Chapter 117: Rebels? Go tell that to my Divine Might General Cannon!

After Cai Rong and his party boarded the ship, Wang Cheng dispatched Qingfeng, the most stealthy among them.

Perched on the porthole of that four-hundred-liao warship, Qingfeng clearly observed their entire conversation and the true nature of that Incense Temple plaque. Especially upon hearing their plan to once again hunt local Tanka fishermen to claim their heads as fake military merits, Wang Cheng, A-Xiao, and their companions—Zhang Wen and the Tanka crew—were filled with righteous indignation.

"Scoundrels! Damn them!"
"Great Shipmaster, today we must make them pay in blood to console the spirits of our clansmen."

Amidst the collective fury, Wang Cheng performed a hand seal and chanted, invoking the spiritual response within his body: [Gathering Beasts and Summoning Birds, Enlightening All Creatures]:
"By the mandate of the Three Officials, the Nine Offices, and the Four Departments. Great Heavenly Warriors, executors of divine punishment. Each to your duty, emerging from the Nine Yin. By the command of wind and fire, hasten to this altar. Swiftly, as the law commands!"

*Hum, hum, hum.*

The sixteen bronze cannons on the side of the wind-sailed warship *Eight Treasures* began to vibrate. Golden light seeped from the barrels, weaving together above each cannon into the form of a burly general in golden armor, each holding a massive golden bow. The cannonballs stored nearby were also temporarily enlightened; they shook continuously until they transformed into ferocious iron lion heads, channeling a sliver of the [Majesty] of the guardian spirit, the Suanni.

The golden-armored generals drew their bows, assisting in aiming at the targets opposite. A golden arc shot from their bows, marking the trajectory and allowing the gunners to lock onto the enemy ship with ease.

The sixteen "Cannon Gods" were primed and ready.

With the [Four Seas Evil-Purging Talisman] and the [Golden Toad Treasure-Suppressing Talisman] in his possession, Wang Cheng could switch between his yin and yang bodies at will. Having ascended to the Sixth Grade, temporarily enlightening these cannons into a troop of soldiers was well within his capacity.

Simultaneously, the *Eight Treasures* had already quietly seized the windward position of the four-hundred-liao warship.

Wang Cheng sneered:
"So, the winners are loyal subjects, and the losers are rebels? You want to expose my identity as a 'traitor' on the spot? You think I don't understand the rules of officialdom? Very well, very well. Go tell that to my [Divine General Cannons]. Fire!"

Zhang Wen stood at the hatch and relayed the order loudly to the gunners below.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Blazing orange-red cannon fire suddenly illuminated the fog-shrouded sea. The lion-headed cannonballs tore through the mist, spinning at high speed and leaving horrific scars in the air.

Cai Rong, the leader of the opposite ship, was a mid-third-grade practitioner himself. Having sensed the bone-chilling danger in advance, he hurriedly kowtowed to the Ship God, activating the ship's guardian artifact.
"I implore the Ship God to manifest! Tail fins, open!"

They were fortunate that they did not worship Prince Jing like the Five Peaks Flag did. At the critical moment, the guardian artifact was successfully activated. The cyan Yi bird painted on the stern's tail fins suddenly spread its wings, whipping up a gale that swirled around their warship. The sea waves and the surrounding mist danced along with it, forming a massive white ring of wind, diverting the lion-headed cannonballs from their intended paths and even attempting to deflect them.

However, these violent cannonballs already possessed a basic intelligence. Before the first wave could be deflected by the wind ring, they adjusted their trajectories while spinning at high speed, aiming directly for the tail fins.

"Roar—!"

The [Majesty] of the guardian spirit Suanni erupted in a lion's roar, clashing fiercely with the defense. In an instant, the concentrated fire tore through the wind ring, smashing the ship's stern to pieces. The cyan Yi bird let out a mournful cry and vanished back into the tail fins.

The following lion-headed cannonballs struck: one landed on the deck, shattering into countless fragments that swept through all the helmsmen. The mainmast snapped like a straw, collapsing into the sea. Another struck near the waterline, tearing a massive hole through the ribless wooden hull, not only clearing out the nearby crew but also causing the sea to flood in. With just this hit, the ship was beyond saving. Two more shells struck the poop deck, leveling nearly half of the superstructure and igniting the gunpowder barrels stored there.

The mizzenmast and the poop deck erupted in raging fires, crackling incessantly. As the first round of fire ceased, the few survivors crawled out, covered in soot, only to be filled with even greater despair as they looked toward the source of the shells.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A second round of fire burst forth, extinguishing almost everyone's hope of survival. Before they could even jump overboard to escape, they were locked onto by the self-guided lion-headed shells. Even the Da Zhao sailing ships, known for their excellent watertight compartments and resistance to sinking, were tragically transformed into burning wrecks, sinking into the sea bit by bit.

Carnivorous fish patrolling the area swarmed in to feast. A group of garrison soldiers who had just been discussing where to find Tanka fishermen to behead for bounty money were buried in the bellies of fish. If the Tanka fishermen fished them up later to trade for money, it would count as a good deed.

However, this group was not entirely wiped out just yet.

*Neigh—!*

With a high-pitched whinny, a fierce warrior burst from the depths of the burning cabin, slashing through the sea of fire and charging toward the *Eight Treasures* across the waves. A thunderous roar echoed across the scene:
"I am the greatest warrior under heaven! Who dares to challenge me? Die—!"

He was fully armored and imposing; two "long phoenix single wings" were inserted into his purple-gold crown, and four "golden brocade commander flags" were stuck behind his back. He wore golden armor over silver mail, rode a large jujube-red horse, and wielded a Fangtian Huaji spear that cleaved through the waves. He looked exactly like an old general from a stage play with flags bristling from his back.

The mist summoned by A-Xiao’s secret technique [Cloud-Spreading and Rainbow-Severing] parted slightly. Wang Cheng and A-Xiao stood casually on the deck, watching the fierce warrior galloping forward with such terrifying momentum. They even had the leisure to critique him:
"This 'Needle-Pen Artisan's' trick certainly has its merits. Carrying this peerless demon-god Lu Fengxian on one’s back is like carrying a divine statue at all times. When fully unleashed, it truly carries the aura of a ghost-god descending upon the world."

The so-called "Earth-Class" official known as a "Needle-Pen Artisan" was, in fact, a tattooist. The history of tattooing in the Middle Kingdom is long. Since the tribal era, many groups practiced totem worship, cutting their hair and tattooing their bodies, thriving on primitive sorcery by using ink-dipped needles to prick patterns into the lower layers of the skin. Essentially, this was equivalent to inviting a god into one's body for protection.

By the late Southern Song Dynasty, many social organizations for tattoo enthusiasts had emerged in major cities, known in the parlance of the time as "Brocade Body Societies." History records: "The city dwellers love tattoos, calling them embroidery, and when welcoming gods, they are called the Brocade Body Society."

Even in the masterpiece *Water Margin*, created by an "Earth-Class" official during the founding of this dynasty, there were records of this. The prodigal Yan Qing used his tattoos to bewitch the famous courtesan Li Shishi: "His snow-white skin was embroidered with flowers from head to toe, like jade pillars covered in green moss. If there were a contest of brocade bodies, no matter who you were, you would lose to him!" This shows the prosperity of the "Needle-Pen Artisan" trade during the Song era.

They could alter a person's fortune with various tattoos, boost wealth, protect safety, and bestow a life-long totem. The most typical pattern was: Green Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, and the Old Cow in the middle. Of course, the artisans had many taboos; a well-done tattoo could bring prosperity, while a poorly done one brought endless misfortune. Their secret art, the [Brocade Body Saint-Invoking Method], allowed them to use their tattoos as a medium to summon the power of corresponding ghosts and gods, significantly boosting their combat prowess.

The tattoo on Cai Rong's back was: The Marquis of Loyalty, the Peerless Demon-God Lu Fengxian!

Wang Cheng turned to the pearl-diving girl and teased her:
"Sister A-Xiao, please choose the correct option from the following three:
First, Emperor Wen of the Tang Dynasty was a rightful successor;
Second, I am Qin Shi Huang;
Third, the Marquis of Loyalty, Lu Fengxian, was beyond loyal to the Great Han!"

The girl widened her gorgeous, heterochromatic eyes and playfully nudged him with her elbow.

"Heh."

Others might hesitate at this question. But in the eyes of Emperor Xian of Han, Lu Fengxian—who had stabbed several foster fathers—was a loyal minister of the Han, and he even requested to be buried in the same place as him after death. Of course, this was not entirely accurate history, and there was no title such as "Marquis of Loyalty" in the Han Dynasty; it was merely the speculation of later generations.

The image of the "Marquis of Loyalty" originated from variety plays during the Yunmeng period. Lu Fengxian was portrayed as "doubly loyal and filial," and in legends, Emperor Xian of Han even bestowed upon him the title of "Marquis of Loyalty." Having circulated among the common people for so long, it naturally responded to the collective will, becoming a facet of a famous historical figure that could be exploited by opportunistic scoundrels.

Official History: Lu Fengxian, the serial killer of foster fathers, fierce as a tiger but lacking strategy, cunning, fickle, and profit-driven—a true villain.
Folk History: An artistically processed image of a hypocrite in disguise, whom the Emperor loved dearly.

The [Brocade Body Saint-Invoking Method] had extremely harsh requirements for the "Tattooed Saint Image." The more a person's personality, destiny, and conduct matched the artisan's own, the lower the burden and the stronger the power. Cai Rong was clearly a perfect match for this processed image: profit-driven in secret, yet appearing righteous and loyal to the sovereign on the surface, leaving no flaws for others to see.

"I have never heard of anyone using a warship's cannons to fight an official. I am perfectly in sync with Lu Fengxian. As long as I board your ship and disable your cannons, I can use the power of a ghost-god to mow down lives like grass! You ignorant pirates dare to provoke your grandfather? All of you, prepare to die!"

At this moment, the [Divine General Cannons] on the *Eight Treasures* rapidly adjusted their firing range. The lion-headed cannonballs swallowed the gunpowder bags prepared in advance, transforming themselves into high-powered explosive shells! Then, they jumped into the cannon barrels one after another. The difficulty with explosive shells lies in triggering the fuse after firing—a challenge not easily solved by current technology—but for these temporary cannonball spirits, it was no problem at all.

Sir, the times have indeed changed! But they haven't become more scientific; they have become more metaphysical.

Simultaneously, as the distance between the two sides closed rapidly, Cai Rong finally saw Wang Cheng's face on the pirate ship and was struck by terror:
"Wang Fugui, it’s you?! How could you be on a pirate ship? I understand now, the most black-hearted person is you! We only kill civilians to claim fake merits, but you… you actually went out to sea to become a pirate???"

Wang Cheng did not answer, merely grinning at him and chanting:
"The red dot of the sun rises in the east, three books of Qian-father change into six Kun, borrow the form for a change, quickly transform into a woman’s visage, swiftly, as the law commands!"

*Bang!*

With the [Form-Changing Maiden Art] cast, Cai Rong suddenly transformed into a charming and delicate "female general." To be honest, appearance had little effect on combat power, and this technique had a narrow range of application in actual combat. But the key issue was that a delicate female body clearly could not carry a peerless demon-god, and the compatibility dropped by one hundred percent.

The [Brocade Body Saint-Invoking Method] backfired on the spot. Cai Rong did not know what he had seen, but he opened his mouth and let out a mournful, blood-curdling cry like a dying oriole:
"Help! General, stop, I am not... Diaochan!"

At the same time, the sixteen cannons fired in unison. Sixteen explosive shells detonated in the air around "her," unleashing a massive storm of metallic flame and tearing "her" into pieces instantly.