Chapter 34: Building an Impenetrable Fortress

The morning mist over the fishing village gradually dissipated, and sunlight spilled across the tranquil sea. However, the villagers felt no sense of relief. Although the Japanese pirates had temporarily retreated, a shadow of unease hung over everyone. Li Chuan knew that the most urgent task was to establish a robust defense system as quickly as possible; otherwise, if the enemy returned, the village would have nowhere to hide.

On the beach at the village entrance, dozens of villagers gathered around a spread-out map to listen to Li Chuan.

"Everyone, although we won this time, the price was high. If the enemy attacks again, we must have better defensive measures," Li Chuan said, pointing at the map with a wooden stick. "The first step is to build watchtowers along the coast."

"Brother Chuan, how do we build these watchtowers? Won't it take too much time?" Liu Hao asked with a frown.

"It’s simple! Use bamboo and wooden planks to build high platforms, add wind shelters, and assign people to rotate shifts. We’ll be able to spot movement on the sea within a thirty-mile radius," Li Chuan explained. "Once the enemy approaches, we’ll sound the alarm, and everyone will enter a state of defense."

Old Zhang looked thoughtful. "That’s a good idea. We don't have many people, but if we can spot the enemy early, we can deploy accordingly."

"Exactly," Li Chuan continued. "The second step is to build simple fortifications. We will block the main paths at the village entrance with wooden fences and sandbags to create natural barriers. If necessary, we can use these fortifications to launch a counterattack."

Blacksmith Chen clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother Chuan, your idea is much sharper than our previous tactics! We old folks might not be able to fight hard, but we can certainly repair fences and move sandbags."

After hearing Li Chuan’s plan, the villagers responded enthusiastically.

"Uncle Chen, please lead a few young men to handle the construction of the watchtowers. It must be completed within three days," Li Chuan ordered.

"Leave it to me!" Blacksmith Chen said, full of energy.

"Liu Hao, organize a team to build the fortifications at the village entrance. Ensure they are sturdy and durable enough to withstand the enemy's firearms."

"No problem!" Liu Hao rolled up his sleeves. "This time, I'll make sure they leave with broken heads and bloodied faces!"

"Also, all fishermen must undergo basic combat training in rotations, learning how to use bows, crossbows, and spears. We must ensure everyone can protect themselves."

"Brother Chuan, if we do that, who will be left to go out fishing?" Old Zhang scratched his head. "We have to keep some people working, right?"

Li Chuan nodded. "You’re right. I’ve already thought about that. Training will be done in batches. The women and the elderly can also learn some simple defensive skills to ensure everyone is useful in a critical moment."

Once the defense plan was set in motion, the entire village buzzed with activity.

Liu Hao led several sturdy fishermen to the village entrance, where they began digging trenches, setting up posts, and erecting wooden fences.

"Haozi, how deep should these posts go?" a villager asked.

"At least three feet! If they are too shallow, the enemy will knock them down with one charge," Liu Hao replied crisply.

"This is heavy work; when will we finish?"

"Stop complaining! Sweat a little more now to avoid bleeding later," Liu Hao shouted while working. "Everyone, put your backs into it. Brother Chuan's plan will definitely work!"

On the other side, Blacksmith Chen took a group of young people to the beach, selecting sturdy bamboo and timber to build the watchtowers as quickly as possible.

"Raise this platform higher; it will give us a wider view," Blacksmith Chen directed.

"Got it, raising it now!" the young men worked with great fervor.

By evening, Li Chuan personally presided over the training of the first group of villagers. He had modified some old fishing nets into simple shields and borrowed the few remaining bows and crossbows in the village.

"Today we are learning two simple tactics," Li Chuan stood in the center of the field, his tone serious. "First, how to use shields to defend against enemy arrows; second, how to aim and hit a target with a crossbow."

"Brother Chuan, this stuff isn't easy to learn, is it?" an older fisherman scratched his head. "We’ve spent our whole lives carrying nets and casting for fish. Can we really do this?"

"Whether you can or not depends on your determination," Li Chuan looked directly at each person. "When the enemy attacks, having a weapon in your hand gives you at least a better chance of survival."

"Listen to Brother Chuan!" someone in the crowd shouted. "No matter how hard it is, we have to learn! We can't let them treat us like fish to be scooped up again!"

A chorus of agreement immediately rang out across the training ground.

***

A few days later, the watchtowers, fences, and fortifications were largely complete, and Li Chuan decided to conduct a simulation exercise.

"Today’s goal is to test our defense system," Li Chuan announced to the villagers at the entrance. "Liu Hao and I will lead a group to act as the 'enemy' and try to breach the village's defensive line. Your task is to stop us."

The villagers were instantly excited and rushed to their respective posts.

Once the exercise began, Li Chuan and Liu Hao led their group to "sneak attack" the watchtowers, but they were spotted by a sentry as soon as they approached, and the bronze gong was struck to sound the alarm. Following the plan, the villagers quickly assembled, ready for battle with bows, crossbows, and spears.

"Not a bad formation!" Liu Hao laughed and praised. "It seems Brother Chuan's method really works."

Over the next few hours, Li Chuan continuously adjusted the tactics, looking for loopholes in the defense system and suggesting improvements.

"The sentries need to be divided into groups for shift changes so that we can maintain vigilance through the night."

"The gaps between the fences are too wide; they must be filled in."

"The positioning of the crossbowmen needs to be adjusted to ensure they can cover each other."

After a week of effort, the fishing village’s defense system began to take shape.

Looking at the towering watchtowers and sturdy fortifications, the villagers felt a sense of security.

"Brother Chuan, with these in place, we can finally sleep soundly," Old Zhang remarked with emotion.

"Indeed, but we cannot let our guard down," Li Chuan patted his shoulder. "The enemy won't give up easily; we must be ready to face the next battle at any moment."

However, just as the village began to stabilize, a group of fishermen from a neighboring village arrived in a hurry, bringing bad news that could not be ignored:

"Brother Chuan, a shipwreck was found near Zhang Family Village, and the people on the ship were all dressed in the style of the Central Plains."

"Central Plains people?" Li Chuan’s brow furrowed. "Was there anything special on the ship?"

"There were many supplies and weapons, as well as several letters filled with codes."

Li Chuan’s eyes sharpened. "It seems the enemy has truly started their move."

He knew that the battle for the fishing village had only just begun.

The village's defense system was gradually taking shape, but Li Chuan understood that relying on the strength of a single village was far from enough to deal with the threats that would follow. It was clear that the forces behind the enemy were more than just Japanese pirates. To resolve the crisis, he had to unite more strength. He decided to take a bolder approach: promoting a joint defense alliance among the surrounding fishing villages to form a powerful defensive network.

Li Chuan selected three quick-witted and reliable villagers and sent them with gifts to the three neighboring villages—Zhang Family Village, Huangni Village, and Hongyan Village—to request a village meeting to discuss forming an alliance. Three days later, representatives from the four villages gathered in Sishui Village.

Li Chuan stood on a simple platform built at the village entrance, looked around at the crowd, and spoke firmly, "Fellow villagers, I know you may have doubts in your hearts, and perhaps some of you are not in favor of this alliance. But today, I want to be completely honest with you."

Huang Youdao, the clan leader of Huangni Village, crossed his arms and sneered, "Li Chuan, we’ve heard of your reputation. But the fact that Sishui Village managed to defeat the Japanese pirates this time doesn't necessarily prove much. An alliance isn't something you can just convince everyone to join with a few words."

Li Chuan nodded. "Uncle Huang is right; Sishui Village is indeed not qualified to fight the Japanese pirates alone. But have you thought about this: if the next time the Japanese pirates don't just raid one or two villages, but attack in large groups, can we survive if every village only relies on itself?"

Zhang Dahai, the village chief of Zhang Family Village, sighed, "Brother Chuan makes sense. Our village recently ran into trouble, and what we found on that shipwreck has kept me awake all night."

Chen Ahu, a young representative from Hongyan Village, asked, "The alliance you're talking about—how would it work? Just because we gather everyone together doesn't mean we can act as one."

"Brother Ahu hit the nail on the head." Li Chuan took out a sketch he had prepared and spread it on the table, pointing to the markings. "My idea is for our villages to divide labor and cooperate, sharing what we have. It involves three steps—"

Li Chuan distributed the sketches to the representatives and patiently explained his plan:

"First, every village will establish watchtowers to form a complete defensive network." Li Chuan pointed at the map. "For example, Sishui Village has already set up three watchtowers along the coast, which can monitor a fifty-mile radius. If every village sets up similar towers, we will be able to spot the enemy the moment they approach."

Zhang Dahai nodded. "That’s a good idea. At least we won't have to wait until they are at our doorsteps like before."

"Second, we will establish a joint defense force. Each village will contribute young, able-bodied men to form a mobile patrol unit," Li Chuan continued. "This unit will be responsible for patrols and will be the first to provide support if a battle breaks out."

Huang Youdao frowned. "A patrol is fine, but where will the manpower come from? We don't have many people in our villages who can do the work."

"Uncle Huang, the patrol can rotate. It only takes ten strong workers from each village," Li Chuan explained. "Besides, the patrol isn't protecting one village; it's protecting our livelihoods."

"The final step is to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism." Li Chuan’s eyes deepened. "The enemy is not just the Japanese pirates, but also the corrupt merchants hiding in the shadows. We must share intelligence at all times to truly understand the enemy's motives."

After hearing Li Chuan’s three-step plan, the crowd buzzed with discussion; some agreed, while others remained skeptical.

"Brother Chuan, it sounds nice, but it's too hard to put into practice. Who will provide the money and manpower?" Huang Youdao remained opposed.

"Uncle Huang, it's not that I, Li Chuan, want to do this alone, but that all our villages need to survive together," Li Chuan said solemnly. "As for the money, we can share the costs based on population. As for the manpower, I am willing to have Sishui Village contribute ten extra people to make up for the needs of other villages."

Zhang Dahai sighed, "Old Brother Huang, our village recently lost over twenty people. If there is another battle, our village won't be able to hold out. I think Brother Chuan's proposal is worth a try."

Chen Ahu also nodded. "Exactly. Instead of fighting alone, we should band together. Survival is what matters most."

Huang Youdao hesitated for a moment before finally giving in. "Fine! Li Chuan, I’ll give you a chance. Don't let me down."

Once the meeting reached an agreement, Li Chuan immediately set about pushing the work forward.

He personally led Sishui Village's craftsmen to help Zhang Family Village build their watchtowers, and he worked with Chen Ahu to organize the patrol team, providing them with basic tactical training. Within half a month, the fishing village alliance began to take shape.

One morning, a suspicious ship was spotted from the watchtower in Sishui Village.

"Brother Chuan, there's a strange ship lingering nearby. It doesn't look like a fishing boat!" a sentry reported in a hurry.

Li Chuan frowned and immediately assembled the patrol team. "Ahu, take two men and circle around from the left. I'll approach from the front. We must find out what these people are up to."

The team acted separately. Li Chuan and several members approached the target silently and discovered that the ship was loaded with goods and that several people dressed like Central Plains merchants were talking.

"Brother Chuan, should we make a move?" Liu Hao whispered.

"Not yet, let's hear what they are saying," Li Chuan signaled for silence.

A moment later, the merchants began to move crates, and they could faintly hear words like "Xie Tonghai" and "new stronghold."

"So they are indeed colluding with the Japanese pirates!" Li Chuan sneered. "Ahu, surround them!"

The patrol acted quickly, capturing the merchants in one fell swoop and seizing a large cache of weapons and a map marking all the coastal villages from the ship.

Li Chuan interrogated the leader on the ship and learned from him that the forces behind Xie Tonghai were still operating in the shadows, and these weapons were prepared for a new round of attacks.

"Brother Chuan, what should we do now?" Zhang Dahai asked, filled with worry.

"The enemy is more cunning than we imagined," Li Chuan said with a firm gaze. "But we are no longer fighting alone. What we must do now is follow this lead and root out the mastermind."

When the news spread, the villagers' confidence in the joint defense system soared, and they all expressed their willingness to support Li Chuan's next plan.

"Brother Chuan, with you here, we aren't afraid!"

"That's right! We'll all listen to you!"

Li Chuan, however, did not relax at all. He knew deep down that this battle had only just begun.