It’s said that the most agonising way to die is being burned alive, and the Japanese pirates in the forest would have had plenty to say about that.
Oh, wait—they can’t speak anymore…
Countless pirates perished in the forest, either burned or choked to death, their gruesome fates striking terror into the hearts of the survivors, leaving them trembling with fear and dread.
No pirate wanted to follow the path of being burned or suffocated, driving them to fight desperately for survival, frantically searching for a way out.
The wet sleeves covering their mouths and noses soon dried out under the intense heat of the fire, and they couldn’t produce more urine. What to do?
Simple—borrow some blood from a fellow pirate. Blood’s mostly water, close enough. Soak a sleeve in it and cover your nose—it’d still block the smoke. If he wouldn’t share, a quick lesson in generosity with a pirate blade would do the trick.
With roaring flames, billowing smoke, and endless dangers obscuring the way, what then?
Simple—send a pirate ahead to scout. If he refused, a pirate blade would teach him courage and duty.
Exhausting every trick, through good luck or bad, stepping over the bodies of their comrades, some pirates finally escaped the inferno.
Their clothes were scorched to tatters, their bodies covered in wounds, their hair singed in patches, but those who survived couldn’t help but scream to the heavens in exhilaration, tears of relief streaming down their faces as they laughed hysterically, “Hahaha, Ming dogs, Ming dogs, do you see this?! Heaven hasn’t forsaken me! I’ve escaped alive!”
Just then, a sharp “bang” rang out—a musket shot.
“Ah!”
The pirate, mid-rant, clutched his bleeding chest, staring in disbelief toward the sound.
There.
A Zhejiang soldier on a mule had appeared unnoticed.
“Pah, you little bastard, you celebrated too soon! Heaven might spare you, but Grandpa here won’t! In your next life, when you’re reborn as a beast, don’t forget to reflect on this life’s sins and work hard to atone!” the soldier spat from afar, sneering coldly.
“I…”
The world spun, his vision turning red. Clutching his chest, the pirate fell with a resentful thud, dead.
More pirates trickled out of the blazing forest, some just beginning to rejoice, others not even getting the chance, only to be spotted by the patrolling Zhejiang soldiers and swiftly dispatched with arrows or musket fire.
Of course, a few lucky ones slipped through the flames undetected by the Zhejiang troops. Knowing the army might be waiting to pick off stragglers, they kept low, slinking toward the river to escape with their lives.
In the heart of the fiery forest, Xu Hai stabbed another subordinate, borrowing a handful of blood to wet his sleeve. Covering his mouth and nose, he took a deep breath, his blood-streaked face contorted as he waved his blade, ordering another pirate to scout ahead.
“Water! There’s water! Boss, there’s a ditch ahead with water!” the scouting pirate shouted in excitement.
“Where? Where? Lead the way, quick!” Xu Hai’s face lit up, his voice trembling with thrill.
The pirates behind him mirrored his excitement.
A ditch meant not just life-saving water but a direction—ditches led outward, a path out of the forest.
“Boss, right here.”
The scout led Xu Hai a few steps forward and pointed at the ground.
Xu Hai eagerly shoved him aside and crouched down. Sure enough, beneath ash-covered branches and weeds, there was a ditch. Brushing aside the debris, he saw shallow water flowing slowly.
He scooped up a handful, splashing his fire-scorched face, then drank deeply, heedless of the filth.
His parched, cracking throat felt like it was sipping divine nectar, a rush so intense his hair stood on end.
“Hahaha, they say good men die young, but scourges live forever! Heaven won’t let me, Xu Hai, perish!”
Raising his head from the ditch, he wiped his ash-smeared face and laughed maniacally.
“Boss, you’re blessed by the heavens! Surviving this disaster means great fortune awaits!” his men chimed in, piling on flattery.
After their praise, the pirates couldn’t hold back, lunging at the ditch like rabid dogs, gulping water until they belched.
Once sated, someone started it—they threw themselves into the ditch, rolling to soak their clothes.
Seeing this, Xu Hai didn’t hesitate either, plunging in and rolling twice to drench himself.
“Boss, which way do we go?” With hope of survival, the pirates calmed from their frenzy.
“Downstream, of course. Water flows low, and this way leads to the river,” Xu Hai said, squinting as he pointed along the ditch’s flow.
“But, Boss, do we still head to the river? Our ships are burned,” a pirate asked, confused.
“Right now, the Zhejiang Army’s surely waiting outside. The riverbank’s terrain doesn’t suit their deployment—they’re on mules and horses, and the muddy banks bog down hooves. They won’t easily go there. Plus, since our ships are gone, they’ll assume we won’t either, making it safer for us.”
Xu Hai, unusually patient, explained to his men.
“Boss, you’re absolutely right!”
“Yoshi, Boss is brilliant!”
The pirates nodded in sudden understanding, resuming their flattery.
“Then let’s move!” Eager to escape, they pressed him after their praise.
“With this ditch, our lives are safe—why rush? We’re secure, but how many brothers are still trapped in the fire, teetering on the edge? Spread out and shout, bring more here to escape together,” Xu Hai declared, drawing his blade with a clang, his gaze stern as he commanded them.
He left unsaid a deeper calculation, fearing it’d tarnish his image: Zhu Ping’an was cunning. What if he’d predicted this move and set an ambush at the river? With only seven or eight hundred men left—barely more than the Zhejiang Army—if they emerged exhausted only to face a rested, waiting foe, it’d be another disaster.
He needed more pirates, more strength, for self-preservation.
“Boss, your righteousness is unmatched!”
“Boss’s compassion is our blessing!”
Had Xu Hai killed too few, or was his blade not sharp enough? The pirates dared not argue, nodding fervently.
“Anyone alive? Come quick, we’ve found a way out!”
“Don’t want to burn alive? Hurry here! There’s a ditch leading outside!”
“Gather up! If you don’t want to die, follow Boss Xu to safety!”
…
