Scumbag Chapter 149 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (15)

Mingting’s target was Suicheng. This small coastal town had once been a minor port where ships stopped to resupply before heading north or s

Mingting’s target was Suicheng.

This small coastal town had once been a minor port where ships stopped to resupply before heading north or south.

Later, due to its convenience, it became a frequent target for Eastern Sea pirates.

Although Mingting, as the Regional Military Commissioner, should have first taken over military affairs, the crisis in Suicheng was imminent, and it could happen any day now.

Nothing was more important than saving over a thousand lives!

So he chose to go to Suicheng first.

Moreover, the new dynasty was still in its early stages, and many systems weren’t yet in place.

Yaozhou’s military forces were severely understaffed, and they still had to wait for the court to allocate funds, provisions, and reinforcements.

Rather than waiting until everything was in order to formally assume his position, Mingting preferred to make his name known throughout Yaozhou first.

He wanted the pirates to tremble in fear and piss themselves at the mere mention of his name!

Mingting really wanted to take a boat and outflank the Eastern Sea pirates who were coming to Suicheng to plunder from the sea.

However, the men he had brought were all land fighters, and only few could swim. They were landlubbers who had never seen the ocean or boarded a ship, so they would need systematic training before they could participate in sea battle.

Fortunately, Qi Ming had prepared good horses for them. After two days of travel, they finally arrived in Suicheng.

Since they’re dressed plainly, with no distinguishing features, they didn’t draw attention.

Mingting did not go to the county government office. Instead, he led his men to hide in a grove by the shore.

The number of Eastern Sea pirates coming this time was not large, only a few hundred people.

The reason they could massacre so many civilians was largely because the people, after years of Eastern Sea pirates’ harassment, were paralyzed with fear. Many would lose their nerve at the sight of the pirates.

Of course, another factor was the civilians’ poverty and malnutrition, leaving them weak and frail.

The Eastern Sea pirates lived on robbing, so they were like termites, well-fed and strong. They also had sharp weapons on their hands, so the unarmed and thin people were certainly no match for them.

"My lord, are you sure the Eastern Sea pirates will come today?"

Someone asked.

The Eastern Sea pirates came and went without a trace, so he wondered if Mingting was some kind of prophet.

"I have my sources."

Mingting took out several small bottles and had Old Wu distribute one pill to each man.

These are life-saving pills. I recently acquired this formula, and they’re quite effective. If anyone gets injured, take one immediately."

"This is our country. On land, no one is our match. There aren’t many raiders this time, just over a hundred. Split them among yourselves, roughly one per person. I won’t hog the credit this time. Just remember to cut off their ears afterward."

By ‘cutting off ears’, Mingting meant taking the left ear of each slain enemy as proof for calculating military merits.

Seeing Mingting being so generous, the men laughed.

These people were all battle-hardened veterans. They were not afraid of the Eastern Sea pirates at all. Instead, they were excited, and their minds were full of military merit.

After resting for a while, they were all in high spirits, their eyes fixed on the sea.

When it was almost noon, two ships appeared on the horizon.

‘They’re here!’

Mingting's gaze darkened.

Fengtian, acting as a radar, had already scouted the number of men on the ships and reported it to Mingting.

128 pirates, all Eastern Sea pirates.

"Don't be careless." As the ships neared the shore, Mingting warned the people around him, "Don’t embarrass yourselves by screwing up your first real fight here."

Mingting's caution made the soldiers more serious.

Soon, a group of people came down from the ship. They weren’t tall, but they looked sturdy.

Having raided the coast for so long without ever facing real danger or setbacks, these Eastern Sea pirates were actually laughing and chatting leisurely as they headed toward Suicheng… as if the townspeople were nothing but fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.

As the group moved closer and closer to Suicheng, Fengtian reported that only five or six people were left guarding the ships. Mingting stood up.

"Brothers, it's time to let these short little melons know how sharp our blades are. These guys are yours… I'm heading for the ships!"

After speaking, Mingting rushed toward the large ships.

Since their boss had already taken action, the others weren't about to lag behind. They quietly formed a wide encirclement, trapping the Eastern Sea pirates inside.

"Kill!"

The sudden ambush caught the pirates completely off guard.

Having run rampant for so many years, they were initially startled, but they soon drew their swords and charged at the soldiers with furious slashes.

However, the soldiers weren't intimidated in the slightest. The military excelled at coordinated combat, and soon, they split into groups of three, launching their assault.

Mingting paid no attention to the skirmish onshore. Moving swiftly, he boarded one of the ships.

Before the people on board could raise an alarm, his sword came slashing down, blood splattering all over him.

"Bastard!"

When they found a stranger appearing on their ship, someone immediately drew his sword.

However, the speed at which they drew their swords was far slower than Mingting's cleaving speed.

With a scream, a round head rolled far away, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Mingting repeated the same method on another ship, cutting down another group. After dealing with all the pirates left on the ships, he began inspecting them.

Admittedly, thanks to the Eastern Sea pirates' thriving plundering business, the ships they built were very advanced and worth learning.

Screams continued to echo from the shore, but Mingting remained on the ship.

Occasionally, a few pirates tried to flee back, but before they could reach the ships, they were caught and killed.

When the pirates' ships had first appeared by the shore, alarms had been raised.

Many of Suicheng's residents were scared and fled, leaving behind mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children who couldn't run.

With the dynasty in transition and the new imperial court still unstable, no prefect had yet been appointed to Suicheng, and soldiers were in short supply. Those with strength had no choice but to flee.

Those who stayed behind had resigned themselves to death. But then, they heard the pirates’ screams from the shore.

A few brave people sneaked over to take a look, and they were stunned by the scene before them.

‘The pirates were dead?’

‘And the ones who killed them… wore their hair tied up in the local style?’

‘Could they be on our side?!’

These people didn't believe it at all. After watching for a while, they saw a burly and tall man walked out from one of the ships by the shore.

"My lord!"

The others, who were holding swords that were still dripping with blood, grinned widely.

"All taken care of!" Mingting glanced around and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, everyone hasn’t lost your edge."

Mingting had long noticed the few people hiding nearby and beckoned them over.

"I am the Count of Dingyuan, appointed by His Majesty as the Regional Military Commissioner of Yaozhou. I’d like to ask you to summon people from the city, as I need to cut off these Eastern Sea pirates’ heads and send them back to the capital."

To ensure they believed him, Mingting took out his official seal, wrapped it in cloth, and tossed it over.

Only when they carefully unfolded the cloth and saw the golden seal inside did they finally accept Mingting’s identity.

"Your Excellency was sent by the Emperor? That's great!" The men stepped forward, overcome with emotion. One of them immediately dashed toward the city to call for help.

"The court has sent troops! The Lord has killed the Eastern Sea pirates by the shore! Everyone, come out quickly!"

In Suicheng, several voices were shouting, and some cautiously cracked their doors open before shutting them again.

‘The court?’

‘The old court was gone, and the world was in chaos. How could the new dynasty have sent people so soon?’

No one believed it.

Only when the messengers shouted themselves hoarse, and a few more brave souls went to see for themselves and returned to spread the word, did the townsfolk finally accept it.

Soon, a crowd rushed to the shore.

Seeing the corpses on the ground, they first couldn’t believe their eyes, and then, one after another, they began kicking and spitting on the bodies.

Some even snatched swords from the soldiers and chopped at the pirates with all their strength.

"I recognize this one-eyed bastard… he’s the one who killed my father!"

"He is the one who murdered my son! My boy, your killer is finally dead!"

For a time, the beach was filled with wails of grief.

"These beasts!" One of Mingting’s men had red eyes.

Originally, their mission had just been to kill the Eastern Sea pirates, but now, seeing the people’s heart-wrenching sorrow, the soldiers’ hatred for the Eastern Sea pirates burned like wildfire.

"It is because of them that we came here."

Mingting said solemnly.