Liang

3,437 years since initial death
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A gentle breeze whispered past the motionless warships.

No one muttered a sound. Each soldier stood still and observed their enemies from afar. But it wouldn't stay like this forever. Somebody had to make the first move.

The Huai, or Wu, grew tired of the dramatic standoff, as their decision was made obvious when their front line of tall warships suddenly shifted the seas underneath and moved forward. This was accompanied by Chuanguan's voice ordering the fleet to advance. Ming knew what their role was in this fight, everyone was just waiting on the commander's signal.

Just as the imminent attack was about to occur, Chuanguan's signal appeared as he waved his arm and shouted for a retreat. Ming looked around him, noticing each Wuyue ship under the commander's control suddenly turned drastically to turn around. They were retreating rapidly from the Wu before the battle could even begin.

He knew exactly what they had planned, it was unlike Chuanguan to turn from a fight, not after the lessons he had taught him. The look of determination in his eyes glared furiously, almost appearing as if they were on fire. If anything, it reminded Ming of himself.

Ming then noticed his commander turning his head to face him, and it appeared he was ready to remind him of the very lesson he would need to carry with him throughout his life. "Remember, Luoma," Luoma was the name he had given Ming himself. It defined him as a Roman, "we have given the impression that we are cowards, that we turn away from the fight at hand."

An immediate chill resonated deep within Ming's spine when his ears heard the steady and powerful beat of the taiko drums. Many of the sailors on each ship carried the drums with them for this very occasion. It was all so sudden and synchronized, intentionally placing the fear of God into all who heard it. The drums echoed throughout the river just as Ming noticed the advance of a dozen smaller Wuyue ships.

Their smaller size not only made them faster when picking up the wind, but it rendered them as difficult targets. They easily steered around the Huai ships. That was the Wu's crucial mistake as their ships were colossal in size and extremely tall, making them unable to maneuver and steer around the river with ease.

"Just when the enemy believes you have surrendered, you reveal to them the truth!" The fearless commander raised his hands, signaling the rest of the fleet to turn around once more. Their retreat was secretly a trap. As the Huai fleet followed them, they unknowingly trapped themselves in the narrow part of the river, giving Chuanguan the advantage as his fleet were large enough to steer without trouble.

Within minutes, the smaller ships had surrounded the Wu's left and right sides. With the Huai distracted, the Wuyue fleet charged forward. The sounds of drums echoed louder followed by the war cries of men ready to attack. The battle was finally on.

"That is the lesson my dear Luoma. You may deliver an act as long and deceiving as you may favor, but reality offers a different approach. In reality, you must never show signs of fear and cowardice. Otherwise, you have already surrendered internally." Chuanguan never smiled or showed his pride, his expressionless face was filled with nothing but fury and determination. "They have fallen for our trick! They have believed our lies and now they shall learn just how brave and powerful we truly are!"

Ming looked ahead, noticing the commander was about to ram his ship directly into the closest Wu vessel. For one short moment, he remembered Argolis. At least now he wasn't on the receiving end.

The wind picked up heavily, flowing through Ming's combed hair. He grasped the railings of the upper deck tightly, even letting out his own war cry in the process. The adrenaline rush he was experiencing was powerful. Chuanguan's way of raising morale and boosting determination made him feel unstoppable, and he loved every second of it.

"For the honor of our king and the honor of our Kingdom; we burn them! Deliver them the very flames they will be met with in Hell!" Chuanguan's screams resonated across the rampaging chaos heading towards the Wu. It was he who forced them into a state of fear and cowardice. His raised hands came crashing down, signaling the final order of their first attack phase.

Their secret weapon was unleashed, showcasing a superior technology that was finally ready to introduce itself to the world.

From the very front of his ship, two double pumped silver tubes expelled a massive raging flame. Even before the ram was ever completed, the flames had already caught onto the opposing ship. A blaze of fire rampaged over the enemy ship, damaging the hull.

This was the world's first flamethrower.

Then, the frontal ram finally came through. Chuanguan's dragon ship collided with the Huai ship, nearly tearing it apart just from the powerful impact alone.

Throughout all these years, the weapons used in combat have been relatively the same. The bow and arrow was used at all times, including the spear and sword. By now, they were required weapons of war and combat. But the Wuyue state was unpredictable, instead they had multiple tricks up their sleeves.

Before firing any arrows, the rest of the Wuyue fleet got close enough to the enemy in an upwind position. Their next attack involved soldiers grabbing handfuls of ash and throwing them onto the Huai's decks, blinding anyone that was unfortunate enough to get caught by the crossfire.

With the enemy blind, the Wuyue soldiers would then throw dried black beans onto the decks, so the enemy could slip on them. It was an interesting tactic to say the least, but it was effective. The Wuyue fleet scored its first blood as none of the Huai soldiers could defend themselves after being blinded and slipping over beans. With a swift arrow volley and a raging fire on board, the ship sank into the water as blood began to color the river red.

"In all my years of warfare, I have never seen a more tactical approach with the usage of fire and beans of all choices." Ming was definitely surprised by the odd choice of weaponry, but he continued to go along with it, making sure all the soldiers were supplied heavily with beans and ash.

"One must use all available resources in battle, no matter the cost to achieve victory." Qian replied, his arms were placed behind his back as he watched the ensuing battle.

The battle continued further down the river; some of the larger Wuyue ships had already started their attacks. Boarding was rare under these circumstances, but it did happen. Especially if a ship was on the verge of sinking, boarding was the only option left in hopes of survival.

It was getting harder to maneuver through the river as the wreckage of several ships started to block the path. However, it was no match for the overwhelming destructive power of Chuanguan's flamethrower and his ship's fortified hull.

His ship alone could take on a dozen warships at once, that was the superior design the prince of Qian Liu gave the ship. Soon enough, he could put the rumors of his mighty destruction to the test. The smaller ships he had sent first had already been destroyed in the battle, and the remaining Wu ships charged directly towards him.

Before the enemy had time to fire their bows, Chuanguan already activated his long-ranged flamethrower, completely engulfing the enemy ships in flames. The fire was uncontrollable and too large to be put out in time. It sent the Wu into a chaotic state long enough for the Wuyue archers to wipe out the crew.

The commander remained in his stance, barely showing any emotion as his ship sailed through the sinking remains of his enemies. More longboats arrived to surround the Huai and the cycle continued. For over an hour, there was constant death and destruction as fire raged through the river.

Ming watched the horrors unfold right before him. He's had his fair share of combat, but this was brutal. A part of him felt sorry for the enemy experiencing this horrible fate. But this wasn't the time for it. If he begins forming emotions for the enemy, it could prove to be catastrophic for the Wuyue, especially since he viewed Chuanguan as an ally.

More memories of Argolis flooded his thoughts, deepening his mood. The battles he experienced on board Spartan ships were terrible enough, but this was worse. But the deep reality set in. The difference between this and the battles in Greece became obvious. This was no longer a battle. It was an annihilation.

Suddenly, their ship was boarded. Whether it was an orchestrated attack or simply a last-ditch effort to escape the anarchy, Wu fighters bearing their red uniforms charged the decks in an attempt to assassinate the commander.

This was Ming's moment to shine. He can showcase his immortal strength and fight back against the enemy. He can take their lives away in pursuit of peace.

However, he had another idea in mind. He reached over his back and grabbed his weapon's hilt. But this wasn't an ordinary weapon. Everyone had seen him carry the long wooden staff across his travels in Zhongguo. Removing it from his scabbard, he slowly walked down the steps onto the deck, ready to face the onslaught. 

He slowly walked by his allies swinging their blades and screaming their lungs out. Ming could sense his leader's eyes stare at him curiously, as he made no intentions to attack. Instead, he continued his pace, keeping his staff clenched by his side.

When one Wu soldier noticed his vulnerability, he was charged from the front. Once the enemy's sword was raised and brought down, Ming simply tilted his body to the side. Completely avoiding the blade, he swiftly swung his staff at his feet in an elegant manner, without any anger behind it. The soldier fell onto the floorboard, and Ming simply walked away.

He didn't need to kill him. One of the Wuyue allies already killed him before he could stand up. Then, another Wu soldier attacked Ming. But he was already ready for it. He raised his staff and deflected every swing of his assailant's sword. 

Ming was getting bored of this. He's been here before numerous times, he has this routine entirely memorized by heart. After blocking another attack, he turned around entirely to walk elsewhere. Rather than getting stabbed in the back, he already saw one of his allies approach the Wu soldier. Once again, he didn't need to kill anyone. His companions were doing it for him.

Using his staff as a cane, he walked a full circle around the deck until every Wu soldier was killed. He hadn't shed a single drop of blood. That's when he looked up and locked eyes with Chuanguan. 

Once their ship was clear to advance a small amount further, Ming returned to the helm. As the Immortal walked up the steps, he heard his leader call out to him. "Ming, my Luoma, do I sense any doubt in your eyes?"

"No, sir." He was quick to respond, immediately positioning himself next to his commander's side. 

"Then why show mercy to our enemy?" It was an obvious question that Ming already saw coming. 

"That wasn't mercy." Ming reattached his staff back to his scabbard, facing the river ahead. "They still died. I'd rather avoid bloodying my hands any further."

The commander continued to glare at him. If it was supposed to be intimidating, it wasn't working. Ming was having fun here. He was finally able to be himself. 

"You birthed the fire that scorched the Huai." Chuanguan crossed his arms. "You are responsible for all their deaths."

"And I'm sure they're happily burning in hell with their gods now." Suddenly, something came to Ming's mind. One part of his commander's dialogue struck him strangely. "Although, what do you mean by that phrase? I birthed that fire?" 

Just as he awaited an answer, another commotion caught both of their attention. Up ahead was the Huai commander's warship, it was the biggest one they had seen yet. Ming knew exactly who was onboard. The Wu commander was supposed to be here, and it seemed he finally arrived from the rear of his own fleet.

Peng, the Wu commander, was visibly standing on the deck of his warship. Though he was barely visible from this distance, his distinct white clothes helped him stand out. Ming could only imagine what he felt. How would you feel to see a majority of your navy crumble beneath your enemy that suffered minimum casualties?

Ming waited to spot any signs of fear or cowardice in the commander's movement. Finally, Peng turned around and walked back to his quarters. Right before shutting the door, he reached for the hilt of his sword.

Despite being out of sight, his fate was clear. Ming knows the feeling well. There was a time when he'd have taken his own life before the enemy could reach him. But that was no longer an option for him. Peng would die a coward according to this nation's beliefs and customs, and Ming agreed. He'd have rather faced his death with courage. But perhaps he only thinks that because he knows he's immortal.

None of those thoughts mattered anymore, not when Chuanguan's ship tore directly through the Wu vessel and set every last living sailor ablaze with scorching flames. Their dying screams accompanied the orchestra of shattered wood and heavy ripples in the water.

Of the five hundred ships the Wu state sent into the river that day, only less than a hundred made it out in one piece. Hundreds of their officers perished during the fight, thousands of other Huai men died. Only around seven thousand prisoners were taken during the aftermath, while the remaining Wu soldiers retreated back to their headquarters.

Instead of continuing to push forward, the Wuyue fleet remained stationary in the blood flowing river. Ming stood with his commander in silence as they both watched the wreckage of hundreds of ships drift away or sink. He looked away momentarily, but he forced himself to raise his head and watch.

"Luoma?" Chuanguan called for Ming, the commander's eyes were still staring forward.

Ming stayed quiet, listening to Qian's words. "Before our next phase of attack, I must know something that ponders my mind. I was informed that our gunpowder originated before my birth, and that you were involved in its creation. Yet your youthful appearance proves otherwise. How?"

"Lies." Ming was quick to answer, he knew this day would come. Rather than showing signs of fear, he won't surrender so easily.

"Your wisdom never seems fit for a man of your age, although you never reveal how old you truly are. I watched you fearlessly approach death and ignore it as you swung your staff and accurately predicted every enemy's movement. You call yourself a Roman, a title that is not of this land. Now you stand before me cleanly shaven, bearing no signs of aging. Some of my men believe you are a God, or a devil that acts as my ally."

There was a short pause as they both finally made eye-contact. The commander finished.

"Who, or what are you?"

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Historical Notes:

Qian Chuanguan was one of the few commanders in history to use unexpected items and sources in naval combat. In addition to beans and ash, even sand was carried and thrown onto enemy ships to blind the troops.

The double pump flamethrower was coated with silver for a reason. In the event that Chuanguan's ship is captured by the enemy, the Wu would take only the silver and leave the petrol and apparatus. This meant the flamethrower would not fall into enemy hands and could be recovered by the Wuyue. 

The name of Chuanguan's flamethrower is the Pen Huo Qi (Fierce-fire Oil Cabinet). 

Historically speaking, flamethrowers technically existed long before this date in Europe. However, they were constructed as machines, making them far too heavy, massive and expensive to use so often. Chuanguan's flamethrower is famous for being the first flamethrower in history to use gunpowder and expel itself from a tube as most modern-day flamethrowers. Therefore, many refer to it as the first proper flamethrower ever made. 

The Battle of Langshan River was so violent and destructive that the entire area was stained red with the blood of over a thousand corpses, as quoted by a Wuyue historian present at the battle. It was amongst the most brutal naval battles in ancient history altogether.

The Yangtze River is the third largest river in the world, spanning nearly four thousand miles long. The battle occurred on the far eastern side, near Jiangsu. The sheer size of this river was enough to have a full fleet of five hundred ships sail from one side. 

Aerial view of Yangtze River near Jiangsu

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