Chapter 28: The Valkyrie of the Seas
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Raging waves and peril once more.
The sea wind howled as the enormous sailing ship rode the wind and smashed through the waves, its bow cleaving through layer upon layer of spray with a deep, rumbling roar.
Feng Ruqing stood at the prow, her ink-black hair streaming behind her and her sleeves billowing in the wind, like a goddess of war upon the sea.
Her eyes reflected the boundless blue of ocean and sky, while her heart swelled with heroic spirit.
On deck, the sailors busily worked the sails. Miss Lin stood nearby, directing their course. She was a master of navigation, a skill passed down through her family. From childhood, she had followed her elders in studying the sea and had honed her abilities through countless voyages, making her a rare and invaluable navigator.
Helmsman Li was recovering from his injuries in the cabin. Though he could not join the battle in person, he kept a constant watch on the events unfolding on deck. His loyalty and dependability made him the trusted right hand of Feng Ruqing.
Once, during a naval battle, Helmsman Li had single-handedly slain several enemies and successfully protected Feng Ruqing. From that day forward, he had become the person she trusted most.
“Raise anchor! Hoist the sails!”
At Feng Ruqing’s command, the ship shot away from the coast like an arrow loosed from a bow, heading toward the unknown waters ahead.
Their goal was to open an entirely new maritime trade route, allowing the prosperity and treasures of the mainland to reach even farther shores.
Everyone was filled with anticipation, imagining the splendid future that awaited them, excitement shining brightly on their faces.
Yet beneath the tranquil surface of the sea, a violent danger lay hidden.
The clear sky was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds. The sea wind grew wild and restless, and the waves rolled and roared like furious beasts.
Chen the Shipwright, an experienced sailor, went deathly pale. His hands and feet trembled uncontrollably as he gripped the rail, as though he might be swallowed by the raging wind and towering waves at any moment.
Just then, a battered sailing ship suddenly appeared on the distant sea. It charged recklessly through the wind and waves like a savage beast, bearing down menacingly on Feng Ruqing’s vessel.
Its hull was covered in mottled scars, and its mast leaned crookedly, as though the entire ship might fall apart at any moment. Yet it radiated a murderous aura that chilled the blood.
“Enemy attack! Pirates!” Miss Lin cried, shattering the calm of the sea. She pointed toward the approaching ship, terror spreading across her face.
Sure enough, the vessel was crowded with fierce-looking pirates. Sinister grins twisted their faces as they brandished gleaming swords and sabers.
Standing at the prow was none other than Hu Dahai, a man they knew well. After being defeated by Feng Ruqing, he had not died. Instead, he had become even more ruthless and deranged.
“Feng Ruqing! Today will be the day you die!”
Hu Dahai’s roar echoed through the wind, heavy with boundless hatred and murderous intent.
Leading the remnants of his pirate crew, he launched a furious assault on Feng Ruqing’s ship, determined to destroy her utterly.
Feng Ruqing’s expression hardened. She swiftly and calmly directed everyone into defensive positions, a blazing will to fight burning in her cold eyes.
Terrified, Chen the Shipwright crouched trembling in a corner, clearly frightened out of his wits by the sight before him.
“Prepare to engage!”
At her command, everyone seized their weapons and readied themselves for the sudden battle. Her calm order steadied their hearts.
The storm intensified, and the pirates’ assault grew more ferocious. Amid the raging sea, the two sides began a desperate struggle to the death.
Feng Ruqing quickly leaped to the helm and took the wheel herself.
Her cold eyes appeared even more resolute in the sea wind. Her fingers moved deftly over the wheel as she skillfully exploited the direction of the wind, guiding the ship through the turbulent waters and nimbly evading the pirates’ attacks.
The sailors followed her orders without hesitation, each of them springing into action as though wrestling against fate itself.
“Starboard helm! Hard to port!”
Feng Ruqing’s voice cut through the howling wind like a sword, directing every maneuver with precision.
Under her control, the sailing ship moved like a trained stallion, deftly avoiding the pirate ship’s head-on charge and causing the pirates’ weapons to fall harmlessly wide.
At the same time, Feng Ruqing drew a longbow from her waist and nocked an arrow in a single motion.
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Her movements were clean and decisive, graceful as a dance.
Within a few brief breaths, several arrows had flown, striking a number of pirates with unerring accuracy.
Their previously arrogant expressions instantly turned to terror. Their frenzied assault dissolved into panicked evasions, while Feng Ruqing’s eyes, after releasing her arrows, held only cold contempt.
The wounded pirates let out terrified shrieks before tumbling one after another into the icy sea.
The pirates’ morale suffered a severe blow, but Hu Dahai’s roar grew even more thunderous.
“Feng Ruqing! You’ll never escape me today!”
Hu Dahai piloted the battered ship like a maddened beast, continuing to charge furiously toward Feng Ruqing’s vessel.
Feng Ruqing, however, was utterly fearless. A steely light shone in her eyes, as though even the vast ocean could not impede her advance.
The wind howled and the waves towered. The storm-tossed sea seemed to be cheering on this desperate battle.
The once-clear sky was buried beneath heavy clouds, the black mass above seeming to herald an even greater storm.
Concern deepened on the sailors’ faces. Every one of them understood that this was not merely a battle against pirates, but a contest against nature itself.
At that moment, a gigantic wave suddenly surged from the sea, seemingly intent on swallowing the entire ship. Feng Ruqing clung tightly to the wheel, her body nearly wrenched sideways by the immense force.
An even more resolute light blazed in her eyes as she prepared to face the greater challenge.
In that tense instant, Miss Lin wrapped her arms tightly around the frightened Chen the Shipwright and murmured, “Don’t be afraid. With Feng Ruqing here, we’ll be all right.”
Feng Ruqing’s gaze grew firmer amid the wind and waves. Like a goddess of war upon the sea, her figure seemed to shine ever more brilliantly amid the raging waters.
Hu Dahai’s pirate ship, meanwhile, appeared increasingly frail in the furious storm, as though the sea might swallow it at any moment...
A wave as vast as a mountain came crashing toward them. Feng Ruqing suddenly wrenched the wheel around, and the ship narrowly avoided the towering wall of water.
Miss Lin held the trembling Chen the Shipwright tightly and soothed him gently. “Don’t be afraid, Brother Chen. We’ll all be fine.”
Chen the Shipwright looked at her gratefully. In the face of mortal terror, those simple words of comfort felt exceptionally warm.
A muffled groan came from the cabin.
Helmsman Li’s face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down his forehead. Clutching his chest, he felt an old wound flare up again beneath the ship’s violent pitching.
He endured the pain and even joked, “A little injury like this thinks it can bring me down? Not a chance.”
Yet the agony still showed in his eyes. He did not want to add to Feng Ruqing’s burden at such a critical moment.
Feng Ruqing caught sight of him, and a wave of guilt rose within her.
She knew that Helmsman Li had been injured protecting her. Seeing him suffer once again because of her only strengthened her resolve to protect everyone.
Hu Dahai’s ship swayed precariously in the storm, but the madness in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
“Feng Ruqing, where do you think you can run? Today will be the day you die!”
His voice was hoarse and thick with hatred.
Feng Ruqing gave a cold laugh, her gaze sharp as a blade. “Hu Dahai, it hasn’t yet been decided who will have the last laugh.”
The sea wind shrieked, the waves churned, and the sky darkened further, as though warning that an even greater danger was approaching.
The hull groaned beneath the strain, rocking unsteadily in the violent wind and rain like a fallen leaf.
Feng Ruqing gripped the wheel tightly and stared ahead with unwavering determination. A plan had already formed in her mind.
“Miss Lin, take us toward that reef!”
Feng Ruqing’s voice rang out with unusual clarity through the howling wind.
Miss Lin froze for a moment, then immediately understood her intention. Studying the current and wind direction, she offered more precise guidance.
“Ruqing, based on the current and wind, we can enter from the left. The gaps between the reefs are wider there.”
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“You’ve lost your mind! If we go near the reefs, we’re all finished!”
Chen the Shipwright shouted in terror. He could not understand Feng Ruqing’s decision. To him, it was no different from suicide.
“Trust me.”
Feng Ruqing offered no further explanation. She merely repeated the words in a firm voice.
Under her control, the sailing ship headed toward the treacherous reef. The hull crashed violently against the waves, producing a grating sound that set the teeth on edge.
With Feng Ruqing’s precise handling, the ship moved like an agile fish, weaving through the perilous reef.
The surrounding rocks were sharp as the fangs of enormous beasts. Waves surged violently between them, forming whirlpools of white foam.
Hu Dahai’s pirate ship followed close behind, but it appeared clumsy and unwieldy.
Blinded by their desire for victory, the pirates failed to notice the deadly trap concealed within these seemingly calm waters.
“They’ve hit it! They’ve run aground!”
Miss Lin pointed ahead and cried out excitedly.
One of the pirate ships had failed to turn in time and slammed headfirst into a jagged reef.
From the pirates’ perspective, the reef rushed toward them, terror filling their faces. At the instant the hull struck, desperate cries rang out as the timbers split apart and fragments of wood exploded in every direction. When they were hurled into the sea, they struggled in despair, and the water was instantly dyed red with blood.
From Feng Ruqing and the others’ perspective, the pirate ships crashed into the reefs one after another, perishing like falling dominoes. The tense excitement of approaching victory filled every heart.
The remaining pirate ships fell into chaos. They tried to turn, but it was already too late.
Successive impacts echoed across the sea like the death knell of the Grim Reaper, proclaiming their doom.
Standing at the prow, Hu Dahai watched helplessly as his men were claimed by the sea. Shock and fury warred within him, but there was nothing he could do.
He brandished the curved saber in his hand and roared at Feng Ruqing, “Feng Ruqing! You vicious woman! Even as a ghost, I’ll never let you go!”
Feng Ruqing stood at the bow, facing the raging wind and towering waves, a cold smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“Hu Dahai, you’d better think first about how you’re going to stay alive.”
The pirates had been driven back for the moment, but Feng Ruqing did not relax her vigilance.
The weather at sea remained dreadful. The wind howled, the waves towered, and the ship pitched violently in the storm, its hull groaning alarmingly.
A deep gash had been torn into the side of the vessel by the reef, and seawater was steadily pouring into the cabin.
“Ruqing, the ship... the ship is taking on water!”
Miss Lin’s voice trembled.
Though frightened, Chen the Shipwright understood the structure of the vessel perfectly. Forcing down his fear, he said, “Ruqing, we can reinforce the damage from inside with planks, then seal the gaps with cloth.”
Feng Ruqing hurried into the cabin to inspect the damage.
The crack was even worse than she had imagined. If it was not dealt with immediately, the entire ship would soon sink.
Without hesitation, she ordered everyone to use planks and cloth to block the breach. At the same time, she instructed Helmsman Li to alter their course and search for the nearest island where they could take shelter.
Helmsman Li endured the pain and took hold of the wheel.
His face was pale as paper, and beads of sweat stood out on his forehead, yet he clenched his teeth and refused to utter a single groan. Only one thought filled his mind: he had to protect Feng Ruqing and get everyone safely to land.
The ship struggled onward through the raging wind and waves, its hull creaking and groaning.
Suddenly, Helmsman Li jerked his head up and pointed ahead in alarm.
“Ruqing, look...”
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