Ming East India Company

In the autumn of the 21st year of the Wanli reign, after several months of blockade and naval battles, the war between Spain and Ryukyu finally came to an end.

After the Spanish handed over the head, Shirono lifted the blockade against them.

At the same time, the Spanish agreed to designate the eight villages as a "residential area" of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the Ming refugees who originally lived there were transformed into subjects of Ryukyu.

Furthermore, the Spanish allowed them to fortify their city for self-defense, so that they would have a place to maneuver should they be attacked again in the future.

At the same time, Hakuno also announced that Spanish merchants would be allowed to continue to conduct business and trade in East Asia under the "protection" of Ryukyu. In this way, the Spanish in Manila quickly recovered from the losses that Hakuno had caused them in the war.

After all, as long as the interests are aligned, there's no grudge these businessmen can't resolve.

In Baiye's view, now is not the time to remove Manila, this Spanish "nail".

Firstly, the Ryukyu Kingdom also needed to rely on trade with the Spanish to acquire silver from the Americas and accumulate strength.

Secondly, if they were to capture Manila now, they would inevitably face a continuous stream of reinforcements from Spain, and Bai Ye was not confident that he could keep fighting them indefinitely. Therefore, he needed to develop his forces cautiously.

……

Manila's rainy season is always accompanied by an oppressive damp chill and gloom.

The continuous drizzle has been falling for three days, the light rain pattering on the ruins of the Eighth Company District.

This area was once the most concentrated and prosperous Chinese settlement in Manila. With its crisscrossing streets, numerous shops, and scattered residences, tens of thousands of Chinese settled here to do business, build their lives, and create a vibrant atmosphere. It was the most stable home for these exiles who had fled the Ming Dynasty in a foreign land.

But now, all that remains is a devastated ruin.

Six months ago, the Spanish governor Acuña, on charges of "colluding with pirates and plotting rebellion," brazenly ordered troops to sweep through the Eighth District.

This once prosperous settlement was transformed into a living hell overnight.

Houses were burned to charred frames, streets were filled with rubble, and broken beams, pillars, broken doors and windows, and charred furniture were everywhere.

Even after half a year of wind and rain, dark brown bloodstains can still be seen on the ground, deeply seeping into the soil and lingering there.

Tens of thousands of Chinese civilians died or fled, and only a little over ten thousand survived by sheer luck.

Almost every survivor has a relative who died in the Spanish massacre, and now they can only build thatched huts on these ruins to barely make ends meet.

Acuña, the Governor-General of Manila, was the highest-ranking Spanish ruler in Manila; his nephew Diego, the garrison commander, was the direct executor of the sweep of the Eighth Company, his hands stained with the blood of Chinese civilians, and he was the mortal enemy hated to the bone by all the survivors of the Eighth Company.

They dreamed of seeing the uncle and nephew brought to justice, wanting to bring the heads of their enemies to comfort the souls of their loved ones who had died tragically under the Spanish swords.

And that day has finally come.

The rain gradually stopped, the dark clouds dispersed slightly, and a faint ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone on the ruins of the Eighth Company.

In the center of the ruins, a makeshift altar had already been erected on a cleared area.

There were no elaborate decorations or exquisite offerings, only a few flat bluestones forming a platform, on which were placed incense burners, coarse porcelain offering bowls, several pieces of white cloth, and rows of wooden plaques engraved with names.

Those are the memorial tablets of the people who died tragically in the Eighth Company. They are densely packed, hundreds and thousands of them. Behind each wooden tablet is an innocent life lost, a tragedy of a family destroyed.

Lynn, dressed in plain clothes with no sword at his waist, stood solemnly before the altar. Behind him stood thousands of survivors, lined up in neat rows.

Among these people were elderly people with white hair and unsteady steps, women in tattered clothes with tear stains on their faces, young and middle-aged people with grief in their eyes and tense bodies, and young children who were still young and tightly clutching the hem of their elders' clothes.

Everyone was dressed in plain clothes, their faces were filled with grief, their eyes were bloodshot, and their expressions were solemn and sorrowful. They stood quietly on the ruins, waiting for a sacrificial ceremony that was half a year overdue.

On this homeland soaked in the blood of their loved ones, they would pay homage to the departed souls, comfort the deceased, and recount the forbearance and grief they had endured for the past six months.

Just as the festival was about to begin, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the end of the road in the distance.

A team, trudging along the muddy road, slowly made its way towards the ruins of the Eighth Company.

The person in charge was none other than Bai Ye.

He was followed by several bodyguards, two of whom carried two tightly sealed and clean sandalwood gift boxes. Their steps were steady and their expressions solemn.

Upon learning that Lynn would be holding a memorial service in the ruins of the Eighth Company to comfort the souls of the Chinese who died tragically, Bai Ye made a special trip to the site and brought two "offerings" that were enough to cause all the survivors to have an emotional breakdown.

Upon seeing Bai Ye and his group arrive, Lynn immediately stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said in a tone full of reverence, "Master, thank you for coming in person."

Bai Ye nodded slightly, raised his hand to help Lynn up, his gaze sweeping over the devastated ruins before him, over the densely packed memorial tablets on the altar, and over the thousands of sorrowful Chinese survivors behind him. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes, and his tone was steady and solemn:

"Today is the day the souls of the Eighth Company rest in peace, and I should come. Moreover, what I bring today is a true token to comfort the departed and console the living."

As he spoke, Shirono stepped aside, signaling his guards to carry the two sandalwood gift boxes to the altar.

All the thousands of survivors in the room focused their attention on the two gift boxes, their hearts filled with doubt, yet also with a faint sense of anticipation.

Lynn was also somewhat puzzled. He looked at Bai Ye and asked in a low voice, "Master, what's in this gift box?"

"Open."

Bai Ye did not answer directly, but simply uttered two words.

Upon hearing the sound, the guards immediately stepped forward and slowly opened the lids of the two sandalwood gift boxes.

The box was lined with a clean white cloth, and on the cloth, two heads rested quietly.

His hair and beard were disheveled, his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were wide open, still showing traces of the fear and despair he felt before his death.

Even though they were already dead, all the survivors of the Eighth Company present recognized those two faces at a glance.

Instantly, the entire venue fell silent.

The next second, the grief, pain, hatred, and grievances that had been suppressed for half a year burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam!

"It's Acunia! It's that damned governor!"

"Diego! It was him! He led his troops to burn down our homes! He killed our loved ones!"

A heart-wrenching scream erupted from the crowd.

An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, staggered to the altar, his whole body trembling violently. Looking at the head of little Acunia in the gift box, he burst into tears and cried out to the heavens.

"My son! My son! Open your eyes and see! The murderer who killed you has been brought to justice! Your father has come to see you with his head!"

Six months ago, the old man's only son was killed in the street by Spaniards, his family property was looted, and his house was burned to the ground. The old man lost his family and his family overnight and has been living in pain and hatred ever since.

Seeing his enemy's severed head, the old man finally released all the grief he had accumulated over the past six months. His heart-wrenching cries brought tears to the eyes of everyone present.

Then, more survivors could no longer control their emotions.

The woman who lost her husband knelt on the ground and cried loudly in front of the memorial tablet on the altar. As she cried, she told her tragically deceased relatives that the great revenge had been achieved and the murderer had been brought to justice.

The young men who lost their parents, wives and children had bloodshot eyes, clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug deep into their palms, and trembled all over. Their eyes were filled with the pleasure of revenge and the long-suppressed grief and indignation.

Even young children, who don't understand much about the world, started to sob quietly as they watched their elders weep.

Cries rose and fell, echoing across the ruins, carried by the cool breeze to every inch of scorched earth.

They hated the Acunia uncle and nephew for half a year, resented them for half a year, and endured it for half a year, dreaming of making these two executioners pay for their blood debts.

Lynn stood before the altar, looking at the severed heads of his two enemies and the villagers behind him weeping uncontrollably, his eyes slightly reddening. He turned to all the survivors present, his voice loud and clear, filled with deep respect, and spoke each word carefully.

"Fellow villagers, elders and brothers!"

"Six months ago, the Akunia uncle and nephew were brutal and inhumane. They sent troops to sweep through my Eighth Company, burned my houses, killed my relatives, and plundered my wealth, leaving us destitute and homeless! We endured humiliation and lived on day and night, hoping that one day we could avenge our great hatred and comfort the souls of our deceased loved ones!"

"Today, we are able to offer the heads of our enemies to our loved ones, to let the deceased rest in peace, and to have the opportunity to rebuild our homes, all thanks to one person—Hakuno Hero of the Ryukyu Kingdom!"

"It was Lord Hakuno who led the Ryukyu navy, undaunted by powerful enemies, who decisively defeated the Spanish fleet, suppressed the Governor of Manila, avenged our blood debt, and slew our enemies! It was Lord Hakuno who fought for the rights of us Ming Dynasty refugees, sheltered us survivors, and gave us a safe home!"

"This immense kindness is heavier than mountains and seas; we will never forget it!"

His words, each one powerful and resonant, struck a chord deep within the hearts of every survivor.

As the crying gradually subsided, everyone's gaze turned to Bai Ye, who was standing on one side of the altar. Their eyes no longer held only grief and indignation, but also heartfelt gratitude, respect, and support.

Looking at the calm and composed man before them, the man who had stood up for them, these strangers and refugees, to fight against a powerful enemy and avenge their grievances, their hearts were filled with gratitude that overwhelmed all other emotions like a tidal wave.

In a foreign land, they suffered oppression, discrimination, and slaughter at the hands of the colonizers, left helpless and barely surviving like ants.

It was Baiye who gave them dignity, justice, and hope to survive and rebuild their homes. This kindness is higher than the sky and deeper than the sea.

Someone, I don't know who, was the first to kneel down and bow deeply to Bai Ye.

"Many thanks to Hero Bai for avenging our loved ones and standing up for us! We will never forget your great kindness!"

One person, two people, three people...

In a short while, before the altar and on the ruins, thousands of survivors of the Eighth Company, regardless of age or gender, knelt down, a dark mass of them, bowing and worshipping Bai Ye.

The sounds of thanks and gratitude echoed throughout the ruins, resounding through the sky.

"Thank you so much, Hero Bai, for your immense kindness!"

"To avenge us is a debt of gratitude we can never repay in this lifetime!"

"If it weren't for Hero Bai, we would never have had a chance to rise up, and our loved ones would never have found peace!"

Bai Ye looked at the thousands of people kneeling before him, his expression moved. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and raised his hand:

"Please rise, everyone! I, Baiye, am not doing this to seek gratitude, but only for justice in the world, to prevent the weak from being oppressed, and to allow innocent souls to rest in peace."

I, Baiye, hail from the Ming Dynasty. Though I now reside in Ryukyu, I have not forgotten the other Ming Dynasty exiles who have also wandered far from home. We are all far from our homeland; helping and supporting each other is simply our duty.

Even though Bai Ye offered to help them up, the people present still refused to get up.

The white-haired old man who had just led the kowtow, leaning on his cane again, kowtowed deeply, his voice aged yet incredibly firm, carrying a resolute determination, shouting each word loudly.

"Hero, we, the people of the Eighth Company, are all refugees from a defeated nation, suffering endless humiliation in a foreign land, living a life of constant uncertainty. Only you, sir, have truly protected us, avenged us, and given us a way to survive!"

"From this day forward, we, the people of the Eight-Ryukyu Kingdom, swear by our lives that we will follow the great hero Bai for generations, and be loyal to the Kingdom of Ryukyu. In this life and the next, we will never waver! We will brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, and die ten thousand times over! If we break this oath, may we be struck by lightning and meet a terrible end!"

Thousands of survivors, kneeling on the ground, echoed each other and swore an oath in unison.

The voice was powerful and resounding, carrying a determination to follow to the death, and echoed for a long time on the ruins of the Eighth Company.

"We swear to serve Lord Hakuno to the death! We have no other intentions!"

"We will follow you for generations, even unto death!"

"This kindness and virtue will be repaid with my life; I will never betray you!"

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, where thousands of people were united in their vows, Lynn slowly turned around, knelt on one knee facing Bai Ye, and solemnly swore an oath:

"Lynn, leading the entire Eighth Company of righteous soldiers and all the people, swear to serve our master and Ryukyu to the death, to guard the Eighth Company, and to have no other intentions!"

Standing before the altar, Bai Ye looked at the thousands of people kneeling before him, swearing oaths in unison, and at the devastated yet revitalized ruins of the Eighth Company. A hint of emotion flashed in his eyes.

He raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to stand up, and in a steady and solemn voice, made a promise:

"Rest assured, everyone. With me, Baiye, and with Ryukyu here, we will do our utmost to protect the people of Balian and all the refugees from the Ming Dynasty in Southeast Asia."

We will never again allow anyone to bully you, slaughter you, or invade your homeland. The Eighth Company will be rebuilt and will once again become your peaceful and prosperous home!

Afterwards, Lynn personally offered incense and placed the heads of Acunia and his nephew before the altar. Facing the densely packed memorial tablets of the dead, he bowed and worshipped, comforting all his tragically deceased relatives: the great revenge has been taken and justice has been served.

Thousands of survivors stepped forward one by one, burned incense and paid their respects to their loved ones' memorial tablets, weeping and expressing their longing, their joy at having their great revenge fulfilled, and their gratitude to Bai Ye.