Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 167 The Lair of the Japanese Pirates (Bonus Chapter for Yong Su, the Alliance Leader)
There were three main groups of Japanese pirates operating near Ningguo, each stationed on a different island and named after the island they were stationed on.

They are Snake Island, Skull Island, and Shark Island.

Snake Island, in particular, was home to approximately 8,000 Japanese pirates. Founded by the Hirata clan, led by Hirata Taro, the pirates who had previously attacked Ningping County came from Snake Island. The island was teeming with venomous snakes; anyone unsure of its dangers who ventured there risked their death.

As for Shark Island, it got its name from the sharks that live near the island. The leader of Shark Island was Masanori Furukawa, and there were 3,000 Japanese pirates on the island, making it the smallest of the three pirate groups.

Skull Island, on the other hand, boasts the largest population of Japanese pirates, exceeding ten thousand and commanding over two hundred ships of various sizes. In the event of a large-scale operation, they would form a dense, overwhelming force. However, despite their large numbers, Skull Island would likely be no match for Snake Island in a direct confrontation.

The place Sosuke Horikawa wants to go is Snake Island.

Thanks to the tailwind, the small boat was very fast.

Moon stars are rare.

Ningping County had long since disappeared behind them. The small boat tore through the sea, making a splashing sound. The burning torches emitted billowing black smoke, and the flickering flames were reflected on the water.

Unbeknownst to them, layers of misty fog silently spread across the sea, and through the mist, an oval-shaped island gradually emerged before them. After a while, the small boat slowly approached the shore, and then the torches went out, leaving only a few scattered lights along the road leading into the mountains on the gray island.

Horikawa Sousuke's lips curled into a smile.

Although life in Ningping County is more comfortable, the atmosphere on the island is more refreshing. The morning breeze, carrying water mist, hits your face, making you feel more awake. The fatigue from not sleeping all night disappears in an instant.

There were many boats moored near the island, easily numbering no less than two hundred.

Most of the ships had flags; some were embroidered with black and red snakes, some with crossed swords, and others with black skulls.

Upon setting foot on the island, one could see numerous figures along the beach. Some were in small groups, back to back, seemingly asleep, while others huddled together whispering, probably on guard duty, though they didn't quite look like they were.

As for the weapons they carried, they varied, including rusty scimitars, perhaps stolen from some merchant ship, and even sharpened wooden sticks.

Those with varying weapons were mostly Japanese pirates from Shark Island and Skull Island.

Those carrying the standard Japanese sword are definitely members of Snake Island.

The Hirata family's main advantage in becoming the most powerful of the three major pirate groups lay in their weaponry.

The Japanese pirates were actually very poorly equipped.

Japan's iron smelting technology is still in its infancy. Even within Japan, most of the country's territories still use wooden sticks, stone tools, and bronze tools, with very few iron weapons.

However, for some reason, Hirata Taro of Snake Island unexpectedly obtained a book that recorded the method of iron smelting. Although it was only the most basic iron smelting technique, it greatly improved the weapons of the Snake Island pirates. Therefore, although Skull Island had a large number of people, they were no match for Snake Island in a real fight.

This time, however, with Hirata Saburo's defeat in Ningping, the number of Japanese pirates on Snake Island has been drastically reduced, and now there are only about three thousand left.

Masanori Furukawa of Shark Island and Masao Turtle Island of Skull Island have both been making moves recently, showing a tendency to join forces to attack Snake Island.

However, Hirata Taro was also a ruthless man. Before the two sides launched their attacks, he directly stated that he hoped to cooperate with Furukawa Masanori and Kamejima Masao. He said that as long as Song Yan's head could be chopped off, he would reveal the iron-making technique. At that time, Shark Island and Skull Island would also be able to manufacture weapons on their own.

Of course, the specific details still need to be discussed carefully.

Those people were the trusted confidants brought by Masanori Furukawa and Masao Kamejima.

Horikawa Sōsuke glanced disdainfully at the ragged Japanese, finding their appearance utterly contemptible, even though they were fellow pirates. He shook his head and ignored them, heading towards the highest point of Snake Island.

The path was winding and lined with wooden huts on both sides. Even from a great distance, one could hear the piercing screams of women.

Women captured from the Central Plains.

These women rarely had time to rest; they would often die after ten days or half a month of this ordeal.

Before he knew it, Horikawa Sousuke had reached a high place. There was a fairly large open space there, with some dried meat hanging on the ground. Judging from the strange shape of the dried meat, one could probably guess where it came from.

Above that was a house built of stones.

Golden Snake Hall.

This is where the many leaders of Snake Island discuss important matters.

Behind the Golden Snake Hall is the residence of the eldest brother, Hirata Taro.

There were two fierce-looking Japanese pirates guarding the entrance. When they arrived at the entrance, Horikawa Sousuke nodded to the two men, and one of them pushed open the wooden door and went inside.

Not long after, a series of heavy footsteps were heard.

A tall figure almost completely blocked the entrance. At first glance, Horikawa Sousuke even thought he had accidentally seen a chimpanzee. It was a genuine strongman, whose stature was practically that of a giant among the generally short Japanese pirates. His eyes were like copper bells, his dark skin was covered with thick body hair, and he was only wrapped in an animal skin. He exuded a strong, savage aura.

Thump. Horikawa Sousuke's throat bobbed, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground: "Greetings, Boss."

This burly, dark-skinned man was none other than Hirata Taro, the leader of Snake Island.

The Hirata family had a total of seven brothers. Jiro, Shiro, and Goro had already died in the previous raids, leaving only four brothers. As a result, three of them died in the battle of Ningping.

No wonder Hirata Taro lost control; no matter the cost, he was determined to chop off Song Yan's head.

As for Horikawa Sousuke, he was not originally a pirate, but a merchant who traveled between Japan and Ningping. He was chosen by Hirata Taro because of his fluency in Chinese and was specifically responsible for some special communications.

Although he had lost some of his freedom, when he plunged a knife into the heart of a man from the Central Plains with trembling hands, tasting the warm blood splattering on his face, and when Hirata Taro gave him a fair-skinned and beautiful woman, Horikawa Sousuke had already fallen deeply in love with this feeling.

It's like a wild beast hidden deep within has been released.

He knew that was his true nature.

"Get up."

The sound was exceptionally loud; Horikawa Sousuke even felt a buzzing in his ears.

"How are things going?"

Horikawa Sousuke, who had just stood up, frowned: "This is a bit troublesome."

"What do you mean? Could it be that Song Yan has noticed something?" Hirata Taro's pupils suddenly dilated, making his already large eyes even more frightening.

His aura suddenly became terrifying.

He killed his last three brothers; only blood can avenge this blood feud.

He wouldn't let Song Yan go, but Hirata Taro also understood that if Song Yan didn't fall for it and stayed in Ningping County, it would be quite difficult for him to get revenge.

“No, that’s not it…” Horikawa Sousuke glanced cautiously at Hirata Taro: “That guy is far more greedy than we imagined. He should… absolutely believe what I said.”

Horikawa Sousuke should change "should" to "absolute," since that would show how efficient he is.

"But that damned guy is far more greedy than we imagined. He actually wants 300,000 taels of silver before he'll do anything. I can't make that decision." Horikawa Sousuke recounted his conversation with Song Yan.

It also specifically described Song Yan's greedy face.

Three hundred thousand.

He really dared to say that.

Although Snake Island has robbed many caravans and looted many villages over the years, and has made a lot of money, there are still so many brothers to support. It is really hard to say whether there is actually 300,000 taels of silver.

Hirata Taro frowned deeply.

Three hundred thousand taels of silver—it's not like we can't come up with that amount.

But that was most of my life savings.

Although he wanted to avenge his brother, but...

“Boss, since Song Yan asked for money, it means he didn’t see through our plan.”

"Perhaps we could get Masao Kameda and Masanori Furukawa to contribute some money as well..." As if sensing his boss's doubts, Sosuke Horikawa said with a smile, "As long as we promise that all the wealth in Ningping County will belong to their two families after we kill Song Yan... I think they should agree."

Hirata Taro's eyelids twitched, as if he were weighing the pros and cons: "That's a county town, and it's said that a duke and a princess live there..."

"Lord Hirata, our cooperation is only to kill Song Yan. There is no part of the cooperation to break through Ningping. I have seen the walls of Ningping. To be honest, without an inside agent, it is not an easy task to break through the walls. It will definitely leave a lot of corpses behind." Horikawa Sousuke said in a sinister tone, "It is a good opportunity to weaken the power of both of us."

"Furthermore, even if they do manage to invade Ningping, do you think the two families will fight over the wealth within Ningping?"

“Once we start fighting each other, we will both be severely damaged. At that time, we might be able to take the opportunity to annex Skull Island and Shark Island, and Snake Island can regain its former glory.”

Horikawa Sousuke was not only a translator but also a strategist; he was indeed a bit smarter than the average Japanese pirate.

A strange smile appeared on Hirata Taro's dark face: "So, Sousuke, how much money do you think would be appropriate for their family to pay?"

"Song Yan is asking for an exorbitant 600,000 yuan. I think it would be more reasonable for their family to contribute 200,000 yuan!"

(End of this chapter)