When the False Becomes Real, the Real Also Becomes False

"Your Excellency the Governor"

"Lord Supervisor."

Bai Xiaowen and Yu Dayou greeted Hu Zongxian one after the other, and then greeted Xu Wei as well.

Hu Zongxian walked up to Xu Hai and nodded slightly. "You are Xu Hai?"

Xu Hai's facial muscles twitched slightly. The arrogance he had developed over the years, having dominated the seas and Overlord the lives of others, made it difficult for him to lower his head and submit to Hu Zongxian, whom he had once looked down upon.

However, Xu Hai was, after all, a powerful and ruthless man. After a brief hesitation, he knelt down and said, "Lord Hu, I am willing to accept the imperial pardon! I beg you, Lord Hu, to grant me and my brothers a way out."

Hu Zongxian said calmly, "Very well, lay down your weapons and be placed under the guard of the government troops. Anyone who resists will be considered a remnant of the Wokou Pirates and will be killed without exception."

Apart from a few truly loyal pirates who were watching Xu Hai's signals, the other pirates who were just watching had long lost their will to fight and had all thrown down their swords.

Xu Hai felt a pang of sorrow. The sound of scattered weapons hitting the ground was a clear reflection of the demoralized state of his troops. Now, even if he wanted to turn against them, it was impossible. Yu Dayou was watching him intently from the side, and several hundred elite Ming Army soldiers had also arrived. Hu Zongxian had clearly taken precautions before daring to take this risk.

Xu Hai sighed and gestured to several trusted pirates beside him to drop their weapons. Ming Army soldiers came forward one by one to collect the weapons, and then took out long ropes to bind the hands of Xu Hai's pirates, stringing them together into a chain of prisoners.

"Wait!" Xu Hai exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Hu, we voluntarily surrendered and accepted the amnesty, so why are we being treated like prisoners?"

Xu Wei, standing to the side, said, "To prevent any remaining Wokou Pirates from harboring treacherous intentions from remaining at the scene, this is the only way to handle it. Don't worry, once we return to land, Lord Hu will surely consider this carefully."

Seeing his men obediently extending their hands to be bound, Xu Hai knew that further arguing would be pointless, so he could only nod in acceptance. Finally, he tentatively asked, "I wonder what Lord Hu's plans are for me?"

Hu Zongxian looked at Xu Hai: "What do you think?"

Xu Hai thought for a moment and said, "I am an expert in naval warfare, commanding tens of thousands of men, with no fewer than three thousand elite soldiers. If Lord Hu would be so kind as to grant me the position of adjutant general, I will certainly serve you to the death, and quelling the Japanese pirates would be a piece of cake."

Hu Zongxian shook his head.

Bai Xiaowen also felt that Xu Hai was making an unreasonable demand. In the Ming Dynasty, a military officer was a third-rank officer. Yu Dayou had repeatedly rendered meritorious service, risking his life for many years, yet he hadn't even reached the rank of military officer. If Hu Zongxian agreed to Xu Hai's request, wouldn't that discourage Yu Dayou and other meritorious generals?

Xu Hai hesitated and asked, "Then... how about a guerrilla general?"

Hu Zongxian shook his head again.

Xu Hai suppressed his resentment and said, "It seems I can only become a battalion commander."

Hu Zongxian smiled faintly.

"What are you laughing at, Lord Hu?" Xu Hai teased. "Am I not even worth a sergeant?"

Hu Zongxian's smile vanished, "Guards, seize this thief!"

The Elite Tier Ming Army soldiers on both sides responded and rushed forward simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, to press down on Xu Hai's shoulders.

Xu Hai was slightly taken aback, then roared angrily, swinging his two thick arms and throwing the two Elite Tier guards away, saying sternly, "Lord Hu, are you going to break your promise!"

Xu Wei stepped forward and rebuked, "Xu Hai, for many years you have led Wokou Pirates to harass the territory of the Great Ming Dynasty, killing countless innocent people and staining your hands with blood. How can you talk about loyalty and honor with a beast like you?"

Xu Hai's eyes widened. "So... the offer of amnesty was a lie from the very beginning! First it was Wang Zhi, then it was me... With you doing this, no one will dare to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty in the future!"

"When falsehood is taken for truth, even truth becomes falsehood," Xu Wei said slowly to Xu Hai, seemingly to give face to the old man Xu Wei Hu Zongxian. "Regarding Wang Zhi, the Grand Eunuch and I truly didn't want to kill him; killing Wang Zhi would surely plunge the southeast into chaos. Unfortunately, there was much debate in the court and among the people, and the Grand Eunuch was forced into it. Now, the chaos in the southeast has already taken shape. What use is your life? We still have to guard against your treacherous intentions and the possibility of you rebelling at any time."

Bai Xiaowen thought to himself that Xu Wei's concern was indeed not just idle talk. Xu Hai was no pushover; back when he was under Wang Zhi, he had clashed with Wang Zhi and even tried to Assassination Wang Zhi! His ambition was far greater than any official salary could restrain.

Xu Hai clenched his fist, emanating an intimidating aura that made several Ming Army soldiers hesitant to approach.

"Anyone who cowers in the face of battle or refuses to obey orders shall be executed!" A murderous glint flashed in Hu Zongxian's eyes. He was a scholar, but also the governor-general who held military and political power over several provinces, including Southern Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian. His strictness in disciplining his troops was no less than that of famous generals of the past.

The Ming Army soldiers behind those guards drew their steel swords in unison. With a flash of light, the heads of several Ming Army who hesitated to step forward fell to the ground.

"General Yu, Master Bai, we still need your help to capture this villain," Hu Zongxian said.

Bai Xiaowen was both surprised and curious. When did the Spirit Realm Rules become so generous, offering up an exhausted Boss Tier for him to kill, especially with a large Ming Army force forcefully watching and observing?

Yu Dayou sighed and stepped forward. Although he stood with his arms crossed, he possessed the imposing and dignified air of a master. "Xu Hai, the situation is hopeless. You shouldn't resist anymore. You are, after all, the commander of an army; don't die too miserably."

Bai Xiaowen had a bad feeling.

Xu Hai smiled bitterly, "A true man should die, what is there to fear?" He turned to Hu Zongxian: "My wife, Wang Cuiqiao, is originally from Jiaxing. She has never done anything wrong. I beg you, Lord Hu, to spare her life and allow her to return home."

Hu Zongxian nodded. "She is being taken care of, so you don't need to worry."

Xu Hai: "I'll trust you this last time." He drew his knife, slashed his neck, and his burly body fell to the ground.

Bai Xiaowen curled his lip; he knew it wouldn't work out...

Several loyal pirates who were devoted to Xu Hai were so excited that they rushed forward, clamoring for attention.

However, with their hands bound, they had no chance to resist and were cut down one by one by the Ming Army soldiers. This was probably their objective.

Seeing the obvious unease among the other pirate onlookers, Hu Zongxian said loudly, "I will only execute Xu Hai. You people were misled by Xu Hai and thus aided and abetted evil. If you are willing to atone for your crimes and join the Pioneer Camp, I will guarantee you a bright future."

With the Ming Dynasty at his back, Hu Zongxian's promises were quite tempting, and the onlookers were all bowing down in admiration.

"General Yu, Master Bai, let's go. We still need to recruit the remaining Wokou Pirates in Kinmen Harbor, train a new army, and there's still a lot to do," Xu Wei said softly, following behind Hu Zongxian.