vncnus Chapter 72 Zhang Xiaotian!
Chapter 72 Zhang Xiaotian!
Following the entrance into the island's interior, one finds a very deep body of water, surrounded by boats of all sizes.
Four large flags were hung on the cliff face.
The center is shiny, with a large red flag on the left and a large black flag on the right.
The large flag on the far left is blue, and the large flag on the far right is yellow.
"Back then, most of the pirates came from the Tanka people. They joined forces with the remnants of Koxinga's forces and became the early pirates around Hong Kong Island. There were a total of six flags: red, yellow, blue, white, black, and purple. They used the flags as their gang. Now, only these four remain."
"Zhang Xiaotian claims to be a descendant of Zhang Baozai and uses a red flag, Hai Meigui's gang uses a blue flag, Minnanzi uses a black flag, and Xu Ying uses a yellow flag."
Guo Dagui then whispered to Zhang Guohao, introducing the distribution of the four major pirate groups.
Besides the flags of the four major pirate groups, the flags of other pirate gangs were also hung high on the masts. Some had skulls, some had dragons, and others had water snakes, sharks, crabs, tuna, and the like.
Some of the flags had pretty designs on them, while others were just vaguely recognizable.
"Several groups were deserters, still wearing military uniforms."
Zhang Guohao had good eyesight and quickly scanned the area before looking away.
However, Zhang Guohao had already noticed the location of these defeated soldiers. They were probably still in contact with the island's special forces. In the future, when Boss Huo was on the ship, these were the people he had to pay the most attention to.
"You all rest first. Tonight, the Heavenly Emperor has arranged a banquet to welcome you all."
Lang Wu spoke to the several managers who boarded the ship, and then left with his men, presumably to report to Zhang Xiaotian.
The managers of the merchant ships smiled and nodded to each other, then fell silent. They were all paying protection money to Zhang Xiaotian, and these ships were all arranged in the middle.
"Have a meal!"
Zhang Guohao turned around and said to his brothers, "Only when you're full will you have the energy to do other things."
As night deepened, the island became even more lively. With so many pirates and merchant sailors gathered together, it was easy for trouble to break out if there wasn't some entertainment.
So many wooden houses were hastily built on the island and converted into gambling dens and horse stables. No one knows where these pirates got so many horses. The neighing never stopped from the outermost few wooden houses.
There were also several wooden cabins filled with smoke, clearly indicating that something bad was going on.
Zhang Guohao and his brothers on the boat were all very quiet, so quiet that they seemed out of place.
The other merchant ships were similar, keeping as little noise as possible. Although the sailors on these merchant ships were daring enough to risk their lives at sea, they couldn't adapt to this lifestyle that was essentially a den of crime.
"Gentlemen, Heaven invites you!"
When Lang Wu reappeared in Zhang Guohao's sight, it was probably past eight o'clock at night. Zhang Guohao only brought Duan Tongtian ashore, while the other people from the merchant ships came ashore in groups of three or four, all of them looking as if they were facing a great enemy.
"The guy brought that?"
Zhang Guohao whispered to Duan Tongtian.
"I brought it, but I'm not very accurate with it."
Duan Tongtian said that he wasn't worried about the current situation, but he was worried that he wouldn't be able to hit the target accurately.
"Don't worry, you won't need it. Besides, with so many people around, you could hit someone even with your eyes closed."
Zhang Guohao laughed.
Led by Lang Wu, the group continued to venture deeper into the island, where they set up more than a dozen campsites with bonfires burning brightly.
Zhang Xiaotian's camp was clearly the largest on the entire island, fully demonstrating Zhang Xiaotian's status in the martial arts world.
The largest number of troops went to Zhang Xiaotian's camp.
People kept greeting Lang Wu, and those following behind were all representatives of various merchant ships.
Zhang Guohao and Duan Tongtian were seated in relatively close-up positions, with just enough seats for the two of them.
Zhang Guohao scanned the entire room; there were probably over a hundred tables, which meant that over a hundred people had come to give Zhang Xiaotian gifts and pay protection money.
On each table were several plates containing seafood and fruit. Zhang Guohao didn't recognize the names of these things, but they looked like local specialties from the surrounding islands. He wondered if eating them would give him diarrhea.
Zhang Xiaotian's men all had red cloths, one inch wide and two feet long, wrapped around their arms and heads, making them quite different from other pirate groups.
Now, a pirate stands guard next to each table, and the camp is surrounded by Zhang Xiaotian's men, each carrying a machete.
In the very center, a three-foot-high wooden platform was erected, surrounded by more than twenty pirates, each carrying a gun, who were probably Zhang Xiaotian's trusted men.
There were also two cannons next to it, probably the kind of small mountain guns that the Japanese used.
The camp was filled with low murmurs of conversation. Since Zhang Xiaotian hadn't appeared, no one dared to speak too loudly. Even when they encountered someone they knew, they only exchanged glances and didn't dare to say anything.
Finally, seven or eight more pirates carrying long spears came out, and the camp fell silent. Everyone knew that Zhang Xiaotian was about to appear.
"The Heavenly Emperor has arrived!"
With a loud call of names, Zhang Xiaotian walked over from behind.
Zhang Xiaotian was in his early forties, with a very strong build. He wasn't very tall, only about 1.6 meters. He had a long knife hanging at his waist, which was probably a Japanese military knife. He had no hair on his head, which gleamed slightly in the light of the campfire and lanterns.
Zhang Xiaotian has a long beard, somewhat resembling Guan Yu's, but paired with a bald head, he doesn't look like Guan Yu; he looks more like a convict.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Zhang Xiaotian walked out amidst bursts of laughter.
"Gentlemen, it's been a long time. We meet again."
Zhang Xiaotian didn't sit down immediately. He first clasped his hands in greeting and swept his hands around the camp, making sure to take care of his friends in all directions.
"You're too kind, Your Majesty!"
"How's Grandpa doing lately?"
"My goodness, it's been so long!"
Representatives from various factions below spoke sparsely to Zhang Xiaotian.
"Alright, everyone here, some are new friends, some are old friends, but no matter what, we're all good friends. The fact that you've given me, Old Zhang, this face to attend our Heroes' Gathering means we're all on the same side!"
Zhang Xiaotian continued, then pressed his hands down to signal everyone to be quiet.
"I won't waste any more words. We've had a decent year. The Japanese devils have run away, life has improved, and all the bosses have made a fortune. We're stuck at sea all day, exposed to the wind and sun, and we're all thanks to the bosses for taking care of us."
"Next year, I hope all the bosses will continue to support our business, and we can all make money together."
Zhang Xiaotian continued, without rushing to discuss how to pay the protection fee.
"Your Majesty, you've had a tough year, so we must show our appreciation. We've prepared a small gift; please accept it!"
The people sitting at the front suddenly stood up and said to Zhang Xiaotian.