Chapter 254 -91: The Pill Flame Boils the Sea
Zhufen’s troops landed, and as they advanced, they left pirate looting in their wake. With over five thousand elite soldiers, Zhufen himself marched towards Guangzhou City, which was now less than fifty miles away.
“Since the Northern Song Dynasty, there have been great pirate incursions in the South Seas, but tell me, has any pirate ever captured a provincial capital?”
Zhufen’s heart surged with emotion. He was ambitious and his appetite for power was insatiable. He was pleased that the Demon Thief had turned back, happy to have fewer people with whom to share the spoils, and secretly delighted that Zhang He could hold up Tianbao’s advance. As for the retaliation of the Red, Cai, and Lin families, and the ruin of his reputation as Yishi among the South Sea pirates, these were not within the scope of his concerns.
Why didn’t I stop them? The Red Hair ships are strong, and their cannons are lethal. I couldn’t block them. No one wants to face defeat.
How could I enter Guangzhou City? Isn’t that why we came here, to take Guangzhou? Since I couldn’t stop the Red Hairs from breaking through, of course, I headed for Guangzhou City!
This, of course, was an excuse, one that the Red Cai would not believe. But with money! With people! Come fame! And status! After this battle, it wasn’t certain that Red Cai would still be a match for him. Should the government and Fulin bestow another official title upon him, he would have secured a lifetime of glory and riches, with military power and wealth in his hands—would he still fear them?
...
Unexpectedly, just as Zhufen was making his perfect plans, news came from his troops that the road was blocked by government soldiers.
“Government soldiers? In Guangdong and Guangxi, where are there soldiers capable of stopping us?”
Zhufen was both shocked and angry when he heard this.
His subordinate answered frantically: “The one leading them is called Lin Dong, appointed as Guangdong Right Wing Town. I’ve inquired about him; he was rescued by Tianbao’s men before. The Cai Clan offered money and men, asking him to gather scattered soldiers along the route. Coincidentally, they ran into us.”
Zhufen frowned heavily: “How many do they have?”
His subordinate shook his head: “Over two thousand, blocking us from passing.”
Zhufen became furious, pulled his horse around to look, and indeed saw government troops before him.
His eyes darted about. At this moment, his mind was set on entering the city to get rich and then accept Fulin’s reward. But if he were to turn against the government troops now, it would be unsightly. He was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
…
Guangzhou Bay was in the thick of a fierce battle.
Watching intently from the bow of the ship, Cai Qian of the Red Cai Allied Forces, gazed until he saw the great fire on the ship “Jealousy” and couldn’t help but burst into laughter: “Hesting’s highly praised seven ships are nothing much after all.”
His expression grew somber: “Fire the whistle arrows. Let’s strike hard and attempt to board the British decks in one fervent push.”
The jumbled ships collided amidst the noise of gunfire and the ringing of muskets.
Ferocious pirates with their braids coiled about their necks engaged in a brutal fight with the smart-looking marines. The back and forth trampling caused the decks to creak under the strain. Bodies occasionally fell into the sea, splashing water everywhere.
Beneath the water’s surface, the dark depths were unseen. Most of the panicked fish had long since fled, leaving behind nothing but blood-soaked water and sunken shipwrecks. A yellow fish gasped and let out bubbles in a flurry, while the usually gold-and-white water’s surface was now obscured by patches of black. Amidst the orange flames and the silt of Chaos, the frantic bubbles underwater looked quite ethereal.
Li Yan no longer fought at the front. Rather, after the situation had stabilized, he returned to the Red Flag ship with a group of Gaoli ghosts, called for the ship’s doctor to tend to their wounds, and directed the battle without mention. Several of Yan’s men also returned to Cai Qian’s ship.
“Where’s the Tianbao Dragon Head?”
Cai Qian scanned around.
Yan Laoda’s eyelids sank: “He boarded a Red Flag Gang ship halfway through and told me to relay a message to the boss. Once the dust settles, he will fulfill his promise.”
Cai Qian frowned and bowed his head, seemingly deep in thought.
“Boss, Liù is dead.”
Cai Qian raised his head, his face changing colors multiple times, his throat undulating for a good while…
“Understood, you all go and get some simple bandaging done first.”
Yan Laoda nodded and, with several helpers, entered the cabin.
…
The black ship “Envy” was ablaze with roaring flames, blackening the sight before Tang Ruola, the bishop of the Catholic Church. He couldn’t have imagined that the situation could take such a dramatic turn for the worse in just a few days!
“Retreat! I must order a retreat! Initially, it was Hesting who pledged with certainty that conquering the officials would be easier than subjugating the Mughals! Now with “Envy” destroyed, Macau occupied, all this mess is on your party’s hands,”
Tang Ruola screamed, his wrinkled face filled with frustration, devoid of any civility or guile.
Alex let out a bitter smile. “Bishop sir, did you really believe those morale-boosting speeches in parliament and agreed to join because of them?”
He paused, then said with difficulty, “Success depends on our efforts, we may not necessarily lose.” After another pause, he added, “Regardless, the company will take responsibility for its actions.”
Tang Ruola said nothing, but he knew whether they won or lost, Hesting’s idea of opening trade markets through war could pretty much be declared a failure, it was clear that their current battle achievements and situation were far from sufficient to propose such terms.
…
Lantau Island,
Zhang He cleared the fog, cutting off half a cape, Lady Dan manipulated the water, raising tremendous waves. It seemed like a draw.
After the big wave, water on the deck reached above the knees, and the demon thief pirates howled as they scooped water out.
The demon thief’s face was fierce, looking back at the incense burner, which had been extinguished by seawater. The “Six Ren Kui Smoke” also vanished without a trace.
“Hahahaha…”
Zhang He in a black robe laughed instead of being alarmed.
“It’s not Defying Skill! It’s not Madam Shi!”
Madam Shi had been a constant heartache for the demon thief for many years, causing him problems like palpitations and insomnia. So, it was for a reason that Chaoyi mocked him.
Once Zhang He finished laughing, his face turned serious, removed the lid of the incense burner, sprayed a mouthful of blood from the tip of his tongue into it, and a mass of blood-red flames suddenly rose, the rolling white smoke reappeared, and out of the smoke emerged a woman with exceptionally charming eyebrows and eyes, gazing at him.
“Roar~~~”
Zhang He’s eyes almost burst with rage as the newly formed smoke boiled. The cliff where Lady Dan set the Dharma Platform instantly cracked open, the earth shook, and rocks tumbled, piercing towards the people near the platform. Cai’s escorts and those from Chaoyi hastily dodged while near Lady Dan, there was no disturbance.
Chaoyi stood steadily on a rock, looking around with some panic in his heart, let alone himself, Xiu’er was also present. He somewhat blamed the Fire Cauldron Lady; her fighting a battle of skills on Lantau Island meant that, win or lose, the Red Flag would be thankful for her favor, but why did she bring his Xiu’er so close to such a dangerous fight?
“Are you alright?”
Lady Dan asked softly from the edge of the cliff.
Xiu’er, who had nearly fallen off the cliff, was still shaken and subconsciously shook her head.
“That’s good.” Lady Dan murmured, then turned back to Chaoyi: “Leader Chaoyi, has the Red Flag properly dealt with Madam Guo and the others, utilizing the demon thief?”
Lady Dan was too direct. Although this was what Lin Yuanfu had hinted to Xiu’er, and Chaoyi intended the same, saying such things outright was somewhat unbecoming.
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Chaoyi hesitated for a moment before stammering out, “The Demon Thief’s approach was fierce and unstoppable, Lantau Island couldn’t defend itself. I’m really not sure about the safety of the leaders of the various flag factions.”
“So that’s settled then?”
“Um…”
Lady Dan looked toward the basin with its babbling water ripples, her hand reaching in.
“Since that’s the case, how to deal with this Demon Thief should be decided by Tianbao, the Dragon Head himself.”
“What?”
Chaoyi did not understand.
Lady Dan smiled, unhooking a small, pitch-black cauldron from her waist, submerged it into the water with a clenched fist, and then squeezed it forcefully.
Poof~
Emerald flames snaked out from between Lady Dan’s fingers. Then, the entire basin’s water was ignited by the emerald flame!
The boundless expanse of the South Seas, centered around the Demon Thief’s hundred black-sailed ships, for at least fifteen miles in every direction, the sea turned into a sheet of emerald flame. To the pirates, it looked as if the sky was covered and the sun blotted out by emerald fire, as if signifying the end of days.
Clang~
The incense burner on the Demon Thief’s Dharma Platform hit the ground and shattered, illumining Zhang He’s face in an eerie green hue. He swayed, struggling to stand and not collapse. His lips trembled, and he couldn’t utter a single word.
Whether it was the Demon Thief pirates blinded by bloodlust or the Red Flag army desperately resisting, everyone was stunned by this astonishing and terrifying scene, temporarily forgetting the heat of battle.
Dong~
Lady Dan overturned the basin, and the sea in front of the cliffs churned instantly. The emerald flames closed in like petals, wrapping the Demon Thief and his ships and crew inside. Under the bright sunlight, a mountain of emerald fire rose from the sea, an astonishing and terrifying sight.
The Demon Thief, who seemed invincible just moments before, was now beaten and in retreat!
Some of the Demon Thief pirates who had managed to land and were spared from disaster could barely hold onto their weapons at the sight. Then, shouts began to rise from among the Red Flag pirates.
“Fire Cauldron Lady has revealed her true form! All you wretches, surrender now!”
“Fire Cauldron Lady has revealed her true form! All you wretches, surrender now!”
While their shouts grew fervent, Lady Dan’s eyelids sank, and she felt a bit ashamed inside.
She looked exhausted. A Cai retainer who saw this quickly came over with an umbrella for her.
Lady Dan smiled at the retainer, her head bowed in contemplation, “The divine power of the Fiery Cauldron, the illusion of She Mountain, the execution was appropriate, but the technique was still tumultuous and lacked regulation. Despite using up the residual influence of the Fiery Cauldron Couple, my spells are still in disarray. If this continues, it will surely harm my foundation.”
The complexions of Chaoyi and his company went unmentioned. On the hillside there, Lin Yuanfu also witnessed everything clearly.
“Cai Qian, Tianbao, Fire Cauldron Lady…”
He furrowed his brows, sensing that the path ahead was fraught with difficulty, as if he had sunk into a quagmire, struggling mightily with every step.
“The Land of Barbaric Miasma, where strange forces defy description.”
…
The naval battle of Guangzhou Bay had raged for a day and a night. The Red Cai fleet suffered losses of nearly half its vessels, with casualties exceeding ten thousand. Meanwhile, the English and Portuguese joint forces lost around forty percent of their strength, with four thousand sailors killed in action.
If the battle had continued, the Red Cai Allied Forces might not have been able to win. Even without “Envy,” the tactical naval prowess of the English far surpassed that of the South Seas pirates. Although the Red Cai Allied Forces had six times the number of men attacking Guangzhou Bay than Alex had under his command, their casualties were ultimately more than twice those of the English, which left Li Yan and Cai Qian feeling less than pleased. The pressure on the Red Hair was much greater though, as the tightness of the home front made Alex hesitant to further waste precious naval strength in the Far East.
Alex, who had been desperately awaiting reinforcements that never arrived, saw Tang Ruola growing increasingly irritable. The losses from this war had already far exceeded Hesting’s expectations, leading Alex to eventually hoist the white flag.
The battle of Guangzhou Bay concluded with the Red Cai Allied Forces’ victory!
Alex retreated all the way to the sea, while Li Yan landed with tremendous momentum, heading straight for Guangzhou, just in time to encounter Zhufen, who, having run out of patience, had turned against the government troops. Li Yan couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries or listening to Zhufen’s excuses; leading the Red Flag’s elite forces, he joined the battle and drove Zhufen deep into the mountains of Guangxi. Only then did he leisurely return and led his troops directly into Guangzhou.
Zhufen, chased off with his face smeared in dust by Li Yan, regrouped his forces all the way to the banks of the Xijiang River. He was in a dilemma; returning like this would bring neither glory nor substance. But by then, considering attacking the city again seemed far-fetched, as Li Yan and Cai Qian might not agree.
However, both the Red Flag Gang and the Tianbo Division, dealing with the slippery Zhufen, showed no further action, which made Zhufen hold on to a hope against hope. He thus led his forces to camp at the mouth of the Xijiang River, sending envoys daily to negotiate with the Red Flag Gang, ostensibly trying to pass everything off as a “misunderstanding.” Shameless as they come, Zhufen persisted while Li Yan and Cai Qian, busy with the aftermath and dividing the spoils, could hardly be bothered with him.
Successive victories were reported by pirates from various places. Lin Ajin intercepted the Portuguese reinforcements, and by the time the battle for Guangzhou Bay was decided, it too ended in victory. Three days after Cai Qian and Li Yan entered the city, Lin Ajin too led his forces into Guangzhou City.
His interception of reinforcements for the Red Cai was heard by Li Yan, who specifically sent people to deliver a substantial amount of wealth to Lin Ajin as a show of gratitude, easing tensions between their families that had lasted for over a century.
An anecdote was that the Portuguese had attempted to smuggle out many of the looted treasures right under the noses of the Red Cai, but were unsuccessful. The detained ships, after being accounted for by both the Tianbo Division and the Red Flag Gang, totaled more than seventy. As for whether there were any that slipped through the net, that remains to be told.
News came from Lantau Island that the home front was safe but urged the Tianbao Dragon Head to return quickly.
Meanwhile, a large number of ships from both the Tianbo Division and the Red Flag entered the port of Macau, on guard against any trouble from the East India Company.
As previously agreed, the Red Flag and the Tianbo Division joined forces to capture Macau. Afterwards, they would station troops there together, each holding half the territory.
Cai Qian was far more interested in Guangzhou City than Macau, while Li Yan felt precisely the opposite.
Though Guangzhou was rich, it might not hold much significance for one who wanders Yan Fu. It was the Yan Fu treasure hidden in Macau that Li Yan was truly concerned about.
As for Cai Qian, he believed that Macau, having been occupied by the Red Hair for a long time, would prove to be a thorn in their side. Moreover, the gains were not substantial. Cai Qian, who wasn’t pursuing a path of seizing islands and declaring himself king, found Macau to be of little value to him.
The importance of Guangzhou to Cai Qian, of course, goes without saying.
The two agreed on terms swiftly. Li Yan ceded a large portion of the gains from entering the city to Cai Qian, allowing him to curry favor with the officials, while Cai Qian gave up Macau…
Official rewards were of little interest to Li Yan.
As for treasures, with Guangdong and Guangxi paralyzed, Li Yan, having just entered the city, was already reaping bountiful rewards with every casual sweep.
With the capture of Macau, Zheng Xiu’er of the Red Flag became the nominal alliance hierarch of the pirates. With these two achievements, Li Yan’s objectives were essentially completed.
The South Seas conflict was basically at an end. Li Yan, counting on his fingers, found that he had accomplished quite a lot this time.
Defeating the Red Hair allied forces, the Yan Fu treasure known as “Mage Tool” was within easy reach, with only one remaining of the twelve Exotic Beast sea charts needed to establish a permanent passage, just one step away from success,
Offering a hundred thousand silver in sacrifice to the Lord of the Xiang River, leading troops to shatter Humen, the great outlaw Zheng extorting the government, healing the wounds of the Wupozi from Guangyi Island, and the South Seas pirates driving off the Red Hair.
These were a full five Yan Fu incidents. For Li Yan, only a few finishing touches remained before everything could be deemed a complete triumph.
What was left was simply to reap the fruits of victory.