Chapter 941: No Pressure
With the price agreed upon, the transaction was ready to commence.
The pirates herded all the women onto a single ship, which then steered alongside the Wanli Sunshine.
Up close, the sheer magnitude of the Wanli Sunshine became even more apparent.
What the pirates considered a medium-sized vessel, when docked beside the Wanli Sunshine, forced them to crane their necks upwards, like looking up at a multi-story building from the ground, just to glimpse the larger ship's deck rail.
Ropes descended from the massive ship. The pirates bound the women to these ropes, and with a powerful heave from above, they were hauled onto the Wanli Sunshine's deck.
This method of boarding treated them like mere cargo, utterly devoid of any respect due to human beings.
Bitterness swelled in the women's hearts, yet they dared not even shed a tear.
They knew all too well the pirates' cruelty; a single wrong word, and a blade would flash, without reason or mercy. Having fallen into the pirates' grasp, their only option was to endure, to meekly accept their fate, prioritizing survival above all else.
Being traded as mere goods was one thing, but if they were to be treated as provisions...
Shadow Bat was overjoyed. The extra eight taels of silver, of course, would line his own pockets, no need to report it to his boss, Liu Xiang.
The exchange concluded smoothly, and Shadow Bat couldn't help but inwardly gloat: *Our boss Liu Xiang's name truly works wonders. Even an Imperial Merchant has to show us proper respect, hehehe.*
"My good fellow," Tie Niaofei said, a roguish friendliness in his smile, "until next time. Bring me more good things then, alright?"
Shadow Bat replied, "Alright, if fate brings us together again, all the best goods are yours."
Their small boats began to withdraw, each man returning to his own ship.
Shadow Bat waved his hand and declared, "Let's go."
The six pirate ships prepared to head south...
Meanwhile, on the deck of the Wanli Sunshine, the eighteen women watched the group of "new pirates" before them, their faces a mask of terror and apprehension.
They had no idea what fate awaited them, only that it certainly wouldn't be a good one.
Just then, Shi Kefa approached them, a gentle smile gracing his features: "Fear not, we are not bad people."
But the women wouldn't believe him, trembling visibly.
Shi Kefa sighed and beckoned to a nearby attendant: "Bring my official robes."
The attendant produced his official robes and draped them over him.
Shi Kefa offered a slight smile. "See? I am an official of the imperial court. I am not a bad person."
To his dismay, the women became even more terrified, their trembling now laced with despair.
Shi Kefa gasped, truly bewildered. "Why? I've shown you I'm an official, and you're even *more* afraid? More than you were of the pirates? What in the world is going on?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head with a chuckle. "Lord Shi, that approach won't work. Making them unafraid isn't as simple as displaying your official status. Besides, this isn't the time for such trivial matters. Guards! Escort the women into the ship's hold and ensure their safety."
A group of sailors stepped forward, cut the ropes binding the women, and led them below deck.
Then, Jiang Cheng and Tie Niaofei exchanged a look, and simultaneously, a flash of resolute determination crossed both their faces.
"Instructor Jiang, what's your call?"
"Elder Tie, and you?"
After questioning each other, they both spoke almost in unison: "Attack!"
Jiang Cheng sprang up, a sudden burst of energy. "Gao Family Village navy, Wanli Sunshine, all hands to battle stations!"
"All hands to battle stations!"
"Engines to battle speed!"
"Gun crews, take your positions!"
"Deck soldiers, ready!"
"Damage control, standing by!"
"Engage!"
The Wanli Sunshine instantly surged to full speed, charging towards the six retreating pirate ships in the distance.
Switching from cruising to battle speed, the Wanli Sunshine's presence immediately became menacing.
The women, who had just been led into the ship's hold, saw the sailors around them preparing for battle and instinctively huddled closer together, petrified.
Yet, a sailor spoke to them gently: "Don't be afraid! Stay in this hold and don't go out. Just hold on tightly to anything you can fix yourself to, so you don't fall. Look, that person next to you is your example."
The women turned their heads and saw Zhu Piaoling clinging to a pillar...
Zhu Piaoling retorted, "Why are you all staring at me? I'm not good at fighting. Is it so strange to hold onto a pillar to protect myself during intense combat? Hmph!"
The women: "..."
After an odd silence, the women, with a sudden unified movement, all grasped the nearest pillars around them.
At this very moment, Shadow Bat was on his pirate ship, counting his money.
Tie Niaofei had given him two sums: one was "dock-respecting" money, an offering that absolutely had to be given to his boss, Liu Xiang. The second was the purchase price for the eighteen girls, which was to be divided among his crewmen, with each getting a share.
And finally, his own eight taels of silver. *Heh, sweet!*
He was reveling in his good fortune when a subordinate rushed up: "Boss, that Imperial Merchant ship is suddenly accelerating and charging right at us!"
Shadow Bat scoffed, "Isn't it just a coincidence that our courses align?"
The subordinate insisted, "Something feels wrong. They seem... intent on fighting."
Shadow Bat laughed derisively. "Nonsense! If they really wanted to fight, they would have attacked on sight. Why would they give us a hefty sum of silver only to attack us afterwards? Didn't you see earlier? They were all respectful. Our boss Liu Xiang's reputation is more than enough to scare these greenhorns who've just set sail."
No sooner had his boastful words left his lips than a thunderous boom echoed from the distance.
"Cannon fire?"
Shadow Bat sprang to his feet, a sudden, frantic leap. Even as he rose, his mind reeled: *They're firing from this far away? Are they just shooting at nothing?*
"Splash!"
With a crash, a white column of water erupted remarkably close to his ship—a near miss.
Shadow Bat gasped in utter astonishment. "They can hit us from this far? What kind of hellish cannons do they have?"
However, this was hardly the time to ponder the nature of their cannons.
Shadow Bat, grasping the immediate danger, looked back and saw the Wanli Sunshine hurtling towards their six ships at terrifying speed, its momentum threatening to send them all to the seabed to feed the fish.
"Damn it, they're insane!"
Shadow Bat raged, "Just moments ago they were bowing and scraping, and now they suddenly turn on us? What madness possesses them to do such a thing?"
His subordinate shouted, "Boss, what do we do now? Should we return fire?"
Shadow Bat snarled, "Return fire, my ass! We don't even *have* cannons!"
The subordinate: "..."
Shadow Bat ordered, "Send a flag signal. Curse them, then full speed ahead to escape!"
The subordinate swiftly complied, signaling with flags: "Go screw your mother!"
Not a single soul on the Wanli Sunshine understood flag signals, so the insult passed completely unnoticed, leaving them utterly unburdened.
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