"Sir, this..."
Saemon closed his eyes in pain, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
Although he had harmed many people on Eight Gods Island and killed many who resisted him, being killed by others now gave him a different experience and a feeling of heartache.
He wanted to beg Ran Min to show mercy and give them a chance to live!
"No need to say anything!"
Ran Min interrupted him; after seeing the resentment in those people's eyes, he had already made his decision.
He glanced at the people who had been captured, his eyes also filled with resentment, and couldn't help but sneer.
He said coldly, "Today's outcome is nothing more than the victor taking all, and it's also the price you pay for provoking the Great Liang Empire."
As for calling it cruel, think about yourselves.
If Great Liang, you probably won't show the slightest mercy and will make Great Liang!
The ronin from Yamata Nation had a bad reputation, and were hated by everyone on the high seas.
They never left anyone alive; most men were killed, and women were even less likely to escape their clutches. Therefore, Ran Min felt no guilt whatsoever in killing these villains.
If they steal the shipbuilding technology and then invade the Min River area in the future, it will likely cause bloodshed. Right now, we are just taking precautions.
Besides, showing mercy to the enemy on the battlefield is being cruel to oneself; how could he possibly let them go?
"Aaaaaah!"
Kusakawa Saemon howled in pain a few times, then shakily picked up a brick from the side, preparing to smash himself to death as an atonement.
However, when the crucial moment arrived, he hesitated.
This hurts so much.
"Coward!"
Ran Min glanced at him disdainfully, then waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Send people to take complete control of Eight Gods Island, build a supply of various weapons and equipment, and make it a stable rear military base!"
At the same time, execute the Order to Kill the Hu, wipe out the remnants of the Yamata Nation on Great Wind Island and Great Xie Island, and clear a path for me!
With five armies launching a joint attack, our army must not lag behind!
A merciful general cannot command an army!
If the goal is to establish a stable forward base, then the only option is to wreak havoc; otherwise, someone will always cause trouble.
With this forward base, we can advance without worry, while also ensuring the supply of logistical weapons. This is the best option.
"Yes!"
Xie Hui and the others nodded, and tens of thousands of troops instantly broke into smaller units and rushed towards several central towns on Eight Gods Island to carry out the final mopping-up operation.
Seeing their retreating figures, Ran Min led his personal guards toward the residence of Saemon.
This is a huge general's mansion, and next to his residence stands a huge statue, the so-called legendary eight-headed serpent.
Looking at this strange object, a strange feeling flashed in Ran Min's eyes; this thing seemed somewhat familiar.
His gaze shifted to the banner of the Yamata Nation Yamata Nation the city wall. He picked up the Divine Arm Bow beside him and shot down the banner with a single arrow.
Then, they had the flag of Great Liang planted on the city wall, and from this day forward, Eight Gods Island belonged to Great Liang.
This happened in various parts of the Yamata Nation; in just one day, nearly twenty islands fell.
Compared to large islands like Eight Gods Island, the smaller islands in other areas were no match for Sun Jian and his men, who were easily swept away.
In a single day, the land was engulfed in flames of war.
On Great Jade Island!
Fengzhong Longzi, the commander of the reinforcements, was furious and felt like she was going crazy. Not only had seven islands requested reinforcements in one day, but news of the fall of many more islands had also arrived.
He couldn't help but grit his teeth and say, "Damn it, how many people did the Great Liang Nation send? So many islands have been attacked. Did the Great Liang Kingdom launch a full-scale invasion?"
Although he went to support Eight Gods Island, he only had 100,000 men under his command, and he was powerless to help so many islands requesting assistance.
The generals below fell silent. The situation was out of control; it was beyond their ability to resolve.
With so many islands under attack at the same time, the Great Liang army must have at least several hundred thousand troops. An invasion of this caliber is definitely not something our 100,000 men can handle.
Many people are now considering backing down; it feels like they're not going to provide support, but rather to their deaths.
"Report!"
Just then, the messenger arrived again.
Fengzhong Longzi's pupils contracted, and he roared, "Speak! I want to see where the problem lies this time!"
"News has arrived from the front: Eight Gods Island has fallen, and General Kusakawa Saemon has been captured. Currently, the enemy's 80,000-strong army is heading straight for Great Wind Island and Great Xie Island. We will soon encounter them," the messenger said, forcing a smile.
"Baka!"
Fengzhong Longzi jumped up and kicked the stool next to her several meters away. Eight Gods Island had actually fallen. Did that mean her target for support had become nothing?
And then there's Kusakawa Saemon, the son of the shogun, who was captured—it's an absolute disgrace!
Not content with destroying Eight Gods Island, they're heading straight for Great Wind Island and Great Xie Island. This army of 80,000 is clearly heading straight for the royal city; the Great Liang is planning to reunite there.
This means that nearly a dozen islands need support. Which islands should I go to support?
He said, somewhat exasperated, "This is a huge problem. Our Yamata Nation is already geographically dispersed, making it impossible to provide support across islands. With the enemy dividing their forces to attack, we are undoubtedly in a predicament."
This is fucking too difficult. I only have 100,000 people, not millions.
If I were to provide support for everything, I wouldn't be able to do it.
If we don't provide support, we'll all probably be wiped out. What should I do then?
Fengzhong Longzi was lost in confusion!
"General, now that Lord Kusakawa has fallen into the hands of Great Liang, we must rescue him!" A military officer couldn't help but step forward, frowning as he spoke.
He was a man of Kusakawa Akio, and now that his young master had been captured, he had to come up with a way to rescue him, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain himself.
"We should be able to hold off 80,000 men, but Lord Kusakawa is the son of the Great General, so we must be cautious!"
"If something happens to him, we'll definitely be blamed. Why don't we go to Eight Gods Island and rescue Lord Kusakawa?"
The others also frowned. Kusakawa Akio was not a good-tempered person; if he lost his temper and caused trouble, people would definitely die.
We are all at his mercy, so this person must be saved.
We have 100,000 men on our side, while the enemy only has 80,000. We can just grit our teeth and take it.
Forehead!
Fengzhong Longzi's face stiffened. "Save my ass! Go and save me with a hammer!"
They're throwing away their troops for a piece of trash, and they might even lose their own lives in the end. They're a bunch of idiots.