28

The words "kill without mercy" made everyone shut up and hold their breath, but no one objected.

They are indeed not pirates, but fishermen who are just trying to make a living.

Most people had no intention of killing officials or rebelling. If it was possible to avoid looting, it would naturally be better not to do so.

If the people from the three villages only agreed in their hearts, the coolies from other villages already had red eyes and were shedding tears.

Their homes were destroyed by bandits, their loved ones perished at their hands. Who could not resent them? But the Red Flag Gang was completely different from those evil bandits! They would not commit evil. Instead, they would take in those who, like themselves, were homeless and starving, and give them a place to live.

This ban alone is enough to make them devote their lives to the service and be loyal to it!

Cheng Xi didn't wait for everyone to react and held up a second finger. "Second, you must not rape other people's wives and daughters, and you must not forcibly take women. Those who violate this will be killed without mercy! Who in this world doesn't have sisters, wives, and daughters, and a mother to give birth to them? Those who have lost all conscience will be punished by the gods and ghosts, and the Red Flag Gang will never tolerate this!"

This one was a bit unexpected, but a roar erupted from the crowd: "You bully weak women, and you dare to call yourself a man?!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and some even whistled.

Cheng Xi also laughed and shouted: "A man of honor will never worry about not having a wife. As long as he is upright and a man, there will be women who will fall in love with him!"

She is actually not very tall and doesn't look strong, but she has a pretty face that attracts people's attention.

However, when hearing the words "A real man never worries about not having a wife?", many people felt their hearts burning with excitement.

Yes, the gang leader is so young, yet he can kill people, train soldiers, open up food routes, build a shipping gang, and even rescue Captain Li who is imprisoned.

Ambition is not limited by age, so how could they be looked down upon? As for women, as long as they have money, they can get as many as they want in brothels. Why would they bully decent women?

Of course, there were also some people who were secretly shocked and felt a little regretful in their hearts.

The Red Flag Gang was so powerful that they secretly entertained the idea that one day they would be able to attack the county government, divide the money and food of the rich, or plunder villages and enjoy the women at will.

The evil thoughts came to their mind and they were itching to do it, but before they could actually try, the ban was placed in front of them.

That means "kill without mercy" and "kill without pardon".

The person who said these two things was a strong man who could kill several people in a row, force the county magistrate to retreat, and save two villages single-handedly.

If I violated the prohibition he had set, would I still be able to survive? All of a sudden, all thoughts were suppressed, and I dared not raise them again.

After the laughter died down a bit, Cheng Xi raised his third finger: "The third one is also the most important one. In the future, a public treasury will be established in the gang, and each ship will contribute one to two percent to the treasury. If you defeat the pirates and seize the ships, all the spoils must be handed over, eight percent to the treasury, and two percent to be divided equally. No one is allowed to keep the spoils privately. And this public treasury is used to reward people. Those who bravely kill the enemy will be rewarded! Those who are fearless and undaunted will be rewarded! Those who have made great contributions will be rewarded! If anyone dies from serious injuries in battle, money and food will be taken from the public treasury to ensure that the disabled have food and clothing, and that the families of those who died in battle will not be in trouble. If you die for the gang, your parents, wife, and children will be taken care of by someone! Anyone who touches the public treasury without permission will be killed!"

These words silenced everyone. Who could have imagined that the gang leader would even share his wealth with ordinary gang members like them? Even in the village, many people had their property seized after their death, and their wives and children forced to death. But the gang leader told them that he would ensure that the injured had enough food and clothing, and would also provide for the families of the deceased, so that they could die without regrets...

The next moment, the entire beach was boiling, and countless people cheered.

This boat gang came suddenly, and the leader was a young man. Even if they were temporarily excited and their blood boiled, they would always regret it secretly.

Would I get into trouble if I were targeted by the authorities? Would I be convicted of being a thief and my family be implicated? It was precisely because I had something to lose that I could easily waver and regret embarking on this path.

However, there is no better way than the one pointed out by Gang Leader Cheng. They will not be thieves, they will not be completely devoid of conscience, and they will not abandon them after being used by others.

Boss Cheng rescued the Li family members from the prison with ease, and even made the evil master come to apologize.

Then of course he can save others, and make those who join this gang worry-free, without having to fear the government, bandits, or even death!

Killing these three without mercy is also to protect them and the lives of all the women and children in the coastal villages?!

Amidst the cheers, a wine jar was placed in front of Cheng Xi. She held a short blade and scratched her palm, and blood dripped into the jar.

Not only her, but also Sun Erlang, Lin Meng and Li Niu beside her also reached out to cut their blood and mixed it into the wine.

"Today, I, Cheng Xi, swear here that I will not abandon my brothers, will not harm the innocent, and will not violate the prohibitions. If I break this oath, I will die without a burial place!"

After saying that, Cheng Xi poured the wine into the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. With a "bang", the porcelain bowl fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

This sound seemed to strike a chord with everyone. The three captains also swore the same oath, drank the same wine, and threw the bowls in the same way, but the first sentence of the oath was changed to "I will obey the orders of the leader"!

That sentence was extremely firm and loud, and it also expressed the voice of everyone.

When the last wine bowl broke, everyone on the beach shouted.

"I will obey the leader's orders, not abandon my brothers, not harm the innocent, and not violate the ban. If I break my oath, I will die without a burial place!"

The voice was mighty, majestic, solemn, firm and decisive.

The once frivolous "Red Flag Gang" coalesced into one at this moment. They were all brothers sworn in blood, all sworn to the gods of heaven and earth. What was there to hesitate or retreat for?

As long as their leader is ahead, they will never retreat!

Li Niu felt his whole body trembling. His injuries had not healed yet, so he could barely get out of bed. But now he felt like he could pick up his sword and go into battle immediately!

When the oath was complete and everyone dispersed with noise and joy, he was the first to approach Cheng Xi and asked anxiously, "Leader, should we send troops to attack Luoling Island?"

This is what he heard from Sun Erlang, but unlike Sun Erlang, he didn't think fighting pirates was difficult. As long as Gang Leader Cheng led the way, those pirates would be scared away!

Cheng Xi glanced at him and asked, "Why, have you forgotten the pain just after your injury healed?"

Li Niu was startled and immediately stood up straight: "I only follow the leader's orders. If the leader says to fight, I will fight!"

This attitude actually made Cheng Xi smile: "I have to fight, but not now, there are more important things to do now.

You need to select a group of smart people from the team, and I will teach them land attack and defense tactics.

After they finish their studies, they will be sent back to their villages to train the villagers, so that all three villages will be able to defend themselves."

Sun Erlang was startled: "Could it be that they are on guard against the government?"

They have also been known to the government. If the fleet goes out to sea, the village may not be able to stop the soldiers.

"Not only the government, but also pirates. The news of the establishment of the Red Flag Gang will spread throughout the sea soon, and who knows what kind of people will be attracted by then." Cheng Xi said solemnly.

The three captains' expressions all changed. Lin Meng couldn't help but say, "No wonder they want to attack Luoling Island. Those bandits will definitely not let us go!"

He hadn't originally thought he could defeat the bandits, but now he thought, it wasn't a question of whether he could defeat them or not; it was a question of whether he could survive safely! Luoling Island was too close to them, and who knew how many people would be attracted by a merchant ship gang. If word got out and the bandits attacked, it would be even worse than an attack by government troops!

Sun Erlang's expression also changed: "Are you going to use the village to lure the enemy?"

The pirates are numerous and they are few in number, so this may be the only way to defeat the other side.

But if they really used the village to lure the enemy, their families and wives would be in danger. How could they do such a thing after having just sworn an oath?

Cheng Xi shook his head: "Fighting on our own territory is the most unwise thing to do. Besides, we need money and manpower to defeat the pirates."

Luoling Island had over a dozen boats with thousands of people on them, while they only had four boats with a hundred or so people. How could they possibly compete? But even so, was it that easy to get money and people?

Li Niu asked what everyone was thinking: "Boss, where can we get people and money?"

Cheng Xi threw out his trump card: "If we had more manpower and more ships, maybe we could negotiate terms with Master Lu."

Everyone was startled. That Mr. Lu who sold them food?

"He doesn't have any ships, but he wants to engage in maritime trade. As long as we are strong enough, it won't be difficult to lure him into the trap." Cheng Xi explained.

"Where did that man and boat come from?" Lin Meng couldn't help but ask. Even if they could trade food for some labor, building a boat wouldn't be easy.

Not to mention that a boat gang has been formed now, which may make some people feel scared and avoid it.

Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "If you want to recruit people, you must establish your authority and reputation. Now that we are selling on credit and receiving goods along the coast, we have already established our reputation. The rest is just to squeeze the weak ones and let people see our prestige."

Selling on credit can also be a moral practice? Was this something he had planned all along? But who was the soft persimmon?

Facing the confused and eager eyes of the crowd, Cheng Xi no longer kept them in suspense: "The late rice has been harvested, and it's time for the government to collect taxes. The increased salt tax this year has probably made many villages suffer. If we can lead them to resist the tax, will these people stand on our side?"

The three captains were all dismayed. Li Niu exclaimed, "Boss, are you going to resist the tax?"

"Why not resist? Did the tax officials go to your Donggou Village this year?" Cheng Xi asked back.

Li Niu was speechless. He really didn't go! Perhaps he was afraid that they were colluding with pirates, so this time not even a tax collector came.

But it would be fine if one village didn’t pay, but how could all the villages not pay?

"If everyone resists taxes, won't the government target us?" Sun Erlang couldn't help but ask.

"The fish tax is a levy imposed by the imperial court, and we can pay it. But the salt tax was levied privately by County Magistrate Cao because he couldn't pay the imperial taxes. What can he do if we don't pay? Will he bring troops to collect it?" Cheng Xi smiled coldly. She hadn't thought of this originally, but after meeting the county magistrate, the idea came to her mind naturally.

When faced with a corrupt official who is afraid of death, of course you can give him a squeeze.

Seeing that everyone was still doubtful, Cheng Xi added, "This is just one reason. The more villages that don't pay their salt taxes, the less the county magistrate can figure out the true nature of our Red Flag Gang, and the more worried they will be about the situation on the coast. If the waters get muddy, we'll naturally be safe. This will not only deter the officials, but also make the other nearby villages aware of the Red Flag Gang's reputation, so they'll understand that we're not just criminals, but strong men who can stand up for them. In this way, are we still worried that no one will come to us?"

Is this feasible? Sun Erlang had also seen that dog official with his own eyes, and at this moment he couldn't find any words to refute.

Lin Meng was a little hesitant: "But what if the taxes can't be collected and the county magistrate wants to punish people?"

This isn't just a matter of one or two villages. If several villages unite to resist taxation, the tax gap will be huge! What if the county magistrate is pushed into a corner?

"If they ask us to pay more, then some people must be paying less. A county lord, incapable of governing, doesn't he know how to bully the weak and fear the strong, and levy heavy taxes?" Cheng Xi raised the corner of his mouth. "It's just that the people he used to exploit have become bandits, making them difficult to deal with. So, why not just turn around and deal with the gentry and wealthy merchants who aren't bandits?"

This is even possible?! Li Niu was completely stunned, but he remembered clearly the three hundred taels sent by Wan Yuanwai. When it came to lives, this group of people were truly resilient.

Sun Erlang took a deep breath and said, "The leader has given orders, and we shall obey!"

They drank the blood wine and placed their lives and the lives of the entire village on the shoulders of the gang leader. Naturally, they had to obey his orders and complete the tasks assigned by him.

And he is not the only one who has this confidence.

As expected, Li Niu and Lin Meng also bowed and said, "It's all up to the leader!"

This is not only the answer of the three of them, but also the answer of the people in the three villages.

Carrying all this is equivalent to carrying hundreds and thousands of lives.

Could Cheng Xi guarantee that her decision was foolproof? Actually, she couldn't. However, at this moment, this was the best, perhaps even the only, way out.

This coastline is too narrow. Behind it is the corrupt court, in front of it are vicious bandits, and the village is next to the salt field. If you are not careful, it will really attract soldiers.

How can we survive in a place like this where all four sides are fighting? We must quickly expand the situation and let the red flag fly high in the sea.

This, however, required a life-or-death struggle. The shallow cut left by the blood oath had already scabbed over. Cheng Xi rubbed it gently, looking up and saying, "Go select the men, the sooner the better."

Tax collection season is the busiest time for the "Zongcui" (general collectors), who work as errand boys for the county magistrate. Each one of them is responsible for collecting taxes from around ten villages, collecting taxes from every household.

This is a popular job. If rich people want to evade taxes, they have to give them some rewards. If poor people want to avoid jail, they also have to look at their faces.

Of course, there are difficulties. If they fail to collect all the taxes, they will be whipped. However, compared with the profits, people are still flocking to it.

As a "chief collector," Zhang Youde's luck wasn't great. He was the nephew of County Magistrate Zhang, and was originally responsible for collecting taxes from the twelve villages in the southwest of the county. Since this area was closer to the salt fields and had some surplus wealth, collecting taxes was quite easy.

Unexpectedly, this year the county magistrate suddenly went crazy and wanted to impose a heavy salt tax on the fishermen.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the county magistrate was afraid of not being able to pay the tax assessed by higher authorities, so he was trying to find a way to raise money on the spur of the moment.

But it’s hard to say whether people can afford such high taxes.

But pirates appeared again this year. Not only did they harass people ashore, but they also killed many people. If this arouses public outrage, wouldn't he, the "chief urger", be in trouble?