“Zhu Pingan, don’t run your mouth so boldly—aren’t you afraid the wind will snap your tongue?! Next time we clash, I’ll make you beg for life and death alike! You’re so clever with your pen, aren’t you? I’ll break your right hand and see how you write your fancy words then! You’ve got a silver tongue, huh? I’ll rip it out and see how you spin your pretty speeches! And isn’t your lovely wife a heavenly beauty? I’ll snap your third leg and see how you play the dragon with her then!”
“Hahahaha…”
“And in the end, I’ll tear you to pieces, leaving you without a grave to bury! Your family will have to mourn you with an empty tomb. Zhu Pingan, just wait—it won’t be long!”
Xu Hai, driven to near hysteria by Zhu Pingan’s taunts, waved his pirate blade wildly, spewing venomous curses.
In that moment, if Zhu Pingan stood before him, he’d rip the flesh from his bones and devour it raw.
That damned little rat! Reducing me to this state—death by a thousand cuts wouldn’t quench my hatred!
Faced with Xu Hai’s frenzied oaths, Zhu Pingan shook his head with a dismissive chuckle. “Heh, no need for ancestral soil to bury my bones—green hills bloom everywhere in life. Xu Hai, etch your words into your memory. When I come knocking next time to fulfill your dreams, I hope you won’t scurry off with your tail between your legs like you did today.”
“Me, flee? In your dreams, Zhu Pingan! Next time we meet, the tides will turn—victory will be mine, and you’ll be the one crushed! You’ll be the one running like a whipped dog!” Xu Hai roared, his hysteria peaking.
“Heh,” Zhu Pingan replied with a dry laugh.
As Xu Hai geared up for another tirade, Zhu Pingan waved a hand lazily. “I’ve got no time to waste trading barbs with you. We’ll settle it on the battlefield next time.”
Then, his tone shifted, a radiant grin spreading across his face as he delivered a gut-punch of gratitude. “But thanks for today—gifting me so many heads, spoils, and captives. Oh, and your dear brother-in-arms, Chen Dong. With such a haul, I’ll be climbing the ranks again soon.”
Seeing Zhu Pingan’s infuriatingly smug smile and hearing his heart-stabbing words, Xu Hai felt a surge of fury hit his chest. His throat tightened, a sweet taste rose, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His vision darkened, and he toppled backward.
“Boss! Boss, what’s wrong?!”
The pirates erupted in panic, rushing forward—some pinching his philtrum, others slapping his face.
Among them, one clearly seized the chance for personal revenge. The “slaps” were full-force blows, less resuscitation and more vendetta. In a rare opportunity, the man’s hand blurred with speed, leaving Xu Hai’s face swollen like a chipmunk stuffed with seeds after just a few strikes.
“Get off me—I’m fine!”
Xu Hai’s rage-fueled blackout lasted only a moment. He shoved the crowd aside, clutching his swollen cheeks, and roared in frustration.
“Pity,” Zhu Pingan muttered, shrugging with a hint of regret as Xu Hai staggered back to his feet.
Why didn’t that bastard just keel over from anger?
But then, noticing the brief chaos among the pirates—no one keeping watch on his side—his eyes lit up.
A golden opportunity.
Zhu Pingan swiftly signaled the hundred Zhejiang troops on lookout duty. Pointing at the disordered mess across the river, he ordered, “Quick, alert crew, get over here! To celebrate Xu Hai spitting blood and not dying, let’s set off some fireworks for them as a little token.”
Across the wide river, the two forces were about forty to fifty meters apart—well within arquebus range.
Earlier, Xu Hai’s crew had been vigilant, tracking every move on Zhu Pingan’s side. Any hint of trouble, and they’d bolt out of effective firing range.
Now, distracted by Xu Hai’s collapse, they’d let their guard down—a rare opening.
At Zhu Pingan’s command, the alert Zhejiang troops caught on instantly. They grabbed their arquebuses and rushed to the riverbank.
But Xu Hai’s paranoia kicked in fast. After snapping out of his daze and cursing his men, he kept a wary eye on Zhu Pingan. Spotting the Zhejiang troops assembling by the water, he guessed their intent.
That little rat Zhu Pingan’s about to take a cheap shot!
“Damn it, no good! Zhu Pingan’s out to get me! Run—the Zhejiang troops are firing their guns!” Xu Hai bellowed, bolting as he shouted orders to his scrambling men.
Xu Hai reacted quickly, but his pirates were a beat too slow. When he’d collapsed, many had crowded around, losing focus on the Zhejiang troops across the river.
It wasn’t until Xu Hai started running and cursing that they noticed over a hundred Zhejiang soldiers lining up with arquebuses. Then it hit them—the enemy was about to open fire.
In an instant, the terror of those iron cannons flooded their hearts like a tidal wave!
Panic seized them. Souls fleeing their bodies, they stumbled over each other, piss-soaked and crawling, desperate to escape—cursing their parents for not giving them an extra pair of legs.
*Bang bang bang…*
As the pirates fled in chaos, the Zhejiang arquebuses roared.
In moments, about twenty of the slower ones dropped dead.
“Treacherous little bastard—may you rot!”
Xu Hai ran over a hundred meters before stopping, hands on his hips, gasping for breath. Fearing another surprise, he gritted his teeth, spat a curse, and led his surviving pirates away without looking back.
“Pity,” the Zhejiang troops sighed, seeing their tally—only twenty-odd pirates down, the rest now out of range.
“Heh, don’t get greedy. This was already a bonus,” Zhu Pingan said with a faint smile, pleased with the outcome.
“Heh, true. If the boss hadn’t pissed off their leader into spitting blood and collapsing, throwing them into chaos, we wouldn’t have gotten this shot,” the soldiers chuckled, coming around.
“Alright,” Zhu Pingan grinned, waving to his troops. “Back to the city—time for a victory feast!”
“Back to the city! Victory feast!”
“Back to the city! Victory feast!”
The Zhejiang soldiers couldn’t help but cheer, waving back, their spirits soaring as they erupted in celebration.
Human joy and sorrow don’t mix—sometimes, one’s triumph is built on another’s misery.
“Damn it!”
Xu Hai, Ma Ye, and the fleeing pirates heard the distant cheers of the Zhejiang troops. Their faces darkened like scorched pots, teeth grinding as they cursed under their breath.
The sun sank in the west. The pirates fled east, a pack of beaten dogs. The Zhejiang army marched west, howling in triumph.
