Night came down.

Xiang Xiuming sent the Water Fish into action.

There were not many Water Fish, a little over a hundred men in all.

For one thing, the standard for choosing a Water Fish was strict: a man had to hold his breath underwater for the space of a cup of tea, which is to say about ten minutes.

For another, there were not meant to be many Water Fish to begin with, since a large body of them was too easily spotted.

A hundred-odd Water Fish came for Ning Chen's warships under cover of the vast dark.

There was, of course, no better way of dealing with Water Fish than going into the water and killing them.

Ning Chen stood at the bow in the cold wind, looking out at the pitch-black water, then turned his head to Sun Gaohan. "I'm leaving these Water Fish to you."

He was no match for a Water Fish in the water himself, but he swam well enough. Ning Chen simply did not want to go in; the water was far too cold in this weather.

Sun Gaohan bowed. "Rest easy, General Ning. Leave it to this officer!"

"Be careful!"

Sun Gaohan picked out three hundred-odd soldiers who could swim, and they slipped into the water to wait for the Water Fish to take the bait.

As Xiang Xiuming's hundred-odd Water Fish closed on Ning Chen's force, they came up quietly in the dark for air, then went down again and made straight for the ships' bottoms.

Sun Gaohan and his men had been waiting for them the whole time.

Ning Chen watched the water through the spyglass. He could not make out what was happening below the surface, but from time to time broad spreads of blood welled up, and bodies rose after them.

Some were Xiang Xiuming's Water Fish and some were Ning Chen's soldiers.

The Water Fish were superb in the water, and even three against one it cost lives.

A full quarter of an hour later, Ning Chen saw Sun Gaohan break the surface and wave to him.