novelODS Chapter 61 Night Raid on the Pirates' Hideout!
Chapter 61 Night Raid on the Pirates' Hideout!
The village of Duanpo was unusually quiet at night, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.
The pirates looted so much material from the village that it piled up like a small mountain.
Bags of wheat, salted fish, and barrels of ale were piled up all the way to the street, while weapons and coarse cloth filled the courtyards.
With so many items, it was impossible to transport them all in a hurry, so Duanpo Village became a temporary storage site for supplies.
"Spinebreaker" Stan led his main force of pirates northward to plunder villages in the north, leaving only seventeen or eighteen dejected pirates behind to guard the supplies.
Most of them were injured; some had blood-soaked bandages wrapped around their arms, and others limped around the yard.
"Those damned land dwellers! They ran faster than sardines!"
A pirate with an injured arm kicked a wooden bucket at his feet and cursed viciously:
"If that old bastard hadn't slashed me, I'd be off with the chief to the village to the north to snatch women by now! Why would I be stuck here guarding a pile of junk!"
"yes!"
"Not to mention the village, I've heard that the fortified town to the north has quite a few delicate and beautiful noble ladies!"
"Now look what's happened to us! We've gotten nothing, and we're just stuck here in this godforsaken place with a bunch of corpses!"
Another pirate lying down rolled over, his voice filled with filth:
"Missing women?"
Those three women were too fragile; they all died within a day!
The leader is really ruthless; he always kills people without leaving us anything...
In the courtyard, the villagers dug out their wooden furniture to use as firewood, and lit a huge bonfire.
A dozen or so pirates sat around the fire, some lying on the dry grass, laughing and talking loudly without restraint.
In the open space outside the courtyard, hundreds of villagers' corpses were carelessly discarded like garbage, piled up in layers.
Some had their heads chopped off, leaving a pool of deep black blood on the ground; others had their empty eyes wide open, dying with their eyes wide open.
The firelight flickered, illuminating the calm yet ferocious faces of the pirates.
They drank, laughed, and cursed in the firelight.
It was as if the mountains of corpses around me were nothing more than stones on the roadside; I felt no terror whatsoever from being with the dead!
"Aren't the corpses of those lowly people burned?"
One of the young pirates couldn't help but speak up. This was his first time raiding with a fleet, and his face still carried a hint of naivety.
One of the pirates chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Who cares what they do! Let the stray dogs eat them!"
"My Lord Haf Sigra, the great god of storms!"
"We must create a new world for ourselves in Pandeur with our blood and flames!"
"Our Lord's hall only welcomes us brave warriors from Vanscare!"
These mixed-race bastards who betrayed their people and abandoned their faith don't even deserve cremation!
"It would be a shame to sell all the young women in this land into slavery and prostitution!"
The men chopped off their skulls and used them as bowls! This is the consequence of betraying one's people!
As night deepened, a full moon hung high in the sky.
The pirates who remained behind drank more and more, opening barrel after barrel of ale they had looted from the villagers' homes, their clothes soaked with the liquor.
Alcoholism and revelry are important social activities for the people of Vanscare.
They often held lavish feasts after looting, which led to a relatively weak sense of discipline among the Vanskellians.
However, even when they were drunk, they were still able to maintain a strong fighting spirit and had extremely high individual combat skills!
"Don't drink too much," the young pirate said, his unease growing stronger as he watched his companions stagger around.
"I'm going to the village entrance to relieve the guard. Be careful, those peasants who escaped will come back for revenge."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Those cowards have long since hidden themselves deep in the mountains, too afraid to come out! Even if you gave them ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare return!"
The young pirate did not argue further.
Seeing that his companions had relaxed their guard, he picked up his axe and walked towards the village entrance.
The image of the villagers desperately resisting with their farm tools that he saw during the day always lingered in his mind.
Upon reaching the village entrance, they met up with their companions who were hiding in the shadows.
That companion was already rubbing his hands and stamping his feet from the cold.
Upon seeing him arrive, he casually exchanged a few perfunctory words and then eagerly ran into the village.
The young pirate gripped his axe tightly, initially looking around warily.
Under the moonlight, the distant woods resembled a lurking beast, silent and still.
On an old tree not far away, three young heads hung suspended, swaying incessantly in the cold wind.
The young pirate shuddered, realizing he had been overthinking things.
According to the old pirates...
They've been raiding for so many years, except when they encounter the enemy lord's army and have to run away.
I've never heard of having to avoid the villagers before!
As time passed and the surroundings remained silent, the young pirate gradually relaxed his guard and began to idly play with the stones on the ground.
……
In the distant jungle, Roger slowly climbed back behind the earthen embankment.
Hundreds of figures were crouching here, holding their breath and remaining completely silent!
Earlier, according to reports from villagers who were conducting reconnaissance,
The pirates first sent over a hundred men to reinforce Duanpo Village.
Later that evening, several hundred more people set off northward!
Upon hearing this news, Roger's eyes lit up instantly, and a bold idea took shape in his mind!
Although he recruited people in the village, none of them had armor or even decent weapons!
Most people only had pitchforks and sickles.
A better one might have a dagger.
Even the bandits' equipment is much better than theirs!
With just these people, if he wanted to venture into the wilderness, he'd probably be devoured by other bandits until not even his bones were left!
We need to get some equipment first!
The small number of pirates in Duanpo Village right in front of us is an opportunity that has come knocking on our door!
He knew that many pirates had also died... They couldn't have taken all the equipment, could they?
However, persuading these terrified villagers to do something with him was no easy task.
Upon hearing that over a hundred pirates had arrived, many people began to talk about moving deeper into the mountains.
They had witnessed the brutality of the pirates firsthand and refused to face them again!
Roger patiently pleaded with them until Old Kui and Aunt Silin from the village stepped forward.
Only after Aunt Slin patted her chest and vouched for Rogge did the villagers finally relent and agree to come with him to see what was going on.
They had to pull off this job too!
They fled into the deep mountains in haste, and the food they brought with them was not much to begin with. Even if they saved every penny, it would only last them a short time!
Before long, everyone will run out of food.
And there aren't many people in the village who know how to hunt!
Moreover, in this world of cold weapons, the wilderness is extremely unfriendly to ordinary people.
Giant striped tigers several meters long, packs of vicious wolves...
Even if they go hunting in groups of three or five, they'll probably just be providing lunch for those wild beasts!
……
Rogge was draped in a large camouflage made of woven grass and leaves.
He had just approached Broken Po Village under disguise and used his Eye of Insight to survey the village's interior, figuring out the number and location of the remaining pirates.
After returning, Roger thought,
In the future, let's leave these kinds of investigations to the professionals!
Even with his keen insight, he can't take the risk every time; what if things go wrong...?
Back in the woods, Roger lowered his voice and explained the situation to everyone:
"There were only about seventeen or eighteen pirates inside, and most of them were wearing armor!"
Upon hearing that there were still seventeen or eighteen people left, some villagers in Duanpo Village immediately showed fear, while others shouted that they wanted revenge.
Fortunately, the location was far enough that speaking softly would not alert the pirates.
Listen up, everyone!
I just figured it out; there are two sentry posts outside.
Everyone else was at old Jard's house and in several nearby courtyards!
I'll take a few men in and sneak in, first we'll take out the two sentries.
Virgil, you stay here with the main force to provide support. Everyone must keep a wooden stick in their mouth at all times!
"Watch my signal. Once we take care of the outposts outside, you lead everyone in!"
"Don't worry, if things get complicated, we'll retreat immediately!"
Roger took only God and five other well-equipped villagers to scout the outposts.
The reason he left Virgil outside was because he was afraid that these terrified villagers would back down at the last minute and sell them out inside!
Before setting off, Roger selected five of the most experienced and daring men from the villagers.
He made everyone put a wooden stick in their mouths to prevent them from making any noise.
"Go inside in a moment, and follow my instructions!"
No one is allowed to act without my order!
Do you understand?!
The villagers, with wooden sticks in their mouths, could only nod.
Rogge looked up at the deep night sky, where a large cloud gradually drifted down to the moon.
The bright light was completely blocked, and the whole earth was plunged into darkness.
"Now!"
Roger gave a low shout and crouched down, slowly reaching out...
……