Yang Ge chuckled and punched him lightly, "Anyone who dares to say that our Young Master Yang isn’t smart from now on, I’ll swing back with a smack, as clear as day, our Young Master Yang is the embodiment of wisdom in simplicity."
Yang Tiansheng said in irritation, "Don’t think I can’t tell that you’re actually insulting me!"
Yang Ge: "When you have time, you should read more books..."
Yang Tiansheng: "Are you looking down on people again? Our old Yang Family is a lineage where literary and martial skills are passed down."
Yang Ge: "Yes, yes, you’re smart, you’re smart... By the way, how many days until Grain Rain?"
Yang Tiansheng: "If we calculate, it should be in about six or seven days."
Yang Ge: "There’s not much time left. Later, send a capable person to invite Wang Zeng over. We need to make the final adjustments."
Yang Tiansheng: "Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer? That old man Wang Lin has been on the Heroic Power Rankings no less than Li Jincheng’s father. My father has already set out to invite our Ming Sect’s Protector King ’Lei Gong’ Tang Shi to come and help. If he agrees to come, we are sure to win this battle!"
Yang Ge: "How exactly are the titles of your Ming Sect’s ’Four Kings of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning’ ranked? Why is the strongest, Yan Xiong, only third?"
The Heroic Power Rankings list the Four Olders according to the four cardinal directions, the Seven Heroes by the names of the warring states, and the Twelve Braves by the names of their weapons.
Yang Tiansheng: "You don’t have a clue. The honorary titles of our Ming Sect’s Four Kings are passed down from master to disciple. It just happens that this generation’s Lei Gong is the strongest... Wait, at a time like this, you still have the interest to care about this?"
Yang Ge smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and strolled toward the kitchen, saying casually, "If this was before, I indeed wouldn’t have been sure of defeating Wang Lin, but now... if he dares to come, I dare to make sure he dies!"
Yang Tiansheng couldn’t help swearing to himself and blurted out, "Aren’t you supposed to have ’learned a little’? You can even kill Wang Lin?"
Yang Ge: "Yeah, I have ’learned a little’, just enough to barely be able to kill Wang Lin..."
Yang Tiansheng rushed to the kitchen door in a few steps, leaning against the doorframe as he watched Yang Ge tying his apron: "Do you even have a single true word in your mouth? And you call this ’a slight improvement’? Aren’t you acting as if you’re about to become an immortal on the spot?"
"I wouldn’t dare to speak carelessly."
Yang Ge shook his head smilingly, "It’s really just ’a little’, besides I was originally not weak. Last year, I could have killed Duan Yu, so it’s reasonable that I can kill Wang Lin now, right?"
Yang Tiansheng felt something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, watching Yang Ge with a mix of belief and doubt: "Is this really reasonable?"
Yang Ge nodded vigorously, "Very reasonable!"
"Alright then!"
Considering this rascal’s unearthly speed of improvement, Yang Tiansheng felt mentally exhausted and gave up thinking about whether it was really reasonable or not, changing the subject: "But even if you could really kill that old man, it would be best not to actually do it!"
"The White Lotus Sect is different from our Ming Sect. Although we also rebel, most of our Ming Sect members are pretty normal; when we’re not rebelling, they work the fields if that’s what’s needed, do business if that’s what’s needed – honest and law-abiding, good citizens. The White Lotus Sect is different. Those people are crazy. They don’t think like ordinary people. Rebelling is the only thing on their minds. They abandon their homes and professions, kill their wives and children for the cause – they are capable of anything. If we kill Wang Lin, we’re in for a lot of trouble afterward..."
Yang Ge was busily starting a fire behind the stove, and to that, he just responded with noncommittal grunts.
Yang Tiansheng wasn’t sure if he really took it in.
Not long after, Wei Xin truly walked into the courtyard outside the kitchen leading a cow.
...
Two days later, Yang Ge and Wang Zeng, in disguise, met at an abandoned temple outside Hangzhou.
"This is the map of your Fiery Harbor."
Yang Ge pulled out a map he had drawn himself. It not only clearly depicted the geographical features of Jintang Island, where Fiery Harbor was located, but also the coastline around the island and the distribution of hidden reefs, all detailed and clear.
Wang Zeng glanced at the map and immediately shifted his gaze to Yang Ge, muttering to himself in his heart, "This is indeed a man of action..."
Yang Ge, "My idea is not to set the ambush location at Yilie Harbor. Yilie Harbor is open and close to the open sea, lacking geographical advantages. Firstly, it lacks strategic terrain, and secondly, the enemy would have a route to retreat."
"A full effort might only yield a fraction of the desired results. This is not what we want."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zeng thought to himself, "Of course." He had chosen Yilie Harbor for his water stronghold precisely because of its open terrain and proximity to the open sea.
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"What insightful ideas do you have, Second Master?"
He faced Yang Ge with utmost respect, making a courteous gesture.
Yang Ge reached out to a deepwater shoal on the backside of Jintang Island, drawing a line to a narrow beach on the coastline called Nansha Bay, "My suggestion is that we set the ambush at Nansha Bay."
"At that time, you can use the excuse of outsiders not being allowed in Yilie Harbor to concentrate all the invading pirates behind Yilie Harbor at that deepwater shoal. If what you said earlier is true, and those pirates truly fear you, the Pirate King of the East Sea, they’ll agree."
"On the second day, you’ll drive the invaders to land at Nansha Bay first. Once all the pirates have landed, you’ll signal the attack, and we’ll take action immediately. At that time, you just need to coordinate with us to launch a pincer attack from the sea, and we may be able to drown all the invaders in this area..."
After pausing momentarily, he added, "If necessary, you can sink the pirates’ ships, forcing them to either fight us or feed the fish... Do you have anything to add?"
Having said this, he turned his gaze to Wang Zeng.
Wang Zeng didn’t hasten his response, but leaned over the map, carefully contemplating the feasibility of the plan.
Yang Tiansheng, who was standing by, glanced at the map and stealthily gave Yang Ge a thumbs up, "Brilliant! No matter what cunning schemes Wang Zeng plays, if you don’t follow your game, can he still manage?"
What Yang Tiansheng could see, Wang Zeng, who had been a maritime giant in the East Sea for many years, naturally wouldn’t miss.
He had previously laid his cards out openly to Yang Ge.
And now, Yang Ge had also laid his cards out for him: "I indeed don’t trust you, but even if I don’t trust you, I’m not going to harm you. You choose your own path!"
Given the strategy Yang Ge had unfolded, if the ambush site was to be that deepwater shoal on the backside of his Jintang Island,
Wang Zeng would then have to consider whether Yang Erlang, renowned throughout Jiangzhe, was planning to stew him up as well.
But Yang Ge had set the ambush at Nansha Bay and insisted on his men following behind the pirates, they didn’t even need to land...
That was giving him the power to choose: "As long as you cooperate with us to kill these pirates, I can not only allow you to use us, but even allow you to play your tricks!"
After pondering for a moment, he conceded with a fist salute, "The Second Master has done so much. If I, Old Wang, am still obstructive, that would be truly unappreciative!"
People say that comparing different wares can lead to discarding some, and comparing different people can be fatal!
Compared to Yang Erlang’s magnanimity and boldness, Wang Zeng felt that figures like Ning Wang and Geng Jingzhong couldn’t even hold a candle to him!
"Very good!"
Yang Ge slowly exhaled and said softly, "Then let’s arrange it according to this plan. We’ll gather our manpower here and wait for your signal."
Wang Zeng slapped the map, "Alright, for the rest, just count on me, Old Wang!"
Yang Ge saluted with a fist, "Then I wish us success in our cooperation, to annihilate all the invading pirates in one fell swoop, and also wish you, Old Wang, a successful return to shore, to return home in glory, and honor your ancestors!"
Wang Zeng returned the salute with a fist, "Everyone in Jiangzhe says that Second Master is the True Lord Erlang descended to the mortal world. This time Old Wang is really relying on the great fortune of the Second Master!"
Yang Ge nodded subtly, playing on words, "Rest assured, Yang Erlang keeps his word!"