Chapter Thirty-One: The Five Island Archipelago

  The outer sea of Nagasaki's Peaceful Harbor is scattered with a string of islands, known as the Five Islands Archipelago because it has five large islands. During the Jiajing period, "Net Sea King" Wang Zhi occupied this place and was called the leader of the Japanese pirates by the Ming Dynasty officials. Later, Hu Zongxian surrendered Wang Zhi, but due to some officials' doubts, he broke his promise and killed Wang Zhi. However, Wang Zhi's influence still existed in the Five Islands area until the 21st century, when a Japanese person ran to Wang Zhi's hometown and built him a grave. But because of the pirate leader's reputation at that time, two patriotic people from Nanjing rushed over and destroyed it.

  The Goto Islands are numerous, close to Nagasaki and Hirado, and were a good hiding place for pirates in the Ming dynasty. There were also many private ports. A fukusen and a shuinsen were sailing slowly through this sea area.

  Song Wenxian, Han Bin, Hei Pao, Ba Zi and Chen Xin sat at the bow of the boat, each with a white cloth strip wrapped around their heads. Song Wenxian's eyes were slightly red-rimmed, while Hei Pao and Ba Zi looked listless and lifeless. Han Bin was despondent but also seemed to be harboring a sense of injustice, whereas Chen Xin simply hung his head in silence. Other sailors sat idly on the deck, which had already been washed clean, but still bore many dark red bloodstains. From below deck came the occasional mournful cries of the wounded.

  The day before yesterday, all 41 people on the Zhu Yin ship were killed, including 10 who surrendered. Nine sailors from the Fu ship died and 11 were injured, with four seriously hurt. The Zhu Yin ship was loaded with pepper, dragon's blood tree resin, and other goods purchased in Southeast Asia, as well as 11,000 taels of silver and a small amount of gold. The rough estimate of the value of the goods exceeded 60,000 taels, and they would definitely sell for an even higher price in Japan.

  The harvest was rich, but most importantly, Zhao Dongjia and Ben Yong both died in battle. Without a leader, everyone felt a little lost. Lao Wang had been kneeling beside the body since Zhao Dongjia's death, without drinking a drop of water until now.

  Song Wenxian relayed Zhao Dongjia's final words, which surprisingly instructed Song Wenxian to take charge and see this journey through to the end. Although only Song Wenxian heard what was said, as an outsider with a transcendent identity representing powerful figures in the background, Han Bin, despite being the second-in-command, had poor relationships on the ship and others like Hei Pao didn't dare voice dissent. The clever part was that Song Wenxian didn't make decisions alone but instead gathered influential individuals like Hei Pao, Han Bin, and Ba Zi, using Chen Xin's killing of two thugs as a pretext to also bring Chen Xin into the decision-making circle. This way, everyone saw him not as power-hungry, and there was nothing more to be said.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, the great master Crane has passed away, and we are all filled with sorrow. However, there are still many brothers on board, so what should we do now? I am just an outsider, although the great master entrusted me before his departure, I still want to hear your opinions." Song Wenxian broke the silence, starting to speak in a low voice.

  Han Bin looked around and said, "I think for now we should first get rid of the goods and collect the silver. If we don't, with only two ships and few men, who knows what might happen if we run into other ships?"

  Scar looked at Hei Pao Dao and said: "I'll listen to Brother Hei Pao. Whatever he says goes."

  Several people looked at the black cannon, waiting for him to speak. He looked at the deck and raised his head after a while: "I followed the big master since I was 13 years old, and we have been through life and death until now." He suddenly opened his shirt, revealing scars all over his body. "The big master saved me three times, my life has long belonged to the big master. What's the ship? What's the silver? At this moment, thinking about these things, I don't know what kind of thing it is."

  Han Bin's face turned slightly red, and he said angrily: "I didn't say I wasn't thinking of the eldest master, but people can't come back to life after they die. If it were possible to bring the eldest master back to life, then this silver and ship are not needed."

  Hei Pao didn't even look at him, and continued: "My point is, the master of the house has met with disaster, and none of his family members are present. We haven't been able to protect Big Brother well enough already, which is not right. Now the most important thing is how to preserve Big Brother's remains, otherwise how can we explain it to Madame?"

  Han Bin said: "Isn't it that we can't even turn back to Tianjin now? The deal can't be made, and there's no silver money. How are we going to explain this to Mr. Song?"

  The scar-faced man suddenly stood up and scolded Han Bin fiercely: "Your mother's money, money, you only have silver in your heart. Even if there is money, it belongs to the lady and the young miss, not for you to share."

  Han Bin also stood up and said: "That's not what you said, there is still Mr. Song here, what are you called."

  Song Wenxian hastily got up and pulled the two apart, sat in between them, and said: "You two must not fight, the master's body is still warm, how can I face the master's entrustment if you start quarreling?"

  It was easy to calm down the two of them, and he looked at Chen Xin who had not spoken for a long time. He said to Chen Xin: "Although Vice-Chen has just arrived, he killed two thugs and is also an important person in the eyes of the master of the house. What do you think? You can speak out and we will all consider it together, don't hesitate."

  Chen Xin looked at Song Wenxian, worried that he had seen that scene. After two days of getting along, it seemed that Song Wenxian was not unusual. He put down some worries. After the battle that day, the dead bodies on the ship were scattered all over, and the broken limbs were like hemp. It was really disgusting for two days, and only a little food was eaten. The face also looked thinner.

  "I think both of you make sense." Chen Xin started by mediating, and although Han Bin had a bad impression of him, after hearing this sentence, he slightly changed his opinion. Hei Pao and Ba Zi also turned their heads to look over.

  "We are all grateful to the master, I, Chen Xin, was a vagrant from Liaodong who came to Tianjin and was recognized by the master, given important tasks, and finally able to settle down in Tianjin. If it weren't for the master, there would be no me today. This kindness is hard to repay, I'm like everyone else, wishing to trade my life for the master's."

  Chen Xin's magnetic voice slowly narrated, more infectious than a simple howl, Hei Pao and Ba Zi Yan Quan were both red again, and other sailors on the deck also slowly approached.

  "However, heaven does not cater to human wishes. To collect the great master's early ascension to immortality, we can only take care of the great master's family. How to take good care of them? The first thing is that living people must have something to think about, and we must bring some things back. I don't know what you all think. After this matter is done, we can follow the second master's words and handle the goods early." Chen Xin spoke for half a day, but actually still put Han Bin's opinion aside.

  Hei Pao didn't ask Han Bin anymore and said: "I heard what Brother Chen said, you just say how to bring the law."

  "Everyone, it's already June and the sea is rough and hot. Today is the second day, if we return to Tianjin, it will take at least over ten days, which is absolutely impossible. If something happens to Master's body, our sin would be even greater. Even if we bring him back to Tianjin, how can we dare let Madame and Miss see him?"

  Hei Pao and Ba Zi exchanged a glance, knowing that this was also the truth. The brothers who had died at sea before were all thrown into the sea, and none of them could be brought so far away.

  Song Wenxian looked at others and didn't say a word, then said: "If everyone has no objection, this matter can't be delayed any longer. If we follow Brother Chen's opinion, should it be cremation or sea burial, only leaving the clothes and hat?"

  Hei Pao and Zhi Zi hurriedly said: "Cremation will always leave ashes, what's the use of fancy clothes?"

  Han Bin said loudly: "How can we set fire on the boat? We have to get to Li Jia's private port first."

  Song Wen hesitated and said: "When we arrive at someone's place, what if they don't allow it?" His eyes turned to Chen Xin again.

  Chen Xin secretly scolded Song Wenxian, saying he was a leader in name only, letting others make all the decisions and taking no responsibility himself. Suddenly, he said: "Find a small island, take a boat with straw on it, find some firewood and cremate him."

  Han Bin said to Chen Xin in a bad tone: "How long will it take for the smoke and fire to come together, what if we encounter other pirates?"

  "You dare to scold my mother!" Scar suddenly threw Han Bin to the ground, his hands non-stop punching away. Han Bin quickly covered his head and face, Chen Xin sat in his seat without moving, this Han Bin was really annoying and didn't know how to read the situation, he deserved a beating. The sailors on deck saw that they were fighting and gathered around, Lu Zi received minor injuries, came over to see that Chen Xin was fine and went back to sit down.

  Song Wenxian called over Zhu Guobin, with great difficulty pulled the two apart, Han Bin's nose was broken and still bleeding, yet he continued to curse at Song Wenxian from a distance.

  Song Wenxian suddenly shouted loudly: "Enough! If you two still want to fight, I'll let the two of you be the leaders."

  These two saw Song Wenxian get angry and finally stopped talking. Han Bin's relationships with others were very poor, but after all, he also had a few loyal subordinates. Dumb courage and Hei Pao couldn't control them either. Apart from Song Wenxian, they really couldn't find anyone else to lead the charge.

  Song Wenxian's face was filled with anger as he glanced at the two of them, before saying to the others: "This matter will be handled according to what Chen Accountant said. Find a small island with trees nearby and gather firewood for the master's cremation."

  "Mr. Song, I wasn't finished speaking earlier," Chen Xin suddenly interrupted. "Apart from the head of the household, all the brothers who know their residences and have passed away will be cremated and sent back home. Those whose residences are unknown will be buried on a small island with proper markings. If their families can be found later, they should return to their roots. As for the 100 taels of silver reward and the head reward promised that day for seizing the Zhu Yin ship, please, Mr. Song, take charge and distribute them to each of the brothers first. There is also silver on the Zhu Yin ship, which was earned by the brothers' hard work and should be distributed to calm their hearts. As for the deceased brothers whose hometowns are known, when we return, we will send the reward silver and head silver to their families. Whether there will be additional compensation depends on your decision."

  Everyone around stared at Chen Xin in shock, they had never considered the other dead people, including the sailors. Before, dead sailors were always thrown into the sea, but this time, with the death of the master and the brave warrior, they were all kept, only no one thought it was necessary to send them back home.

  Han Bin's face turned red with anger, he had always thought that cremation would delay their time and easily expose the location of the ship. Now Chen Xin actually wanted to cremate all of them, how much firewood would they need to burn, how many pits would they need to dig. Fortunately, earlier when Pockmark was beaten, he didn't dare to scold again, but coldly said: "Chen Kuai's idea is good, but do you know how much more time this will take? What if we are discovered by other pirates in the middle of it, can you bear the responsibility?"

  Song Wenxian narrowed his eyes and didn't speak, while Chen Xin continued to say lightly: "Every person on this boat is someone's flesh and blood, brought up with hardship and bitterness for decades. Who doesn't have parents, brothers, or sisters? Does the second master think they shouldn't have any thoughts?"

  Han Bin said: "You've thought it through, where are you going to put the remaining brothers on the boat? What if they're discovered by other pirates, wouldn't that be a disaster for everyone? And what about their families, who would take care of them?"

  "Can the two masters guarantee that we won't encounter pirates if we don't set sail? We all volunteered to go out to sea, life and death are fate, if you're afraid of this and that, then it's better to stay home and farm. I, Chen Xin, only do things with a clear conscience, others' parents spent decades raising them, they died in this desolate land, can't we spend half a day letting them rest in peace? If I really die for this, then I, Chen Xin, will accept it."

  He stood up and turned to face the sailors surrounding him on the deck: "Everyone heard that, are you willing to have no one bury your bones when you die, no one bring your soul back home? The dead are all your companions who lived with you day and night, those who want to go with me to bury our comrades, take a step forward."

  Zhu Guobin stepped out without hesitation: "Mr. Chen, I'll go with you."

  After a brief silence, more than ten sailors stepped forward, ignoring Han Bin's fierce gaze. Wang Zugui said to Chen Xin: "Mr. Chen, you are right, there is one of our villagers inside, I want to take him home."

  Han Bin's face turned white with anger, and he was about to complain to Song Wenxian, but then he heard Song Wenxian say loudly beside him: "As expected of the eldest son of the Han family, you are indeed a sworn brother. And according to Chen Caifu's words, let's first distribute the reward silver to all the brothers."

  Han Bin instantly turned into a fossil. The sailors cheered in unison, and the stifling air on the ship was also refreshed.