Chapter 9: Island Massacre (I)

Xiao Man was splattered with blood on her face and was at a loss for what to do. Seeing Lin Fu putting on a stern face again to act like a pirate, she couldn't help but scold, "Young Master Lin is here to scare people again." Looking at the corpse at Lin Fu's feet, from which blood was still gushing, she didn't dare to approach but said to the two young men beside her, "Brother Lin is here to save us, not as a pirate..."

Chen Enze. The young man took the broken sword and replied

"Damn it, what are you shouting about? I'll chop you up again!" The person left outside was anxious about the fighting in the woods. Hearing the commotion in the thatched hut, filled with rage, he kicked the door open, ready to vent his anger. Just then, he felt a chill at his neck, turned his head, and saw a smiling face for the last time. He could still hear the sound of blood spraying from his veins and the clatter of his weapon falling to the ground.

In front of the thatched shed, five individuals remained, hearing the sounds of fighting. They immediately picked up their weapons and got up from the ground, rushing towards the woods. After a few steps, the leader, a thin-faced man, reached out and grabbed a young man: "Er Gou, you stay behind, be careful..." He then led the other three into the woods.

"You all come over here, take some sand from outside and sprinkle it over the blood to reduce the smell of blood," Lin Fu said, holding a machete in one hand and a waist knife in the other as he stepped out of the grass shed. He instructed the two young men, Hu Qiaoguan and Hu Qiaozhong, to lift some earth using the dismantled door panels to reinforce the grass shed. When he approached the grass shed earlier, he noticed that there were still two bows lying in the open area outside. It seemed that the four who were pursuing Fu Qinghe thought the bows and arrows would be of little use in the forest, so they left them behind. Otherwise, if the bows and arrows were in their hands, given the protective capability of the grass shed's thatched walls, a single arrow could likely pierce through several targets. At that time, he would have no choice but to lead Su Mei and Xiao Man, the two girls, along with this group of young men into the woods.

Until noon, a person was idly standing by the grass shed and walked towards the edge of the forest. Lin Fu pointed into the depths of the dense forest and said to Fu Qinghe: "First, let's resolve this matter and see if we can lure the others into the woods"

Lin Fu moved westward for about one hundred meters, when he suddenly heard a cry of agony from deep within the path, followed by the intense sounds of weapons clashing, indicating that Fu Qinghe had successfully launched a surprise attack and was now engaged in a struggle with another person

Fu Qinghe nodded and followed Lin Fu deeper into the woods. There was a narrow path leading further into the forest, presumably left by the islanders in the past. However, the layer of decayed leaves had accumulated to a thickness of two to three inches, indicating that it had not been traversed for a long time, making it difficult to recognize as a path. Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe spent the morning familiarizing themselves with the surrounding terrain.

Master Fu is truly remarkable, Lin Fu praised. Later, the four who chased into the woods were all skilled fighters, yet unexpectedly, Fu Qinghe engaged them in the woods and even killed one before escaping.

Brother Lin, someone..." Chen Enze, who had been watching from the wall, turned back to give a warning.

The strangulation was done by Fu Qinghe, while the neck of the book was broken by Lin Fu. Lin Fu's principle is that if one can kill an enemy without alerting others, it is better to do so. He reached out to check the nose of the newcomer, confirming that he was indeed dead, and said to Fu Qinghe: "Try to cover it up as much as possible; there may still be a chance for a stealthy kill..." He picked up the broken knife from the ground, bit it in his mouth, and hoisted the corpse onto his shoulder, making his way deeper into the dense forest. After walking about a hundred meters, he found a large pit washed out by rainwater under a broken tree by the roadside, filled with decaying leaves. He threw the corpse into the pit and gathered many decaying leaves to cover it. He reached out to check the nose of the newcomer again, confirming that he was indeed dead, and said to Fu Qinghe: "Try to cover it up as much as possible; there may still be a chance for a stealthy kill..." He picked up the broken knife from the ground, bit it in his mouth, and hoisted the corpse onto his shoulder, making his way deeper into the dense forest. After walking about a hundred meters, he found a large pit washed out by rainwater under a broken tree by the roadside, filled with decaying leaves. He threw the corpse into the pit and gathered many decaying leaves to cover it; Fu Qinghe followed his instructions, trying to erase any traces as much as possible.

I

The head was not severed, but the arterial spray from the neck was very forceful, splattering nearly half of the grass shed with blood. The panic of the boys, who had never seen blood and had been kidnapped for six or seven days, and who had been in a state of terror, upon being splattered with the warm blood, is unimaginable

"We are cousins; I am his older cousin," said Hu Qiaoguan, who appeared to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old

All the young boys held their breath and did not dare to move. A half-grown boy stood up and asked, "Brother Lin, do you need our help?"

Lin Fu peered through the gaps in the grass wall towards the woods behind. The four soldiers who had chased into the woods had not returned, and there were no sounds of fighting coming from within. He said to Su Mei, "There are still four of them; Master Fu has temporarily drawn them away." He then turned to the group of captured boys and told Su Mei, "Tell them that we are not yet out of danger. They must remain seated and not move. Anyone who stirs will endanger everyone's lives, and I will deal with him first." He cast a stern look at the boys as he said the last sentence. The reason he wanted to lure the guards into the grass shed to kill them was to make the four who had chased out mistakenly believe that there was only one enemy, Fu Qinghe, on the island before they entered the shed. Otherwise, in an open area, he and Fu Qinghe might not be able to handle four skilled soldiers, especially since he needed to ensure the safety of Su Mei and the other girl, as well as these boys.

Lin Fu then stuffed the broken knife into the boy's hands and said, "Keep it. For yourself, and for them. Sometimes, one must kill; there is no question of daring or not daring." Since these boys were all captured from the school in Chongzhou County, it is likely that he held some prestige among this group. He then asked, "What is your name?"

Fu Qinghe nodded and said, "No problem"

The other party has already grown suspicious. It is impossible for him and Fu Qinghe to quietly eliminate both individuals this time. Therefore, let Fu Qinghe launch a surprise attack on the two to draw the attention of others in front of the thatched hut. As long as Fu Qinghe can successfully deal with these two and successfully attract others to chase into the dense forest, he will be confident in sneaking around to the back of the thatched hut to eliminate the one or two guards that remain.

The young boy with the meat ticket saw the pirate who suddenly broke through the wall yesterday, and someone instinctively screamed.

The thatched hut is a framework made of bamboo, and it has been abandoned here for an unknown length of time, long since falling into disrepair. The walls and roof are covered with thatch, allowing the wind to seep in from all sides. Lin Ba wants to create some noise to attract the attention of the person behind the thatched hut, and he directly squeezes through a hole. Su Mei and the other two women, along with thirty young captives, sit inside in a state of exhaustion, and they are not even bound. In the eyes of both pirates and soldiers, these underage captives resemble sheep awaiting slaughter, easily monitored by a hunting dog. Moreover, there are eight burly men guarding outside, so there is no fear of them causing any trouble; furthermore, on a deserted island with no ships, there is no concern that they could escape.

I almost revealed my identity to Xiaoman, but it was those few who helped cover it up," Su Mei explained the reason for her familiarity with Xiaoman and these young men. She did not like the smell of blood, yet she was much braver than Xiaoman. She walked over to Lin Fu's side and, not seeing Fu Qinghe, asked with concern, "Where is Uncle Fu?"

Su Mei and Xiao Man saw Lin Fu burst in through the wall hole, holding a knife in one hand and biting a broken blade in his mouth. Naturally, they were both surprised and delighted. Yesterday, they had seen the officials change into pirate attire and continue to set sail with the ship, realizing that things were heading in the worst possible direction. Although they knew that Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe would not easily let them go, they also understood that the two of them alone could not contend with the eighty or ninety officials. The key issue was whether Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe had successfully managed to follow them out to sea: the pleasure boat was so small that hiding two people without being discovered was quite difficult. At this moment, seeing Lin Fu enter with a knife, regardless of whether they had truly escaped danger, the tension in their hearts began to ease.

"Brute force," Fu Qinghe said, and he meant it sincerely. The tactics were meticulously planned by Lin Ba, which allowed them to smoothly eliminate five people while he only sustained minor injuries. If it had been a direct confrontation, Fu Qinghe did not believe he would have had a chance to win against eight elite soldiers from the camp. Therefore, he claimed he was relying on brute force. Fu Qinghe temporarily did not allow Su Mei and Xiao Man to help him rebandage his wounds. Upon seeing the bow and arrows in the corner, he remarked, "Good stuff!" He walked over, picked up the bow, tested its draw weight, and took three arrows—one nocked on the string and two held in his mouth.

The two young boys, upon hearing Lin Fu's question, quickly got up from the ground, seemingly regretting having jumped ahead of Chen Enze. As they stood up, they introduced themselves: "My name is Hu Qiaoguan." "My name is Hu Qiaozhong."

There are still three left, Fu Qinghe said, "If they can't catch up with me, they will probably return soon."

Then you can stab him a couple more times. Lin Fu extended his hand to pass the broken knife, glanced at the corpse on the ground, and instructed the young man to stab the corpse twice, to see if he truly had the courage to kill.

Lin Fu jumped onto the giant rock, standing beside Fu Qinghe, gazing out towards the sea. Two fast paddle warships and a pirate sailing ship were already seven or eight miles away from the island, towing a painted pleasure boat.

With no knowledge of the deserted island, there was no way to know whether there were snakes, insects, or beasts in the woods. Fortunately, the night was filled with brilliant starlight and the moonlight was like water, making the woods not too dark at night. Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe took turns resting, yet it was quiet. In the early morning, they gathered some dew to quench their thirst. To the east, they discovered a small patch of reeds, which they pulled up. The white roots were sweet and juicy when chewed. They also swallowed the remaining two dry cakes that had been soaked in seawater, gulping them down.

After a long while, the seven individuals remaining in the grass shed began to feel that their companion had been in the woods for too long. One of them turned around to look and said, "What the hell is that scoundrel Xiao Gui doing? Did he get himself lost, or is he trying to chase after something?" The others burst into laughter. The leader, a middle-aged man with a thin face, stood up, sensing that something was amiss. He kicked the two people by his feet and said, "You two go check it out." When he saw them getting up to leave, he called out to them again, "Take the food with you; I have to remind you every time..."

The young man answered decisively.

Lin Bu was unaware of when he had upgraded from being a useless, good-for-nothing scholar in Xiao Man's eyes to the amiable Lin Da Ge. After being detained with these captives for two days, it seemed that they had grown familiar with each other. With their help in calming the crowd, he restrained his intimidating demeanor and walked to the corner to observe the enemy situation outside.

Everything was tidied up, and Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe returned to their original position.

If it were not for the consideration that Su Mei and Xiao Man's identities might be exposed at any moment, Lin Fu would have made more thorough preparations.

The act of killing may seem simple in theory, but when it comes to actually taking a life, it is exceedingly difficult, especially for these pampered and sheltered students.

After shaking off the pursuers, they came to the thatched hut to regroup... Lin Ba said this and then walked west along the edge of the forest

Seeing the two individuals carelessly approaching with knives towards the woods, Lin Fu inquired of Fu Qinghe: "Are these two to be handled by Master Fu?"

"A good name." Lin Fu patted his shoulder, urging him to continue watching from the crack in the wall, and then asked the group of boys, "Who else is not afraid?"

Lin Fu spoke lightly, but Fu Qinghe did not realize he was boasting. He also recognized that Lin Fu's quick wit, meticulous thinking, and killing skills displayed over the past two days were beyond his own capabilities. Although this puzzled him, it was an undeniable fact. Lin Fu's performance reminded him of the former commander of the secret camp in the military, who, despite lacking strong martial skills, would send shivers down the spines of the generals whenever mentioned. Lin Fu's ability to kill, along with his quick wit and meticulous thinking, bore some resemblance to that commander, even surpassing him. However, Lin Fu was merely a scholar who had just passed the provincial examination; where did he acquire such skills?

"Are you willing to kill?" Lin Fu asked

Fu Qinghe dashed along the edge of the forest, moving at an astonishing speed, his body curled and agile like a leopard. It was hard to imagine that a man in his fifties could be so nimble; he truly defied age. Once he entered the grass hut, Lin Ba discovered that he had acquired another cut on his left shoulder and the back of his hand.

"It is our turn to take the stage," Lin Fu said. The group of soldiers from Ninghai Town had departed, leaving only eight guards visible on the island, while they remained hidden. This made things much easier. He thought to himself, after tidying up a bit with Fu Qinghe, he picked up his waist knife. He did not discard the broken knife, which only had a blade length of one foot, and stealthily made his way along the inner edge of the woods towards the soldiers' resting camp.

Lin Fu picked up the weapon from the ground. This weapon was quite peculiar; he had noticed it earlier in the morning while hiding in the dense forest with Fu Qinghe. It resembled a paddle knife, and Fu Qinghe had also told him it was a paddle knife. However, it was significantly different from the paddle knives Lin Fu had seen in images from the future. The entire knife was approximately chest-high, with the blade and handle divided equally. The blade was long and narrow, resembling the head of a rattlesnake, and it had sharp side edges. It looked more like a triangular blade from the future or an enlarged version of a military dagger, with blood grooves on both sides of the blade.

There were other youths eager to try, but Lin Fu waved his hand, indicating that it was sufficient for the two of them to assist him

Hiding in the forest at night, Fu Qinghe curiously asked, and Lin Fu merely stated that he had received guidance from someone in his youth, but the details were inconvenient to disclose. In an era rife with mysticism, the phrase "taught by an extraordinary person in childhood" was exceedingly effective. Noticing Fu Qinghe's deep agreement, Lin Fu felt that fabricating any further lies to explain was entirely unnecessary. Moreover, he sensed that Fu Qinghe harbored some secrets unknown to outsiders. Everyone has their privacy, and telling a few lies carries no psychological burden.

The young man was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Lin Fu to test him so soon. Seeing the corpse lying on the ground made him feel uneasy, and he hesitated. Lin Fu did not continue to press him, instead patting him on the shoulder and saying: "You stay here and keep an eye on the woods behind us. If anyone comes out, notify me. Remember not to make any loud noises..."

Lin Fu practiced Sanda in elementary school, and after joining the army, he learned combat and close-quarters fighting with short weapons. However, he had never studied the true techniques of cold weapons such as swords and spears. At that time, it seemed unnecessary; who could have predicted that he would traverse back to this era where cold weapons reign supreme? With a straight-backed, straight-edged waist knife in hand, for Lin Fu, it could only serve as a means of self-defense, making it difficult to engage in direct combat and emerge victorious against formidable opponents. On the other hand, this broadsword reminded him of the thrusting techniques promoted in military camps of the later era for close-quarters combat. Using thrusting techniques with the broadsword was somewhat feasible.

It is a hassle. Fu Qinghe observed the eight individuals left behind to keep watch; the relaxed expression of the early morning had vanished, replaced by a serious demeanor as he furrowed his brows.

How many people are there? Lin Fu asked

Lin Fu discarded the broken knife on the road, piled some decaying leaves over it, leaving the handle exposed, making it appear as if it had been lost there for a long time. He and Fu Qinghe hid behind a tree. When the newcomer approached and saw the knife handle sticking out from the leaves, he thought little of it and bent down to pick it up. However, he suddenly felt a tightness around his neck, and he could only manage to let out a cry. The wind rustled the treetops, and his cry sounded as if it were choked in his throat, deep and muffled; how could his companions outside the forest possibly hear it? Before he could struggle further, his neck was violently snapped.

Regardless of the rank of the leading official, those returning to land must first report back to the military camp, and then send someone to impersonate pirates to contact the families of the captives, extorting ransom money—without the captives appearing, the ransom will not be easily obtained—by the time they finish these tasks and return to clean up, it will be nearly ten days later. What we need to do now is to patiently wait for ten days to kill eight people only

Lin Fu picked up the bow and quiver in front of the thatched hut, and instructed two young men to carry sand into the hut to sprinkle over the blood. The walls of the hut were drafty, and the smell of blood quickly dissipated significantly

Lin Fu and Su Mei moved closer, and Su Mei exclaimed with surprise: "It is Uncle Fu..."

The two brothers look very similar; however, Hu Qiaoguan has a small mole between his eyebrows, and his eyebrows are slightly wider, which makes it easier to distinguish between them

Only one person remained by the thatched shed, truly a good opportunity! Lin Fu could not care less about the situation on Fu Qinghe's side, as he quickly circled to the back of the thatched shed, observing the remaining individual anxiously staring in the direction of the sounds of fighting.

I

They have left, Fu Qinghe said

Lin Bu had never used a bow, so he would not recklessly take up a bow and arrow to shoot at the enemy. Upon seeing that Fu Qinghe was a skilled archer, and observing his confident demeanor with just three arrows, he understood that the next steps would be easy.

"What are you shouting about? I'll chop you up!" Lin Fu swung the bloodied knife, his fierce gaze sweeping over the crowd, as if he would truly strike down with the next blow, instantly silencing the commotion among them

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe lay in ambush at the edge of the woods, less than 100 meters from the camp, remaining concealed there for the entire morning. There were indeed only eight guards. These eight men were likely trusted confidants of the Duwei of Ninghai Town, all tall and robust. In the morning, two of them practiced unarmed combat in front of a thatched shed, without much flourish, demonstrating considerable skill. The others either lay or sat in front of the shed, basking in the sun and watching. These eight individuals should be the elite of the military.