Just when the pirates heard the screams on the boat, they realized that the situation was not good, and were about to board the boat for rescue. However, they saw water splashing from the bow and stern of the spiritual dragon boat, roaring like a manic dragon, and running rampant.
In an instant, many surrounding thief ships were smashed into pieces. The thief screamed and fell into the water, watching helplessly as the big ship rushed towards the Soochow navy.
At this time, the spiritual dragon ship in the distance had already retreated. This spiritual dragon ship rushed over again, causing confusion among the enemy ships following it. Only a dozen small boats followed scatteredly. After half of the pursuit, they saw the huge formation of officers and soldiers, and they all returned. .
Seeing the big ship rushing towards it again, even the well-trained sailors were in a hurry, rowing hard to dodge.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!" In the chaos, a man appeared on the bow of the ship, wielding a knife and shouting, it was Gan Ning.
The big ship swayed, passed through the officers and soldiers' warships, and sailed toward the rear. Waves rolled in and hit the ships on both sides, causing the waves to fly.
Although the bandit army won a complete victory, they were stunned when they saw this scene. They watched the loss of a warship. After returning to the island, they all stared at the lake blankly, not knowing why.
Zhou Xiong stood on the pier angrily and cursed the people driving the boat. Soon the soldiers came to report, and someone took advantage of the chaos and rushed onto the ship, killed the defenders on the ship, and took the ship hostage.
"Who is so bold?" Veins popped out on Zhou Xiong's forehead and his eyes were red.
The spiritual dragon boat is their biggest weapon. In order to avoid being discovered by the officers and soldiers, they will burn it mercilessly if there is an accident every time they retreat.
There was still a look of panic on the man's face, and he replied: "It's Gan Ning, the Jinfan thief!"
"Jinfan Thief?" Zhou Xiong was shocked: "Gan Xingba who gathered in Xiling Gorge ten years ago and was known as the invincible one on the water in Ba County?"
"Yes, that's him!" the gangster replied, "We saw a copper bell tied around his waist. He is extremely brave."
"It could be him?" Zhou Xiong took a breath. Unexpectedly, Gan Ning actually voted for Liu Qi, and ordered: "Check the information about the officers and soldiers immediately. Who else is leading the troops? What is Gan Ning's current official position?"
The gangsters took the order and left. At this moment, the gangsters who returned reported that the Kisame who went into the water to build the ship lost more than ten people and were killed by the water ghosts sent by the officers and soldiers.
Zhou Xiong suddenly realized that the situation might not be good, and sent someone to Shenlong Island to ask Lin Wen to discuss countermeasures.
In the past, when officers and soldiers were dispatched, the entire army was basically wiped out. This time Liu Qi brought Gan Ning, not only did he lose a large ship, but also many Kisame died. The Jinfan Thief really lived up to his reputation.
But this doesn't affect anything. Even if they rob a spiritual dragon ship, it doesn't matter. They have a total of twenty large ships. If the officers and soldiers dare to come again, their entire army will be wiped out.
Zhou Xiong took a deep breath and ordered a banquet to celebrate the victory. Overall, this was still a victory, and he needed to boost his morale to fight again in the future.
The Jingzhou army retreated to the water village, and several ships followed the large ship held hostage by Gan Ning to the island. Everyone came to watch and saw that the ship was equipped with wheels at the front and rear, turning like flying, driving the ship, which was indeed unique.
Gan Ning jumped off the bow of the boat and laughed: "I haven't robbed for many years, but today I did a big job."
The cabin was opened, and ten Jinfan soldiers escorted the sailors from the bottom of the ship and filed out. There were more than fifty people, all of whom were kneeling on the ground and shivering.
Huang Zhong stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Gan Xingba is indeed worthy of his reputation. He robbed an enemy ship with only ten men. I admire him!"
"What does this mean? Back then, our boss could rob a merchant ship alone. When the bell rang, the fleet would dock on its own..."
"Shut up!" Gan Ning shouted, laughing and scolding: "You were young and energetic at that time, and you were confused. How can such things be discussed on the stage?"
Liu Qi smiled and said: "You are inevitably energetic when you are young. I think about General Gan galloping across the river, gratifying and grudges freely, and coming and going freely. It was so cool and unrestrained, I am a little envious."
What passionate man doesn’t have a martial arts dream?
Gan Ning waved his hand and said, "The general is making fun of you!"
While joking, everyone boarded the ship together. Two sailors introduced the driving of the Lingjiao Ship and went to the cabin to find out.
The water wheels of this spiritual dragon boat are not only at the front and rear ends, but there are also three small flywheels on the bottom of the boat, which are somewhat similar to propellers.
When the ship started, the sailors pedaled in the bottom cabin. The ship moved like flying and was more flexible than paddling with a Yang sail.
This thing looks similar to the pedal boats in later parks, except that the wheels are larger and shaped like a waterwheel. It seems that Lin Wen was inspired to transform this kind of boat after seeing the water mill.
In addition to its strong power and smooth travel, this ship is one foot taller than an ordinary warship. It looks like two floors on the outside, but is actually divided into three floors on the inside.
The bottom floor is all controlled by sailors. The second floor is hidden with swordsmen and axes, which are covered by wooden boards as fences. Weapons can be extended from the opening to assassinate, similar to the muzzle of a cannon, to prevent enemy ships from getting close to fight. Archers stand on the third floor and shoot arrows from a high position.
It was wrapped with bamboo slices, wooden boards and cowhide, making it difficult for bows and arrows to cause damage. Gan Ning would have been helpless if he hadn't jumped over the bow of the ship when the two ships collided.
After leaving the cabin and looking around, I saw that the bottom of the boat was actually wrapped with a layer of moso bamboo, leaving a gap in the middle. No wonder the stern couldn't break open after being hit, and was bounced back.
Liu Qi leaned over and looked at a gap that had been broken, and saw that the bamboo pieces were woven together like a mat, and were wrapped with hemp ropes, etc., which were very flexible.
Gan Ning frowned and said: "This spiritual dragon boat is really powerful. Not only is it as strong as a castle, but the bottom of the boat is protected by moso bamboo. The dragon boat cannot be knocked away, so it is really difficult to deal with."
Huang Zhongyan said: "The thieves are rampant and they are familiar with the waters of Dongting Lake. Those water ghosts should not be underestimated. If the thieves bring in thousands of water ghosts next time and the ship sinks, how will we fight?"
Everyone nodded silently. The strength of the bandit army was not only the spiritual dragon boats, but also the water ghosts hiding at the bottom of the lake. They were a greater threat to the big ships. Although the high-rise boats could deal with the spiritual dragon boats, once the bottom of the boat was destroyed, The consequences would be disastrous. Gan Ning's subordinates alone would not be enough.
Gan Ning said: "This ship is heavily guarded and its rudder can be turned flexibly. It is not easy to destroy the water wheel. There is also a water wheel at the bottom of the ship. It can only be destroyed by attacking with fire."
Liu Qi folded his arms and stared at the shore for a long time, then suddenly laughed and said: "Although this water wheel is wonderful, it is not without its weaknesses. In five days, I will capture Wangyue Island."
Gan Ning hurriedly asked: "General, what's your clever plan?"
Liu Qi shook his head and said with a smile: "I can't say for the time being. I still need to test it myself. General Gan will interrogate the thieves one by one to find out the reality on the island and choose a day to defeat the enemy."
After Gan Ning left, Liu Qi ordered Yang Ling again: "Captain Yang will lead five hundred troops to salvage aquatic plants, prepare three hundred small boats, and put them in the cabin for later use."
The two generals went off to do their own thing. Huang Zhong said: "The general has a plan to deal with the spirit dragon boat, but there are so many water ghosts in the bandit army. Without the support of the building boat, it will be difficult to get close to Wangyue Island. What should we do?"
Liu Qi smiled and said: "I'm not afraid of the spiritual dragon boat, let alone the little water ghost? Since the bandit army is called Kisame, we will cast a net to catch the sharks and catch them all."
Huang Zhong still didn't quite understand Liu Qi's countermeasures, so he offered advice: "Just in case, we can also wrap the bottom of the boat with moso bamboo. The bamboo pieces are flexible and can be chopped continuously with the knife. Even if the bandit army of water ghosts goes underwater, there will be nothing they can do for a while. "
Liu Qi smiled and said: "That's exactly what I meant. This is called giving back to the other person in the same way!"
