NOVEL NEXT Chapter 151: Return in Force
In fact, Fang Yu's worries were not without reason.
Meanwhile, Li Yuansheng was desperately fleeing, and finally managed to escape the battlefield with the remnants of his troops.
In his disheveled state, Li Yuansheng checked the battle damage immediately, and his heart sank halfway.
When he came, there were 42 warships.
But when they returned, only 12 remained.
He had lost 30 ships in total, a far more severe loss than when the deputy led the team last time.
Li Yuansheng indeed panicked.
The battle loss was so high; had it been when he was still serving in the West Qinghai Sea Region, it wouldn't have been too bad—at most only a reprimand.
But... this time, he was given a minor post and transferred to the Southern Island Sea Region, and his situation was already quite precarious.
Now, with the consecutive defeats, and having personally got defeated and routed, in the eyes of his superiors, it was already a sign of incompetence.
The Marine Army is not like the official federal military, where even if you're guilty of desertion, you're merely sent to a military tribunal, and at most, imprisoned.
This kind of self-styled military force roaming the dark areas never offered a bed of roses. Once problems arose, the final judgment was most likely to be...
Drowned at sea...
Li Yuansheng shook his head.
He was filled with hatred toward the guards on Lvchun Island.
To end up like this, and yet unable to conquer even a small Sea Ore Island.
How infuriating.
No...
At this thought, survival instincts flared in Li Yuansheng's eyes.
If he were to return to the camp like this, with his current military achievements, he would be crippled if not killed.
He absolutely could not go back to the camp with his tail between his legs.
He must find a way to capture Lvchun Island to offset his faults and avoid punishment.
But...
The defenders on Lvchun Island, although just merchant ships and only one warship, should not pose any threat to Li Yuansheng's fleet under normal circumstances.
Those merchant ships... could not be ordinary merchant ships.
This is definitely not the fighting power of Outer Realm Captain-class merchant ships.
The defenders guarding Lvchun Island this time are very special and very powerful. With the remnants he had left, there was absolutely no way to capture Lvchun Island.
But... where to find an army?
Hmm?
At that moment, Li Yuansheng suddenly had a thought of an old subordinate, who seemed to be attacking another island but was having no progress and was very frustrated.
Although he was once an old subordinate, he was far more powerful than Li Yuansheng, who was now being belittled by others.
Just the warships alone numbered in the hundreds.
Moreover, there were various powerful war weapons and a strong group of Transcendents.
If he could persuade that old subordinate to put aside the current island and attack Lvchun Island first.
Once Lvchun Island is captured, they can then change direction and attack the larger Sea Ore Island from behind.
Whether it boosted morale or helped control strategic positions, it was far superior to blindly attacking the original island.
Once Lvchun Island is taken, followed by the larger Sea Ore Island, it would be equivalent to achieving two successes.
By then, his superiors, in their joy, wouldn't care about the loss of a mere dozens of ships in the previous battles.
With this thought, Li Yuansheng immediately changed course and headed in a different direction, not opting to return to the camp.
...
Half a day later, Li Yuansheng, leading his remaining troops, quickly arrived at the camp where his old subordinate was stationed.
Li Yuansheng's old subordinate was named Zhang Dong, a brawny man.
When Zhang Dong saw Li Yuansheng coming for help, he was shocked and found out that his old superior had somehow fallen to such dire straits.
Li Yuansheng, forgetting his embarrassment, knew the key at this moment was to convince the old subordinate to join him in attacking Lvchun Island.
"Zhang Dong, you have been attacking Nanchuan Island without success; I have a plan!"
Li Yuansheng's eyes burned as he looked at Zhang Dong in front of him and spoke loudly.
"Mr. Li, you have a plan?"
Zhang Dong was surprised, his face lighting up with delight, and looked at Li Yuansheng.
Though Zhang Dong didn't understand why Li Yuansheng had ended up like this, Zhang Dong had worked under him before and knew Li Yuansheng was an experienced and seasoned commander.
Li Yuansheng held considerable weight in Zhang Dong's heart.
"I do have a plan," Li Yuansheng nodded and then spoke softly: "You're at a disadvantage attacking Nanchuan Island directly, but if you first give me a fleet, a setup of 200 ships, I can first take Lvchun Island, then make a detour to the back of Nanchuan Island."
"By then, attacking from both the front and the back, taking turns to challenge their defenses, you can thin out Nanchuan Island's defensive strength, exhausting the garrison."
"Plus, if you cut off their merchant ship supplies, they would be stranded on the isolated island."
"Within ten days, they will run out of food, the Transcendents exhausted, unable to garner their extraordinary powers any longer."
"By then, with you and I striking together, attacking fiercely, we can surely capture Nanchuan Island."
Upon hearing Li Yuansheng's words, Zhang Dong's eyes lit up with joy.
He did not doubt further, as Li Yuansheng didn't mention his own defeat, only stated that Lvchun Island changed to a powerful garrison, backed by the Sea Battle Wall, which was why an idea for mutual benefit like this was conceived.
Zhang Dong naturally held a sense of awe and conviction in his former superior within his heart.