"Get rid of it!"
Without hesitation, Ran Min offered the most direct solution, saying in a deep voice, "We didn't bring much food, so our supplies are insufficient. We'll just have to make do with what we have!"
Forehead!
The lieutenant understood perfectly; the talk of insufficient supplies was nonsense, and the best course of action was to make them suffer.
He glanced at his men beside him, waved them off to carry out their tasks, and said, "If you're going to make things difficult, then do it properly. Don't leave them half-dead; that would be inhumane!"
Besides, keeping these people around will always require vigilance; it's better to take the initiative and eliminate them completely from the start—that's the best option.
Saves food, reduces trouble!
Ahhh!
Upon seeing the commotion in Great Liang, the surrendered soldiers' expressions changed drastically. They had thought they could surrender and avoid death, but now they were being asked to die even after surrendering—something was wrong.
You have no food, but we, the Yamata Nation it.
Pfft!
The seawater was quickly stained red, leaving a trail of stains that bore witness to the carnage that had just taken place.
"Some people should clean up the battlefield!"
"The rest of you, take a break. We'll have another killing spree later, followed by a night raid on Great Wind Island!"
Ran Min didn't even glance at them, his gaze fixed on the direction Takayama Ichizawa had fled, a meaningful smile on his face. If he couldn't gather everyone together, it would take him some time to capture them all in one fell swoop.
Time is precious, but there are several people vying for business.
He knew very well why the emperor had summoned him here; to put it bluntly, it was to kill people, and to go on a killing spree. Otherwise, there would have been no need to specifically recall his 100,000-strong army from the Western Regions.
After all, the Great Liang had an army of two million, and could easily obtain an additional 100,000 troops. They didn't really need their own small force.
In the end, it was the Emperor who took a liking to our killing skills!
Evil must be eradicated completely!
Now that the Qihuo Army has arrived, Eight Gods Island belongs to Great Liang, and no one can change that. Those who stand in our way will die.
"Phew, we finally escaped!"
On the other side, after running all the way, Takayama Ichizawa finally escaped the battlefield and breathed a long sigh of relief, finally safe.
As for his men, they're probably all dead by now.
Huh!
Just then, Takayama Ichizawa suddenly saw a group of people approaching and his eyes lit up. The ronin had finally arrived, and they seemed to be quite large, numbering nearly forty or fifty thousand.
With these people, we might be able to hold off the enemy.
Even though the weapons of the Great Liang are powerful, our side is not to be underestimated. Just now, we were only overwhelmed by the disparity in troop strength, so we had no way to resist. But now, things are different.
Although these people are called ronin, they are actually pirates who rob and plunder. They are quite powerful and can hold out until reinforcements arrive.
There are nearly 40,000 wanderers here, and together they are a force to be reckoned with.
" Lord Takayama, what's going on? Why did you retreat?" The leader of the ronin, Takemoto Ichiro, looked at Takayama Ichizawa and couldn't help but frown.
Although they are pirates, they are pirates from the Yamata Nation. The fact that Great Liang is attacking them is like stealing their business, which is unacceptable to them. They must fight back.
It's always been me taking from others, when has it ever been my turn to be taken from others?
One of them couldn't help but exclaim angrily, "What's going on now? Just how arrogant is that Liang Great Liang that they dare to attack my Yamata Nation? Have they never died before?!"
"A bunch of land-based trash. I robbed them quite a few times back in the day, but back then they were called Great Ning. The new emperor's got a big head, daring to cause us trouble!"
"Damn it, they really think they're some kind of superpower!"
These people have always been arrogant and have no idea about the Great Liang, which they have never met before. However, they have previously robbed Great Liang's coastline, so it's nothing special to them.
Although it's called Great Ning, it's a place that's perfectly fine; it's full of useless people.
Forehead!
Takayama Ichizawa's face turned green; he was furious with these bastards. If they were good-for-nothings, then what was he? The worst of the worst?
His face darkened. "The front lines have fallen. The enemy has nearly 100,000 men, along with a large number of crossbows. I need your cooperation to hold them off. Otherwise, if Eight Gods Island falls into the hands of Great Liang, you'll be in deep trouble!"
He didn't reveal the total strength of the Great Liang forces, otherwise these guys would probably be scared away. In comparison, 100,000 is more reliable.
One hundred thousand people?
Everyone frowned slightly. Great Liang really that arrogant? Pirates were coming in waves of 100,000. That was too ruthless.
However, here's the problem: if the enemy has 100,000 men, our small force doesn't seem to be enough!
Takemoto Ichiro glanced behind Takayama Ichizawa and said meaningfully, " Lord Takayama, how many men do you have left?"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Takayama Ichizawa's face stiffened, and he immediately sensed something was wrong. He only had a few dozen men left, which probably wouldn't be enough to control Takemoto Ichiro.
snort!
Takemoto Ichiro sneered. This guy wanted to get something for nothing? There was no such thing as a free lunch.
He said in a deep voice, "If the Emperor doesn't send reinforcements, we probably can't stop them with our small force; we'll just be throwing our lives away!"
He doesn't want to do anything that doesn't bring him any benefit.
Even if it concerns the life and death of the Yamata Nation, that is the Emperor's business, and there is no benefit to it even if I die.
Hearing his words, Takayama Ichizawa was pleased rather than angry; the other party's words meant there was room for negotiation.
He said in a deep voice, "The Emperor has already sent reinforcements, so we only need to hold out for one more day. At that time, I will personally speak to the Emperor to grant you official permission to plunder from the Yamata Nation, and even to borrow our Yamata Nation's navy and weapons. What do you think?"
"Official permission to loot?"
Takemoto Ichiro was stunned upon hearing this. This meant that they had created a legalized form of plunder, and he was now an officially recognized pirate.
That was a flashy and very attractive move.
Official weapons and equipment are far more reliable than those of us pirates; more importantly, they're legal, and nobody will cause us trouble.
But that's not enough!
Takayama Ichizawa could tell that he was interested, and said in a deep voice, "You don't have enough people. I will allow you to go and recruit more. Anyone from Eight Gods Island who has the ability to fight can be recruited. Then these people will be yours."
"If His Majesty the Emperor is pleased, you will be the next Kusakawa Saemon!"
He doesn't need much; just this achievement will bring him into the Emperor's sights. Then, he won't need to worry about Eight Gods Island. Now, if he wants to use Takemoto Ichiro's power, he has to offer enough benefits.
These words instantly captivated Takemoto Ichiro. This was practically a gift of men and weapons, and he was even being groomed as the new ruler of Eight Gods Island.
After absorbing these people, wouldn't it be great to take off?