, panic finally seized the foreigners on board.

Porand cursed loudly, his face contorted with fear and rage as the flames illuminated his surroundings. Their main ship, situated in the center of the fleet, was one of the few yet to be hit by a fire ship, but it was impossible to turn back.

Some, in their desperation, attempted to abandon ship and jump into the sea. Porand swiftly dispatched a soldier trying to escape by sea with a swing of his sword. He then wildly shouted, "Get back! Fire! Keep firing!"

The ship descended into chaos, filled with screams and curses. Ren-ge, who had until now trembled with fear, mustered his courage amidst the confusion. Pushing aside the foreign captors holding him, he dashed out and leaped into the ocean.

Someone cried out, "Emperor Great Yan has fled!" Porand nearly lost his mind with rage. He spun around, pointing his sword at Liang Zhen, who was also looking for an opportunity to jump into the sea. His teeth clenched audibly. "It's you! You deceived us! You liar! You colluded with the Great Yan army! I'll kill you!"

Liang Zhen replied coldly, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He deftly evaded the fierce stab of Porand's sword and, in the chaos, snatched a weapon from a nearby soldier to engage Porand in a fierce battle.

Then, a cannonball struck the ship's mast, igniting a massive blaze. The vessel began to sway violently in the waves before tilting abruptly to one side. The second cannonball hit the hull, engulfing the ship in flames that rapidly spread. Soon, the entire ship was consumed by raging fire.

As Liang Zhen plunged into the icy waters, the only image that flashed through his mind was Zhu Yunxuan's gentle smile.

Upon the elevated platform, Zhu Yunxuan remained steadfast, attentively observing the naval battle at sea. Since the Great Yan's fire ships launched their surprise attack, the vast ocean was engulfed in soaring flames. He knew which vessel Liang Zhen was on and constantly held his telescope, gazing in that direction. His face remained composed, but the tension in his compressed lips betrayed his concealed anxiety and concern.

The panic-stricken pirates, cornered by Liang Zhen's men, had nowhere to flee. They fought desperately, eventually launching frenzied, indiscriminate attacks. They even turned their guns on the traitorous foreign vessels, their eyes bloodshot with the intent to drag everyone down with them. One by one, their remaining cannonballs were aimed at the already weakening foreign ships.

In that moment when Liang Zhen's ship was hit by a cannonball, burst into flames, and began sinking, Zhu Yunxuan's heart leapt into his throat. The telescope slipped from his hand as he rushed down the platform.