Late Ming Dynasty: The Counterattack Begins with Sea Pirates

The man was clearly still reeling from the fear he had just experienced.

He didn't listen to a word of Chi Honghai's question and only kept begging for mercy.

Liu Qingjiang, unable to bear the man's constant muttering, kicked him.

"I'm asking you a question, who are you?"

The man was flustered and mumbled something unintelligible.

The pirates nearby couldn't stand it any longer, so they knelt down and crawled in front of Chi Honghai.

"Sir, we are pirates from Xin'an County. We usually just rob ordinary people; we've never done anything to provoke you!"

"So, what's the purpose of your two ships coming here today?"

"The guys just drive out every day to try their luck and see if they can make a profit..."

Chi Honghai stretched out his hand to Pang San, gesturing for Pang San to hand him the knife he had just used.

He then held the blood-stained knife to the man's neck.

"My lord...my lord..."

"Try your luck? There's hardly anyone living south of Xin'an County. If you're going to try your luck, at least make sure you know the directions! Do you think I'm blind?!"

The blood from the blade stained his neck, and because the man was trembling with fear, he kept rubbing against the blade, making it unclear whether the bloodstain was from the knife or his neck.

"Last chance."

"Sir...we came to this south on orders from our boss. He said a government ship from Guangzhou Prefecture was passing by today, and we were sent to rob it."

Where's your boss?

"A few days ago, the boss led his men to rob villages in Guangzhou at night. He also found out about the official ship. So he sent us here, saying it was the first time he had robbed the government's property, and he wanted us to come and give him some courage."

"First time robbing the government, and you don't even dare to show your face? Are you afraid the government is too powerful to mess with and will sell you out? Hahahaha!" Liu Qingjiang laughed loudly from the side.

The pirates kneeling on the deck were ashamed, keeping their heads down and not daring to look up.

Chi Honghai then asked a question.

"Where can we settle down?"

The man then began to stammer again, and after a long while, he finally managed to give a reply that Chi Honghai was not satisfied with.

"Sir... if I tell him, our boss will definitely kill me."

"If you don't talk, I can kill you right now."

The man's lips were trembling.

"Tell me...tell me...I'll tell you..."

"The village is located on a small island in the northwest."

The island in the northwest... But when I went to Xin'an County a few days ago, I went in that direction, so why didn't I see it?

If you go at night, you won't see much, but if you come back, it will be during the day.

"Bullshit! I just came back from Xin'an County in this boat a few days ago, and I didn't see any villages there."

"Sir...our village doesn't face the sea. You can't see it when you pass by the sea on ordinary days. Sir, didn't I say that our leader went to Guangzhou a few days ago? We went there too..."

After he finished speaking, the knife that was held to his neck was finally lowered.

The man quickly touched his neck to check for any injuries.

Chi Honghai mocked the dozens of people kneeling on the deck.

"I'll give you two choices: either swim back yourselves, or come with me."

If you were to swim back to this place by yourself, you could feed the fish along the way.

To survive, since they were all pirates anyway, what difference did it make whether they worked for them or not?

These people then changed their way of addressing each other, no longer calling him "sir" but instead following Liu Qingjiang and the others' example and calling him "master".

"Drive back and load the rest of the cargo."

……

Returning to Hong Kong Island, we went there by one boat, but came back by two.

The dozens of bound pirates were arranged into a circle by Chi Honghai using simple branches and sticks stuck into the sand.

These branches and sticks were simply wrapped around them in a circle, without any ropes or anything to connect them.

In short, if you want to go out, all you need to do is raise your bar a little.

However, Chi Honghai simply confined them inside and gave them some simple instructions.

"Stay here, don't go anywhere."

Turning his head, Chi Honghai had Pang San summon Ai Si and instructed him that these people should not be given a single grain of rice or a drop of water today.

"Master, haven't they all followed us? Why aren't they being given any food?"

"Do you really think they want to follow me sincerely?"

As dusk fell, the group of people who had been confined were already getting restless.

Especially after seeing that everyone on the island had finished dinner, while he hadn't received anything, he couldn't help but feel resentful.

First, someone slammed their hand on these so-called fences and shouted: "We've been sunbathing here for half a day, why aren't we given food or water! We don't even have a place to stay."

After a while, some people even kicked over these wooden sticks to vent their anger.

Pang San tried to stop him, but Chi Honghai stopped him with a smile.

"Let them do it, as long as they don't go out."

When it got completely dark.

Some of the people inside were too weak to do anything else. They just sat quietly in place, enjoying the evening sea breeze, and accepted their fate.

A few hot-tempered individuals, after enduring a barrage of curses and swears, finally kicked away the wooden stick in front of them and walked out, inciting the seated people as they went.

Just then, Chi Honghai led his men to the group.

"Good, good, at least there's someone to lead the way."

"Pah! I thought I'd have a good life with you, but you treat us like animals!"

"Oh? This beast can't understand human language. If it could, it wouldn't be a beast."

Chi Honghai clapped his hands, and the grilled fish, coarse grains, and some rice porridge behind him were carried up by Shen Er, Ai Si, and others.

Upon seeing the food, the people felt a glimmer of hope and scrambled to their feet, limping towards the fence.

Humans are made of iron and food are made of steel. When you're hungry, nothing else matters, or rather, nothing is as effective as something that can fill your stomach.

"You are all farmers or fishermen who can't make ends meet, so you must be very familiar with the feeling of going hungry."

A silence fell over the crowd; no one spoke.

"Shenji."

"I'm here, sir."

"Send them out."

"Yes, sir."

Shen Er and his servants distributed the food. The still-warm grilled fish, with its skin and flesh torn apart, smelled incredibly fragrant in the gentle sea breeze, and the sound of the skin and flesh tightening was even more mouthwatering.

"Everyone line up. Whoever tries to grab it has to get out of this circle," Chi Honghai reminded everyone.

As for the few people who went out, they all swallowed hard when they saw the food.

He walked hesitantly, his expression reserved, wanting to eat but afraid to move.

One of the bolder ones walked straight up, intending to snatch the grain.

Pang San grabbed him with one hand.

"What do you want to do!"

"I want to eat! You've been watching over me all day! I want to eat! Give me some!"

He pushed and shouted, but Pang San shoved him away, and he fell onto the beach.

He stood up and continued walking towards Shen Er.

Just as Pang San was about to step forward to stop him again.

"Bang!"

Chi Honghai raised his short musket and fired at the man.

"I've already said it, this beast can't understand human language, and a beast's life is worthless."

Chi Honghai turned his head and waved his hand.

Liu Qingjiang and Pang San then drew their swords and quickly stepped forward, killing them all.

People in the industry watched this scene in shock.

"Don't be nervous. You are obedient people. If you are obedient, you are not beasts. You will have food and drink and there will be no danger."

"Master! We will do whatever you say!"

"We'll do whatever the master tells us to do!"