46

"This island is really big." Standing on the top of the mountain, looking at the ground covered with lush green below, Cheng Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

These days, she has been surveying the island's environment.

Luoling Island is quite large. The pirates' village, which can accommodate one or two thousand people, actually only occupies a small corner of it. There are still large areas of undeveloped dense forests and mountains.

The terrain of this island is not flat. It is high in the east and low in the west, with mountains and rivers. Its area is probably as large as a district in a third-tier city.

However, the terrain is quite suitable for defense. There is only one deep-water port and one long beach for landing, and the rest are steep cliffs, where ships cannot dock at all. It can be said to be easy to defend but difficult to attack.

If we build another refuge in the mountains, we can retreat to safety even if we encounter a large army.

However, it is difficult to build such fortifications and it will not be completed in a short time.

After thinking for a while, Cheng Xi asked, "How many people do you think can live on this island?"

Yan Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Five or six thousand people should be able to be self-sufficient, but does the leader really want to start a large-scale construction project here?"

"Why not? This is a perfect hiding place." Cheng Xi smiled.

There is a port, but it is far from the coastline, so it is unlikely to encounter soldiers. The island is covered with lush vegetation, which means that fresh water resources are very abundant. The terrain is also different, so it is possible to set up outposts on the mountain to monitor the nearby sea area.

More importantly, the location of this island is really great. If you want to travel to the South Pacific countries from major ports such as Panyu and Quanzhou, you will most likely pass through this island.

If you want to go to Panyu from Annan or Hepu, this is also a must-pass place.

No wonder the Lu family funded pirates to occupy this island. Their strategic vision is truly impeccable.

Yan Yuan frowned. "It's true that this island is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but if the imperial court really sends troops, it will be difficult to escape. After all, it's just an island, not a place to stay for a long time."

This is true. General Qiu had searched all the coastal islands and killed countless bandits.

If you encounter another famous general like this, it will be difficult to escape. But, will there be another general like this?

Cheng Xi sneered, "Who in the court cares about the ownership of the sea? Besides, even a cunning rabbit has three burrows. If we don't establish an island overseas, the Dongning camp will be unstable."

Yan Yuan fell silent upon hearing this. Indeed, if someone in the imperial court truly cared about the situation on the coast, how could they have so easily harmed the general and allowed the resurgence of pirates at sea? And occupying a position on the island would indeed provide a coherent response to the main camp on shore, preventing officers and soldiers from taking action rashly, thus achieving a mutually protective effect.

After thinking it over, Yan Yuan said, "If you want to run a business on the island, you need money. If you only rely on business, won't you be controlled by Mr. Lu? But if you don't do business, do you have to rob merchant ships?"

Building a large city that can accommodate four or five thousand people requires more than just a little manpower and material resources.

The warehouses on the island can still hold out for some time, but it is not a long-term solution after all.

However, the Red Flag Gang's only real estate was the grain route, and they were extremely dependent on Lu Jian, a major grain merchant. In the future, the other party would also establish a maritime grain transport caravan, which would put them in a passive position. Besides commerce, the most profitable business at sea was plundering.

Cheng Xi shook his head: "Who said we can only rob merchant ships?"

Yan Yuan was stunned: "If they don't rob merchant ships, are they going to rob the shore?"

This is a big taboo. Didn't they say that the Red Flag Gang would not attack villages on the shore?

"Of course it's the marauding pirates." Cheng Xi didn't let him guess anymore and gave the answer directly.

Is there anything more profitable than a thief robbing another thief? Furthermore, she wanted to control the seas, so she had to fight other pirates. Once her power grew large enough, she would collect taxes and protect the region on behalf of the government.

In history, great pirates, in addition to being merchants, also had the function of maintaining order. Although the road is a bit off, this kind of order and peace should also be General Qiu's wish, right?

Yan Yuan was stunned. He had never thought that Cheng Xi would have such ambitions! But the answer of fighting pirates was irresistible to him.

Isn't that what the military commander did back then? Now that the imperial court is unable to govern the sea borders, it would be better to hand it over to the young lady!

After a moment's pause, he nodded vigorously: "If the leader has such intentions, I will do my best to help!"

Cheng Xi smiled and asked casually, "Do you know the titles of the positions within those boat gangs? Now that the Red Flag Gang is also expanding, we still need to decide on them first."

She was used to being called first mate, second mate, fleet captain, and the like, but pirates definitely didn't call them that.

Yan Yuan is a soldier under General Qiu, so he should know something about this, right?

As expected, Yan Yuan immediately said, "The gang's chief... ahem, big boss, is usually called the head of the family, the big boss, or the big owner. Under him are large and small groups, each in charge of a dozen ships, also known as the flag owner. Then there are the big and small leaders who lead three or four ships. On the ship, there is the helmsman who steers the ship, the fireman who manages the deck, the accountant who manages the finances, and the rest are the boatmen who are responsible for raising and lowering the sails, rowing, and dropping anchor."

Hearing the term "big boss", Cheng Xi almost laughed out loud. After thinking for a while, she said, "Then let's just call him the boss. It won't be wrong to call him that when we go ashore in the future. We will have several flag owners, each responsible for a flag, and the flags will be distinguished by birds and beasts. At the same time, we will have a deputy position on each ship to assist the captain in handling various matters. If the captain is injured or dies, the first mate can take his place and take charge of the ship. If we expand new ships in the future, these first mates can also be promoted to new captains."

This is a bit like a deputy general among the officers and soldiers, Yan Yuan sighed inwardly and nodded in agreement.

Glancing at the silvery long beach in the distance, Cheng Xi instructed, "The beach that the secret passage led to before must also be fortified with houses. It can't just be used as a backup dock."

Yan Yuan was stunned. "That place has a very long shoal and many reefs. It may not be possible for ships to reach the shore."

Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "If the big ship doesn't work, is the small boat also not capable? If we encounter the same fighting style as the Qingfeng Gang again, I estimate that we will fall in less than half an hour."

This is true, but how many people on the sea can be as crazy as the Qingfeng Gang, daring to cross the sea and attack the island with just dozens of small boats?

After agreeing, Yan Yuan couldn't help but say, "The boss of the Qingfeng Gang should stay away from them, especially the leader Shen Feng!"

Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "I have also met Shen Feng, is there anything I should be wary of?"

Yan Yuanke had never expected that Shen Feng would also arrive that night and meet Cheng Xi. He immediately became nervous: "Shen Feng is a despicable and shameless person, and his behavior is even worse. We must not be deceived by him..."

Cheng Xi raised his hand to stop him. "Wait, why did you change the way you describe this person? I heard that Shen Feng is known as 'Shen Sandao' and is a villain who has killed countless people."

His statement was as if the other party was a pervert who would kidnap his own lady.

After all, he is a big shot on the sea. Isn't the direction of his defense a bit off?

Yan Yuan hadn't expected Cheng Xi to even know the man's nickname. After a long pause, he whispered, "It's not that they've killed countless people. The Qingfeng Gang is actually known for their willingness to help others and is highly praised by the people. That's why the military didn't pursue them too harshly back then. The Qingfeng Gang has grown in recent years, and his mediation is indispensable."

Cheng Xi couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "He's an interesting character."

The secret competition that day had already made her see how powerful he was. His charm was truly extraordinary, and he was a person who could easily make people feel good about him.

For people with low self-control, it must be really difficult to cope with, right?

However, the more such a person is, the higher his emotional intelligence is, and he can be considered a standard opportunist.

In other words, no matter whether you are a man or a woman, it should be the same in his eyes, and it is easier to communicate with you than some people who are overly chauvinistic.

Unexpectedly, even though he had made his words so clear, Cheng Xi seemed to be very interested. Yan Yuan was even anxious: "Miss, don't be fooled by this thief!"

Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "Why, are you afraid that I'll be seduced?"

Of course he was afraid, but saying it so clearly made it impossible for people to respond, and Yan Yuan was speechless for a moment.

Cheng Xi's face darkened. "How can I care about the personal feelings of my children when my great revenge has not yet been avenged? Whether they are enemies or friends depends on whether they can be used by me. I don't need to worry about anything else."

Her current situation is extremely dangerous. If she takes a wrong step, she will lose countless lives.

Who has the time to think about these romantic things? To feel disgust or preference based on one's perception is the most unwise choice.

These words were spoken calmly, but Yan Yuan's heart tightened.

If he remembered correctly, the young lady was already seventeen years old this year. If she were in another family, she might have been married, but now she was wearing men's clothes and fighting on the sea.

The general loves the young lady like a pearl in his palm. What would he think if he saw the situation today?

With mixed feelings in his heart, Yan Yuan was speechless for a moment.

Cheng Xi exclaimed, "A boat is coming back."

Yan Yuan followed her gaze and found that there was indeed a ship slowly approaching, with the red flag hanging on the ship faintly visible.

The Red Flag Gang’s ship is back!

Several people immediately went down the mountain and rushed towards the dock. When they arrived at the dock, the boat had already docked. A small figure jumped off first and ran forward.

"Sir!" If He Ling hadn't remembered her identity, she might have thrown herself into his arms. She barely managed to stop herself in front of Cheng Xi, but she couldn't control the silly smile on her face.

Looking at the little red face full of excitement, Cheng Xi reached out and rubbed her little head: "Why did you come so quickly?"

"Young Master said he wanted a girl, so it must be something important! Of course we have to come quickly!" He Ling said firmly.

This is actually true. They were asked to come here to appease the women on the island.

It had been several days since she captured Luoling Island, but she had never opened the door to the women's camp, nor had she let any men in. She just let the women help with cooking.

But this is not a long-term solution. We still need to find some people and tell them that the situation has changed and they don’t need to worry anymore.

However, women who have suffered serious violence will be afraid of men, so it is better to leave this task to women like He Ling.

"Yes, it's an important matter. I'll tell you later." Cheng Xi gave an order, then turned his head and looked at the new captain who came forward to salute, and said with a smile, "Li Lai, is it your turn to steer the boat this time?"

Li Lai immediately lowered his head and said, "During this period, two groups of bandits attacked the camp and seized four new ships. Thanks to the leader's advice, the captain trusted me and took charge of one of the ships."

Li Lai was originally Li Niu's confidant. When he entered the city to rescue people, he was also a main force with outstanding abilities.

Cheng Xi had no objection to this decision and simply asked, "What's the situation at the main camp? Are there any casualties?"

"The bishop's formation was too powerful. The enemy troops were no match for him. Only a few were slightly wounded, no one was killed!" Li Lai immediately became excited. "We killed 82 enemies in two battles and captured over 60 surrendered soldiers. The captain ordered me to bring them to you!"

Cheng Xi was not surprised by the results of the battle. What she taught these people was the famous "Double Duck Formation", the strongest formation in the cold weapon generation with a combat loss ratio of 1:100. Not to mention facing pirates, even the better-equipped Japanese pirates would be pinned to the ground.

As long as the command is proper, the security of the camp will be very high.

However, the victory or defeat was not surprising, but the number of surrendered soldiers was a little strange. Cheng Xi frowned: "Why are there so many enemies? Didn't you control the number of decoys?"

Li Lai realized the leader had misunderstood and quickly said, "Not all four ships arrived at once. The first group was led by a sentry, but the last three ships with a hundred people were guided. The two leaders have already apprehended the culprit, the elder from Erwang Village who sold the woman before! Those pirates have infiltrated Erwang Village and actually sold out our main camp, hoping to trap us! Could the leader please advise us on how to deal with these ungrateful people?"

Before Cheng Xi could answer, Yan Yuan, who was following behind, felt a pang in his heart. Oh no!

He had also heard Cheng Xi talk about the Red Flag Gang's main camp in Dongning County, and he also knew about their practice of buying rice on credit in Dongning.

This will certainly win people's hearts, but it will also make some villages disrespectful and harbor evil intentions.

Just like the rebellious Erwang Village, they have already threatened the survival of the main camp. If they don't kill so many people, how can they relieve the hatred in the hearts of the gang members? But if they really take action, the previous kindness they showed will become a joke. The coastal villages will not be grateful for the kindness, but will only be shocked and terrified, fearing that they will become another Erwang Village.

This fear may be useful to the Red Flag Gang temporarily, but in the long run, their plan to base themselves on the coast will surely fail, and they may even face backlash at any time.

The young lady really thought too simply. Maybe she should abandon the camp on the shore as soon as possible and move a few villages to the island.

However, not everyone in the three core villages may be willing to join the gang, and further division would be troublesome.

Yan Yuan's thoughts raced as he realized he couldn't come up with a suitable solution, which made him even more anxious. Cheng Xi pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, "Where's the elder who led the way?"

Li Lai was stunned and quickly said, "Captain Sun has already killed this beast and hung his head in the camp."

Shouldn't that person be killed? But how can we convince the public if we don't kill him?

Li Lai was a little frightened, not knowing what Cheng Xi meant by this.

Cheng Xi turned to He Ling and said, "Ah Ling, there are also people from Erwang Village in the women's camp. Have you heard about the situation in the village?"

He Ling was surprised to be called out, and was stunned for a moment before answering immediately, "I've heard of it! There are a few powerful families in this village who hold the position of village chief. Whenever there's trouble in the village, they use the ancestral hall to bully other families. Selling children is the least of their worries. Remarrying widows and exploiting their catches are commonplace. Now that they've suffered a disaster, they've become even worse. I heard they've pocketed most of the money they earned from selling people!"