Qunying Tower, the tallest and finest building on Moon Island, was modeled after a county yamen, divided into the main hall, secondary hall, and rear courtyard, with the grand entrance boldly inscribed with “Xu Wang’s Mansion” in flamboyant calligraphy.
At this moment, before the gates of “Xu Wang’s Mansion,” bodies lay scattered haphazardly, mostly those of Moon Island pirates, with some belonging to Mao Haifeng’s pirates.
In contrast, the Zhejiang soldiers, fully clad in cotton armour and wielding firearms, fought from the rear, ensuring their safety.
From within the courtyard came bursts of battle cries, accompanied by the sound of muskets, indicating fierce combat inside.
Mao Haifeng and Zhu Pingan, surrounded by a large contingent of troops, arrived at the final stronghold of the Moon Island pirates.
“A nobody dares to call himself a king like my adoptive father! Is he even worthy?! He should take a good look at himself! I’ll twist his head off soon enough! What a toad crawling on your foot, not biting, just utterly disgusting!”
Mao Haifeng, seeing the plaque of “Xu Wang’s Mansion” hanging before Qunying Tower, was so furious he laughed. Xu San dared to proclaim himself Xu Wang, mimicking his adoptive father’s title of Prince Hui. The world had truly changed, with every Tom, Dick, and Harry claiming kingship, making his adoptive father’s title seem almost laughable! Damn him!
Unlike Mao Haifeng, Zhu Pingan, upon seeing the “Xu Wang’s Mansion” plaque, twitched his lips into a slight smile.
Not bad.
A pirate daring to call himself a king was no ordinary pirate. He was a usurper, a rebel, and his capture or killing would bring substantial merit.
“Take down that plaque later! After we raze Qunying Tower, search thoroughly inside and seal up all items related to his self-proclaimed ‘kingly’ title. Oh, and General Mao, if possible, try to capture Xu San alive, I have great use for him,” Zhu Pingan said to Mao Haifeng with a smile.
These were evidence, proof for claiming rewards, and must not be overlooked.
“Easy enough. Pass the order, capture Xu San alive! As for the rest, dead or alive, it doesn’t matter!”
Mao Haifeng thumped his chest confidently, instructing a nearby pirate to relay the order to capture Xu San alive if possible.
“The fighting inside sounds intense. Come, let’s go in and see,” Zhu Pingan said to Mao Haifeng.
“Right, Lord Zhu, let’s go take a look,” Mao Haifeng nodded, leading the way.
It wasn’t out of rudeness, but rather his confidence in his combat prowess, taking the lead to ensure Zhu Pingan’s safety from behind.
“What’s wrong with you lot?! So many of you, and you still haven’t taken down a measly Qunying Tower?!”
Mao Haifeng started cursing as soon as he entered the courtyard.
“Leader, Xu San’s awake and organising resistance in the secondary hall. It’s all his trusted men in there, fighting fiercely,” a wounded pirate, arm bandaged, ran over and pointed in a direction, explaining to Mao Haifeng.
“He’s awake?” Mao Haifeng looked in the direction indicated and indeed saw Xu San, dressed in a bright red robe, hair dishevelled.
Xu San’s mood was a rollercoaster. One moment, he was at a wedding banquet, basking in the flattery and toasts of thousands, elated by his self-proclaimed kingship and the prospect of his wedding night. But he drank too much, passing out cold, unable to consummate the marriage.
In the end, he was jolted awake by a basin of ice water splashed in his face. Furious, he wanted to have the culprit who dared douse him beaten to death, but before he could act, his trusted men delivered devastating news.
While he was unconscious from drink, the group of Westerners who infiltrated the banquet the previous day turned out to be Mao Haifeng’s insiders. They colluded, opened the docks, and allowed Mao Haifeng’s army to land, breaching the stronghold’s gates and charging in.
What?!
Rushing out in a panic, he heard the sounds of slaughter outside. Grabbing his sword, he saw enemies storming Qunying Tower.
Damn it!
Fortunately, the tower was filled with his trusted men and kin, resisting fiercely, giving him a moment to catch his breath.
At this point, he no longer dreamed of turning the tide, only of breaking out. He had a small boat hidden beneath the northwest cliff, with a rope ladder on the cliffside. If he could escape there, he might survive.
To that end, he threw money around, reluctantly parting with the six thousand taels of silver wedding gifts from his bridal chamber, distributing them to his trusted men and kin. He promised promotions and riches, guaranteeing that anyone who escaped would at least become a minor leader. To spur his men to fight to the death, he spread word that Mao Haifeng intended to slaughter everyone on Moon Island, leaving no one alive, not even a chicken or dog!
Through Xu San’s manoeuvres, the Moon Island pirates in Qunying Tower resisted fiercely, fighting for their lives.
Under their desperate resistance, Mao Haifeng’s pirates and the Zhejiang soldiers couldn’t break through their final line of defence.
With both sides locked in combat, muskets and bows couldn’t be used freely for fear of friendly fire.
“Damn it! Haven’t you eaten?! You can’t even handle this lot! Charge in there!” Mao Haifeng bellowed from the rear, furious.
“Mao Haifeng, you despicable villain! You sent men pretending to celebrate my joy, colluding to seize my foundation and slaughter us all! If I survive today, I’ll tear you to pieces one day!” Xu San, in his red robe and dishevelled hair, spotted Mao Haifeng from afar and cursed, eyes bloodshot with rage.
“Xu San, if you’re smart, surrender now, and I might spare your pathetic life. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless!”
“Ptui! You despicable schemer, only good for dirty tricks!” Xu San spat back, cursing.
“Damn you!” Mao Haifeng, enraged by the insults, drew his pirate blade, pointed at Xu San, and challenged, “Xu San, I’m giving you a chance. Dare to face me one-on-one? Life or death, fate decides. Do you dare?”
Xu San’s face flickered with hesitation. A desperate fight? No, no, Mao Haifeng was renowned for his martial prowess; he likely wasn’t a match. Better to rely on his men to break out. After wavering, he spat, “You treacherous, shameless villain! I’m not falling for your trap!”
“Hah, cowardly rat!” Mao Haifeng sneered, his eyes filled with contempt for Xu San.
“Ptui, shameless villain!” Xu San shot back, unwilling to show weakness.
Both sides urged their men to attack, one side overwhelming with numbers and high morale, the other with no retreat, fighting to the death.
The battlefield roared with cries, blood flowing like rivers, locked in a brutal stalemate.
