Chapter 4: DEALING WITH PIRATES

IT WAS BUT A FEW hours before sunrise in the neighboring province of Fujian, northeast of Guangzhou. A battalion of 1,120 imperial soldiers led by General He Jin made preparations for their advance toward Putian Township now occupied by the pirates from Riben. They comprised mostly of the fallen, masterless, or dishonored warrior aristocracy of the Ashikaga military regime whose rule dominated an island nation for over one hundred fifty years. The ground beneath the mighty garrison shook as hundreds of archers, hand gunners, and spearmen assembled into formation while the general's personal detachment of mounted commandos rode out of the garrison gates. Their scaled and lamellar armor reverberated with the pounding hooves of their war horses. The red tassels on the tops of their helmets flew in unison with the flags and banners they carried into the battlefield. The faces of dragons, lions, tigers, and mythological creatures decorated their shoulder pieces and breast plates. Coupled with their personalized lances, war masks, shields, and spears, they were truly an awesome sight and an intimidating force for the rest of the troops. Above all, they were terrifying for any enemy that should face the receiving end of their charge.

General He Jin rode out with them wearing armor befitting his prestigious rank. It protected his whole body and appeared adamantine despite its ornate design of hues of gold and bronze-like textures. The faces of two dragons rested on his shoulder armor and the golden wings of a phoenix spread out from the left and right sides of his helmet. He wore the armor with great pride and rode with his head held high in great anticipation of the impending battle.

The general and his elite commandos sat high over the rest of the troops. Sun Xin secured his sword diagonally on the rear of his hip and slung a long range crossbow across his back. A quiver full of barbed bolts was fastened to the strap on his waist which he placed conveniently towards the front for ease of draw. Among all the men in the field, he wore no armor save for the specially crafted vambraces and the steel mail vest that hugged his torso beneath his clothes. With the matching hat, his dark blue attire was almost entirely suited for practicality and comfort during long distance travel. He stereotypically fit the look of a knight-errant, but Xin's skills and knowledge went beyond the men who were given such labels. He knew it well.

He mounted his steed and rode ahead of the troops towards the general and the captain who had initiated the march. No words were spoken and the only sounds in the air were boots and hooves pounding the ground in unison to the rattling of armor and gear.

"I will survey the terrain ahead to eliminate any enemy scouts lest they spot the dust rising from the hooves of our horses," said Sun Xin to the General.

He rode his horse posthaste through the dirt road pulling away from the troops. The wind rushed against his face and his long hair danced to the wind. He enjoyed traveling on horseback. It was not only fast and efficient; it gave him a feeling of freedom he could not enjoy elsewhere. The lush green landscape and semi-tropical vegetation flew passed in a blur for several li as he neared Putian Township- a town within reach of the provincial capital and several other settlements. The fact that the pirates had chosen such a place to plunder and occupy was a testament to their growing arrogance and overconfidence in the belief they would remain unchallenged. A signpost on the side of the road indicated he was approaching the town's limits. He slowed the horse to a canter and made his cautious approach into enemy territory.

Around the bend past an assortment of trees that formed a canopy over the road, the foul stench of death consumed the air and the sight that Sun Xin beheld horrified him. Even the horse neighed and reared at the sight.

Hundreds of bloodied and mutilated remains of what used to be the town's citizens were hanged on display along the stretch of road. The remains young and the elderly were not excluded from the horror. Ravens plucked eyes from their sockets. Flies swarmed the corpses and nested in them.

This was to Xin, one of the most important definitions of evil: a complete disregard for the sanctity of the life of innocents. The sight of it was infuriating and his clenched fist shook as the anger coursed through his body. He pushed the horse beyond the side of the road and parked him in between the trees a stone's throw away from the road. Xin centered his energy to his core to control the rage that would potentially cloud his judgment and compromise the task at hand.

Up into the trees he surveyed the area surrounding the southern face of Putian. Using the renowned Light Body techniques he attained during his brief training with the Wudang mountain priests, Xin free-ran along the large treetop branches, traversing them like the ledges and angular rooftops of the city. He precision-jumped onto an elevated rock formation and executed a lache maneuver on an extended tree branch before vaulting over a large tree trunk.

He needed to clear and secure path for the arriving troops, and prevent any patrolling pirates from raising alarms. Away from the skeleton-strewn roads, he found the pirates lazily patrolling the township outskirts in a spread and loosely circular motion. With the miniature spyglass gifted to him by the Scholars, he observed the pirates from a distance. They were not alert, and conducted their patrol like a burdensome chore. They were a curious sight. Their scalps were clean shaven at the top, with a pony tail bun folded neatly against the back of their heads. Some wore leather or straw hats. Their garments were loose yet appeared dignified, and they wore a cold, hardened expression on their faces.

They were not the kind of savages that Sun Xin expected to see, but after what he had witnessed along the path, nothing could change his mind about taking their barbarous lives. His anger continued to course through his veins and the familiar presence of the so-called 'Curse' was beginning to be rekindled because of his rage. Xin did not fight it. It gave him incredible ability. The cost was of little importance to him. He needed to neutralize them one by one with secrecy and silence. He carefully observed the movement patterns of the pirates and began to mentally isolate his targets one by one, playing and replaying his movements and executions throughout. He had the element of surprise. He would be striking from the trees. Enemies rarely ever think of looking up.

Perched on a large branch within the crown of an overgrown tree, Sun Xin chose his first target:a straggler furthest behind the patrol. He primed a barbed grappling hook and waited for the pirate to pass beneath him. He spun it round and round like a sling and flung the barbed hook deep into pirate's back. The iron sank into his flesh and dug itself deeper the more he moved. He shouted in extreme agony and fought furiously to unhook himself.

Xin dashed along the length of the branch and leaped off the end. Using the pirate as a counterweight, he dropped to the ground, leaving the pirate dangling helplessly in the air. Xin proceeded to fasten the rope around a nearby tree root, and took cover in the thick bushes. The pirate was shouting and cursing in a foreign tongue. His face was writhing with extreme pain, cursing and swearing as he struggled to pull his weight off the rope to alleviate the pressure caused by the hook gruesomely imbedded into his back.

The other pirates rushed to the sound of the commotion, bewildered at what had just happened. They drew their long, curved swords and gripped them firmly with both hands. One of them cut the rope with a single slash causing the dangling pirate to collapse to the ground. He laid there motionless. They began shouting in every direction. Xin could not understand what they were saying, but he knew he was being challenged to fight in the open. These pirates did not deserve the privilege of open combat, he thought. Xin remained hidden and repositioned himself to take on his next target that was furthest from the rest. He quietly emerged from the bushes and grappled the pirate into a choke hold and cupped his hand over his mouth before he could squeal. Within seconds and a deep crack of the neck, the pirate lay motionless. Xin again repositioned himself strategically. Not two moments had passed until the body was discovered and the remaining pirates huddled even closer together, noticeably terrified and panicked. Nothing was more disarming for a warrior than an enemy he could not see. Now, Xin had them where he wanted. They were closely-packed and well within reach of a short blade.

Xin removed two paper-wrapped pellets from his belt pack and tossed them into their midst, creating a bright flash and a large plume of suffocating, dense white smoke. Disoriented and in a panic, the coughing pirates cupped their mouths and swung wildly in the smoke.

They were immediately cut down by the lethally accurate strikes of Xin's dagger. Like a shadow he darted to the left and right of the group. One after another, they fell to each blow. The last had finally realized he was all alone. He shook as his head swiveled in every direction looking for his opponent. Sun Xin emerged from the underbrush and stood motionless before the pirate. With a shrieking war cry, the pirate charged at Xin with sword raised in the air. Xin side-stepped away from the blow and rammed the dagger into the back of the pirate's neck.

After the smoke had completely dissipated, he was the sole figure standing in the woods. His dark eyes glared at their lifeless bodies. His gaze was cold and without remorse. They deserved a thousand deaths. But that, Xin felt, would not have even been enough to pay for the lives of the townspeople they murdered.

He wiped the blood from his dagger and locked it into its scabbard with a satisfying click. This was the side of himself his master had always warned. It emerged out of hatred and thirst for vengeance; some have called it the Swordsman's Curse- an addiction to bloodshed born out of a swordsman's fury. Xin denied that it would consume him and destroy him one day, but he was beginning to feel oddly comfortable with the feeling, like a thirst that had been quenched. When it overtook him, his speed, accuracy and skill were unmatched.

He proceeded to greet the general and the arriving troops. After retrieving the horse, he regrouped with the nearby troops to meet General He Jin. The look in his eye was different, like there was no soul behind them.

"All possible threats to our surprise attack have been eliminated, general. The element of surprise remains with us," Xin said in a low cold tone that the even an accomplished soldier like General He Jin found somewhat unnerving.

"Well done, swordmaster. Now let us put an end to this pirate nuisance once and for all." When they approached the road lined with the corpses of the town's former inhabitants, the troops became agitated and horses whinnied. Some of the soldiers vomited at the stench.

"What sort of madness could have possibly come over these barbarians??" cried Captain Liu Quan.

"Not madness. Just evil," Xin answered.

As they neared the township, the artillery, infantry, and cavalry units took their elevated positions around the town's outskirts. Lying low in the distance amongst tall grass and trees, they awaited the general's signal. Xin stood among them, ready for the assault. Up on a hill under cover of foliage and vegetation, the general assembled seven cannons ready to fire. Plumes of smoke rose from inside the town and several pirates stood watch pacing around the gate entrances. Seven loud thunderous booms resounded from the hill as fiery cannon balls crashed into the town. Dirt, mud, clay, and brick flew into the air and shouts and cries followed suit. The pirates within the town panicked and ran in confusion to the sudden unexpected attack.

Chaos ensued as they scurried in various directions with their swords drawn though unable to find an enemy. The enemy blew a siren; their signature conch shell droned like a large horn signaled them to regroup. So far, it was going as planned for Xin and the general's troops. The pirates made a mad dash towards their ships docked at the harbor only to find them already sunken or engulfed in flames. The other ships were anchored far off shore out of reach. They proceeded to exit through the gates but were abruptly met by the general's cavalry that charged right through their ranks and trampling or cutting down all pirates in their path. The rest were met by archers and gunners who completely cut off their retreat. Arrows and ball bullets peppered the pirate company shredding armor and flesh. The volley devastated their ranks.

Back inside the town, they prepared to make a stand –swords unsheathed, bows drawn, and spears at the ready. Those wearing armor or who were on horseback formed the front of their ranks ready to defend themselves from the Ming's unexpected attack. The Ming infantry charged into town for an all-out assault while Sun Xin trailed close behind. General Jin's cannons continued to bombard the town.

Deep into the streets, the imperial army collided head on with the pirates, and the sounds of clashing blades and spears were drowned out by war cries and shouts. The Ming infantry crossed blades and spears with the pirates- many of whom still wore the silk-strewn iron armor of their days as aristocratic warrior class. Some from the Ming cavalry charged through and collided with the mounted pirates. Many fell on each side. Sun Xin observed Captain Liu Quan from a distance. The officer charged forward, leaped up onto a fence post and launched himself at a pirate, spear in perfect position. Afterward, he engaged several more, skillfully cutting down and impaling all who dared to challenge his onslaught.

Even the general joined in on the chaos. He barked orders from the sidelines while engaging a few pirates on his own. He cut them down without trouble.

The pirate lord Mizushima was Sun Xin's main objective. He evaded the brunt of the conflict in the streets by seeking elevation on the rooftops. A mounted pirate clad in red armor charged through the army's ranks cutting down the men with his long polearm- a curved, broad blade mounted on the end of a shaft. Xin had found his target. He readied the crossbow and loaded a bolt. He crouched, took careful aim at the moving target, and pulled the trigger. The bolt scored a direct hit on the pirate lord, but only managed to dent the reinforced ridge on the back of the iron armor. After recovering from the blow, he redirected his gaze to Sun Xin perched on the rooftop.

Multiple arrows whistled past Xin's face while others shattered the roof tiles beneath his feet. As he evaded the second volley, he reloaded the crossbow and fired at the lead bowman positioned several rooftops away. With incredible accuracy, the bolt pierced right through his forehead and pierced the other behind him, scoring a double kill. Xin leaped to the ground and softened the impact with a roll then made a mad dash toward Mizushima who was fighting in the chaos of several hundred men.

A stray cannon ball blew onto his position and knocked him off balance. His vision blurred and his ears rang, but he looked up to keep his eyes on the target. One of the general's mounted commandos wielding a lance charged through the foray in an attempt to dismount Mizushima. They exchanged blows with their polearms; the cracking sound of wood and steel slamming into each other pierced through the chaotic noise of the battle. Both men then locked weapons and began exchanging fist blows. They eventually grappled each other off their mounts and onto the ground. They locked in full hand to hand combat. Mizushima bisected the commando's spear. The commando then grabbed the pirate lord's glaive, and tossed him into the ground with a hip throw. He drew his longsword and swung down to kill the pirate lord himself. Mizushima blocked the attack, causing the shaft of his polearm to shatter. He rolled backward onto his feet as he drew his curved sword and they crossed blades. The commando, despite his valiant effort fell to the pirate lord's sword technique. A stab into the exposed area of his armpit along with slash across the throat finished him off.

Sun Xin refocused his vision and shook off the disorientation as he drew his own sword. He charged full speed and flew into Mizushima with a powerful drop kick, knocking him hard into the muddied ground. The pirate lord stood and recovered his saber-like sword.

He spoke to Sun Xin with a heavy accent. He glared at Xin as if recognizing him. "You... I do not know what you think you are trying to do here, but know your efforts are all in vain. You have no idea of the forces you will face. This is bigger than any of you, all of you!"

Sun Xin spat and twirled his sword into his combative stance with two fingers pointed at his enemy. "I know that right now, you are my enemy and that it will be you who will fall to my blade!" He charged at Mizushima with a series of consecutive sword thrusts and swipes, but every attack Xin delivered was unable to break Mizushima's defenses. Well executed blocks and parries rendered Xin's usual techniques useless. The pirate lord's two-handed swordsmanship was not only exceptional, but heavily experienced and all too foreign. He proved to be one of Xin's tougher opponents. He found it hard to believe the pirate was holding his ground against his proven style. It seemed unnatural and even impossible.

They continued trading blows and combination attacks seemingly at a stalemate as the battle between the pirates and the Ming forces continued to rage in the background. Mizushima caught Xin's sword hand, twisted his wrist and grappled him to the ground. Xin retaliated with a sweeping leg kick that brought the pirate crashing onto his back. Xin rolled backwards onto his feet when all of a sudden the towering stone structure next to him began to collapse from the bombardment. Both men dove out of the collapsing structure's path as the general's cannons continued to fire upon the battlefield. Rubble and debris piled high on the street separating the two combatants.

In the waters towards the East, a handful of the pirates' box-shaped ships fired upon Xin and the Ming imperial forces. They were armed with a bizarre long ranged weapon never before seen by the men. The ships were from Riben no doubt, but the flashes originating from the ships were a pale blue and were much too far to be within firing range of even the best cannons. There was no time to consider such curiosities. Xin needed to eliminate his target. He crawled to the top of the rubble only to see that Mizushima had already mounted his horse.

"Take our duel as a learning experience, swordsman. You have my respect but not my favor. Next time, we will not part until your blood drips from the tip of my blade!" he said with a devious smile.

He and the surviving pirates then retreated towards the sea where the ships had docked while they continued to fire explosive projectiles onto the Ming forces. The Ming soldiers retreated and proceeded to escape the bombardment. Many were injured and dozens were dead, strewn throughout the streets and underneath debris. The neighs and whinnies of horses and the shouts of the troops were drowned out in Xin's mind as his body surged with utter frustration at his inability to accomplish the mission.

Fresh pirate reinforcements flooded out of the boats to cover Mizushima's escape. Dozens of them with longbows fired a volley of arrows that arced high over the town and rained down on the rooftops and streets. Soldiers took cover and raised their shields. Xin merely swiped and slashed them away as he made his exit. He rendezvoused with General He Jin who tried to salvage the remaining cannons whilst evading enemy fire coming from the distance. So began the long march back to the garrison where many of the injured limped or were carried back in stretchers and carriages. A few horses had no riders and carried only saddles where some of the cavalry forces used to mount.

Whether the battle was won or lost is a matter of opinion. Mizushima and his men were overwhelmed, forced to retreat and were only able to do so under the cover fire of their newly arrived comrades. To Sun Xin, however, it was utter defeat. That was the first time he had ever failed at an assassination, or had faced anyone that had been able to defend against his techniques so effectively.

The return trip to the garrison was spent in silence, save for a few random orders shouted by commanding officers, and the moans and groans of the injured. Upon returning to the garrison, the injured were tended. In the General's office, Sun Xin and the key officers convened to discuss the battle that had taken place. No had expected the arrival of enemy reinforcements. Not only did this reveal an unexpected increase in their numbers, but a new discovery of their combative capabilities. No one was aware of weapons that fired explosive projectiles that spewed from blue flames.

"It may seem that the empire's problem with pirates is slowly turning into a full-scale war. These turn of events, I admit, are very surprising," said General He Jin as he rubbed his forehead. "I have never seen such weapons capability in all my years in service. This changes many things for us in our fight against the pirate plague," His armor was soiled, stained with blood, mud and dirt.

"The Ming Empire possesses the most advanced military weapons in the known world. There is no way pirates have the means or resources to design and manufacture such sophisticated artillery. Even their homeland does not possess a culture of inventiveness and innovation," Captain Liu Quan growled. He was noticeably frustrated and confused with the outcome of the battle; he slammed his fist onto the map-covered table.

"That is because they were supplied with those weapons," Sun Xin interjected from the corner of the room. He stood on one leg, his arms crossed, and his back leaning against the wall. "And I believe I know from whom they were acquired." The others in the room turned their attention to Xin and stood quietly in anticipation of what he would continue to say. "Not too long ago, strange ships docked in the ports of Guangzhou and carried with them foreigners no one else had ever before seen. None of the merchants from the South or near West have ever seen such 'men' nor of such ships in any of their travels until recently. These... pale-skinned foreigners carried with them many precious commodities for which the elites of Guangzhou have developed quite a taste, and with careful diplomacy, they have been able to acquire unprecedented privileges with the Ming government. Such privileges would be considered controversial under normal circumstances." Gasps and murmurs filled the room.

"Do you have any evidence that the weapons we saw in action today did indeed come from those Foreigners, Xin?" inquired the Captain.

"No, but that is the only reasonable explanation I have for the moment. It would appear that our visitors do not distinguish us from our enemies and are foolishly supplying them with weapons. That is going to be a problem," Xin continued. General He Jin nodded in agreement to his conclusions.

"Something tells me that this was no mere accident. Maybe the supplying of such arms to our enemies was deliberate. If this is indeed the case then the Capital must be warned that the Foreigners have been conducting business with the enemy." The general sighed shaking his head with his face in one palm. "There is something more serious, more sinister brewing in the shadows."

"It may already be too late to warn the government," remarked Xin. "The Foreigners may have already found their way into the pockets of many of our esteemed government officials. They have been in continuous communication since they have arrived. Something is definitely happening in secret."

The following morning, General He Jin and Sun Xin stood outside the garrison gates discussing the next possible course of action in their campaigns against the pirates and not to mention the arrival of the Pale Foreigners who could potentially be a new threat unlike the Middle Kingdom has ever encountered.

"My inability to carry out my mission yesterday cost us the victory. I must go away for some time to reflect on my failure. This means I must seek out my old master in order to find closure," stated Xin in a steely tone. The General patted him on the shoulder.

"Do not take the defeat too bitterly, comrade. We succeeded in ousting them from the shores. Mizushima has been known to elude the best of us as well as defeat the best in us. I will go to Guangzhou and report to the Scholars what we have discovered here. Perhaps they would know what to do."

Xin nodded. "Offer them my regards... and my apologies for my absence. I have... some unfinished business to attend to." They exchanged farewells and went their separate ways. Xin proceeded northwest and the General with a light detachment of his personal commandos headed south to Guangzhou to meet with the League.

****

It had been ten long years since Xin fled his master's instruction in defiance and arrogance. He regretted the state in which he departed from his master's home in the mountains of the Huguang region, but he still clung tightly to the reasoning that justified his departure. He wondered anxiously if his master would welcome him after all these embittered years. He had a long road ahead which meant that he has a long time to spend thinking how he would greet his master upon his arrival. He knew that his training was incomplete, and he craved to finish it in order to defeat Mizushima. His inability to defeat the pirate lord tormented him. It was unacceptable. Returning to his master seemed to be his only recourse. However, the question remained: Would his master instruct him again? Would he even look at him?