Chapter 28: The Fierce Battle at the Dock (Part 2)

  "Chuanzong, you only have a knife, don't show your head before boarding, don't rush forward."

  "Got it."

  The two cannons on the port side of the Zhu Yin ship fired two rounds each, but none hit their mark. Wang Zugui also fired two rounds from the starboard red cannon, but they too missed. After reloading, neither side fired again, as the iron cannons of this era could not fire continuously. Although the loading speed was not slow, after firing three rounds, it had to be allowed to cool down, and no more than eight or ten rounds could be fired in an hour. Both sides reserved their last round for when they were closer.

  On the Fujian ship, more than a dozen sailors held long spears and grappling hooks, with flying claws placed at their feet. They were arrayed in formation on the starboard side, waiting. Seven or eight sailors held bird guns, while other sailors held Japanese swords, waist knives, short-handled axes, steel pikes, and other small arms, scattered throughout the deck. Both ships had many ropes crisscrossing them. Except for when they first came alongside, long weapons were not suitable for use after boarding.

  Chen Xin finished instructing Lu Ma Zi, waited for a while without any movement, and then poked his head out from the shield to take a look. The Zhu Yin ship was already 50 steps away (during the Ming dynasty, one step was equivalent to 5 chi, or 156 cm). Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and a black iron ball shot out of the white smoke, rapidly flying towards him.

  Chen Xin's whole body was numb, and before he could react, he heard a loud "bang" sound. The protective board about five meters to his right suddenly exploded, and an iron ball wrapped in countless bamboo fragments swept across that section of the deck. A long spearman was standing behind the protective board and was directly hit by the iron ball. With a dull thud, the long spearman instantly turned into countless shattered limbs, flying in all directions. A bloody mist sprayed onto the surrounding deck. The iron ball's remaining force was not yet exhausted, as it smashed through the left side of the protective board and fell into the sea.

  A moment later, several injured sailors began to scream in agony, their bodies pierced by bamboo splinters. One of them was sprayed with blood from the unfortunate harpooner and immediately hit by over a dozen fragments of varying sizes, bleeding profusely, his entire body looking as if it had been fished out of a pool of blood, collapsing to the ground with a long, mournful wail, his body curled up in agony, convulsing violently.

  Chen Xin stared blankly at the severed arm in front of him, his stomach churning with each twitch. The limb had been knocked back by the bamboo after hitting the left side of the boat, and the broken shoulder still oozed blood from the pale red muscle tissue.

  "Ah!!!!!!""Ah!!!!!!"

  The inhuman voice finally made Chen Xin start to recover from his numb state, he struggled to move his gaze away from the mutilated limbs in front of him, looking at the wounded rolling on the deck, not knowing what to do, his brain's reaction was far from its usual level.

  A flash of snow-white light, the cries of the seriously injured soldier suddenly stopped. Zhao Dongjia casually tossed the head to one side with his left hand and walked towards another wailing wounded soldier with his knife raised. The wounded soldier had a fragment stuck in his left eye, his face covered in blood. Seeing Zhao Dongjia approach, he hastily shook his hand, grabbed his clothes and bit down on them. Zhao Dongjia said calmly: "Shout again and you'll lose your life."

  The wounded man nodded, biting his clothes tightly and no longer making a sound. The other one was lightly injured and seeing this situation also quickly shut up. Zhao Dongjia's expression remained unchanged, kicking away a severed leg on the ground with one foot, coming to the damaged right side armor plate. The two ships were only forty steps apart, and an iron gunner (Japanese fire rope gunner) fired a shot at Zhao Dongjia from across the way, hitting the ship's body, which was easily blocked by the 2.5-inch thick armor plate. It is impossible to have accuracy when shooting at moving objects with a sliding barrel on a moving ship.

  Zhao Dong's family was unmoved, turned his head and shouted loudly at the crowd of sailors: "Kill him, we've made a fortune!"

  "Kill!!!"

  "Boom""Boom""Bang,Bang"

  A red-haired cannon on the starboard side of the Fushun ship and two Frankish cannons fired simultaneously, and seven or eight bird gunners also started firing. The Zhu Yin ship opposite was hit one after another, and there were waves of miserable cries. It had finished firing its cannons and could not fire again for a while, falling into a state of being beaten. The red-haired cannon on the Fushun ship was also hot and could not be fired again.

  Wang Zugui and others used the Frankish engine to fire quickly, with three people working together in a well-coordinated manner. After firing one shot, one person pulled out the iron flash, another picked up the fired breech-loading gun, and the third loaded a new breech-loading gun. The first person then inserted the iron flash again, much faster than the bird gunner. Although the Frankish engine's bullet weighed less than a catty, its power at close range was still not to be underestimated. The left side of the Zhu Yin ship was hit, with wood chips flying everywhere, and soon it became a mess, with broken planks and damaged armor plates.

  When the Frankish ships finished firing all their cannons, both sides were less than twenty paces apart, and the gunners began to exchange fire again. The men in the crow's nest, including Zhu Guobin, started shooting arrows one after another. They had the high ground and only started shooting when they were twenty paces apart. With Zhu Guobin's arrow skills being the most accurate, although the masthead was swaying more than the deck, he still hit two people with five arrows. The arrow shafts were powerful enough to quiver in the wooden boards, making a humming noise. The Zhu Ying ship did not have a crow's nest and was at a disadvantage at this distance. The sailors on the deck had to use some wooden boards to block the arrows from the crow's nest, and only a few cannons and bows on the deck weakly counterattacked. Everyone else was hiding here and there, looking disheveled and panicked.

  Chen Xin's heart was racing violently, his throat dry, Lu Zi was beside him, leaning on the railing with his head exposed, staring at the deck opposite, making heavy breathing sounds. The severed arm was still in front of Chen Xin, distracting his attention at all times. Chen Xin plucked up his courage and suddenly grabbed the arm, flinging it out to sea with great force, leaving a faint cool sensation on his hand after it was thrown away.

  Lu Zi said beside him: "Brother Chen, quickly hit that side, it's close, one hundred and two."

  Chen Xin only then remembered that he was also a musketeer, hastily stood up, his legs slightly trembling, the Zhu Yin ship in front of him was about ten steps away, the wooden shield was badly damaged, both sides' cannons had stopped firing, the Fu ship's musketeers were slightly more numerous, and there were also archers with crossbows, completely suppressing the opposite deck. Chen Xin took a deep breath, calmed his mind, adjusted the position of his musket, lit the fuse, and began to look for targets.

  The Zhu Yin ship transmitted intermittent shouts, with mournful cries and voices giving orders. On the Fu ship, Zhao Dongjia was also shouting loudly. All forty or more sailors were on deck, waiting for orders at their posts. Old Wang, Dianyong, Heipao, Hanbin and others all looked calm, quietly waiting with drawn swords for the moment of boarding to arrive.

  Hei Pao saw Chen Xin holding a large fire gun, aiming for half a day without moving. Others were loading and shooting, but this accountant was probably scared stiff, forgetting how to shoot. However, he's better than the old Cai, at least daring to fight on the deck. Last time, that old Cai was so scared that he peed his pants.

  Seize

  As soon as Zhao Dong's voice fell, seven or eight flying claws flew over the five-step distance between the two ships, hooking onto the hull and guardrail of Zhu Yin's ship. One of the flying claws happened to hook onto the shoulder blade of a Japanese sailor. The Fu ship side pulled hard, and the flying claw deeply hooked into the Japanese sailor's back, pulling him out of the Zhu Yin ship's gunwale. His body sank, and he was about to fall into the sea when the rope on his back suddenly tightened, hooking onto his shoulder blade and suspending him in mid-air. He let out a heart-wrenching scream, flailing his limbs wildly, with tears streaming down his face.

  Those who grasped the flying rope were exerting their strength, and the distance between the two ships suddenly narrowed from five paces to just two or three meters. From behind the protective board of Zhu's ship came a loud shout, and seven or eight sailors suddenly stood up, raising long spears and hooks to attack, while Fu's ship did the same.

  At this moment, the shields on the board were crisscrossed with long spears, and the sharp spears broke through their armor without any hindrance. Several pairs of opponents who were fighting each other were stabbed by each other at the same time. A sailor from the Fushun ship was stabbed in the throat, fell backwards onto the deck, covered his neck with his hand, wanting to shout loudly but could only make a gurgling sound from his throat, and blood kept flowing out from between his fingers. In this round, several people on both sides were shot down, and some others stretched out their hooks to hook the opponent's ship side, stepped on the deck with force, pulling closer. Chen Xin was at the bow position, still not firing his gun, as his ship was not yet in contact with Zhu Yin's ship.

  "Bang", the two ships' sides finally collided, and the hull shook violently for a few moments. Chen Xin hurriedly used his left hand to hold onto the guardrail, and after a moment, the hull stabilized again. At the same time, a fierce battle cry erupted from both ships' decks, and wooden boards on Zhu Yin's ship were knocked down one by one, revealing sailors holding blades behind them.

  One of the Japanese warriors, who appeared to be the leader, was shouting and waving his sword in the air when suddenly a gunshot rang out from the Fuxing ship, deafening everyone. The leader's chest burst open with blood as his cries were abruptly cut off, and he fell to the ground like he had been struck by an iron hammer, his chest caving in. His head hit the ground first, followed by his feet, and one of his shoes flew high into the air before he even hit the ground, already dead from the massive power of the shotgun.

  "Hei Pao shouted loudly: 'One hundred and two taels of silver for Chen's account! Retreaters will be killed!!! If you want to get the silver, follow me up.'"

  The sailors on the Fujian ship shouted loudly, rushing to the docking area and clashing with the Japanese sailors across the guardrail. Blood and flesh flew everywhere along the ship's side, and clouds of blood mist rose from time to time. The densely packed crowd made it impossible for anyone to dodge, and they simply relied on their instincts to kill the enemy in sight. Sailors who had grabbed the flying ropes tied the ends to cannons or masts, and the two ships were now joined as one, with neither side having any room for retreat.

  Zhu Guobin shot three arrows in a row, hitting the three people next to each other. The arrows pierced deep into their bodies, and the three were either dead or injured, revealing an opening. Dumb courage was right at this moment, seizing the opportunity, he led the charge, jumping over the ship's side and slashing in both directions. The other sailors on the Fu ship followed closely behind, rushing over the ship's side together, and the Zhu Yin ship's deck became a chaotic battlefield.

  The Fu ship had about forty people, the Zhu Yin ship lost a bit more, only thirty or so were left. Both sides engaged in a life-and-death struggle on the narrow deck, face-to-face cold weapon combat instantly causing massive casualties. The blood on the deck quickly gathered and flowed into the sea through the gaps in the hull.

  The silhouette of Lu's donkey flashed before his eyes, and Chen Xin hurriedly stretched out his hand but couldn't catch up. He saw him fighting at the side of the ship and then jumping into Zhu Yin's boat. Chen Xin was secretly anxious, but after being shot at close range, he suddenly felt a lot more relaxed mentally, and his reaction also quickened a lot. He didn't feel any nausea or vomiting either. Chen Xin decided to stay on the Fuku boat and fire cold guns for a while, first safely surviving the first battle, and from then on, he would no longer be a rookie on the battlefield. Even if he encountered another battle later, his chances of survival would increase greatly.

  At this time, there was no other way. The Zhu Yin ship was filled with the glint of knives and swords. Chen Xin himself chased after them, but he might not be able to help much. He could only speed up his loading, first taking down the fuse, his hands still shaking a bit, but better than before. He barely managed to load the cannonball. The killing sounds on the other side shook the sky, and all sorts of wailing cries filled his ears. Chen Xin was worried about Lu Zǐzi in his heart, and while loading the cannon, he observed several times, catching glimpses of Lu Zǐzi's figure, only to have him disappear into the crowd again. Zhu Guóbiān's figure was the most eye-catching, his movements swift, his techniques simple and direct, his killing blows powerful and forceful, already knocking down several people in a row.

  Chen Xin pulled out the ramrod from under the gun and tried several times to aim at the muzzle, but couldn't get it in. He had to press the gun against his chest, with his hand also pressed against his chest to keep it steady, before he could finally insert it. With a slight push, a few drops of blood flew over the ship's side and landed on Chen Xin's face. He didn't even wipe it off, focusing instead on finishing loading the gun. Finally, he re-cocked the hammer and adjusted its position slightly, taking aim at the powder keg.

  After everything was done, about a minute and a half had passed, Chen Xin regained his ability to attack. He felt a sense of relief in his heart, as if he was slowly getting used to this combat atmosphere. He placed the gun directly on the shield and looked for the nearest target.

  In the field of vision, a powerful figure was moving freely, Zhao Dongjia's Japanese sword was flashing like lightning, and he was fighting with a Japanese warrior. The Japanese warrior was not weak either, with great momentum and heavy blows, both were excellent Japanese swords, and their blades clashed, creating many gaps. For a time, it was impossible to distinguish between victory and defeat.

  Old Wang was guarding the side and rear, looking for an opportunity to assist Zhao Dongjia, keeping the Japanese warrior's flank in a state of constant threat, forcing him to retreat step by step towards the bow of the ship.

  Suddenly, a Japanese sailor jumped out from the outside of Zhu Yin's right gunwale, wanting to attack Zhao Dongjia from behind. Old Wang hurriedly went up to block him, and the sailor was also quite skilled, quickly becoming entangled in a fierce battle.

  Zhao Dongjia heard the commotion, but was not afraid at all. The Japanese warrior in front of him was already at a disadvantage. The two men moved quickly, and Chen Xin had been trying to shoot that Japanese warrior, but found it hard to aim accurately. Zhao Dongjia had a slight advantage, forcing the Japanese man to retreat towards the bow of the ship, with no place to hide.

  Suddenly, Chen Xin noticed that a man wearing Korean trousers emerged from the cabin door behind Zhao Dongjia's back. In the chaos, he did not notice Chen Xin, who was only showing his head, and after glancing at the bow of the ship, picked up a half-length spear on the ground and rushed towards Zhao Dongjia's back. Chen Xin aimed his gun at him, with the two ships stuck together, Chen Xin was only a few steps away from the man, and he had more than 90% confidence in hitting him.

  The North Koreans suddenly appeared behind Zhao Dong's house, and Zhao Dong's family was focused on the opponent in front of them. Old Wang also didn't notice, and the others on the boat were fighting fiercely, no one noticed the change in the position of the bow. Chen Xin opened the lid of the medicine pot, put his finger on the trigger, and aimed at the North Korean's shadow through the sight.

  Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the ugly face of Zhao Dongjia under the starry sky that night suddenly flashed in his mind. For a moment, the elegant face of Miss Zhao and the hideous scarred face of Zhao Dongjia alternated in his mind.

  "Your life is in my hands, and so is the life of your so-called cousin."

  "I heard you were once a Xiucai?"

  "My mother originally wanted me to find a live-in son-in-law..."

  "He accepted bribes from outsiders, resulting in the death of my only son."

  The Korean pulled his right hand back and then thrust it forward with great force, the sharp spearhead rushing towards Zhao Dong's broad back.