Beginning with the Ubume Bird Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Chapter 81 The Great Thief's Fame (Part 3)

Li Yan had barely finished speaking when a scar-faced man with an open chest answered with a shout and plunged into the water with a splash.

Having acquired Wupozi's Shell from Guangyi Island, Li Yan had assigned him to the Spirit of the Duck; when the gales surged, the fleet took advantage of the wind, and with three eighty-meter Guang ships enhanced with Living Seawater Turbines leading the charge, the vanguard of the Red Flag Gang burst through the gunfire, colliding head-on with the British sailors before they could react.

The Red Sail Lock Ships pressed forwards en masse, slamming into the Vasco Warships. The white and red sails interlaced as the bird ships weaved through, and the pirates, swarming like ants, hurled lassos and boarded the decks with knifes, spears, and firearms in hand to engage in a fierce melee with the red-haired men.

This time, the Red Flag Gang had deployed over a hundred large ships, with countless smaller ones, and Cai Qian's fleet was immediately behind them, adding up to nearly a thousand vessels, great and small. The firepower and the marksmanship of the men were the best that the South Seas could offer.

The red-haired enemy's fleet was probably sent after the occupation of Guangzhou to eliminate the remnants of the official military forces. With over fifty Vasco Warships, they constituted one-ninth of the joint British-Portuguese forces. With the speed and artillery capacity of the Vasco Warships, this was a force mighty enough to confront any of the five major pirates of the South Seas.

Unfortunately for them, since Li Yan joined the fray, both the spearhead strength of the Red Flag Gang and the level of their ships and cannons had been elevated by an entire grade! Coupled with the bird ship support from the Cai Clan, there was no reason why they could not win this encounter.

The ferocity of the South Sea pirates shone through when their ships and firepower held the advantage.

Li Yan averted his gaze. His own crew were among the top fighters in the entire South Seas. From the moment they encountered the Red Flag pirates, the sailors on this warship were harshly suppressed. The enemy commander's will to fight back was strong and his mind nimble; as soon as he realized the tide was turning, he ordered the sailors to take shelter in the passages and narrow cabins, taking advantage of the terrain to fight.

“Tianbao, move the gunpowder kegs, blow up their ship!”

Xue Ba, who had learned through experience, was no stranger to naval battles and immediately called out.

“We have several times their number; there's no need for such drastic measures. Preserve the ship, enter the cabins and wipe out the red-hairs one by one, and by the way, capture a few for interrogation.”

As soon as Li Yan finished speaking, a murderous intent flashed across his face.

Furrowing his brow, he turned around. The word “careful” hadn't yet left Xue Ba's mouth when he saw Li Yan brandishing his Gold-engraved Tiger Head Great Spear. The spear danced, unfurling flower after flower of shining platinum, creating an impenetrable screen of light, with the clinking and clanging ringing out in one breath. Bullets with creases from their casings fell to the ground, still smoking.

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It turned out that some English sailors had noticed Li Yan issuing orders and, with a disregard for their own lives, abandoned their makeshift positions built from round tables and torn down bunk beds to open fire in a volley. A few soldiers with sharp eyes and wielding sailors' knives charged directly at Li Yan.

Thump–

The Tiger Head Great Spear struck the ground, sending wood chips flying; its blade plunged more than three inches into the deck. As the sailors' knives came slashing down, Li Yan pressed down on the spear shaft, causing the tiger head blade to burst forth like a dragon emerging from the water. A mournful streak of platinum brilliance flashed, cleaving the sailor before him in two.

Along with his uniform and the triangular sailor's hat, the leading sailor was bisected completely by the spear, spilling his guts in a bloody mess, while several bloodstained gold buttons rolled far away.

With just one thrust, the desperate fervor of the sailors was thoroughly extinguished!

The steps of the other sailors were abruptly halted, their faces and heads splattered with their comrade's flesh and blood, leaving them dazed for a moment or so.

Li Yan coldly glared at the people before him, and the Red Flag pirates swarmed forward. There was no need for him to lift a finger; the sailors were swiftly overwhelmed.

“Boom–”

Cannonballs thundered against the hull; a vessel of the East India Company suffered a large hole in its belly and began to gurgle as it sank beneath the surface.

On the edge of the searing naval battle, some Vasco Warships began churning the water, attempting to turn and flee–a clear sign of their rout.

Tang Ruola gently placed the goose feather letter on the table, pushing aside the exquisite porcelain, pearls, and precious fabrics, a deep anger evident on his weathered face.

The fleet of the East India Company arrived in the harbor and commenced hostilities without declaration, their momentum unstoppable as they slaughtered countless soldiers and officials. They seized one county and port after another.

When a few noblemen from Europa, distinguished commanders with illustrious reputations, finally breached the walls of Guangzhou City and flung open the gates to the treasury, they couldn't conceal the twisted expressions of shock and greed on their faces.

Porcelain vases, jade articles, lacquerware, golden fabrics, and most palpably, the silver ingots, plentiful enough for everyone to swim in!

And that was just the state treasury–the general's mansions such as Fulin's, the private cellars of the city's major merchants, the incense-filled Buddhist temples… their ten feet of soft silk, endless opulence and prosperity, now lying exposed before them like lambs to the slaughter!

But after the brief excitement, the experienced Portuguese bishop and several key officials of the East India Company were well aware that to swallow this wealth, the first order of business was to eliminate the nearby living forces and leave the local authorities without any chance to retaliate.

But just moments ago, Tang Ruola received an urgent report that the five great pirates of the South Seas, the demon thief Zhang He, the Treasure Ship King Lin Ajin, Tianbao of the Red Flag Gang, and even Yishi Zhufen, who had always maintained close ties with the Portuguese, had raised their flags in rebellion. From the South Seas they waged a counterattack against Guangdong and Guangxi, with the intent to help the officials defeat the Anglo-Portuguese alliance.

Even the head of the Tianbo Division, who had met Hesting in person and maintained a substantial volume of trade with the East India Company, Cai Qian, spoke righteously: “The Red Hairs invade our rivers and mountains, slay our people. Every son of China grinds his teeth in hate. Even if it costs us all our blood, we vow to drive the Red Hairs from the South Seas!”

Putting aside the rest, the Red Cai Allied Forces, tens of thousands strong, were closing in on Guangzhou Bay, now less than fifty miles away!

The Red Cai Allied Forces' imposing momentum was undeniable. In theory, Bishop Tang Ruola should have been informed, but in reality, the traffic of information among the foreign merchants in the South Seas was closely monitored by Cai Qian. Now, with the delay in military affairs, Cai Qian played no small part in this obstruction.

They never expected that Cai Qian would treat them like disposable paper, without the slightest sentimentality, turning around and cleanly betraying the Anglo-Portuguese alliance!

In fact, after achieving his objectives of colluding with the sea bandits of the South Seas and pressuring Fulin to expand his power, the Cai clan of the Tianbo Division had long harbored the ambition of eradicating the Red Hairs and adding a glorious feat to the Cai family shrine. Becoming an ennobled lord and high-ranking official would naturally bring honor to his family.

Before the grand meeting of the Tianbo Division, Tang Ruola had firmly believed that even if Cai didn't side with them, he would at least remain neutral.

In reality, the powerful fleet of the Red Hairs made a smooth entry into the South Seas, with Cai Qian playing a significant role.

After Hesting heard from Cai Qian that the officials planned to tighten control over maritime trade, it took only a couple of months of heavy bribes to Cai Qian. Falsely claiming that merchant ships faced excessive threats from pirates in the South Seas, they were reluctant to dispatch heavy troops for fear of official disapproval. They requested Cai Qian to mediate, while clandestinely conspiring with the Portuguese forces stationed in Macau to forcefully open up the official customs with military power.

Cai Qian took the silver and efficiently completed the task. Within two days, the officials proactively spent silver to request his aid in suppressing pirates, playing right into the hands of the allied forces. After the surprise attack on Guangzhou, the bookkeepers from the Thirteen Brokerages even came to make a fuss. The foreign side knew they were at fault, and since they would depend on the Cai clan in the future, Hesting, the main director, sent a sincere personal letter explaining the difficulties and making promises, even compensating Cai Qian with over a hundred skilled craftsmen. They thought, given that the Cai clan were both merchants and pirates, who pursued profit and valued trust, they wouldn't pursue the matter further. However, unexpectedly, in just a few days, Cai Qian joined forces with the four great pirates and brought the battle to their door.

Two hundred thousand pirates countering more than twenty thousand Anglo-Portuguese marines–this was bound to be a bitter fight, no matter how you looked at it.

But retreat? Unthinkable!

Tang Ruola picked up a delicate incense burner, unable to let go, “Jem Cai, you said that Chinese merchants value trust above all. You going back on your word will surely bring you consequences.”

He looked again at the soldier who had brought the report and smiled amiably, “If I'm not mistaken, among these five great pirates, Jem Cai is the one giving orders, right? Hehe, to play the Emperor and the officials, along with Hesting himself, for fools… I must say, I do admire this Chinese man's cunning and execution.”

“That's not the case, Your Excellency,” the soldier placed his right hand over his chest, “The leader of the South Seas pirates, the commander of two hundred thousand pirates in battle, is a young girl named Zheng Xiu.”

Chapter end