4
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Lin Meng gritted his teeth and said, "The sea route is blocked. A group of thieves has occupied Luoling Island, blocking the main road from Panyu to Hepu. They rob any private ships they encounter and take away their cargo. If we anger these thieves, they might attack the village and burn, kill, and loot!"
Cheng Xi's heart tightened. This was simply the end of his life.
On one side are the greedy government, and on the other side are the brutal pirates. Caught in the middle, either path is a dead end.
Cheng Xi seemed to have seen the future of this group of people: burning villages, crying women and children. As for whether the one holding the knife was an official or a bandit, did it make any difference? Perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope against pirates, but not necessarily against the government!
She took a deep breath and suddenly asked, "How many pirates are there, and how many ships are there?"
Lin Meng didn't expect her to ask this. He was stunned for a moment before answering, "There are probably about ten ships and thousands of people. Otherwise, they can't occupy such a big island."
He had also heard that there were many pirates at sea. A dozen ships were enough to block the waterway, and unless it was a large fleet, it would be impossible to pass.
Even if they paid protection fees, no fleet would be willing to take in a small boat like theirs.
"Are there any projectile weapons on the pirates' ship?" Cheng Xi asked again.
"Projectile?" Lin Meng was stunned for a moment before he understood what she meant. "Only the big pirates who dominate a region have cannons. Even if these thieves who occupied Luoling Island got a cannon, they might not be able to use it."
It seems that the world already has hot weapons and artillery, and the pattern of naval warfare will also undergo tremendous changes.
Fortunately, their current enemies have not yet mastered firearms, so things are much simpler.
Cheng Xi no longer tried to hide the truth and asked directly, "How many other villages or individuals with private boats are there nearby? Is it possible for Lin Village to join forces with them?"
Lin Meng shook his head: "Impossible. Each village only cares about its own boats. How can it be so easy to win them over?"
Building a seagoing vessel would exhaust the manpower and financial resources of the entire village, and the goods sold by private ships are similar, so the villages with private ships have bad relationships. It is good enough if they don’t steal each other’s business. How can they cooperate?
"You are all smugglers and live close to each other. Whether facing pirates or the government, your positions are the same and your predicaments are similar. In this case, cooperation is the best option. If several ships form a fleet, the ability to resist pirates will be stronger." Cheng Xi made it clear that she could not save a village alone, but there might still be hope through cooperation.
Lin Meng's eyes lit up at this, but soon dimmed again. "I'm afraid the village elders won't agree. Too many people died on this voyage. My father is gone, and the boat needs repairing. If we join forces with other villages, we'll probably be bullied."
The losses on this voyage were severe. The cargo being stolen and the ship needing repairs were minor issues. The loss of those experienced sailors was the most devastating loss. Like his father, once a well-known old captain in the surrounding area, now that he was gone, who could hold up the reputation of Linjia Village?
"If we really want to go out to sea, the current crew members are definitely not up to the task and need to be retrained. I can first give the young and strong people in the village a try, and then discuss it with other villages after seeing results. Whether it's sailing or fighting at sea, it doesn't depend on fighting alone. If you have a method, you may not lose." This is what Cheng Xi was waiting for.
When she had defeated the pirates before, she had noticed that neither side fought with much skill, relying more on sheer bravery than on sheer valor. The pirates were willing to kill with knives, so naturally they could defeat the villagers.
Therefore, the key is to cultivate these people's combat awareness and ship combat experience.
Cheng Xi was not sure about other things, but she was an expert in training sailors, especially sailors on sailboats.
After all, Cheng Xi was born in the Navy Commando Corps, and he was very familiar with naval warfare. He had also participated in special training on sailing ships. Those were the combat experience accumulated over hundreds of years, and they were absolutely reliable.
Without artillery, the most important aspects of naval warfare were ramming and boarding, which involved a wealth of knowledge and skills. The young men of Linjia Village were all fishermen, born sailors. With proper training, it wasn't difficult to cultivate a group of brave and dedicated warriors.
She said it lightly, but Lin Meng was stunned. This woman could really train a crew? This wasn't something an ordinary woman could do! If she was just good at martial arts, he could understand it, but even knowing how to fight at sea was a bit shocking.
But then I thought, she had broken through the encirclement alone, killed so many fierce bandits, and then was able to eat and sleep well without taking anything to heart. This was not something an ordinary woman could do. Maybe it could really work?
Lin Meng slapped his thigh and said, "I'll go find the village elder right away!"
There is no other way out anyway, so no matter whether it works or not, I have to give it a try!
"We want to join forces with other villages?" Hearing Lin Meng's words, several village elders frowned. The oldest among them, the Third Great-Uncle, shook his head repeatedly. "Let's not talk about whether it can be done or not. We just lost a shipload of goods, and your father is gone. Without someone to hold the fort, we're afraid we'll be bullied."
If you are the first to propose but don't have the upper hand, won't you be at the mercy of others? Several village elders are experienced seafarers and know the temperaments of these neighbors well.
They were all bullies who only cared about the weak and wouldn't do anything unless they had something to gain. If they saw the plight of Linjia Village, they would probably take advantage of it. We were already in this situation, and if we were hit again, it would be difficult for us to recover.
"Besides, can you find another way out and do a business with no capital?" Lin Wu sneered.
This remark struck a nerve. Uncle Seven was about to say something when his Third Great Uncle scolded him first, "Haven't you seen that there's still a group of thieves on Luoling Island? They're the enemies who killed your brothers and nephews. Do you really think you can join them?"
Seeing his elders getting angry, Uncle Lin couldn't help but retort: "It's not like we're going to surrender, maybe we can rob a few ships..."
It's no wonder he thought so. Most seafarers have dirty hands. And for robbery, a few small boats are enough, not a big ship.
"Asshole! Aren't the deaths of the Lin family enough? You're robbing them, aren't you afraid of retribution?" The third uncle was so angry that his face turned red and he couldn't stop coughing. Although the Lin family was a seafaring family, they had never committed murder or robbery.
Now that these words have been spoken, it seems like he is going to harm the entire village!
Seeing his elders getting angry, Lin Laoqi didn't dare to confront them. He just muttered, "You won't do this, you won't do that. Are you just waiting to die?"
Seeing everyone arguing, Lin Meng quickly said, "Uncle, this is the situation now. Either borrow money, become a thief, or resist the tax, either way we have to fight to the death. In this case, why not first see how the benefactor practices? If it really works, even if we don't join forces with other villages, we can still have more fighting power!"
This is the truth. No matter which path you take, you will be on the edge of a knife. It is a good thing to have more capable fighters.
Putting aside other things, the benefactor is really good at fighting. Facing so many fierce bandits, he only suffered minor injuries. He is even more powerful than a seven-foot-tall man like him.
This made the village elders whisper to each other. Thinking carefully, what Lin Meng said might be a way out.
With the current chaos at sea, it's crucial to have more people to negotiate, and organizing a fleet is the safest option. Furthermore, the people know their own business. While they're all privateers, and there are many hot-blooded men, they're still fishermen, and don't know how to fight. If this continues, won't they just get killed or robbed?
After a discussion, the third great-uncle slowly nodded, "Your father was originally the captain, so you'll be the one to take over sooner or later. Since you think you can do it, give it a try. But we can't delay it too long. We need to finalize the rules as soon as possible, whether it's borrowing money or contacting other villages! We have to decide early on!"
If they really wanted to form a fleet and go out to sea, they had to set sail next month and return before the officials came to collect taxes, otherwise all their efforts would be in vain. But with such a short preparation time, training, and the need to negotiate and form alliances with other villages, could they really succeed? No one was sure.
Lin Meng wasn't sure, but when the time came, he knew he'd be cut off if he stuck his head out, or if he withdrew his head, he'd still be cut off. So why hesitate? He had to fight!
Linjia Village is built on the coast, with a beach just outside. Every day, fishing nets and seafood like dried shrimp and salted fish are hung out to dry. These are stored food reserves that can be sold for profit, so the more the better. However, today, standing on the beach are not wooden racks, but the young and strong men of the village, both young and old.
"Hu Zi, is what Brother Meng Zi said true? Is there really someone who wants to teach us martial arts?" The young man grabbed his companion's arm and asked anxiously.
The village had been in a state of gloom these past few days, and these young men were filled with rage, eager to take up their swords and go to sea to kill bandits. When they heard someone wanted to teach them martial arts, they all became extremely eager.
The one called "Hu Zi" was a few years older than the others, with a bandage wrapped around his arm. He was one of the crew members who had survived.
He was robbed and injured on his first trip to the sea. Because of this, he hated pirates to the core and regarded his benefactor as a god.
"I will teach you the art of naval warfare."
Hearing her speak, Lin Hu was stunned.
This, this is Cheng Engong? He thought he was some kid from somewhere!
The man stood with his back straight, his hair tied up in a bun, and he wore long sleeves and trousers, but with the cuffs and legs tied up. He looked as neat as a martial artist, not a woman at all. Was this really the woman on the boat with her long hair loose and the dagger in hand?
A commotion erupted in the crowd. Wait, what on earth was going on? Could it be that their benefactor was actually a man, and Lin Hu and the others had misjudged him?
Lin Meng didn't allow the group to continue making noise and shouted, "From now on, you must call me Cheng Engong! If you dare to mention that she is a woman in front of outsiders, I will break your legs!"
When Lin Meng first heard Cheng Xi say she wanted to dress up as a man, he was a little unsure.
How can you pretend to be someone who looks so delicate?
However, when Cheng Xi changed into men's clothes, tied up his hair, and lowered his voice, he actually looked like a young man.
Now even those who have seen her in person can't recognize her, so why are you still worried that she will be discovered by others? In the future, Linjia Village will join forces with other villages, so it is better to keep the identity of this woman, the benefactor, hidden.
Everyone was surprised, but Cheng Xi didn't think it was difficult to pretend to be a man. She had been around men since she was a child, and when she grew up, she joined the army and joined the special forces.
In places like that, gender wasn't important; on the battlefield, it was all about personal ability, which had long since cultivated a soldier's temperament in her. So, even if this body was delicate and undersized, with a few eyebrow adjustments, shoulder pads, a chest wrap, and a lowered voice, she could still look like a handsome young man. As for her skin color, after ten days or half a month of seaside training, even the fairest skin would be tanned, and by then, there would be no flaws.
Since the desired effect was achieved, Cheng Xi didn't waste any words and started practicing with a group of people. It was already autumn, and the sun on the beach was still scorching, making people sweat profusely.
Lin Hu stumbled and bumped on the wooden planks, and he almost doubted his purpose in coming here. Wasn't he here to learn martial arts? Why was he just running around on the wooden planks?
However, the shouting not far away became louder and louder.
"Run! Don't stop! Faster! Faster! Only by crossing the board can you survive!"
The sound was so urgent and rapid that it made one's heartbeat quicken. Lin Hu gritted his teeth and continued running. He had certainly seen this before. The pirates had simply docked their ship alongside theirs, set up a gangplank and attacked them. That was why they were killed, wounded, and even captured. But he had never imagined that this narrow plank would be so difficult to walk on!
As they were running, the person in front of them slipped and fell on the beach.
Lin Hu's heart trembled. If he was on a boat, this man would have probably fallen into the sea and might not be able to climb out even after a fight.
If you are unlucky enough to encounter a shark, you will die. When he thought of this, his legs, which had been a little weak, immediately tightened up again and he ran forward quickly.
However, the training wasn't just about running planks; it also involved learning how to jump from heights, how to scale barriers, and how to leap onto the deck. For three days, they engaged in this inexplicable exercise, leaving them sweating and their limbs sore. Even someone like Lin Hu, who deeply trusted his savior, had doubts.
On the fourth day, someone couldn't help but ask, "Sir, aren't we training? Why aren't you learning sword techniques?"
This was almost everyone's opinion. Aren't they supposed to learn martial arts and defeat the pirates? Why were they learning these inexplicable things?
Cheng Xi raised his eyes and glanced at the other person: "How tall are you?"
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