Bloody Struggle for the Twelfth Section

  When the first shell exploded, He Ningfeng stopped in her tracks and looked down at the dock. She just saw that on the dock, amidst the rising black smoke, Mao San and his brothers were boarding the plank, while about 300 meters away, a familiar figure who was tied to her heart was rushing towards the Qinglong ship...

  Then the second row of shells fell around the Qinglong, and the black smoke and water pillars made her temporarily unable to see the specific situation. She was stunned, such a high-density bombardment was something she had never seen from childhood to adulthood, even when the British warship attacked the north of the Devil's Island at the Twin Reef three years ago, it was not so powerful! All she knew was that there were about 20 or more red-haired ships surrounding the Devil's Island; all she saw was that the gunwales of the seven red-haired ships in front of her were flashing with sparks again! She only felt that someone's heartbeat was connected to hers, and that person was running towards the dock!

  Mao San was blown into the water by a shell explosion, his ears ringing and his stomach filling with several mouthfuls of water. When he surfaced, he saw Zhou Laifu and several others pulling on the sailcloth, while several brothers were untying the ropes to raise the anchor. At the bow of the Qinglong, a blood-soaked body was slumped over, its upper half swaying gently back and forth with the frequency of the waves hitting the hull. On the stiff arms, two bright red bloodstains were flowing rapidly towards the water's surface. Seeing the blood, Mao San somehow found the strength to swim to the side of the boat, and after a few pulls, he climbed aboard. At that moment, the third wave of shells came whizzing in!

  More explosions brought more casualties and more fires on the Qinglong, this round of cannonballs hit more accurately than the last two times, still using explosive shrapnel! Mao San, who had just stood up, was thrown into the sea again. The sail that had just been raised by the mainmast fell down with a loud noise, covering Zhou Laifu and others who were already lying in a pool of blood. Li Guoliang was now standing beside the new-style small cannon at the bow of the ship, he knew clearly in his heart: it was absolutely impossible to get the Qinglong moving at this time, the only way out was to rely on this cannon which happened to be facing the sea and could adjust direction and elevation to counterattack!

  "Everyone go back! Guard the mountain gate!" Li Guoliang saw his brothers still swarming along the gangway to board the ship, and he hastily shouted loudly, fearing that everyone would not hear him, because he himself was deaf to his own voice, as the huge explosion earlier had temporarily taken away his hearing.

  The brothers retreated again, rushing towards the mountain gate! The remaining brothers on the Qinglong ship found the shells in the lower cabin and carried them out. The fourth row of shells from the Red Hair ship flew over again, everyone was quite experienced, busy pressing down on the deck, trying to lower their posture as much as possible.

  The deafening explosion sent shrapnel flying everywhere, with splinters and smoke filling the air on the Qinglong. The 400-ton warship (built in the late 18th century) was engulfed in a raging inferno!

  Mao Si leaped onto the deck at this moment, his idea coinciding with Li Guoliang's! The Qinglong was doomed, but before it sank, they had to severely strike the Red-Haired Ghosts (referring to the white pirates of the Red-Haired Gang, not specifically the Dutch), and if possible, drag one or two enemy ships down with them.

  "Old Fourth! What are you doing here?" Li Guoliang's right ear had been shot off by a bullet, his face was covered in blood, and he looked ferocious. He didn't even realize that he was missing some parts of himself as he yelled at Mao Four.

  Mao Si didn't answer, and rushed to the small cannon at the bow of the boat. He skillfully opened the breech, "Bring the shells!"

  This was not the time for idle chatter, Li Guoliang did not hear Mao Si's shout, but he knew what to do. He picked up a 75MM shell from the overturned ammunition box beside him and accurately inserted the long cartridge of the naval gun into the barrel.

  Mao Si raised his right hand, thumb up, roughly measuring the distance of the 7 enemy ships lined up in front of him, then frantically adjusted the pitch and yaw controls.

  "Fire!" He swung his hand forcefully, and Li Guoliang understood and pulled the lanyard hard!

  With a boom, the Qinglong No. 1 slightly shook (compared to the violent shaking just now, it was negligible). The shell flew towards the largest red-haired ship on the opposite side, about 4,000 yards away.

  The new salvo of cannonballs fired by the red-haired ship was launched again, and at the same time, the Conti was also hit by a 75mm new explosive shell on the left side of the middle, the powerful explosion shock force made the 700-ton sailboat swing sharply to the right, the hull broke a hole with a diameter of about two meters, three cannons and nine gunners were hit, the cannon was destroyed and people died.

  Rogers nearly fell off the quarterdeck, his spyglass crashing to the deck below. The 57-year-old pirate captain was mortified and furious, pushing away one of his pirates who rushed forward to assist him, bellowing "Fire! Rapid fire! Sink the Qing Long!"

  The Azure Dragon is the bane of his decades-long pirate career, a ship he has sworn to sink countless times. The existence of the Azure Dragon has kept the Red Hair Pirates suppressed under the Black Shark Gang's heel, forcing them to operate in the narrow waters near Palau. The Azure Dragon's presence has given it an advantage in firepower density and speed, repeatedly thwarting the Red Hair Pirates' attacks on the Black Shark Gang. Today, the sneak attack strategy was successful, and the Azure Dragon is now under their control, with only one cannon at the bow available for counterattack.

  As soon as the gun port opened, the scorching hot brass cannon barrel emerged, spewing out blue smoke. While Li Guoliang was loading the cannonball, Mao Si took aim at the largest of the red-haired ships once again. This time, he should be able to hit the upper deck. Another brother who had been carrying cannonballs came up, struggling to drag a box of cannonballs by himself. The other brothers had died (or were injured) in the previous explosion, and now only he was left to move the box weighing over 200 kilograms! Moreover, there was a big gash on his thigh, and with each movement of his leg, fresh blood flowed onto the deck...

  "Fire!" Mao Si's hand chopped down again, as if he was commanding not a miserable little cannon, but a battalion-sized artillery group.

  The 75mm gun on the Qinglong has a much faster firing rate than the remaining 12 guns on the left side of the Kontrol! Those old-fashioned muzzle-loading cannons, with calibers reaching up to 4 inches or even 6 inches, lost their timing due to cumbersome operations. The other six ships were no exception; these products from the early 19th century were newer than the Qinglong but had much worse guns. However, the Qinglong could only use one gun, as the others couldn't adjust their angles because the Red Hair ship was cunningly positioned in a T-shape with the Qinglong!

  A flash of flame and a deafening roar burst forth from the superstructure of the Conte di Cavour, without the slightest exaggeration of black smoke (smokeless powder), but with sparks flying in all directions and a tremendous force of impact and destruction! Roggeri was sent flying into the air like Mau three, landing in the sea. He wasn't as lucky as Mau three, several shrapnel fragments were embedded in his body, causing him to sink beneath the surface for a long time before finally floating back up.

  The cannonballs of the red-haired ship also fell down, unfortunately not one hit the bow of the Qinglong number, at a distance of 4000 yards, the accuracy of the old-fashioned artillery was not worth complimenting. Mao Si made a gesture to praise the other side - middle finger extended!

  Mao San has once again climbed onto the deck of the Qing Long, miraculously still unscathed. He sees his brother making an extremely indecent and shameless gesture, then starts fiddling with some part of the small cannon, while Li Guoliang instantly pushes a shell into the breech, closes the gun door and looks at Mao Si's hand.

  His hand waved down, like holding a horse knife to chop the opposite red-haired ship. The Qinglong number shook again because Li Guoliang pulled the cannon again.

  This shell caused fatal damage to the Conte di Cavour, with nearly 10 kg of explosive charge in the 75mm shell containing 4000 grams of TNT. The sudden explosion of the TNT created a red-hot shrapnel that pierced through the ammunition depot next to one of the guns on the Conte di Cavour, triggering a violent explosion! A chain of violent explosions! The dense arrangement of the guns at an interval of only two to three meters was the main cause of the disaster.

  A tremendous explosion blew the 700-ton sailing ship to smithereens, soon becoming a large pile of rotten wood drifting on the sea. More than 200 red-haired pirates on board were killed or injured!

  The instant annihilation of the Conti gave the other red-haired ships a great deterrent, and they retreated after firing their last salvo! They didn't stop until they saw the lone cannonball fired from the Qinglong number splashing high water pillars behind them. Although the red-haired pirates lost their leader, they still refused to give up and surrounded the Devil's Island at a distance outside the range. It can be said that part of the Red Hair Gang's goal was achieved, they successfully infiltrated the waters around the Devil's Island, launched a surprise attack on the Devil's Island, and set the Qinglong number ablaze, breaking its mast and temporarily losing its combat capability! This is also the reason why the red-haired ghost retreated but did not leave.

  The red-haired devils still didn't know that their last round of gunfire had yielded a major result - Mao San was hit by a shell while running from the middle of the ship to his brother, almost a direct hit!

  Holding onto his brother's lifeless body, a mangled and bloodied corpse, Mao Si was stunned! There were no tears or sobs, no reaction whatsoever, just a blank stare into the distance, far, far away...

  The battle for the Qinglong is a success, and the Qinglong is in the hands of the Hei Shark Gang! It has not sunk, and after repairs, it can still roam the South China Sea! The battle for the Qinglong is a failure, and the Hei Shark Gang paid the price of temporarily losing the Qinglong's combat power, its leader, and more than 20 brothers who sacrificed themselves.

  The crowd came and went, rescuing the wounded, transferring fire-fighting equipment, but it didn't affect Mao Si, who was holding his brother in a daze. At this moment, he was truly Mao Si, the flesh-and-blood brother of Mao Da, Mao Er, and Mao San! People didn't dare to get close, even the big sister who ran down from the mountain top didn't dare to get close, they could only stand there, helping their loved ones cry, sob, and wail... Because that foolish man couldn't cry! Couldn't move! Couldn't even think!

  Until the sun was low in the west, the red-haired ship did not attack again. The reason is simple, they also lost their leader, they also feared death, and they also yearned for that vacant throne of power. So, on the second largest "Korini" number, the pirate captains were arguing fiercely. For this inexplicable war with the Black Shark Gang, most captains did not know the reason, Rogris, who knew the whole truth, had fallen into the sea and become a delicious food for marine life.

  Sarici is currently the oldest captain of the entire Red Hair Pirates, and also the captain of the "Corinne" ship. He has over 160 subordinates and 30 cannons. Moreover, all his subordinates are Portuguese, which means their strength is concentrated. However, due to the early decline of Portugal's maritime dominance, there is currently only one Portuguese captain in the Red Hair Pirates, Sarici himself. Compared to the Spanish who occupy the majority of the crew, his power is so small that it can almost be ignored. In Roger's era, because of the leader's favoritism, Sarici had a certain status within the crew. Now, due to a humiliating defeat in a cannon battle, he has been almost completely ignored and left to hide in a corner, allowing these people from other ships to take over...

  On the Devil's Island, the situation is still chaotic. Although He Ningfeng has taken over power, how much ability can a woman who is worried about her foolish man exert? Fortunately, there are people like Zeng Erlu, Li Guoliang, and Zhang Qiu who are working hard to take care of specific matters. Otherwise, the Black Shark Gang would have collapsed by now. Li Guoliang, who lost half an ear, led Ma Hou and others to stand guard; Zeng Erlu was busy checking the situation after the fire on the Qinglong ship and directing his brothers with some skills to repair it; Zhang Qiu led people to bury the dead brothers and take care of the wounded. Of course, he didn't go near Mao San because Mao Si was there, cold, dull, and the killing aura on him made people who were several meters away feel a chill in the sweltering heat of August!

  Finally, Mao Si returned to normal, after the big sister plucked up her courage and snatched Mao San's body from the fool's arms. As they watched Mao San being gradually covered by mud, completely isolated from the fresh air and the waves of the sea, and bidding farewell to his brother Mao Si who remained in the world, everyone shed tears! This middle-aged man, who had been the helper for only a few days, won the hearts of his brothers with his actions, becoming an unforgettable tall figure in people's memories...

  "Zhang Xiaowu!" Ma Si spoke up, and Zhang Xiaowu, who had lost his master Zhou Laifu and often quarreled with his senior fellow apprentice Huang Mazi, ran over with a rifle. He looked at the expressionless Ma Si, waiting for him to give orders. At this moment, Zhang Xiaowu had long forgotten that the person in front of him was the fool he had rescued during the patrol, and had long forgotten what his name was; the nickname "Ma Si" was just a joke. What he could remember was that Ma Si alone had killed 8 British people, Ma Si alone had rushed into the "Elymene" to capture a lieutenant colonel and 72 devils, Ma Si alone had gone to Malacca to negotiate with the British, and Ma Si had destroyed the enemy's flagship just a short while ago... Ma Si was his idol!

  "Get a few brothers with good water quality to come over, I have something arranged." Ma Si said quickly, but his tone was calm and casual, without the usual accompanying gestures.

  Zhang Xiaowu soon found a few brothers who claimed to be "water ghosts" and stood in front of Mao Si, waiting for instructions.

  "How dare you follow me to blow up the Red Hair ship?!" Mao Si asked, his tone still unchanged, even more cold and stern than before, yet he heard the big sister behind him turn pale with fear.

  He Ningfeng knew that she couldn't stop Mao Si, nor did she want to. A man's affairs had to be settled by the man himself. The score with Third Uncle would have to be settled in blood by Red Hair Ghost! As for the men's safety, it was up to heaven to protect them. If... then He Ningfeng would lead her brothers in driving their inferior boat to fight the foreign devils to the death.

  "Yes!" The seven people responded in unison.

  "Alright, I'll go find some fire medicine, fire rope, oil cloth and thin rope right away. Oh, and white phosphorus and silk paper too. I saw these on the Qinglong ship."

  The crowd dispersed, leaving ample time for the water ghosts to prepare. Mao Si decided to first use small boats to harass the red-haired ghost in shifts until the second half of the night approached dawn, and then mobilize the water ghosts to blow up the red-haired boat! Now, he had to arrange the harassment team and teach the water ghosts how to make explosive packages.

  The only woman on the Devil's Island, He Jingfeng, brought food to Mao Si Duan. It had been a day and this fool hadn't eaten a single thing. Watching the man eating big mouthfuls, He Jingfeng knew clearly in her heart that he was preparing his physical strength for a desperate escape in the second half of the night! He Jingfeng handed the pistol back to Mao Si.

  "You'll use it tonight."

  "Uh, help me call Jin Lao to come over for a bit, okay?" Ma Si swallowed his food and spoke vaguely, but the woman had heard clearly.

  "Jin Lao Yao, are you accurate with your cannon?" Mao Si asked intentionally, knowing that Jin Lao Yao was also a skilled gunner, comparable to his master Zhang Qiu. However, these pirates were still using simple visual aiming methods and did not know how to use modern artillery sighting instruments.

  "Right! Not, not you right..." Jin Lao's voice went from high to low, and in the end only two or three people nearby could barely hear clearly. He was very impressed with Bai Tianmao's divine cannon, three shots sinking a 7,000-ton large ship, every shot hitting its mark! This was something he couldn't even imagine, and even Zhang Qiu said - "It's simply a divine cannon!"

  "Alright, I'll teach you how to fire that little cannon later. First, find a blacksmith to dismount it from the Qinglong ship and install it on a smaller one, not too small, or it won't be able to withstand the recoil! Once it's installed, come call me, and I'll teach you how to hit those foreign devils with every shot." Ma Si patted Jin Lao's shoulder, suddenly remembering that he was the one who had grabbed his shoulder and slammed him to the ground back then.

  Mao Si has fully recovered and all the arrangements have been made. His emotions are also gradually calming down. This is necessary, he clearly knows that any impatience will bring disaster to their midnight action! So, he must put aside all factors that affect his emotions, including the death of his brother Mao San and the impending separation from the beautiful He Ning Shuang.

  Under the night sky, the woman in the firelight has been on Mao Si's mind and he can't shake off thoughts related to her. Maybe tonight is the last chance to be with her. If, if he's lucky enough not to die, he must come back and marry her! Let her be happy and beautiful as a bride, then grow old together... Alas!