Moments later, the battle was over.
The pirates who had been so arrogant only moments before were now nothing more than a heap of corpses.
Phantom Bat lay dead on the deck, his eyes still wide open.
His final thought before death was simple and bitter: it truly did not pay to be naive on the open sea. The very men who had just flattered him with silver had turned around and tried to kill him. One really had to be ruthless. In his next life, he would be even more vicious.
"Report," a sailor said loudly as he stood before Jiang Cheng. "Forty-three prisoners captured. How should we deal with them?"
That question immediately became a problem.
According to the established rules of Gao Family Village, criminals were to be sent to labor reform camps. However, they were now adrift at sea. Where could a labor reform camp possibly be found?
Sending them all the way back to Gao Family Village was also unrealistic. This was a super expeditionary force, already thousands of miles from home.
Everyone's gaze shifted toward Shi Kefa.
Shi Kefa thought for a moment, then said calmly, "Take them to Anqing Prefecture. I will soon assume office there. Once I arrive, I intend to follow Gao Family Village's example and establish a labor reform camp. These criminals will all be committed to labor reform."
"Oh, and there are still six pirate ships," Tie Niaofei added, pointing behind them. "Those ships are riddled with cannon holes, smeared with blood, and littered with corpses. They are not exactly pleasant to look at. Our men are not particularly skilled at handling this type of sailing ship either. Everyone is used to piloting Dao Xuan Tianzun's divine vessels and Bai Gongzi's steamships. Traditional sailing ships are truly difficult."
Shi Kefa nodded. "Perfect, then. Have these forty-three prisoners clean up the battlefield. Throw the dead pirates into the sea. After that, let them man those six ships and follow us."
With guns and cannons trained on them, the captured pirates did not dare resist.
They obediently returned to their ships, dragged the corpses together, stripped them bare, and kicked them into the sea to feed the fish. Then, with only a handful of men on each vessel, they struggled to bring the battered ships into formation behind the Wanli Sunshine.
With so few helmsmen, controlling those six ships was genuinely difficult.
The Wanli Sunshine released a massive, thick iron chain and began towing the damaged vessels. Seven ships formed a strange flotilla as they slowly advanced southward along the coastline.
With that, the skirmish was truly over.
The sailors stood down from combat readiness, and the Wanli Sunshine once again took on a calm and peaceful appearance beneath the bright sun.
Zhu Piaoling no longer needed to cling to a pillar.
He hated staying inside the cabin. After all, his entire reason for running away from home was to see the sights of the world.
The moment the all-clear was announced, Zhu Piaoling straightened his clothes and declared proudly, "Excellent. Back to the deck to admire the scenery."
He took two steps outside, then suddenly remembered something. Turning around, he addressed the eighteen rescued women. "What are you all staring at? You can go up on deck now. Come with me."
The women shivered and did not dare move.
"Still scared?" Zhu Piaoling said impatiently. "Don't be afraid. Didn't you see us fighting the pirates just now? We fought pirates, so obviously we are good people."
The women continued trembling. After a long pause, one of them whispered softly, "Pirates also fight pirates."
Zhu Piaoling immediately retorted, "Where do I look like a pirate? I am a great hero. My nickname is the Wandering Hero of the Four Seas. A hero."
"Hahaha," Tie Niaofei laughed as he walked in from outside. "Hero Zhu, you are mistaken there. Among bandits, countless villains call themselves heroes. Trying to convince them with that logic is useless."
Zhu Piaoling fell silent.
Tie Niaofei waved to the women, deliberately softening his tone. "Come on up to the deck. Lord Shi would like to speak with you for a moment."
The women were still afraid, but they dared not disobey. Step by step, they cautiously made their way onto the deck.
Outside, the sun was bright and the sea calm.
Shi Kefa had already changed into his official robes. Sitting upright, he radiated dignity and integrity as he gestured gently. "Ladies, please come this way."
The women looked at him and gasped in surprise.
Earlier, when he wore plain clothes, it had not been obvious. Now, dressed in official robes, he appeared truly upright and imposing, his features full of righteousness. He did not look like a villain at all.
Here, it was worth mentioning the Ming Dynasty's official selection system.
After passing the imperial examinations, officials did not immediately assume office. Instead, they underwent a second selection, much like modern candidates who pass a written test but must still face an interview.
During this stage, the court deliberately favored those with square faces. Since ancient times, a square face had been considered the archetypal "good person" appearance.
Shi Kefa possessed exactly such a face. Handsome, upright, and proper.
Standing there, he looked far more reliable than the decadent young master, the notorious salt smuggler, or the impoverished scholar beside him.
The women finally felt some of their fear ease. Together, they bowed to Shi Kefa.
Shi Kefa chose a simple opening. "By the look of things, you have not eaten since yesterday, have you?"
The women shivered and did not answer, but the involuntary swallowing at the mention of food betrayed them.
Shi Kefa extended his hand toward a nearby sailor.
The sailor understood immediately and hurried into the cabin. He soon returned with food. Dry rations and fresh water were always available on board. There was no need to cook anything special.
When the food was placed before them, the women were overjoyed. Shi Kefa's face now looked even more like that of a good man.
They eagerly grabbed the food and ate without restraint.
After they had taken a few bites and calmed down slightly, Shi Kefa asked again, "Where are you from?"
"We are from Yuduo Village in Ganyu County," the women replied. "Yesterday afternoon, a group of pirates rushed into our village. They killed every man they saw. They slaughtered all the men, burned the village, then tied us up and dragged us onto their ships."
As they spoke, several women began to sob quietly.
Shi Kefa nodded. The situation was clear. There was no need to ask further questions.
"So you are now homeless," he said.
A chorus of choked sobs answered him.
Shi Kefa continued, "Then follow me. I am about to take office in Anqing Prefecture. I will settle there and find work for you, so you may survive."
The women stared at him in shock.
They had never imagined that an official would take such responsibility. At best, they had expected to be set ashore and abandoned. Instead, this man was offering them work and a way to live.
Their fear finally vanished.
All of them knelt and bowed together. "Thank you, noble and righteous Lord."
Shi Kefa let out a long sigh, looked up at the sky, and said softly, "My Great Ming Dynasty. Everywhere, the common people suffer."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhu Piaoling, leaning over the ship's rail, pointed at a massive rock along the shoreline and burst into laughter. "Hahaha. My Great Ming Dynasty. Everywhere the scenery is like a painting."
Shi Kefa muttered under his breath, "Who is going to kick that so-called great hero overboard?"