"Caribbeans? Wake him up, bring him over, let take a look! Hmm, that golden-haired, blue-eyed white-skinned demon, wake him up and bring him over too!..."
At first, Xiu Maoying didn't pay much attention to the "golden-haired demon" they hauled in. Instead, he had always been extrely interested in the Caribbean tribes across the frontier islands.
These tribes sailing in canoes, fierce and plundering with dyed hair and tattooed faces, are extrely hostile to outsiders and attempt to attack anyone not belonging to the Caribbean tribe, showing the sa animosity towards the kingdom's large ships. Therefore, the kingdom's propaganda against white-skinned demons stopped at Puerto Rico's Brave Island and did not further extend eastward to the fringe island chain occupied by various Caribbean tribes.
Now, a new wave of demons clearly has had contact with Caribbean tribes, but what is the actual scenario? Are they hostile to each other, or have they colluded together?
With these thoughts, Xiu Maoying boarded a light sailing ship and quickly arrived at Chabo's Stone Spear, anchored on the sea.
The golden sun beams directly into the clear seawater, revealing glimpses of swimming fish and coral reefs. At this mont, around the anchored Stone Spear are more than a dozen Taino canoes. Twenty to thirty sailors are scattered in the sea, occasionally diving and resurfacing, pointing at certain spots on the sea surface.
This recessed area of Gonaibo Bay in the West Haiti lies within the Caribbean shallow seabed, the shallowest nearshore zone. Haiti, ford from continuous volcanic activity as an island, naturally extends its underwater continent beneath its protruding islands. Hence, even when 4-5 kiloters from the shore, the water depth in this shallow zone remains below 30 ters. Even further west by 4-5 kiloters, the depth remains just over 50 ters, quite similar to the shallower Yellow Sea...
"Chief Divine's protection! That large Thunderbolt ritual artifact of the demon fell into the sea, just underwater, right here?"
"Yes! As mighty as the Owl Shaman can be! I, Chabo, nearly caught the tail of that demon sailing ship with a large ship... Alas, they used the evil power of the Wind Demon, sped off so fast, no one could catch up... But our fire arrows ignited their ship's rear Thunder Powder, not only blasting a hole in the stern but also dropping that Thunderbolt artifact into the sea!"
Red-haired Chabo, drenched, stands proudly, thumping his chest hard. This confident and spirited deanor looks much like a monkey version of the Black Wolf General. Or perhaps, it's as if all the trusted aides brought by Black Wolf were carved from his mold. Saying this, Chabo confidently points towards the sea.
"Owl Shaman! I personally went underwater to check! The location of that large artifact is here, right by that Taino canoe! I estimate it's about twenty to thirty ters deep? You're a smart shaman; surely you can figure out a way to haul it up!"
"Right here?"
Xiu Maoying blinked a few tis, hopped onto a small canoe, and looked intently into the sea. Unfortunately, he could only see vague small spots at the seabed, uncertain if it was the cannon. He asked several Dog Descendant Warriors who dove underwater; each firmly patted their chest and described the cannon's appearance.
"It's not our golden yellow one! It's very black and long! Thick and long, looks like... looks like... the male deer's treasure!"
"..."
Xiu Maoying was a bit speechless and amazed by the vision of these Wilderness Dog Descendants. He could only see a small spot, yet they could make out shapes? He then asked several Taino militia who had dived, and they all nodded repeatedly.
"Lord Priest from the west, there truly is sothing dark underwater! But it's too deep; although we are reasonably skilled swimrs, we can't dive that deep... We must bring the experienced pearl gatherers!"
"Right! Only expert pearl gatherers can dive that deep... Best to bring the 'old turtle' over! His hearing is deaf, skin tough and thick, and he can hold his breath forever, under the protection of Sea God, a truly diving old turtle!"
Xiu Maoying went along with the advice, imdiately sent a boat back to invite all the pearl gatherers from the tribe. The Dog Descendants' vision was excellent for spotting and locating. The actual diving depth, however, relied on the Taino tribespeople who have lived by the sea for generations.
Before the pearl gatherers arrived, Xiu Maoying summoned Red-haired Chabo and Leopard Head Kepili to thoroughly understand the details of this night raid. After hearing the complete process, he pondered silently, lost in thought.
"Search for a long ti at night with no trace of the demon fleet until a fleeting firelight... Could it be him? That captured Taino guide, did he indeed risk it all to signal us?"
"Kepili! The captured demon ship, where are the rescued Taino prisoners? Bring them out so I can see!"
Kepili nodded and instructed the Personal Guard Warriors. Soon, three battered Taino sailors appeared before Xiu Maoying. Xiu Maoying glanced at them and imdiately knew Shushu was not among them. Nonetheless, he patiently soothed them in Taino language.
"Chief Divine's protection! Divine Spirit sent us to rescue you from the demons... No matter where you were captured from, if you wish to join the Western Stone Alliance, you are one of our tribes! And should you want to return, we will send you back to relay the ferocity and killings of the demons truthfully to your tribes!"
Of these captured Taino sailors, Xiu Maoying intended to establish them as models for propaganda, showcasing divine rescue's rcy while exposing the demons to every tribe in Haiti. After comforting the captives, he examined several retrieved Taino corpses but did not find the guide loyal to the Chief Divine... His fate likely ended tragically.
"... May Chief Divine guide your soul to return to peaceful Red Kingdom!..."
Xiu Maoying prayed silently for a mont before adjusting his deanor and solemnly addressed the two leaders of the kingdom's warriors.
"Witnessed by Chief Divine! Chabo, Kepili, this night raid saw the warriors exerting all their strength and courageously achieving victory against the demons! Capturing demons earns military rit doubly more than capturing hostile warriors! The kingdom will award titles and lands, sparing no rewards!"
"Presently, a demon ship escaped, and another one got away last ti... Next year's demon fleet will surely be larger, more extensive in scale, and more aggressive!"
"Lay it out for ! When truly facing the demon fleet head-on at sea, without the aid of a night raid... can you defeat them face-to-face? If ships are equal in number, is it feasible? If we have half more ships, is it possible?"
"Ah... defeat the demon fleet head-on?..."
Upon hearing this, Chabo and Kepili exchanged glances, their expressions rather nuanced. After a mont, Chabo swore, thumping his chest.
"Witnessed by the mighty Chief Divine! As long as we can board and board alongside the demon's large ship... with Kingdom's Warriors' combat power, we can undoubtedly defeat them and seize their ship! In direct lees, these demon sailors cannot match us!"
"Boarding alongside, we'd win?"
"I swear on my eyes! Face-to-face life-and-death lee, we'll surely win!"
"Hmm... Chabo, I believe you, and I believe in the kingdom's warriors' valor! But with our sailing speed, can we chase and board alongside the demon fleet, directly facing them? Like this ti, despite the night raid, one ship still got away..."
"Uh!..."
Chabo's face flushed red, unable to utter any words. He grasped his waist's cane, glaring fiercely at two boatswains, scaring them into shivering. Witnessing his reaction, Xiu Maoying suddenly understood. In direct conflict, even if the kingdom's sailing ships matched the demon's, they still couldn't catch up. The initiative lay entirely with the demons!
It makes sense, as the kingdom has been exposed to these complex East Sea continent sailing ships for barely a year. In regular training, kingdom's sailors rely on converted white-skinned sailors for guidance, and disparities in sail handling and steering skills are simply too evident. This is akin to Highland Dog Descendant Warriors facing kingdom's veteran warriors head-on in proper formations – the odds aren't favorable! How then, could they defeat the demon fleet more adept at sea battles?
At this mont, Xiu Maoying lowered his gaze, recalling the "Xiu's Military Art" sent by his brother to him and other siblings. Though he previously did not understand it, he obediently morized it following his brother's instructions.
"To conquer the enemy, one must first cautiously understand both sides, recognizing strengths and weaknesses... Then, clarify when one can fight and when one cannot, ensuring not making mistakes first before seeking the enemy's mistakes... Finally, one must select the appropriate battlefield and use suitable strategies to exploit one's advantages against the enemy's weaknesses."
"Just like this ti, 'Lure them with gains, take them by disorder', 'Attack the unprepared, spring surprises'... the subtlety of brother's military art is sothing I still need to ponder carefully and actually grasp through practice!"
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