Little Black One slowly returned to the small village that had just been humiliated and brutalized by the Dutch.
The villagers were gathering the bodies of their clansmen who had been shot down. Blood still streaked the ground in dark, sticky lines. They worked in silence, grief weighing on their shoulders like wet sand. Their minds were numb. No one spoke of what would happen tomorrow, because none of them could imagine one.
Then someone looked up toward the sea.
The great black ship had come back.
Although that vessel had driven away the Dutch only moments ago, fear does not disappear simply because danger retreats. To these islanders, ships of that size belonged to foreign devils. Power and terror wore the same shape.
The moment they saw Little Black One approaching again, they scattered and hid. The village was left deserted, bodies half collected, blood soaking the earth beneath the sun.
At the bow stood Yao Xingjuan, staring at the devastated settlement. For once, the notorious sea bandit did not grin. He scratched his cheek and shifted his weight awkwardly.
Beside him, the battlefield reporter continued filming quietly.
Yao Xingjuan coughed lightly.
"Well… I have not been in Dao Xuan Tianzun's sect for very long. In a situation like this, what do we usually do?"
"Usually we give them grain and money," the reporter replied. "Then we bring them back with us."
"Oh. That sounds good."
He was about to give the order when the reporter shook her head.
"But here, that might not work."
"Why?"
"These tribes on Yizhou Island are our compatriots in blood," she said carefully, choosing her words, "but their current social structure, knowledge structure, and cultural structure are extremely… undeveloped. They may not accept our goodwill. Even if they did, they might not adapt to our society."
Yao Xingjuan understood immediately.
To put it plainly, they were too primitive.
If they were brought back to Gao Family Village, it would be difficult for them to integrate overnight. They might not even understand what law was. Teaching them about discipline and regulations might mean nothing to them. Conflicts could easily arise.
And if they violated Gao Family Village's laws out of ignorance, Fang Wushang would not hesitate.
Survive the Dutch only to be executed for breaking unfamiliar rules.
That would be truly awkward.
And disturbingly possible.
Just then, from the cabin behind them, a small head popped out.
It was the ten year old Mongol Great Khan, E'zhe.
He jumped lightly to Yao Xingjuan's side with a grin.
"I know how to handle these natives."
Yao Xingjuan nearly leaped out of his boots.
"You little brat. What are you doing on this ship?"
"I hid inside a grain barrel and came along."
Yao Xingjuan fell silent.
This was very troublesome.
"Uncle Yao Xingjuan," E'zhe continued confidently, "for dealing with primitive tribes like this, Mongols are experts."
"Oh? And what is your expert method?"
"Kill all the men. Take the women and children back as slaves. Beat the ones who disobey. Teach the ones who obey. It will be settled quickly."
Yao Xingjuan almost sprayed tea from his mouth.
The reporter stiffened.
"You are ten years old. How can you say something so brutal?"
E'zhe pouted.
"What is brutal about it? That is how it is done on the grasslands."
He glanced toward the village below and lowered his voice.
"These tribes might be even more primitive than ours. They are probably used to that method already. If we do not act that way, they might find us strange."
Silence settled over the deck.
Yao Xingjuan and the reporter exchanged a look.
After a long pause, the reporter's expression hardened.
"E'zhe, you have lived in Gao Family Village for years. You grew up studying in our schools. You have watched countless Gao Family news broadcasts. How can you still think like that? You should have grown."
E'zhe scratched his head awkwardly.
"Use what you learned in Gao Family Village," she continued. "Think again. How should we treat them?"
The boy clasped his head and thought hard.
The old Mongol methods clearly would not pass under Dao Xuan Tianzun's gaze.
After a while, he spoke again.
"Then we use another method. We quietly leave some food and weapons, and then we leave decisively. Do not bring them back to our village. First, that avoids the shock of forcing them into Gao Family Village's life. Second, once they receive our help, they will begin to accept us. When they accept us as friends, they will naturally learn our culture and rules. Then, over time, we become one family."
He paused, then added softly.
"Is that not how Dao Xuan Tianzun treated us Mongols? He kept sending goods to the grasslands and brought Han knowledge to teach us."
The reporter nodded.
"That is more like it. That is a good method."
Yao Xingjuan waved several subordinates over and gave instructions.
Soon sailors carried barrels of food onto the beach. They also unloaded old cold weapons that had been phased out after the pirates upgraded to firearms. Blades, spears, and shields were arranged neatly on the sand.
Then the great ship slowly withdrew from the coastline.
The villagers did not appear immediately. They remained hidden until Little Black One had sailed far enough away to no longer feel oppressive.
Only then did they emerge cautiously from their hiding places and walk to the beach to see what the strange people had left behind.
When they discovered food and weapons, understanding dawned in their eyes.
They ran to the shoreline and performed their own ritual gestures toward the black ship at sea. Their movements were unfamiliar to Han customs, but gratitude speaks clearly through posture and expression.
The sailors aboard could understand.
They were saying thank you.
"All right. That will do," Yao Xingjuan said. "The weapons we left are not enough to stop the Dutch if they return in force. But they are enough to deal with the allied tribes' headhunting raids. And after we ambushed the Dutch like this, they probably will not dare to harass this tribe again for a while."
The reporter quickly recorded his words, preserving the footage for transmission when they next returned to Zhoushan Island.
Then Yao Xingjuan suddenly reached out and grabbed E'zhe by the back of the collar.
"Now we deal with your problem."
E'zhe blinked.
"What problem?"
Yao Xingjuan raised his voice.
"Boys, tell this Mongol child what pirates do when they find a stowaway."
His old subordinates burst into laughter.
"Give him a plank and kick him into the sea. Let him fend for himself."
E'zhe turned pale.
"No. Please. I cannot swim."
"Begging is useless," Yao Xingjuan said solemnly. "Pirates are cold blooded."
Several pirates rushed forward and grabbed the struggling boy. He shrieked wildly.
"I was wrong. I will never do it again. I truly was wrong. Do not throw me."
A splash rang out.
He hit the water.
However, before tossing him overboard, the pirates had tied a rope around his waist. The moment he splashed down, they hauled him right back up, soaked and sputtering but entirely unharmed.
The deck erupted in laughter.
E'zhe lay there dripping, glaring at them furiously.
Yao Xingjuan crouched beside him.
"Remember this. A cunning rabbit needs three burrows. If you sneak aboard again, at least prepare an escape route."
Out at sea, Little Black One continued forward, steam churning steadily, leaving behind not conquest, but quiet seeds of influence that would take root in their own time.