Chapter 761
Another Ambush
The two pirates were imprisoned separately. One of them was barely alive, so the Imperial Guards didn't dare to be too rough when interrogating him, for fear that he would die if they used too much force.
The other one was hung up and tortured quite a bit, but he was very stubborn, unlike a pirate at all.
Yang Shan walked down to the bottom deck, glanced at the half-dead pirate, then looked at the pirate hanging up, and said, "Soon, we will find out who sent you. You are here to plunder and kill the imperial envoy. Once your identities are found, your entire family will be exterminated! Unless you perform meritorious service to atone for your crimes, or you are innocent because you were unaware of the truth and it was not the imperial delegation you intended to plunder in the first place."
The pirate, who was hanging there, felt a chill run down his spine, his fists clenched, and the chains rattled.
Yang Shan stepped forward and said softly, "Whether it's the former or the latter, you must seize the opportunity, because soon you will have many accomplices. You may be stubborn, but they may not have your backbone."
The pirates remained expressionless, only slightly raising their heads as Yang Shan turned to leave, watching his figure disappear, their hearts wavering.
That night, the sea was calm, and the fleet moved a little further towards Quanzhou.
After daybreak, the number of islands around increased, and the number of fishing boats that could be seen fishing at sea also increased, with one or two small boats appearing intermittently.
Pan Yun, holding a pair of telescopes, watched with great interest: "Fishermen suffer, but those who can't go out to sea to fish suffer even more. No wonder so many fishermen along the coast have fled to other places. Even if they don't become pirates, finding a place to fish is a way to make a living."
Xue Shao looked at the telescope in her hand.
Pan Yun handed it to him and said to Wang Cong, "Go back and make telescopes. Trade them with the sea. This thing will definitely sell well."
Wang Cong readily agreed.
Xue Shao paused, then immediately asked, "You know how to make this?"
“Yes, I can,” Wang Cong replied casually, as he held one in his hand and looked around at the sea. “It’s not difficult; many disciples in the academy can make it.”
Xue Shao also wanted to learn.
Wang Cong readily agreed: "I'll teach you when I make it. This is very easy to learn. I guarantee you'll be able to get the hang of it after watching it twice. It's just that it takes a long time to make."
But this thing is expensive, which justifies its production time.
However, this item was rarely used by the general public. Apart from the military, only the very wealthy and curious people would buy it, resulting in low sales. The Ministry of Works and the workshops could meet the demand.
However, if maritime trade really takes off, the sales of this product will definitely increase!
Wang Cong chuckled, already deciding to find someone to make a telescope as soon as he got back.
After Xue Shao finished reading, he put down his telescope and said, "Be careful tonight."
At the same time, Yang Shan also ordered all ships to inspect their weapons, including the cannons.
Pan Jun and the others went to sleep after lunch and slept until evening. Nothing happened that night.
However, the crew on board did not slack off. They continued to maintain two shifts a day, ensuring that half of the crew were in a state of wartime readiness, day and night.
By the sixth night, halfway through their journey, they could vaguely see the mountains and rivers of the Ming Dynasty. At night, the sea breeze grew stronger, and the waves crashed against the sides of the ship again and again.
Pan Yun, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened her eyes. She casually picked up Pan Xiaohei, who was lying on her knees, and placed him on the pillow. A sword appeared in her hand, and she drew it and walked out of the cabin.
Just then, Xuanmiao next door opened his door.
The two sisters exchanged a glance and climbed onto the deck together.
The night was exceptionally dark tonight; the moon was shrouded in clouds, and the surrounding area was completely empty, with nothing visible.
But their ears are very sensitive; they can hear the gentle splashing sound of the waves.
Pan Yun listened for a while, then put her finger to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle that resounded through the sky. As her Yuan energy rippled outwards, all the ships in front, behind, to the left, and right heard it. The soldiers, who were ready for battle, opened their eyes in unison, grabbed their weapons, and ran out of the cabins...
The sleeping soldiers suddenly opened their eyes, and everyone on the ship instantly came to life. Yang Shan ordered his men to keep a close watch on the two pirates, and he also went out with his sword to make arrangements.
Xiao Hong appeared behind Pan Jun, her red dress standing out in the darkness.
Pan Jun tilted his head and nodded slightly to her. Xiao Hong giggled and disappeared on the spot, reappearing on a small boat a short while later.
Ten people were lying on the small boat, one hand on the hilt of a knife, the other gently rowing the boat, their eyes fixed on the large ship not far away.
They had heard the whooshing sound earlier and were still somewhat surprised when a woman's soft laughter rang in their ears.
Where did this woman come from at sea?
The group froze, turning their heads stiffly to see a woman in red standing at the stern of the boat behind them. Seeing them looking over, she bent down and smiled, saying, "Gentlemen, I greet you."
The ten people's eyes widened, their bodies trembled, and their screams immediately echoed through the sky.
Upon hearing the screams, Pan Jun immediately nocked an arrow and drew his bow. Xuanmiao snapped his fingers, and a flame leaped at his fingertip, igniting the arrowhead.
The rocket streaked across the sky, followed the sound, and with a "thud," it struck a pirate. The pirate screamed, and the scream grew louder.
The rockets and the sound both revealed their position, and the soldiers who rushed out fired along the path of Pan Yun's arrows...
Little Red giggled and floated away, flicking her long sleeves before she left, sweeping two nearby pirates into the sea...
She instantly appeared on another ship...
More and more small boats were exposed. In the darkness, the pirates no longer concealed themselves and sped towards the larger ship. At the same time, the pirates continued to jump into the sea and swim past it...
Meanwhile, the pirates who had been lying in ambush in the water had already made contact with the ship. Some used knives to stab the hull and nimbly climbed aboard, while others took a deep breath and dived into the hull, constantly chiseling at the ship...
Pan Yun and Xuan Miao raised their swords, pinched their fingers to control the swords, and the flying swords spun in the air before suddenly plunging into the sea, stabbing at anyone they saw...
At the same time, soldiers came up with muskets, aimed at the figure in the sea, and opened fire.
Some soldiers even ran to the bottom deck, opened the defensive compartments, and attacked the pirates who were blasting the bottom of the ship...
Soon, bright red blood appeared on the surface of the sea, and the quiet sea became lively.
A drumbeat sounded, and two giant ships broke through the sea fog, sailing towards them from west to east.
In the darkness, Pan Jun seemed to hear the sound of them shaking the cannon.
Pan Yun made a hand seal and pointed, and a flying sword burst out of the water. Pan Yun leaped onto the flying sword and disappeared in a flash.
Mystery followed closely behind.
Seeing how determined the two men were, Tao Ji could only stamp his feet and take over command of the boat.
Pirates began to board the ship, and Wang Cong and his men stood scattered. They killed the pirates as soon as they boarded.
Wang Cong shouted loudly: "Spearmen formation, two men with spears, one man with a knife or sword, three men in a formation, spread out for defense."
This spear formation was something they had figured out in the last few days, specifically for guarding the ship. Whenever someone climbed up the ship's side, they would first be stabbed down with a spear. If they couldn't be stabbed down, the person wielding a sword would then kill them. This formation could be used for both long-range and close-range attacks.
They practiced for several days and quickly found their practice teammates to form a team.
Just as Pan Yun and Xuan Miao flew out, a cannon shot came from afar and landed beside the ship. The large ship was jolted by the waves, and the splashing water droplets stung people's bodies. Many people's ears rang, and they took several steps back.
Pan Yun and Xuan Miao landed on the enemy's large ship, then turned and killed the pirates operating the cannons... (End of Chapter)