Chapter 57: Utter Annihilation, The Women Refuse Orders

Lu Wu slowly withdrew the long halberd that had been resting on the water's surface.

The Black God's hooves trod over the ripples as it walked toward the ferry, behind it the Chu warship was gradually sinking.

Severed limbs and splintered wood floated on the river, and occasionally a few soldiers who had managed to strip off their armor in time could be seen struggling in the water, trying to escape the vortex created by the sinking warship—only to be inevitably dragged under.

Everyone on the ferry watched dumbfounded as the towering black horse carrying the golden-crowned knight trotted all the way across the river toward them.

The boatman's jaw hung slack, wanting to say something, but not daring to utter a sound.

This fellow had slaughtered an entire boatload of Chu naval forces. If he were to board his boat, even with a thousand mouths, he would never be able to clear his name.

His boat made its living by ferrying people across the river. If he completely offended the State of Chu, he would no longer be able to earn his rice bowl through ferrying.

Even if he were given eighteen courages, he would not dare refuse this grand lord permission to board.

After all, half the mast of that Chu warship was still visible above the water.

"Young Master!"

A cry came from afar—the voice cutting through the river wind and reaching Lu Wu's ears.

A smaller ferry was rapidly catching up from a distance.

At the bow, Qiutong and the others were fully armed, each holding a long saber, clearly having rushed over to provide backup.

Lu Wu shook his head, offering no response. He simply spurred his horse, leaped from the river surface onto the ferry, hung his long halberd on the Black God, patted its neck, and let it rest by itself.

The ferry he had boarded was a regular public vessel that plied the river.

As for the ferry Qiutong and the others had taken, it was a vessel procured by General Tong Zhi, dedicated solely to transporting Qiutong and her companions—though somewhat smaller, it was quite spacious given the few passengers.

Lu Wu did not believe the State of Chu would jeopardize the battle for the imperial succession just to specifically intercept and assassinate him. After all, he had already made it clear he was stepping outside the political circle of the State of Wu, and had no fundamental conflict of interest with Chu.

However, just in case, before crossing the river, Lu Wu had instructed Qiutong and the others that if Chu really intended to ambush him, the attack would likely take place right in the middle of the river.

He himself was not afraid, but in the environment of the river, he might not be able to protect the others.

Therefore, Lu Wu had told Qiutong and the girls that the moment they saw anyone intercepting him ahead, they should order the boatman to turn back toward Wu and not get involved in the battle.

Yet now it seemed these girls had disobeyed him, stubbornly insisting on coming to his rescue.

If they were truly allowed to enter the fray, even Lu Wu would not have the confidence to keep them safe at all times. After all, no matter how strong Lu Wu was, he was still human.

***

A moment ago.

A Chu warship had appeared on the river, charging straight toward the ferry ahead.

"Not good! Why has the Chu navy been deployed? Old Li, turn the boat around immediately!"

The boat's master, Wang Lei, was a dark-skinned, heavily wrinkled middle-aged man. He hurriedly shouted at his crewman Old Li to pull the rigging while he spun the helm, intending to turn back.

"You are not allowed to turn around! Charge forward!" a woman's voice commanded from outside the pilot house.

"Turn the boat!" Wang Lei did not hesitate, completely ignoring the woman outside the door.

Although these people on board were honored guests whom his employer had repeatedly instructed to be treated with the utmost care, no matter how well they were treated, it didn't mean he should lead his brothers to their deaths alongside them!

That was a Chu warship!

In naval warfare, the vessel mattered more than the men—and since the enemy had dispatched a warship, the people on it were certainly not a bunch of good-for-nothings.

*Clang—crack!*

A long saber was drawn from its scabbard.

The solid wood cabin door, at least an inch thick, was split open from the outside with a single slash.

The intruder then delivered a flying kick, shattering the splintered door into a flurry of flying wood as it swung open.

She strode into the pilot house, reached out, and rested her long saber on Wang Lei's shoulder, the heavy blade weighing his shoulder down at an awkward slant.

"I said, charge forward!" Hongmei glared with wide, almond-shaped eyes and snapped.

The long sabers used by Lu Wu and the five maidens were all of the same design.

The blade was as wide as a palm, the spine as thick as a thumb, six feet and three inches long, forged from hundred-refined steel, and weighed sixteen or seventeen catties. They could be used with either one hand or two, resembling slightly smaller horse-chopping sabers.

Wielded by a person of great strength, such a saber could genuinely cut a charging horse in two.

"Take your blade away! If you want to die, don't drag us down with you!" Wang Lei refused to believe the woman dared to kill him.

The profession of boatmen and sailors was extremely hazardous; one could not survive in this trade without a measure of daring and martial prowess.

Moreover, two companions armed with iron hooks and single sabers had already rushed up from outside the cabin, making Wang Lei all the more emboldened.

Hongmei did not waste words. With a flash of her long saber, she severed Wang Lei's head—the young master was in a dangerous situation; who had time to reason with people here?

Obey, or die!

The two men outside the door changed expression simultaneously. Just as they were about to rush in to avenge their master Wang Lei, they saw the tall woman spin around, her blade transforming into a flashing ribbon of light as she slashed horizontally—not only had this woman killed the boat captain, but she had also struck first.

The two hurriedly raised their iron hooks and single sabers to parry, but the long saber in the woman's hand was as heavy as a mountain. Under a single blow, the iron hook was snapped in two and the single saber was sent flying.

The webbed spaces between their thumbs and fingers split open, and they stood facing certain death with pale faces. Yet Hongmei did not kill them; she merely held her saber in one hand, pointing the tip at the tips of their noses, and shouted decisively: "Sail the ship, charge forward—or die!"

At the same time, the remaining boatmen and sailors were brought under control by Qiutong and the others.

Aside from two men who, seeing that their opponents were women, attempted to harbor malicious thoughts and were instantly killed, the rest of the crew obediently followed orders to pull the rigging and accelerate the ferry forward.

***

Looking at Lu Wu's well-proportioned and sturdy back, Wei Zhaoting's eyes shone brightly, yet she did not dare to step forward.

Able to travel everywhere and sustain the Wei family business as a woman, Wei Zhaoting was naturally no ordinary female, otherwise she would not have taken the initiative to approach and attempt to recruit Lu Wu, a scion of a military family who appeared to have fled from the State of Wu.

However, no matter how boundless her imagination, she could never have guessed that Lu Wu would actually ride a horse across the river, whipping up a water tornado with a single man and horse, and stubbornly sinking a warship while slaughtering nearly everyone on board.

This level of martial arts far exceeded the imagination of anyone on the boat. Everyone looked at Lu Wu as if he were an immortal.

Only a daring woman like Wei Zhaoting had the initial reaction of, "Wow, what a fierce hunk."

Even so, she did not dare to approach him to strike up a conversation again.

Even with her toes, she could deduce that this golden-crowned knight who called himself Lu Wu must be a person the State of Chu desperately wanted to eliminate, or else they wouldn't have dispatched a warship.

Now that the Chu warship had been sunk and countless people had died—who knew how many important figures were among the casualties?

If nothing else, that man in black who had lost his weapon and fled for his life, capable of sprinting nearly a hundred paces across the river surface before sinking into the water, was obviously an extraordinary expert.

At least Wei Zhaoting, who had traveled quite a bit over the past few years, had never witnessed such a master.

After this battle, even if the State of Chu and this golden-crowned knight named Lu Wu had originally shared no grievances, they had now forged a blood feud.

And frankly, did this look like they had no prior grievances?

This Lu Wu might not fear the retaliation of the State of Chu, but if the tiny Wei family tried to cozy up to him, they would be pulverized to dust at the slightest brush against him.

This Lu Wu was clearly no ordinary person. It was a rare stroke of fate to share a boat with him, and it would be a terrible pity not to glean some benefits from the association—after all, opportunities to befriend great figures were exceedingly rare.

How could one reap the rewards without suffering the harm?

Wei Zhaoting's eyes spun rapidly, yet she could think of no solution.