Sudden Upheaval (2-in-1)

Xu Hai's burly figure slowly rose to his feet, his sinister gaze sweeping across the entire area. His rough, powerful voice boomed, "Do it."

Glug glug, and the bowl of wine is down.

Chen Dong chuckled and said, "Okay!"

After a pause, Chen Dong continued, "Speaking of Hero Tier and valiant men on the South Sea, there are two I admire most. The first is Five Peaks Shipmaster. It's just a pity that Wang Wufeng was lured ashore by the imperial court, like a tiger fallen into the plains, a dragon stranded in shallow waters, and was captured by a corrupt official. He was truly wise all his life, but made a foolish mistake in one moment."

"The second person is Brother Xu. After Wang Zhi's death, Brother Xu's fleet grew stronger and stronger, and now it is roughly one of the top fleets in the South Sea! Remarkable, truly remarkable."

Xu Hai smiled modestly, "Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Chen."

Chen Dong waved his hand and said, "These are my heartfelt words. The reason I organized this gathering is to discuss this with Brother Ye and Brother Xu. Since Hu Zongxian took office as the Governor-General of Zhili and Zhejiang, the power of the government troops has grown stronger. In Zhejiang, there is General Qi Jiguang, and in Fujian, there is Yu Dayou. Neither of them are easy to deal with. Under these circumstances, we must put aside our old grudges, unite as one, and not give the government troops the opportunity to defeat us one by one."

Ye Ma snorted, "Chief Chen, I wholeheartedly agree with what you said. It's just a pity that some people don't have the foresight and broad-mindedness of Chief Chen."

Beside Xu Hai, the tall and thin second-in-command Xu Hong, said sternly, "Ye Mazi, what do you mean by this?"

Ye Ma sneered, "Don't you understand what I mean? A few days ago, you were the ones who ambushed and killed my brother Chen Bao and stole his goods, weren't you?"

Xu Hai said calmly, "Quanzhou Prefecture has always been Xu Hai sheepfold. I was planning to shear it every few days to get some food for my brothers. If your Chen One-Eye dares to come and try to steal food right under my nose, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Go to hell! Quanzhou Prefecture is your territory? You've got quite the appetite! Why don't you say that all eight prefectures and one state in Fujian are your territory?" Ye Mazi roared.

Chen Dong also advised, "Brother Xu, what you're saying is a bit excessive. We're in the business of making no capital; whoever takes it gets it. Why are you dividing up territory and making things so clear? By doing this, aren't you leaving no way for the other brothers to survive?"

Xu Hai smiled and said, "Alright, then I'll give you a way out. Chen Dong, Ye Mazi, I'll be frank with you, your two families' followers will be under my command and controlled by me, Xu Hai. From now on, as long as I have a bite to eat, I will make sure none of you brothers go hungry. What do you say?"

"You fucking dream!" Ye Ma stood up abruptly and shouted angrily.

Chen Dong became wary, stroked his mustache, and said calmly, "Brother Xu Hai, you seem to be drunk."

Hahahaha...

Xu Hai picked up the wine bowl and suddenly smashed it to the ground.

Xu Hong, standing nearby, shouted sternly, "Send the signal!"

Sizzle!

Two fireworks, one red and one yellow, suddenly rose up behind Xu Hai and his group, exploding in the air. Chaotic footsteps followed, and Xu Hai Group Wokou Pirates, who had been hiding in the mountain walls and withered grass, rushed out shouting. There were more than a thousand of them!

Xu Hai's strongest pirates were almost all gathered here. Chen Dong and Ye Mazi, however, only brought a few Boss Tier who were qualified to participate in the gathering, as well as a small number of their followers.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Dong and Ye Mazi were surrounded.

"Xu Manzi, you have no sense of morality!" Ye Mazi panicked and stood up to rebuke him angrily.

Clang, the swords were drawn.

Xu Hai laughed loudly, "After I cut off your two heads, let's see who still says I, Xu, am unethical? Attack!"

Xu Hai's Elite Tier pirates, shouting and clamoring, each wielding long spears and short swords, charged towards Chen Dong and Ye Ma's forces.

The fierce battle broke out. Although Chen Dong Ye Ma's forces were outnumbered, their individual strength was extremely high, and they had more Leader Tier experts than Xu Hai's side. In the very first contact, Xu Hai's pirates had suffered dozens of casualties.

However, Xu Hai's command of the army was indeed very capable. Even though his pirates knew that there were two tough nuts to crack ahead, they still charged forward fearlessly.

Under the desperate charge of Xu Hai's pirates, Chen Dong and Ye Ma's forces suffered continuous losses, and even their Leader Tier were killed one after another.

Amidst the chaos, one man stood out. Wielding a large, gleaming bow, and surrounded by several pirates, he unleashed arrow after arrow, each one incredibly lethal. Moreover, his targets were always wounded or weakened pirates, so he essentially killed one with each arrow, making him an unstoppable force.

Xu Hai chuckled and praised, "Such archery skills are unmatched in the entire South Sea region. Second brother, I remember this young man named Zhao Xiong; he's one of your newly recruited elite soldiers, isn't he?"

Standing behind him, Xu Hong said in a low voice, "Yes, brother."

Xu Hai nodded. "Chen Dong and Ye Mazi's men are almost all dead. Next, it's our turn, brothers and I."

The arrival of Xu Hai and Xu Hong on the battlefield further extinguished the last hope of Chen Dong and Ye Ma's groups of Wokou Pirates. Xu Hai was a power-type Boss Tier, wielding two steel brass knuckles, his punches and kicks were powerful and heavy. Xu Hong, on the other hand, was a slender and agile Boss Tier, moving through the shadows, his long and sharp Japanese sword constantly reaping lives.

"Monk Xu, I will never let you get away with this!" Ye Mazi roared, his skin suddenly turning red. He spun around abruptly, his twin blades creating a deadly whirlwind as he fiercely broke through the encirclement and disappeared into the depths of Kinmen Island. He had actually abandoned his men and Breakout the encirclement alone.

"Chase them!" Xu Hong shouted.

Xu Hai laughed heartily, "It's alright. Ye Mazi has already used his trump card to escape, and he'll be weakened for at least two days. I've already ordered the brothers to guard the only route to Kinmen Harbor, cutting off his communication with his fleet. On this island, he can't escape."

As they were speaking, Xu Hai's powerful punch, under the cover of two Elite Tier pirates, struck Chen Dong, who coughed up blood and staggered back.

Chen Dong gasped, "Ming Shan, we're all in this dangerous business, we're all in the same boat. Do you really want to wipe us all out?"

Xu Hai sneered and remained silent.

"It seems the rumors that you contacted the court to accept the amnesty are true. My head and Ye Mazi's head are your gifts to the court, aren't they?" Chen Dong sighed.

Xu Hai's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back as a dagger from the Emei Spike pierced his heart.

This sneak attack caught Xu Hai completely off guard. He instinctively swung his fist back, but hit nothing.

Xu Hai turned around. From the shadows, Xu Hong, holding a Japanese sword, revealed himself with an expressionless face.

This scene shocked the Wokou Pirates from the nearby Xu Hai Group. The shouts of battle fell silent.

Xu Hai took a breath, clenched his back muscles, and pinched the end of the Emei Spike with his backhand, pulling it out inch by inch.

"Why?"

Xu Hong said coldly, "Brother, I don't want to be granted amnesty."

Xu Hai gave a bitter laugh, "So you're going to attack me? When did I ever say I wanted to be recruited by the government?"

Xu Hong narrowed his eyes. "You want Chen Dong Ye Ma's head, isn't it because of the conditions proposed by that corrupt official surnamed Hu? I've seen the secret letter, don't try to deny it."

"A secret letter? When did you read the secret letter?" Xu Hai was filled with doubt.

Xu Hong: "It's that archer Zhao Xiong, whom you admired. He stole the secret letters between my sister-in-law and that corrupt official Hu. If it weren't for this irrefutable evidence, I really wouldn't believe it."

Not far away, Zhao Zhixiong, who had been quietly making a fortune, and Tai Shuisheng, who was holding a shield beside him, were secretly cursing. Xu Hong's words had undoubtedly drawn some of their hatred towards them.

Xu Hai's murderous gaze swept coldly over Zhao Zhixiong and Tai Shuisheng.

Zhao Zhixiong whispered to Tai Shuisheng, "It seems that to gain enough benefits from this Elite Tier mission, we can't hide. We have to step forward and share the credit in the process of killing Xu Hai."

Tai Shuisheng a little nervous, pursed his lips and nodded. "It's a pity that our reputation with the Wokou Faction has been stuck at the 'Respect' level, and we haven't completed the main quest... Logically speaking, we've helped Xu Hai Group eliminate many opponents, so our reputation should have been 'Exalted' long ago."

Zhao Zhixiong: "It's probably because we didn't kill the soldiers and generals of the opposing faction, namely the Anti-Pirate Ming Army Faction. Never mind that, killing Xu Hai is the final step in this series of missions, we must succeed! Think about it, after killing Xu Hai, we can volunteer to hunt down Ye Ma and Chen Dong, and there's also the follow-up reward and promotion for Xu Hong... How great are those benefits?"

After a pause, Zhao Zhixiong continued, "Even if I haven't completed the main quest and can't return at any time, it's okay. I still have a [Town Teleport Scroll] that allows me to immediately leave the Spirit Realm while in combat, so I can take the risk. As for you, be careful. Of course, with my high damage output, I'll definitely be the main target, but since you're a tank, it shouldn't be a big problem."

At this moment, the fierce battle between Xu Hai and Xu Hong's forces had also quickly begun.

The situation on the field was chaotic.

Although Chen Dong was severely injured, he still had some strength left, and with several loyal and elite Wokou Pirates protecting him, he wouldn't die anytime soon.

Xu Hai's side, which originally had the largest number of people and a clear advantage, quickly split into three groups after Xu Hong betrayed them.

The first group consists of pirates loyal to Boss Xu Hai.

The second group consisted of pirates secretly linked by Xu Hong, including Zhao Zhixiong and Tai Shuisheng.

The third group consists of unsuspecting, bystander pirates.

Among the pirates, there was much discussion. They couldn't understand why Xu Hai and Xu Hong, the two leaders who had always been as close as brothers (as they always were), would suddenly start fighting.

However, as the discussion deepened and news spread that Xu Hai intended to accept the imperial pardon, the scales in the hearts of the onlookers gradually tipped in favor of Xu Hong, the second-in-command. Nevertheless, the onlookers remained indifferent, choosing to wait and see how the two brothers decided their victory...

Although Xu Hai had been stabbed in the back, his consistent domineering and authoritative presence was still deeply ingrained in the hearts of the pirates. Therefore, even though the second-in-command seemed to have the upper hand, the onlookers didn't necessarily believe that the leader would lose...

Regardless of who wins or loses, both the new and old leaders will need experienced pirate crew members who are skilled, capable, and daring. Not taking sides might actually save their lives, while choosing the wrong side could have serious consequences. So, after the initial panic, the onlookers calmed down and watched the fight from a distance.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chen Dong quietly left with a few close associates.

They couldn't possibly return to Kinmen Harbor by the same route, because there were still pirates guarding the way, deployed by Xu Hai. These pirates, unaware of the infighting between the two leaders, would certainly carry out Xu Hai's orders diligently.

Chen Dong made a tough decision and, like Ye Ma, chose to hide deep inside Kinmen Island, while simultaneously sending out signals to call for reinforcements from the fleet anchored in Kinmen Harbor.

Not only Chen Dong, but Ye Ma did the same thing.

A riot broke out in Kinmen Harbor. Xu Hai's pirates, who had been eyeing Chen Dong and Ye Ma's forces, naturally objected when they saw the two groups of pirates setting sail to land on Kinmen Island, and they blocked their way. A melee broke out between the three groups of Wokou Pirates in Kinmen Harbor.

Boom!

Xu Hai delivered a powerful punch, forcing Xu Hong back. Then, with his legs slightly bent, he leaped up like a cannonball, raised his fists high, and slammed them down at Zhao Zhixiong.

Zhao Zhixiong's breathing became labored. Xu Hai's strength was quite formidable, approaching the Rare Boss Tier. The wind pressure generated by this punch made it difficult for him to even dodge. Xu Hong, who was standing to the side, was clearly not capable of shouldering the responsibility of a tank, so he swung his Japanese sword and thrust it straight at Xu Hai's side ribs.

However, a ruthless glint flashed in Xu Hai's eyes. He took a breath, ignored Xu Hong's thrust, and continued to pound Zhao Zhixiong with both fists.

It wasn't that Xu Hai hated Zhao Zhixiong, but rather that he knew Zhao Zhixiong posed a significant threat. In the several encounters with the Ye Ma tribe these past few days, Xu Hai had witnessed the terrifying power of Zhao Zhixiong unleashing his full strength, firing that starlight arrow. Naturally, he wanted to eliminate this threat first.

Although Xu Hong's sustained damage output is definitely higher than Zhao Zhixiong's, Zhao Zhixiong is a ranged class, so his threat level will be greatly reduced once he gets close.

Zhao Zhixiong hurriedly activated the shield skill attached to his equipment. Xu Hai's punch shattered his shield without hesitation, and the powerful residual force made Zhao Zhixiong feel a tightness in his chest, almost causing him to spit out blood.

Two Elite Tier pirates loyal to Xu Hai rushed forward, brandishing their broadswords and bringing them down on his head.

Suddenly, four illusory shield patterns rose from Zhao Zhixiong's body. He used a trump card item to reduce the damage of the next four physical attacks by 40%, and at the same time, he retreated rapidly like the wind.

Thanks to the damage reduction effect granted by the item, Zhao Zhixiong lost dozens of Life Value and, with the help of Tai Shuisheng, successfully killed the two Elite Tier pirates. At this time, Xu Hai had been stabbed again by Xu Hong and was tightly entangled with him.

"We must kill Xu Hai as soon as possible to help Xu Hong seize power over Xu Hai's remaining Wokou Pirates forces, and then pursue and kill Ye Ma and Chen Dong to maximize our gains!"

Zhao Zhixiong breathed a sigh of relief, placed his fingers on the bowstring, and slowly pulled it back. Brilliant starlight condensed, and a starlight arrow took shape.

However, at that moment, a gunshot rang out, and at the same time, Zhao Zhixiong felt a chill on his back as a sharp blade pierced deep into his heart.