Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 243 Resistance

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The flintlock musket, capable of continuous firing, had a much higher rate of fire than the matchlock musket, suppressing the pirates until they could barely breathe. With nowhere to hide on the open deck, the pirates, who had been so imposing just moments before, suddenly became like stray dogs.

Liu Xiang was both shocked and furious. It was one thing for these people to have powerful cannons, but their muskets were even more powerful than those of the Dutch. How could they possibly win?

He shouted, "We have no way out. Climb up, cut down these musketeers, and the ship will be ours."

The pirates, who had already climbed the ropes, jumped onto the deck and brandished their steel knives at the soldiers who were nearby. They were all seasoned pirates who had fought many battles, and their knives were made with the three words "steady, accurate, and ruthless." In an instant, they cut down several soldiers who did not have time to retreat.

The soldiers of the Qiongzhou Battalion were also forged in numerous fierce battles, especially the special forces soldiers who were more adept at hand-to-hand combat. After reacting quickly, they stopped loading, took two steps back, raised their bayonets, and charged at the pirates, killing their opponents with a single thrust. Compared to the Dutch sailors' bewildered performance in the Zheng family's boarding action, the difference between the two sides was immense.

Before the pirates could even unleash their initial attack, they were all stabbed to death, their bodies tossed off the ship's side, either crashing onto the deck or falling into the sea. After easily dispatching the pirates who had stormed the deck, Qin Tian's exceptionally burly figure appeared at the bow, saying disdainfully, "A bunch of rabble trying to seize the ship? They're practically courting death!"

Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand in hand-to-hand combat, Liu Xiang felt a sense of despair. Unlike the Dutch, who were used to saving themselves with ransom, these pirates, once captured, would never again enjoy the good days of feasting on large chunks of meat and dividing gold by the scale. Feigning surrender and then boarding the ship was their last desperate struggle; if this trick failed, they would truly have no way out.

He let out a roar like a trapped beast, grabbed a javelin used for catching fish, and hurled it at Qin Tian with all his might.

Qin Tian, ​​positioned high above, dodged to the side and grabbed the javelin. Since leading the Ming army to annihilate several bandit groups, he had accumulated numerous military achievements. After surrendering to Liu Ye, he had fought in over a dozen battles, large and small. Apart from being wounded by the archer Shi Ying, he had never been injured by a second person. Liu Xiang's upward javelin naturally could not harm him.

However, this shot ignited the fighting spirit within him. He grinned maliciously, licked his lips, waved his hand to order the soldiers to cease fire, roared, and jumped off the ship's side with his bare hands, landing heavily on the deck of Liu Xiang's ship.

Qin Tian's towering figure and the imposing presence of venturing alone deep into enemy territory instilled fear in the surrounding pirates. Dozens of men surrounded him, yet not one dared to make the first move.

Liu Xiang cursed, "A bunch of useless trash! Attack him! Slash him to death! We're all doomed, let's take this big idiot down with us!"

Qin Tian laughed heartily, picked up a knife casually, and pointed the blade directly at Liu Xiang: "Let me take your head first!"

He appeared fierce and rude, but he was actually quite shrewd. The reason he dared to jump down was because he was certain that these pirates were already at their last gasp, clinging to life by sheer willpower. After their failed hand-to-hand combat and the heavy casualties from the musket fire, their willpower had dissipated, and they were no longer a match for him.