The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 399 Arrogance

"Are they out of their minds?!"

Che Zhong'an frowned: "Attack with all your might, don't let them get close."

He didn't know what the other party was planning, but given their recklessness, they probably weren't up to anything good.

The ship opposite noticed the movement of Dayong and instead of retreating, advanced.

Before long, the lead ship was wrecked and torn to pieces by the cannon fire.

But this also revealed the inconspicuous little boat behind it.

The small boat was a small and agile target, and it quickly closed the distance again.

"Sink it!"

No sooner had Che Zhong'an finished speaking than the small boat suddenly exploded.

No one knows how much gunpowder was piled up on top, but it actually stirred up a huge wave that ripped the hull of the ship in front of it away.

In an instant, flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Che Zhong'an witnessed firsthand the decapitation of the soldier he had just told to study hard; his face was now so badly tattered that his features were unrecognizable.

The soldier had just estimated the direction of the brown-skinned ship, his thumb and forefinger still outstretched.

Che Zhong'an's hand, gripping the Thousand-Mile Eye, was visibly veiny.

His gaze pierced through the smoke and flames of war, fixed intently on the hand in the air.

Seemingly sensing danger, the soldier placed his hand under his body just before the accident.

Therefore, his palms are the only intact part of his body.

And just by chance, Che Zhong'an caught the message he was about to convey.

It was like a fateful coincidence.

He put down his telescope, seized the command flag, and personally directed the fleet's direction.

Although he didn't have time to remember the soldier's name, Che Zhong'an understood what the soldier wanted to convey.

Soon, the fleet moved in an orderly manner under his command.

The Water Scale Guard was completely silent.

The dead were their comrades-in-arms, their compatriots, and even some of their closest friends.

The long training had turned their sadness and shock into silence.

This also allowed them to demonstrate more acute reflexes and better teamwork than they usually do in training.

Ships of all sizes moved forward, turned, and attacked with the tacit understanding and perfect coordination of the hands and feet of a giant beast.

"I didn't expect that not everyone in the Brown Kingdom is a coward."

Xu Zhen, who was closely watching the battle from the shore, heard someone say this beside him and twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Not a coward, but died for a coward."

The two ships didn't have enough gunpowder, which was fortunate, otherwise the Brown Kingdom might have blasted a hole in them.

Since the other side doesn't have the courage to go all in, then don't blame Dayong for leaving no room for maneuver.

However, Xu Zhen did not relax his vigilance: "Tell them to be prepared to send supplies at any time."

Although the large ship was well-prepared for war, he guessed that Che Zhong'an would definitely choose to suppress the enemy with firepower.

Therefore, those on the shore must make preparations.

On the other side, someone quickly noticed the change in the battle situation and reported it.

When Zhuo Mu's personal guards heard this news, their first reaction was not worry, but smugness.

He was pleased with his own prudence.

"Fortunately, I didn't completely trust him, and I kept a backup plan in private."

"If we had given them all the heavenly lightning, we might have already broken through the encirclement by now..."

The guard's fierce gaze instantly fell on the speaker: "You're quite the talker, why didn't you step forward when the general was running away?"

Although he was still wearing the clothes of a personal guard and had only been a general for less than a day, he already spoke with the air of a general.

Perhaps intimidated by his domineering presence, no one spoke for a moment.

The guard nodded in satisfaction: "I didn't expect them to be so cautious. Now we have no other choice but to charge in and let them cover the general."

……

After a three-day standoff, the people of Dayong learned from a few prisoners that Zhuo Mu had already escaped on the first day.

In the vast ocean, no one knows whether he is alive or dead.

Che Zhong'an asked Xu Zhen, "Do we still need to look?"

“He ran away so decisively, without even taking a boat, not only because he didn’t want to attract attention, but also because he had the confidence to escape,” Xu Zhen tapped his forehead. “If he can’t find him, he will definitely arrange for someone to meet him.”

"Even if he's 100% certain of winning this war, he'll still leave himself a way out?"

"Will."

Che Zhong'an stared at Xu Zhen.

Although his expression was expressionless, Xu Zhen still understood his confusion.

“Remember what I told you? Zhuo Mu comes from a small fishing village. Even if he is not afraid of Dayong, he will be afraid of the ocean. Therefore, he will definitely follow the survival tips passed down from generation to generation of fishermen.”

"Was he like this before?"

"It's always been like this."

"That……"

"I've sent people to intercept him in the places he might pass through. Unfortunately, it was to no avail."

Xu Zhen felt somewhat regretful.

Che Zhong'an's tone was casual: "Since they are fishermen, they naturally rely on the sea for their livelihood. What do we have to challenge their survival skills?"

This is how he comforted Xu Zhen now, and this is how Xu Zhen comforted him later.

At that moment, he had just finished listening to his subordinates report the results of the battlefield cleanup.

The more he listened, the darker his face became.

"You mean, 30% of Zhuo Mu's elite troops actually escaped?"

"Yes……"

“Thirty percent…” Che Zhong’an was clearly gritting his teeth. “We’ve spent so much resources, and yet thirty percent of them still managed to escape.”

“Our casualties are only a few thousand, while the enemy has lost more than 50,000 men. This is already a great victory. If you say that, people will mistakenly think you are arrogant.”

"Others may not know, but do you and I not know the inside story? Most of these 50,000 men are incompetent fools. Moreover, His Highness gave us so much gunpowder, yet we couldn't annihilate the enemy. It's our incompetence."

"Since you know that Zhuo Mu's elite troops are all fishermen, you should know that they rely on the sea for their livelihood. What do we have to challenge their survival skills?"

Che Zhong'an remained silent.

The words he had just said not long ago were thrown back at him, and he couldn't very well refute them.

He rubbed his forehead, frowning: "Thirty percent..."

Xu Zhen: Still talking about it?

It seems she really can't forget it.

"Alright, there's no point in thinking about that 30% anymore," Xu Zhen patted his shoulder and comforted him. "The most urgent thing now is to prepare for Zhuo Mu's comeback."

"A comeback?"

Zhuo Mu, that defeated general who deserted in the face of battle?

Is Qi Yongji really capable of using him?

"Qi Yongji doesn't care whether the people under his command are of good character or have strong backbone."

"Leading troops into battle isn't just about getting approval from above; it also requires the unwavering loyalty of the troops below. Based on what Zhuo Mu did this time, no one will be willing to risk their lives for him!"

Who can prove it?

"what?"

"Who can prove that Zhuo Mu deserted his post? Those who were on the same ship as Zhuo Mu were either dead or captured. Everyone thought he was commanding the troops on the ship."

"We can..."

"Who in Brown Country would believe us?"

Che Zhong'an was rendered speechless by Xu Zhen's three consecutive questions.

"Zhuo Mu had planned this all along?"

"I do not know."