Chapter 75: The Southern Naval Fleet Has Been Defeated

Baili Feihong spoke these words, merely to reassure Yan Ruyu. He didn’t know why he said them; they had slipped out naturally. Leaving the Demon Suppression Tower, he did not take all ten martial arts manuals with him. Instead, he left nine in his office, choosing only one body-tempering manual to bring home.

The street was deserted and silent. Baili Feihong halted his steps.

“Is this the bearing of the provincial governor’s wardens?” he sneered, the corners of his mouth lifting in a cold smile.

“To deal with someone as underhanded as you, we don’t see the need for much bearing,” rumbled a burly man as tall as a mountain, wielding a bronze hammer. He stood in the middle of the street, blocking Baili Feihong’s path. Behind him, a scholar with an iron-ribbed fan swayed his fan, gazing up at the moon. And on the rooftop, a young man in blue, sword in hand and arms crossed over his chest, regarded Baili Feihong with frosty eyes.

“To have all three wardens intercept me at once—what merit or virtue do I, Baili Feihong, possess to deserve such honor?” Baili Feihong laughed heartily, drawing his blade and planting its sheath into the flagstone. “Are you planning to come at me together, or one by one? Don’t hold back—night is falling, and I’d rather not delay my return home for rest.”

Arrogance radiated from him as he looked down upon the three wardens.

“Insolent youth! Don’t think that just because you’ve trained in the Six Paths of Demon Suppression, no one can put you in your place!” roared the warden with the bronze hammer, named Iron Tiger Mountain. Among the four wardens, he alone had refined his body to the pinnacle of the Tempered Bone Realm—a true master of external martial discipline.

“It seems my practice of the Six Paths of Demon Suppression has unsettled the provincial authorities. Very well—if I lay you all flat, you’ll have no choice but to yield,” Baili Feihong declared.

The air grew instantly tense. A murderous chill enveloped the street. Should they fight, the street itself might not withstand the clash, likely reduced to rubble.

“Do you really think you’re matchless?” A crisp, icy voice rang out.

Waves of blade intent swept over them, their edge palpable, making the three wardens shudder to their core.

Gongyang Yan hovered in midair, blade in hand, her powerful vital energy surging. Her blade intent was fierce, the threat of death lurking in every breath. Should anyone dare make a move, this genius from the Gongyang clan would surely draw her blade—and when her blade was drawn, blood would be spilled.

Baili Feihong picked up his scabbard, sheathing his long blade with a sigh of regret. “How dull. I was hoping to learn something of the martial path from the three esteemed wardens of the province. Now, it seems we must each return home to our mothers.”

He strode forward, passing Iron Tiger Mountain without hesitation.

“Warden, you are overprotective. But you can’t shield him forever,” murmured the scholar in white, flicking his iron-ribbed fan.

A flash of cold light danced in Gongyang Yan’s eyes. No one saw her move, but the white-robed scholar’s neatly tied ponytail fell loose to the ground.

The now disheveled scholar’s eyes flashed with shame and anger.

“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll gouge out your eyes and pickle them in wine,” Gongyang Yan said flatly.

“It was I, Feng, who was rude. Please forgive me, Lady Gongyang,” the scholar bowed his head, cupping his fists in apology.

As for the young man in blue and Iron Tiger Mountain, they stood respectfully, not daring utter a word of complaint. They were retainers of the Palace and disciples of the Gongyang clan. Even if they answered to Young Master Yu, if Third Lady Gongyang Yan decided to kill them, so be it.

After Baili Feihong had left, Gongyang Yan strode into the void and soon vanished into the night.

“The Third Lady’s attitude toward Baili Feihong is rather strange,” the swordsman in blue finally remarked.

“Strange indeed. Could she have taken a liking to that pretty boy?” Iron Tiger Mountain grunted.

The swordsman in blue rolled his eyes and, with a few agile leaps, disappeared. Iron Tiger Mountain shook his head and left as well. As for Lin Zhiyuan’s grudge, he would have to handle it himself.

After they had all departed, the white-robed scholar, though still wearing a sullen face, suddenly smiled. “Baili Feihong—so he’s the breakthrough point.”

This scholar was Feng Yushi.

“Hm, Gongyang Yan truly never practiced the Six Paths of Demon Suppression. Her vital core is like a blade, her intent surging—half a step more and she’ll reach the Divine Ability Realm. Still, she managed to drive off the ancient Ice Maiden Han Su; she must have some hidden trump card.” He weighed his thoughts, running his hand through his now much shorter hair with a look of helplessness. He did not care for this hairstyle.

Meanwhile, Baili Feihong was lost in thought. “Lady Gongyang’s protectiveness is rather clumsy. Iron Tiger Mountain and the Lotus Sword must both be from the Gongyang clan. Warden Feng Yushi, on the other hand, likely hails from another faction. The Great Opium Case spans far and wide; it’s impossible the investigation is left to the Gongyang clan alone. I must give Lady Gongyang face—if we meet in the wild, at most I’ll give them a thrashing, but not take their lives.”

With a smile, Baili Feihong returned to Changsheng Street, found a tavern, and ordered a table full of dishes to enjoy. Night had fallen, and the market was already closed. He had no choice but to make do at the tavern.

“Did you hear?” someone whispered nearby.

“The Southern Fleet was defeated!”

“Don’t say such things. The Southern Fleet is the most powerful navy in Dayuan—how could they lose?”

“It’s rumored that the Falati Empire has mastered the technology of underwater ghost ships. That’s one reason for the Southern Fleet’s defeat. Also, during their engagement with the Falati Imperial Navy at sea, it’s said a demonic wind disrupted the Southern Fleet’s formation. Seven great storm pirate crews joined the fray as well. With a threefold encirclement, the Southern Fleet was defeated.”

Baili Feihong, just in the middle of his meal, set his chopsticks down, concern clouding his face.

The Southern Fleet’s warships were the finest steam-powered vessels of the Dayuan Empire. Beyond the most advanced artillery, they were also equipped with magical instruments from the Divine Surveillance Bureau. With such strength, the Southern Fleet was more than capable of suppressing demons across an entire sea. It was the pride of the empire—invincible across the Devil’s Sea, never once defeated.

If they had truly lost, the blow to the empire’s fate would be immense.

Underwater ghost ships? Could they be submarines? Had this era already developed submarines? If so, the entire balance of power at sea would be upended.

“I hope the Southern Fleet hasn’t lost too much strength,” he muttered. “Otherwise, if the Falati Empire controls the Devil’s Strait, Dayuan’s maritime trade will suffer tremendously.”

Baili Feihong understood well—if Dayuan lost its position as a maritime hegemon, the resulting chain reaction would be disastrous. Within the borders, sects and demons eyed the empire hungrily; beyond, other nations watched like wolves.

He quickly finished his meal and hurried back to the Demon Suppression Tower. He needed to find Gongyang Yan for answers.

If the Southern Fleet had truly been routed, not even the empire could conceal the truth. The Devil’s Strait was the world’s golden maritime artery, its strategic value incalculable. To lose the Southern Fleet was to lose control of the strait. Now, a third of the empire’s revenue came from sea trade. If the Falati Empire blockaded the Devil’s Strait, Dayuan would be forced to reroute from northern ports, traversing many times the distance to reach other nations. Maritime commerce would face unprecedented challenges; countless Dayuan merchants might be driven to ruin. The fate of the empire stood at a precipice.

“The Eastern Fleet is weak, ranked last among the four great navies,” he reflected. “But it remains a powerful force suppressing the island nations of the Eastern Sea. The defeat of the Southern Fleet affects not only the golden artery of the Devil’s Strait, but the security of Dayuan’s maritime defenses as a whole. If the Wokou seize this chance to launch a naval assault and destroy the Eastern Fleet, then in future, every city along the eastern coastline would be laid bare beneath the greedy gaze of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom.”