Bait

033 Bait

A group of people shivered in the cold wind. They were the pirates who had been driven away by Ming Shu and his group last time. Today, they had brought reinforcements and planned to get revenge.

They had learned that this was just some new brat who knew nothing and wanted to establish his family here.

He needed to be taught a lesson! So he'd learn to behave in the future.

The leader was a burly man with a big nose and a big mouth, his Demon Beast Spirit perched on his shoulder.

He hadn't had the chance to be a leader before, but with the heavy snow today, it was finally his Snow Frog's turn to shine.

One of its abilities was to gain strength in wind and snow, and this strength could even be transferred to teammates within a small area.

If it weren't for this ability being somewhat useful to his teammates, this simple-minded master would have been thrown off the island to feed the fish long ago. How could he be here today!

What about the original captain? It was an Ice Fire Frog, which could also be used in snowy weather. Unfortunately, it was injured in the last battle. It was almost abandoned according to the island's rules: those who can no longer be brothers must be quickly discarded.

Behind them was another team. Among the two leaders, one had a Snow Moon Frog as their Demon Beast Spirit, and the other had a Moonlight Snow Frog. Neither was weaker than the ones on this side.

Everyone in the group knew they were going to be used as bait.

Only the simple-minded leader was happily celebrating by himself.

Ming Shu had expected them to sneak in via water again, but he hadn't anticipated they would just walk across the snow, swaggering right up to the settlement.

It wasn't until the Fate Book alerted him that he realized a group of people had arrived from the east. From a distance, cloaked in white robes, they were difficult to distinguish against the snow.

However, Ming Shu quickly figured out the key. On a snowy day like this, it was highly unlikely they would encounter anyone else on the road. Secondly, over the years, they had thoroughly scouted this area, and no nearby forces dared to provoke them.

If they simply wanted to teach Baishi Village a lesson, there was no need for a sneak attack; they could have just attacked directly.

The deterrent effect would have been even better.

He watched the group of simpletons in the distance, two groups of them, with another, slightly stronger group, better concealed, trudging through the snow, one foot after the other.

Such perseverance! If they had put this much effort into something else, they could have succeeded at anything. Why did they have to become pirates?

Ming Shu casually tossed two pebbles from above, signaling Old Zhao and the others.

Next, Little Zhao and the Butcher would wait for the signal and be responsible for cutting off their retreat.

It didn't matter how many they killed, but it would be good to capture some for research. After research, they could see if they could sell them.

Making money was the key. Dead people were worthless; we need to capture them alive!

Did the Still Water Frog spit water spells? Ming Shu had already set his sights on them. Farming required irrigation, didn't it? Couldn't they use them for watering?

For this, he had already asked Chong Li. The Sky-Toppling Observatory had cost-effective methods for controlling low-level Demon Beast Spirits like these.

However, the core technology was always held by the Sky-Toppling Observatory, which made Ming Shu uneasy. He had been quietly researching it himself, continuing to develop the functions of the Fate Book.

As the group of simpletons approached, Ming Shu continued to observe. Not seeing any other pirate groups, he climbed down and had someone else take over the watch.

Zhao Siqi was in seclusion, so he had to go to the front lines himself.

He hadn't expected them to swagger right up and knock on the door. It was as if they were visiting guests.

They weren't true cultivators. Some were Northern Barbarians, some were from the Central Plains, and at most, they were Martial Artists with some foundation, who had added some tricks to be able to control Demon Beast Spirits.

They all wore fluffy white hats and white robes, each carrying a saber hidden behind them, not yet revealed.

The simple-minded leader, relying on his Snow Frog Demon Beast Spirit, shielded his brothers from the weak wind and snow.

Walking through the wind and snow, he felt quite smug, believing he had shown off his skills and earned everyone's recognition, proving he had real talent.

In reality, the others were secretly mocking him for being a fool.

Before the fight even began, this fool had already exhausted his internal strength. What use would he be now?

Following an unreliable leader, they would probably have to focus on saving their own lives. Let him go up and test the waters first.

They all walked forward silently, not daring to speak. If they opened their mouths, a gust of wind and snow would pour in.

That fool, however, was stunned. He directly pounded on the gate and shouted, "People inside, open the door obediently! This lord wants to come in and rest his feet!"

BANG BANG BANG! He pounded on the gate with great force, making the newly repaired manor gate sway precariously.

Suddenly, the gate opened, and Ren Yuan threw a punch at the pirate's face, sending him staggering backward.

"With a bunch of shrimp soldiers and crab generals like you, you dare to set your sights on our home?"

The fool was startled. The hand he was about to use to knock on the door froze in mid-air. He looked at the person in front of him, not knowing who it was, and was punched back.

Several more people rushed out from the gate, Zhao Dun, Zhao Chuan, and others, attacking together.

Before the other pirate team behind them could arrive, they unleashed their full power, defeating and capturing them all.

"Don't let a single one go," Old Zhao also charged out, followed by several guards and farmers, all brandishing weapons.

Old Zhao, with his Martial Artist fifth-level strength, charged forward, grabbed a pirate with one hand, and threw him back into the gate. The guards inside the courtyard struck him down with a club, knocking him unconscious.

Another pirate behind him hastily tried to use a spell, but he could only cast a water-spraying demon art. His Demon Beast Spirit was a Water Moon Frog.

Its healing ability would be stronger under moonlight.

It could also move in water for extended periods.

Unfortunately, for these few, in such icy and snowy conditions, their water-based spells and demon arts were useless.

The only remaining pirate who was still somewhat formidable had a Demon Beast Spirit in the form of a Poison Smoke Frog. His poisonous smoke spell was quite threatening.

The few individuals without Demonic Spirit protection all dodged the puff of poisonous smoke.

Fortunately, the snowstorm was still fierce at this moment, with the wind blowing strongly in one direction. It was relatively easy to dodge.

Ren Yuan, charging through the crowd, noticed the pirate with the Poison Smoke Frog and turned to attack him fiercely.

The rest of the group, caught off guard by the sudden counterattack, were in disarray.

Zhao Dun and Zhao Chuan, leading their men from left and right, captured the remaining pirates. These dozen or so pirates were truly like bait, luring out all the fighting strength within the village.

Both sides had achieved their initial combat plan.

The captives were escorted into the courtyard and locked up. Chong Li was responsible for sealing them and their Demon Beast Spirits, preventing them from escaping using the water sources.

Meanwhile, the people on the arrow tower shot three specially made signal flares. As planned, the Barbarians, Hunters, and others lying in ambush to the north began their operation.