Chapter 64: Crisis between life and death
The tung oil that Baozhu had asked people to spread was very effective. Those people got on the boat, but they slipped and fell after taking only two steps. They cursed and couldn't get up even if they used their hands and feet. The guards who had been lying in ambush outside the wheelhouse took this opportunity to attack them with their knives.
The boatman on the boat was also a skilled craftsman, and his agility was not much worse than that of the guards.
By this time, they all knew that this was a dangerous situation. They beat the two men who had been tied up before removing the smelly rags from their mouths. With a sullen face, they asked, "How many people are on those two boats?"
Seeing that the two men refused to speak, the boat owner immediately stabbed them. The one who survived the stab was so frightened that he peed his pants. "Yes, yes, there are forty or fifty of them."
"Everyone has weapons?"
"Yes, yes, yes... they are all long... long swords."
Originally, the large ship was moving at full speed at night, and the two ships behind it were also chasing it. After all, smaller ships were easier to move. The two ships were getting closer and closer. If they collided, the large ship would also capsize.
Not to mention that there were many desperate criminals on the two ships. Just looking at the appearance of the first batch of people on board, you could tell that they were all skilled fighters and good at swimming. If they hadn't taken precautions in advance, they would have been killed tonight.
The captain slashed the throat of the stubborn man, who died instantly. The two were tied together. The other man felt the warm blood and cried for mercy. The captain asked him questions and stuffed the stinking cloth back into his mouth.
The rest of the people on the boat also woke up after hearing the noise. When they came out, they saw this bloody scene. They had never seen such a sight before, and they screamed in panic. Some people wanted to light a lamp, but they immediately retreated after being scolded by the boat owner.
"If you want to die faster, light the lamp!"
Not to mention that the tung oil scattered all over the ground outside would catch fire as soon as it touched the fire, but even if he lit the lamp, he would be a sitting duck and would definitely attract everyone over.
These bandits not only landed at this place, but the sounds of people boarding the ship were also gradually heard from the east and south sides of the ship.
These ordinary people who were powerless were just dragging their feet. They scolded everyone and told them to go back and hide. The rest of the people dealt with the pirates on the ship at the wheelhouse and immediately headed east and south.
These bandits were used to murder and robbery, and seeing that the iron hooks were precise and the chains could not be broken by knives, two or three more people jumped onto the boat in a flash.
Our dynasty is extremely strict in controlling ironware, let alone such well-made weapons. But now is not the time to think about where other people's weapons come from.
When fighting, two fists are no match for four hands. Even the strongest man will eventually feel weak and can only fight the bandits with all his strength. The boatmen all have families and know that today is a dangerous day. They think jumping off the boat may give them a chance of survival.
Led by the boatman who was good at swimming, the other boatmen wanted to jump off the boat as well.
If the situation continued for a long time, it would definitely be disadvantageous. These guards were exhausted and several were injured. They lost their courage when they learned that there were forty or fifty people on the two boats. Now they all looked like they had lost their parents. If they could swim, they would have jumped off the boat and run away.
It was thought that the boatman who jumped into the water could escape, but he was unexpectedly shot to death before he could swim far away. Several corpses floated on the water, and those who had wanted to jump off the boat immediately gave up the idea of escaping.
Morale was so low that the captain simply walked to the bow with a lantern and shouted to the approaching boats, "My dear men! If it's about money, we will give you everything we have on this boat. We also hope that you will spare our lives."
The arrogant and playful laughter from the opposite side echoed throughout the valley.
The ginseng and antler merchants also shouted, "If you must fight to the death today, you will not be able to get the goods on the ship. The ship's planks are covered with tung oil. If you throw this lantern to the ground, the cargo will turn to ash and you will not get any benefit."
No matter how sad you are about the loss of this ship, you have to give it up now. Even if you lose the money, you can always make a comeback. Compared with your life, these material possessions are nothing.
Another herbal medicine merchant followed suit, shouting, "I'm familiar with the prefect. If you're willing to let us live, we'll give you all the money and goods on the ship, and we won't cause any trouble afterwards. But if we really fight to the death, no one will be in any good!"
"We are used to living on the edge of a knife. We live as long as we can. Killing one will make us a profit, and killing two will make us a profit. So, who cares if you are an official? We can even rob the emperor's grain, let alone your cargo."
Hearing the powerful voice, I knew that these people were not drugged. Although they were a little surprised, they were not afraid of anything. It was just a little tricky.
The unbridled voices echoed in the valley for a long time. In this remote place, heaven and earth could not respond to any calls, and the only way to feel safe was to leave no one alive.
There were only a dozen small boats rowing quickly towards the big ship. As soon as the black-clad pirates boarded the boats, the people in front fell down. After a while, they realized that there was tung oil spilled on the ground. They informed the people around them, spread wooden boards and clothes, stepped on them, and came in to fight with swords.
They were desperate criminals who attacked anyone they saw. The crowd, which had been quite organized, scattered in an instant.
Baozhu didn't know what was going on outside. The cabin was narrow and there was debris piled at the door. The three of them were pressed against the wall when they heard someone kicking open the door opposite.
The people on the other side had already gotten off the boat, so there was no one living inside.
The footsteps were getting closer, and Baozhu felt her breath hitch. The person who had kicked the door, seeing it had failed to open, assumed no one was inside. He called another person a waste, which inflamed him. He raised his foot and kicked again. The door panel on the boat was already thin, and this kick shattered it into pieces.
Madam Xu hid aside and saw someone coming in, then she rushed forward with a knife. However, the person who came in right after her saw what she was doing and kicked the knife away.
"Mother!"
Baobao Zhurong screamed in surprise.
The voice was sharp and not suppressed. The two people who came in immediately recognized that they were two girls.
"Turns out there are three women. Let's have some fun first and then take them back—" The man who came in later was shorter, and he laughed obscenely as soon as he opened his mouth.
With the cover of night as a cover, Baozhu squatted down and picked up the dagger that was kicked to the ground.
Madam Xu was still standing in front, her arms outstretched to block the two men. The man behind her raised his knife and was about to strike. Baozhu said anxiously, "Two brave men, please give us a way out!"
"This girl's voice is so tempting." The two men began to untie their belts unscrupulously.
Baorong touched the casserole, and Baozhu gently hooked her finger. The two sisters were in perfect sync.
"If you two are willing to let us go, we will pay you any amount of money. There is a box of golden pages under the bed." Bao Rong's clear voice sounded.
"Look, your boss is asking you to work hard, but he's hiding behind you and worrying about nothing. You secretly accepted the money. With the money, why bother to become a pirate? Leaving the stronghold and changing your appearance to live a peaceful life is no better than hanging your head on the waistband of your pants."
Each of them could relax their guard by saying something, and delay a little longer to find a turning point.
The two pirates seemed to be aroused, but after hearing the noise outside, they regained consciousness and sneered, "Following behind our boss, you enjoy the good life. If you die, it's just because you are incompetent."
"You can talk so much with your mouth. I'd like to see if you can still talk in a while."
After saying that, he stepped forward, as if he felt that the three men were not to be feared. He held the knife in one hand and began to untie his belt with the other.
Madam Xu rushed over to try to stop them, but the two of them had been distracted by Baozhu Zhurong's words just now, and when Madam Xu tried to stop them, they became even more furious and kicked her in the heart.
It was a dark and windy night. The two men were not as familiar with the structure of the cabin as they were. There were also stools and miscellaneous items on the ground, and they tripped over them and almost fell.
Because Madam Xu had just stopped them, the two men were already distracted and almost dropped their long swords.
In just this short moment, Baozhu was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and stabbed the man's neck with the dagger the moment he stood up. Baorong even cursed and smashed the casserole hard on the shorter man's head.
Baozhu didn't know where the knife had stabbed her, she just felt blood splattering on her face, and then she saw the man fall to the ground holding his neck. Her hand loosened and the long knife fell to the ground.
Baozhu immediately changed the short sword into a long sword. The long sword was quite heavy to hold, and Baozhu was not used to it, so he held the long sword in front of him with both hands to protect himself.
The man stabbed by Baozhu was barely speaking. Another man, also named Baorong, had his head smashed by the clay pot just now, but he didn't faint. He was now holding a knife with blood all over his face, angrily calling for help.
Baozhu had no idea how to wield a sword, and she swung it randomly without any method. However, this man was clearly a tough guy, and when he saw a chance, he kicked Baozhu in the wrist. Baozhu felt the pain, but she still held on to the sword, refusing to let go.
There was a chaotic sound of footsteps outside. Baozhu felt vaguely that the person coming was familiar. She was too nervous to think about much and just focused on the black shadow in front of her.
"Third brother——" The voice outside was getting closer.
When the man opposite saw help coming, he turned around and shouted for people to come over. Baozhu took the opportunity to swing his knife and chop him over.
Baozhu's wrist was injured, and the force of her chop was not strong enough, so it was estimated that only a cut was left on the man's back.
"Damn it!" The man didn't care about anything else and kicked the long knife out of Baozhu's hand with all his might. But before he could continue, he felt a chill on his neck, and when he looked down, he saw blood splattered all over the floor.
Before he could react to why the people who came to support him had turned against him, he collapsed to the ground and died.
"Are you okay?" The man supported Baozhu, his voice trembling slightly.
Baozhu looked at the man who came in black clothes and a black hat, and covered his face with a black scarf. She didn't relax her breath, and her hands were still tense as she groped around for the knife that had just been kicked to the ground.
Madam Xu coughed up a mouthful of blood. She heard the familiar voice and then spoke hesitantly, "Is it Master Pei?"
Baorong finally dared to shed tears, crying as he went to help A Niang up. The kick just now was so heavy that Madam Xu couldn't recover for a long time.
"It's all right." Pei Yanqing took off the black scarf from his face. "We just released the whistling arrows. The navy's boats are coming over. I think they have already subdued the pirates on the two boats."
Baozhu finally relaxed at this point, and as soon as she relaxed, she felt her stomach churning and her hands and feet numb.
"I...I just killed someone—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he fainted.
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