Beginning with the Ubume Bird Chapter 170

Chapter 170: Chapter 7 Guns Pointing at Humen

The hearts of the people are as tough as iron, the laws of the officials as relentless as a furnace.

It has always been the officials who suppress bandits–has anyone ever seen bandits suppress officials?

Geliang Tubatulu. Tubatulu means “warrior.” Governor of the Humen Naval Forces, first-rank, awarded a peacock feather and a coral bead top. This official leader named Zhuo Huxing, while not a governor of a border region, held a position of high authority and power.

Since Li Yan had asked Chaoyi, of course, it wasn't just a casual inquiry; Zhuo Huxing dared to come and suppress Lantau Island, according to Li Yan's thinking, he must strike back for it to count.

That's right, attack Guangdong, break the Sha Jiao Battery, kill up to Humen.

Straw boats sailed across the water's surface, waterwheels turned, the mountains were lush and green, the banks lined with the yellow bamboo of stilted houses. The scenery was stunningly gorgeous.

Li Yan sat in a wicker chair on the second floor of the building, overlooking the scenery, with a map of the official coastal defenses along the Guangdong and Guangxi coasts by his side, including the artillery arrangements at the major sea mouths where the Pearl River flowed into the South Sea. This was a sea map obtained by the Red Flag Gang four years ago, but the difference from the actual official defenses wouldn't be too great.

Another map depicted the entire maritime situation of the South Seas, with different colors demarcating the territories of the various major pirates. Some areas were painted black, evidently lands of great peril.

At this moment, Li Yan commanded tens of thousands of able-bodied men, countless ships and artillery, and even had his own shipyard on Lantau Island. If he just wanted to get the goods worth a hundred thousand taels of silver that the Yan Fu incident demanded, it wouldn't be a difficult task for Li Yan, and the evaluation would be very high.

But clearly, Li Yan was not satisfied with just that; he had Mo specify the Yan Fu incident according to the Patriarch Lv's inheritance for him, and after spending the “Patriarch Lv's Notes,” his ambitions naturally grew larger.

Pirates, officials, Red Haired Devils. The magnificent maritime area of the South Seas, there were too many benefits to be dug out. Li Yan's decision to attack Humen was just the beginning.

Cha Xiaodao sat opposite Li Yan, the two of them took turns drinking cool tea. Li Yan was fine, but Cha Xiaodao was so bitter that he stuck his tongue out.

“We're in a partnership, and it's easier to get things done when we're clear about everything. I've already told you my plan. The teams traveling together can share the extra Yan Fu incidents. Are you willing to join in? Give me your answer.”

Li Yan said to Cha Xiaodao across the table.

Cha Xiaodao thought for a long time: “I don't have a problem…” He stared at Li Yan for a moment: “But I've never heard of pirates who take the initiative to go after the officials. Aren't you being a bit too confident?”

Li Yan shook his head: “On the contrary, in this sea area, the naval forces of the officials are probably the easiest to deal with.”

In this world, the officials are weak while the great pirates rule the seas. The Red Haired Devils are even more eagerly covetous.

The East India Company, with just a few thousand men, ventured across the ocean to turn India into their own colony. The Portuguese have occupied Macau for over two hundred years. Their ironclad warships draw deep water, are large and turn quickly, and can carry over a hundred large cannons. They're a whole era ahead of the Red Flag Gang's “Spirit of the Duck.”

Each band of pirates has its own special tricks, like witchcraft, the Taiping Document, the Fiery Cauldron Couple, and others that Li Yan doesn't quite understand and doesn't want to try lightly.

But the officials alone seem to have vast territories, abundant treasures, and appear bloated and vulnerable. So-called naval ships are actually fishing boats. There are not many old ships over ten meters, and in the maritime discourse of the South Seas, they don't have much say.

Even so, the Red Flag Gang's attempt to strike back at the Humen sea entrance would still make people's jaws drop. It's the same old saying, since ancient times only officials suppress bandits, but who has seen bandits suppress officials?

“Alright then, since you've made up your mind, let's do it.”

Seeing Cha Xiaodao's agreement, Li Yan further asked, “Pei Yunhu once tricked me using a skill similar to disguise. Now that you have Kui of the Chief Celestial in your hands, do you have the ability to use it? If you do, it could be a big help.”

Cha Xiaodao shook his head, saying to Li Yan, “What you're talking about is this.”

He showed his information panel to Li Yan.

[Celestial Blessing * Human Face Peach Blossom]

Usage requirements: Swallow the characters “human,” “face,” “peach,” and “flower.” Awakening Degree 10% (Any combination of the swallowed characters. Unlock different blessings.)

Category: Heritage Skill

Quality: Rare

Effect 1: Kill a target to create a fake body exactly like the target's appearance, with no combat ability.

Effect 2: Kill a target to disguise oneself as the target, only possessing their appearance and not replicating any of the original target's abilities.

When controlling the fake body, you cannot act on your own, and when acting freely, you cannot manipulate the fake body.

It's this!

“How do you swallow the characters?”

Li Yan asked.

“200 Yan Fu points for swallowing an unknown character, 1000 Yan Fu points for swallowing a specified character; besides, in the Yan Fu incidents, some rare books also allow swallowing characters. I've only swallowed 'hundred,' 'human,' and 'peach,' three characters, so I can't unlock this skill.”

“That's 2000 points short; I'll lend it to you, but I get the pick of the spoils from attacking Humen first. And since I'm using Patriarch Lv's Notes this time for leverage, a split of 64 to you–fair, right?”

“Agreed.”

“So be it, let's get to it.”

Li Yan pointed downwards: “We leave tonight. Take down Humen sea entrance, slay Zhuo Huxing.”

The torches blazed brightly, dozens of Spirit of the Duck ships hoisted red sails, the crowded decks bustled as cannons and cannonballs were carried on board in crates, the sail ropes whispered vertically with the chantey. Ballast stones were tossed into the sea, splashing water like boiling dumplings.

As the ballast sank, the crowded sailboats on the water's surface rose more than a foot.

“Board the ships!”

A red-turbaned figure on the deck motioned with his hand. A throng of figures surged onto the vessels, bristling with murderous intent.

Xue Ba sat at the bow of the Spirit of the Duck, yawning with an air of nonchalance.

In the vine-covered house by the window, the candlelight was dim. Li Yan, Mrs. Shi, and Zheng Xiu were all inside.

Li Yan changed into his fighting gear, Mrs. Shi held the lamp, and Xiu'er stood to one side, glancing now at her mother, now at Li Yan, tactfully refraining from interrupting.

“I have my own reasons for attacking Humen.”

The roar of the tide surged as Li Yan strapped on his buckles and spoke.

“Over a hundred Gaoli ghosts–the people from your family's side are a rare force within the Red Flag Gang that doesn't intersect with my affairs. Xiu'er is still young, and if you go, I may not be able to make use of them. By taking the head of the Governor of Humen this time, first, I am getting revenge for you, and second, I can grasp the initiative with the Chaoyi and the rest, making it easier to do things in the future.”

“We have plenty of time in the future. In a few years, you'll come to terms with it, so what's the rush? Besides, the manpower you're taking to attack Humen seems lacking.”

The flickering flame made Mrs. Shi's face appear even more haggard than during the day.

“It's enough. Too many people would only obstruct the formation. Xiu'er, Tianbao has something to discuss with your mother; why don't you go play inside?”

Little Xiu'er nodded and, dusting off her small embroidered shoes, went to the inner room.

Li Yan stood still, then suddenly raised his head:

“Mrs. Shi.”

Mrs. Shi showed her pearly teeth. She smiled weakly.

“You've never actually called me that. What's wrong?”

“If Zheng… if he is impotent, then how did you deceive him when you were pregnant with Xiu'er?”

Mrs. Shi gave Li Yan a puzzled look before answering:

“I am a descendant of the Ancestor of the Defying Skill. The young and old of the gang revere me like a deity. I told the limping man that this child was a blessing from Mazu.”

“Could he believe that?” Li Yan asked.

“Why shouldn't he? There are ancient precedents for such things. In remote antiquity, there was the female Xiu Clan, who swallowed a mystical bird's egg and gave birth to the ancestor of Shang. There was the Huaxu Clan, who stepped into a giant's footprint and thus conceived Fuxi.”

She paused, then continued, “I used the Defying Skill and struggled for twenty-six months before giving birth to Xiu'er, cementing the belief that Mazu had shown a miracle, and everyone in the gang thought it a divine sign. The limping man has always been very fond of Xiu'er.”

She frowned slightly, “How could you forget about this?”

Li Yan was not the least bit panicked. With a turn of his thoughts, he said in a hoarse voice as he looked down, “I was just thinking… Xiu'er's birth, the miracle of Mazu's manifestation, maybe it could be leveraged to one day let her inherit the position of Dragon Head, which would also be fittingly natural.”

“Why go through all this trouble? No one would oppose you taking the Dragon Head position.”

“She is, after all, our daughter.”

Mrs. Shi drifted into a daze, and after a long while, she averted her gaze and did not look at Li Yan.

“I'm setting off!”

“My dear.”

Li Yan looked back. Mrs. Shi's face still retained some luster, pale from blood loss and now seeming all the more fragile.

“At most, I can hold on for three more days. Success or not, come back in three days. Once I'm dead, I fear Madam Guo and her people will grow restless.”

Madam Guo, the leader of the Black Flag Gang.

“Understood.”

Having said that, Li Yan turned and left.

Mrs. Shi's head was propped up against the bedrail, strands of hair dangling beside her cheek.

Her mouth twitched slightly as she murmured:

“I may sound carefree, but in my heart, I still feel… I haven't lived enough…”

She gazed out toward the docks.

The Spirit of the Duck ships, with sails raised.

Chapter end