The pirate leader, accompanied by several of his trusted followers, was sitting on the deck, drinking and enjoying themselves.
On the mast behind him, a bright yellow flag fluttered high. The flagpole, made of mulberry wood, was red at the top and black at the bottom, adorned with three purple-gold hoops. At the golden top with an Ruyi-shaped finial, four red silk ribbons with gold-threaded dragon patterns were tied, looking very imposing.
It was quite a surprise to Li Ying that such a small group of pirates could be so ostentatious.
"The ransom is here? You're smart," he said, counting the silver in the box. But instead of releasing Li Ying and Su Buchi immediately, he sized them up and asked casually, "Which one of you is the Huji dancer who's going to perform in the capital in three months? We brothers have been drifting on the sea for half a year. We haven't seen anything new and exciting yet!"
Li Ying frowned slightly and exchanged a look with Su Buchi. They both understood what the other was thinking.
This port was quite far from the fishing village. If these pirates really hadn't docked for half a year as they claimed, how could they have known that A Man had won the top prize in the martial arts dance competition?
Someone must have secretly informed these pirates of what had happened on shore.
During the selection of the martial arts dance competition, the host only said that the winner would become the exclusive spokesperson of Ping An Bank in the future. As for the performance in the capital in three months, only a few people, including A Man and Li Ying, knew about it.
But now, this top-secret information had been easily obtained by these pirates. It was obvious who the mole who had colluded with the pirates was.
Lian Ji.
Li Ying was used to Lian Ji's hatred and obstruction. Even when she learned that Lian Ji had colluded with the pirates, she only thought it was stupid and ridiculous.
Wasn't this like seeking the skin of a tiger?
Lian Ji was really desperate and unscrupulous.
Seeing that the pirate leader was losing his patience and tapping his knife handle rhythmically, and knowing that Su Buchi didn't know anything about dance and music, Li Ying took a deep breath, put on a charming smile, and said softly, "I'd like to dance for you myself. Please be magnanimous and let the fishermen on the island go."
She exchanged a look with Su Buchi. Although Su Buchi really didn't want to watch Li Ying use her charm to deal with the pirate leader, he also knew that they were in a difficult situation. So he took the seven-stringed zither handed over by a pirate, sat down cross-legged, and played the "Heart-Clearing Mantra" with a solemn face.
Li Ying wasn't good at dancing, but her bright eyes were full of charm, which was really alluring.
She walked lightly towards the pirates, picked up the wine pot with her fair hands, and flattered the vulgar pirates. After a few drinks, most of them were drunk.
Li Ying was secretly delighted.
Du Zhong heard that she was going to take risks alone. He secretly took some good knockout drugs, mixed them with saltpeter, and asked Shi Hu to send them to her.
She only hid a little on her fingertips and secretly put it in the cups while persuading the pirates to drink. These arrogant pirates were really deceived.
"Ah Ying, are you okay?"
Lu Xunguang's steady voice came from behind. Xiao Liuzi, who had just been taken away and locked up by a pirate, was trembling behind him.
"Sister Ying, the villagers in our village are all locked up in the cargo hold under the deck!"
As soon as Xiao Liuzi finished speaking, Lu Xunguang strode towards the deck without hesitation.
With a little effort, he broke the loosely locked door lock and pushed open the cabin door. Sure enough, Zhang Lu and other boatmen were all tied up in the corner. When they saw Li Ying, their faces lit up as if they had been pardoned.
Lu Xunguang took out a dagger from his bosom and quickly cut off the ropes binding them. The fishermen quickly picked up the fish crates piled beside them, bowed their heads, and thanked them gratefully.
"Ah Ying, if it weren't for you this time, we might have all lost our lives!"
Everyone had a look of relief after a narrow escape on their faces, but Li Ying just said softly, "Shh, this is not the time to talk. While the effect of the knockout drug hasn't worn off yet, we'd better leave this place quickly."
The fishermen knew the importance of this and all kept quiet carefully. They lined up in a single file and quietly dived into the sea to escape.
They were all good at swimming since they grew up by the sea. Only Zhang Lu looked anxious and hesitant to speak.
"Ah Ying... Our boat was just attacked. As soon as the pirate leader found the pink pearl according to your map, he took it away..."
He knew the importance of the pink pearl. He felt really sorry for Li Ying because he had obviously messed up such an important task.
Li Ying didn't show any surprise. She nodded as if she had expected it.
Since these pirates were related to Lian Ji, it was reasonable for her to take action against the pearl.
"Do you know where the pirates hid the pearl?"
Zhang Lu nodded honestly, "I saw with my own eyes that the pirate leader kept the pearl close to his body. It should be hidden in his bedroom."
Going deep into the pirate ship to find a small box with the pearl in it...
This was really a bit troublesome.
Li Ying frowned slightly. After a little calculation, she made up her mind.
She turned to Su Buchi and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Su, please escort these fishermen and be the rear guard."
As for Lu Xunguang, he spoke first before she could say anything.
"I'll go with you into the pirate leader's bedroom and get the pearl back!"
They held hands tightly, with a determined look in their eyes, obviously confident of success.
Seeing the two of them in such harmony, Su Buchi wanted to say something but felt that it was all unnecessary. He could only nod worriedly and remind them, "Be careful."
Before his voice fell, Li Ying had already turned around with Lu Xunguang, leaving only a determined back.
"Folks, hurry up. If the effect of the knockout drug wears off, we'll be no match for the pirates with bare hands."
Seeing that the fishermen's figures had all disappeared into the sea, Su Buchi took a deep breath and followed them.
The brightly lit pirate ship gradually turned into a few small dots in the distance. All the boatmen were still in shock and were celebrating their narrow escape. Only Su Buchi looked solemn and couldn't relax at all.
The pirates were cruel. Even if Miss Li and A Xun escaped smoothly this time, how could the pirates swallow such a great humiliation after such a defeat?
If they couldn't eliminate the root cause, I'm afraid the fishing village would never have peace in the future!