The setting sun was like blood, the raging flames of Dazaifu were transforming into thick smoke and ash.
Yang Ge, Yang Tiansheng, Li Jincheng, Xiang Wudi, Zhou Fu, five people stood side by side on a high ground of Dazaifu, overlooking the servant army of Dongying pirates, who were laughing and shouting wildly as they turned building after building into a scene of fire, speechless for a long time.
"This is as far as you go!"
Yang Ge suddenly spoke, a faint smile on his face, he softly said, "The most prominent lords of the Western Sea Road have been taken down by us, the remaining minor village heads are not worth mentioning. If it’s revenge, fortune, or even staking a claim that you seek, this place suffices, but the rest of the road should be walked by Zhou Fu and others with me."
Yang Tiansheng glared at him irritably, "Zhou and others can go, why can’t we three brothers go?"
Yang Ge patted his shoulder, chuckling, "You are all valiant warriors of the martial world, you see justice and evil, Zhou and his men are soldiers, they view strength and weaknesses. I can lead Zhou and his men to massacre a city, and the court will bear their sins. But if I lead you to massacre, the sins committed must be borne by you yourselves... let it end here, to go on is not good for you. You were righteous and spirited when you followed me out to sea, and I must bring you back the same way."
The three brothers turned their gaze to Zhou Fu.
Zhou Fu nodded to them.
The three simultaneously looked back at Yang Ge, Li Jincheng asked, "What about you?"
"Me?..."
Yang Ge naturally replied, "I still need to continue my revenge!"
The brothers concurrently showed puzzled expressions, "You haven’t killed enough?"
Yang Ge laughed, tidied up the stray hairs by his ear and quietly said, "I haven’t even started, so how can it be enough..."
His originally somewhat feminine gesture, paired with the dense smoke and blood-like setting sun of the city, seemed to add an indescribable flavor of cruelty, and even Yang Tiansheng, who knew him best, felt a chill in his heart at that moment.
After hesitating for a while, Yang Tiansheng sighed softly, patting Yang Ge’s shoulder and said quietly, "Brother, given our brotherhood, I should not advise you to sheath your sword... but, mercy to others is mercy to yourself, don’t be too stubborn, it leads too easily to obsession."
Li Jincheng and Xiang Wudi stood by, nodding in agreement.
Yang Ge looked at Yang Tiansheng in surprise, seemingly unable to believe such philosophical words came from him.
But soon, he chuckled, "I know what I’m doing... strictly speaking, my trouble with these Dongying pirates is quite irrational, but who’s to blame for my misfortune in timing? If I were born in the era when the pirates plagued my hometown, of course, I’d have gone after them. Since I wasn’t, I can only settle with troubling their ancestors!"
He thought to himself, ’It’s not really irrational. Didn’t Toyotomi Hideyoshi, after uniting Dongying post the era of warring states, send an army of a hundred thousand with the intent to land in Joseon (Korea) and invade China?’
He felt that the ambition of the Dongying devils to devour China might have started with that old devil Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was here now to break Dongying’s backbone in advance. Even if it was not self-defense, it was at least an emergency escape, wasn’t it? Grandmaster Chen, the founder of unlimited fighting, wasn’t he an advocate for running over an opponent with a bulldozer the night before a duel? One surely cannot wait until the enemy storms one’s doorstep to hurriedly seek revenge, right? That kind of thinking is simply idiotic!
Understanding this, his will, which was as steadfast as a rock, suddenly became even more justifiable!
The brothers, however, felt something was off about his words.
After a detailed thought, Yang Tiansheng corrected softly, "Did you misspeak? These Dongying pirates should be the descendants of those who plagued our hometown..."
Yang Ge did not say much else, he took a deep breath and said, "Let’s settle it like this!"
He pointed to those beastly servant army of Dongying pirates in the city, "After this battle, the servant army has completely taken shape, their brutality fully unleashed. The size and acts of these beasts will only grow and become more extreme; in your current state, you can’t withstand such carnage."
The brothers followed his gaze briefly, then quickly looked away.
Xiang Wudi pondered for a moment, then spoke, "We might not follow you further east, but leaving is not an option. We brothers came here together, we must return together... Second brother, do whatever you need to, we’ll keep your retreat secure. If the situation turns unfavorable, just lead Zhou and others back. If the sky falls, we brothers will shoulder it side by side!"
Li Jincheng nodded in agreement, "Even though Xiang often speaks disagreeably, I quite like what he said today."
Yang Tiansheng also said, "Xiang speaks sensibly."
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Yang Ge nodded contentedly, "Let’s do that then... Zhou, how is the exploration of mineral resources in Dongying going?"
Zhou Fu immediately replied, "Second master, as of now, we have traces of three silver mines just in the Western Sea Road area. The people from the Western Factory are already heading there with guides to survey the site. Judging by the time, we should receive news by early morning day after tomorrow... However, it seems this unremarkable place is indeed rich in gold and silver ores!"
His gaze turned towards the plundering Dongying servant army pirates in the city, and the four men followed his sight, only to see the servant army pirates transporting carts filled with gold and silver items...