Chapter 5, Conflict

Among the charging figures in black, there were seven or eight unfortunate souls who had been injured by the recent explosion, lying on the ground, covered in blood, rolling and struggling.

Beside a cluster of shrubs, a sturdy man holding a flintlock rifle fell heavily to the ground. A fist-sized chunk was missing from his throat, and blood was gushing out of the wound like a fountain.

Once again, a shadow fell, striking a building located nearly half a mile away from the pink mermaid. Accompanied by a tremendous roar, the opulent and spacious building let out a groan, as half of its structure collapsed in a blaze of fire

Qiao also did not see clearly whether the young man moved, or how he moved

A young man with a finely groomed mustache glided forward, his body appearing like a phantom, suddenly materializing in front of the beauty in the red dress

"Surround the area, and allow no one to escape!" The young man with a small mustache roared in anger and humiliation, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

The red glow of the fire flickered and vanished; after a breath's time, Qiao clearly heard the muffled sound coming from above, akin to a steam locomotive roaring past on the tracks

A beauty in a red dress gasped for breath as she leaped out of the window on the third floor, her face covered in blood

Glass shattered, as metal window frames, each as thick as a thumb, were violently broken. From the broken windows, projectiles, arrows, flying knives, and throwing axes continuously emerged.

He gaped, his body curled up like a meatball, awkwardly huddled behind a large copper sculpture of a sea fish, continuously emitting meaningless screams of "ah ah" from his mouth

Gritting his teeth, Qiao indulged himself in a moment of abandon, seizing the chaos to release all the pressure that had built up within him

A long, permanent stone jetty extends two miles from the dock into the sea, and at the end of the jetty, the old fortress of Toulon resembles a dark, massive beast, quietly lying on the surface of the water

Shells flew in all directions, mud splattered everywhere, and Qiao, filled with a mix of shock and anger, raised his head to survey the battlefield

The sounds of swords clashing, the booming of firearms, the slicing of flesh by knives and axes, the cracking noise as blows struck bone, the shattering of numerous glassware and porcelain, the thunderous crash of heavy furniture falling, and the sharp screams and cries of women, all sorts of strange noises continued to emerge

Qiao let out a terrified scream, her body trembling uncontrollably

Billy raised his head and shouted with ecstatic joy: "Merciful Muthesthe, they missed!"

Qiao looked at the two knife-wielding men blocking his way in a state of panic, and he was eager to curse at them.

Qiao's calf was cramping, and he gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain in his leg, shouting hoarsely: "These thugs, these bandits, these damned criminals, we absolutely cannot allow them to harm the good citizens of Tulong Port. Billy, I command you all to follow me to protect..."

The men in black roared, displaying immense bravery; however, to Joe, they appeared rather reckless, as if seeking death, charging headlong through the shattered window amidst the onslaught within the room

Their companions showed no hesitation whatsoever, nor did they spare them a glance. Someone took out a heavy copper and wooden club and struck it forcefully against the arched glass window on the first floor of the pink mermaid.

The men in black rushed to the edge of the fountain, each raising their flintlock guns and powerful crossbows.

Qiao swore that he was not seeing things; he had seen several crimson flames shooting out in the direction of the old fort.

However, Qiao's words came to an abrupt halt, his mouth agape in confusion, his gaze fixed intently on the sea surface several miles away, beyond a cluster of shrubs and a thicket of books in the southwest corner.

A young man with two delicate mustaches spat out blood, drew a flintlock pistol from his waist, and fired a shot into the sky with a bang

Joe's mind was a blank slate

Accompanied by the chaotic shouts and curses, two bomb-sized heads were thrown down from the third floor of the pink mermaid.

A loud explosion occurred, with flames bursting forth.

No, no, no, no, no! Great Mu above! Merciful Mutestis!

A sudden wail of anguish erupted

The men in black have all rushed into the pink mermaid, and Qiao released his hands from covering his ears, screaming hoarsely at Billy: "Retreat, retreat... No, we must go protect the nearby residents"

The speed of the woman in the red dress is astonishingly remarkable

At the sound of 'bang', a bullet struck the ground beside Qiao, shattering a piece of granite stone brick to his right.

A terrifying roar descended from the sky, and a shadow flashed by. Several lush beech trees to the west of the pink mermaid were suddenly engulfed in flames. The enormous explosion echoed, and several beech trees, thick enough for two people to embrace, shook violently for a moment before exploding into countless splinters that flew chaotically in all directions

In the name of the law, I command you to stop!" Qiao Duo Duo trembled and let out a roar that lacked any deterrent power

He definitely did not see it wrong; that is the muzzle flash from a large-caliber artillery piece

Amidst the smoke and flames, a young man with two small mustaches, wielding a long sword, clumsily emerged from the burning window of a pink mermaid. His tight-fitting knight's attire was tattered, revealing large patches of blood, with blood continuously flowing from his arms and legs.

Bang, bang bang, the dull sound of large-caliber firearms continued to echo, filling the air with a pungent smell of gunpowder. Large projectiles flew overhead, accompanied by sharp sounds of slicing through the air.

Suddenly, a faint mist drifted in from the direction of the sea, specifically from the backyard of the pink mermaid. A subtle, delicate sound of a short flute began to resonate in the air

Two bombs exploded almost right in front of them, the flames stinging their eyes, the deafening roar nearly rendering them deaf, and a powerful shockwave swept through, leaving Joe with a sharp pain in his chest and a sweet, metallic taste rising in his throat.

Qiao looked at her and murmured softly, "Much slower than Bigolkin"

Two heavy throwing knives clanged twice before falling to the ground, the precision-forged steel knives being cleaved in half.

The pupils suddenly constricted, and Qiao saw the silver long sword in the right hand of the woman in the red dress sweep up a glimmer of silver arc, cleaving through the half-foot-thick oak door of the pink mermaid, rushing into the hall behind the door like a flowing cloud of fire

A beam of red light shot straight into the sky, and then exploded with a loud bang at an altitude of over 100 meters above the ground

In the blink of an eye, Qiao unleashed his potential and astonishingly ran nearly one hundred feet

Qiao spat out a mouthful of blood, and the shockwave propelled his body forward, staggering for dozens of steps. He looked at the collapsed building and cried out hoarsely, "Oh no, that is the old theater... Weituo family holds sixty percent of its shares, no, no, no!"

He just drank too much beer, and he could not control his sphincter. His pants were already damp, and water sprayed down his legs onto the ground. Fortunately, his uniform was black, so no traces could be seen in the night.

In the midst of a frantic run, Qiao turned back with great loyalty and shouted hoarsely at the five people still curled up by the fountain: "Run, hurry and escape... Oh my God..."

In this situation, shouldn't one escape as far as possible?

Flames and thick smoke erupted from every window of the pink mermaid, with a multitude of glass shards, furniture fragments, and brick debris spewing forth like the breath of an enraged dragon, projecting hundreds of feet from the windows

Over there is the direction of Old Pier No. 1 at Tulum Port

"In the name of the Imperial Navy, charge in! Spare no one who resists!" The woman in the red dress took a deep breath, staggered to the ground, and then waved her longsword, once again resembling a swirling cloud of fire, rushing into the hall with the sound of wind.

Only projectiles from large-caliber howitzers with a caliber of at least 380 millimeters could produce a tremendous sound that breaks the air.

The people present, including Qiao, Billy, and four companions, the woman in the red dress, the young man with a small mustache, as well as the dozens of robust men who had just emerged, all felt a chill in their hearts. From the mist surging out of the backyard, it seemed as if some terrifying beasts were lurking, exuding a strong scent of animalistic ferocity.

Joe and Billy, along with others, covered their ears with their hands, simultaneously screaming like startled wild boars.

With the development of Tula Port, the old fortifications that have lost their defensive function have now become a regular tourist attraction. On ordinary days, a few retired disabled sailors reside in the barracks of the old fortifications, responsible for daily maintenance

Qiao screamed sharply, leaping up like a nimble monkey, wild and full of energy like a startled wild boar, sprinting with all his might towards Swordfish Street, away from the direction of the pink mermaid.

When the sound of the explosion was heard, Qiao and several subordinates quickly dropped to the ground, pressing their hands tightly against their helmets, their backs arched high like six plump caterpillars, writhing and crawling behind the stone railing of the fountain

With a few ringing sounds, the beautiful woman in the red dress stumbled out of the door in a state of utter disarray

How could anyone fire a cannon from an old artillery piece that has been abandoned for over a decade

It was very natural that no one paid him any attention

The person is still in the air, and the woman in the red dress has already begun to scream hysterically: "It's a trap, this is a trap. Damn it, this is a shameless murder!"

The men in black whistled hoarsely, the fuse on the bomb quickly burned out, and with two loud bangs, the earth trembled slightly. The glass mermaid in the center of the fountain fell down, producing a piercing shattering sound

In the next moment, a dark shadow violently crashed through the roof of the pink mermaid, shattering several layers of flooring in succession, and heavily fell into the pink mermaid's basement

Even if one must flee, it is essential to find a grand and justifiable reason for doing so. This is the valuable lesson that Qiao learned at the Toulon police station in just a month and a half.

A terrifying sound of tearing air erupted as two heavy throwing knives, each over one foot long, spun rapidly, closely pursuing the beauty in the red dress as she flew out the door. The beauty in the red dress let out a sharp scream, realizing that the two knives were about to strike her towering bosom.

The magnificent silver longsword in her hand had already broken, leaving only a small section of over one foot. The red long skirt had been burned away more than half, revealing two pale legs.

Billy and several other companions held their heads with both hands, rolling on the ground and screaming. Their faces were contorted, their eyes bulging, and blood continuously gushed from their noses and mouths. They struggled painfully to stand up, only to collapse back to the ground in a daze.

According to Qiao, on the old fortress of Tulu Port, there are three of the largest 800-millimeter "Thor" cannons in the entire empire

The sound of chaotic footsteps echoed all around, and nearly one hundred men dressed in black, cloaked in short capes and fully armed, emerged from the shadows.

The old artillery position may launch a second bombardment at any moment