Chapter 19 A Show of Force

Lao Liu Tou seized the opportunity to pull out a javelin, holding it with both hands as he rushed forward. "Lads, I'll go first!"

Before Lao Liu could exert his strength and leap, I stepped on his shoulder, pushing backwards with my foot, kicking him back onto the boat. I then unleashed my twin blades, slashing at the fish's body.

With two crescent-shaped blade energies slashing left and right, two rows of scales flew into the air. The sharp blade qi also advanced continuously through the blood, striking fiercely at the fish's body.

Not having time to check the result of my strike, I flung the Soul-Chasing Rope behind me, using the hook to grab the bow of the boat and pulling myself towards the deck.

On a normal warship, I should have been able to stand on the deck, but this dilapidated boat couldn't withstand the impact of my weight. The deck of the ship shattered with a crash, and I fell into the cabin without surprise.

Just as I was about to get up, I caught a glimpse of a figure flashing near the cabin. Before I could take a closer look, Lao Liu Tou poked his head out from the broken deck. "Mr. Li, come up quickly! That fish is going crazy!"

After I jumped onto the deck, the black shadow of the fish circled back and forth in the water.

At this moment, the black fish was like a hungry wolf that had locked onto its target, searching for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

I opened the water tank containing the dragon fish corpse, grabbed a handful of bloody entrails, and threw them into the water. "Full speed ahead!"

As the entrails fell into the water, the black fish changed direction as expected, rushing towards them. The warship also took the opportunity to escape, quickly putting distance between itself and the black fish.

Lao Liu Tou was stunned. "The black fish is eating the corpse? Didn't they say they were a couple? It's not looking for its partner, it wants to eat the dragon fish!"

I never believed the story of the dragon fish couple to begin with.

There were clear hierarchies and species distinctions among monsters. How could two different kinds of fish become husband and wife, and remain loyal to each other until death?

I had always suspected that the female ghost in the water wanted the dragon fish for another purpose.

Just now, when I broke the water tank and released the dragon fish's scent, the black fish also showed killing intent but didn't go berserk. This showed that it wasn't like Lao Qu, seeking revenge for the death of his beloved wife, but simply wanted to devour the other.

As long as the dragon fish's corpse was still there, I could hold the black fish back for a while.

As for whether we could successfully enter the water, that would depend on luck!

Just as I was watching the surface of the water, the warship suddenly stopped. I instinctively turned my head and asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Zhuang, standing at the bow of the ship, raised a hand, signaling me to be patient. He himself stared intently at the river surface without turning his head.

When I looked ahead, I couldn't help but gasp. Seven whirlpools had appeared on the river at some point.

Even more frightening was that the seven whirlpools were constantly shifting positions, looking from a distance like seven martial arts masters forming a formation, trapping their opponent and making it difficult for them to advance or retreat.

Lao Liu Tou whispered, "Mr. Li, don't move for now. Leave the ship to Zhao Zhuang. His ancestors were rudder men in the Water Patrol Camp. If he can't break through these seven whirlpools, none of us will get through."

I nodded slightly, turning my gaze to the back of the warship. The black fish, having devoured the entrails, surfaced again, its two horns standing upright in the water like two steel knives aimed at the stern.

It was using its horns to show us its might!

The reason the black fish chose to leap out of the water earlier was to find out if there was a dragon fish on board. Otherwise, it would have overturned the ship long ago.

When I threw out the dragon fish's entrails, it understood that the dragon fish was dead.

If it wanted to devour the dragon fish's essence, it had to negotiate with us. A direct battle would result in both sides suffering, and it might get nothing.

However, the black fish didn't show any signs of begging. It was using its horns to tell us that our ship couldn't withstand its full-force attack underwater.

I said in a deep voice, "Does the ship have any trebuchet-like devices? Pack the fish scales and throw them out, the further the better!"

The dragon fish that was captured should have been a naturally born, heaven-and-earth anomaly. The size of anomalous monsters was usually one of two extremes: either they grew into enormous creatures in a short period of time, or their growth was extremely slow, and they might not grow more than a few feet in hundreds of years.

The dragon fish should belong to the latter. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been carried up the mountain in a water tank.

Even if the dragon fish were brought to me whole, it probably wouldn't be enough for the black fish below to eat a few bites, let alone after it had been chopped into fish pieces!

Even if I threw them down little by little, how long could I last?

Zhao Zhuang held the key to our survival!

Lao Liu Tou whispered, "This ship can't withstand the recoil of heavy crossbows or cannons. We didn't bring anything! Or should we let Ding Qiang try with a fishing net?"

"Come here!" I waved to Ding Qiang.

The latter grabbed a heavy object found on the ship, placed it in the net with the fish scales, and spun around a few times in place while holding the net with both hands. Using the force of the net's rotation, he charged towards the stern.

With each step Ding Qiang took forward, the deck of the ship cracked a few inches under his feet. By the time the net flew out of the ship, the already dilapidated deck had been cracked open by Ding Qiang.

At this rate, without the black fish ramming it, Ding Qiang alone would be able to smash the deck into pieces.