"Ouch! That hurts..."
After three rounds of rockets, Atao stopped ordering arrows to be fired. The burning pirate ship was gradually sinking. If it weren't for his excellent swimming skills and his quick decision to jump ship, he would have had no chance of survival.
"Ah! Lord Qi, you can't die..."
When the first round of rockets landed, Qi Bainian was already hit by an arrow and fell to the ground. He was the most conspicuous person on the bow of the ship, and everyone on the ship could see him.
"Ah! Lord Qi, you won't die, you still have to lead us..."
Qi Bainian lay motionless on the ground, his body still burning intensely, making a 'sizzling' sound.
"Ah! Lord Qi..."
Not far away in the sea, several heads popped out of the water, staring in astonishment at the sinking ship.
"Luckily I jumped fast, otherwise I would have been burned to death like these lunatics!"
"I felt something was off after the group of people boarded the ship. They all seemed to be possessed. But it was thanks to their abnormal behavior that I became wary and reminded the brothers."
"Have all the brothers jumped ship?"
"They all jumped."
"Alright, let's go back and report. We couldn't save Qi Bainian, but we compensated with a ship, so we're even."
The pirate glanced towards the land and said, "With Qi Bainian's death, new people will come to Jiangcheng, and the landscape of Jiangyang County will change from now on."
"Let's go, we need to get ready!"
The fishing boat carrying Zhao Cheng glided forward and came to A Tao's side.
Atao nodded to Zhao Cheng and Yuan Yun and said, "Qi Bainian is dead."
Zhao Cheng asked, "Are you sure?"
Atao said earnestly, "The fire was too intense for me to see down from a high vantage point, but when the ship sank, it broke in half, and I could see Qi Bainian's body at the bow."
Zhao Cheng nodded, looked at Yuan Yun, and said, "The commotion tonight is huge, it can't be kept secret after dawn. Can the investigation results on Qi Bainian's massacre of civilians be released as soon as possible?"
"Results won't be available that quickly."
Yuan Yun tightened the collar of her cloak and said confidently, "But with me in Jiangcheng, this matter won't be so difficult. I have already taken responsibility for this matter in front of the people of Jiangcheng. Qi Bainian fled out of fear of punishment, resisted arrest, and was killed. He only has himself to blame. Who can blame me or say that I handled it improperly? I will urge the investigation to proceed, and I will also have the emperor send a new prefect to stabilize the situation immediately."
Zhao Cheng thought so too. Yuan Yun had openly accepted the matter, so her every word and action represented the court. Even if someone wanted to cause trouble, they probably wouldn't have the confidence to do so.
Zhao Cheng laughed and said, "With my wife here, this matter is settled!"
Yuan Yun said, "It was because your judgment was accurate that Qi Bainian lost so completely."
As the couple were praising each other's business, a fishing boat rowed towards the spot where the pirate ship had sunk.
Miao Shaohua stood on the boat, her blank figure resembling a stone waiting for her husband.
After the fishing boat stopped, Miao Shaohua slowly squatted down, reached into the sea to scoop up a spoonful of water, then buried her face in her knees, her body trembling as she sobbed.
Yuan Yun sighed, "After all, we were husband and wife, and there are still feelings between us."
Zhao Cheng disagreed, and said with a sneer, "I think Miao Shaohua was crying because she couldn't catch Qi Bainian alive and couldn't find out where Qi Bainian hid his money."
Yuan Yun: "..."
"You're a devil." Yuan Yun rolled her eyes at Zhao Cheng.
After Zhao Cheng, Yuan Yun, and the others disembarked, a large group of people were already waiting on the shore.
"Big brother! Big sister-in-law!"
Zhao Yan walked over smugly, turned to the side to reveal the person behind him, and said, "My mission is complete!"
Zhao Cheng looked at Gan Lang in surprise and said, "Zhao Wu, you and Lao San caught him together?"
Zhao Wu shook his head and said, "I didn't get involved."
Zhao Yan stomped his spear and said angrily, "Brother, don't look down on me! I don't need anyone's help to deal with this kid!"
As he spoke, Zhao Yan swept his spear, the force striking Gan Lang's kneecap.
Kneel down!
Gan Lang knelt down, his anger completely gone.
As Qi Bainian's top fighter, he originally thought that Heng Wenhao was the strongest on Zhao Cheng's side. However, he suppressed Heng Wenhao by relying on his water skills, which boosted his confidence to the point of overflowing.
Therefore, he felt that even if Qi Bainian lost in the end, he would not be the one to hold Qi Bainian back.
But after fighting Zhao Yan, Gan Lang suddenly realized that Heng Wenhao was actually quite gentle compared to his fight with Zhao Yan!
Moreover, it wasn't just Zhao Yan; there was also this man with a scar on his face. He beheaded four top-tier masters, which shows that his strength should not be underestimated.
It seems that the experts on Zhao Cheng's side could easily deal with him.
His confidence crumbled quickly, and Gan Lang hung his head, looking as if he was at Gan Lang's mercy.
Seeing Gan Lang's expression, Zhao Cheng knew that Zhao Yan was not lying, and was very surprised. He looked at Zhao Yan with a strange look.
Is this kid that good?
Heng Wenhao was struggling to fight Gan Lang, but judging from this kid's attitude, it was like he was playing around?
Yuan Yun wasn't surprised. She walked up to Gan Lang and said, "Qi Bainian is dead."
Gan Lang remained expressionless, clearly having anticipated this outcome, and remained silent.
Yuan Yun asked, "What are your plans?"
Gan Lang was stunned for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Aren't you going to kill me?"
Yuan Yun didn't answer Gan Lang, but instead looked at Zhao Cheng.
Zhao Cheng understood that when it came to things that required persuasion and persuasive techniques, it was best to let him handle it.
Zhao Cheng also walked up to Gan Lang and said, "Qi Bainian fled to avoid punishment, which is tantamount to admitting his crimes without being asked. He has been pretending for many years, deceiving the people, and he has also deceived those of you who are loyal to him. But it must be said that Qi Bainian is very good at bewitching people, making them trust him and even develop faith in him. This is a kind of brainwashing."
"Therefore, we will only punish the ringleaders in this matter."
Zhao Cheng squatted down in front of Gan Lang and smiled, "You've also been brainwashed by him, so why would we kill you?"
Gan Lang looked at Zhao Cheng, then at Yuan Yun, and asked, "So what do you want from me?"
Yuan Yun then continued, "I believe you honed your skills to serve the court, but I never expected you to follow the wrong person. Now I'll give you another chance."
Gan Lang immediately understood, but hesitated and said, "A loyal minister does not serve two masters. Lord Qi was kind to me, and although he is now dead, I..."
"Insolence!" Yuan Yun's expression suddenly changed, and she shouted sharply, "The Great Jing only has one emperor, how can there be two masters?!"
"Gan Lang, I'm giving you a chance to live because I see your martial arts skills and your prowess on the water. If I entrust you with important responsibilities in the future, you will be a key figure in eliminating the pirates."
"Don't you want to rely on your strengths to achieve success?"
"A man of stature, instead of thinking about making achievements and protecting his country, he is stuck in the old-fashioned notion of loyalty to his master and servant. He is utterly disappointing to me!"
"If you want to die, then go ahead and die!"
"Someone come here..."
Gan Lang immediately grabbed Yuan Yun's foot and shouted, "Your Highness, you misheard! I didn't say I wanted to die!!"
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