Chapter 225
Chapter 225
The Count of Xuanwu thought to himself. At the sight, Pirate King Qiu Tianwei also breathed a sigh of relief. Tang Zong, who stood beside him, said,
“This is the true strength of the Jin Clan's warriors. It's a shame there are so few of these elite soldiers. The Count of Xuanwu expanded his forces too quickly, recruiting far too many new men. Not only are new recruits useless in a fight, they're more likely to ruin the entire operation.”
The five hundred elite soldiers led by the Count of Xuanwu were formidable, but their strength alone was insufficient. More and more pirates poured in, quickly surrounding them. The ground was stained crimson with blood, and hundreds of bodies lay scattered in disarray. It seemed the time was right.
The Count of Xuanwu shouted,
“Break through the encirclement and retreat to the mine! We'll protect the gold there!”
Instantly, the four hundred or so elite warriors shifted their formation, protecting the Count of Xuanwu in the center. They formed a sharp, blade-like wedge and began to break through the enemy lines. At the cost of several dozen lives, the Count of Xuanwu successfully broke through and retreated toward the mines. Despite an encirclement of over three thousand pirates, they were broken through in less than a quarter of an hour.
At that moment, a triumphant look appeared in the eyes of Tang Zong, the Count of Jinhai's eldest son. No matter how brave and fearless the pirates were, their lack of discipline and order meant they were ultimately no match for a regular army in a head-on battle. Witnessing this, Pirate King Qiu Tianwei also realized he had underestimated his enemy and began to reflect. Twenty years ago, his five thousand pirates had annihilated Count Jinyu's ten-thousand-strong allied army. Since then, he had believed the Jin Clan's army was so fragile it would crumble at the slightest touch.
He now saw that while the Jin Clan's army was inept at sea, they were incredibly skilled on land. His own pirate horde, by contrast, was the exact opposite. Qiu Tianwei made a decision. After seizing Anguish Isle, he would train his core warriors like a regular army. The Qiu Clan would officially rise and make its move on the mainland. He would raise soldiers who lived for battle, not just for plunder and gold, like Qiu Yao'er's personal guard.
“Reform your ranks!”
At the Pirate King's command, the thirty-thousand-strong allied army formally reformed its ranks in a large clearing, no longer running wild in a chaotic frenzy. After a full two hours, the thirty thousand allied troops had finally gathered into thirty formations.
“Advance and surround the mine!”
The thirty-thousand-strong allied army marched toward the mine. This was not a time for haste, nor was there any need for it. The surrounding sea was blockaded by pirate warships anyway; no one from the Jin Clan could escape.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Countless footsteps pounded the earth. After forming their ranks, the tens of thousands of pirates set off for the massive mine. Though Anguish Isle was small, the Jin Clan had built wide roads to easily transport the iron and salt they produced to the docks. Now, those very roads made the march convenient for the pirate army of tens of thousands. The thirty-thousand-strong pirate army marched for nearly an hour along the short, five-li road, finally arriving at the enormous mine.
* * *
Most of the pirates there were men who had seen their fair share of grand and wondrous sights, but the enormous mine before them still sent a shiver down their spines. Such a massive, deep pit! The great mine was over four hundred meters in diameter, nearly a li across in both length and width. It was over forty meters deep—large enough to swallow a small city.
It was to be expected. The Jin Clan had been mining iron on Anguish Isle for over two or three hundred years. With thousands of miners toiling in this pit for centuries, it was no surprise they had carved out such a colossal, open-sky crater.
The allied pirate army, numbering over thirty thousand, surrounded the entrance to the massive mine and peered down. A wide road spiraled its way to the bottom, three or four meters across—wide enough for at least one carriage. From his vantage point, Qiu Tianwei could clearly see the Count of Xuanwu's four thousand soldiers defending the mine floor. Not only were there numerous stone houses, but many caves had also been dug into the walls, making it a difficult position to assault and an easy one to defend.
“Can you see the gold?”
“Do you see any gold?”
Countless pirates scanned the pit, but they saw no gold at all. Yet, instead of disappointment, an unbearable heat burned in their chests. They must have hidden the gold in the caves.
“I see it, I see it!”
“Where? Where?”
“Not ingots, but look at the ore.”
Everyone saw the ore piled up like mountains at the bottom of the mine. Unfortunately, it was covered by a thick layer of snow. But the Count of Xuanwu's four thousand soldiers had just marched over it, leaving behind patches where the snow had melted away. And even from a distance, the pirates could see something glittering amidst the heaps of ore.
Qiu Tianwei's martial skill was profound, and so was his eyesight. He could clearly see countless flecks of gold dust mixed within the ore. Tang Zong saw it too. Though Qiu Tianwei couldn't spot any gold ingots, the sight of gold dust mixed with the ore excited him even more.
‘So it truly is an ancient gold vein. No ordinary gold mine would have this much gold dust. I've never seen such a high concentration, not even in the largest of mines. The Jin Clan might have already moved the refined gold, but what are a few tens of thousands of pounds of gold compared to an ancient vein? How much of that ore is down there? It looks to be at least several thousand, maybe tens of thousands of pounds. If we were to pan it, how much pure gold would it yield? At least ten thousand pounds, perhaps even more. This was never just a gold mine; it was an ancient gold vein. The heavens are truly blessing the rise of our Qiu Clan.’
Beside him, Tang Zong's breathing grew ragged.
‘It really is an ancient gold vein. Just how much gold does this place hold?’
Tang Zong asked Qiu Tianwei,
“Lord of Raging Tide, what should we do now? The Count of Xuanwu's defenders are all at the bottom of the mine. Should we charge down and wipe them out in one fell swoop? Then we can seize the ancient gold vein.”
Qiu Tianwei felt a powerful impulse.
‘Charge! We'll charge! We'll wipe out every last member of the Jin Clan, seize all the gold, and claim the ancient vein for ourselves.’
But... as he gazed at the enormous mine, Qiu Tianwei instinctively sensed danger and grew more cautious. The sheer sight of the massive, open-sky pit was enough to make one shudder, and he felt an instinctual sense that it was a deadly trap.
‘That damned Shen Lang is utterly vicious and cunning. What if he's set some incredible trap at the bottom of this pit?’
Pirate King Qiu Tianwei replied,
“No! We will not go down! The ancient gold vein isn't going anywhere, and the Count of Xuanwu's thousands of warriors have no place to run. We will simply surround them here and hold our position.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“What if there's a trap in that mine?”
‘A trap? What kind of trap? The mine is all solid rock. It's not a forest or a swamp; how could there be a trap?’
But even Tang Zong's father, Tang Lun, couldn't properly voice his opinion before Qiu Tianwei, let alone Tang Zong himself.
“Yes, we will follow the Lord of Raging Tide's will in all things!”
And so, the ever-suspicious Pirate King Qiu Tianwei ordered his men to pitch tents and establish a camp above the great mine, surrounding the entire pit layer by layer. He refused to take even a single step down.
‘Count of Xuanwu, what does it matter if you hide at the bottom of that pit? Do you have enough food? Enough water to drink? I will keep you surrounded here until you starve and die of thirst. Whatever traps you've prepared will be for naught. In the end, I will catch the rat in the trap.’
* * *
Inside a stone house at the bottom of the great mine.
Jin Zhong looked up at the densely packed pirate encampment above and said with concern,
“My lord, what if Qiu Tianwei's army doesn't descend? We spent months of hard work laying a trap that would shake the world at the bottom of this mine. If his pirate horde doesn't come down, won't our efforts be wasted?”
Indeed. No matter how elaborate the trap, it is useless if the target never springs it. The Count of Xuanwu spoke calmly.
“Why the impatience? He will come down here, eventually. We need only execute Lang'er's plan step by step. That boy has a frighteningly keen understanding of the human heart.”
When it came to psychological warfare, Shen Lang had never lost. As long as his opponent was driven by greed, resentment, or hatred, it was only a matter of time before they fell into his trap.
Count Jin Zhuo said,
“At least so far, all of Qiu Tianwei's movements have perfectly matched Shen Lang's predictions, have they not?”
* * *
Qiu Yao'er had warned Shen Lang never to set foot in Raging Tide City again, or she would kill him without mercy. And yet, here he was again, back in the free-spirited yet prosperous city. It had been over a month since he had been violated by Qiu Yao'er. This time, she seemed far more conflicted than before. After Qiu Tianwei's pirate army departed, Qiu Yao'er had gathered all her forces inside the City Lord's Manor, bolted the gates, and paid no mind to the events unfolding outside.
At first, the villains of Raging Tide City were cautious. But they soon realized there was truly no one to stop them, and they began to kill and plunder to their hearts' content. The city's hidden evils were gradually unleashed, and chaos grew with each passing day. More and more spies and warriors infiltrated the city, a motley crowd of fish and dragons swimming in the same murky waters.
On his way into Raging Tide City, Shen Lang witnessed at least three instances of looting and two brutal murders. Despite this, the shops lining the streets remained open for business. This was because every storefront was protected by a dozen or so warriors, and common thugs dared not try their luck. Raging Tide City had truly become a lawless place. Escorted by one hundred elite warriors, Shen Lang entered a private residence.
“I give the order. Assemble all our warriors lying in wait within Raging Tide City. Prepare to assault the City Lord's Manor!”
* * *
Pirate King Qiu Tianwei was a man both deeply complex and remarkably simple. He could be described in three words: greed, cruelty, and suspicion.
Consider his son, Qiu Xiao, who had landed on Anguish Isle. For days and nights, he had refused to eat any of the island's food or even drink a single sip of its water. Yet Qiu Tianwei was even more suspicious and cautious than his son. He was the type to be startled by the cry of a bird or the rustle of the wind, mistaking every swaying blade of grass for an enemy soldier.
He was the one who, upon hearing of an ancient gold vein on Anguish Isle, immediately sought to seize it. He was the one who sent his son to negotiate. He was the one who invaded with a menacing army of tens of thousands. And yet, he was also the one who now hesitated, refusing to advance even with the ancient gold vein right before his eyes.