Chapter 85

Captain Corsica was an excellent seafarer. After the Lucky safely weathered the storm, he used a sextant and other precision instruments to quickly determine their position, and the course was swiftly corrected. After a day and night of sailing, the outline of the distant Naha port was already in sight.

"Everyone, come and look, that's Naha, the city where the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom is located. We've finally arrived..." Xiaole Tian gazed at the vast island, the bustling harbor, and the seagulls flying everywhere. The seasickness and the unpleasantness brought by the storm were all swept away.

The Lucky slowly approached the pier. Even before the merchant ship docked, countless dock workers and merchants blocked the gangway. Life on the docks was tough; if you didn't fight for it, you wouldn't have food to eat.

Xiaole Tian looked down from above at the bustling scene below. People dressed in Ming and Japanese attire were shouting desperately to the merchant ship, a mix of broken English, Minnan dialect, and various Jiangnan dialects, along with the distinctive sounds of the Japanese, creating a unique symphony.

Here, there were Han-style clothes, no queues, the Chinese language, and no servile tones. The Han legacy was protected here, and a sense of comfort filled Xiaole Tian's entire body.

When Captain Corsica regretfully stated that his cargo hold was already full and that he was only stopping in Naha to replenish food and fresh water and for repairs, the surrounding merchants reluctantly dispersed. Only some craftsmen and dock workers remained to help the Lucky with the loading of fresh water and food.

Here, Xiaole Tian would part ways with Captain Corsica. The Lucky would only stay in Naha for a day, and after a brief repair, it would quickly return to Europe.

Xiaole Tian's guard quickly assembled on the deck. Luo Huo led over thirty musketeers, Xiao Hexin, Sima Yun, and Long Ye led the remaining thirty-odd Taibai soldiers, making a small army of over sixty people. They marched in neat formation onto the foreign land of Naha.

Naha, after all, had been a famous port for hundreds of years. The people who lived here for a long time had broad horizons. As soon as this group stood on the dock, an invisible aura spread in all directions. Everyone knew these people were not to be trifled with, and they were definitely not here for business.

Almost instinctively, the merchants retreated, and no one dared to approach them. However, in various corners of the dock, some Japanese ronin drinking sake watched this small army with wary eyes.

Although Japan was currently under the control of the Tokugawa Shogunate and appeared peaceful on the surface, this was all an illusion. In Japanese society, peasant uprisings and riots by masterless ronin had never ceased for hundreds of years. Additionally, Japan had a long tradition of religious rebellion, with Christianity and Buddhism often inciting civil unrest. This led to the samurai class remaining very large and never declining.

These ronin had already sensed a familiar aura, the killing intent that only veterans who had killed countless people could emit. The ronin knew that these silent men were extremely terrifying, and their aura even reached the level of retainers in large families.

Soon, some ronin quickly left the dock. Xiaole Tian knew these people were going to report, but he didn't care. Since he had set foot on Ryukyu soil, he was already prepared to confront the Japanese.

The small army gathered on the dock, and before a quarter of an hour had passed, a group of men with disheveled hair rushed over, all dressed in typical Ming attire. Leading them was a tall, dark man. Seeing Shi Dakai in disguise, and the young man standing next to him, Xiaole Tian immediately guessed who it was.

"Lord Shi... Lord Strategist... Your subordinate Liang Kun greets you..." The tall, dark man named Liang Kun knelt and performed a standard military salute. The dozen or so strong men behind him also knelt, greeting Xiaole Tian with the salute of subordinates.

"This is Liang Kun, whom I told you about. He was a general in the Heavenly Kingdom, a man of integrity. Don't look at him as just a general; it's because he refused to flatter his superiors and was marginalized that he ended up like this... Liang Kun, when the Heavenly King transferred you away from me, it was truly a great injustice to you..."

Hearing Shi Dakai's apologetic words, Liang Kun scratched his head. "What are you saying, Lord? The year I spent with Lord Shi was the most comfortable of my life. No city massacres, no looting, no bullying women... The years after that were truly miserable. I've always said that if the Heavenly Kingdom continued to act recklessly, it would surely fail. Now, see how it is?"

Xiaole Tian laughed. No wonder this big-mouthed man, despite his remarkable military achievements, only made it to a general. He really didn't understand human relations.

"Get up, you're a fine man. Where are we staying? We must have a drink at noon..." As he spoke, a clattering sound of wooden clogs came from a small alley on the dock. Looking closely, a group of ronin emerged.

As soon as this group of fierce-looking ronin appeared, the nearby dock workers and merchants quickly scattered, their faces pale with fear.

"Yakusaburo is here... Oh God, Yakusaburo is here..." In a chorus of low whispers, the dock fell silent. These were indeed a group of fierce ronin, each with one shoulder exposed, their strong arms bare, and a katana and wakizashi at their waists.

The katana was for cutting down enemies, while the wakizashi was for stabbing themselves. The samurai code was like this, equally cruel to enemies and themselves, with death as beautiful and worth pursuing as the falling of cherry blossoms.

Amidst the sound of wooden clogs, over two hundred Japanese ronin approached Xiaole Tian. The ronin named Yakusaburo stood in front of Xiaole Tian, his face's cross-shaped scar trembling with his muscles, his eyes filled with a cruel light that was not human.

"Chinese slave..." As soon as Yakusaburo spoke, Liang Kun stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "Who are you calling a slave? Say it again!"

Unexpectedly, Yakusaburo stepped back half a step, dodging Liang Kun's attack, and said with a cold laugh, "Mr. Liang, you are not my match, whether in swordsmanship or numbers. I won't engage in a meaningless fight with you. I'm here for the person behind you, step aside..."

Xiaole Tian pushed Liang Kun aside and looked at the short, sturdy Japanese ronin with a smile. "Oh? I didn't expect a Japanese to recognize me. I'm all ears, let's see what you have to say..."

Yakusaburo stood with his feet together and bowed slightly. "I know you are the Western Learning Master Xiaole Tian of the Qing Empire. I can guess your purpose for coming to Naha. Here, I must warn you: if you are here for business or tourism, we Japanese welcome you with open arms. But if you have other intentions, the ten thousand Japanese in Ryukyu will not allow it..."

This was a threat, a naked threat. Xiaole Tian didn't expect his arrival in Naha to be exposed so quickly. Who leaked the information? The Japanese intelligence capabilities were truly terrifying.

Xiaole Tian's face darkened. "Ryukyu belongs to the Ryukyu royal family, the people, and the Chinese. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Ryukyu Kingdom has acknowledged China as its suzerain. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang personally enfeoffed the Ryukyu King, and even during the Qing Dynasty, the Ryukyu Kingdom submitted a letter of tribute, recognizing itself as a vassal state..."

"I'm puzzled. Why do I need your permission to walk on Chinese soil? What are you, to dare to set rules for me?"

Xiaole Tian spoke with great confidence because, under international law at the time, all countries recognized the suzerain-vassal relationship. Just as European countries believed their colonial rights were inviolable, the Qing Empire's suzerainty over neighboring countries was recognized and protected by international law.

Of course, Western politicians hoped the Qing Empire would be as weak as possible, but they could only use covert means and dared not openly challenge the Qing's legal basis for its vassal states. The reason was simple: if the West did not recognize the suzerain-vassal relationship, their own colonial relationships would also be negated.

Yakusaburo clearly didn't understand international relations. He just shook his head and said, "I don't understand what you're saying. I only know that for over two hundred years, it has been the Japanese who have protected the Ryukyu Kingdom. The army of the Satsuma domain is stationed on the mountain outside the port, while your Chinese army has been nowhere to be seen for a hundred years."

Xiaole Tian frowned, feeling like he was talking to a chicken and a duck. A Japanese ronin, after all, was just a gangster in Japan. How many words could he recognize?

"Liang Kun, let's go. There's no point in talking to this kind of person. If they dare to block our way, clear a path for us..."

"遵命，大人！" Over a hundred guards erupted in a thunderous roar and marched forward, colliding with the two hundred ronin after two steps.

"八嘎！八嘎……" The two hundred ronin were used to being arrogant, and in their minds, the Chinese were weak and cowardly. They never expected this scholar to be so tough.

"操你姥姥的，敢挡大爷的路，揍死你丫的……先生说得对，这是我们中国的土地，我们走在自己的属国里，你他妈管得着吗……"

"八嘎，你们这群清国奴，被西番攻破京城的废物，不配在那霸出现……滚回去！"

Less than eighty Chinese warriors clashed with two hundred Japanese ronin on the dock. Both sides engaged in a very 'restrained' struggle. The so-called restraint meant that neither side used weapons, and they didn't fight like street thugs. Instead, they faced each other like two military formations, pushing and shoving with all their might.

The strength disparity was significant. Two hundred against eighty was an unfair fight. Gradually, Xiaole Tian's formation was pushed back, inch by inch.

Xiaole Tian stood at the core of the formation, being pushed back, and cursed, "Worthless, all of you are worthless. Aren't you supposed to be Green Forest experts? Where's your internal martial arts? Where's your agile combat skills? Poke their eyes, kick their groins, stomp on their big toes... Damn it, isn't there lime on the dock? Spread it!"

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The struggle continued, with the Chinese warriors using every trick in the book to gain the upper hand.