Chapter 2: A Narrow Escape from Death

The sound of intense gunfire erupted, accompanied by screams that rose and fell. Some bullets struck the ship's hull, sending splinters flying, which fell into the cabin, while others hit faces, causing sharp pain.

Call ... ...

It seems that it is still our fate. Given the circumstances tonight, it is likely that we will not be able to go into the city. Let us rest here for the night, and we will head to the city tomorrow morning. Zhang Lei took a breath of the air infused with the sea breeze and remarked, "The feeling of being on land is truly wonderful"

William lay in a spread-eagle position on a stone that had been smoothed by the sea, saying, "We have finally arrived."

Suddenly, a matchlock gun was kicked to a spot not far from Zhang Lei by an unknown person. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Lei seized the matchlock gun and took refuge inside the cabin.

"You all, get on the ship, move!" A loud voice shouted from the pirate ship over there. Upon hearing this, the pirates abandoned their plunder, retreating while fighting. In no time, they had scattered like birds and beasts. On the "Nanning" ship, groans rose and fell. Those who were injured had their entire bodies submerged in the salty and bitter seawater, and when the salt touched their wounds, even the strongest men could not bear it.

Why engage in hand-to-hand combat when you have a gun? Even if the reloading and shooting efficiency is low, you can still perform a three-round burst

In that country where the privatization of firearms is explicitly prohibited, it is indeed an exceedingly difficult matter for ordinary citizens to even touch such items. Zhang Lei still remembers that his only encounter with firearms was during military training in his first year of high school

Keller appeared somewhat experienced, remaining calm and unhurried. His apprentice, on the other hand, was much weaker; his originally pale face had lost all color, and he clung tightly to Keller, shivering from the cold as the seawater soaked him.

After a while, the calm surface of the water suddenly began to bubble, and then two people swam over. As they got closer, Zhang Lei was pleasantly surprised to find that it was indeed Keller and William. He hurried to greet them, but to his astonishment, Keller was still carrying his book. He couldn't help but wonder how he managed to swim such a long distance with it.

After much effort in persuading to lighten the load, the seawater had already risen to waist level. Beneath the canvas, Zhang Lei cautiously groped for a way out. After a long time, he finally reached the side of the ship. Suddenly, he recalled the doubts he had about the origins of this vessel. With a thought, he slipped into the captain's cabin. To his disappointment, it was completely empty. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a well-protected bundle covered with oilcloth inside, so he picked it up and held it close to his chest. He suddenly remembered the doubts he had about the origins of this ship, and with a thought, he slipped into the captain's cabin. To his disappointment, it was completely empty. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a well-protected bundle covered with oilcloth inside, so he picked it up and held it close to his chest

Bang ... ...

Shells continued to fall around, and the surrounding water surface resembled a boiling pot. The "Nanning" was like an inconspicuous leaf, utterly helpless in the face of the powerful shells

The pirates over there clearly did not expect such boldness in boarding the ship, actually resorting to the trick of striking first. Of course, they were also unwilling to be outdone, and soon, small flames began to flicker on their side as well. Instantly, a fierce battle broke out between the two sides

Just less than twenty zhang from the shore, the "Nanning" suddenly came to a halt, while those pirate ships had already departed a quarter of an hour earlier

Bang ... ...

Finally departed. The pirate ship gradually sailed away from the "Nanning", and everyone let out a sigh of relief

Thank you very much," Zhang Lei said as he turned around. He quickly crawled over to pull out the dead pirate and the flintlock pistol from the body, then ignited the fuse on the nearby torch.

The waterlogged book box appeared even heavier, and Keller struggled to drag it forward. Zhang Lei, feeling frustrated, shouted, "What time is it? Why are you still carrying these? Saving our lives is the priority." He casually swept his hand over the book box and pulled out a brick-thick Bible, instantly left speechless

"We have run aground; we must abandon the ship and escape now," Zhang Lei said, while the sound of splashing water outside indicated that someone was actively putting his words into action

Zhang Lei was just about to employ his infamous technique of the lazy donkey rolling, when he heard a loud "bang". A blood hole appeared in the chest of the pirate before him, who then collapsed to the ground, motionless. Turning around, Zhang Lei saw Keller leisurely reloading his ammunition.

The deck was in complete disarray, and the pirates came on strong. Initially, the sailors on the "Nanning" were being overwhelmed, but it was evident that the situation had now become evenly matched. Observing these sailors, who moved with the orderliness of an army, Zhang Lei felt a sense of confusion; it seemed that the "Nanning" was not an ordinary ship.

The man said: "The captain was killed by the cannon."

While fighting and retreating, he coordinated with Keller behind him and took down several pirates in succession. He tossed the flintlock without gunpowder into the cabin and whispered, "This thing is much more useful than a broadsword"

Bang ... ...

The pirates continued to rampage on the ship without fear of death, taking away anything of value they encountered. However, due to Zhang Zhanfu and his men fighting to the death, they were never able to approach the cabin.

Suddenly, someone shouted loudly: "The ship is taking on water, the ship is taking on water"

Zhang Lei glanced at the few foreigners and said, "Prepare to jump into the sea to escape with the *illustrated* book."

"Here, keep an eye on this, and don't let anyone in." Zhang Lei tossed the flintlock pistol to Keller and then climbed out again

A bloodied knife fell at his feet, interrupting his thoughts, as a figure clad entirely in black charged towards him. Zhang Lei rolled to the side like a lazy donkey, swiftly grabbing the knife. The pirate's cutlass struck the deck, cleaving the one-inch thick plank into two pieces.

Zhang Lei was taken aback, just about to speak when another cannon shot rang out. After a deafening roar, with a "crack," the weathered mast finally could not bear the burden, collapsing under the weight of the dirty and tattered canvas, descending like a dark cloud.

Coaxing ... ...

Bang ... ...

Bang ... ...

"Draw your swords." At that moment, Zhang Zhanfu's voice rang out clearly. The captain and the sailors abandoned their matchlock guns, each drawing their sailor's knives and short swords, preparing to engage in a "deck battle." This action took Zhang Lei by surprise, and he immediately began to curse inwardly.

The visibility of the sea at night was almost zero, and everyone relied on their own experience and instincts to swim forward. After about an hour, Zhang Lei finally reached the shore. Upon surfacing, he found that there was no one in sight. Looking at his sticky and dirty clothes, he decided to find a larger rock to make do for the night.

Before Keller could speak, he heard a piercing whistle cutting through the night sky. Immediately, while everyone was still trying to comprehend what was happening, the already precarious "Nanning" shook violently once more. With a loud bang, wood splintered everywhere, and seawater rushed in with a whooshing sound. Zhang Lei suddenly stood up as someone rushed in to say: "Those despicable foreign devils from hetushucom.com fired their cannons and hit our cabin; now water is leaking everywhere."

It is going to sink, it is going to sink

The violent tremors caused Zhang Lei, who had just stood up, to fall back down onto the ground. Zhang Lei decided to use both his hands and feet to crawl outside.

Where is the small boat? Hurry up and lower the small boat down

Zhang Lei smiled but said nothing. For a devout believer, discussing atheism with him is as difficult as persuading an emperor to abstain from women.

"I can't believe this, this is outrageous. I was just pulled up, and now I'm sinking again." Zhang Lei expressed his dissatisfaction as he gazed around. In the pitch-black environment, vague outlines appeared in the distance, occasionally shimmering with flickering sparks.

It turns out that the ship was severely tilted due to the recent collision with that pirate ship, and there are multiple damages to the hull. Furthermore, after such a prolonged battle, there are holes all over the ship. If even one area starts to leak, the weight of the ship will significantly increase the pressure on the seawater, causing the wooden planks to be crushed. Now, the entire ship has already begun to sink

The seawater spread onto the deck, making the entire surface extremely slippery. The freshly washed red blood mixed with the seawater resembled a mire, causing everyone's movements to become sluggish.

The "Nanning" has suffered consecutive heavy blows and is already beyond salvation. The ship is in chaos, with everyone panicking and unable to find a way out. Zhang Zhanfu, the person in charge, has been killed, leaving everyone without a leader, resulting in complete disorder.

"William, get up, get up. Look at you; God will save us." Keller stood up, grabbing his apprentice's arm with one hand while still refusing to let go of his box of books with the other hand

This incident occurred quite suddenly, as it took less than a quarter of an hour from the discovery of the pirates to the collision with the pirate ship. Moreover, it was unexpected that the pirate ships came crashing directly towards us. Everyone was hurriedly trying to resist, and there was simply no way to form an effective defensive combat capability, resulting in significant casualties

As the second strike came, Zhang Lei rolled over, kneeling on one knee, gripping the knife handle with both hands to block the attack. However, the force was simply too lacking; the broad back of the knife pressed down on his shoulder, causing him to grimace in pain. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Lei pushed up with his kneeling leg to stand, then delivered a kick to the opponent's abdomen, forcing him to retreat two steps, thus neutralizing this attack. Yet, before he could catch his breath, the third strike was already upon him.

At this moment, the cannon seemed utterly useless, as the relative speed of the two ships was simply too fast. Before the sailors could even push the gunpowder into the cannon's chamber, the two ships had already collided. Several cannonballs were fired into the air, falling into the water and creating enormous splashes

Zhang Lei quickly asked, "Where is the captain? Hurry and launch the small boat; this ship is unlikely to reach the shore. We will take the small boat to leave."

"Let out a fart, it has long been ruined..."

The best way to deal with rogues is to be even more rogue than they are

In the profound silence, Zhang Lei observed the uninjured crew members methodically assisting their injured companions in bandaging wounds. He also entered the cabin and saw Keller kneeling on the ground, drawing a cross with his hands as he prayed for the deceased. Zhang Lei sat down beside him and patted his shoulder, saying, "Thank you for what you did earlier."

At this moment, the starry night sky highlighted a group of dark figures, as the intruders shouted and surged onto the foredeck, raising their pistols and opening fire into the crowd, instantly killing two sailors at the stern of the ship. The two sides were now completely engaged in close combat.