Chapter 766: 55: The Fierce Battle (Part 1) Chapter 766: 55: The Fierce Battle (Part 1) “`
Cha Xiaodao sighed, “The Treasure Ship King probably doesn’t have the time to entertain us right now.”

…

“That wretched person!”

Lin Ajin’s eyes were bloodshot, and it took a long time for him to calm down.

His left palm had been severed, and thick bandages wrapped around the wound were seeping with blood. The valiant general Ao Xing, who had always been close by his side, was nowhere to be seen.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy. No one spoke.

When the Treasure Ship King and his party arrived at the camp of the uncivilized tribes, intending to demand the return of the two kidnapped directors, they discovered that the directors Jiutouhong and Ping had already been boiled in pots by the tribes, leaving no intact bodies behind. A conflict broke out immediately, the Treasure Ship King’s guards suffered heavy casualties, Ao Xing died in the battle, the Treasure Ship King himself lost a hand, and out of more than forty people, only nine returned, three of whom died on the way back. The Treasure Ship King could only bring back their corpses. As for the remaining thirty-odd people, they likely ended up as food in the bellies of the tribes.

“Hasn’t the Treasure Ship King’s lineage been operating in Borneo for a long time? Didn’t they have any previous dealings with these uncivilized tribes?”

Unable to hold back, Cai Qian asked. He had suffered far fewer losses than Lin Ajin, and several of the Yan-named demons who accompanied him had survived, but most were seriously injured and bedridden. Only Yan Ajiu was relatively unscathed.

“There are over a hundred tribes of uncivilized people on the island of Borneo. The Lantuo Queen was initially just one of them. I have not had much interaction with her, but in the past few years, the Lantuo Queen’s power has been expanding, almost swallowing up more than half of the tribes, and now she claims sovereignty as the Lantuo Kingdom. The uncivilized tribes have always been suppressed on the island by the civilized tribes and us, as well as the Red Hair. Who could have known this time…”

Pausing for a moment, Lin Ajin bowed his hands to Cai Qian, “Thanks to Brother Cai’s intervention this time, it is unexpected that the legendary big boss’s skills are still superior to those of Queen Yan in the past. If it weren’t for the sudden mishap in your family, the position of the South Seas Grand Alliance Leader should have been yours.”

It turns out that Cai Qian, with his knack for concealment, used a secret spell “Fiery Cauldron Wealth” to sacrifice gold and treasure in exchange for magic. Amidst the chaos, he managed to kill three of the great witch doctors of the uncivilized tribes and covered the retreat for the rest.

An unusual expression flashed across Cai Qian’s face. He was a proud man, and this matter was also a great regret in his heart. After years of dedication and hardship, everything ultimately advantaged Tianbao, who crawled into a widow’s bed. Over the years, Cai Qian kept his feelings hidden, but resentment and jealousy towards Tianbao gnawed at him. Others said Tianbao had lost his sharpness, indulging in witchcraft, but only Cai Qian remained wary of the mystic Fiery Cauldron Madam who had vanished, not daring to easily move against Lantau Island.

However, considering Tianbao was likely lost at sea, Cai Qian no longer dwelled on it.

Over the years, the Tianbo Division had been suffocated by the pressure from the East India Company and the new Governor Yang Sheng. Even with Cai Qian’s intelligence, he found himself in a difficult position. Reminiscing about how his old rivals had departed one by one, he felt a wave of loneliness wash over him.

“The past cannot be advised, but the future is still within reach.”

Cai Qian heaved a sigh, “Let’s talk about serious matters. How does the Treasure Ship King plan to deal with those uncivilized tribes?”

“`
“I had already communicated with several of the Civilized Tribes’ major tribes this morning; over the years, they too have lost many men and women to that Lantuo Queen, who took them to eat, creating a deep hatred between us. They all agreed to join forces with me to send out troops. We haven’t received a response from the Red-haired Men, and I don’t intend to wait any longer. At midnight today, with fireworks as our signal, we Han people along with the leaders of several Civilized Tribes will launch a pincer attack. We’ll wipe out the Lantuo Barbarians in one fell swoop and flay their Lantuo Women, extracting their bones to commemorate our brothers who have died.”

“Should we inform the newly arrived Red Flag about this matter?”

Suddenly someone spoke up. Cai Qian looked in the direction of the voice but couldn’t find the person.

A heated discussion burst forth in the hall with some in agreement and others opposed, fearing that inviting the wolf into the house. There were also those who fretted, anxious that the Red Flag would profit from the fishermen’s discord.

Lin Ajin coughed, drawing everyone’s attention before saying, “In the past, the ancestors of the thirteen companies gathered in Borneo and took an oath that Han bloodlines were branches of the same tree, united in facing the foreign enemy. The Red Flag is also of the Han people; by principle, we should join forces with them.”

Many showed displeasure at this, but Treasure Ship King quickly shifted the discussion: “However, with the Red Flag’s large influence, there is the danger of the sparrow displacing the dove from its nest. I think we should strike first. If we annihilate the Barbarians in one go, there’s no rush to deal with the Red Flag; we could also show the sailors of the Red Flag the might of the Borneo people so that they wouldn’t dare act rashly. If something unexpected happens, it’s not too late to approach them then.”

People exchanged glances, finding this to be a sensible plan.

“This matter also involves the Tianbo Division’s Mr. Cai. Everyone here knows the hero who bears the nickname ‘Great Boss of the South Seas,’ so I need not introduce him. If Cai emerges as the leader in this battle, capturing the Lantuo Queen, I, Lin Ajin, am considering adding another seat to the guild for him, enabling Tianbo Division to establish a foothold on the island of Borneo. What do you all think?”

The crowd reacted with varying expressions. Several directors who had long-standing relations with Cai Qian and had received significant favors from the Tianbo Division now spoke up in support, and the atmosphere reached a crescendo, leaving no room for dissent. Cai Qian stood up and bowed to the crowd, accepting the compliments that followed shortly from the directors who came up to whisper their flattery.

That night, the companies gathered their forces, assembling a thousand-strong Firearm Troops and dragging out fifty field guns. They divided into four squads, while the rest carried various kinds of pole weapons for protection. Cai Qian suggested using fire as a tactic, but this was rejected by Lin Ajin. With dense forests and high mountains in Borneo, a fire would easily become uncontrollable, and besides, the Civilized Tribes would not approve.

The so-called Civilized Tribes had either abandoned their cannibalistic habits or never had such customs, were relatively peaceful in temperament, and conducted considerable trade with the outside world, with many in the tribes able to read simple Chinese and foreign languages. Some tribes even cohabited with Han people.

Most Civilized Tribes lived on the periphery to the east of Borneo Island, while the Barbarians lived deep within Borneo. There, not only was the land littered with poisonous creatures and miasma, but it also held many mysterious legends and curses, one of which was the Triple Buddha Curse that afflicted the ancestors of the Lin Family.

The Barbarians clad themselves with bone shards and leaves; they had dark skin, were comparatively shorter in stature and were decorated with natural body paints on their exposed skin, had more sclera and less iris in their eyes, and were agile. Conversely, the Civilized Tribes wore colorful clothes made from hemp and feathers, clearly distinguishable at a glance.

The fireworks exploded in the sky, and soon after, cries of battle rose from all around.

Cha Xiaodao and Zheng Xiu stood on a high cliff, guarded by several Gaoli ghosts, while Zheng Xiu, holding a telescope, surveyed the battlefield below.

The Red Flag had no intention of hastily joining the war. The sailors of the Red Flag, seasoned in naval battles, could not be certain of the extent of their prowess on such complex mountainous terrain, and Zheng Xiu, placing high value on his men, was not willing to sacrifice them needlessly here.