r18novel Chapter 32 Birds Eating Sheep
Chapter 32 Birds Eating Sheep
Henry certainly knew that black goat better than anyone else.
He knew it was no docile sheep; it would butt any who dared to approach with its sharp, hard horns.
But Henry was born in the belly of a sheep, and like its child, he knew its weakness.
His father was once the octopus on this ship, and Henry was supposed to inherit it, just like its master.
Only Henry knew how to conquer it:
"Bensen, do you know the Prince of Fengdian?"
"Of course, King Eugene Sinclair, with the divinely bestowed Great Scripture, established the Great Scripture Kingdom."
"Father Eugene established the Principality of the Holy Envoy in the east of the kingdom, and further east lies a rich landmass. Across the strait in the northwest of the kingdom, although the frozen land is not large, it can still be called a continent. Without exception, all of these places have been established as states, and where there are states, there are kings. But Benson, have you ever heard of anyone being a king at sea?"
"..."
Benson's lips moved, but he was too shocked to utter a single word.
Henry waved his arms excitedly:
"I killed Matim and conquered this ship, but this is far from my goal. I will continue my conquest; I will conquer the entire ocean! Benson, you are about to witness the birth of a new king, and you, as my right-hand man, will also be remembered in history!"
Upon hearing this, Benson immediately knelt on one knee on the deck, at the bow, and before Henry:
"I am willing to follow you forever, but boss, what do you plan to do?"
"If I fear even a sheep, how dare I call myself a king? First, I must conquer the Black Goat."
"But it's a huge thing, much bigger than this ship. How can we possibly defeat it on our own?"
Henry smiled mysteriously:
"Don't worry, I have a good plan!"
Henry saw surprise and admiration in Benson's eyes, and he knew that his speech had completely won the pirate's loyalty.
He believed me without a doubt, Henry thought to himself, but I myself did not believe it at all.
The king of the sea?
Don't be ridiculous, Henry knows his own limitations.
The curator said I was a blockhead, Natalie called me a stupid cow, and even Mrs. Aurélie only addressed me as a kind gentleman…
Henry thought to himself.
But which of these metaphors and titles is related to a king?
But he still said those words.
Simply put, he needed Benson's trust; he needed someone willing to risk their life for him.
If seagulls want to prey on black sheep, the colony will inevitably suffer bloodshed and sacrifice.
The curator said that once you start, you can't hold back.
Since I am determined to settle accounts with the past, Henry told himself that I must do whatever it takes.
Even if it involves deception and manipulation.
"I really am a pirate," Henry thought to himself, filthy and cunning.
Henry instructed Benson to keep the matter a secret from the other crew members and to keep an eye on the Black Goat's movements.
He silently tallied up his chips.
It's already difficult to prepare anything more, Henry thought, all we need to do is wait for the battle horn to sound!
……
Sixteen days and nights passed in the blink of an eye.
Benson went to the port to buy some goods the day before yesterday, which caused two pirates to fight tooth and nail over a sheepskin cloak he brought back.
Henry only hoped that when the real goats arrived, they would maintain their current arrogance and conceit, rather than be terrified and weak-kneed.
Meanwhile, Benson also brought back another piece of intelligence.
The Black Goat appears to be heading east.
If the intelligence is accurate, considering the time loss during transmission, the Soaring Ship might be able to intercept that large ship sometime between this evening and early tomorrow morning.
Henry and Benson stood on the high bridge, gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky.
Henry said:
"It seems that even goats need to hibernate."
"The bitter cold is cruel to all living beings, boss."
If God is truly fair, Henry couldn't help but lament that we pirates should have met our doom long ago.
Henry seemed lost in thought, and Benson asked him:
"Boss, are we really going to be able to block the Black Goat?"
"If that ram truly intends to return to the Flameheart Sea,"
As he spoke, Henry pointed north.
"That's Elbow Point, where there are many warships. Even the Black Goat probably wouldn't dare to approach rashly. We are directly south of Elbow Point, and further south lies the open ocean. Anyone who makes a living at sea knows how dangerous and unpredictable the open ocean can be."
Therefore, they will inevitably pass by us.
Benson seemed to understand; he nodded, then asked:
"But boss, can we really beat them?"
"I don't know," Henry thought, "but I have to lie."
"able!"
As darkness fell rapidly, Henry instructed the sentries to stay alert and pay close attention to any movement on the sea.
Henry wished he could personally stand guard, but he also understood that as the octopus on the ship, he needed to be well-rested so that he could give precise commands once the battle began.
If you were to ask what advantage the seagull has over the goat, it would be that among this cunning flock of birds, there is a fierce eagle.
Since Henry could be the cause of victory, he could also be the cause of defeat; he must prioritize the overall situation.
Suddenly, a report came from the ship:
"Boss! Ship spotted."
Upon hearing this, Henry shuddered and immediately turned to face west.
The announcement arrived late:
"To the west!"
The sea shimmered under the moonlight as a dark shadow slowly approached from afar.
It was dark and far away, and Henry couldn't make out the shape of the ship.
Until intelligence came from the crow's nest that the ship had four sails, Henry immediately confirmed:
Black goat, galloping in!
Once the enemy is in position, the soldiers cannot sit idly by and wait to die.
Henry shouted:
"Listen up, everyone!"
Upon hearing the octopus speak, all the shrimp gathered around.
Henry continued:
"The ship that is approaching is the Black Goat."
Upon hearing this, the crowd below began to whisper and chatter amongst themselves.
Someone immediately suggested:
"We should avoid them. Goats are always overly wary and will think everyone is an enemy. They might even charge at us with their horns."
Henry, however, said:
"But this time the goat wasn't mistaken; we are indeed their enemy."
Wall asked:
"Henry, what do you mean?"
"The Soaring is about to go to war with the Black Goat."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Wilson frowned. "Are you crazy, Henry? That's the Black Goat! It's five times the size of this ship, and it certainly has more than five times the number of people on board. Do you think we can fight it with just one ship? It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!"
Henry sneered:
"Wilson, you once spoke of cruelty and bloodshed, yet now, with war imminent, you cower and retreat, undermining morale!"
Wilson's face turned bright red, his face twitched, and then he stuck his head out and spat fiercely:
"Scared? When I killed someone for the first time, you were still breastfeeding your mother. You think I'd be scared?"
"On the day I was born, my mother strangled a sailor with the umbilical cord still attached to me. In terms of killing, I was earlier than you."
Henry wasn't bragging, or at least he wasn't the one bragging; his father had mentioned it to him personally.
"Hey!" Wall spoke up then, "When the loyal dog chased you, you chose to run away, but the black goat is a hundred times more evil and dangerous than the yellow dog, so why did you choose to fight?"
Henry had no reason to confront the loyal dog directly, but he needed to settle old scores with the Black Goat.
However, using personal desires as an excuse, it's impossible to persuade these pirates to fight to the death with him.
Wilson added, "You said back then, 'That's not a fight, that's suicide,' and now I'm returning that to you verbatim."
"I can't do anything about a loyal dog."
Henry had to admit,
"But I have a way to deal with the Black Goat. I was a pirate on that ship, I know its weaknesses, and I've made ample preparations. We can definitely defeat it!"
Wall countered:
"You can't even handle a yellow dog, how can I trust you to beat a black goat?"
"Even if we engage in a naval battle with the loyal dog and win, what good will it do? That warship only has mission personnel and marines on board, not a single crate of cargo. For us, it's just needless bloodshed!"
Wilson said, "Isn't it the same if we beat the black goat?"
A sly smile flashed across Henry's face, disappearing unnoticed by anyone under the cover of night.
He could sense that the conversation was moving in a direction that was favorable to him.
Pirates are ultimately just short-sighted outlaws; as long as they understand that there is profit to be made, they are willing to put themselves in danger.
The only difference between them and vultures is whether what they see in their eyes is corpses or gold.
Henry said:
"For months, we've been indulging in lavish feasts and drinking, while the Black Goat has been relentlessly plundering passing merchant ships. Now that they're sailing east, the spoils they've amassed will surely be enough to sustain them through a luxurious winter. We only need one battle to plunder their harvest of several months. Such enormous profits are tempting indeed!"
"On the condition that we win," Wall said, his voice much softer.
"I told you, as long as we execute my strategy, our chances of winning are very high!"
Is it really that big?
Henry chose to gloss over the matter and then began to tout the profits.
The curator said this behavior is called making empty promises, and all leaders know how to make empty promises.
Octopus is the head of a shrimp.
"The Black Goat is invincible, and everyone in this sea knows it. It is a legend. But what is a legend that can defeat a legend? It is also a legend."
"And I will lead you to defeat the Black Goat and write a legend. Afterwards, when you tell this legendary story to your wives before you are intimate, they will look up at you with admiration and become even more affectionate and cooperative."
"Few pirates managed to get married," Wilson chuckled, "but they slept with plenty of prostitutes."
Henry shrugged:
"When a prostitute you've slept with is sleeping with another man and keeps talking about your glorious deeds, don't you think that's satisfying?"
Wilson's expression turned pleased:
"While being talked about by prostitutes isn't exactly an honor, it's hard for a man not to feel a sense of pride in it!"
Upon hearing this, Wall actually started clapping:
"Good! Henry, no, boss! I originally thought you were just a novice with some martial arts skills, and that you only managed to defeat Matim by luck. But now it seems I underestimated you. Even Matim wouldn't dare to mess with the Black Goat. You're much more aggressive than Matim!"
"They're just like barbaric warriors from ancient times, fearless and only knowing how to charge," Wilson chimed in.
"He also happens to use an axe..." Wall noted.
Wilson raised his fist: "Then let's cheer for 'Berserker Henry'!"
Benson, however, said, "I think 'Henry the Eagle' suits his image better."
Subsequently, the pirates, seduced by Henry's silver tongue and sweet words, quickly succumbed to the delusions that Henry had tailored for them.
They began calling out the temporary title given to Henry:
"Berserker Henry!"
"Henry the Eagle!"
Actually, I am "Liar Henry," Henry thought to himself with a self-mockery. When did I become such a liar?
Even if the possibility of winning wasn't something Henry made up, it would still be a Pyrrhic victory.
The ship was destined to suffer enormous bloodshed and sacrifice; it was an absolute miracle that a third of the seagulls survived.
Perhaps "Devil Henry" would be a more fitting name? Henry thought, "I'm leading them to hell..."
But things had come to this point, and Henry could no longer hesitate; he had to take action.
The crew of the Flying Flyer, including Henry, numbered twenty-three.
As Wilson stated, goats are more than five times the size of seabirds.
From this, we can infer that the number of pirates on that four-masted ship was probably more than one hundred.
If they were to engage in close combat at boarding position, Henry and his men would have no chance of winning; the flock of seagulls would be devoured in an instant.
The only way is to maintain distance and wear down the opponent's fighting strength from afar.
Therefore, Henry had prepared more than thirty longbows in advance, ensuring that everyone on the Flying Leap had one, with extra backups.
Henry announced:
"Weigh anchor, raise the sails, and set sail!"
Two pirates turned the chain wheel, while Wilson and Wall respectively operated the control lines of the mainsail and foresail, raising the sails.
Benson loudly reminded him:
"Boss! The Black Goat is approaching!"
Henry immediately replied:
"Everyone, take up your longbows, prepare plenty of arrows, and stand ready on the hull."
After speaking, Benson frowned:
"Boss, are you perhaps planning to engage the Black Goat in a firefight?"
"That's right."
"This is tantamount to suicide! The Black Goat is not only large, but also high. Once we occupy the high ground, one peasant is worth five elite archers!"
"This is a desperate gamble, Benson. If birds want to eat sheep, they have to pull chestnuts out of the fire!"
Upon hearing this, Benson said nothing more, only bowed slightly, and then began to take out his bow and arrows.
Henry took one for himself and then returned to the cockpit.
He stood in front of the helm, his right hand on the armrest, intently watching the enemy ship's movements.
As the distance between the two ships decreased, the enormous vessel gradually became clearly reflected in Henry's pupils.
The ram at the top of the bow is strong and angry, and the black hull blends into the deep sea in the twilight.
Henry saw the Black Goat slightly turn its bow and head straight toward the Soaring.
"He really is an easily angered ram," Henry remarked with a smile, "He will be hostile to all threats around him."
In that case, Henry had no choice but to become a sheep-fighting entertainer.
Henry observed the wind direction—southwest.
No sail position adjustment is needed for the time being; the order was immediately given:
"Left-hand drive fifteen."
The sound of the rudder turning came immediately from the side and rear. Once the command was given, the helmsman, the "strongman" Miko, loudly replied:
"About 15 degrees!"
Originally, the seagulls and goats were heading in opposite directions, but with Henry's adjustments, the Soaring began to turn southwest.
After the ship had been bobbing up and down with the waves several times, Henry noticed that the Black Goat had also begun to turn, and the turning angle was even greater than that of the Soaring.
Trying to predict my route? Henry smiled to himself, thinking to himself, "Too bad I'm no novice commander."
Henry first commanded a ship when he was eight years old, and he was indeed a clumsy fellow then, but now Henry is twenty-four.
He immediately ordered: "Hard to starboard!"
Miko reported back after the maneuver: "Full to right!"
The small Soaring quickly turned around, and although the Black Goat noticed its intention in time and began to adjust its direction, it still circled around the sea for a long time.
Henry didn't even need to carefully control the sails; by simply keeping them at full slack, he completely shattered his opponent's plans.
Seeing that the time was right, Henry gave another order:
"Hard to port!"
"Full turn left!"
Keeping the sail and rudder steady, they sailed through thirteen more waves. Henry said:
"Qi Duo!"
"Heading!"
At this moment, the Soaring was facing southwest, but it was positioned directly behind the Black Goat!
Under Henry's masterful command, the roles of pursuer and pursuer between the Soaring and Black Goat were somehow reversed at some point.
Goats certainly have strong and powerful hooves.
Henry grinned as he faced the wind.
The seagull's wings are strong and flexible!