426.

  Artillery vessels cutting across Lake Poyang converged from all directions toward the front of Chen Youliang’s great ships.

  Almost simultaneously, the ship-mounted guns opened fire.

  BOOOOM—

  Cannonballs exploded against the sides of the great ships.

  Timbers snapped like split bark.

  Flames burst up in multiple places, spreading along sails, rigging, and oil-stained decks as the wind carried sparks forward.

  “Water—bring water!”

  “Wet mats—cover it with mats!”

  “Bring mud—coat the upper deck with mud!”

  They had prepared for this.

  To counter fire attacks, Yun Dam had ordered water and mud worked into the hulls.

  The decks were coated down to the planks with wet clay.

  Chen Youliang, Yo Jang, and Park Seong-jin all held their breath.

  Only Yun Dam nodded.

  “This is exactly as prepared.”

  The night before, Yun Dam had watched the wind over Lake Poyang change direction repeatedly and made his decision.

  “Fire will come.

  Great ships are vulnerable to flame.

  Load water.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Load mud.

  Cover the decks with wet clay.”

  Now that judgment was splitting the battlefield.

  Whenever flames spread, soaked mats were thrown down.

  Mud was smeared by hand.

  The fires died quickly.

  Smoke rose, mixing with mist to form a gray curtain.

  But the Ming counterattack continued.

  From the center of the lake, Ming fast craft surged forward.

  They were small, light vessels, moving at speed.

  They slipped beneath the great ships and fired upward from below.

  Thup. Thup-thup-thup—

  Arrows punched through sails, decks, and men’s shoulders and arms.

  The sound of bodies collapsing echoed across the planks.

  “Block them!”

  “Prepare grappling hooks!”

  Ming assault boats hurled iron hooks.

  Hooks caught on railings and fighters swarmed aboard.

  Close combat erupted atop the great ships.

  From high above, Park Seong-jin looked down on the battlefield.

  Below was chaos.

  Small craft collided and surged.

  Whenever one struck, assault troops spilled out from the gap.

  “For the Ming—

  die with us!”

  Chen Youliang’s forces did not give ground.

  They struck downward from above, severed grappling lines, and drove thick spears into the attackers.

  When hooks were cut, the small boats capsized.

  Men were dragged into the water and smashed against the hulls of the great ships.

  Park Seong-jin spoke quietly.

  “More will be in the water now than on the decks.”

  Ming artillery ships selected their targets.

  The great ships were massive and slow to maneuver.

  “Open the gunports.”

  BOOOOOM!!!!!

  A cannonball slammed into the side of a great ship.

  The deck lifted, bodies flung into the air.

  Then the center buckled.

  Water surged into the hull.

  The ship began to list.

  “The ship’s tilting!”

  Hundreds of soldiers plunged into the lake.

  Blood and splintered wood spread across the surface.

  Chen Youliang’s forces barely managed to regain formation.

  Three great ships turned toward the center of the lake.

  The wind was shifting again—

  this time blowing from south to north.

  “The formation is breaking,” someone reported.

  Yun Dam spoke calmly.

  “To the center.”

  Chen Youliang asked,

  “Should we withdraw now?”

  Yun Dam answered as if steadying his breath.

  “The wind is opening a path.

  Where the two winds meet is the safest place right now.”

  The commotion subsided.

  Chen Youliang’s great fleet turned, moving toward the center of Lake Poyang where opposing winds collided.

  Ming light craft swarmed in, with artillery ships following behind.

  Arrow fire fell like mist.

  But the great fleet did not break.

  Like entering the eye of a storm, it pressed toward the center.

  Standing at the railing, Park Seong-jin felt the grain of the wind.

  “From here on,” he said,

  “the wind is with us.”