Chapter 94: Turns Out He's Wang Xizhi's Brother-in-Law

In the night sky, the bright moon was as white as a silver basin.

A rotor drone carrying a fire seed buzzed over and hovered above the Ruyu Kou Water Camp.

Under the surveillance camera, it was bright as day.

"This~~~"

Through the surveillance camera, watching the camp that had already become a sea of fire, Lin Dao hesitated for a moment.

"This doesn't need a fire seed anymore~~~"

The burning jars he had thrown earlier were mostly thrown onto the ships, especially those linked ships near the water camp gate.

The original intention was to ignite as many ships as possible, block the water gate, and prevent the water force's ships from escaping the water camp.

But before his fire seeds were thrown down, the water camp had instead caught fire on its own first.

This was truly puzzling and incomprehensible.

"Never mind."

Lin Dao flipped open the latch on the control board, the drone's iron hook opened, and a burning jar with a fire source fell down.

This burning jar fell from the sky and smashed straight onto a linked ship.

As it shattered, the internal fuel splashed in all directions, forming a large ball of flame that swallowed everything around it.

So-called linked ships refer to several large ships connected by chains and arranged side by side.

These linked ships are massive in size, have multi-story structures, and their height can even reach over ten zhang, like small military fortresses.

Their interior can carry thousands of soldiers, and the hull is broad enough to run horses on.

They are undoubtedly giants on the water surface.

Ancient water force ships were all coated with fireproof materials.

After all, everyone knows that what water forces fear most is fire attack.

But the burning jars Lin Dao threw contained added sugar, palmitic acid, rubber, magnesium powder, aluminum powder and other additives.

They possess an extremely terrifying adhesion and burning effect.

Once they stick to a ship and ignite, that ship is basically doomed; no fireproof material is of any use.

"Get the ships out!"

The Water Commander-in-Chief wearing a robe jumped and howled in heart-rending anguish, "Hurry up and get the ships out~~~"

The water camp was packed with ships large and small.

In such a crowded environment, they encountered a terrifying fire attack.

From the Water Commander-in-Chief down to the common soldiers, the water force all knew how terrifying the result of burning would be.

But the problem was, near the water gate leading to the river, a large number of ships had all ignited with fierce flames.

The people on those ships were all desperately jumping out of the sea of fire and leaping into the water; the burning ships completely blocked the water gate.

Tonight's river wind was already not small.

The heat waves produced by the burning further intensified the wind.

Driven by the wind, the flames burned ever more vigorously.

Wind and fire, complementing each other and growing stronger together.

The river wind wrapped in rolling heat waves and thick smoke blew past, billowing the Water Commander-in-Chief's open-crotch pants robe.

"My ship~~~"

The Water Commander-in-Chief cried out in grief, weeping sorrowfully like a child.

He is the Water Commander-in-Chief; his most important assets are ships.

With the ships burned away, this Water Commander-in-Chief is nothing but a fart~~~

The drone descended, and Lin Dao turned to look at the dozens of remaining burning jars not far away.

Withdrawing his gaze, he looked into the distance at the Ruyu Kou Water Camp, where the raging fire burned, lighting up nearly half the night sky.

"These things are too dangerous."

"Since they've been brought over, they must be used up."

"Transporting them back to the warehouse would be even more trouble."

He stepped forward to change the drone's battery, while instructing Liu Hu, "Bring another jar over!"

Lin Dao made trip after trip, adding fuel to the bonfire party's excitement.

Each throw stirred up a large ball of firelight.

Even the soaring heat waves blew the drone swaying left and right.

Seeing that the water surface inside the camp had also begun to burn, Lin Dao operated the drone and flew toward the camp on the riverbank.

The barracks, warehouses, drill grounds, stables, workshops, etc. on the riverbank all ignited in raging fire.

The great fire at Ruyu Kou continued until dawn, until everything that could burn had burned clean.

Large and small ships in the water camp, barracks and camp buildings on shore, countless military supplies, all turned to ashes in the fierce fire.

The Water Commander-in-Chief, who had fainted from inhaling too much thick smoke, was splashed with water by his subordinates and revived.

"Ships, my ships~~~"

The dull-eyed Water Commander-in-Chief gazed at the water force camp in a shambles, wanting to cry but having no tears.

"Water Commander-in-Chief!"

The similarly disheveled subordinates stomped their feet in anxiety.

"Forget the ships! Enemy troops are coming to kill!"

Outside the camp, a large batch of armored soldiers arrived in formation.

"How is this possible?!"

The Grand Commander beneath him was chilled to the bone, sweat beading on his forehead. "This is Ruyu Kou! Where's the enemy army?!"

The Qi Refuge Army to the north was nominally also a subordinate force of the Jiangdong Small Court.

The truly possible enemy army was the Shu Cheng Han forces a thousand li away.

How could the weak Cheng Han troops possibly cross a thousand li and arrive at Ruyu Kou silently and without a trace!

If they truly had such ability, this world would long since have been taken by them.

The water camp officers and soldiers who had lost their ships and come ashore were not skilled in land warfare to begin with.

Moreover, they had just experienced last night's great fire.

In terms of spirit and energy, they were at their lowest state.

Facing the fierce impact of the Qi Refuge Army soldiers, they were unsurprisingly routed.

Only when forced to jump into the river did the Grand Commander finally realize that the enemy army was actually the Qi Refuge Army!

"No more water camp."

Standing by the river bank, Lin Dao stretched his arms. "This great Da Jiang natural barrier doesn't deserve the name!"

"My lord," Liu Hu spoke softly, "Slave has heard that the Jiangzuo water camp has many."

"The main force of Yangzhou's water camp is concentrated at Ruyu Kou." Lin Dao squatted down, searching the river bank for suitable stones. "Mainly to guard against the Jingzhou Water Camp."

"Huan Wen's water camp, after receiving news and mobilizing, will take at least over a month."

Picking up a slightly angular stone chip and pinching it in his hand, Lin Dao stood up. "By the time they arrive, those who should be killed will already be dead."

Raising his hand and tilting his body, using the standard stone-skipping posture, he flung the stone chip in his hand out.

'Puff puff puff~~~'

The spinning stone skipped more than ten times across the river surface before sinking into the water.

"Beautiful~~~"

Lin Dao praised, turning his head to look at the officers and soldiers gradually gathering by the river.

"Cross the river!"

The Qi Refuge Army officers and soldiers stripped off their armor cleanly and put on orange-red life jackets.

Friends who have crossed the river before all know that wearing armor to cross the river, if luck is bad and they fall into the river water, under the weight of dozens of jin of armor, they'll go glug glug glug straight down.

By the river bank, a large number of kayaks were piled up.

The soldiers, ten men per squad carrying one boat, came to the river bank and threw them into the water.

Taking out the issued rope, one end tied to the kayak, the other end tied around the waist.

Several kayaks gathered together, connected by rope and iron chain, forming a larger, more stable boat.

If someone accidentally falls into the water, relying on the life jacket and rope, there is still a great chance of reaching the opposite bank.

A large number of kayaks rushed into the water, paddling hard toward the opposite bank.

Lin Dao by the river bank operated the drone, monitoring the upstream and downstream of the river from a high position.

If an Eastern Jin water camp fleet comes over, he will immediately use the big killer.

Although he had done specialized water training when he was at Ye City before.

But with nearly twenty thousand people crossing the river, many accidents will inevitably occur.

Capsizing, collisions, drifting away, seasickness, accidental disappearances, and so on.

They started crossing the river in batches after eating in the morning, and only completed this great feat when the sun was near dusk.

Lin Dao, following the last batch of soldiers across the river, went ashore and untied the life jacket on his body.

Looking around, he caught his breath.

"After crossing the great river, I am a dragon!"

For this thousand-li light-army surprise attack, there are only two most dangerous places.

The Huai River, the Da Jiang.

Once crossing the river and encountering the impact of the Jin Dynasty water camp, there will inevitably be heavy casualties.

But as long as they pass these two critical nodes, Lin Dao has no more worries.

On the Eastern Jin side, the Northern Army has just taken shape, far from its peak period.

As for the private soldiers of the high-ranking families, Lin Dao recognizes their combat power, but has never worried about being unable to defeat them.

"My lord."

A scout from the first batch of soldiers who crossed the river reported: "Over ten li away, there is a large manor, with traces of soldiers and armor inside."

"Liu Hu."

Lin Dao remembered Wang Meng's words, giving more opportunities to the old-timers who followed him early on.

"You lead two thousand armored men to seize the manor."

"I will arrive on my side shortly after."

This is two thousand armored men, not two thousand refugee wild people.

Just taking a manor, more than enough.

Lin Dao's side handled the aftermath, caring for those seasick, searching for those missing after falling into the water, and so on.

After finishing these, the sky had already grown dim.

The Qi Refuge Army carried torches, marching deep inland along the water channel.

They had been eating fish liver oil and vitamins, basically none of them had night blindness.

A journey of over ten li was nothing at all for the Qi Refuge Army elites.

In less than half an hour, the vanguard forces had already arrived at the manor.

Called a manor, it was actually more like a small city.

A wall about a zhang high was set up with arrow towers, watchtowers, and other defensive facilities.

Outside were fields of extremely vast area.

Ditches and water channels crisscrossed among them, rows of mulberry trees stood, and the grain in the fields grew well.

After all, it was near the Da Jiang; as long as the water conservancy facilities were complete, even if a great drought was encountered, it would be difficult to affect the harvest.

Many simple wooden huts and dizhu gathered to form a small village.

This was where the slaves lived; they were not qualified to live in the yuanzi.

This entire vast area had completely achieved self-sufficiency.

This was the manor economy that took root and sprouted as early as the Han era and had now become mainstream.

"Master."

Liu Hu, who rarely showed joy, stepped forward to report.

"This manor belongs to the Gaoping Xie Clan."

"We killed or captured over three hundred of their bu jun and retainers, and found nearly four thousand slaves."

Liu Hu calmed his breath: "We also captured someone from the Xie Clan."

Lin Dao walked forward: "Let's go see."

Inside the manor hall, the bound Xi Tan shouted loudly: "Whose soldiers are you? How dare you capture me, do you know who I am?"

"Say it." Lin Dao walked in, sitting carelessly on the desk.

He raised his eyebrows, glancing over: "Who are you?"

His voice was not loud, his tone calm.

But Xi Tan trembled involuntarily.

The killing intent on Lin Dao's body—how could a mere noble scion withstand it?

"Hmm?"

After waiting a while with no response, Lin Dao narrowed his eyes.

Liu Hu strode forward, grabbed Xi Tan's hair, and punched him in the face.

"Answer Master!"

Half of Xi Tan's face swelled up.

The whole person was stunned.

In Jiangzuo, who dared to hit him?

When he came back to his senses, his body also trembled uncontrollably.

"I-I, I am a child of the Gaoping Xie Clan, Secretary Lang Xi Tan."

"My father is the Grand Preceptor, Gaoping Marquis."

"My elder brother is Nanchang County Duke, Vice Minister of the Yellow Gate."

"My elder sister is the wife of the Ningyuan General."

"I"

Lin Dao waved his hand, telling him to stop announcing his family.

Sitting on the desk, he carefully recalled the materials he had previously consulted about the high-ranking families of the Eastern Jin.

After a moment, he slapped his thigh, a look of realization on his face.

"Oh~~~"

"So he is Wang Youjun's brother-in-law."

End of Chapter