Chapter 605: Discussion

Wang Cong couldn't suppress his smile, looking at Pan Yun with admiration and delight.

Miao He and Miao Zhen and Tao Yan Bai cheered and rushed over to surround Wang Cong: "Senior Brother!"

Pan Yun gave them a glance, signaling them to take their conversation below deck—there were too many eyes and ears here.

Miao Zhen understood and pulled Wang Cong and Hu Jing away.

Pan Yun turned and flew across to stand again before Chen Wen: "Senior Chen, do you believe me now?"

After a moment of silence, Chen Wen asked: "How many trips can Daochang Sanzhu handle? Though two people can steer, five work best—the shifts can be much faster."

Pan Yun smiled: "Senior Chen, rest assured—I'll take as many people over as you give me."

Chen Wen's gaze flickered, then he chuckled: "Then I'll give you ten—two groups to rotate, with sentries on duty at night."

Pan Yun turned to look at Li Wenying.

Li Wenying acted as if he hadn't noticed their silent exchange, nodding slightly: "Fine."

Chen Wen immediately summoned A Xin, whispered a few instructions, and sent him off with nine men.

Pan Yun grabbed two at a time, making ten round trips to ferry everyone over.

Li Wenying watched her fly back empty-handed, expressionless: "Everyone's been moved. Why did you come back?"

"To have a chat with Li Shixiong."

Li Wenying looked toward the other ship.

Zhang Ning was pleased with the ten extra men and immediately assigned them to take over the helm—though he didn't fully trust them; he had the original sailors assist them.

Called assistance, but in truth, it was surveillance.

A Xin and the others didn't mind—they'd endured these stares for half a year.

Seeing A Xin and the others taken away, Li Wenying finally turned his gaze back, glancing at Pan Yun with cool detachment: "Ask your questions."

Pan Yun chuckled: "Li Shixiong, are we going to Wangyue Island with just these two ships?"

Li Wenying replied: "Wangyue Island isn't the only transit point—the largest is Dongyang Island."

"Didn't you say you were taking Cen Dachuan and the others to Dongyang Island? But you're here—what about Dongyang Island then?"

"Zhang Yuanzhu and Lou Yuanzhu took people over," Li Wenying said. "Fuzhou's command has been handed to Lin Mengzhu—they've already moved out ahead of us and engaged the enemy. Before we departed, we heard they seized twelve small Japanese pirate ships and two large ones."

Pan Yun immediately asked: "True Japanese or impostors?"

Li Wenying: "Half and half."

Meaning half were Great Ming men in disguise.

Pan Yun: "What about the Chen and Pu families?"

Li Wenying shrugged: "They joined too. By the way, we have Chen and Pu people aboard—what of it?"

Pan Yun asked curiously: "Who?"

Li Wenying: "Chen Family's Second Young Master, Chen Han, and Pu Family's Young Master, Pu Min."

"Pu Min? The Pu Min who guards the city gate?"

Li Wenying: "What city gate?"

Pan Yun: "Pu Min—he used to be a soldier guarding Quanzhou's city gate. Supposedly a collateral branch of the Pu family, with only modest wealth, conscripted as a gate guard, then later officially appointed—a Lowest rank petty official of Quanzhou. How is he representing the Pu family?"

Li Wenying fell silent.

Pan Yun laughed: "Li Shixiong, you didn't accidentally take a fake hostage, did you? You meant to hold Chen and Pu people as leverage, but you got a decoy?"

She grinned: "Pu Min's a collateral branch—I wonder what Chen Han's situation is…"

Chen Wen had walked over unnoticed and heard this: "Chen Han and Pu Min are hostages?"

Pan Yun and Li Wenying both turned to look at him.

Chen Wen said gravely: "Chen Han isn't truly Chen family—he's his mother's son from a previous marriage. His original surname was probably Qian."

Pan Yun burst out laughing, thoroughly amused.

Li Wenying glared at her: "What's so funny? Our lives are floating on this sea right now."

Pan Yun shrugged: "We haven't reached Wangyue Island yet. If things go bad, we can just turn back. Can those two force us to sail to Wangyue Island and die?"

Li Wenying: "After all we've done, are we just giving up halfway?"

"Better than throwing our lives away," Pan Yun said. "If you don't trust the Chen and Pu families, why cooperate with them at all? How many of their people are truly aboard this ship? Are you certain?"

Li Wenying lowered his eyes in thought. Aside from Chen Wen and the others with known backgrounds, the real soldiers, and a few famous names—he truly didn't know who the rest were.

That was the weakness of civilian organizations—they couldn't trace ancestors eight generations back like official ones, so loyalty couldn't be guaranteed.

Li Wenying murmured: "There's another way…"

He'd received the location of Wangyue Island and didn't want to abandon this chance.

Pan Yun had only warned him—she too hoped to wipe out Wangyue Island.

Her gaze drifted to a point on the sea—if they seized Wangyue Island, reaching that unnamed island would be far easier.

Li Wenying didn't know what she was looking at, but Chen Wen glanced once and understood—he too turned to look.

For the past half year, he'd guarded that small island in fear—if this could end it once and for all, it would be perfect.

Chen Wen withdrew his gaze, not waiting for Li Wenying to finish: "No matter what the plan is, I agree."

Pan Yun: …

Li Wenying looked at him with admiration and emotion: "No wonder the people praise you, Senior Chen—you're a hero against the Japanese pirates."

Chen Wen's face flushed red, but his thick skin hid it from Li Wenying.

Standing beside him, Pan Yun saw his reddened earlobes—she realized he was embarrassed.

Pan Yun looked away and told Li Wenying: "I agree too."

Li Wenying's emotion vanished; he frowned at her: "Don't you want to hear the plan first?"

Pan Yun spoke solemnly: "We've set out—we must eradicate the Japanese pirates before returning. If we can sweep clean the coastal bandits, even if we die at sea, it's worth it."

Li Wenying immediately turned to Chen Wen and said, "Let's discuss the specifics."

The three gathered in Li Wenying's cabin, whispering for a long time, until nearly dusk, when Pan Yun returned from this boat to the other.

Their boat, having gained a new helmsman, sped up, cutting through the waves like a whale, while a larger vessel beside it lagged half a ship's length behind, separated by more than ten meters.

This was considered very close proximity on the open sea, so after Pan Yun returned, the two ships gradually drew apart.

The martial artists on both ships, seeing this, stopped calling across to their friends on the neighboring vessel and returned to their cabins to rest.

Zhang Ning immediately asked as soon as Pan Yun came over: "What did Mr. Li say?"

Pan Yun: "Li Shixiong said the command of this ship is now mine; from this moment on, both you and Zhang Weiyi must obey me."

Zhang Weiyi had no doubt at all and immediately bowed and replied: "Yes."

Zhang Ning said nothing.

Zhang Weiyi frowned at him and urged: "Brother Zhang, this is Mr. Li's wish—you must comply."

Zhang Ning took a deep breath and said: "I'm not unwilling—but where is the official appointment document?"