mtl008 Chapter 533: Played hide-and-seek all night
Chapter 533: Played hide-and-seek all night
Ultimately, no real fighting broke out.
But Lin Ke didn't come back that night either.
He led his naval fleet and spent the entire night maneuvering with the pirates in the waters thirty nautical miles from the city.
These pirates are cunning enough.
Seeing the navy's large fleet of warships approaching in a grand manner, they did not engage in a direct confrontation. As soon as the navy's ships got closer, they took advantage of their small and agile boats and turned to flee.
When the navy couldn't catch up and ordered the fleet to retreat, they sneaked out again, following at a distance, making harassing and provocative gestures. When the navy took a fighting stance, they retreated with a grin.
This happened several times, like children playing hide-and-seek, exhausting the navy's energy and patience, but they still refused to engage in direct combat.
“These bastards are just here to cause trouble. Sir, you should go back with the ship. I will guard this place.”
Zhao Cheng tried to persuade him.
But Lin Ke did not respond.
The night wind at sea was bitterly cold, and the lights on the warships never went out. The soldiers dared not loosen their bows or remove their armor, and they remained in a tense standoff all night.
As dawn broke and the horizon began to lighten, the pirates, perhaps feeling they had played enough or seeing no further opportunity, finally vanished completely into the depths of the vast ocean, never to be seen again.
The navy cautiously searched and kept watch for another half hour, and only after confirming that the enemy had indeed fled far away did Lin Ke order the fleet to return to port.
……
The next morning, Xu Yiyi, along with her three younger brothers, Lao Lu, and Wang Pangzi, left the house and headed to their usual breakfast stall in the market.
The morning light was bright, and the air still carried the damp chill that hadn't completely dissipated from the night.
The streets were just beginning to awaken, and there weren't many pedestrians.
As soon as I reached the main street, I heard the sound of orderly footsteps approaching from afar.
Looking up, Si Hai saw a group of people walking towards him from the direction of the dock.
Leading the way was none other than Lin Ke.
The child looked back and saw Ah Yue following behind.
Just then, A-Yue also saw them, took a few steps forward, said a few words to Lin Ke, and then broke away from the group and ran towards them.
She was still wearing her dark, fitted outfit and soft armor, but the night dew made the color appear even darker.
Her face showed obvious signs of fatigue, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes; at first glance, her face looked sallow.
Xu Yiyi, holding Wu Yuan, nodded slightly to Lin Ke in greeting.
Lin Ke nodded to her, his gaze lingering on her and the children for a moment before he left with his personal guards.
"How are you? Are you alright?" Xu Yiyi looked at A Yue with concern.
She waved her hand, "Don't even mention it. It would have been better to have a proper fight. These pirates are real thieves. They don't fight us at all; they just toy with us. As soon as we move forward even a little bit, they run away. After dark, the ship is difficult to navigate, and just when we're about to return, these pirates immediately chase after us. We were locked in a stalemate all night, and the pirates slipped away at dawn..."
Si Hai said with concern, "Master, are you tired? Did you sleep last night? Do you want me to go back with you?"
"Why don't we go get something to eat first, to fill our stomachs, and then go back to sleep?" Sanchuan suggested.
As soon as she finished speaking, A-Yue put her arms around the shoulders of the two children.
"Whether I sleep or not doesn't matter, since the adults have given me another day off, I have plenty of time to rest. But I really need to eat something, otherwise my hands are shaking so badly."
As A-Yue spoke, she stretched out her right hand and pretended to shake it, which immediately amused everyone.