The patrol soldiers leaned against the pillars, looking lax—they probably never expected anyone to launch a sudden attack on the dock.
Lin Taichu made a charging gesture, and twenty guards immediately jumped off the ship and rushed at the patrol soldiers.
By the time the patrol soldiers reacted, it was already too late.
One patrol soldier had just tried to shout when a guard covered his mouth and pinned him to the ground. Some of the others had spears pressed to their chests, while arrows were aimed at the heads of the rest. They had no chance to resist.
In just a few minutes, all five patrol soldiers at the dock had been subdued. Lin Taichu had them tied up, gagged, and taken behind the nearby rocks for Aron to guard.
Then, he had the oil lamps at the dock extinguished, leaving only two guards at the entrance to keep watch in case anyone from the island suddenly came over.
After taking control of the dock, Lin Taichu had the warships slowly move toward a concealed spot nearby, ready to provide support at any moment.
By the time they finished, dawn was close. Aron returned to the dock with several guards and joined Lin Taichu.
"What do we do now? Should we call out to them?" Aron asked.
Lin Taichu thought for a moment. "We'll call out after daybreak. The people on the island may still be asleep now and might not hear us. Besides, once it's light, they'll clearly see that we control the dock. It'll be more intimidating."
Everyone nodded and found a hidden spot near the dock to rest while waiting for dawn.
As soon as the sky began to brighten, movement stirred inside the houses on the island.
Lin Taichu had a guard with a booming