Chapter 19: Xiang Keluo: You all continue your performance; I am watching

Ah Jin replied expressionlessly.

Though he felt some disdain for Creek's actions in his heart, he would absolutely not resist.

After all, Creek had saved his life; that alone was enough for him to give his life in return.

Compared to that, his personal feelings were unimportant.

Creek glanced at Ah Jin, guessed most of his thoughts, but did not care:

"For this plan, I even paid a huge price, bribing Colonel Butte of the 18th Branch to obtain a layer of Navy identity for you."

"It can be called a perfect disguise; even if real Navy personnel came, they would find it hard to see through."

"Do not disappoint me."

Ah Jin nodded, silent.

Night fell.

Wind and waves gradually rose in the bay; everyone had long since dispersed, only Ah Jin still sat on the deck, eyes vacant, gazing at the distant sea surface.

……

……

……

Several days later.

A warship slowly sailed into Raven Port.

The hull was damaged, making the specific model unrecognizable; the Navy emblem on the sails was tattered, and even the warship's outer armor bore several obvious cannon strike marks.

Clearly, this warship had just endured a brutal battle.

Guided by port workers, the warship slowly docked at the edge of the pier.

The gangway was lowered.

Gao Wen, dressed in a Navy Major's uniform, stepped down from the warship, head held high, handsome in appearance; anyone who saw him at a glance would exclaim:

What a heroic and extraordinary young general!

The port guards, originally somewhat wary, seeing Gao Wen's bearing, immediately lowered their guard by half.

After all, in these times, pirates were either ugly as crooked melons and cracked dates, or at least deformed; someone with Gao Wen's looks practically had the word "righteous" written on his face.

"Navy my lord, I am the person in charge here, Gaza; is there anything I can help you with?"

Accompanied by a pleasant voice, the woman named Gaza stepped out from the crowd, surrounded by guards.

She was about twenty-something years old, dressed in exquisite and refined attire, with light makeup on her face.

Her features could not be called beautiful, but placed among a crowd of commoners in tattered clothes, she looked as beautiful as a lotus emerging from water.

Gao Wen, following the image in his memory, placed his palm on his chest, performed a knight's salute to Gaza, and spoke gently:

"My lady."

"We just fought a bloody battle at sea against Xiang Keluo; now we need to replenish food and medicine, otherwise my warship will be unable to reach the nearest Navy base."

"Please grant us convenience."

Watching Gao Wen's saluting motion, a flush of red appeared on Gaza's face.

She was a noble from the Eastern Sea herself; naturally, she knew Gao Wen performed the most orthodox knightly etiquette, the kind one must swear allegiance to the royal family to be qualified to learn.

Of knightly origin, with a Navy identity, Gao Wen's righteous persona was firmly established on the spot.

"No problem, you are free to—!"

Before Gaza could finish speaking, a whistle sound rang out again from the distance.

Everyone looked up.

They saw another warship slowly sailing into the port.

A regular number, a complete flag, plus the soldiers standing on the warship; everyone present was momentarily confused.

"Two warships visiting simultaneously in one day?"

"Such a thing has never happened before; do not the Navies communicate in advance?"

"Could it be... someone is fake?"

"It is not impossible; newspapers have reported it before: pirates disguising themselves as Navy to sneak into ports and launch surprise attacks; several towns in the Eastern Sea were destroyed because of this!"

"Then who is real and who is fake?"

As they spoke, those around quietly distanced themselves from Gao Wen.

……

"What to do?"

Hearing the murmurs of the people around, Xiang Keluo's heart tightened; he whispered in Gao Wen's ear.

Before Gao Wen could speak, he reached into his chest, donned the claw knife hidden in his cloak, and was already prepared to act.

They were not Navy to begin with; they were just impostors who changed into Navy clothes; confronting real Navy, they would be exposed in a few sentences.

By then, even if he did not want to fight, he would have no choice.

And once battle broke out here, it would not only mean failure this time, but this supply point would be impossible to visit again in the future.

You must know that every supply point is crucial to a pirate crew; it can even be said to be a matter of life and death.

"Do not be impulsive."

Gao Wen lowered his voice, yet his eyes stared tightly at the figure on the incoming ship's deck.

Striped headscarf, heavy eye bags, an excessively emaciated figure...

He felt he had seen this person somewhere before, but could not recall it at the moment.

Just as Gao Wen was at a loss, another familiar figure walked out from the cabin.

The newcomer had a burly build; heavy shields were installed at his four limb joints, and a huge shield like an inverted turtle shell was on his chest.

"Iron Wall-Palu? Then he is..."

Gao Wen raised his head to look at that withered figure, gradually connecting this person with the image in his memory, and a faint smile slowly curled the corners of his lips:

"So it turns out we are all fakes?"

On the deck of the warship.

A-Jin looked at another warship docked within the port, wearing an equally bewildered expression; he had never expected to encounter the Navy under such circumstances.

However.

Judging by the extent of the damage to the opposing warship, it had clearly just undergone a fierce battle and was nothing to fear.

After ordering his subordinates to lower the gangway, A-Jin led Palu and the others on board disguised as marines, slowly disembarking from the warship.

"I am Major A-Yin of the 18th Branch of the East Sea; this is my subordinate, Ruba."

"We have just experienced a battle with Captain Kuro on the open sea, and now we need to replenish our food and medicine, otherwise my warship will be unable to reach the nearest naval base."

"Please grant us this convenience."

The port fell silent in an instant.

Gaza glanced at A-Jin, who was as withered as a ghost, then looked at Gao Wen, whose face radiated righteousness, and quietly shuffled a few steps closer to Gao Wen.

The group of guards, full of vigilance, raised their weapons, pointing the dark muzzles of their guns at A-Jin and the others.

In this situation, no matter how one looked at it, Gao Wen appeared far more like someone who had just undergone a fierce battle; after all, the dense marks of artillery fire on that warship could not be faked in the slightest.

Then, using the same excuse to come here, A-Jin looked suspicious no matter how one viewed it...

Xiang Keluo, standing beside Gao Wen, looked at Gao Wen, then looked at A-Jin opposite them, whose face bore an expression of kidney deficiency, and his eyelids twitched repeatedly.

Wait, so regardless of the situation, I'm the one getting beaten up?

On what grounds?!

At this moment.

Xiang Keluo inexplicably had the illusion that staying by Gao Wen's side would shave years off his life even without any fighting.

"What is the meaning of this?"

A-Jin's eyebrows furrowed slightly; though his face remained calm, his heart had already reached the peak of alertness.

Have I been seen through? Who leaked the intelligence?

These marines?

A-Jin's gaze swept toward the crowd in the distance, where Gao Wen, radiating righteousness and utterly unperturbed, nearly blinded his eyes, causing him to subconsciously praise in his heart:

What a heroic and extraordinary young general.

(End of Chapter)