Upon seeing the large ship moored at the seaside, Qi Bainian finally relaxed. Without even dismounting, he steered his horse directly onto the deck.
The top-tier martial arts expert who followed closely behind also rode his horse onto the ship, just like him.
Qi Bainian smacked his lips, making a series of strange sounds, as if he were exchanging secret signals with the people on the ship.
A short while later, several people dressed in wet clothes appeared out of nowhere.
Qi Bainian glanced at them and asked doubtfully, "Is that all the people?"
One of them replied, "It's just sailing a boat, not fighting. We have enough manpower."
Qi Bainian's backside was being jostled so badly that he was really tired. He dismounted and said, "Alright, let's set sail."
The top-tier expert beside him said, "They haven't arrived yet."
Qi Bainian glanced at the land and said, "They...can still come?"
"My lord, I suggest we wait a little longer. They are loyal to you. The more people who follow you, the more strength you will have."
Qi Bainian thought for a moment and said, "Then let's wait a while."
Before long, figures could be seen running towards the shore from the land.
A top-tier expert walked to the deck and looked out, exclaiming with delight, "It's them! They've arrived!"
Qi Bainian said, "Hurry up and get them on the ship, and be quick!"
"yes!"
When the crowd rushed in, it looked like a lot, but actually not many people boarded the ship one after another. Including the pirates on board, there were only about a hundred people in total.
Qi Bainian asked, "That's all, right? Let's go!"
A top-tier expert said, "Gan Lang and the others haven't arrived yet."
“I’m also very sad that they didn’t come, but…” Qi Bainian said with certainty, “With their skills, they are the main force that can hold back the enemy. They can’t come.”
The top-tier expert understood Qi Bainian's meaning and said no more, looking towards the pirates.
"Then let's set sail..."
The pirates then took their positions and performed their duties, and soon the ship began to move.
Feeling the deck shake, Qi Bainian breathed a sigh of relief, his complexion improving somewhat. He said to the enthusiastic crowd who had rushed aboard, "I was able to escape death thanks to you all!"
"Lord Qi is a saint, and he is naturally protected by the gods!"
"Evil cannot prevail over good; Lord Qi is invincible!!"
"We stand with Lord Qi through thick and thin!!!"
"..."
As soon as Qi Bainian spoke, the crowd became excited.
Qi Bainian pressed his hands down and said, "Those who are attached to their homes, take one last look at the land behind you. For a long time to come, you will have to suffer with me and you may not be able to go home! But I still say the same thing: as long as you get through this period, I will lead you to glory!"
"Home is wherever Lord Qi is!"
Qi Bainian raised his voice and said emotionally, "Yes, you are my family! The Miao family is not my family, they are just parasites clinging to me! You are my family, the people of Jiangcheng are my family. Even though many of my family members have been misled by others, it doesn't matter! As long as we are alive, we will be reunited with our families one day!"
"Reunion! Reunion!!"
"Brilliant! Brilliant!!"
The crowd's boisterous chatter drowned out the sound of the large ship cutting through the waves, leaving the pirates at the helm bewildered. The fervor of these people gave them goosebumps.
They were terrified of getting infected.
Just as Qi Bainian boarded the pirate ship and headed out to sea, about twenty or thirty fishing boats were quietly approaching the pirate ship. They were moving slowly, but densely packed together, maintaining a uniform speed and spacing.
The fishing boats were heading in the same direction as the pirate ships.
Zhao Cheng, Yuan Yun, and Xu An stood on the middle fishing boat. On the fishing boat at the very front stood A Tao and Ma Cong. On each of the other fishing boats were eight people: two rowing and six holding bows and arrows, ready for battle.
"Qi Bainian!"
As the pirate ships gradually approached the fishing boats, Atao raised the torch in her hand and shouted with the powerful internal energy within her body.
The pirate ship slowed down slightly, and Qi Bainian appeared at the bow in a panic.
"Who goes there?!"
The two were not close, and there was a sea breeze, making it impossible for two ordinary people to communicate normally. However, A-Tao's voice was amplified by internal force, allowing the people on Qi Bainian's ship to hear it, and A-Tao herself could also hear Qi Bainian's shouts.
Atao said, "I am the princess's maid. The princess sent me to ask you, are you trying to flee from punishment?"
Damn it!
Qi Bainian pounded on the railing and complained, "They have people at sea too."
Atao asked, "Qi Bainian, are you saying the Princess deserves to die?"
Qi Bainian was taken aback, thinking to himself, "I was just venting to myself, how could you hear that?"
It's one thing to hear it, but to directly pin a label on me?
Is there no law anymore?
The top expert glanced around at A Tao and said softly, "Only her ship has torches lit. It's too dark to see clearly on the sea, but I estimate that since the princess dared to intercept you at sea, they must have quite a few people."
"No, no, of course I know there are many! But what can we do?" Qi Bainian said angrily, "We've already come all this way, are we just going to stop and surrender?"
Without waiting for his subordinates' opinions, Qi Bainian shouted like a madman, "So what if I scold the Princess? Why doesn't she stay in Yanchuan City and insists on coming to Jiangcheng to join in the fun? She's meddling in other people's business, she deserves to die! Ma Tiezhou is a loyal and meritorious official of Dajing, and am I not? If Jiangcheng hadn't been governed by me all these years, would its economy have developed so well? Would the people be living such good lives?"
"What 'catching corrupt officials' and 'standing up for the people'? It's all bullshit! Yuan Yun is only trying to get back at me because of my husband and because I wouldn't let Zhao Cheng sell wine!"
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