Qi He trusted Sister Fu and, seeing that she didn't want him to make a sound, suppressed his worries. His dark eyes closely followed Sister Fu's figure.
Yan Yi's eyes were also fixed on Miss Fu after she appeared. Questions kept swirling in his mind: Where had this Miss Fu been hiding? How had he not discovered her?
Moreover, Miss Fu's movement just now was like a celestial maiden descending, and such excellent skill further reinforced the importance of having a good master.
However, Fu Xin Ci paid no mind to that. Concealing her form, she shrouded herself in a ball of green light.
This was a skill. Those in the pine forest could still see her swift-as-the-wind, lightning-fast figure, but from the other side of the sea, nothing could be seen.
Only after she had buried several explosives in the gaps of the reef clusters did she flash back into the pine forest with a wicked grin.
Everyone ambushing in the pine forest had seen her actions. Without exception, those who saw it were stunned.
Even the well-traveled Embroidered Uniform Guard was no better off. They thought to themselves, "My heavens, with this kind of skill, killing them would be as easy as playing a game."
"Sister Fu."
"Miss Fu."
"Lord Yan, Brother Qi."
"Sister Fu, what were you just doing?"
Yan Yi also wanted to know, but Qi He had asked first. He was content to just listen.
"I was just planting mines. When the Japanese pirates come later, if the mines don't detonate, don't rush forward," Fu Xin Ci said, then added, "Count them carefully, there are ten."
She had truly spent a fortune today, burying ten mines in one go.
Upon hearing Fu Xin Ci's words, everyone except for the Embroidered Uniform Guard brought by Yan Yi and the ten straggling soldiers who joined later understood what was going on.
Seeing that the soldiers of the Yingzui Cliff Guard Post all looked knowledgeable and ready to enjoy the show, Yan Yi felt a bit unbalanced.
But this was not the time for him to ask questions. He had to endure it.
Until he heard someone say, "The Japanese pirate ships are grounded."
Almost everyone present clung to a tree, using its trunk to shield their bodies as they looked out at the beach.
"Japanese pirates are disembarking," Meng Yu Tang said, gripping his cudgel and staring at the sea.
"Damn, so many, like ants swarming an egg."
Yan Yi also stared at the increasing number of Japanese pirates gathering. He immediately ordered someone to the other side of the pine forest, "Have the residents of the town hide on that side of the pine forest. If any Japanese pirates slip through, beat them to death with clubs without mercy."
"Yes."
But as the messenger ran back, a deafening "boom" came from the beach.
The soldiers of the guard post, experienced as they were, all focused their eyes on the beach.
They were not surprised by the explosions; rather, they were filled with anticipation.
Yan Yi and his subordinates, however, were greatly surprised. Especially when another explosion sounded, and they saw several Japanese pirates blown into the air, only to fall back down with a "splat."
Someone next to him even lamented, "It would have been better if they had fallen on hard ground. Even if they didn't die, they would have been badly injured. This beach is all sand, so it's not quite enough."
Someone disagreed with him. "Who says? Look, most of those brutes landed on the reefs. See how many fell headfirst? Their heads hit the reefs first. Even if they weren't blown up, they would have been smashed to death."
"Eh, you're right, it really is."
Now, everyone present deeply admired Fu Xin Ci's skill in planting mines.
With a series of loud "boom, boom, boom," the Japanese pirates who were charging forward were blown into the air without any warning.
The Japanese pirates who reacted dared not run forward any further. They were as terrified now as they had been excited and arrogant before disembarking.
Seeing that the Japanese pirates were no longer advancing and were even showing signs of turning back, the soldiers hidden in the pine forest grew restless.
"Why aren't they running anymore? There are still three more bangs left."
"Yeah, if there are ten bangs, we can rush out and kill them."
As the soldiers of the guard post were discussing, Yan Yi spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Archers, prepare."
"Yes."
In response, all the archers in the guard post drew their arrows.
"Ready, shoot."
As the arrows whistled through the air, some of the Japanese pirates who were turning back to flee were hit and fell.
But the arrows had not stopped flying; they continued to shoot one after another with great speed.
With the continuous fall of Japanese pirates, a leader could be heard shouting loudly in their unintelligible language, "Get down, get down quickly!"
"Get down, get down quickly, or we'll be target practice for the Great Ming people today."
Seeing the Japanese pirates successively getting down, lying on the ground one after another like crows, Old Jin grew anxious.
"If Sister Xin Ci's mines don't explode, we can't go out."
"Yes." Fu Xin Ci, fearing Old Jin wouldn't understand, told him directly, "Anyone who steps on them will explode, including our people. It won't change just because I planted them."
"This is troublesome."
"Wait a bit longer."
"But those shorties have become clever. They're lying on the beach and not getting up. How are we supposed to fight?"
Everyone was somewhat at a loss. They couldn't go out, and the Japanese pirates wouldn't get up.
"I'll try," Fu Xin Ci said as she moved forward a bit, leaning behind a thick pine tree. She took out a crossbow from her backpack.
Yan Yi's gaze was immediately drawn to the crossbow in Miss Fu's hand.
He recalled the crossbow he had taken from Qi He earlier. He had intended to take it back and find skilled craftsmen to make more crossbows to equip the Imperial Guards.
But he hadn't expected that despite searching through the artisans of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, no one could forge the fine steel needed to make such a crossbow.
Unable to do so, he tried using other materials. The crossbows were made, but they lacked the precision and range of the original ones.
He regretted it for a long time, and that crossbow was kept hidden like a treasure.
Fu Xin Ci, unaware of Yan Yi's thoughts, aimed and fired five crossbow bolts simultaneously.
Screams rang out. The Japanese pirates, even though they were lying on the beach, were shot.
Another wave of curses in their unintelligible language erupted. Some of the more hot-tempered Japanese pirates climbed up from the beach and charged towards the pine forest, brandishing their sabers.
Fu Xin Ci smiled, her eyes curving, and her crossbow bolts flew out even faster.
Seeing an opportunity, Yan Yi shouted again, "Archers, prepare."
"Yes."
As the arrows whistled through the air, more Japanese pirates fell than before.
"Hahaha, just aim and shoot like this!" Old Jin watched with excitement, almost rushing out.
Qi He had a crossbow in the bag on his back and a firearm tucked into his waist, but he was anxious and dared not take either out in front of Yan Yi.
He truly feared this bandit would rob him.
With a "boom," followed by two more "boom, boom," the soldiers of the guard post erupted in cheers.