bookrandom Chapter 1275 The Course After a Pyrrhic Victory
Chapter 1275 The Course After a Pyrrhic Victory
He is not a god walking among humans.
He is a monster who sets the rules and can even manipulate the gods!
Murong Yan did not cheer. She simply wrapped her arms around Lin Zhen's waist from behind and pressed her cheek tightly against his broad and sturdy back.
She could clearly feel that beneath his seemingly calm body, his heart was still pounding wildly, and his muscles were still showing signs of a slight spasm from the battle.
His victory in this high-stakes gamble was not as effortless as it appeared on the surface.
She didn't say anything, she just hugged him tighter.
Sunlight shone on her, and her dark black phoenix dress, which had been adorned with divine phoenixes, finally seemed to have shed all its murderous intent and vigilance. The giant phoenix embroidered with real gold had its eyes lowered, as if it too was immersed in the tranquility of surviving the ordeal.
The five-zhang-long, dark gold trailing tail lay quietly on the deck, which had been soaked in blood and seawater. When it was exposed to the sun, it gave off an indescribable warmth and a sense of longing.
"My husband, let's go home."
Her voice was thick with nasal tone, filled with exhaustion and lingering fear.
She wasn't afraid of the difficulties of conquering the world, but she was terrified of tasting the pain of losing him again.
All she wanted was to return to Chang'an, to their home, and to feel the pulse of the new life growing inside her.
Lin Zhen slowly turned around, gently stroking her pale, cold cheek with his fingertips, his deep eyes filled with heartache and guilt.
He could feel her arms, which were wrapped around him, still trembling uncontrollably.
"Yan'er, we can't go back yet..." His voice was hoarse from his earlier roar.
Before he finished speaking, Yue Fei's heavy footsteps could be heard.
He didn't look at anyone, walked straight to Lin Zhen, bowed deeply, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Your Highness, His Majesty... has been wounded in battle and is out."
Just five words were enough to bring the cheers that were gradually spreading across the deck to an eerie halt.
Everyone's smiles froze on their faces.
"Speak," Lin Zhen said calmly.
"In this battle, of the 380 warships in our combined fleet, 127 were sunk or severely damaged!"
"Three thousand one hundred and forty-two soldiers of the Shenji Battalion have been killed in action!"
"Nearly five thousand sailors have been killed or wounded under Queen Elizabeth's command!"
"The flagship 'Black Pearl' has suffered severe cracks in its keel and can no longer support a long voyage..."
With each number Yue Fei announced, the crowd's faces grew paler.
More than 120 warships! Nearly 10,000 of the most elite warriors!
This is almost a third of the entire fleet's combat strength!
Just one monster made them pay such a terrible price.
What kind of entity is the East India Company, the mysterious "Nihilist Party," that created this monster?
The burning ecstasy just moments before instantly turned into a bone-chilling cold.
This is not a victory.
This was a Pyrrhic victory.
Elizabeth swayed as she listened to the numbers, the last trace of color in her skin vanishing completely.
She knew Yue Fei was right.
They are now a remnant army whose very bones are almost falling apart.
Forget revenge, any decent-sized fleet could tear them apart and swallow them whole.
"Your Highness..." She looked at Lin Zhen, her voice filled with undisguised despair, "What...what do we do now?"
All eyes were once again focused on Lin Zhen.
This man was their only hope.
Lin Zhen did not answer. He simply stared at the ravaged sea, his eyes deep as if he were calculating something.
After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Pass the order."
"Fleet, turn, target 300 nautical miles due east."
Elizabeth froze, rushed to the nautical chart, and frantically searched the area with her finger.
blank.
That sea area was a complete blank on her nautical chart!
“Your Highness… there’s nothing there! It’s an unknown sea!” she cried out in confusion.
"Who said there's nothing there?"
A cold yet confident smile curved at the corners of Lin Zhen's lips.
That wasn't the fox's cunning, but the hunter's gaze locked onto his ultimate prey.
"There lies the real 'surprise' of our trip to Southeast Asia."
He paused, looked around at the faces that were filled with confusion, despair, or expectation, and spoke each word as if it were a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.
"One is enough to allow our defeated army to be reborn and make a comeback in the shortest possible time..."
"—The Treasury of the Gods!"
The Treasury of the Gods?
Elizabeth and Yue Fei exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
What else could this unknown sea, completely blank on the nautical charts, hold but death and storms?
Could the treasure trove the prince mentioned refer to the corpse of that giant beast that sank into the deep sea earlier?
That thing is indeed a treasure trove, but whether their fleet, which is practically falling apart, can hold out for 300 nautical miles is a huge unknown.
"Your Highness, isn't this move... a bit too risky?"
Yue Fei took a step forward, his voice hoarse.
As the commander-in-chief, he must be responsible for the lives of all his soldiers.
The safest option at this moment is to return to Daqian or find the nearest port to rest.
Venturing into completely unknown waters is tantamount to suicide.
Lin Zhen did not explain.
He simply waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over Yue Fei as he calmly interrupted him.
"Excuting an order."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that cut through all doubt.
Yue Fei was deeply shaken; all his words of advice were stuck in his throat, and he could no longer utter a single word.
He lowered his head and bowed to accept the order.
"Yes!"
Elizabeth looked at Lin Zhen's perpetually confident profile, opened her mouth, and ultimately chose to remain silent.
No one can change the decision this man made.
All she could do, or rather, the only thing she could do, was to choose to believe him again.
I believe he can turn this seemingly hopeless situation into yet another miracle.
……
The battered fleet turned, like a pack of lone wolves dragging their wounded bodies, heading towards the unknown East.
Sailing is a symphony of despair.
The Black Pearl's groans never ceased; the cracks in its keel emitted a heart-wrenching wail with each crash of the giant waves.
The mast was broken, the sails were shattered, and the hull was covered with gruesome wounds.
More fatal than the damage to the ship's hull was the collapse of the human spirit.
The shadow of death lingers in everyone's heart.
On the deck, deathly silence replaced the roars.
The soldiers silently wiped the blood-stained blades, their eyes vacant and their movements mechanical.
They didn't know where to go.
They had no idea what fate awaited them.
Panic and confusion are a silent plague, spreading wildly throughout the fleet.
Just as this fleet was about to be completely consumed by despair.
Their prince and empress have appeared.
Lin Zhen and Murong Yan walked out of the captain's cabin and onto the messy deck.
There was no impassioned speech.
Lin Zhen simply waved his hand.
Box after box of gold and silver treasures plundered from Japan were carried out.
The box is opened.
The blinding silver light instantly ignited everyone's pupils!
Lin Zhen stood before that silver mountain, looking around at the numb, tired faces, his voice clearly penetrating the sea breeze and hitting everyone's ears.
"Send the order!"
"The families of the soldiers who died in this battle will receive a compensation of one thousand taels of silver!"
"His sons and heirs will enter the Great Qian Royal Military Academy!"
"Those seriously wounded in this battle will be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver! Upon recovery, they will be promoted one rank!"
"Every survivor, regardless of their rank, will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver!"
"Distribute them now!"
boom!
The deathly silence was torn apart.